Queen of the Alphas

The.Begining

Her mother, with a desperate expression, held out her hands in a pleading gesture, “Your father can't be the Alpha's Beta if you're not the Alpha's son's mate. These are the rules. This is your father's one shot to increase his rank. The Alpha himself chose you because of your father's loyalty to him.”

Tears welled up in Odessa's eyes; they trickled down her cheeks slowly. Her mother reached out and wiped the tears gently away with her bare hands. The tender gesture only seemed to make Odessa cry harder; her body shook with sobs.

The mother's arms enveloped Odessa in a comforting embrace. "Shhhhh," she whispered, trying to soothe her daughter's pain. "You have to stop crying; is he worth your tears?" she asked, her voice gentle but firm.

Odessa nodded slowly, as if convincing herself. “I have to stop crying,” she repeated, her voice barely above a whisper. “He is not worth my tears.” With a newfound determination, she wiped away the remaining tears, her eyes red and puffy from crying.

Her mother's expression turned stern: “Good, now promise me that things will go as planned.” She needed to know that Odessa would follow through with the arranged mating, no matter how difficult it seemed.

Odessa's face fell. “I will never be happy,” she reminded her mother.

The mother's expression softened. She knew the weight of Odessa's unhappiness, but she also knew the potential reward; the elevation of their family's status within the pack. She nodded, her voice barely above a whisper. “I know, but we owe a duty to this family.”

At that moment, someone knocked.

“Who is there?” Odessa asked, her voice still shaky from crying.

“It's your brother,” the mother verified. “Come in, Samson.”

Samson walked into the room, his expression suddenly concerned. “Your friend is here to see you. I had to tell her that you were indisposed to see anyone, but she said it was kind of urgent.”

Odessa's curiosity was piqued. “Which of my friends?” she asked, her voice a little stronger now.

Without hesitation, Samson answered, “Freya.”

Odessa wondered why Freya came to see her despite her betrayal; she wondered if somehow Freya knew that she had seen the both of them intimate; and she wondered if there was something else.

“Don't tell your friend about this,” her mother advised.

Odessa nodded in affirmation and decided to suck it up. She knew confronting Freya would ruin things, but if she had come to talk about it, then what choice would she have?

She wiped her tears and nodded at her brother. “She can come upstairs,” she said, standing up.

As soon as Samson exited the room, she walked to her dressing table and picked up her powder, applied it to her face, and gazed at the mirror before her. Her mother stood behind her and smiled.

Odessa's mother gently pecked her hair. “When the time is right, you will make a good Luna, she whispered, her voice filled with conviction. With that, she turned and departed, leaving Odessa alone with her thoughts.

The silence was short-lived, as Freya walked into the room.

Odessa's eyes were locked on her friend through the mirror, and her heart raced with anticipation. She remained silent, waiting for Freya to speak, as her mind was filled with unanswered questions.

Freya's expression was a mix of guilt and determination. She walked closer to Odessa and stood behind her. She looked in the mirror before them and took a deep breath before speaking, “Odessa, about what happened, I shouldn't have sounded that way; I'm sorry.” Her voice was barely above a whisper.

Odessa looked at her through the mirror; Freya seemed shameless before her. She hid her disgust from Freya and released a tiny smile.

“Come on, say something. I feel terrible already.”

Odessa's gaze never wavered, she seemed to revel in Freya's discomfort.

“I was only concerned that you were throwing yourself at a guy who may not value you,” Freya continued.

Odessa's head snapped towards her, “what do you mean?”

Freya walked to the dressing table. She sat on it, Odessa's gaze followed her. Her eyes fixed on Freya's as she struggled to maintain her composure. She was infuriated by Freya's schemes.

“It's no rumor that a lot of ladies throw themselves at Ryker,” Freya said, her voice measured. “Such men find it difficult to be faithful to one woman, he's not a saint after all.”

Odessa's face twisted, her emotions raw. “But I can't relate this to our prior discussions in your room,” her voice barely above a whisper.

Freya held Odessa's hands, “I was upset that you admired such a man known to be promiscuous. Going to him because you are bound by duty is one thing, loving him is another,” she said, her voice dripping with conviction. “Surely you don't want such a life for yourself.”

Odessa knew from that moment that Freya's intention was to convince her to reject Ryker as his mate. Odessa remained silent for a while, unable to utter a word, the air was suddenly thick with tension, the silence between them heavy with unspoken words.

*****************************************************

“Gideon Wilderwolf is the most dangerous alpha in New York, you cannot steal from him,” Beckett, Odessa's father, voiced out.

Alpha Luca King had called a meeting with the noble members of his pack who were also involved in his business activities.

Luca King's eyes scanned the room as he addressed the gathered members. “My spy tells me that Gideon's ship sails to Liverpool tomorrow night,” he announced, regardless of Beckett’s warnings.

The members seated around the table exchanged weighted glances, their faces revealing their curiosity.

“We'll intercept it at the New York Harbor,” Luca continued as he focused his gaze at Beckett. “We'll take control of the ship and claim its cargo for ourselves and then sail it to France. I already have a buyer waiting.”

They all began to murmur, they whispered among themselves as they digested Luca's plan.

Beckett's voice trembled with concern, “Alpha, I... I urge caution. Gideon Wilderwolf is not to be underestimated.”

Luca's gaze narrowed, his eyes flashed with a hint of warning as he raised his voice. “And am I to be underestimated?!! I too, could be the richest Alpha in New York. We all know what he does to get his money.”

Beckett's face fell, he nodded his head in disagreement and then rose again. “Gideon is not going to send mare humans to sail his cargo to Liverpool.”

Luca's expression softened, his voice took on a more conciliatory tone. “I understand your concerns, Beckett. But Zane here has laced our bullets with wolfbane.”

Beckett nodded, he felt disappointed. “You planned all this with Zane first, when am I chosen to be your beta and underboss.”

Everyone remained silent, they all saw the jealousy in his eyes.

Luca's expression remained calm, his voice measured as he replied, “I didn't want to bother you, your daughter's nineteenth birthday is tomorrow. It's going to be a busy day and night for you.”

“Moreover, if everything goes as planned, Luca will be thrice rich,” Zane said softly.

Beckett's unease grew. He knew Gideon Wilderwolf's reputation all too well, he couldn't shake off the feeling of impending doom.

At that moment, his phone beeped, he received a mysterious message: “Meet me at the old oak tree in the pack's territory at midnight. Come alone.”