Fated To The Alpha Brothers

ALEXANDRIA'S POV  “Everything has to be perfect!” My father says, slamming his hand on the table. I have never seen him angry before, never seen him flustered but ever since Alpha Leonard died and his son, Lucas, took over the pack, he has always been agitated, often sitting by the fire with his hand under his chin and his eyes staring at some far off place. He would run his hand through his hair and get startled when something fell to the ground and now Alpha Lucas' had decided to visit our home. I didn't know why he would want to do that. My father is beta but not in Lucas Inner circle and he is old, old, and disconnected from pack politics. He looks at me then at the decorations, inspecting them like his life depends on it and I assume it does, in his own opinion. “Ah, as always, you don't cease to impress me, my dear. If only I had a son like you. My life would have been much easier,” he says. I feel a twinge of sorrow in me but I brush it aside. It is no news to me that my father always wanted a son, always wanted a boy he could raise, imbued with his interests and knowledge but was left with my sister and I instead. My sister, of course, left the pack a long time ago to travel the world and I am the only one left in this great, gaping house with Patrick Winter, my father. “I wonder why the moon goddess toys with us, why she has decided not to give you a mate. It has been four years since you came of age and I can hear the whispers already. You are an exceptional young woman yet…” he sighs and runs his hand through my hair. “Everything has to be perfect Tonight. I don't know this new alpha as I should. I don't know his inclinations and I don't want to find out by the time it's too late.” I stare at him, seeing the fear in his eyes and the weariness on his face. An immediate dislike for Alpha Lucas comes over me. I don't know him. I used to see him when I was a little girl, eight years old and he stood there, tall and lanky with a mop of black hair, sixteen years old, with fierce-looking yellow eyes. I was scared of him then but it has been a long while and I was seeing him through the eyes of an impressionable eight-year-old. I turned towards my work, organizing the decorations, the cooks, and the gardens, ensuring everything was as perfect as it could be. At the stroke of four, My father walked into the living room, his hair already seeming grayer. “They are here. Quickly, assemble the welcoming party,” he said. We had already rehearsed this so I clapped and the entire party walked out in a single file. The maids and the manservants that were selected walked out and stood by the small front garden when the cars drove in. One of the cars opens and three men step out. A man walks to the door of the second car and opens it then another man steps out. He is big, big in a way no man should be. His shoulders are broad, filling up the suit he was in and his face is sharp, clean-shaved, and handsome in a rugged, rough manner with piercing yellow eyes and black hair tied in a simple ponytail, away from his face. On his middle finger is a ring with the head of a wolf carved into it and one ear is pierced with a golden earring dangling from it. I cannot tell what he is feeling or what he is thinking or even perceive if he has any emotions at all. My father walks to him then bows. The man watches my father quietly then brings out his hand and my father kisses his ring and stretches to his full height yet he comes just up to the man's chest. If that is Alpha Lucas then he has grown incredibly since I last saw him. The door to the third car opens and another man steps out. He is almost as tall as Alpha Lucas with eyes so black, they seem to dim the colors around them. His hair is cropped short and he is lean but powerfully built as made evident by the turtlenecked shirt under his jacket. He has a cleft in his chin and wears a silver ring, again with the head of a wolf carved into it. My father walks to him and kisses his ring as well then steps back. “My apologies for my brother's absence. He had other matters to attend to,” the second man says. “That is quite alright. The two of you already bring us incredible honor with your presence. Please, come into the warmth of the indoors,” my father says. Lucas dips his head and starts walking. He does not spare me so much as a sideways glance. I don't think he even really sees anyone. He walks into the building and we follow. After two hours of playing hostess, I find that my nerves are frayed and I am exhausted. I sit at the table and I eat but I can barely taste what I am eating. I wonder what I am still doing here, why I don't leave. It is not like there is anything left except taking care of my father and that is when I feel a gentle tap on my shoulder. I turn towards it and see my father gesturing with his head. I look and see that the other man, the one I have now known to be Raphael, Alpha Lucas' younger brother, is staring at me and seems more than a little displeased. “I'm sorry, I didn't get the question. I was a bit distracted,” I say. My father is about to repeat the question but Raphael raises a hand and he keeps quiet. “There is no need repeating what has been said. I roused you from your thoughts. What were they?” He asks. I look at the food I have been toying with, wondering if I should tell him I have been thinking of leaving but that would embarrass my father. “Nothing much. Just a few errant thoughts,” I say and he leans forward like he is about to hear the most interesting thing ever said in the world. His brother looks up at me, seemingly bored but mildly interested. “Pray tell,” Raphael says. His voice is like a hoarse whisper and his eyes are incredibly intense. Something about him pressing me to speak annoys me. I know there is no way I can avoid the question and I am not a particularly good liar so they would be able to see through the bullshit in a matter of seconds. “I want to leave,” I say. Raphael pauses then he smiles. It is a strange thing that frightens me a little. “Leave then,” he says. “Raphael,” his brother rumbles in a voice so deep, the table vibrates mildly when he speaks. “If she wants to leave, Lucas, let her leave. That is the door, isn't it?” He asks. “She is the daughter of our host. Behave yourself,” Lucas commands then turns toward my father. “My apologies. My brother can be a tad…” He is interrupted by something crashing outside and his head turns sharply then he sighs. “A wild animal, I tell you,” Raphael mutters. I start to feel my breath catch in my throat, an overwhelming pressure against my chest, and a pounding inside my skull. “Pardon, Mr. Winter. My brother just arrived,” Lucas says.