The Alpha’s Star

The Tour Group

After managing to push that beautiful stranger from my mind I made it through a rather eventless class in Calculus, and now it was lunch time. I grabbed a sandwich from the deli line and sat down at our usual table. Cass and Kai joined me while we waited for Jazz to arrive. We left after Calculus together, but she told me she needed to go grab her lunch from her locker. It has been more than enough time for her to retrieve her lunch, at this point she’s probably having a high school style make out session in the hallway with her latest boyfriend. She never got too serious with guys since she was waiting for her mate, but Jazz liked to love people and be loved so she was always with someone.

Cass and Kai we were animatedly recounting a story from training this morning in great detail, but I couldn’t really pay attention. It was something about Delta Keaton did something cool, ugh I don’t really know. Who cares? Cass and Kai grew up with Jazz and I, and the four of us have always been close. When we started getting older, we broke off in pairs more often, but we’re still there for each other when needed. They were inseparable at this point and did everything together. A lot of people joke that they’ve even started looking alike to the point that they might as well be fraternal twins.

Jazz walks in carrying her lunchbox and flushed cheeks, and I flash her a knowing smile. She grabs the seat across from me and starts unpacking her lunch.

“So what did you think about that rates problem in Calc?” She asked innocently.

“Rates problem? Who cares about rates right now?”

She glared at me in response, while picking away at her fruit salad.

“Ugh, whatever. You can look at my notes later. What I want to talk about was that tour group we saw in the hallway! Do you think that was ‘the’ tour group?”

“Wait, you guys saw THE tour group” Kai piped in sarcastically. “Don’t tell me you met the super secret guests too!”

“For you information, yes we did see them. They were in the hallway outside of Mrs. Pillans’ room before class,” Jazz informed them. “I thought it was weird though, the group was much smaller than I expected. I had heard pack leaders would be there, but it was just Delta Keaton?”

“JUST Delta Keaton?!?” Cass started “You know what, I’m going to tell him you said that! Let me get my phone out,” Cass joked while dramatically typing buttons on his phone.

Delta Keaton was the main pack leader in charge of the warrior training program, and the boys wanted to be pack warriors more than anything. We didn’t have a huge pack or anything, but becoming a warrior was still a very selective process. So, Cass and Kai dedicated most of their free time to training. They idolized Delta Keaton, and he had developed a soft spot for them too throughout the years.

“Anyways…” I said with a bit of finality, hoping to steer this conversation back on track. “I thought that was weird as well. But do you know who that guy was talking with Keaton while we passed by? He looked so familiar, but I can’t place him.”

“No I didn’t recognize him, but he definitely wasn’t old enough to be that freshman’s father, he’s probably just his brother or something.” Jazz deduced. “Hmm, another detail wrong from my intel.”

“Agreed, they’re most likely brothers, but how does this information help us to narrow down our theory?” I whined.

“Ohhh,” Kai started, looking like a light bulb just went off in his head. “You guys think he has something to do with Alpha Ryan’s announcement tonight!”

“Yeah, I mean this ‘special guest’ moving in at the same time as Alpha Ryan’s super secret announcement is just too much of a coincidence to not be related,” Jazz summarized.

“So who is he?” Asked Cass, as if we magically found out in the last five minutes.

“That’s what we’re saying, we don’t know silly. But I could definitely see him being an Alpha,” I responded.

Jazz nodded in agreement. “If he is, it looks like Alpha Ryan isn’t picking one of his nephews after all.”

“Why are you two so sure this guy is even an Alpha? You barely even got a look at him! You think he is bigger than me?” Cass asked while puffing out his chest and ‘subtly’ flexing.

“One. hundred. percent.” Jazz said through fits of laughter while patting Cass on the arm to pacify his bruised ego. “Not only was he huge, the aura coming off of him was so powerful and intimidating. Total Alpha material.”

She was right, but something about hearing her gush over this mystery man made me feel a small pang of jealousy. That’s weird, I don’t even know his name, what’s going on with me? “Do you think he’s an Alpha’s younger brother from an allied pack? That could be why I recognize him, maybe he’s visited on pack business before?” I suggested, trying again to get the group back on topic.

“Yea, he could be. I wonder how Daniel will take it if that’s true? Everyone in the pack was so sure he would be named Alpha, and to have that taken away especially from an outsider…” Jazz trailed off.

“Especially with his temper.” Kai added.

I had zoned out, those beautiful eyes playing in my head, almost asking me to remember them. Cass noticed something was off while Jazz and Kai continued discussing Daniel’s anger management issues.

“Hey, are you okay?” Cass asked, lightly touching my shoulder.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m fine, no need to worry.” I said trying to assure him; he and Jazz got worried for me too easily after everything I’ve been through, and they notice all the warning signs. But sometimes I just get lost in thought because I have things to think about, not because of some existential dread. “I just was trying to place him again, I’m starting to get as bad as Jazz with my curiosity. It was just something about his eyes when he looked at me, I know I’ve seen them before.”

“When he looked at you?” Jazz responded with an evil little glint in her eyes, “our little Nova is having Alphas stare at her now?”

My face reddened instantly, and when your skin is as pale as mine everyone can tell. “No Jazz it wasn’t like that. I was staring at him and he caught me!”

Jazz gave me a knowing look in return, and Cass looked a little upset to hear me so fixated on another guy even though it wasn’t like that, I just wanted to figure out what was going on with the pack. At least that’s what I was telling myself. I know Cass used to have a crush on me when we were younger, he would bring me flowers he picked when we were playing outside, and walk me home from school. Our moms used to think we would be mates one day, but as we got older I just didn’t feel that for him. Honestly, at this point I hoped it wasn’t him cause I’m getting out of here after graduation and I care about Cass too much to break him like that.

As lunch ended, I dragged myself through the halls to my next class. All that was left in my day was Chemistry and Physics. I don’t know what I did in life to have such a strenuous A-block schedule, but at least my B-block tomorrow won’t be too bad. I really didn’t mind my science and math classes too much, at least they made since to me. They were far more objective, and less personal than the humanities. I’ve been loading up on advanced math and science courses in case I end up going to college after graduation, like my sister did. AJ is constantly campaigning for me to go to the college nearby to further my education, but she loves me and knows I have my own plans. It isn’t like they are the best laid plans, or that they are without fault, but they’re mine.

I wanted to pack a bag and go anywhere else. Get a job as a barista or a bartender, and just subsist off of my earnings. There are so many people and adventures out there, like I heard about a tomato farm in England where you can stay for free if you work there during the day. I just wanted to explore and experience as much as possible, and maybe find a purpose or reason to my life along the way. This plan absolutely terrifies AJ. Anytime it comes up she reminds me of reasons it isn’t a great idea. Most of them are about my wolf: she won’t be able to exercise or interact with other wolves. I know she’s probably right about this one, but I haven’t shifted yet since I don’t turn 18 for a couple more months. Another reason is my mate. Mates are something AJ is really concerned about since she is now 23 and still hasn’t found hers, but considering that I’m planning on rejecting whoever it is anyways it would probably be a lot easier if I just never met him.

Ama groaned in my head. She didn’t like it when I talked about rejection. The concept of a mate intrigued me, but I felt like I couldn’t be there fully for someone else when I had to fight to show up for myself everyday. Ama understood where I was coming from, but she begged me to keep an open mind. She insisted that when we met him, I would understand.

~Asa~

Did I really just ask Keaton who she was? I must look like a little school girl with a crush. If Keaton thought anything of it, he didn’t mention it.

“Umm, which one?” He asked while following my eyes to the beautiful black waves covering the face of the girl refusing to look back at me. “Oh, that’s Nova, Nova Hart.”

Nova Hart. I mulled over the name in my head while we followed the administrator to the next tour stop. “The name Hart sounds familiar. Is her family close with my uncle?”

Keaton’s face dropped a bit as he nodded slowly. “Um, yes Alpha. Her father used to be an advisor to Alpha Ryan. So, she and her sister would play at the pack house most days after school with the Alpha’s nephews and nieces who live in the pack. You must have met them when you were visiting when you were younger?”

“Hmm, maybe I did. Though I still don’t really remember the name Nova?”

“Well when you stopped visiting, Nova was only four. Maybe you remember her older sister AJ, she is a couple years older than you?”

“AJ! Yes, she used to corral all the kids at the pack house.” Maybe that’s why the scent was so weak, maybe I’m smelling AJ on Nova and AJ is really my mate? I started hyping myself up to possibly meet my mate tonight after all these years. My excitement was building until I remembered that AJ had to be about 23 years old now, that is a long time to go unmated.

“Wait Keaton, has AJ found her mate yet?” Again, I couldn’t stop myself from sounding desperate over a girl.

Keaton grinned at me, and I knew if I kept asking these questions I would start getting roasted pretty soon. “Actually, she hasn’t. Some people think it’s cause she spends so much time in the human town going to college and now for work that she never attends functions with other packs.”

“Interesting,” I grinned back at Keaton as I got exponentially more excited for tonight’s pack meeting.

Keaton and I trailed behind to the next stop while Cyan asked Sarah questions about extracurriculars.

“You said their father used to be Ryan’s advisor,” I started. “In what way did he advise?”

“Oh, Aster was a very talented man. He understood the game of power better than most, and became a trusted friend of Alpha Ryan.”

“Was?” I questioned.

“Yes. Aster and his wife, Josephine, passed away a few years ago. AJ and Nova took it pretty hard, as you can imagine. They stopped interacting much with the pack and coming to events, especially Nova.”

Passed away? That must have been extremely difficult. I know I was broken when Cy and I’s younger brother died, I can’t imagine not having a parent to help me through that pain. Thank goddess we made tonight’s meeting mandatory. I needed to see AJ ASAP, I’ve been searching for my mate for so long and I just need to know if it’s her.

“How did they die?” I found myself asking.

Keaton almost stopped in his tracks; I had obviously pinched some kind of nerve. He looked over his shoulder and back at me.

“Officially, in a car accident. Alpha Ryan has kept information beyond that privy to pack leaders only. Given your new upcoming position with the pack, you should ask him about it yourself.”

I was taken aback. I had stumbled onto some kind of cover up. The size of this pack reminded me of a small town - at least when compared to mine - and I didn’t expect this level of intrigue. Because of the size and location of the pack, not many wolves cared to attack or try to takeover, and due to this they had a pretty small pool of warriors. Despite that, I really just couldn’t imagine something truly bad happening here.

“Alright, I’ll bring it up with him later.” I responded as we finally made it back to the front office.

As I waited for Cy to pick out his classes with the counselor, I read through my emails halfheartedly. My mind kept drifting to this little towns mystery. What could possibly have happened here at Silver Crescent?