An Alpha and A Secretary

Chapter 1 - Setting the Scene

I groaned a little, watching the clock in the lecture hall tick nearer and nearer to 12pm. I was to meet the Alpha of my pack at 1pm, no doubt it would be about my lack of a mate after three years of being of age. I was only twenty-one, yet I was seen as being old to still be single. The girl next to me gave me a swift elbow in the side, bringing me out of my daydream. Her name is Willow, we met when we started at this University and she is possibly the best person I know. If I didn’t know better I’d think we were mates, unfortunately she is claimed by Henry.

“Five more minutes,” she whispers, keeping her eyes on the board “Are you nervous?” 

I sat up, tapping my pen on my notepad before jotting down some words the lecturer emphasised, “Of course I am, I don’t know what he will say. What if he kicks me from the pack?” Willow rolls her eyes, reaching over to doodle a flower on the corner of my page as she answers.

“He won’t, he’s worried you’ll never find your mate. Your old man has been talking about it too, and the Alpha has always respected his old Beta.”

My father used to be the packs Beta, but recently stepped down to let a younger pack member take over. Even though he is only forty-five he wants to ensure that we have the best warriors on the front lines.  “Freya… You need to just give yourself a kick and do this. I know you believe in waiting for fate to play its hand but you aren’t young forever, and I want nieces and nephews!” 

“You’re right, I’ll let you know how it went later. Ok?” She nods, and once the lecture is finished she gives me a hug. Her and Henry head off to the library, but I go in the opposite direction to where a car is waiting. 

The Alpha has sent the Beta to pick me up, George.

He’s not a tall man, maybe 5’9ft, but what he lacks in height he makes up for in attitude. No one can deny he has a cute face, framed by wavy brown hair and calf-like big brown eyes. His smile however gave away his prankster attitude. This man was supposedly the one my father trusted to take over from him. George stands next to the car, waiting for me. As I approach he opens the door and motions me in. 

“Thank you for this George, how is the Alpha today?” He closes the door and goes around the other side to get in. 

“Looking good Freya, he’s his usual self, worried.” I nod at this, turning to look out of the window as he drives off.

I check my reflection in it, making sure I look presentable. I wasn’t all that interesting a person, perhaps the most interesting thing was my hair. It wasn’t ginger, but it wasn’t brown, it was somewhere between, a kind of copper colour. When the sun hit it it shined like flames. Other than that I was very average. Green eyes, pale skin and freckles. God how I hated those freckles, they made it look like my nose was dirty. I wasn’t a thin girl either, but nor was I overweight. I was at that stage where I needed high waisted jeans to pull off a crop top, but you wouldn’t catch me in a tight fitted dress. My thighs touched, but I didn’t care. I could fight for myself, I was fit enough to keep up in training and that’s all that mattered. 

It was about twenty minutes before we reached the pack house, most of it sat talking about my classes or what the upcoming summer fete would offer. 

My father opened the car door when we arrived, I hugged him tight. “Papa, what is this about? Is it about my mate?”

He sighed a little, brushing a hair out of my face. 

“Freya, you know that I cannot tell you, that is the Alpha’s job. Come on, let’s have some tea while we wait for him to call on us.” I nod and follow him inside. The entrance to the pack house led straight into a large kitchen and dining room. Instead of tables we had benches, it accommodates more people more easily, and they could be taken outside on nice days. A few mothers were playing with their kids in the lounge area on the other side of the ground floor and a TV played kids cartoons. My father led me to one of the benches where he’d already put mugs of tea and a plate of biscuits. I sat and grabbed a mug, sighing a little at the first sip of liquid joy. 

It only took about fifteen minutes before we were summoned, but what news he had for me, I did not expect.