The Summer Alpha

Chapter 2: Campfire and Blackberries

Chapter 2: Campfire and Blackberries

RUBY’S POV

After confirming every detail of my appearance was perfect, I grabbed my bag and started to head towards the kitchen. I remember when I first moved here it took me a while to get the hang of navigating the huge house. In the Summer Harvest pack, the beta lives in the pack house for protection and 24/7 advisement to the alpha. So, when I moved in with who everyone thinks is my uncle, I also got to live here.

Despite growing up so close to the alpha’s sons, I still felt like growing up we didn’t spend much time together. I still didn’t like Silas very much, but Atlas in the past few years had become less annoying… At least when he wasn’t with his younger brother. I don’t know if he thought being an asshole made him seem like more of a man, but when they were together, Atlas acted like a petty bully. They both sucked honestly in my opinion.

Though over the years I never forgot my goal. I made sure to remember things. Things like the alpha’s sons’ schedules, hangouts, friends, and girlfriends. I had to make sure and know everything about them in case anything went wrong.

When I entered the kitchen, there was Atlas and Silas, they were sitting at the kitchen bar eating breakfast and scrolling on their phones. Glasses of orange juice sat next to their plates. That was perfect. “There she is!” someone squealed. I looked over and there was Lottie, the cook. Until Silas turned 15, she was the brother’s nanny though. She had done everything for them. Drove them places, cooked, cleaned, dishes, did their laundry, and probably more. Honestly, she still did a lot of that stuff for them despite the brothers now being 18 and 21. She was amazing, but I felt bad since she seemed a bit overworked.

She handed me a plate of food, “Happy birthday Hun.”. The brothers finally looked up at me from their phones. “Thank you Lottie.” I blushed and smiled. I walked over next to Atlas placing my plate down and then placed my bag down next to it on the table. “What the? Come on!” Atlas groaned like a child. I put my bag down on the table too rough and it knocked over his orange juice. I painted my face with a surprised expression, “Oh no, Atlas! I am so sorry.”. Though I did it on purpose, I was sorry, I guess… I moved my bag and grabbed the paper towels, ripping some off and cleaning up the orange juice. “Why would you even think you could sit over here with us?” Atlas growled. “Yeah, we don’t want people to think we hang out with you. We tolerate you that’s it.” Silas added. I grabbed the now empty cup and started to walk over to the fridge. “Come on it was an accident. You know what today is right~~” I said in an innocent sing-song voice. I knew I had to play this situation just right. “You’re not special because it’s your birthday stupid. All it means is that you’re 18 and can move out of our house.” Silas snickered.

I grabbed the orange juice and faced away from them. I rolled my eyes at Silas’s comment as I placed the cup on the counter and unscrewed the lid from the orange juice to pour it. “It is my birthday. Thank you for remembering.” I said, repeating my words sarcastically in my mind. I finished pouring the orange juice and before I closed the juice cap, I pulled out a small vial, filled with clear liquid… It almost looked like that lemon lime soda… where the color was clear, but it didn’t really look like water. I poured the liquid into the orange juice. “Could it kill either of you to treat me like an equal for one day?” I asked, turning around, cup of orange juice in hand. I walked back and placed it next to Atlas’s plate; “Here I even took care of my mistake. No biggie!” I exclaimed, actively trying to act cute.

It worked. I saw a flash of a smile on Atlas’s face, “Yeah, yeah. Happy birthday, Ruby. I got better things to do than be here, so bye.” Atlas said then drank the orange juice I had poured him. As he walked past me the wind blew his sent my way. I never noticed but he smelled amazing. He had always smelled amazing but now it was different. Unique. Like it was just him and there would never be a way to replicate that smell. Usually, he just smelled strongly of whatever shampoo or body wash he used but now he smelled like a warm crackling campfire. Like the smell of sitting around a bonfire in the woods on a summer’s night. Maybe I was overthinking it. It was very likely it was just a new body wash I told myself.

ATLAS POV

I walked out of the kitchen and a chill ran down my spine. I was on fire and my heart was beating hard. There was something new about Ruby. Her smell. She smelled amazing. Like blackberries and cream. She’s my mate. There was no denying it. Did she know? No, she probably hasn’t realized it yet. I wouldn’t at 18. Our wolves awaken when we turn 16 so while she has only had a connection to her wolf for 2 years, I’ve lived with it for 5 years now, so I have a higher self-awareness. I knew the mate bond was life-changing, but this was overwhelming. How could she be his mate? It’s not like I didn’t like her but that what he let everyone believe. From the outside, looking in it seemed like I must hate her. I hope she didn’t think I hated her.

“Atlas.” My father’s deep gruff voice beckoned me to the office room over mind link. This pulled me from my flow of thoughts. “Coming father.” I replied. Ruby and Silas have already left for school, so there is no way to talk to her about it now so there is no reason to continue thinking about it, I convinced myself. Besides, I had work to do as the future alpha of this pack. I needed to be able to focus though I felt maybe this would be easier said than done.