Alpha's Winter Promise

Episode 13 - Friends - Olivia's POV

We are driving along the lake road and off in the distance I can see the stadium. It is a fever dream of glass and steel in the same vein as the Roman coliseum. When the pack leaders several generations back decided to move forward with this vanity project, they declared it neutral territory. As such, every pack that can contributes to the upkeep of the stadium and grounds, which included the far section of the lake, surrounding forest and green spaces.

It was unsurprising then that the competition events would be held here. I looked at the event schedule on my phone. Men's sparring took place earlier in the morning, so I missed those. But I should be there in time to catch the obstacle course.

I scrolled further down the list looking for my own event, a triathlon, though they've changed the order to run, swim, cycle to make it easier for us to get from here to the Olympic pool at the training facility and then take the longer route back to the stadium by cycling.

I can't avoid the elephant in the room, or rather the Alpha in the room, much longer. With Mother…. indisposed…I'll have to take her place in the VIP box with Daddy until it is time to warm up.

A VIP box that is very likely going to also be occupied by Simon.

I take a deep breath before pulling open the glass door to the stadium lobby. Remember what you’ve been taught, Olivia. Remember that you are an untouchable star. Remember it is beneath you to grovel and pine away for someone who was too stupid to know what he had in front of him.

I can hear the crowd cheering as I cross the marble tiles to the elevator. It’s distant, something communal that I never really a part of and when the elevator dings, I’m reminded that Simon’s 19th birthday party had been the same thing.

I get in the elevator, a glass compartment that looks out over the lake as it rises.

I hadn’t seen him for a year that time, we’d both gotten our wolves when we turned 18 but hadn’t come in contact with each other. Everyone said that it was bound to be a match and I believed them. I recall the party, everyone dancing and chatting, clumps of friends that I was never quite invited to join. Simon though had always been a friend, so when I didn’t see him there, I knew exactly where to look.

I’d found him in the vegetable garden. He loved the practicality of the place, that it created things that provided for his pack. He was seated on the ground beneath a trellis of strawberries, velvety black eyes looking off in the distance at nothing. I was hit with the scent of cinnamon and jasmine. He was in anguish when he rejected me on the spot. Only the strawberries and fireflies as witnesses.

Ding - the elevator door opens and i’m ousted directly into the VIP box.

The interior is sleek and fitted with modern furnishing and amenities. Decorated in gold and black - it has an air of sophistication. There are groupings of seats inside and on the balcony. The retractable glass wall is pulled open today since the weather has stayed cool after morning rain showers.

I quickly scan the crowd and find Daddy sitting off to the side, looking over the balcony at the action below. I slide into a chair next to him.

“Henry took 3rd in the sparring.” He says, looking every inch a proud pack leader. Henry was Daddy’s bodyguard, not that he needed one. Not quite a servant, not quite family.

I nod. Third wasn’t first, but I suppose it would have to do if Daddy didn’t seem fussed about it.

“Livie-lovie, you should know that he’s here.” His gaze is over my shoulder. I turn to look and it was like the sea of people parted just so I could catch a glimpse of Simon on the far side of the balcony.

He was also looking our way. Our eyes locked for the briefest of moments and a thousand unspoken words crossed between us before he broke the contact and turned to say something to the young woman next to him.

She is short and plump, with plain features and muddy blonde hair pulled up in a messy bun. In the middle of all this refinement, she has on joggers and a crop top with a cartoon cat on the front. She seems to be talking at Simon a mile a minute.

“That's Abby. I met her earlier. She’s certainly a firecracker.” Daddy fills in the blank for me, giving me a name for the person who took my spot away from me. “I’d heard that she was a chosen mate, but….you know how rumors are….apparently she is actually a second chance mate. Nobody knows who his first was, and he refuses to talk about it. Did he ever say anything to you? I know you guys were close for a while.”

My mouth is dry. I shake my head. “No, nothing.” A second-chance mate? She was FATED to him?

I don’t want to watch, but I can’t bring myself to look away. I don’t know that i’ve ever seen Simon’s expression and body language so…..relaxed….he looks…..happy…. He's looking at this little ragamuffin who is currently leaning over the railing and pointing at something, with pride and affection.

Did he ever look at ME that way?

Daddy pats me on the shoulder. “It’s alright, I’m certain we’ll find you a mate while we are here and then you won’t even consider thinking about Simon. Fated mates are special that way.”

I don’t have much to say about it, so Daddy fills up the empty space by talking about the obstacle course being set up, and introducing me to people who come over to chat. And before too long, there are men lining up at the starting line.

Daddy has risen from his seat. “You’ll have to excuse me, I do need to have a word with Alpha Weiss. I’ll be back shortly.” He crosses over to the aging alpha and then the pair of them approach Simon.

I request a bottle of water from a passing server and turn my attention back to the starting line. I’m curious to see how this goes since the obstacle course isn’t something you can just brute strength your way through.

I’m startled when a bottle of water taps me on the shoulder accompanied by a disembodied female voice, “You’re Olivia right? I heard you ask for water so I grabbed one for ya.”

Simon’s ragamuffin. Just what I needed to round out an unpleasant day.

I take the bottle from her and turn back to the event. She FLOPs down in the seat next to me and kicks off her FLIP-FLOPS (who wears flip-flops in a VIP box??) and puts her bare feet on the cool concrete. “Oh my God, that is so niiiiiiiiiice. I’ve been on my feet for daaaaaaaaays. I don’t know how you guys do it in heels even.” In the spirit of civility I don’t stop her from talking, but that doesn’t mean I have to engage with her. She seems perfectly fine to talk to herself.

Though, I will admit I feel a surge of jealousy. Not because of Simon, no…because it must be nice to put sore feet barefoot on cool concrete and not worry about what others say about you.

The shot is fired and the men take off - first challenge is an army crawl under some boards and chains stretched across a muddy pit. Several of them, given their height, have decided to go OVER them instead of UNDER.

Next to me Abby is cracking up. “Oh my God, what do they think they are doing?” And she loses it further when one of the hulking men get caught up in a chain, windmills and topples over four other contestants. They become a tangled and muddy mass of limbs. She slaps me on the arm in her excitement, pointing. “Looklooklook! Two of them have made it out.”

Sure enough - a pair have reached the next challenge. A vertical wall with no visible means to scale it. The bigger of the two men creates a cup with his hand, the other leaner man, puts his foot in and is launched in the air.

The crowd gasps. The lean man does a flip and twists like an Olympic gymnast before landing on top of the platform with ease. He tosses down a rope for the bigger man.

Clever.

I can’t help but smile, and I notice the scent of coffee. How odd.

Meanwhile, Abby has dubbed them Flying Squirrel and Moose after some cartoon she apparently liked growing up. The pair goes on to absolutely crush the challenges one after another.

Abby squeals next to me “Oh no, look at the time! We’re gonna be late to get changed and checked in for the triathlon!” For the second time today, my arm is grabbed and she pulls me away, talking about everything under the sun as we go. I get just enough time to turn around as see the winner’s face on the jumbotron.

He’s… not handsome in a classical way, but he has a smile that’s kind of lopsided and he seems uncomfortable with the attention. I can’t tell what color his hair is from all the mud caked in it, but his eyes are crystalilne blue. I feel a surge of strength in my body, and a faint growl from a corner of my mind.

Is Orla back?

I don’t have time to think about it or hear the name of the winners due to Abby having shoved me into the elevator.

“This is going to be awesome! I just LOVE this kind of stuff. Do you have a bag? Is it already in the locker room? What do you do to warm up? How do you train at home? We should go to the spa after this! I’m so excited to have a friend!”

Friend? When did we become friends? She has my man! But is he really mine? Was he ever mine?

I am pushed into the locker room and there are a dozen girls already in there changing. It grows quiet when we enter, except for Abby still talking up a storm. Rapid fire questions so fast I can’t even answer them.

“Tacky, bitch.”

It comes from across the locker room and when I look that direction I fully expect them to be looking at me, but they aren’t. Their sights are on Abby instead.

I’m surprised by the rush of anger I feel. She hasn’t done a single thing to anyone except maybe be aggressively friendly.

Oh my lord, why would I even care?

I feel aura starting to seep out of me, but a tug on my sleeve pulls me back. Abby is looking up at me, I’m almost a head taller than her I notice. “It’s okay, Livie.” (Who said she could use my nickname???) “I’m used to it. Don't bother me none.” Her eyes are fierce. “Let’s get ready and then kick their asses!” She puts a fist in the air and then disappears to change clothes.

I couldn’t agree more. Let’s kick their asses.