The Alpha in her Dreams

The Truth Comes Out

Wrapping his arms around her waist, he pulled her closer to him. She leaned into him, feeling arousal awaken within her. His scent was so alluring, it felt like a drug. His hand went to her chin, lifting her face to meet his. Bringing his forehead against hers, he stared at her for a moment before closing his eyes and deeply breathing in. When he opened his eyes again, they were darker and filled with lust. Before he could react, she kissed him passionately. He eagerly returned her intensity. Quickly, she tugged his shirt up but wasn’t tall enough. He broke their kiss with a smile as he pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it aside. Her hands trailed down his chest, and unbuttoned his pants, sliding her hand down to grasp his already hard shaft. He groaned but pulled away slightly.

“Wait, Laurel,” he breathed in a strained voice.

She frowned at him. “Why? You don’t want to?”

He c****d his head to the side. “More than you’ll ever know. But I’ve been doing some thinking and I need to talk to you first.”

She nodded, feeling apprehensive. She waited while he laid the blanket out. She wished now that she hadn’t taken his shirt off. His body was more than a distraction. He sat down and patted the spot across from him. She joined him on the blanket and looked at him questioningly.

“Don’t look so worried, Laurel. I want you. Nothing will change that, but I’m afraid that what I have to tell you may change the way you feel about me, and I don’t want to go any farther with you until you know the whole truth.”

“Okay, now I’m really worried. Are you married?” she asked, trying to lighten the mood. She trusted him and knew that he wasn’t that type of man. But she couldn’t think of anything else that would change the way she felt about him.

He raised his eyebrows at her in surprise. “Married?! No, Laurel. It’s not that.” He looked down at his hands as if he were unsure of where to start.

“Well then, just tell me.”

“Promise you’ll let me finish what I have to say.”

She paused. “Okay,” she responded slowly. “I promise.”

He glanced up at her again, his eyes silently pleading. “There is something different about the two of us. You already have an idea about this since you dreamed about me before we even met. But you may have wondered why that didn’t surprise me or why we both felt so strongly for each other so quickly. I know that is unlike you. But there’s a reason for this magnetic pull we feel towards each other, why we can be sure that we are meant for each other.” He waited a moment to see if she had anything to say, but she just stared at him silently, wanting him to continue. He sighed. “I knew this would be hard. I’ve spent so much time wondering how the best way to tell you this is. I’m just going to say it.” He took a deep breath. “I’m a werewolf.”

Laurel looked at him with disbelief. Is he playing a joke on me to pay me back for beating him in the race? That seems petty, and a really intricate ruse.

“You promised you’d hear me out, remember?”

She nodded, but her expression was full of annoyance.

“I’m not just a werewolf. I’m an Alpha. That means I’m the leader of my pack. Beck is my Beta, or second-in-command, and Matthius is my Gamma. Charis is a werewolf as well. Part of being a werewolf is having what we call a fated mate. For an Alpha, it’s even more important. His mate is the Luna of the pack. She’s the heart of all of it. Without her, the pack is never as strong or unified as it should be. I’ve been waiting for you for a long time. An awfully long time, Laurel. You’re my mate. I could scent you on the street that day. It was the most alluring scent I’d ever smelled in my life- roses and sandalwood. Then I saw you and if there had been any doubt, it would’ve disappeared that moment.” He smiled at her; his eyes full of hope. “You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. Everything in me wanted to rush to you, kiss you, mark you, and make you mine. Then I saw Henry touch you. I already told you that Matty had to pull me aside. To see another man touch you made me feel so angry. I wanted to rip his arm off of his body.”

Laurel’s eyes widened in shock, and he shook his head before continuing.

“I’m sorry. I know that sounds terrible. Once I knew you were human, I knew that I would have to be patient. But you seemed to sense that we were supposed to be together as well, which is more than I could’ve hoped for. It doesn’t usually go that way for werewolves mated to humans. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you, Laurel. I’m meant to be with you forever.” He paused. He wanted her to say something. She stood and he did too, looking apprehensive. She started walking and he whispered, “Please don’t leave, Laurel. I don’t want to lose you.”

“I just need to think. Give me a minute.”

He forced himself to sit down as she paced, trying to make sense of what he said. It definitely wasn’t a trick. He really believed this. Her mind felt like it would explode, and she was using all her mental energy trying to think this through rationally. Suddenly, a scene from her last dream flashed in her mind. The wolf. The proud feeling that she had when the wolves had howled in unison as they surrounded her. She turned to him.

“Let me see.”

He looked confused. “What do you mean?”

“I want to see you turn into a wolf. Or can you only do it during a full moon?”

“No, it doesn’t really work that way. I can shift whenever I like.” He looked at her guardedly. “But I’m not sure I can trust my wolf right now. He wants to make you ours. That’s why I went for a run this morning. Patience is not a virtue he possesses.”

“Wait, he’s different from you? You’re talking about him like he’s a different person.”

“Well, we share the same desires mostly, but I’m more rational than him. He’s governed by his passions. You’ve seen glimpses of him…when my eyes get dark. That’s him trying to surface.”

She folded her arms across her chest. “I still want to meet him.”

After studying her for a moment, Shepherd could see that she wasn’t going to change her mind. He started to pull his pants off.

“What are you doing? I don’t want to have s*x right now, Shepherd!”

He allowed a small smile. “I know that. I don’t want to rip my clothes when I shift.” He stood before her, completely naked. She kept her gaze trained on his eyes. She would not be distracted by his body right now. “His name is Angus. He will want to get close to you and smell you. Whatever you do, don’t run from him.” He paused. “Promise me, Laurel.”

She looked frightened but agreed. “I promise.”

Shepherd’s face showed that he didn’t think this was a good idea. “Do you want to close your eyes while I shift? It can be unsettling to watch.”

“No.”

He sighed. “Ok, I’ll shift quickly.”

He lowered his head and faster than she imagined possible, a wolf about the size of a small horse stood in his place. Laurel gasped. It was the wolf from her dream. She didn’t know how any of this could be happening. Her mind felt fuzzy, and she started to sway. Angus rushed to her side, maneuvering himself between her arm and her body to help steady her. Her hand reached out and instinctively grabbed his fur. It was incredibly soft. She ran her fingers through it, and he nestled his head into her hand.

After a moment, he started sniffing at her. He was close to her neck, and she began to feel afraid. Maybe I should’ve listened to Shepherd. What if Angus can’t control himself and bites me? As if he could sense her fear, he looked into her eyes and growled low. His black eyes started to flicker, and she closed her eyes tightly, bracing herself for what may happen. She felt hands cupping her face and opened her eyes to see Shepherd standing before her, his eyes full of concern.

“Are you alright? Angus loves you, too. He would never intentionally hurt you.”

“I thought he may bite me.”

Shepherd tried to hide a smile. “He does want to bite you. He’s been pestering me about it since the moment we spotted you.”

Laurel was shocked. “How can you say he doesn’t want to hurt me if he’s been trying to get you to bite me?!”

“He wants to mark you. It is technically a bite. But it’s not one to injure you. He wants to put our mark on you so that we’re always connected. So that others know that you are ours. And of course, for you to put your mark on me so that everyone knows that I am yours.”

She fell back onto the quilt, her arms lying limply beside her. Shepherd lay down beside her but didn’t try to touch her.

“I saw Angus in my dream. After I met you, my dream changed, and I saw him.”

Shepherd sat up, resting on his elbows. “Are you sure?”

“Of course, I’m sure. That's one reason I wanted to see him.”

He sat, obviously waiting for her to continue. When he couldn’t stand the wait anymore, he prompted her. “What are you thinking, Laurel?”

She lay in silence for several more seconds before answering. “Tell me more about mates. How did you know? What does it mean?”

He leaned up and looked at her, but she kept her gaze at the sky. Laying back down, he answered, “Werewolves believe that mates are chosen for them by the Moon Goddess. Each wolf typically gets one mate. When mates accept each other, they mark one another, and other wolves can tell that they’re mated. Their scents mingle together to become one.” He paused, looking over at her. When she didn’t say anything, he continued. “Once they’re mated, they can feel each other’s emotions more strongly and can speak to each other through the mind link. Pack members can already communicate through a mind link but if the mates weren’t part of the same pack, they can’t use the link until they’ve completed the bond.”

He paused and Laurel could tell he was struggling with what to share with her. After a moment, he continued. “Sometimes, wolves don’t find their mate. They can take a chosen mate. Their bond is strong, but rarely as strong as fated mates. When a mate dies, their connection, whether they are fated or chosen, is often so strong that the other wolf will die as well.”

“So, if you or I die, the other will die also?”

“Most likely. Some survive but are often incredibly sad and become loners. Others go crazy.”

“And we have no choice in this?” She finally rolled over to look at Shepherd and saw from his expression that he was pained by her question.

He turned to his side; his face close to hers. “You have a choice, Laurel. If you decide you don’t want to be with me, you can reject me.”

“Will you die?”