Marked by Love, Chosen by Fate

“Attention in the hall”, Alpha Orion’s voice called out,” There will be a meeting preceding dinner. It is not optional for those who hold leadership positions. You know who you are and we will not start until everyone is present.” As he sat down, his eyes locked with mine a silent understanding that although I didn't hold a title I was expected to be present tonight. I secretly hoped that this would be for something entertaining and not another long discussion centered around border protection or treaty proposals. The biggest downside of being mated to a beta was that when he was away on business, I was expected to fill his role. I didn't mind the paperwork or the socializing, but meetings about things they'd never consider my opinion? Definitely not my cup of tea. ****** Tensions were running high and my father was called away immediately following lunch. Leila had found me wandering around the gardens and proposed a run in order to relieve some of our stress. It had been over an hour since we left for the border. The sky was a beautiful shade of crystal blue. The sun was beaming through the tops of the trees. I admit, it is hard to complain with the golden rays beating down on your face. The sound of our steps echoed through the trees around us. Shifting would've allowed us to run faster, but remaining this way allowed us to truly enjoy the beauty of the woods surrounding us. Tall pines and evergreens bordered our community center and provided us with the privacy we needed to roam free. Bags of extra clothes hung from a few of the trees for anyone who shifted unprepared. Although after a few years you began to grow used to the feeling of being exposed to your peers. Pack runs happen more often these days than they did when I was a cub. As the sun began to sip below the treeline I knew we needed to head back soon. I mind linked Leila knowing she was close by, but not wanting to yell out through the trees for her. Let's head back, I need to shower before the gathering. Without a moment's pause, her voice rang through the link, Want me to follow you back to your place? We can get ready together. I agreed, not surprised to hear that she would also be attending. We both had been born into strong families and eventually she had married the leading delta. It was one of the reasons we often ran the forest edge. She always spoke about the peace it brought her to experience hints of mate's duties. As his mate, she often leads training circles for the younger girls who were preparing to shift for the first time. She taught them how to center themselves and anticipate their surroundings so that they would be more at ease when the time came. When she wasn't teaching, she was volunteering at the pack's medical house. I was proud to have her as a friend and even more so as a fellow leader. We raced back through the trees, leaping over the occasional tree root. There was no clear path, but after running these woods almost every day for years you don't really need one anymore. We slowed as the clearing approached and jogged to the cabin on the outer edge of the pack house. When my father resigned as Beta, the title was handed to my chosen mate, Alexander. As a sign of his newfound status, we were moved closer to the center of the village. I had no complaints as it meant that the travel to all the mandatory meetings wasn't far. "Do you think Alexander would mind if I took over the guest room for a little while?", Leila yelled as we came around to the front of the house. She practically lived here while our husbands were occupied with their travels, but I knew her asking was more to show a level of respect for the pack hierarchy. "You know that the quest room is yours whenever you seek to visit, Leila. You're practically family", I replied, opening the door wide for her to enter. The house was deafeningly silent as we took the stairs to the main hall. Our house wasn't as grand as some, but we lived rather comfortably. A large master sat at the far side of the house and two guest rooms occupied the front of the main hall. One of which was home to a variety of women's clothing left by Leila during a multitude of her visits. Although, some of it was left as little gifts by me. I couldn't be blamed for spoiling my best friend, after all the girl was practically a saint for putting up with me. As she disappeared into the first guest room, I tried to mentally rummage through my closet. The Alpha had given no hint at what the meeting would cover, but I didn't want to show up underdress if it was to be of an important professional nature. I contemplated whether I should wear the black slacks I bought last week with a light shirt, or if I should opt for a more casual approach. Leila was probably going to wear a pair of dark jeans and a fitted wrap top. It was almost always what she wore when required to do anything outside of her normal routine. I envied the way she carried herself. She didn't care about the pressures placed on us when it came to presenting ourselves in the pack. Her presence demanded respect in every way possible. I tossed my phone on the bed and sauntered into the bathroom. I danced along the cold tiles and quickly peeled myself out of the clothes I had been wearing. A hot shower was screaming my name, well actually my muscles were screaming for a hot shower, but what difference does it make. I cranked the shower on and released a deep sigh as the steam began to fill the room. I stepped into the large walk in shower, welcoming the sweet release of the hot stream. The water beat against my back, melting away the day's activities. I reached to release my hair from its undeniably messy bun letting it cascade down my back. The soft brown waves fell between my shoulders blades and clung to my lower back. I lathered the soap through the thick mess of it all, and did my best to wash away the dirt from our midday run. No matter what we wore, I somehow always ended up with leaves and dirt in places it shouldn't be. I knew I needed to hurry, but the steam left me with a need for release. One I wish I had time to satisfy. As I debated on risking being a few minutes late, I remembered that Alexander would be home tonight. His trip to the northern territories had wrapped up and he was finally heading back. The last few weeks had felt like a lifetime, but it always seemed to drag on these days. Hopefully he would be in a mood to make up for lost time.