The Alpha I Chose

Chapter 10

Meadow

After I’ve finally given up the idea of wandering through Alpha Malcolm’s pack territory alone at night to retrieve my precious quilt, I take a long hot shower and slip into the sweatpants and t-shirt that he had given me.

I’m standing in the center of the bedroom, rather bored I might add, when a knock sounds at the door. I skip over and open it to find a sweet looking girl standing there with what appears to be the same type of food cart we used in the packhouse kitchen back home.

Her long brown hair is in two messy braids and she looks tired, but upon seeing me she straightens her posture before dipping her head in a small bow of respect.

“Luna Blackwood,” she says softly. “Alpha Malcolm asked that we bring you up some food.” I wrinkle my nose and the girl frowns.

“Gross. Please don’t call me that! I’m just Meadow,” I tell her smiling. “What’s your name? You look tired!” The girl’s eyes widen and a hint of a smile touches her lips.

“Um, my name’s Emily,” she says sounding a smidge confused.

“Oh good. Now I don’t have to call you Food Cart Girl!” I grab the cart from her and she turns to leave. “Wait a second, where are you going?” Emily turns to look at me, confused.

“Back to the kitchen…?” she says, a questioning tone to her voice. “Unless there was something more that you needed?”

“Yeah some company!” I reach out the door and grab Emily’s hand, pulling her inside. “Sit down, you look exhausted.” I point to the couch and give the girl a firm look. She sits, perched carefully on the edge of the couch her hands resting in her lap.

I take the lid off the food to find a delicious looking steak dinner as well as a plate with dinner rolls and my stomach grumbles appreciatively. I set the rolls on one of the fancy cloth napkins and cut the steak in half, putting it on the extra plate.

I quickly cut the other half into bite size pieces and divide the mashed potatoes in half as well. Satisfied, I take both plates, keeping the cut up steak for myself and hold the other plate with the knife and fork out to Emily. She stares at me.

“Um…”

“What?” I ask her, “I certainly don’t plan on eating alone in this room like a leper. You’ve obviously had a busy day and I’m betting you haven’t eaten properly.”

“But Luna, this is your dinner,” she says nervously, looking around the room as if someone’s going to jump out and yell at me for sharing food.

“It’s Meadow, not Luna,” I say, “and now it’s our dinner!” I smile brightly at her as she takes the plate and finally visibly relaxes.

“Thank you, Meadow,” she says with a smile. “I actually am very tired and very hungry. I picked up an extra shift tonight for my friend Lana. She found her mate yesterday and I wanted to make sure they had some time to bond.” I squeal, scaring Emily so badly that she nearly drops her plate of food.

“That’s so exciting! And what a sweet friend you are! Not many people would do that,” I tell her, thinking of the ‘every wolf for themselves’ attitude at Blackwood Ridge. She gives me a strange look.

“Why wouldn’t they?”

Right. This isn’t the Ridge. Then it dawns on me. I have no idea where I’m at.

“Emily, stupid question. What pack is this?”

“Stonehaven,” she says and I nearly choke on the piece of steak I was eating.

Stonehaven is legendary.

“Alpha Malcolm is the Alpha Malcolm Sullivan?” I squeak out once I catch my breath. Emily nods. How had I not put this together before?

Alpha Malcolm Sullivan is one of the most well known Alphas in the country. He was forced to take over Stonehaven at just 16 years old when his parents were killed in a vicious rogue attack. In addition to having to lead a pack so young, he also had to take care of his sister, Eliza, who was only 11 at the time.

There were, of course, many who wanted to take Stonehaven from him as they didn’t believe a boy his age could effectively lead a pack, but Alpha Malcolm proved everyone wrong. He implemented new training programs, strengthened Stonehaven’s alliances, and somehow transformed a pack everyone expected to fail into one of the strongest in the country.

He became well known for not just his strength and his pack’s strength, but also for his compassion for others. Despite rogues nearly destroying his entire life, he was known for accepting lone wolves into his pack, giving them a home and helping reintegrate them into pack life.

But then, a few years back, something happened and his sister also died. Details of her death were kept private and Alpha Malcolm basically became a recluse. Not much was seen or heard from him after Eliza’s death, but Stonehaven continued to thrive.

“You didn’t know this?” Emily asks, standing and placing her empty plate back on the cart before sitting back down beside me.

“No!” I exclaim. “It’s not like he filled me in on the details.”

“So if you didn’t know who Alpha Malcolm was, then why are you here?” she asks me bluntly.

I think I like her.

I’m just about to tell Emily all about how her Alpha kidnapped me, when the door creaks open and Malcolm steps inside.

“Oh. You’re still awake.” he says, putting his hands behind his back. His eyes scan back and forth between me and Emily and he frowns. “What are you doing?”

“Eating supper with Emily,” I say, my tone just dripping with the desire to add the word ‘duh’ at the end of that sentence.

“You know her?” he asks, sounding surprised.

“Sure!” I say, linking my arm through hers. “Her name is Emily and she works in the kitchen! Lana found her mate so she’s covering for her tonight. I made sure she sat down and had something to eat before she goes back.” I smile at the girl before turning back to Malcolm.

He’s standing there, his mouth opening as if to say something and then snapping shut again. He does this two more times before shaking his head.

“Um, Emily, do you mind? I need to talk to Meadow.”

She jumps up and finishes putting the empty plates back on the cart.

“No problem, Alpha!” she chirps before turning back to me. “Thanks for the break, Meadow. I’m off tomorrow so maybe I’ll see you around!”

“Luna Blackwood,” Malcolm huffs. “She’s a Luna. Please be respectful of that.”

Emily shrugs as she wheels the cart past him and out the door.

“You’ll have to take that one up with her!”

I throw my head back laughing.

“Did you need something, Mal? Sorry... Alpha Mal?” I ask innocently.

“Don’t call me that. It’s Malcolm. Not Mal.” He scowls before finally pulling his hands from behind his back.

My breath catches. Folded neatly in his hands is my quilt. My eyes immediately fill with tears.

“You... you went and got my quilt,” I whisper.

He shrugs like retrieving the single most important possession I own was no big deal.

“You were upset.”

For a heartbeat, I just stare at him. Then I do the only logical thing.

I launch myself at him.

“Oh my gosh, thank you, thank you, thank you!” I cry, wrapping my arms around his neck and squeezing him as tightly as I can.

He goes completely rigid.

I pull back just enough to look at him.

His arms are hovering awkwardly at his sides like he has absolutely no idea what to do with them.

“Sir...” I say, trying not to laugh through my tears. “Have you never hugged someone before?”

“I... what?”

“Two arms, Mal!” I exclaim. “You comfort a girl with two arms!” Shaking my head dramatically, I bury my face against his shoulder again.

A moment later, I feel both of his arms slowly wrap around me.

We stand there quietly for several minutes while I cry.

Not because he brought my quilt back… but because for the first time in a very long time, someone actually cared.