The Alpha I Chose

Chapter 14

Meadow

At 11:45 that night, Malcolm comes knocking on my door. I’ve spent the last half hour in my bedroom, stretching and giving Clover a pep talk. Between the two of us, I’m not sure who’s more nervous for this shift.

I open the door and find Malcolm standing there in just a pair of grey sweats and a pair of white sneakers.

“Hey Meadow,” he says softly. “You ready?”

Holy Moon Mother! Clover exclaims. Are you seeing these muscles?

Clover!

I’m sorry girl, but look at him, she continues. Those abs… those arms… I bet he could toss you around like a rag doll!

I feel my face flush and force myself to look anywhere but at Malcolm’s biceps.

“Yeah,” I say nervously. I grab the spare set of clothes I’d put together - because there’s no way I’m getting naked in front of this man - and step out into the hallway, closing the door behind me.

“There’s a clearing not far from here,” Malcolm says as we walk. “There will be warriors nearby for safety, but they’ve been instructed to give us privacy.”

I simply nod, my nerves leaving me unable to speak for a moment. We walk in silence until we reach the edge of the forest.

The moment we step beneath the trees, I feel a surge of power wash over me as Clover pushes forward, our eyes darting around as she takes in the sights and sounds around us as we follow Malcolm deeper into the woods.

Suddenly her eyes zero in on the Alpha’s backside.

“Hey Alpha,” she calls her voice just a touch deeper than mine. “Nice booty you got there!”

Clover! I snap at her. Stop embarrassing us! We are supposed to be focusing!

Oh I am, she giggles. A girl can multitask you know.

Malcolm turns slowly, one eyebrow raised as he looks us over

“Hello to you too, Clover,” he says with a smirk.

Of all things, Clover winks at him and I die a little bit inside. Her laughter echoes through my mind before she settles back beneath the surface, giving me control again.

“I am so sorry,” I blurt out, my voice back to its normal octave. “Apparently she’s feeling better.”

Malcolm chuckles but doesn’t comment. We walk for a few more minutes before finally stepping into a beautiful clearing.

It’s not a huge area, but large enough that the trees open up to a beautiful view of the stars above us. I stare at them for a moment, silently sending a prayer up to Mother Moon before bringing my eyes back down to Malcolm. He kicks his shoes off and steps towards me.

“You ready for this?” He asks, his voice gentle and reassuring. It’s strange how quickly my first impression of Malcolm has unraveled. The grumpy Alpha from the tornado dungeon has somehow been replaced by a man who seems determined to make sure that I’m okay.

I toss my spare clothes next to his shoes before giving my arms and legs a good shake, trying to loosen myself up for what’s coming.

“Sure,” I quip, “Nothing to it. Just gotta let all my bones break and rearrange after not doing it for six months. No problem!”

Girl, we got this, Clover says, her voice steady and strong in my mind. Your body remembers. Just relax and let me take over. Trust me.

I close my eyes and roll my shoulders a few times before standing still, allowing my body to relax. I take a few slow, deep breaths until the sounds of the forest begin to fade away. Soon, all I can feel is the steady rhythm of my heartbeat and Clover’s presence within me.

That’s it, Clover murmurs, her voice calm and steady. I’ve got you.

A small smile tugs at my lips.

I’ve got you too.

Warmth begins to spread through my chest. Not painful. Familiar. Like opening a door that’s been locked for far too long. I exhale slowly.

Somewhere deep inside me, something finally lets go.

The warmth surges through my body, quickly followed by the familiar ache I’d spent the last six months trying not to remember. My muscles tighten. My joints protest. My spine stretches as every bone begins shifting.

It hurts.

Mother Moon, it hurts.

I grit my teeth against the burning ache threatening to steal my focus.

Trust me, Clover whispers.

I do.

The pain reaches its peak before, just as suddenly as it began, it melts away.

The world changes.

The cool night air rushes through my fur. Every scent surrounding me explodes to life—the damp earth beneath my paws, the pine trees swaying overhead, Malcolm standing only a few feet away, even the distant warriors hidden among the trees.

For one suspended heartbeat, I simply stand there.

Then Clover throws her head back toward the stars and lets out a long, triumphant howl.

Not one of anger. Not one of warning.

One of pure, overwhelming freedom.

Before I even realize what we’re doing, my paws are carrying us across the clearing, our legs stretching into an effortless sprint beneath the moonlight.

We’re home.

Clover runs, darting between trees and leaping over fallen branches, her excitement spilling over into happy little barks that echo through the forest.

A moment later, I hear the steady thunder of paws behind us. A massive black wolf bursts from between the trees and falls into step beside Clover.

He nudges her shoulder as he passes before bounding ahead, glancing back over his shoulder as if issuing a challenge. Clover wastes no time accepting, surging forward to catch up with him.

Clover races through the forest as though she’s trying to make up for every mile she couldn’t run over the last six months. She splashes through a narrow creek, bounds over fallen logs, and weaves effortlessly between towering pines, her joyful barks echoing through the trees.

Malcolm’s wolf keeps pace beside her, sometimes darting ahead only to glance back, silently urging her to run faster. Clover answers every challenge with one of her own.

Eventually, even Clover’s boundless excitement begins to fade into a comfortable exhaustion. The frantic sprint gives way to an easy lope as the two wolves wander side by side through the moonlit forest, neither one in any hurry to break the peaceful silence between them.

The black wolf strolls over, carefully picking my clothes up in his mouth before placing them in front of Clover. He chuffs at her before returning to Malcolm’s shoes and discarded pants and laying down with his back to us to give us privacy to shift back.

The transition comes much easier this time. Within moments I’m pulling on my clothes before turning my back to offer Malcolm the same courtesy.

“Okay,” I say softly.“I’m decent.”

A few minutes later I hear the rustling of fabric behind me.

“You can turn around.”

I peek over my shoulder to make sure that Malcolm is dressed. When I confirm that he is, I launch myself at him for the third time in just a couple of days. He’s prepared for it this time and catches me in his arms with a chuckle.

“Thank you!” I cry, squeezing my arms around his neck. “That was absolutely exhilarating!”

“You’re welcome,” he says, as I release him.

We begin to walk back towards the territory, Clover chattering in my head excitedly about her run.

I totally kicked that Alpha wolf’s ass when we raced, she gloats, making me laugh out loud. Malcolm looks down at me with a raised eyebrow.

“I take it Clover had a good time,” he asks in an amused voice.

“She did,” I laugh. “She says she ‘kicked the Alpha wolf’s ass’ when they were racing.” Malcolm actually laughs out loud, the rich, genuine sound sending warmth spreading through me. I love the sound of his laughter.

“Havoc says she impressed him,” he says, smiling.

“Havoc?” I wrinkle my nose, teasing him. “That’s a funny name for a wolf who was just frolicking through a field of wildflowers.”

Malcolm’s jaw drops in mock offense.

“Excuse me, but my wolf is a terrifying beast, thank you very much!” he exclaims, trying but failing to keep the laughter out of his voice.

Pffft, Clover pipes up. I saw him chasing a butterfly.

I bite my lip to keep from laughing again.

As the packhouse comes into view, Malcolm’s smile gradually fades, his expression turning thoughtful once more.

“Tomorrow morning, we will leave for Silver Creek right after breakfast,” he says. “That way you can still say goodbye to Emily and we’ll still have plenty of time to get you home. I want to speak to your Alpha about your safety before I leave.”

I nod, not trusting myself to say anything.

Malcolm walks me to my room, and I thank him again for the run. I’m just about to close my door when he stops me.

“Meadow, wait. I almost forgot.” He reaches into the pocket of his sweatpants and pulls out a sleek lavender phone. “I got you this.”

He holds it out to me, and I just stare.

“You got me a phone?”

“A purple phone,” he corrects with the hint of a smile. “I figured something colorful was more your style.”

I blink at him.

“I... well, yeah, but...” I shake my head. “You got me a phone? Why?”

“Because you should have one,” he says simply. “I figured replacing what was taken from you was a good place to start.”

I take the phone and stare down at it, trying to keep the tears that are forming from spilling down my cheeks.

“I already programmed my number into it,” Malcolm continues. “Emily’s is in there too.”

“Thank you,” I whisper, “You truly don’t know how much this means to me.”

His expression softens.

“Sleep well, Meadow.”

Before I can think of anything else to say, he turns and walks down the hallway toward his own room. I linger in the doorway for a long moment, watching until he disappears around the corner.

Only then do I step inside and quietly close the door behind me.

Looking down at the lavender phone in my hands, I can’t help but smile. For the first time in a very long time, tomorrow feels like the beginning of something instead of the end.