The Alpha I Chose

Meadow “Come on Tilly. Give it up.” I stare in what I hope is a menacing way at the chicken that keeps trying to peck my hand. She doesn’t budge. “I need that egg, ma’am.” Nothing. I stare harder. Tilly stares back. “Pretty please with wildflowers on top?” I beg, thrusting out my bottom lip in a pout. Tilly clucks at me before fluttering down from her nest and I sigh in relief. I place the egg in my basket and turn to leave the chicken coop. When I reach the door, I turn and curtsy at the six hens that are now bopping around the floor. “Thank you ladies, I’ll be back tomorrow to collect your offerings!” Blowing them a kiss, I leave and make my way down to the creek to wash off the eggs. I sit on the bank and stick my feet in the water as I rinse each egg and carefully dry them off on my apron before putting them back in the basket. I’m humming a happy little tune, enjoying the peaceful morning when my tranquility is broken by none other than my baby sister. “Meadow! Meadow, Meadow, Meadow!” Daisy shrieks as she runs up to me, her long braid in disarray and her cheeks flushed. “Hello my favorite sister!” “No.” I say standing and turning to head home. Daisy blinks at me. “You don’t even know what I was going to say!” “Sure I do. You want me to go somewhere or do something that I most likely don’t want to do.” My 17 year old sister rolls her eyes at me. “But…” “The answer is no Daisy.” I laugh as she sighs dramatically. Everything is always so dramatic with teenagers. “But Alpha Blackwood is arriving today to see if he can find his mate!” She says, batting her eyes at me and clasping her hands together at her chest. What did I tell you? Dramatic. “And?”“And he’s gorgeous!” She sighs again. “I wasn’t aware you’d met him before!” I tease, glancing at her out of the corner of my eye as we walk the path towards home. “Of course I haven’t met him,” The tone of her voice showing that she’s growing impatient with me. “Then how do you know he’s gorgeous?” “Everyone says so! Please Meadow? Pretty please? Maybe he’s your mate!” I burst out laughing as we walk up the porch steps and I open the door, making my way into the kitchen to put the eggs away. Daisy huffs beside me. “Well if that’s the case I’m definitely not going. I'm not spending my morning standing in a crowd hoping some Alpha can smell me.” “Gross, Meadow. Why do you have to make finding your fated mate sound so weird.” Daisy wrinkles her nose at me. “Because it is weird!” I laugh. “It’s fate and romance!” Daisy argues. “It’s sniffing people. I’m not going.” I tell her, giving her a stern look. ~ ~ ~ Twenty minutes later I’m in my favorite patchwork skirt and a clean tank top and Daisy and I are making our way to the packhouse. What? She offered to fight Tilly and her crew for the eggs for a week if I went with her. Our cottage is way out at the edge of the Silver Creek territory, our pack being named for the pretty little stream that runs behind our home. It takes us about ten minutes before we get to the central part of our land and a crowd has already gathered. The entire pack seems to have shown up today. Families crowd the square in front of the packhouse, pups weaving in and out between their parents. The unmated she-wolves arelingering around at the front of the crowd, obviously hoping that Alpha Garrett Blackwood’s visit will result in a mate bond. Daisy immediately tries to drag me near the front, but I stand firm. Absolutely not. Before she can argue with me, excited murmurs erupt as the gates at the edge of the forest open and a caravan of black SUVs pull through. The excited murmurs quickly turn into full-blown chatter as the vehicles roll to a stop in front of the packhouse. "Oh Mother Moon he's here," Daisy whispers, grabbing my arm hard enough to bruise. “Stop acting like a rabid fan girl." I tell her, shaking my arm free. "I am a rabid fan girl." I shake my head, laughing, and turn my attention back to the vehicles. One by one, doors open and warriors step out. Tall. Broad. Intimidating. Several unmated women near the front immediately straighten their shoulders and adjust their hair. The back door of the center SUV swings open and a man steps out of the vehicle, straightening to his full height. Blonde hair. Broad shoulders. Expensive clothes. The kind of face that probably makes women walk into walls. I hate that Daisy was right. Alpha Garrett Blackwood is annoyingly attractive. "See?" Daisy hisses triumphantly. "I told you he was gorgeous." "Don't let it go to your head." I whisper back at her. Before Daisy can continue celebrating her victory, Alpha Blackwood lifts his head and looks out over the gathered crowd. His gaze passes over us. Clover, my wolf, begins prancing in my head. Meadow… she says hesitantly. What? What’s wrong? I ask. Nothing… Simmer down girly… we’ll go on a run when we get back home. I tell her. I haven’t shifted for a couple days and she’s probably going stir crazy. “Okay Daisy, you’ve seen him. Let’s go.” I tell her tugging on her arm. She stands there, frozen, still staring in the Alpha’s direction. Her eyes are wide and her mouth is hanging open. "Oh Mother Moon I don’t believe it,” she whispers. "What?" "I think he's looking at you."