Destined for the Alpha

4.

I glared at Rasp, who sighed and threw his head back in exhaustion.

“Okay, fine,” Rasp groaned. “We won’t go see hot chicks naked, and I’m sorry, Vince. We cool?”

“Cool,” Vince mumbled. “All cool.”

“Sweet,” Rasp said. “So, Aurelius, what can we do to turn that frown upside down?”

“What frown?” I asked, glancing up and frowning even more.

“You look pissed.” Vincent took a sip of his water. “Like, really mad.”

I put my glass down and heaved a sigh. “s**t,” I muttered. “I guess you’re right. It’s all this bullshit with the council. I spent the last two hours listening to them bickering about stuff that doesn't really matter. My dad included.”

Rubbing at my face, I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees. “I want prosperity as much as anyone, but I want it done honorably. I doubt all my father’s advisors and some of the other families think the same way. There should be a way to pursue peace, and increase our numbers at the same time. Most of them seem to think the only way to do that is through subjugating the fae and destroying the wolves. It’s short-sighted and dangerous.”

“One day, you’ll be king, though,” Vincent said, smiling encouragingly at me. “Then you can do what you want.”

I tried not to think of that too often. I loved my father, so the thought of him dying or being too old to fill the role didn’t sit well with me. Plus, as nice as it would be to be an all-powerful king and make all my problems go away with a wave of my hand, reality was a bit more difficult to navigate.

I patted Vince’s knee. “That’s true, but unfortunately, it isn’t that easy. The king doesn’t get to do whatever he wants. Not a dragon king, anyway.”

“f**k those assholes,” Rasp said, lifting his glass in a toast gesture.

“God, you really have a way with words, Rasp,” I said.

The three of us devolved into laughter, and for a few seconds my worries vanished as I basked in the brotherhood I had with my friends. It was strange that my two closest friends were basically outcasts from their own families—Vincent for his obvious differences, and Rasp for being an immature party boy. They balanced me, though. I tended to be too serious, and Rasp’s flamboyance moderated that, while Vincent’s stoicism and innocence kept me from becoming too bitter and angry.

Gazing out on the night, I wondered if there was any way to keep things from sliding further than they already had. All I wanted was what was best for my people, but I didn’t want that at the expense of others. Was it too late for us already? And if not, how did I get us to where we needed to be?

“What are you thinking?” Vince asked. “You look upset.”

“Sorry,” I grunted. “It’s nothing you guys did. I’m simply trying to think of a way to make things better. I’m worried the situation with the wolves is going to get out of hand. I want our people to live in peace and be able to replenish our numbers. If we go to war with the wolves, there’s a strong possibility that won’t happen. It’s complicated. Nothing you guys need to worry about.”

It was my job as the heir to worry about these things. Vincent and Raspion were dragons as well, but since they were basically outcasts from their given houses, they had the benefit of not having to deal with political matters. I envied them for that.

“Huh,” Rasp said, chewing on his lower lip.

Something about his tone of voice drew me out of my thoughts and wariness seeped in.

“What do you mean ‘huh’? I don’t like that tone of voice,” I said.

He glanced at me quickly, plastering a smile on his face. “Oh, nothing. Just thinking.”

“About what?” I asked dryly.

Rasp winked at Vincent. “Stuff.”

“What the f**k are you up to?” I asked, doing my best to keep my voice even.

Rasp gave me a sly grin. “Nothing.”

“It better be nothing,” I said, leveling a finger at him.

“You’re being paranoid, bro,” Rasp said.

I wasn’t sure I was. The last thing I needed was for my friends to start stepping in s**t and making matters worse.

2

BRIELLE

“D

ouble chocolate chip frappuccino, please,” I said to the barista.

“Sure, what size?” she asked.

“The biggest one you have. Do you have a five-gallon bucket? I’ll take that.”

The barista laughed. “I’ll do my best. Name for the order?”

“Brielle, but use Elle,” I said with a smile as I took the receipt from her.

Standing off to the side to wait, I allowed myself to enjoy the bitter smell of the roasting beans and brewing coffee. Regardless of the time of day, the tangy aroma always reminded me of the morning. I wish it was still morning, then I wouldn’t have had such a shitty, frustrating day at work so far. My job at the sewing store wasn’t usually pretty low on the stress meter, but today had been the exception to the rule.

“Excuse me,” a voice said from beside me.

Turning, I found a man roughly my own age, around twenty-six or seven, smiling at me.

I frowned. “Uh, yes?”

His gaze slid from my face down my body, then back to meet my eyes again.

“I don’t usually do this, but you are really gorgeous,” he said.

My body was one of my defining features, and I knew it. My shoulders were broad for a woman, but the generous curves of the rest of my body softened that feature. I had big boobs, a round butt, and I was muscular in a healthy way. Although I was still a little plump around the middle, it sat atop some hard-earned muscle. I wore a size sixteen dress, but I was comfortable in my skin, and I think that confidence helped. My wolf shifter genes did lend a lot to my muscle mass, but I also loved running and swimming, which did even more to keep me healthy and as fit as I could be. Honestly, I cared more about health and fitness than I did some generalized fantasy of what a woman should look like.

Over the years, I’d grown accustomed to random men and women complimenting my curves as well as my green eyes and chestnut hair. A woman who’d hit on me once had called the combo striking. Typically, I let people down easy, but I’d had a rough day.

“Thanks. It’s the steroids, actually. You should see all the acne on my back.” I did my best to keep a straight face as I winked at him.