The King of Wolves

Chapter 2 - Unexpected Guest

Morana POV

I spin around, trying to find a set of eyes. I feel my wolf stirring just beneath the surface, a growl echoing in my head.

When I scan the path I came from and find nothing there, I turn on my heels to continue walking to the house when I run into a tree.

Except it's not a tree.

It's a tall, beautiful man. He's got to be, what? Seven feet tall?

I jump back, my nerves on high alert at the stranger who seemed to have materialized out of nowhere. I swear my stomach hits the ground as I take him in, cautiously taking a step back.

What am I going to do, outrun him?

Where the hell did this guy come from? I knew I wasn’t wrong when I scened someone there, but this guy hadn’t made a sound.

My heart beats faster in my chest, nerves starting to send me into overdrive.

He c***s an eyebrow at me, looking up and down my small but muscular frame, taking too much time at my chest before meeting my eyes. His are intense and dark, almost black.

I suck in a breath and avert my gaze away.

I’m frozen, not really sure what to do. I can’t win in a fight, not with this monster of a dude.

"And what do we have here? What are you doing in the forest alone, so early in the morning?" He sounds almost bored, but curiosity is on his face.

I glance up at him, he’s smirking at me.

My nerves get the best of me, and I stumble over my words. "I-I… I was…Umm.. t-tr-training.."

He shakes his head a little, taken aback. "Oh, well. What a pleasant surprise," he says, gaining a composure of sexy arrogance. "Please, don't stop on my account."

He winks at me, light dancing in his eyes playfully.

"Oh.. umm, I'm already done," I say shyly.

My eyes are darting around, looking anywhere but his.

"Ahh, I see. I'm sad to have missed the show; I would have loved seeing you in action."

His brows are wiggling, a sly smile creeping across his face.

My stomach does flips. This situation doesn’t seem too good…

"Uhh... Do I know you?" My nerves make my voice sound weak.

It’s times like this that being an omega truly makes me feel small.

"Me? You mean you don't know who I am?" He places a hand on his chest as if I offended him, his eyes never leaving me.

It feels like he's looking into my soul, and his smile gets bigger.

"Sorry, no.."

He chuckles.

“Ahh, don’t worry about me. I’m no one.” He dismisses it, waving a finger, almost grumbling.

He moves out of my path, gesturing a hand in front of him for me to continue. "I won't hold you up anymore."

I nod my head and hesitantly start to move.

"Okay, well, it was nice to meet you..?" I trail off.

I realize I still don't know his name.

"Derek," he fills in.

"Derek," I repeat cautiously, testing his name on my tongue, and take a few steps forward. I feel awkward. I can’t tell if this guy is a friend or foe.

His vibes are all over the place.

"Sorry for running into you," I call over my shoulder.

"Nah, don't worry your pretty little head over it, sweetheart." His gaze gets even darker, the playful glint turning to mischief.

As I am just about to reach the trees, he shouts out to me.

"How did you know I was here?"

I furrow my eyebrows as my lips pursed together before turning to look at him.

What a dumb question.

I chew on my bottom lip before responding, "I felt you. I could tell that someone was watching," I state, shrugging.

Wasn’t it obvious?

Before I turn around to continue my walk home, I swear a look of shock briefly crosses his face, disappearing just as fast as it came.

Hmm, that was.. interesting?

***********

In my haste to escape the weird encounter with the drop-dead gorgeous stranger, I rush straight to my room.

I peel my sweaty clothes off and dash into the bathroom attached to my room. I rip back the curtain, turning the shower on full blast, and after I see the steam rising, I move the fabric curtain open, stepping inside.

Ahhh, perfect.

The hot water feels amazing as I rise the grim and sweat away from training. However, after meeting Derek in the forest, I feel a pit of.. something in my stomach.

I can't quite put my finger on it. Almost like butterflies, maybe? Whether they're good or bad, I have no idea.

Goddess, my hair is a mess!

Alex went to town on me today. My body is covered in minor cuts and bruises, but they have already started to heal.

Thankfully they will be gone in a couple of hours.

As I step out of the shower, I feel someone pushing into my thoughts.

Alex.

I'll have to rush to get ready for work, having spent too much time trying to detangle the leaves and twigs from my hair.

Alex, what is it? My breath catches in my throat.

Hey sis, no need to sound so worried. I just wanted to check in and make sure you got home okay. There are some unexpected guests here. He drags out the last few words with uncertainty.

Derek pops into my mind, making my stomach clench.

Now that you mention it, I ran into someone on my way home-

WHAT!? Why didn't you tell me sooner? He cuts me off.

Crap, he seems mad. I wince and shrink into myself at his tone, scrunching my nose.

Umm, I… I don't know. I guess I was just so surprised that I didn't even think of it… I'm sorry… I didn’t want to bother you…

I can feel his annoyance seeping through the link.

But you're okay? He says after a moment of silence. I can tell he’s trying to calm his frustration.

Yeah, I'm good, I swear. But who is here, what are they doing?

Get dressed and meet at the pack house. Pack meeting in an hour. He cuts the link.

My face falls, my shoulders slumping forward. Excellent, just what I need. Alex is mad at me.

I guess I won’t be heading to work today after all.

I quickly finish drying off, throw my towel back on the rack, and dash to grab my favorite pair of jeans and an old tee.

Suddenly the nagging feeling is a little more intense.

I rip through my closet, trying to find something that isn’t denim or two sizes too big. I usually cover my thick thighs and full hips under more conservative clothing because I hate to draw attention to myself.

Although today, I have a new sense of confidence.

Whoever is visiting the pack doesn't need any more ammunition to use on me once they find out I'm an omega in a Beta family.

I settle on a simple knee-length black cotton dress that hugs my ass and tight stomach in all the right ways.

I wonder where that came from?

After slipping on strappy sandals, I head back into the bathroom to get my hair under control.

I love my lush dark locks, but damn, these knots can be a pain.

After detangling again and quickly running the blow dryer through my hair, I let it tumble down to my low back in natural soft waves.

I pinch my cheeks to give a little color. I even dab on my favorite lipgloss.

Stopping to glance in the mirror, I’m shocked at my appearance. I feel sort of pretty. My hair is shiny, and my skin is smooth and lightly tanned. My green eyes seem to be an even deeper shade today.

Huh, weird.

I'm not unattractive, but I've never considered myself something guys would desire. They usually never pay attention, and I assume it’s because I’m so frumpy and weak.

I’ve never put much thought into my appearance.

Plus, it’s harder to go unnoticed in flashy designer clothes like some of the other women wear.

Nah, that’s not me.

I shake my thoughts and run out of the door.

It's a quick walk to the packhouse, and after a few minutes, the house's front gate comes into view.

But something seems off..different. Then I notice what’s parked in the front drive—a giant, blacked-out SUV.

Our unexpected guest.

It sticks out like a sore thumb in our mountain oasis.

I try mink linking my brother, but feel he is keeping me out. He can't still be mad at me, right?

I feel my wolf getting restless. I didn't have the opportunity to shift this morning during our run.

Alex wanted to condition my human reflexes instead of our usual wolf training.

Going for a run is the only time where the annoyances of being an omega don’t bother me. I let my wolf take over and just be free for a little while.

As I reach the gate, people bustle about the house. It’s madness.

Have I missed something?

Alex said people were here, but this seems excessive. Is there an event I don't know about?

I keep my head tucked and make my way to the side entrance of the packhouse, not wanting to run into anyone and cause a scene.

As I step through the door, I come face to face with my enemy, Jessica. She is tall, lean, and of course, beautiful.

Well, if you are into bleach blonde, bimbo.

This is not how I wanted to start my morning. Ugh.

"What do you think you're doing?" she shrieks, her voice making me flinch.

She smirks at my reaction, thinking she's tough and intimidating when the sound of her annoying voice just sets my teeth on edge.

"We have very important guests arriving today, and the last thing we need is a mutt like you to ruin things," she hisses.

She places her hands on her boney hips.

I stare at her through my eyelashes and try to calm my agitated inner wolf.

"My brother told me to come, so here I am." My hands drop to my sides with a thud.

I can’t let her get to me. But she knows how to push every single one of my buttons. Even some I didn’t realize I had.

She used to be so friendly until she caught the eye of the Beta'a son, Fin, who also happens to be my brother's best friend.

She lets out a short breath in a huff. "Yeah, an omega like you needs to be present when the King of Wolves arrives."

She smirks, tossing her fried blonde hair back over her shoulder.

My eyebrows raise in shock. "Wait, the KING is the guest?" I push, confused. "How do you even know this?"

I let her stupid remark go, curious to find out what she knows.

She stands tall and glares at me. "As future Luna, I'm entitled to know," she boasts smugly, looking down at her manicured fingers, “And I don’t answer to you, mutt.”

My palm twitches. I want to slap that smirk right off her fake tanned face.

“Now, go into the meeting hall, find a corner, and don't. Make. A. PEEP," she says, annunciating the ps.

She turns up her nose, pushing past me to head out the side door. Her stupid little heels click as she goes.

I roll my eyes and press my lips together to try and mask my anger.

Who does she think she is?

Sleeping with the future Beta doesn't mean you can walk all over pack members. And it definitely doesn't mean you're the future Luna.

She really has lost touch in her desperation to feel important.

Ever since we were young and learned the pack's hierarchy, she always thought she was better than me.

Her dad is a decent warrior, but her mom is just as stuck up as she is, itching to be included with the upper-rank families.

Our parents were good friends until they found out my father was no longer 'beta material' and pushed them aside. They would be polite in public but often pretend we don’t exist.

Jessica, on the other hand, is just a brat. It used to be a slight jab here and there, never anything too serious since Alpha Maddox and my father were still close. I used to let it go because I thought we were friends. But now, her sly comments have turned into full-on attacks since my father's death.

And we are most definitely NOT friends.

It drove her dad crazy that mine was still a higher-ranked warrior than he was. Even after his beta title was removed, the pack had much more respect for him than I realized, but things have gone downhill since he died.

As I walk down the hall, lost in my head, the tingling in my gut grows. I glance around the packhouse, checking if anything is out of the ordinary.

Nothing but omegas and members hurrying to get things ready for the meeting that is supposed to start in 15 minutes.

No mystery man from this morning. Wonder where he could be?

There must be many people joining the King, I spot Elenor running around barking orders to get the guest wing ready.

Don’t want to get caught in that mess.

I head into the meeting hall to find my favorite corner, hidden from the head of the table where the Alpha, Beta, and Gamma usually address the pack.

It's still pretty empty, but pack members are starting to gather outside and will find open seats soon.

As I approach my spot, I hear someone call my name in a sing-song voice.

"Anaaaa!!"

My best friend Sophia is skipping towards me, looking radiant, her light brown curls bouncing around her. A friendly face, thank Goddess.

I need to find time to fill her in on my already eventful morning.

She plops down in the seat next to me, giggling and clapping her hands together.

"Have you heard the news?" she squeals.

Her whole body is vibrating with excitement.

"Yeah, I think so, but do we know why he's coming?"

She's bubbly and charming and has had many young warriors wrapped around her finger since we were small, hoping she would turn out to be their mate.

One bat of her lashes, a pout, and boom. They spill their guts, lost in her trance.

She waves her hand in front of her, "Oh no, who cares why," she brushes off, "I've heard he's one of the most gorgeous men alive."

She’s practically panting, fanning her face.

I smile at her, always so boy crazy.

As I peek at her outfit, it's no surprise.

Her signature look- a low-cut tank top paired with skin-tight white jeans.

Oh yeah, she's definitely trying to catch someone's eye today.

"Way to look big picture," I snort and pat her leg. She giggles again, making my smile get wider.

"Don't you think it's weird for him to just show up like this?"

She shrugs, disregarding my question. "I think the King can do what he wants.”

Good point.

By now, the room is starting to fill up. Pack members are pressed together to make sure everyone can fit. We haven't all been gathered like this since the news about the rouge attack and my father's death was shared with the pack.

"Shhhhh, it's starting!!" She whispers in my ear, bouncing in her seat.

Suddenly, the doors fly open.

Startled, I flinch in my seat, my eyelids fluttering. Once I turn to face the door, my stomach clenches when I see a tall, beautiful, familiar man waltzing in.

No way…