The Alpha and Her Secret Mate

A Half Decision

I find a box of weapons sitting on my desk after I have the rogues taken to their old room in the temporary barracks. The temporary barracks are starting to feel increasingly less temporary.

I pick through the box, finding various sized knives and growing more and more uncomfortable. I startle when Penny comes in behind me. I recover and sit down on the sofa by the window. “All of this was just from the rogues?” I ask her.

She grins as she pulls out a dagger. “It would be more concerning if you didn’t find anything in their room.” She dramatically swings the dagger, swirling around. “That would mean they’re actually armed to the teeth.”

I blink slowly at this. “Am I the only one here not armed at all times?”

Penny laughs, but the fact that she doesn’t answer concerns me. She drops the dagger back in the box on my desk and says, “You should lock this up for now.” She pulls a piece of paper out of her pocket and hands it to me. “This is the schedule I’ve set up to keep watch on the rogues’ room for the rest of the week. At that point we can reassess.”

I look over the sheet, and she has at least three warriors on guard at all times for the next eight days. “Oh, Penny. This is far more than is necessary.” I walk back to my desk and drop the paper beside my keyboard. “I promised them answers tomorrow morning, and I meant it. We only need a guard for the night.” As I say this, I wonder if the rogues need a guard from my pack. They were pretty mad about the rogues.

“I’ll keep this schedule in place for now. Then, we can reassess tomorrow.” Penny smiles at me, but she looks distracted.

“Go rest, Penny,” I tell her. “You’re officially off the clock or whatever pack equivalent there is.”

“No such thing, fearless leader girl,” she says. “But I will take this opportunity to go hide in my room and hope no one needs me until morning.”

“Good, now go!” I laugh. “And close the door behind you.”

“Don’t forget to have dinner!” she says as she leaves.

I sigh once I’m alone. I know I’m putting off going to see Alisha and James. Alisha was one of the first people I became friends with after I moved here. Somehow. Before coming here, my mom moved us every few months. It made it hard to have a sense of community.

We’d probably have been on the road again by now if I hadn’t left mom to move in to Grandpa’s. And then maybe Grandpa would still be alive right now.

I push myself out of my chair abruptly. Going down that road won’t do anything for me now.

As soon as I get to the hallway, I realize that I am not even sure where Alisha and James have been staying. I know it’s on the property, and I search my memories to see if I can track them. Between a vague intuition and some images that other pack members have accidentally transcribed into my head, I make my way towards the attic.

Between the blockers I’ve forced them to wear and the fact that they belong to a different pack, my awareness of the two of them is exceptionally low. I think it’s why I’ve been avoiding her, avoiding making any decisions. Dealing with the pack is already too much, when a few particular people register in my mind in entirely different ways.

I hear James laugh at something at the same time as I smell something familiar that I can’t place. I stand outside the landing to the attic for a moment smelling the air. The smell I can’t place is comfortable and familiar, but also feels like it shouldn’t be here. I brace myself for an attack I’m worried will come then walk up the rest of the stairs. I knock on one of the doors, where I think I heard James.

“Come in,” Alisha calls.

I push the door open, and see Alisha sitting on the floor between James’ legs, his arms wrapped tight around her shoulders.

“Oh, hey, Layla!” Alisha says. “I wasn’t sure when to expect you.”

The comforting scent is stronger here. There’s a shuffling noise behind me, and I freeze as my awareness of him comes rushing back to me. “Alex, what are you doing here?” I say, knowing it’s him before I even turn. He’s lounging casually on the floor, totally relaxed in opposition to the shock I feel. How did he manage to sneak up on me?

Alisha jumps up and stands at my side. “I’m sorry. This is awkward.” Her focus is entirely on my face, so she doesn’t see the way Alex is watching me.

His eyes are practically glowing with affection for me, and I can feel the same sentiment coming off him in waves. “Alex?” My voice cracks, and I want to leap into his arms. Who cares if Alisha and James see.

Alex licks his lips and my knees feel weak with longing. “I should go,” he says, winking at me.

He starts to stand, but I rush to say, “No, stay!” He looks at me questioningly, and I say, “I probably need a witness? Um, someone who knows Alisha?”

Alisha and James exchange a look, then he says, “We could call Taylor. I don’t want to make this uncomfortable for you.”

I can’t help but grimace at the suggestion. I’d rather spend the evening with an actual ex boyfriend than with my best friend during this fight. “No, that’s fine. This is fine. Taylor went home for the evening, and Alex is right here.”

Alisha raises her eyebrows at me, and I feel a rush of shame as I wonder if Taylor talked to her. “I’m fine with either option,” Alisha says. “As long as you won’t let your history with Alex affect the decisions you make about us.”

Until that moment, I didn’t realize how much this conversation must be scaring Alisha. I take her hand and say, “Absolutely not. I can be impartial, and we’ll make sure to reach a fair conclusion.”

She nods like she trusts me, but James still looks wary. I know I need to earn their trust fully, and the truth is, I want them here. Alex leans back against a pile of blankets, trying to look uninterested, but I feel his eyes on me as I take a seat. I perch on a stack of blankets near Alex, and, out of the corner of my eye, I see his fingers flinch, reaching for me, but he stills them before I feel his touch.

“I don’t know if there was a procedure for bringing new wolves into the pack during peaceful times,” I begin. “And since this is certainly not peaceful, and you’re coming from the pack who attacked us, I have reason to be even more cautious.”

Alisha looks at me then back at James. His expression is blank, but I can see growing anxiety in hers.

“I’m sorry. I know I should have done this sooner,” I whisper. “The fact that you’ve both been so patient and cooperative is obviously a point in your favor.”

“So what do we do now?” she asks.

“Um….I think I’d like to start by asking what you want out of this arrangement. Is it just sanctuary? Do you want to become Lunar Pack members? Does the outcome of this feud change your answer?”

“I want to join your pack,” Alisha answers without hesitation.

James whips his head to look at her, and I’m surprised that they hadn’t discussed this.

“What does joining the pack look like to you?” I ask.

“Uh…” Alisha trails off, clearly considering her options. “I guess, I’d want to be a warrior still. James and I had just finished training before…everything happened.” She looks at him for confirmation, and he gives her a slight nod. “I feel like that’s where we could be the most valuable to the pack as well?”

I consider for a second. “James, is that also what you want? To be a warrior?” Alisha had once told me that becoming a warrior was her greatest dream, but I know the Bassette Pack had ruined her dream and wasted her talent. I don’t know if this is what James wanted or if the Bassette’s just made this path easy.

“Probably?” he says. “It is what I trained for.”

I decide not to push his hesitation, but I give him the option as well. “You don’t need to decide right away,” I say. “And besides, I’ll need to talk to Penny about any modifications to the warrior roster. She’ll have final say on that. You can change your mind if you want. Or explore other options.”

James looks grateful, but I know this is a discussion for him and Alisha to have alone.

“Tomorrow morning, I intend to ask the rogues how they received their status and what they’ve done since that time. Since you’re obviously not rogues, I guess just start by telling me your story.” I glance at Alex and say, “Alex, can you take notes?”

He groans and glares at me, but still pulls out his phone and goes to the notes app. “Fineeee…” he grumbles. “I’d have never dated you if I’d known this was the outcome.”

The idea of never dating him feels like a stab wound to my heart, but he sticks his tongue out at me and grins, and I relax again.

“I know you already told me most of it,” I tell Alisha. “Just start from the beginning. Some of this will be practice for the rogues tomorrow.”

“Well then, I guess we should probably start when you came back into town.”