The Alpha and Her Secret Mate

Competing Interests

Forcing Taylor to leave somehow alerted my pack to my presence and opens the floodgates of pack problems for me to deal with. And there are many.

I find the library locked when I go down stairs and throw the nearest warrior a questioning glance. He flinches, and I realize I’m still furious, but I don’t want to censor myself.

“It’s–the rogues.” He swallows hard, and it occurs to me that his posture seems to be guarding the door.

"It's...it's o-only a few of them," the warrior tells me. He keeps his eyes on the ground. I know it's a sign of respect, but right now, it's exhauting. "It's not. Um, the one that...he didn't come back."

I sigh. "What do we know about him?"

"I..."

"Jamie, you can speak freely with me." I take a guess at his name, and I'm gratified when his expression lightens. I can see the relief in his eyes when he finally looks up at me.

"I never talked to him," he says. "I think his name is Cameron? But everyone called him Cam."

"Do you happen to know how he was made rogue? What's Cam's story?" I lean up against the wall, trying to look casual so he'll relax a bit more. Jamie really doesn't deserve my wraith right now.

Jamie matches my pose. "I don't know. I never heard about most of them actually." The way he glances at the door makes me think he has more than just a passing interest in them.

I wonder if he's attracted to one of them. I was already half in love with Alex when I shifted, but I don't know how it would work if you meet your mate as an adult. "I'll need to interview the rogues that came back. Can I ask you to be there for that? Take notes. Maybe ask some questions I wouldn't think of?"

"Of course, Alpha Holland." He bows his head in a show of respect.

"Please, it's Layla," I say with a grin.

He smiles back and he looks like he's excited for more than just the honor of being given a task by his Alpha. I silently vow to keep an eye on it and see what develops.

"I'm going to talk to the rogues a minute. Be ready to call for back up if necessary."

I watch him expectantly until he remembers he has the key. He opens the door with a click. I thank him with a silent nod and walk inside.

I had no expectations about what I'd find here, but I'm still aghast when I see it. There are nine wolves laying around the library, in various states of injury. All of them are filthy, and their clothes are torn.

"How long have you been here?" I demand.

One of the wolves tries to sit up but she can't. I recognize her as the young woman who looked downright panicked when Cam said they'd be leaving. "A few hours," she mutters weakly.

"Has anyone brought you food?" I ask. I kneel down beside the woman and put a hand on her forehead. She's burning up.

Another woman answers for her. "We haven't seen anyone but each other. Most of us didn't arrive together. We've been trickling in for a while."

"Jamie, have food and water brought in!" I call towards the door. Then add, "and get a healer. Not Molly." I need Molly to stay with Gracie.

"I don't think I'm supposed to leave you alone," he says.

"Jamie," I say in warning.

He doesn't respond and I can tell I've intimidated him again.

"I took down Cameron. I think I can handle a couple of severely wounded rogues."

I can tell he still doesn't move.

"Go quick so you get back faster!"

This finally prompts him to go. "I'm so sorry," I say to the young woman. I turn to address all of them. "I meant what I said about you being welcome here. I'll want to speak with each of you tomorrow. For tonight, I'll have you fed and cared for."

I start to mindlink to Taylor to ask her to get that started. Even if she were around, I don't think I could trust her to prepare a room for them right now. Maybe, Alex? I don't like leaning on my mate for pack business.

Dan already thinks I can't handle things without him. And besides, setting up rooms for combination guest prisoners is slightly below the station of a former Beta.

That's when I see Alisha hovering by the door. She seems embarrassed when I spot her and starts to retreat.

"Alisha, wait!" I yell, running after her. I catch her in the hallway, and get her to turn around with a light touch to her shoulder. I wrap her in a hug. "I haven't seen you in ages! How are you? And James?"

She hugs me back, but pulls away too quickly. "We're good. Things are good." She looks away when she says this.

"You're adjusting well to living here?" I ask.

"Yeah," she says. Her fingers fidget with the ends of her hair. "For the most part."

I study her for a second, hoping she'll elaborate on the least part, but she doesn't. I know I'll have to pry. "Look, let's talk tonight. But right now, I need some help getting the rogues settled for the night. Can you make sure their room is secured?”

Something flashes across Alisha’s face. “So they will be treated as prisoners?”

I flinch at the accusation in her voice, but I instantly realize she’s right. “Just for tonight. Just until I have time to interview them tomorrow.”

She raises an eyebrow at me, and leans closer. It’s an intimidation move that I haven’t seen from anyone since I became the Alpha and I’ve never once seen it from Alisha. “Is that all it takes to get your trust? An interview?”

“I…” I glance behind me as if I’ll find answers in the room full of rogues. Alisha watches me expectantly, and I balk.

My relationship with Alisha has always been delicate. She dated Alex, my mate, before she met James, and everyone knows she kind of broke his heart. This was before he and I dated, before I even shifted and before I knew about shifters and was trying to hide my mate so I could keep my tenuous control of the pack. Back then, I thought I was just forming a friendship with my crush’s ex. I had no idea that the protective aura she cast over him was actually warranted. She thought he was dating someone who wasn’t his mate again, and she was scared he’d fall too hard. She must have been so relieved when we broke up last month, thinking that we were protecting ourselves from future heartbreak. We had no idea we were just delaying the inevitable. That I can’t even start to imagine a life without Alex now, and I don’t even want to try.

I put my hand on Alisha’s arm, growing confidence when she doesn’t push me away. “I handled this badly,” I admit softly. “I’ll find you tonight,” I promise, and I hope it’s enough for now.

Alisha clenches her jaw for a moment before nodding. "Okay."

I recognize the implicit expectations in her voice. She's giving me a chance, and I can't let her down. “After dinner. For now, can you do a sweep of their room for weapons and ask Penny to get guard set up? Tonight only?”

“Consider it done,” She says. When she turns, it’s with such a force that her long pony tail swings behind her. I watch her go with shame filling my chest. I can fix this. Soon.

I watch from the library door while Molly attends to the wounded rogues. An omega named Joshua comes with food for them, and despite the fact that they’ve only been away from the pack for a few hours, they eat ravenously. I wonder how long it’s been since they were sure about their next meal. I don’t know what do to about them, but I know we can’t just keep going like we had been.

“Alpha Holland?” The rogue on the sofa calls my name, and it snaps me out of my planning. I realize that everyone is watching me expectantly.

“What’s your name?” I ask her.

She tries to sit up again but struggles until Molly stops her. “J-Jasmine,” she says weakly.

“Jasmine needs to shift to properly heal,” Molly says. When I stare blankly at her Molly adds, “Does she have your permission to shift on pack grounds?”

I’m so surprised by the question that I don’t know how to answer. Were all of them waiting for permission to shift and fully heal? Was this something they did out of respect or because they physically can’t? There’s so much I don’t know.

“Yes, of course!” I blurt out. “Is there enough space in the library or can I get an Omega to help you outside?”

Molly looks to Jasmine, who says, “This is enough space. My wolf is small.”

Molly helps her to sit up, and I sense several of my warriors taking posts at the doors and windows to the library. Guiltily, I hope that the rogues can’t sense them. Even still, I don’t send them away.

No matter how many times I see it, or even do it myself, the shift will always look unnatural, but I can’t look away. There’s a loud crack as Jasmine’s bones shatter and reform in her wolf form. Fur grows out from her skin, coming in frist in thin patches and quickly filling in with thick grey strands.

She stands on her four paws shakily, and carefully bows to me.

Even though the mindlink is weak between us, since she’s not a member of my pack, I can feel the gratitude radiating from her as her body heals itself.

The rogues watch me with warily hopeful eyes as each of them shifts to heal. Every allowance I make for the rogues brings another complication to my pack. Being here with them now, I don’t regret it for a second.