The Crimson Alpha

Chapter 11: Concerns

~Seth's P. O. V.~

These last two months went by way too fast for me. I wanted to give Mabel time to mourn Yua. But the day draws near when I have to tell her the truth about who we are. I was nervous. I paced the room while Mabel went to gather flowers for Yua's grave. She did this once every week. We haven't left here since. She was gaining some semblance of normalcy and I was about to throw her back into chaos. Blake whimpered as the thought of her rejecting us crept in.

"Seth? Are you alright?" Roxy came in and sat down.

I shook my head. "I plan on telling her this evening. I am nervous. I'm scared." I sighed out and rubbed my arms. "I don't want her to be afraid of me."

Roxy stood and stopped my pacing. "Seth. Calm down. Do you want me to help ease her into it?" She looked at me with sincerity. "It's been a couple months. If reason stands, she would know that you could have hurt her long ago."

I sat down and ran my hands through my hair. "That doesn't mean that she won't run from me." I thought back to when she told me about the giant black wolf she saw the night she ran away. Eustace. It was deplorible, disgraceful and just down right disgusting. "I hope she doesn't. I love her. From the moment she walked into that boardroom."

Roxy made me sit up straight. "Again, do you want me to ease her into it? Let her know that she is safe here?" I gave her a glare. "What?" Sometimes, she's annoyingly persistent. In a sibling kind of way.

"You can be really annoying, you know that?" She snickered.

Laying against the bed. "I know. You keep telling me that I am like your older sister." She smiled and shrugged. "It's my job to annoy you, Seth." She poked my nose.

I swatted at her finger. "Stop that. I hate my nose being touched. You know that." Again, glaring at her.

This made her giggle as she let out a sigh. "Look. I am not going to tell you that it'll be easy. It won't. But telling her the truth will be much better than telling her a lie."

I heard my mate walk through the door. She was laughing at something. "And I will tell her. I am just afraid she'll reject me."

Roxy stood and stretched. "Then it's settled. I will go talk to her. You stay here. I will have her meet you outside in the tree area." She left the room and went to talk to Mabel. I stood off the bed and went to the door frame. "May, can you join me outside for a moment?" I loved how they have pet names for each other.

Mabel smiled at her. "Sure." I saw her stand and leave with Roxy. I wanted to listen in. I am so happy that I am a werewolf. Our hearing is impeccable. I went back inside the room and just sat on the bed as I listened to their conversation. They sounded farther away, but I could still hear. "What's up?"

"Mabel? Have you ever heard of werewolves?" Roxy asked. She was slowly talking to her.

"Like the half-man, half-wolf creature from The Man Wolf by Leitch Ritchie?" Oh, my goddess. That book is so far from historically correct. We can't shift into a half form.

"Sort of? I think? Okay, I have never heard of that book... Anyway, a werewolf is where a person is able to shift from a human to a full wolf. Unlike the stories you have heard, they do exist." I heard Roxy's voice go up in pitch as she explained it to Mabel.

Mabel snickered and started laughing a bit. "Oh, Roxy. That was a good one. You got me." She sighed, "Seriously, why did you want to talk out here?"

I heard Roxy sigh. "It's no joke Mabel. You have seen one."

I peaked out the window. Mabel's arms were folded. "Oh? I have, have I?"

Roxy nodded. "That abnormally large wolf you saw when you were a kid? That was an alpha. A leader of a pack."

Mabel's expression turned to anger. "This isn't funny, Rox. That was just a large wolf! Nothing more!"

Roxy went further into the woods. "I'll let Seth explain, then. Since he is an alpha. And I am a luna. The female counterpart to an alpha," Roxy, walked off, leaving Mabel to watch her leave.

I heard her scoff. "W-Wait. What do you mean Seth is one!?" She ran after Roxy. Soon both were out of earshot. I groaned and laid across the bed. She won't understand. I needed to talk to my pack. And Cory. She isn't being receptive to Roxy's explanation. Maybe it was best that I just didn't show her until she could understand.

I got up and left the room. Sitting next to the fireplace while I waited for them to return. I know I am sweating bullets right now. It wasn't even hot in here. Merely 65 degrees. There was no fire roaring either. Cory sat down next to me and puffed on his pipe. I swear, he likes the taste of tobacco more than me.

He placed his coffee on the coffee table. "You need to tell her tonight, Seth. She deserves to know." He handed me the pipe. I politely declined. He shrugged.

I ran my hands through my hair. "I know that. Did you hear her, though?" Blake whined in my head.

Cory nodded. "I did. But the only way she'll understand is if you and Blake show her." Kristen and Georgette came running through the door laughing.

"Daddy, daddy!" They came up to us.

Kristen had a huge smile on her face. "Is Luna Mabel going to join our pack?"

"I want her to. I like her a lot." Georgette looks at me. "She can stay with us, right, Alpha Seth?" She gave me those really big eyes and pouty lips. I picked them both up and sat them in my lap.

How can I tell 4-year-olds that Mabel may not even stay here, let alone in a pack? "How about this? I will tell you when she tells me." I smiled at them. They look at each other and nod sadly. "Hey, hey. She's human, girls. She doesn't know our kind." I tried to cheer them up. They slowly got off me and went back outside to play. "Damnit. I didn't want to hurt their feelings."

Cory only chuckled. "They will get over it before you know it." He patted my back. "Call your mom. She will be able to help you." He stood up and went to help aunt Toni. He's right. Maybe my own parents can help. I went to grab my phone and left the area. The opposite way Roxy and Mabel went. I sighed and called my mother.

She picked up after the third ring. "Seth? This is a surprise. How are you doing, honey?" I missed my parents. They are retired now and living in Bend, Oregon.

I gave a long sigh. "I found my mate, mom. She is human."

"The Lennon girl is your mate?" She asked with an awe tone.

"How did-" I started to ask.

She laughed. "The newspaper, dear. You and she are the talk of Oregon. Shameful for what her father did." I heard the horses in the background. "So, have you two started giving me and your father grandpups?" I pinched my nose and groaned.

"Mom. Seriously? No. She..." I paused. "She doesn't know yet."

I heard her get up. "Oh. Were you planning on telling her soon?"

I knew I was in for it. I bit my lip. "I planned to later tonight. I am just scared. Luna Roxy tried to ease her into the info. But.." This was harder than I thought.

I heard her sigh too. "She didn't believe Luna Roxy, I take it?"

I shook my head. "No."

My mom sat back down on her rocking bench. "You wanted my advice?"

Nodding my head slowly as I kept myself from freaking out. "Yes, please, mom. I'm terrified out of my mind."

She was starting to snicker a little. "Here is what I would suggest. Set up a small candlelight picnic. Make it wolf themed. Get the projector out there and watch Twilight or something that has good werewolves in it." Yuck. Why would I ever touch that movie? Edward Cullen is like the worst next to Bella Swan.

Her idea, however, was clever. "Thanks mom. I think I have an idea of what to do. I'll call you with updates."

She chuckled a little. "Okay, honey. I love you."

"Love you too, mom." I hung up the phone and started to get a midnight picnic set up. Instead of a movie, it was a book I could read to her.

~Mabel's P. O. V.~

I caught up with Roxy. "What do you mean you and him are werewolves? Like as..." My face scrunched up. "Furry personalities? Are you furries?"

She scoffed in my face and seemed really upset. "No. As in actual werewolves. I can turn into a giant wolf. The wolf spirit has a different name and personality." Huh. I stopped and thought about it. She kept walking on.

I followed her. "Okay, let's say for half a second that I believe that. Why not tell me sooner? Why now?"

She turned and grunted. "We wanted you to mourn Laila properly. We weren't going to tell you until we thought you were ready. Or until Seth was ready to tell you. He's scared you'll reject him, May."

Reject him? "What does that mean?!" I tried to get ahead of her.

She threw her hands in the air. "You're his mate, Mabel! His soul mate. He's been waiting for you."

I was stunned. I also needed to know more. If this was true... "Okay, then explain it to me. How does being a werewolf work?"

She stopped walking and leaned against a tree. She looked sad at first. "Wolves are pack animals. The same goes for werewolves. In a pack we have a hierarchy. Unlike normal day-to-day wolves. The lowest rank we have is Omega. Wolves born with no title. Above them are Deltas. Above them are Gammas. The next would be Betas. And finally, you have the Alpha and Luna. I am a Luna." Her expression turned into one that I couldn't explain. "My mate was the Alpha." Was? Wouldn't he still be? "He was killed. By another Alpha for me. The challenge came unexpectedly. In a rage, I injured my husband's killer. He fled and I haven't seen him since." She shook her head. "Seth is also an Alpha. Unlike my Demitri, he hadn't met his Luna until he met you."

I sat down and processed this. I know I was sheltered, but for the love of god. I didn't think this sheltered. "Wait. You said I met an alpha when I was a kid. Do you know who?"

She looked at me with fury. "I do. And so do you."

My mind stopped when I realized who it could have been. Getting up from the ground, I went over to her. "No, that's not possible. Then that would mean... Was he watching me?"

She nodded. "We believe so. Alpha Eustace was making sure his claim never left her home." My head started spinning.

I leaned against a tree and held my head. "Did my father know? Did he know who it was he was selling me to?!" I didn't mean to scream at her. It just happened. All she did was nod. I threw up right there.

She came over and helped me. "Easy, May. You're safe now. You have 4 Alpha ranks here to help you. He won't touch you again."

I gave her a confused look, "4? You mean to say Cory and Toni are..." Again, she nodded. I wanted to pass out.

She sat me back down. "In the two months we have been here, do you honestly think we would hurt you?" She pulled out some breath mints and handed me three. Along with water to get rid of the smell of vomit.

She did have a point. Looking at her, I saw my friend. She held concern in her eyes. But she was still my friend. I shook my head once I got it to stop spinning. "You mentioned 'Soul mate.' What do you mean by that?" I quietly asked her. I would rather concentrate on that than Jackson or Eustace.

I saw her smile a little. "A mate. As werewolves, we have a deity we call The Moon Goddess. She pairs wolves with other wolves. Or, in some cases, humans, vampires, faefolk, elves and dragons. Yes, Mabel. We all exist. We aren't just fairytales." She was rubbing my back. "Jericho's mate was human. She was given the chance to be a werewolf. Now she is one. You aren't the first. Nor will you be the last."

I swallowed the water and took the mints. "Okay. So, how does he know I am his mate?"

I saw her look up. "A wolf feels the bond before a human does. They will feel protective of that human or what-have-you. Wants to be near them all the time." She looked back at me. "As I have come to understand, humans will feel it too. Just not as strongly." She looked confused for a moment. "Yet, you did. That seems odd to me."

"Why would that be odd?" I tilted my head.

She scooted closer to me. "Well, a human won't feel the bond until at least 3 months into the relationship. That's normal. Yet, you felt it on the first day. I wonder why."

That is a very good question. "What do you mean that I felt it on the first day?"

She smiled. "When you entered the boardroom. The first moment you laid eyes on him. How did you feel?"

I pondered that for a moment. "Well, I can't deny that I was attracted to him. Or that I may have been eye flirting with him." My hands were starting to sweat as I recall that day. "Can you blame me? He's sexy as s**t. Any woman would be attracted to him."

She shook her head. "When you told your grandparents about your ex-lover, how did that feel compared to Seth?"

Hitting myself in the head, I almost completely forgot about Zaine. "Zaine was... He was there for me when no one else was. Did I love him? I did. Yet..." Sadness hit me like a truck. "I feel guilty for falling for Seth. He makes me feel things that I thought I would never feel."

Roxy stood and pulled me up with her. "See? That is the mate bond. Now. Let's head back. Seth wants to show you his wolf tonight. Don't be afraid of Blake."

I held up my finger. "His wolf's name is Blake? Like your last name?"

She bursts out laughing. "Ironic, isn't it?"

We left the forest just after the sun had set. What we came to, I could hardly recognize. The meadow had a huge gazebo in the front of it. It was decorated with fairy lights and flowers. Under the gazebo was a giant red blanket with food, candles, what looked like wine and baguettes? On the left of it, was a small table holding a projector. The back of the gazebo had a big white cloth hanging from it. I could also see a book that was in the middle.

"He wasted no time. Have fun, May. Tell me how it goes in the morning." She snickered and went inside. I continued to look at the scene before me. My jaw dropped. There was a picnic basket with the smell of Toni's lasagna inside of it. Oh, I was drooling all over again. I swallowed my saliva as I approached this beautiful outdoor feast.

I heard the clearing of a throat. Turning around, I saw Seth. "It's not much. But I wanted our first official date to be nice." He looked so nervous.

I had to go over to him. "It's beautiful. Thank you." I took his hand in mine. "Mates, huh?" He looked surprised when I said that. "It's so new to me, Seth. But then again, what isn't right now?" I looked into his eyes. "Let me process, okay? I am not going to reject you. I am just asking to adjust. Is that okay?" He pulled me into a hug.

I felt his arms hold me tight. "Anything for you, my Luna." I also hugged him.

After a minute of us holding each other, "So, when can I meet Blake?" I wanted to see if what Roxy was telling me was the truth.

"You want to meet him now?" He was shocked. I smiled and nodded. "Okay. Be warned. He's bigger than Alpha Eustace." Seth took a few steps back and started to strip out of his clothes. My cheeks heated up as I turned around.

"You have to strip? Why?" I was confused and trying desperately not to look.

I heard him laugh. "So we don't shred our clothes." I heard him breathing in and out before I heard the sickening sounds of popping limbs and breaking appendages. When I turned around, there stood a massive red wolf. Roxy wasn't lying after all. The wolf was much bigger than the one I saw many years ago. He whimpered and laid down before me.

I carefully went over to him. "S-Seth?" His ears perked up. "No, Blake is your name, right?" His tail thumped on the grass. Huh. "You're a werewolf." I smiled at him. "You're a creature of mythology!" Yes, his height was scary. But he was gorgeous. I ran my hand through his fur. He purred at that. "Do you know how cool this is?" He tilted his head in confusion. "You're something that no one knew existed. And I am your mate?" I laid against his body. "You're so warm." He licked my face. "Ew." Laughing. "Okay. Tell me everything. I want to get to know my mate."