Alpha's Chosen

4

Cole’s POV

George reintroduces me to his Gamma Kyle and Beta Kobi before going down the line to some of his best warriors.

I shake each of their hands and try not to let my discomfort show as I feel each and every set of eyes in the room following my movements, my skin burning hot under such scrutiny.

I turn my attention instead to concentrate on their scents.

Each one unique to the individual but each also tinted with the Blackfur's signature scent, the scent that matches their Alpha beside me.

However, this mundane routine is interrupted when George pauses next to a young woman who holds no such tinting.

As I look between them, they are obviously kin, but as he introduces her as his daughter, I can’t help but show my confusion.

I have met George countless times.

We have spoken as friends on many occasions and not once has he mentioned a daughter.

Only his son.

George sighs before smiling to her “my best kept secret”.

I inhale again as I step closer and my curiosities are answered without needing to ask the questions. No wolf.

Pushing aside the plethora of new questions now buzzing through my mind, I reach out my hand to shake hers, and she tentatively responds, placing her soft, small hand in mine.

I lean down showing my respects by placing my forehead against hers, her eyes growing wide as my skin presses against hers.

It's then I make the mistake of breathing in, her scent soft in a way I've never smelt before.

I want to get closer, discover her scent, but I can feel the tension my movements have brought her, prompting me to quickly step back and release her hand.

“Pleasure to make the acquaintance” I say softly.

I fear my respects have been taken indignantly, but a quick peak at George eases my worries, an easy smile on his lips.

My relief, however, is not complete as I look back to see his daughter still tense, a look of blankness in her eyes as they center on me.

Not wanting to intimidate her further, I take another step back, adding a small bow in hopes of showing my good intentions.

“Likewise” she replies softly, taking my surprised attention back to her.

Meredith then seems to become a different person entirely, walking two steps closer as she offers me a soft smile.

There is a pause of silence in the room as I try to figure out the small woman before me.

Is she scared of me like the others and just feigning bravery or is she truly as unphased as she seems?

The silence only breaks after she looks at her father for a small nod before turning her attention and soft features back up towards me.

“Alpha Cole, If you have time I would like to go over our plan to provide aid to the in need Red Lake pack members”.

I hear her words, but they don’t quite compute as I look down at the fascinating women looking so fiercely up at me.

Not many wolves have dared step this close ... but her voice... is honeyed with the same softness as her scent.

Such contradictions, such polar opposites contained in one small being.

I take a step closer, marveling at the woman before me, but my spell is broken by George clearing his throat heavily beside me.

“Ummm”. I pause, shaking my head slightly as I take a step back, before nodding “yes, of course”.

She continues to smile softly at me, again surprising me as she shows no signs of trepidation towards me, my deep tone also not seeming to worry her.

“This way” she says softly, gesturing with her hand before leading the way out of the hall and down an adjoining corridor.

George walks beside me, his proud expression not even a little hidden as we follow behind his daughter.

“My men?” I ask after we have walked for a moment, my mind clearing enough to remember to not leave them standing there, waiting.

“Are now being shown to their quarters, your belongings being brought up to yours” George replies almost as if knowing I would ask.

“Our chat shouldn’t take long, just enough for them to be settled before we reconvene for lunch” Meredith says over her shoulder and I see her father's face fall a little before she quickly adds “unless you yourself would like to take a short rest before lunch, Alpha Cole”.

George’s proud expression immediately goes back into place as my astounded one returns “ummm. . . No” I shake my head trying to regain sense “no, I’ll be fine”.

We continued to walk in silence until reaching the last door on the left of the corridor.

Meredith opening the door and allowing us to enter first.

George enters promptly but I hesitate, taking a moment to hold my breath before sliding gently past her.

To my surprise, George takes place in one of the two chairs in front of the desk, motioning to the other and smiling “sit Cole”.

As I do, Meredith sits in the chair behind the desk and as I look around the office I notice all the markings that we were in fact in what seems to be her office.

The light wooden desk is adorned with sparse but feminine items, like her slim silver laptop and open diary with matching pencil holder, paper weight and drink bottle. The desk appears in order, that is until you look closer. I recognize the circular markings of slightly spilled coffee, much like my own, the lack of any papers apart from a small file and the newly cleaned scent all seeking to mask its new found tidiness.

I smirk a little, knowing she has prepared for this little chat.

Around the room is again sparse, bearing a few family photos, a large bookcase and her University certificate.

I can’t help but smirk a little wider as I recognize it as an online university.

George always was a cautious one. Only now am I beginning to find out just how cautious.

Meredith opens the file, passing me a singular piece of paper. I look down on it, immediately recognizing it as the layout of Red Lake but not recognizing the colour coding that now adorns it.

“The red symbolises the worst affected areas, those that our only option is to demolish and then rebuild anew.

The orange, I suspect are salvageable, new plaster etc may be able to save the structures themselves, although, of course, we won’t be able to tell until seeing what remains beneath. I have ensured our suppliers at Winter Crest have the lumber shall these need demolition also”.

I nod along, listening closely as she continues to define the remaining areas of unaffected, slightly affected, current refugee sights and where she thinks will be best for meals, coordination efforts etc.

I am immediately relieved to see their pack house in the unaffectedefugee area, our work load lessening considerably by the pack's largest structure remaining untouched.

After she is finished, she pauses, ensuring me enough time to take in all she has just said.

I then look up, prompting her to continue.

Meredith soft smile breaks through for a quick moment before she reapplies her serious, business-like expression, “We have been providing aid as we can, but with the recent rains and unsealed paths, we haven’t delivered as much as they need. I know you and your men must be tired from your travels and probably hoped for rest before starting anew tomorrow, but I was hoping we could do just a small trip today. To deliver some dire first aid supplies and further drinking water before the convoy from the Embry pack arrives tomorrow. We would just do this ourselves but we also need as many hands here for the lumber arriving from Winter crest”.

“Have you been delivering via vehicles or wolves?” I ask, looking down at the map to try to calculate just how long it will take to reach their packhouse from George’s.

“Vehicles”, George chuckles beside me “not all wolves look like yours”.

Ares preens in my mind as I eye George, admitting that I may have forgotten that for a moment before looking back to a curious looking Meredith.

“I can take a vehicle over myself, save my men's energies for tomorrow”.

I can see Meredith about to object, but her father steps in first. “Have you traveled to Red Lake before through these woods?”.

“No,” I admit, “perhaps you could loan me a guide?”.

“The woods between Red Lake and ourselves are currently insecure. Rogues have been spotted in the area and one of our warriors swears black and blue he met an unseelie fairy there just yesterday, claiming he escaped by the thin of his teeth.

You will need warriors to go with you” Meredith adds a little anxiously.

“I’ll take my Beta” I reply with a small nod. “A guide?” I ask, looking back to George.

“I’ll go” Meredith volunteers before her father can reply.

“No” George returns quickly, harshly, almost as if automatically.

“Dad” Meredith sighs, as I begin to feel this is a well-practiced dance between them.

As they glare at each other, I decide to try my hand, “She does seem to know the area well, George”.

But he’s hearing none of it, clenching his teeth as he near growls “I said no. It’s final. I will have another guide meet you after lunch to accompany you and your Beta”.

George then bolts up, the chair falling hard to the ground behind him as he eyes his daughter before leaving the room with a slam of the door.

I hear Meredith sigh as she slumps back into her chair, admitting “well, it’s not like that was unexpected”.

Her fierceness all but withering up at her father's words.

I stretch out my shoulders discomforted by the sight as I rise from my chair.

"I'm.... I'm sorry" she stutters angering me further. Where is the woman from mere minutes ago?

"Let me show you to your room" she continues her voice soft in an entirely new way now.

"No" I reply, and it's only as she looks confusedly up at me that I register what I've just said.

No? No to what?