Alpha's Chosen

23

Cole's POV

"What? Why?" Meredith asks, leaning closer, eyes wider as she does.

'I won't say anything bad' Ares teases, knowing just how unsettled it makes me for him to have private conversations, especially with the woman before me.

"No" I reply again aloud, moving out of her space and out of the van altogether.

Meredith rushes to catch up to me, a slight wince leaving her and causing me to slow down and keep pace.

"How exactly are we meant to figure this all out then?" she implores as I feel her eyes scope my features, looking for answers of her own.

"We won't" I answer instead, making sure to hold my features into neutrality as I do.

"What? Why?" she repeats and I never thought I would be glad to see George in a moment like this.

"George, problem?" I ask as both Meredith and I come to a stop before him.

"They still haven't arrived" he informs, my eyes turning to Meredith as I absorb the words.

"Sh*t" she winces, opening her eyes to confirm what I've already guessed. "I forgot to confirm their arrival this morning".

"What do you suppose we do know?" I ask, a question I know is not fair to ask and as her face falls I immediately wish I hadn't.

Allowing myself a singular deep breath, my attention moves back to George, his slight frown letting me know he doesn't approve of how I just spoke to his daughter.

Not upset enough to say anything apparently as he instead asks, "Maybe we should recoup, allow the wolves to rest for today and return tomorrow when they hopefully do?".

"Find out when they're coming" I order to Meredith behind me, the woman already scrolling through my phone as she does.

"Once we know we will decide" I state, looking down at my watch as I do, "Lunch first".

George nods, moving away to spread my orders amongst his warriors.

I watch as the wolf walks away, the man I once respected, looked up to now slipping into just another Alpha, too scared, too conflict avoiding to even speak up for his own daughter.

"They won't be here till three" Meredith says, pulling my attention back to her.

I close the steps between us, waiting for her to look up from her phone and to me before I speak.

Before I apologise.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have spoken to you that way".

"It's okay..." she starts before I cut her off again "It's not".

"It won't happen again" I pledge with a gentle nod, a small bow.

"Cole" she calls, my eyes going back to hers, "I should have called. Confirmed. For that I'm sorry.... call it even?".

"Even" I nod, her small smile enough to raise my spirits even as we begin our march towards sending my men home, extending this trip yet another day.

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Lunch is surprisingly good, given the amount Red lake needed to make and the resources avaliable to them. Thne agin maybe its just the fact that I actually managed to fit in lunch today that has it tasting so good as Meredith continues to shuffle food around on her plate beside me.

"Not to your liking?" I question, her small face looking curiously up at mine before I nod towards the food and repeat my question.

"Oh... oh no... its ... its fine" she replies, looking from her plate to mine and back again.

"Your mind is somewhere else?" I hazard to guess, her raised eyebrows answer enough to tell me just where he mind is.

'I am unforgotable' Ares preens, happy to have gained and kept Meredith's attentions and curiousities.

"Are you sure..." she begins but I quickly cut her off with a look, ushering her eyes to the eyes and ears of the wolves around us. No conversation is truly private... not among wolves any ways.

"Later then?" she asks, as if I don't already know her want, her need for answers.

"Later" I confirm, her face shifting back to ease as I do.

"How many so far?" I ask, eager to change topic.

"Three Alphas, three Betas and a Gamma" she replies with a soft smile before adding "but the Gamma is Alexi from Blue rise so I'm thinking his name might just be before the Alphas".

"Alexi... Alexi said yes to this?" I ask, sure I'm not hearing her right.

"He did... but I may have sent the email to his mate by mistake... which may have given him a gentle nudge to say yes".

"So by mistake you mean...".

"Accidentally on purpose" she smiles, proud of her achievemnts of the day.

"Hmmm" I reply, thinking of just how much I, like many others, have underestimated her.

"So are we still staying for dinner?" she asks, a question I myself hadn't yet considered.

Thinking it over a moment I eventually shrug, "Not like I'm needed back at Blackfur".

"Me either" she replies, a slight sacarsm to her voice that has my anger at her father and brother rising.

If I've underestimated her I'm not sure what you would call what those wolves have done.

"Once we confirm with Alpha Antony I will send out the formal invitations tonight, with yours, the Alpha's, Beta's and Gamma's names as the headliners, as well as listing out the benefits of the event and, of course, the cause benefiting from it. Do you think your Beta and Gamma would also take part?" Meredith asks absently, her plate pushed away as her concentration centers entirely on my phone now.

I look at the plate, then back at her, waiting for her to look up at me before showing her where my attention still lies.

She pulls the plate back towards her, picking up the bread and taking a bite before raising a brow at me in a silent 'well?'.

"Hugo's ego wouldn't hear otherwise, Petra... I'm not so sure" I answer, Meredith swallowing hard before she responds in question, "Your gamma is a she-wolf?".

And I understand her question, not many gammas are, although it is also a question I haven't heard in a while, most already knowing.

"Yes" I respond simply, studying her closely as I gage just how she feels about it or more what she has been taught to feel about it.

"Do you think she could train Bella?" she asks instead, a question I wasn't expecting.

"She could train you" I answer instead, the words leaving my lips before I've even a moment to think on them.

I don't know if it was the selflessness in her question that made me say it... but now it is said I have no urge, no want to take it back.

Meredith should train, be trained and I can think of no one better than Petra.

"You truly have gone mad".