Chapter 2:Meeting The Alpha
2075 Words
Selina POV
“What is he like?” I asked, because she clearly wanted to talk about him.
“He’s kind,” she said immediately. “And patient. And he has this way of making me feel like…” She trailed off, looking embarrassed. “Like I’m worth something again.”
You were always worth something, I wanted to say. But I didn’t, because I knew what she meant.
The pack had spent eighteen years treating her like damaged goods, and now someone finally saw her differently.
“Does he know about me?” I asked quietly. “About what I am?”
“He knows you haven’t shifted yet,” she said carefully. “And he doesn’t care. He says late bloomers are more common than people think, and that when your wolf does come, she’ll be worth the wait.”
Late bloomer. It was a kinder term than the ones I usually heard, but it still felt like a lie. Wolves didn’t bloom at eighteen. They came at thirteen or fourteen, fifteen at the latest. By eighteen, if you hadn’t shifted, you never would.
Everyone knew that. Including Mom, no matter what she told herself.
“I can’t wait for you to meet him,” she continued.
“That sounds wonderful,” I lied. “I’m excited about meeting him.”
She smiled and squeezed my hand again, and I tried not to think about how many ways this could all go wrong.
I spent the entire next day at school trying not to think about the dinner waiting for me at home.
Every class felt like torture, not because of the usual reasons, but because I couldn’t concentrate on anything except the knot of anxiety growing tighter in my chest.
What if my Mom’s mystery man took one look at me and decided I wasn’t worth the trouble? What if his sons were like every other teenage wolf I had met, what if they were cruel and dismissive and eager to remind me of my place?
What if this whole thing fell apart and Mom ended up even more heartbroken than before?
“You look like you’re going to throw up,” a quiet voice said beside me.
I was literally running mad at this point.
I looked up from my untouched lunch tray to find Marcus Webb sliding into the seat across from me.
Marcus was probably the closest person I had to a friend, though even that was stretching it.
He was a beta from a middle-class family who didn’t seem to care about pack politics or social hierarchies.
More importantly, he was one of the few people who talked to me like I was actually human.
“Thank you,” I muttered. “You really do know how to make a girl feel special.”
“Yhyh…but seriously though, what is wrong with you ? You have been jumpy all morning.”
I glanced around the cafeteria to make sure we weren’t being overheard.
“My mom is bringing someone home tonight,” I said quietly. “Someone important.”
Marcus raised an eyebrow. He had kind brown eyes and messy dark hair that never seemed to stay combed, and right now he looked genuinely concerned. “Important how?”
“Important like alpha important.”
“Your mom is dating an alpha?” He looked shocked. “Which one?”
“I don’t know. She wants it to be a surprise.”
Marcus was quiet for a moment. “Well, that’s… unexpected. Most alphas wouldn’t…”
He trailed off, looking embarrassed, and I felt heat rise in my cheeks.
“They wouldn't want anything to do with someone like me,” I finished for him.
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Yes, it is. And you’re right.” I pushed my untouched food around on my tray. “That’s why I’m worried. What if he changes his mind when he actually meets me?”
“Hey.” Marcus reached across the table, touching my hand briefly.
“Don’t talk like that. You are not the problem, Selina. The problem is that this pack is full of judgmental assholes who can’t see past their own prejudices.”
His words were kind, but they didn’t make me feel any better. Prejudices or not, I still had to live in this world. I still had to find a way to belong somewhere.
“Does he have kids?” Marcus asked.
“Sons. That is about my age, apparently.”
Marcus winced sympathetically. “That’s rough. Teenage alpha sons are usually the worst.”
“Thanks for the pep talk.”
“Sorry.” He gave me a sheepish smile. “I’m sure they’ll be fine. Maybe they’ll be different.”
We both knew that was unlikely, but I appreciated him trying.
The rest of the day dragged by with agonizing slowness. Every minute felt like an hour. By the time the final bell rang, I was so nervous I felt like I might snap.
The walk home seemed both too short and too long.
I had spent the whole day in the library after school because I wanted the day to go by faster.
When I finally reached our building, I could smell something amazing drifting down from our apartment.
Mom had been cooking all afternoon, judging by the scents of roasted meat and fresh bread and something sweet that made my mouth water despite my churning stomach.
I climbed the stairs slowly, each step feeling heavier than the last. By the time I reached our door, I could hear voices inside.
It seemed like they were already here.
I stood outside my own front door for a full minute, trying to work up the courage to go inside. This was it.
Whatever happened in the next few hours would determine the rest of my life.
Either this alpha would accept me as part of the package, or Mom would have to choose between her happiness and her daughter.
I knew which choice would destroy her more.
Taking a deep breath, I turned on the key and pushed open the door.
The scent hit me immediately.
The scent of an alpha was usually very strong and commanding, with undertones of pine and something wild that made my omega instincts want to roll over and submit.
But there was something else too. Something that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.
I recognized that scent.
“Selina!” Mom appeared in the hallway, her face was glowing with happiness.
She was wearing her best dress, the blue one she saved for special occasions, and her hair was actually styled instead of just pulled back in a messy bun.
“Perfect timing. Come meet everyone.”
My legs felt like lead as I followed her into our small living room.
The space seemed even smaller with four large figures filling it, their presence making our modest furniture look shabby in comparison.
Alpha Rowan Tranz sat on our old couch like he belonged there.
He was handsome in that same effortless way that all powerful alphas were, he had dark hair with hints of silver and his eyes held natural authority.
But it wasn’t his presence that made my blood turn to ice.
It was the three younger men behind him, their faces ranging from shock to horror to something that might have been murderous rage.
Ashran Tranz, who had held my head underwater just yesterday.
Alex Tranz, who had called me a mistake and told me I didn’t belong in their world.
Aaron Tranz, who had watched it all happen and done nothing to stop it.
My bullies. My tormentors. My soon-to-be stepbrothers.
“Selina,” Alpha Rowan said, rising from the couch with a warm smile that made everything infinitely worse because it was so genuine.
“I’m so glad to finally meet you. Your mother has told me so much about you.”
I opened my mouth to respond, but no sound came out.
This couldn’t be happening. This was some kind of joke, a nightmare so twisted that my brain couldn’t process it.
The triplets looked just as stunned as I felt.
Ashran’s usual composure had cracked completely, he looked like he was panicking.
Alex was staring at me like I was a ghost that had materialized in his living room. Even Aaron looked shaken, his dark eyes darting between me and his father.
“We have met,” Ashran said finally, his voice carefully controlled. “Selina goes to our school.”
“How wonderful!” Mom clapped her hands together, oblivious to the undercurrents of horror flowing between us. “You already know each other.
“Yes,” Alex said, finding his voice. “We know each other quite well.”
“Please, sit down,” Mom said, gesturing to the chair across from the couch. “Dinner will be ready soon, but I thought we could talk first.”
I sat because my legs wouldn’t hold me up anymore. The chair felt too small, and too exposed, with all four Tranz men watching my every move.
“Your mother tells me you’re quite the student,” Alpha Rowan said, leaning forward with genuine interest.
“You are at the top of your class in several subjects.”
“She’s very dedicated,” Mom said proudly, settling back into her place beside him. “She is always studying, sometimes I have to force her to take breaks.”
I caught the way Ashran’s eyes narrowed slightly at the praise. In his mind, I was probably getting ideas above my station. He hated when I acted like I deserved recognition for anything.
“That’s admirable,” Alpha Rowan continued.
She’s definitely unique,” Alex said with that same smile that never reached his eyes.
“Very special,” Aaron added quietly, and I caught the slight emphasis he put on the word ‘special.’
“I’m so glad you boys are already fond of her,” Mom said, missing all the subtext flying around the room.
“It’s going to make everything so much easier when we all move in together.”
Move in together. My stomach dropped even further, if that was possible.
“Actually,” Alpha Rowan said, reaching for Mom’s hand. “That’s what I wanted to discuss tonight. Vanessa has agreed to marry me.”
The room went completely silent. Even the traffic noise from outside seemed to fade away as the weight of those words settled over us.
“When?” I managed to croak out.
“Next week,” Mom said, her eyes shining with tears of joy. “I know it seems sudden, but we don’t want to wait. We’ve both been alone long enough.”
Next week. Seven days from now, my mother would be married to the father of the three boys who had made my life a living hell.
“I know this is a lot to process,” she said, reaching across the space between us to squeeze my hand.
“But I really think this is going to be the best thing that’s ever happened to us.”
The best thing. If only she knew that the best thing for her was about to become the worst thing for me.
We sat down to dinner a few minutes later, gathering around our small table like we were actually a normal family celebrating good news.
Mom had outdone herself with the food, pulling out dishes I didn’t even know she could make. Everything tasted amazing, but I could barely choke down more than a few bites.
By the time dessert was served, I felt like I was going to be sick.
Every word exchanged was loaded with double meanings that the adults couldn’t hear, but that landed on me like physical blows.
When the evening finally ended, Alpha Rowan stood and shook my hand with genuine warmth.
“I’m really looking forward to having you as part of our family, Selina,” he said. “The boys are going to take such good care of you.”
Take care of me. The words sent a chill down my spine.
After they left, Mom practically floated around the apartment, cleaning up dishes and humming under her breath. She was so happy, and so completely oblivious to the nightmare that was about to unfold.
- Writer
