Alpha's Way

Lessons in Domination

"The first rule of being an Alpha is simple," Luna said, pacing back and forth on the sunlit back porch of the estate the following morning. "You have to project absolute, undeniable authority."

Boom sat on a wooden bench, holding a warm mug of tea. He watched her as she paced. She was wearing an oversized knitted sweater that kept slipping off one of her shoulders, paired with denim shorts and muddy sneakers. There was a tiny smudge of ink on her left cheek, likely from where she had fallen asleep on her desk the night before.

She looked small, endearing, and entirely unthreatening.

"Authority," Boom repeated, taking a slow sip of his tea. "Like when my boss asks for the monthly financial statements?"

"No, not like that!" Luna stopped and turned to him, putting her hands on her hips in an attempt to look stern.

"A human boss uses corporate fear. An Alpha uses raw, primal aura. When you walk into a room, every wolf should feel the sudden urge to bare their neck to you."

Boom raised an eyebrow. "I really don't want anyone baring their neck to me, Luna. That sounds like a HR violation."

Luna groaned, burying her face in her hands. "Boom, you're an Alpha wolf, not an auditor! You can't handle pack disputes with HR policies!"

She walked over and sat beside him on the bench. The sudden proximity brought that soft vanilla scent back into his senses. Boom instinctively shifted half an inch to the side, suddenly hyper-aware of how close her knee was to his. His heart gave a strange, erratic thump against his ribs.

"Look," Luna said softly, her voice dropping into a gentle tone that made Boom's breath hitch.

"I know this is overwhelming for you. You built a nice, quiet life out there in the human world. But the pack is struggling right now. The elders are restless, and the younger wolves need someone to unite them. They need you to show them that you're strong enough to protect them."

Boom looked down at her. Her hazel eyes were filled with such genuine warmth and earnest belief in him that he felt a sudden wave of heat rush to his ears. She wasn't just his guide; she was genuinely trying to help him survive this overwhelming transition.

"I don't know how to be a tyrant, Luna," he admitted quietly, staring down at his coffee mug.

"You don't have to be a tyrant," she said, reaching out to lay her hand over his. Her skin was warm, and the moment her fingers touched his knuckles, a sharp, electric spark shot up Boom's arm, making him gasp slightly.

Luna pulled her hand back instantly, her eyes widening in surprise as a bright blush bloomed across her face again. She looked down at her fingers, as if wondering where that sudden burst of electricity had come from.

"You just... you just have to be yourself, but louder," she mumbled, her voice suddenly trembling a bit. "Anyway! Lesson two is chest-baring. Let's practice your growl."

Boom stared at her, trying to ignore the lingering tingling sensation on the back of his hand. "My what?"

"Your growl! Go on, give me your best Alpha roar."

Boom blinked as if to clarify whether he'd heard it correctly. Luna just motioned for him to do it. He then sighed and cleared his throat, looked around to make sure no elders were watching...

...and let out a soft, polite throat-clearing sound that ended in a low rumble.

Luna stared at him for three seconds before bursting into a fit of giggles.

It was a bright, musical sound that filled the morning air, making Boom's chest swell with an absurd amount of pride despite the fact that he had just completely failed at being intimidating.

"That sounded like a purring kitten!" she laughed, covering her mouth.

"Oh, we have so much work to do."