Alpha Gideon’s deception

Gideon Carmichael

One day earlier

************

Last-minute preparations for an upcoming trade delegation are taking place at the Forest Grove pack. Jesse arranges some flowers in a vase for the conference room table while her mother hovers the carpet. Two omegas are bringing in coffee and tea in two large thermos. The cups have already been placed prior. Meanwhile, as the two women put on the finishing touches, Jesse's dad is keeping watch for their guests. He’s positioned near the driveway towards the conference room. The delegation is set to arrive any moment now.

Having finished up with the flowers, Jesse goes to grab a few notebooks for the table. Passing her mother, Isabel, she gives her a puzzled look.

“You still haven't really explained what the fuss is all about. This is far from our first trade meeting and you’ve certainly never broken out the nice biscuits before. What's so special about this pack? I thought they were just trading in gemstones — can’t we get those from the Northernmost pack?”

Isabel gives the room a final critical scan. She’s concentrated on the preparations still, only halfway focusing on her daughter's question.

“It's about building a relationship, not about the actual trade. We haven't seen these people for ten years. Not even at the annual Alpha Summit. You would know that if you bothered to attend them still.”

Jesse ignores the passive-aggressive jab. Her mother treated those events as a match-making scheme, introducing her to every Alpha and Beta she could find. Eventually, feeling tired of the constant need to socialize with every Tom, d**k and Harry, she flat-out refused to go. Her stubbornness in doing so irritated her mother to no end.

She knows her mother is keen to see her married. For good reason, too. As the eldest child of the Alpha and Luna, Jesse has spent her life training to one day take over leadership of the pack and tread into their footsteps. She’d be happy to do so on her own, ruling as the solitary Alpha of the pack, but she knows her parents would prefer her to co-rule with a spouse (understandably; they have ruled the pack together for decades now). That means Jesse needs to find a mate and get married before she can take over the leadership role. Retirement isn’t anywhere in sight for her parents; she has been single for years now.

Some wolves pick a chosen mate, a person of their liking, others wait for their True Mate — their soulmate, their perfect partner, hand-selected by the Moon Goddess herself. No stronger bonds exist. That fated connection is what Jesse is currently waiting for. She’d like someone truly special. Someone she can feel utterly besotted with. Someone she can be truly comfortable with.

As a token introvert, she hasn’t found that with anyone so far. She values her independence, can’t stand to be attached at the hip. A lot of the men she’s met so far are too clingy, including many of the men at the Alpha Summit. Some were cute, sure, but none were life-long partner material. Plus, her mother’s constant match-making efforts got on her nerves fairly quickly. So, she stopped going, much to Isabel’s chagrin.

No need to dwell on that sore spot, it will make them both annoyed.

Pushing the topic aside in her head, she tries to focus on the mysterious new pack.

“We haven't seen these people for ten years? How come? I thought they lived nearby? Just an hour or so away?”

Her mother bites her lip nervously.

“They do. But nobody's heard a peep from them for years — we don’t fully know the reasons why. Seemingly it's got something to do with the death of Alpha William. We were on excellent terms with him. Since his son, Gideon, has taken over, they cut off all contact. No visits, no conferences, no emails or phone calls. Just radio silence. We tried sending out delegations, but were told no visitors were allowed in their territory.”

Isabel anxiously scans the room again, then glances out of the window. The parking lot remains empty.

“But this year they have reached out and asked to trade. It has to be a good sign! We could establish a useful union today if we are all on our best behavior —”

She trails off, giving Jesse a stern look “— and I do mean all of us.”

Jesse nods seriously, adding pens to the notepads as she finalizes the table.

“I won’t make a peep, don't worry. I reserve my sarcasm for friends, not strangers.”

Right as she finishes her sentence, a bright red Ferrari moves onto the long driveway, heading towards the pack hotel and conference center. Spotting the vehicle, Jesse excitedly rushes outside and joins her best friend, Cassie, who is standing on the terrace.

Cassie giggles. She's looking impressed with the blatant display of wealth.

“Now that's what I call a ride! You reckon that's their Alpha? Must be quite the guy!”

Jesse isn't quite as taken in. She’s never been as keen on expensive cars as Cassie. Her perfect guy wouldn’t drive a car, he’d favor a motorcycle. A Harley-Davidson, perhaps, rather than a Ferrari or a Porsche.

Still, she’s no fool. An Alpha who can afford to drive a car like that must have plenty of resources in the pack vault. This bodes well for trade relationships. Her pack specializes in high-quality luxury goods.

Outside, a float of around seven other cars follows the Ferrari. Jesse spots a BMW of good quality, followed by a Land Rover, and a few older and less prestigious looking cars. Judging by the cars, their group is composed of their Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and other, lower ranked members of their group.

The Ferrari doesn't slow down as it approaches the conference building, speeding towards them menacingly. Then, it brakes suddenly, which causes its tires to burn on the pavement, spinning the car onto a half-circle.

Is the driver trying to show off? It has the intended effect on Cassie, that much seems apparent — but Jesse doesn't share the sentiment. She resists the urge to roll her eyes at such machismo, knowing better than to show outward disapproval of their visitors.

As she watches the car door open, Jesse can't help but feel a measure of satisfaction. The vehicle’s owner looks almost exactly like she pictured. Ray-ban sunglasses, a dark tan, short cropped hair, a shirt with a visible Calvin Klein logo on the breast pocket. The shirt is tight-fitting and short-sleeved, highlighting the man’s muscled physique. Buff isn’t a strong enough term — this man is built like a bodybuilder, veins bulging on top of his formidable biceps.

Cassie gasps as she sees him, poking her friend in her ribs in her excitement.

Jesse feels somewhat bemused. She is all too aware of her friend’s taste in men. Cassie loves confident, masculine, slightly over the top machismo types. David, her husband, has some of those traits too — he is masculine, tall, ripped and rugged. The two got married just two months ago. Cassie may swoon over strangers still, but Jesse knows better than to doubt her friend’s commitment to her husband; the two are True Mates, and very besotted with one another.

Extroverted, spontaneous, funny and honest to a fault, Cassie has a habit of occasionally letting her thoughts run freely. Today is no exception; her friend’s gaze towards the stranger is far from subtle as she gushes out loud. “Do you think he is single? You should ask for his number, Jesse!”

Jesse chuckles. “For you, or for me? You know I don’t go for that! Give me quiet, tall and mysterious and skip the muscle, please.”

The man is the opposite of her type in most ways. Standing a few centimeters shorter than Jesse, the Alpha is broad but small in stature. Perhaps this muscled physique is an attempt to compensate for this perceived flaw? If so, it doesn’t exactly appeal to her — and if the car stunt is anything to go by, he’s far from the quiet type, either.

Jesse has witnessed these types of trade visits many times before. First, the visitors will be introduced to all influential pack members. Next, they will all move to the conference room, to talk numbers. Finally, drinks at the bar. Occasionally, the guests stay for a day or two afterward — it depends on the status of their pack and what hers is hoping to get out of the relationship.

She's been invited to attend a few trade negotiations here and there, as part of her education as a future Luna. Today, however, she won’t be expected to attend the meeting. There is too much at stake. While she has some experience, she's still not as skilled at diplomacy as either of her parents. The wrong turn of phrase could ruin this vital opportunity.

There are around ten visitors in the group. The man in the designer clothes is clearly their Alpha, the leader of their community, but who are the others?

Jesse spots an older man wearing a tailored suit — their Beta, perhaps, the second in command? A younger, well-dressed man could be a Gamma, a lower-ranked member of the leadership team; or perhaps he is a high-ranking guard? No, she decides, not a guard — all guards are clearly identifiable by their matching uniforms. There are about five of them, all together. Finally, she spots two timid looking girls, standing by the sidelines, holding the suitcases the others have handed to them. Omega servants, most likely, here to assist. They won't be part of the negotiations.

The Alpha of the group is carrying gifts. Flowers, a box of chocolates, and a tin of cookies. Confidently, he walks up to Jesse’s parents, bouquet in hand. The gift goes over well, Jesse can tell. Her mother loves tulips.

After Jesse’s parents have given him their official welcome, and pleasantries have been disposed of, they lead the Alpha and the Beta around the rest of their group for further introductions. This is Jesse and Cassie's time to shine. Jesse smooths out the wrinkles on her clothes and straightens her back. She knows the drill — a winning smile, firm handshake, keep introductions clear and concise.

“Alpha, this is my eldest daughter, Jesse Mitchell. Jesse, this is Alpha Gideon Carmichael from the Riverstone pack.”

Jesse puts on a confident smile and steps towards him, holding out her hand. Now that she’s a lot closer to him, she cannot help but feel somewhat struck by him. Short of stature as he may be, he is still imposing to behold, almost intimidatingly so. There's a smell around him. It's strong and musky and almost inexplicably irresistible. He’s not her usual type at all, yet somehow she can't help but to feel attracted. The scent draws her in closer, taking her breath away and rousing something deep inside her.

It takes her a moment to regain her composure. Feeling embarrassed, she tries to hide behind a slight cough.

“It's nice to, uhm, make your acquaintance, Alpha.”

He smiles as he locks his eyes with hers, maintaining eye contact for a few seconds. Then, he leans forward and takes her hand. Seductively, his lips brush over her skin — just a little too long.

“The pleasure is all mine.”

He gives her a charming and slightly cocky smile as he hands her a small but fancy box of chocolates.

“I have a present for you. ”

Jesse is surprised. Her parents frequently receive gifts from delegates, but ordinarily their children are not included in this custom. She doesn’t have an official rank within their pack just yet. Still, she’s not one to look a gift horse in the mouth. It feels good to be included. Gingerly, she opens up the box, admiring the quality of the sweets.

“These look lovely. How very generous of you, Alpha.”

He leans in even closer still. “Try one.”

Jesse hesitates. Introductions are usually brief and business-like, barely more than an exchange of names and titles, but this one is starting to feel… intimate. She's unsure how to respond.

Gideon takes one of the sweets out of the box, holding it to her lips teasingly. “I insist. I need to see if you like them.”

The chocolate he has picked out is dark chocolate with a hazelnut on the top. It’s not a flavour Jesse enjoys, but she doesn’t want to be rude, so she opens her mouth and accepts it, smiling politely while she chews.

“It’s very tasty.”

His smile widens as he watches her swallow it. There's a little too much enthusiasm in his facial expression, like he’s genuinely thrilled she liked it. Why did such a small gesture invoke such a strong response from him?

“Fantastic. Please enjoy them all, miss Jesse.”

Looking as confident as before, Gideon moves on to greet the others, looking over his shoulder to give her a last quick glance before turning his back on her. Jesse, in contrast, is struggling to keep a straight composure. Feeling flustered still, she doesn't snap back into reality until her mother introduces her to the pack’s Beta. He's professional, business-like and succinct, as usual, and to her immense relief, he isn’t attractive in the slightest.

Introductions now all cleared, Jesse has a moment to collect herself. Once the crowd has started to disperse, the visitors now moving towards the main building, Cassie scoots over in Jesse’s direction. She speaks in a hushed whisper.

“Did Alpha Gideon just flirt with you?”

“No! He was just being polite!”

“Then what’s up with the box of chocolates?”

Jesse protests quietly, still keeping her voice down. “He gave flowers to my parents and cookies to my brother! That means nothing.”

“He didn’t hand-feed your brother, now did he?” Cassie pushes back. She giggles as she inspects her friend.

“You’re blushing! I thought he wasn’t your type?”

Jesse doesn't know what to say to that. He’s not, but… there’s something there, somehow.

They both get distracted as Isabel opens up the main entrance and invites the guests over to the conference room. Jesse snaps into action, guiding the group and checking up on some of the pack omega’s, who will be waitstaff for the day. Once everyone has been served coffee and tea and found their seating, she leaves the room and heads back outside. The success of the negotiations is in her parents' hands now.

Both she and Cassie now have some time to relax and focus on their day-to-day activities, but Jesse struggles to get much work done. She is feeling a bit nervous, wondering how the trade negotiations are going. She knows that while her pack doesn’t really need this trade financially, the pack’s relationships with nearby territories are still a priority. She really wants this to go well for her parents’ sake.

A couple of hours later, around 11 AM, she and Cassie head to the canteen inside the conference center, not too far from the main room. The group will take a short break around this time, so she’s hoping to see either of her parents and ask for an update. The key here is not to interfere or interrupt, even during the scheduled break, but to catch them during a quiet moment. She knows the two of them might be in a mood if the exchange isn’t going as well as planned.

The break starts right on cue. They have barely sat down when the first visitors begin to trickle out of the room and start heading to the empty tables in the canteen, where omegas are ready to serve them freshly prepared coffee, tea and pastries. While Jesse’s keeping an eye out for her parents, she spots Alpha Gideon coming out of the room. He makes eye contact with her the moment he spots her. Breaking off from the rest of his group, he makes a beeline towards Jesse’s table. Reaching both girls, he quickly grabs her arm.

“Miss Jesse, a moment in private please?”