Save Me Mr. Alpha

I took the nap I was so excitedly awaiting, wanting to escape the feeling of dread and pain that reading Tyson’s diary had caused. Or maybe he hadn’t caused it, not directly that is, because now I knew he felt as much pain as I had losing my child. I had lost my baby, a baby that I had loved and cherished, one that had sent my entire world into a downward spiral.

But Tyson knew the truth. He knew what had happened to me, at least he did up until that point in my life. That diary ends there, the inscription of “1/3 books” telling me that maybe he knew a bit more than I would ever feel comfortable with.

My nap had helped me clarify what I was feeling. Doesn’t that always seem to be the case? A nap is rejuvenating, calming, almost empowering if you wake up at the right moment. And for the first time in what felt like eternity, I had woken up to something slightly better than what I had had before.

I stood up from my bed, looking at the gardenias hanging on the wall and thinking about my mom. Her perfume was made of gardenias and something citrusy. She wore it exclusively on big nights out, important interviews, and any time she wanted to wish me and my brothers luck before a big game, test, or something momentous in our lives. I remember that she wore it on the day my parents dropped me off at college and I hugged her before they left, feeling like I was losing a part of myself at that moment. I had no idea how little time I had left with them.

My stomach growled and I sighed, knowing that sooner or later I would need to face the wolves, literal and metaphorical, waiting for me downstairs after my earlier meltdown and at least now was as good as a time as any.

I opened the door and slowly walked down the stairs, keeping an eye out for Tyson and any of the tingles that would alert him to my escape. As I descended the stairs I saw my brothers and Babe in and intense game of Uno, a look of deadly concentration on Chase’s face so serious that I was afraid he might have an aneurysm at any moment.

So absorbed in their game, they don’t notice me as I make my way to the kitchen where I find a beautiful young woman hiding behind the cabinets, staring at the living room in such anticipation I’m surprised she hasn’t had a heart attack yet.

“Excuse me?” I ask, looking to where she’s staring. She jumps at my voice and stares at me, fear apparent in her eyes, a look of intense trepidation and shock covering her face.

“Queen Luna,” she bows.

I stare at the young woman. She was beautiful, early twenties probably, with dark brown hair and long black eyelashes that I would kill for. She looks at me shyly, not quite meeting my eyes, and trying to look everywhere except for my face.

She seems oddly familiar and as I finally catch her eye, I realize who she is. Her light hazel eyes stare at me and I notice the small scar hidden in the curve of her left eyebrow.

“You’re his sister,” I state, no question about it.

“Katie, yeah, we’ve met before,” she whispers. She looks at the ground, unsure of what to say next and for once I feel myself empathizing with her.

“Yeah, do you still drive a Bug?” I ask, trying to set her at ease.

“Oh no, I don’t drive anymore, it’s not really—”

“Katie,” a soft voice calls.

She looks up and I see Tyson’s mother standing in the next room, beckoning her over. Her face is firm and displeased, staring at Katie like she’s the dirt of the earth. My hearts pounds as I look back at Katie and see a submissive look on her face, staring at her feet.

“I should go, my mom—” Katie begins.

“You should stay actually. I’d like a tour of the house and out of everyone here, I seem to be the most calm around you. Can you do that for me?”

“My mom—”

“Mrs. Bergson, may I borrow Katie for the day? I was wanting to get out of my room for a bit and need her assistance.” I state, looking back at the intimidating woman standing in the living room. It takes me a second, but I realize it was the same hateful woman who had questioned my belief in soulmates and called me a “battered housewife,” the hag.

At my voice, my brothers and Babe poke their heads up and stare at the showdown occurring next to them.

“I really do need her to—”

“She is staying with me.” I snap, tired of this conversation already.

The woman doesn’t react like Babe and Katie, the only other freaks in the room. They bare their necks submissively and stare at the floor waiting for me to speak. She stares at me blankly, a glimmer of something I don’t recognize before nodding and leaving the room.

“I’m going to grab something to eat and then I’d appreciate that tour if you don’t mind.”

“Yes, Luna.”

“It’s Cassie. Not Luna. Don’t call me that again, do you understand?” I say softly. I watch as the boys look away, Charles hesitating on Katie’s small frame questioningly before returning to their game.

“Yes Luna—sorry, Cassie.” Katie flinches and my heart follows suit as I watch her.

“It’ll take time, I’m sure.” I respond, not mentioning her response.

I start rummaging through the cabinets before finding some cereal and settling in to some sugary, calorie filled breakfast food.

Katie showed me around the property, showing me the ins and outs of where things were located and showing me the quickest way to and from certain places where I could avoid running into people.

“The house was built specifically to help people avoid detection if there were to ever be intruders or an attack on the pack,” she explains softly.

“Has the pack ever been attacked?”

“Not for a very long time, It was back when our father was the Alpha, but the siege didn’t last very long. I don’t really know much about it, I wasn’t even born.”

“Oh. Is your dad—”

“Katie! Have you seen where I put—” a loud voice yells. Katie and I are standing around the kitchen island, a cup of hot tea in my hand as Tyson runs in from what looks like an actual run, sweat dripping down his face and a sweaty tshirt on his chest.

He looks at me in surprise, probably shocked to see me out of my room and not bursting into tears or a bout of anger.

“Hey, what are you doing out of your room? I mean how are you? I mean, are you good? You’re of course allowed anywhere you want, but I—”

“I asked Katie to give me a tour of the house.”

“A tour. Of the house,” he repeats slowly. He nods at me, his eyes wide in surprise before quickly turning to his sister, his eyebrows furrowing.

He shakes his head as if clearing out a wave of fog from between his ears. “Katie, have you seen where I put the surveillance logs for the east border? Have you finished your daily tasks?”

“They’re in your office, Alpha. And no, the Luna requested my assistance,” She says quietly.

I look between the two of them, not understanding the formalness that replaced the brotherly love and affection I had witnessed briefly so many years ago.

“Thank you, Katie, you’re dismissed to your regular duties.”

“No, she’s not,” I state, staring at Tyson, “she is helping me for the day. I specifically requested her help. Is that not allowed?”

“No, of course, she just has her own duties to take care of in the pack, and those need to be done.”

“And someone else can’t do them?”

“Well yes, but she’s not allowed—”

“Not allowed to what?”

“She has her duties just like everyone else and that’s not to change. There are other people in the pack who can assist the Luna, not her.”

“Why not?” I ask, starting to get frustrated at his blithe and tasteless answers.

“Because of her status in the pack.”

“So, you only allow her to do certain things? How is that fair? She has been requested by me and she has been doing a great job so far.”

“Her status in the pack limits what she’s allowed to do as a pack member. She did something against the Alpha and that changed where she stands in the hierarchy, it happens. Even to the Alpha’s sister,” Babe says as he walks into the room.

He watches as I step in front of Katie, guarding her from following her brother’s orders as I continue my interrogation.

“What did she do?”

“That doesn’t matter, Cassie, what is done is done. Until she finishes her current sentence, she doesn’t have a place in the main house unless she is called by me or my mom. That’s how it works.”

“So, she’s a slave, trapped in her own house, only allowed to do what her master says? Sounds a little like James if you ask me.”

Tyson growls at the name and steps towards me. His eyes flicker between their normal color and a dark black color I was afraid I would drown in if I wasn’t careful. I don’t move, but I feel Katie withdraw and hide behind me further, cowering behind my small frame.

“Cassie, you should never anger an Alpha, especially the King Alpha. You need to apologize,” Babe warns, getting ready to step between me and his Alpha.

“No. You keep telling me that I’m your mate and you want me to ‘accept’ my position. Yet, you do shit like this. Let me guess, she was punished because I left? Because she hit my car? Or maybe you blame her that I left you? Newsflash bucko, I left you because of you, not because of her or anyone else. Maybe if you’d understand that, you’d understand why your mate DOESN’T WANT YOU!” I begin to yell, my anger and my frustration finally releasing from me.

“MAYBE if you hadn’t turned my life upside down, I wouldn’t have LOST MY CHILD or been tortured for the last year you FURRY BASTARD!” I scream.

Tyson steps closer, his expression changing. Babe steps closer, fear apparent on his face.

“I NEVER would have felt that much pain in my life had you never come in it! Why can’t you get that through your fucking head?”

“Cassie, stop—” Babe starts.

“NO! He wants me to love him? How am I supposed to love someone who is torturing his own sister the same way I was tortured in the beginning after I lost my daughter? Huh? I can tell she’s being hurt, whether it be physical or emotional and you’re letting it happen!” I screech.

Footsteps stomp down the stairs and my brothers come into the room, Chase followed by Charles. I hear Katie suck in her breaths and I freeze, starting to question things.

“Babe, what is Katie’s status in the pack?”

“Temporary omega.”

“For how much longer?”

“Two years. She has served for three years out of five.”

“What were the consequences of her status change?” I ask, not fully understanding the terminology.

“She changed from Gamma, or fourth in the pack, to the bottom tier. She had additional chores added to her schedule, new housing arrangements, a new pay scale, and forfeiture of her pack vote and her mate rights.” Immediately I understand. I look back at her and she shakes her head, catching my eye, begging me with her wet, hazel eyes.

My own eyes well up with tears as I realize that I was right, he was punishing her instead of himself because of what had happened to me. Tyson stares at me, gone is the darkness in his eyes, but rather overwhelming amounts of grief and pain.

“You want me to accept my role as Luna?” I ask, waiting for a response.

Tyson looks at me, pain etched across his face, before he slowly nods, “yes.”

“Restore her status immediately. She will stay with me until I am sure she is being treated properly.”

“Luna, that’s not nece—”

“Done.”

Katie stares at her brother, her jaw dropping open. I look at her, “does this mean you can tell your mate who you are now?”

“Yes, but—”

“You can go ahead,” I whisper. She shakes her head, stepping backwards before running out of the room and away from the group in the kitchen.

I stood alone, staring at Tyson and Babe with fire in my eyes while my brothers stare at us all confused. “Boys, pack your things, now.”

“Cassie—”

“Babe, we will be leaving this house for the time being. I was hoping we could stay with you while I figure out whatever duties are required of me as Luna.”

“But—” Tyson begins.

“I never said that by accepting my Luna duties I would ever accept you.” I snap.

Babe audibly swallows, staring at me, his face questioning.

Tyson nods and steps away from me before exiting the house quickly and transforming into his beast.

“Cass, you could have been killed! He’s an Alpha and—”

“He would never hurt me,” I sigh. “Not on purpose at least.”

“That’s a risky bet to take.”

“Not when it means saving someone.”

“Saving who, Cass?” Charles asks.

“Boys, grab your things.” I dismiss the question before heading back upstairs to pack. Babe follows behind. “I’m assuming I can stay with you?”

“I have something else in mind...”

Babe drove us into town, past Dave’s Diner, and the high school’s football field and onto a familiar street that brought a smile to my face. A white picket fence, green, manicured lawn, and a front porch with a swing waiting to be sat on with a good book and a cup of tea.

“My old house?”

“Technically it belongs to the Bergsons now, but I’m sure Tyson won’t mind you taking over his office while you two figure out whatever you two are—”

“His office?”

“After you left, he bought the house from you anonymously using his father’s name and insisted on moving his main office here. He spends quite a bit of time here, but I know he won’t mind you taking it back over.”

I hop out of the car with my brothers walking closely behind. I walk through the front gate, looking around at the yard. Tyson had removed the peony bushes that I loved so dearly and I felt a frown enter my face.

“He moved them up to his house.”

“Moved what?” I ask, looking back at Babe.

“The peony bushes. He had them moved to his house so he could keep an eye on them.” Babe smiles at me, trying his best to seem charming and sell his new boss as a “good guy.”

“Hmm,” I chuckle, “like that’s supposed to impress me.”

“There’s still some beds in the house, two in the guest rooms and one in the master in case you ever wanted to come back...” Babe sighs, knowing his ploy didn’t work.

“Okay, and what about the Luna duties?” I ask, entering the front door with a key handed to me by Babe.

“I’ll get a list from the old Queen Luna and—”

“Ahh yes, the hag.” I cough.

“And I’ll bring it over tomorrow and we can start running through the next quarter’s to do list. You’ll probably want to find an assistant, it can be a little overwhelming for a versipellem esse mate to adjust to our world, much less a position such as yours.”

“Veripellegrino what?”

“Basically, a human mated to a werewolf.”

“I see. For the record, I’d rather not be called that. I can be called Luna and whatever other bullshit that comes with that, but as for being mates that part doesn’t interest me as much.”

“Either way, you’re still going to need an assistant. I can send over some resumes from the pack tomorrow for you to review.”

“Is Katie available?”

“Katie?”

“Yes, Katie.”

“Well she has her own responsibilities as an omega and—”

“No she doesn’t I removed her demotion, remember?”

“Oh, well in that case, I think she could do the job. I’ll give her a call.”

“Invite her to stay with us. I think she needs a break and the boys can share a bedroom and she can take my old room.”

“Where will you sleep?”

“The master of course.”

“Are you sure?”

“Babe...”

“Understood, your Majesty...”

I grab a pillow from the living room couch and throw it at his head while he runs away laughing.