The She-Wolf Alpha (Book 1 She-Wolf Series)

The next two days were spent exchanging pleasantries with each alpha as he arrived. While several brought their mates, many were single and clearly looking for their opening. They remained respectful with Jonathan and Jackson standing guard, and I kept Emerick on my arm as much as possible. It landed him many spiteful glances, but no one voiced their displeasure with me present.

Emerick, my father and the former alphas of my pack were cordial with our guests, but I could tell they were all on edge. I saw their wolves flash in their eyes on any occasion a male got too close. It was an odd feeling to stand in a room of polite, smiling men and still be able to cut the tension with a knife.

My saving grace was the mated alphas and their wives who had no ulterior motives. Each was kind and genuinely interested in both myself, and strengthening relations between our packs. The gathering provided an excellent opportunity for diplomacy that hadn’t necessarily been planned. One of the mated alphas explained to me that when he heard so many others would be present, he took advantage since alphas generally did not meet other than the annual gathering at King Ivar’s manor for the Winter Solstice.

I found it somewhat odd that the king had not yet made his appearance even when Saturday morning rolled around. However, there was little time to dwell on it. Cassie showed up at my place early, dragging Michael and a team of makeup artists and hairstylists with her.

Cassie had planned several coordinating “looks” as she put it for the festivities. Since I would be shifting during the Alpha Ceremony itself, the first was more downplayed. My hair was done in soft waves with neutral makeup. She had selected a form-fitting, gauzy outfit with a criss-crossing pattern that looked like a mix between something off a runway and a sci-fi warrior’s uniform. It reminded me of a Jedi from Star Wars minus the long robe.

“I want something that shows you can be powerful and a woman,” she had explained. “Because you are.”

I had to admit, Cassie nailed it. It gave the impression that I could command armies and I still felt femininely beautiful.

When I emerged, all heads turned to me. My mom and Cassie squealed in delight while Emerick’s eyes scanned over me hungrily. I grinned back at him.

Cassie had insisted my entire family, including the Reddings, and Michael as Beta, be in something coordinating to show a united front. I agreed, but I insisted that she also be included. She had been hesitant, but eventually conceded to being on stage with us. Her and I had grown close and I considered her role as the Beta’s mate a part of pack leadership. While Emerick would not be a part of the ceremony itself since we were not mated, he would be close by.

“Is everybody ready?” I asked, feeling rather nervous.

“Whenever you are, Alpha Paulson,” Michael said with his usual seriousness.

I gave him a short nod before our group turned to the vehicles parked in the driveway. We had debated getting ready at the pack house since that was where the ceremony was being held, but I hadn’t wanted to worry about running into any of the alphas or the king when I was already on edge.

Luke took my hand in the backseat of the SUV Emerick was driving. At first, I was startled as he rarely displayed this sort of affection at his age, especially in public, but he must have felt I needed it. I smiled at him and realized I was now looking up at my not-so-little boy. When had his chubby cheeks become the angular face of a young man?

“You’re going to be a great alpha, Mom,” Luke said, quietly.

“Thank you,” I whispered back. “I love you always, kid.”

“Love you more. To the moon and back.”

I smiled at the saying we had exchanged every night when he was younger.

We pulled to the rear of the pack house upon our arrival. The ceremony was being held near the pond that I had grown fond of. A beautiful wooden amphitheater had been erected and limited seating was placed for older members of the pack. Otherwise, the crowd was standing. The number of people took my breath away. There had to be thousands gathered before me.

“Oh, wow,” I heard my mom gasp next to me. Dad grunted his agreement on her other side.

“Almost the entire pack is here. Even from more distant communities,” Cassie said in awe. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen this many of our people in one place.”

When we approached, an eerie stillness fell over the crowd. I led my group with Luke at my side, followed by my parents and the Reddings. Cassie and Michael took up the rear. We made our way up the stairs and took our places in dramatic fashion.

Katrina, the witch presiding over the ceremony, gave the crowd an ethereal smile and spread her arms wide so that the sleeves of her robe glittered around her.

“Ladies and gentleman…” she began.

The ceremony went off without a hitch. I recited the oath, but I was so anxious, I barely remembered what I was saying despite having rehearsed it numerous times. Then I shifted to my wolf form so that Katrina could anoint me, binding me to the pack and the pack to me symbolically.

Suddenly, light glowed and swirled around me. I heard several howls from the spectators. Their voices seemed to mingle with the otherwordly luminescence and seemed to ignite a fire in my veins. I felt the power of the alpha more than I ever had before as the light around me dissipated.

“A beautiful display indeed!” Katrina exclaimed next to me, as I shifted back to my human form. “It is safe to say we can expect marvelous things from Alpha Paulson!”

The crowd roared with enthusiasm, and I turned to give the witch a questioning look. She leaned in to embrace me.

“I would like to speak with you after the ceremony,” she whispered in my ear.

I nodded, confused, but kept my smile plastered in place.

As we parted, I addressed the crowd, “It is my honor to serve you! Let the festivities begin!”

The crowd dispersed and started moving towards the festival that had been set up in celebration. Tonight would be the ceremony ball, but only top ranking members of the pack and the visiting alphas would be in attendance. The festival hosted a variety of games, food and rides for all to enjoy.

I felt Serena at my elbow.

“Let’s go inside for a moment,” she said, hurriedly.

“Is everything okay?” I asked her, sensing something was off.

“Umm, yes. I think so?”

“Serena, what did I miss?” I asked, finally pulling her to a halt.

“That glow wasn’t… normal,” she admitted, quietly. “I’ve never heard of anything like it.”

I stared at her blankly. Even though we hadn’t discussed a glowing effect during rehearsal, I just assumed it was a part of the magic during the ceremony. Suddenly, Emerick looped his arm through mine and gently tugged me towards the pack house. The rest of my party followed. All of us continued to smile and wave at the crowd as if this procession was planned.

When we stepped inside the doors, we all stared at each other. Seemingly, nobody wanted to be the first to ask.

“Hey, great ceremony mom,” Luke said, uncertainly. Like me, he wasn’t aware anything was amiss.

Behind me, I heard rustling as Katrina swept through the doors. Her amethyst colored eyes scanned over me. Against her ebony skin, they almost seemed to glow. As she walked, her sparkling silver robes swished and shimmered with each step. How anyone could mistake her for a normal human was beyond me.

“Katrina, you wanted to speak with me?” I asked. “I assume it has something to do with the… umm… glowing… thing?”

She nodded gracefully, “Yes, dear. Quite the sight wasn’t it? Not the usual way of things, though.”

“So I’ve heard,” I told her. “What does it mean?”

She smiled gently, “To be honest, I’m not entirely sure. I’ve only heard of something similar happening once before.”

“When?” my mother asked next to me. I could hear the nervousness in her words.

“Over a thousand years ago,” Katrina said, meeting my gaze. “On the day the king was named Alpha of his pack.”

Silence fell over us. Again nobody knew what to say.

“What do you mean when he was named Alpha?” I asked after a moment. “It was my understanding that King Ivar doesn’t have a pack.”

“Not since he was named King,” Katrina explained. “Before he was King he was the Alpha of a pack. When war broke out among all the supernatural beings a millennia ago, each species selected a leader. King Ivar was selected as the single most powerful werewolf and led his people to victory by forming an alliance with the witches. It is why we still work so closely today.”

“What does that mean for my daughter? She doesn’t want to be queen. She didn’t even want to be the alpha of a pack at first,” my dad spoke and I could tell he was agitated.

“Sometimes, destiny has its own plans for us,” Cassie said, quietly.

“Indeed,” Katrina agreed. “I don’t know what this means for you Alpha Paulson, but know that I do not see a simple future for you. Prepare yourself for what may be to come.”

“Thank you, Elder Katrina,” I said, bowing my head. I turned to the rest of my clan. “I know everyone is a little thrown off, but I need game faces.”

Luke snorted next to me.

“Mom, we just found out you have some crazy big destiny or something,” he said, sarcastically. “What are you talking about ‘game faces’.”

“Our entire pack is out there, probably as confused as we are,” I explained. “So we are going to go out there and show them nothing is amiss. Business as usual. Day as planned. Everybody got it?”

They nodded, stoically. Cassie stepped forward, clasping her hands in front of her.

“Okay, people. It’s go time,” she said, brightly. “Let’s get festive. Everyone has their assigned roles. We are mingling!”

As we all filed back towards the event outside, Cassie grabbed my hand and gently pulled me to the side. Her face was serious.

“Hair and makeup starts at 4 pm upstairs. Make sure you eat something light. Your dress was delivered this morning and looks stunning. Your entrance is scheduled for 7 pm,” she said more seriously than I was used to her being. I nodded. “I’ll make sure to give you reminders. Do you have any questions?”

“No, I’ve got it,” I told her.

Just as quickly as it had come on her seriousness fell away and her dazzling smile returned.

“Good,” she said, bubbly once again. “To the party!”

I turned to Emerick who was still at my side as we made our way over to the waiting pack who were already engaging in carnival games and registering for competitions.

“Are you ready?” I asked him.

“No,” he said without a hint of humor. “I’m worried for you.”

“Why?” I asked gently.

“What if King Ivar sees you as a threat, Sam?”

It was my greatest fear as well. I had no intention of usurping the king, but I needed to meet him to tell him that. As of yet, he had been elusive to say the least. I found it odd considering he traveled all this way to attend my Alpha Ceremony.

“Hey, Mom!” Luke called, catching up. “Did you see that big guy in the front row during the ceremony? He looked sort of like a Viking or something. What pack is he the alpha of?”

“Oh sorry. I didn’t see him,” I apologized. In truth, I didn’t see anyone in the crowd since I had been so focused and anxious on the stage.

“That was King Ivar,” Emerick said, flatly.

“Oh,” was Luke’s only response.

I spent the morning and early afternoon enjoying the festivities as much as possible. It was difficult to let go of my anxiety, but I made an effort to appear unfazed to the crowds. Several of the visiting alphas attempted to get information from me about why we had added to the Alpha Ceremony, and I carefully navigated their questions, trying to avoid suspicion.

“Alpha Paulson,” greeted a calm voice.

I turned to find a tall, well built man. He appeared to be in his 30s, but something about the way he carried himself told me he might be older. He wore his dark hair neatly cut above brown eyes. Despite being casual, I could tell his clothes were well made and probably more expensive than they appeared.

“I’m sorry. Have we met?” I asked.

I sensed he wasn’t an alpha, but I thought he was someone I would remember if we was a part of my pack.

“No, Alpha. My name is Aidan. I’m King Ivar’s second in command,” he informed me.

I could feel my heartbeat pick up slightly at the mention of the king. I struggled to maintain my composure.

“He sends his regards,” Aidan continued. “Unfortunately, the king had an urgent matter to attend to and was unable to join in the fun this afternoon. He looks forward to meeting you this evening.”

“I look forward to it as well,” I replied with more confidence than I felt.

Aidan smirked.

“Enjoy the rest of your party, Alpha Paulson,” he said with a slight bow of his head. “And congratulations.”

With that Aidan turned and strode away. I immediately had an ominous feeling about the meeting later this evening. As I hurried to find Emerick once again, I hoped that the urgent matter the king suddenly had to attend to had nothing to do with the strange glow during my anointing as Alpha. With any luck, the leprechauns and the fairies were at war and he was tasked with sorting it out… or something.