The Night I Met The Alpha

2

Word Count: 2356

~Dove

Pepper and herb scented smoke wafts up from the pan as I watch the slab of steak sizzle in the butter.

The front door opens, a billow of cool air joining my sister as she rushes in. She tugs her coat off, bracing it on the hook next to mine before she plucks her boots off her feet.

"Hey Dovey," she greets warmly, her cheeks tinged pink from the night air.

After not staying late with Matthias, I rushed home to work on dinner. The smell of it is cloying in our tiny cottage, where the kitchen is cramped tightly into the corner, in the same room as the living space and tiny circle dining room table.

"Hey." I flip the steak. "Your plate is in the oven."

"Bless you. I'm starved."

She rushes over, kissing me on the cheek before she opens the oven door, stepping back as a wave of torrid heat pours out. With a dish cloth in hand she grabs the edge of her plate, guiding it to the table.

As usual Eden is dressed in her stiff work uniform. Tawny brown trousers and a collared plum shirt. She works at the train station just over down the hill and past the creek, the tracks leading deep into Alpha Varian's pack.

Despite both being in our twenties, Eden and I are yet to move out. We both know our father would struggle without us — I mean, he's still deep in meetings with Matthias at this late hour

"You need to eat breakfast instead of skipping it all the time." I cast her a long look as she digs into her green beans.

She shrugs. "I'm never hungry in the mornings."

I pluck the steak up with a pair of tongs, placing it on a wooden cutting board to rest.

"Maybe you're pregnant," I tease.

"Ugh, please." Her nose scrunches up in disgust. "At least I'm getting laid, unlike you, Miss Virgin."

I turn away, swallowing thickly. No one knows about Matthias's relationship, nor that it's been going on for over a year and a half. It feels embarrassing to speak about, even to my sister. She would tell me I'm too good to be an Alpha's plaything with no real benefit, and she would be right...

At least there is no concern about me falling pregnant. Matthias would rather castrate himself than have me become with child.

The thought would hurt, but I'm addicted to the feeling of doing something so forbidden. It's so wrong, but it feels so deliciously right.

"Don't tell father that. He'll gut whatever poor soul you've lured into bed," I bring up, stalking over to the one window this cottage has, propping it open for some ventilation.

"It's only one person, actually," she says, a hint more quietly. "And father will never know. I'm planning on moving out soon."

I raise a brow. "Oh yeah?"
 
"I can't stay in this stuffy cottage with you and dad forever, no offense." She drags a cut of steak around the butter sauce on her plate. "You may like it here, but I'm destined for more."

Eden is capable of anything. She's beautiful, charismatic and talented. She hasn't encountered a single skill she hasn't been able to master, and yet actively chooses to condemn herself to a dead end job so she isn't forced to move away from her family.

"It's not that I like it here, I just don't want to abandon him. He lost two wives, remember?" I bring up.

Father insists Eden looks just like her mother, and I believe it. Her pale hair and deep brown eyes are unlike any feature father and I have. Her skin is littered with light freckles, and her features are softer and rounder than mine.

Her mother died before I was born. My father then had me with my mother, who took off with all his money when I was two.

Mercifully I was only passed down her nose and not much else. I share my dark, rich brown hair and blue eyes with my father.
 
"I guess so." Eden's expression curls with disgust as I sit down at the table with my plate of food, pouring hot sauce onto my steak. "Yuck, I could never put that spicy stuff on my food."

I shrug. "Don't then."

Eden picks up the days paper off the table, flipping it open. The front page catches my attention, the vivid illustration making my mouth dry.

"Woah..."

"What?" Eden flips the paper, scanning the front. "Oh, Alpha Varian's wicked party."

The illustration is of the front of his grand palace. It depicts vibrant red lights and lines of people that will no doubt be queuing for the experience later tonight.

"That's tonight, right?" I bring up casually, as if I'm not very much aware.

For the rest of my shift since seeing Matthias, I've convinced myself to both attend and not attend the party.

On one hand, venturing into Alpha Varian's pack, into a swarm of dubious minded people would be dangerous. Matthias said himself that members of his pack are targeted and seduced into staying. How true that is, it's hard to tell.

What I do know is that if Matthias knew, it would be over between us. I would be sabotaging the scraps of a relationship we've maintained over the past year and a half.

Which is all the more reason why I want to go...

He doesn't own me. I'm not tied to him. I can't be expected to give my entire being to a relationship that he only contributes to at his leisure. I want to do something for myself, something fun and forbidden.

"How should I know?" Eden grumbles, then pauses. "But yes, it is."

"Matthias — people at work were talking about it." I clear my throat, concentrating on my mountain of mashed potatoes.

"Everyone in every pack in the land is invited. Even from here," she explains, scanning the text on the front page. "It's all crap though. Apparently his guards turn away most that come to the door."

I lightly tap the tines of my fork against my plate as I think. My chances of getting in tonight are slim — I'm not the kind of person who would fit into that environment.

"I wonder who they let in," I mumble absentmindedly.

"Anyone who fits the theme, who dresses scantily and has no respect for themselves." Eden opens the newspaper again, the corners flopping over.

Tilting my head ever so slightly, I attempt to read the small text. I want as much information about tonight as I can get.

"You're so judgemental. Just because they do things differently in his pack doesn't mean it's wrong," I point out, getting up to pour myself a glass of water.

Eden mutters something under her breath that I don't catch. Despite pressing the boundaries of this packs values of righteousness, modesty and servitude, Eden still fits neatly within them. She wants more from the world, but not enough to stray too far from the path.

"Alpha Varian fucks anything that moves," she exclaims boredly, watching me fill my glass from the tap, bringing it to my lips. "At least our Alpha is saving himself for marriage, as he should be."

The water suddenly burns like acid as I choke, resisting the urge to splutter it out into the sink in my shock.

I sometimes forget that's Matthias portrays himself that way. I'm so used to the passionate, hungry man I know that it's easy to forget about the mask he so dutifully wears.

Were he to be seen for who he truly is, people would have a far harder time adhering to the expectations he espouses.

"You didn't save yourself for marriage," I remind her, remembering the day she crawled into her bed across from mine and fessed up to her lost virginity excitedly.

"Well I'm different," she snips. "What's that look?"

"Nothing." I drag my gaze from the paper that I'm attempt to catch another glimpse at. "So the theme is black and red, huh?"

"I guess..." She eyes me sceptically. "Why do you sound interested?"

Sinking back into my chair, I dig back into my food. Eden wouldn't think for a second that I intend to sneak out tonight to attend a party. She hasn't seen me attempt anything delinquent.

"I'm not, obviously. I don't even own anything red and the black I have is funerial." That may be a problem, but I'll deal with that later.

She chews thoughtfully on her lower lip as she watches me, setting the paper down.

"Good, because that party is pure debauchery. I've heard rumours that Alpha Varian has a hypnotist going around making sure no one remembers anything from the night..."

I laugh breathily, shaking my head. "Or people get black out drunk and lose their memory."

"...And the hypnotist convinces them to move to his pack. That's after he fucks every last person—"

"Okay, you're being ridiculous now." I giggle into my hand, astounded by such a notion. In my experience Alpha's are virile and can last all night and get going again right after, but fucking every person at a massive party seems a bit farfetched.

I doubt most of the people there even see Varian...

I've heard many rumours about this party, many different versions of what occurs there. I'm sure it's pure filth, but I can imagine it's lavish and expensive and utterly magical.

"I'm just trying to get my point across," Eden states firmly, her no nonsense stare trying to remind me she's two years older than me, therefore qualified to tell me what I can and cannot do.

Boots stomping on the doormat outside has me lurching from my seat. The door opens just as I dig a plate of food from the oven, setting it on the table.

Eden stuffs the paper onto her lap beneath the tablecloth, averting her eyes. I smother my smile at her obvious guilt.

Our father shrugs off his coat, passing his gaze off around the room. He seems to age a month every day he comes home from work. The crinkles around his eyes deepen, his eyes grow more hollow and his shoulders slump forward a touch.

Matthias overworks him. Despite war advisor being a coveted position, my father lives on a meagre salary and is supplied these pitiful lodgings on the very edge of his property.

He believes, like many in this pack do, that money leads to sin, to greed.

I think it's Matthias' excuse not to pay fair wages.

"Hello girls," he greets tiredly. "Dinner looks great, Dovely."

"I hope you enjoy it."

Eden and I are silent as he grabs his cutlery and digs in. Our father isn't a harsh man, but he's strict. Speaking about Varian's party at the table would cause him to launch into an hour long lecture about how Varian's way of living has such far reaching affects that even we are suffering for it.

"Bit cold..." he mumbles gruffly, stirring the vegetables around his plate with his fork.

"You were late home," I remind him uneasily.

"Meeting ran late." He sighs, rubbing his face tiredly. "Matthias was in a pissy mood tonight."

I look down at my plate, digging my knife into the steak. Hopefully his turn in mood was from Varian and his party tonight, and not from me rejecting his advances earlier.

"I'm sorry, father," I murmur, glancing at Eden who gets up from the table.

"I'm showering first!" She announces, dumping her plate into the sink before she hurries from the room. She must have left the newspaper on her seat, not wanting attract fathers wrath.

Turning in my seat, I yell at her as she disappears down the hallway. "Don't forget you're on dishes tonight!"

She doesn't respond, so I turn, digging back into my dinner.

Father and I sit in silence for a while. He's entirely unaware of what I intend to do tonight, and if he knew, I would be done for. I would feel guilty, but I'm so used to keeping secrets from him.

If he knew about Matthias...I fear he might disown me.

"What's with the face?" He suddenly asks.

"What made you decide it was Alpha Matthias you wanted to work for?" I ask lightly. "Why not any other Alpha?"

"His values align with mine and I trust him."

"What would happen if either Eden or I moved to another pack?" This is the first time I've asked him anything of this nature, but tonight I'm feeling brave.

He pauses, his thick brows furrowing. He's always insisted we live with him, even though we've long since advanced past schooling age.

"That wouldn't happen, Dove." He points his fork at me. "You belong here."

I bite the inside of my cheek, a eruption of disappointment burning inside me. I figured that would be his stance, yet it's disheartening to hear.  In his mind, no pack compared to this one, while I tend to disagree.

"I think I'm going to head to bed early. I didn't have the best day at work." I stand, bringing my plate to the sink.

"Something happen?" He asks. "You didn't ask for a promotion and get rejected again, did you? If so, I can speak to the Alpha."

"No...I mean, I'll never be promoted there. Not to a position I want to be in," I mumble, almost laughing at the absurdity of my situation.

I'm done with Matthias. I don't want to be be his plaything a moment longer.

"Don't give up, Dovely," father urges softly. "You have no idea what you're capable of."

I smile tightly, guilt thumping between my temples.

I'll be back by morning. What my father doesn't know, won't hurt him...

"Thanks dad. I'll see you in the morning."

I give him one last look before I dart from the room.

🩶••🩶

As always, you can read this book 16 chapters ahead on Inkitt and 10 chapters ahead on Radish!

Your support means a lot to me!

~Midika 🐈‍⬛💜