Alpha

Chapter Two - Temptations

"I only love it when you touch me, not feel me."

The werewolf gene that coursed  through my veins became heightened every full moon. I didn't know why our inner beasts were so allured by celestial sphere, the enticing glow that it emitted, the warmth that made our skin blaze - the almost undeniable urge to shift. Maybe the myths about the moon were true, because under the glowing orb, resistance was futile.

My pack, unlike the multitude of others, chose to embrace freedom and allowed our beasts to take control of bodies. We had a gathering, a celebration where for one night, we were all the same. We feasted in the grand hall of the pack house - rare meat and sweet wine, the combination flooded the taste buds like a delicious elixir.

By the time I had finally convinced myself to leave the safety of my room, the festivities were already in full swing. Music was blaring in the dimly lit room, at almost an ear-piercing level. Ears ringing, I watched as the members of my pack were dancing freely, without one care to the world. Tonight, it was easy to way - reckless.

The sickly sweet aroma of pheromones lingered in the air, more tempting than ever. Sex. If there was one thing that the beast ached for more than anything, it was the need to be with another. Lust was inevitable the night of the full moon. Maybe that's why we always gathered together the night of the shift, because none of us could bear to be alone. We knew our bounds even in animal form, and knew not to overstep them. Mates were mates - taken, not up for the company other than that of his or her significant other. Lone wolves - excluding those who remained abstinent for their mate - often looked for release in those who offered.

Muscular arms snaked around my waist, pulling me into a solid, warm chest. Ryan's familiar essence calmed me immensely, and I relaxed into his body.

"Hey there, sweet cheeks" he breathed into my neck, making me laugh at the tickling sensation. Liquor was heavy on his breath, making me wonder how much he had actually consumed. Wolves had a higher tolerance for alcohol, but it wasn't impossible to get drunk. His left hand slipped from around my hips to my ass and he gave it a teasing squeeze.

"Ryan!"

I shimmied out of his grasp and stared at him in shock. His chest was bare, his long legs covered in denim, and mischievous grin was gracing his face.

He snickered at my reaction. "You need to loosen up, Ellie darling." he shouted over the loud music as he started to pull me towards the bar, maneuvering through the grinding bodies effortlessly. "You'll feel great after a few drinks!"

++

A few drinks turned into a couple more - and then some more. The alcohol had drained any nerves I walking in and now I just felt free. The music flowed through me, and I found myself moving loosely, hips swaying softly with no restraints. My senses had become more heightened in the last hour, especially when he walked in. I don't know how I exactly knew, but I did. My body seemed to be on high alert as soon as he decided to make himself present. It was pathetic at the amount of joy I felt when he walked, the amount of hopeless happiness the filled my body. I burned to turn around, to allow my eyes to look upon the face that haunted my dreams nightly, to allow myself to revel in the scent that had become my own personal drug.

But I didn't.

Instead I frantically scanned the room for Ryan, searching for an escape from my own personal torture that was my Alpha. My eyes zoned in on him at the bar, no doubt ordering another drink that he most certainly did not need. I rushed over to him, the room blurring as the liquor in my system started to affect my vision. He had his back to my as I reached him and buried my face in his strong back.