Alpha Landon

Althea

I slip my hand out of Missy’s clammy grip, wiping it on the side of my dress. I appreciate her moral support, but she’s hell-bent on finding Landon.

Sometimes, I think she has more faith in Landon and me than I do.

“I should be looking for Cyrus,” I protest, as Missy pulls me through a dense crowd of dancers. We’ve just arrived, and it’s a little past midnight.

Landon is nowhere in sight, and neither is my supposed date. I’m not really nervous about meeting Cyrus.

I’m kind of tempted to send him off to another girl, and I know Missy would be more than happy to assist.

“Forget Cyrus, we need to find the Alpha,” she dismisses. I stop, pulling her back. I want to check on Landon, he’s my best friend after all.

But, he’s probably busy with other important stuff right now. Plus, this is a stressful time for his family, and I don’t want to intrude or upset them.

“I need to meet Cyrus, okay? I’ll find Landon later. Now go and enjoy yourself,” I insist, gently pushing her away by the shoulders. She sighs, and I can tell she’s torn.

She’s fun to hang out with, and being alone in crowds is intimidating, but I’m worried she might get in the way.

“Fine, but we’re leaving together,” she states firmly. I nod in agreement, although I’m not entirely on board.

She’s likely to find some guy to take her home since she’s currently unmated, and there’s no shortage of good-looking Wolves around. And with those legs and that dress, she’s quite a catch.

She skips off, and I decide to head straight for the refreshments. According to my father, Cyrus is trying to find me, and this might be a good place for him to look.

I circle the table for a bit, resisting the urge to grab a glass of punch from the huge crystal bowl.

The party is in full swing, with dancers and music filling the room to the brim. Many are drunk, and clumsily moving around the dance floor with little to no coordination.

I look around, tugging at the hem of my tight, heavy dress. The ballroom I’m in is lavishly decorated, the previous Alpha flaunting their considerable wealth.

Only a former party animal would throw a bash like this.

“By the Goddess Al, I’ve been looking for you forever...”

I look up just in time to avoid walking into someone’s broad chest. I blink, looking up blankly. A good-looking man towers over me, his dark, smoldering eyes locked on mine. I swallow nervously.

I’ve never seen him before, but he looks strangely familiar. That messy brown hair... but that perfectly chiseled body is new.

“You have?”

He called me Al, and only a handful of people know that nickname. Wait... it can’t be.

“Of course I have,” he says, looking puzzled. I watch his dark eyebrows furrow, and I tilt my head. What’s his game?

“Yeah... Cyrus, right?”

“Cyrus?”

“Yeah, this is our date, remember...” I remind him, tempted to snap my fingers in front of his face. He blinks in confusion, then a brooding, angry look crosses his face.

I didn't mean to be so blunt; did I upset him?

“Althea, it's me. Landon,” he says slowly. It takes a moment before it hits me like a punch to the gut. I step back a bit, my eyes scanning his body. Wait, wait… this can't be...

“Seriously?” He looks a little hurt, like I should recognize my best friend. But the thing is, I knew he would change, but not this drastically.

Wow, he's not even wearing his glasses anymore.

“I... I mean, where are your glasses?”

“They broke when I shifted, but I don’t really need them anymore,” he responds. He's clearly proud of his transformation, but I'm finding it hard to accept.

What happened to the boy I spent my whole life playing games with, teasing, yet loving? Even his voice is deeper!

“I can't believe it's really you,” I whisper softly. He smiles briefly before grabbing my arm between his large, soft hands.

I start to protest as he begins to lead me away from the crowd, but I'm curious about what he wants.

“We need to talk in private,” he explains. I notice that his father is nowhere to be seen at this point. He leads me up a flight of stairs, and I take note of his fancy attire.

His suit must have been custom-made recently, considering he never used to be this muscular.

The upstairs is adorned with fine fabrics and furniture that my family could never afford.

He guides me into an office of sorts, which feels noticeably cooler than downstairs, with all the sweaty, dancing bodies.

Landon seems uneasy as he turns around, his eyes meeting mine.

“Althea...” he breathes, and my heart skips a beat.

“How did this happen?” I gesture to his body. He frowns slightly, lines forming on his forehead.

He's the epitome of an Alpha now, like he would fit right in with the rest of them, even though he's the youngest.

“I phased. You were right, I'm better now,” he admits, a smile lighting up his face. I'm taken aback by his nonchalance. There's a bitter, sour taste in my mouth.

Is he still the same Landon? Because if not, he's definitely not better than before.

“Better? Landon—”

I'm cut off as the office door swings open with a loud creak, making both Landon and I jump.

Fierce, intimidating, and downright angry; Landon's father stands at the door. I've met him once before, and he had yelled at me for intruding into his son’s life.

Ever since, his presence has frightened me, so making a run for the door seems like a good alternative to the current situation.

His face is marked with scars, or as Landon puts it, lines of knowledge. He's been the Alpha of this pack for a long time, and he's seen the War.

Once upon a time, werewolves lived as one big family. But then, one wolf decided he wanted to break away and be his own leader.

Many fought until they couldn't anymore, and in the end, thirteen packs were formed, each with their own beliefs.

They all had their own rules, but every month, the alphas would meet in the middle and talk about what was going on in their packs.

“Landon! Why are you alone with an unmated she-wolf?” The voice of Landon's father, Clarke, interrupts my thoughts.

I look up to see Clarke's intense glare, and it's enough to make me freeze.

“Dad, she's my friend,” Landon defends me. He's a lot bigger than his father.

The alpha blood in him means he doesn't have to back down from his father's harsh words. Instead, he can respond with equal stubbornness.

“How many times do I have to tell you! Stay away from my son,” Clarke shouts, turning his anger towards me. I blink, taken aback by his outburst.

I know I should have listened, but I can't help loving Landon, even if our fathers don't like the 'almost' relationship we have.

“I'm sorry, sir,” I say quietly. There's no point in arguing. It's better to be sensible, especially when I'm dealing with two hot-headed males. One ex-alpha, and one alpha.

I can feel the tension in the room, see Landon's tight jaw and clenched fists, see Clarke's quick breathing.

“Where's Georgia?”

The conversation shifts back to Landon. Georgia must be another girl Landon's been matched with. Is she pretty? Blonde, or maybe brunette? Tall, or short?

“Downstairs, with her friends,” Landon grumbles.

It's clear that Landon's annoyed we were interrupted during an important conversation that could either strengthen or ruin our friendship. And it's true.

Because I want to leave before Clarke sends his son to his room, or does something even more drastic.

“I should go...” I excuse myself. Landon frowns and shakes his head at me, while Clarke just nods. I reach for the door handle, but Landon's hand on my shoulder stops me.

I shiver; his touch feels so good.

“Al, don't leave,” he says softly, but firmly. I shake him off. I'm not sticking around to witness the inevitable argument that's about to happen.

I slip out the door, ignoring Landon's protests that I can hear through the door. I sigh, rubbing my face.

The party will go on until late morning, but I have no idea how long Cyrus will be here.

Reluctantly, I gather my courage and head downstairs.

I spot Missy across the room downstairs, dancing with some blonde guy. She seems to be having a blast, while I'm stuck feeling down.

I wander around for a bit, wishing time would speed up so I could take off these heels, when I feel a gentle hand on my shoulder.

“Look, Landon, I don-”

I stop mid-sentence, turning around to see that it's not Landon behind me. Dark blue eyes look at me from behind clear glasses. He gives me a warm smile.

“You're Althea, right?”

I swallow, my mouth suddenly dry. I nod slowly, unable to take my eyes off his. His forehead is covered with soft black hair. He tilts his head a little.

“Nice to meet you, I'm Cyrus,” he introduces himself. I'm a bit taken aback. I thought Cyrus would be a total nerd, considering he wanted to be in the Wisdom Pack.

I keep blinking, unable to form proper sentences or even words. I'm usually not this shy around people, but for some reason, Cyrus is intimidating.

“So, you’re the girl Dad won't stop talking about,” he says, chuckling softly. Of course. I bet my dad and his dad have been planning this for a while now.

“I guess so,” I mumble. He smiles in response, showing off his perfect white teeth. Suddenly, he takes my hand, making me jump. I can't help but compare his touch to Landon's.

“Shall we dance?”

I nod slowly, pushing thoughts of Landon out of my head as I let him lead me onto the dance floor.