Love Thy Alpha

JENNESSA

As Daniel sauntered off, my name echoed across the room. “Jennessa!” I spun around to find my best friend, Lindsey, weaving her way through the crowd toward me.

Her exuberant shout drew the attention of everyone nearby. Just perfect. When she finally reached me, she squealed and wrapped me in a tight hug, causing even more heads to turn. ~So much for keeping a low profile~.

Lindsey was a sight to behold in her silver sequined dress. She was always the life of the party, her vibrant personality and carefree attitude making her stand out. But tonight, her plunging neckline and backless dress made her the center of attention.

“There you are! I’ve been searching high and low for you!”

“I’m right here,” I replied, trying to calm her down. “I’m trying to keep a low profile tonight, Lindsey.”

“What? Why?” she asked, looking at me as if I’d grown a second head. “We should be getting wasted and having the time of our lives! It’s an open bar, baby!”

Our community had different alcohol laws than humans. Our lycan genes gave us a higher tolerance to alcohol, and the effects didn’t last as long. So, it wasn’t a big deal for two nineteen-year-olds to drink. But, despite the allure of free drinks, I couldn’t risk it.

I needed to keep a clear head and avoid drawing attention to myself. I wanted to blend in, not party hard.

“Not tonight, Lindsey. But you should go have fun. Don’t let me hold you back,” I told her, giving her an encouraging smile.

“Ugh, fine,” she said, sounding disappointed. But then she winked at me and disappeared into the crowd.

Once she was gone, I let out a sigh of relief. I glanced toward the bar and saw Daniel flirting with another woman. That was fine by me. He was a nice guy, but he wasn’t my type, and thankfully, he wasn’t my mate.

I hadn’t been to Alpha Headquarters since my father’s funeral. Now that I was alone, I took a moment to really look around. The place hadn’t changed much: high ceilings, crystal chandeliers.

But what caught my eye was a series of canvas paintings on the far left wall. They were portraits of all our past alphas. A tribute, perhaps? I swallowed hard and made my way over.

I didn’t care about the other alphas. I only had eyes for my father’s portrait. He looked strong, wise, and powerful. He was a great leader, always leading with his heart. But he was also a warrior, capable of eliminating any enemy.

It had been ten years since we lost him, but I missed him every day. My mother was devastated, more so than any human widow. When you found your mate, it was a deep, inside-and-out connection. Losing a mate was like losing a part of yourself.

That’s why I never wanted to find my mate, and why I especially didn’t want to be an alpha’s mate.

Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes, but I pushed my emotions down. I couldn’t cry here. I glanced at Clay’s portrait, my gaze hardening as I looked at his handsome face.

The portrait must have been painted recently. He looked handsome, with his deep brown eyes, strong jaw, sharp nose, and cleft chin. His dark hair framed his face, falling just above his shoulders.

But he also looked strong, fierce, and wise. Since he became the alpha of our pack, I’d heard nothing but good things about him. Our pack members looked up to him, as they should. He looked like a strong alpha in the portrait, much to my dismay.

Even though he was my alpha, and he wasn’t the one who killed my father, his father did. I couldn’t get past that, which made him my enemy.

I wouldn’t show weakness in front of my enemies. Instead, I would show elegance, grace, and the inner strength I learned from my father.

I turned my gaze back to my father’s portrait, drawing strength from him.

As I stared at my father’s portrait, I felt someone approach and stop a few feet behind me.

“He was one of the great ones,” the man behind me said. His voice was deep and husky, but smooth like honey. I felt a chill run down my spine, but I ignored him.

“Mhm,” was all I said, keeping my eyes on my father.

“He was taken from this pack far too soon,” he added, almost as an afterthought.

I nodded silently, trying to ignore his comments and suppress my rising emotions. “I don’t think we’ve met,” the man said after a moment of silence. “I’m—”

“I’m not interested in meeting anyone,” I cut him off, turning around and disappearing into the crowd, my eyes on the floor.

I wanted to be alone. My heart and mind were in turmoil over my father and being at the headquarters. It was all too much. I felt like I was suffocating.

I was heading for the exit when my mother intercepted me. “Honey, are you okay?”

I tried to smile, but it felt forced. “Yes, mother, I’m fine. Just…trying to deal with it all.”

“Alright, I’m here if you need me,” my mom said, her pink lips pulled into a small frown. “I noticed you chatting with Clay and I wasn’t sure how you were doing.”

“Clay?” I echoed, surprised and thrown off. She knitted her brows and nodded. “The alpha?”

I needed to confirm what she was saying, even though I was fairly certain we both only knew one Clay in our pack.

“Yeah, when you were by your dad’s portrait,” my mom clarified. I was suddenly spinning from this revelation.

I had no idea it was Clay, our alpha. I should have sensed his commanding aura in the pack with him being so close. But I hadn’t…

“I didn’t realize,” I confessed, shaking my head to clear my mind.

“But you’re alright?” my mom asked again, worry etched all over her face.

“I need to find a quiet place and just breathe for a bit,” I admitted, my heart pounding in my chest from the anxiety washing over me.

“Alright, but don’t stay away too long, sweetie,” my mom cautioned, glancing at the people milling around us.

I knew what she was thinking. It was the same thing that had crossed my mind earlier. We can’t show any signs of weakness here. I nodded once, letting her know I got the message before heading to the foyer and out the front door.