Emmeline's Alpha

Emmeline had other ideas. She didn’t want to wait for him in the bedroom. There was nothing there for her to do. The TV might be a great distraction, but she didn’t have that kind of luxury at home.

Working that device seemed harder than picking up a book and reading it. She walked away from his office, which was on the same floor as their bedroom, and began opening doors as she passed.

Most of the rooms were empty. A few rooms had beds in them. She went down a floor and opened a pair of large, intricately designed double doors. When she saw books aligning the walls, she squealed with delight.

Emmeline hadn’t been able to make any friends when she had lived in her old pack. She hadn’t been allowed to go to school with the others and learn.

She had taught herself everything by reading her father’s library and from the books she stole from the pack house’s library.

She hoped and prayed that Gideon would allow her to read all the books in this room. It would be a dream to go through them all.

She started at one end of the library, scanning titles and pulling a few books down. Soon, she had an armful of books. She carried them over to a cherry-stained coffee table.

Placing the stack on top, she grabbed the first book and leaned back into the plush, cappuccino-colored sofa to read.

***

Emmeline was so immersed in reading that she didn’t notice Gideon enter the room. It had been late in the evening when he had finally escaped his duties and went looking for his mate.

He had panicked when he entered their bedroom and found it empty. His eyes quickly found his little mate curled up with a book on the sofa.

A servant must have provided her with some treats and tea. Emmeline looked adorable, sipping her tea and reading her book.

Gideon watched as she tried to place the teacup back on the coffee table without looking. However, because she wasn’t paying attention, the teacup spilled.

She cried out as the hot liquid hit her hand. Gideon was in front of her in an instant.

Emmeline blinked as Gideon blew softly on her skin where the steaming tea had scalded her. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. The man, whom everybody feared, was treating her burn.

Her eyes began to water. She wasn’t used to this kind of treatment. She had always tended to her own wounds.

Gideon looked up and saw unshed tears brimming in her eyes. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

Emmeline blinked a few times and wiped away the tears that had escaped with the palm of her hand. She looked back up at him with a sad smile. “I’m just not used to someone tending to my pain.”

Fury burned in Gideon’s eyes. “What do you mean, Em?”

She pulled back her hand and gave him another sad smile. She didn’t want to tell him about her past just yet. “Nothing,” she responded.

“You’re lying,” he retorted.

She chuckled sadly.

Even that sounded melodious to Gideon’s ears, though it twisted at his chest. “What were you reading?”

Emmeline picked up the book. “Poetry,” she said, smiling. “Here, listen to this. It’s from ‘Sonnet XVII’ by Pablo Neruda.”

Emmeline cleared her throat. “I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where…,” she continued to read.

Gideon sat back on his heels, listening as she read softly to him.

Their bond was strengthening quickly. Gideon adored Emmeline. It scared him. In fact, it frightened him a lot. The number of emotions he was feeling was too much.

It unnerved him, but excited him at the same time. Some space would provide him a clearer mind to think.

He had to give them space, and if that meant spending a few days running the errands he had been pushing aside, then so be it. He quickly stood up and took a few steps back.

“I’m going to be away for a few days. You’re not to leave the territory and will have an escort with you at all times,” he said.

Emmeline watched as Gideon walked out of the library. She didn’t have time to say anything or even ask him where he was going.

She spent another hour reading before she put the books away and walked to their bedroom. It was empty. Gideon was gone.

She pulled on one of his T-shirts. She found his scent comforting as she crawled into bed and fell asleep.

***

A couple of days turned into a week. Gideon’s abrupt departure hurt Emmeline. She knew she wasn’t the prettiest female wolf. Her figure wasn’t curvy like Gina’s. Could it be that he was repulsed by her?

She sighed as she exited the back door of the house and walked toward the neglected garden. She started pulling up weeds as she hummed a tune her father had sung to her when she was little.

Two pups came running out and watched their luna work with awestruck expressions. Emmeline didn’t notice until the older one jabbed the younger one to speak up.

“What are you doing?” the little girl asked.

Emmeline turned to see them watching her intently. “I’m cleaning up the garden so all the vegetables can grow,” Emmeline giggled.

“But why?” the boy asked.

“Because we shouldn’t waste a garden with good soil,” Emmeline explained. “What are your names?”

“Connor,” the boy said and then pointed to his sister. “This is Blake.”

“Did you two want to help me? You can get dirty,” Emmeline chimed.

Both Connor and Blake grinned and ran toward her. They began pulling out weeds enthusiastically.

***

Several hours later, Blake leaned back and wiped the sweat from her eyes. Her blonde hair had been pushed back by her hand, leaving a streak of dirt across her forehead.

Emmeline chuckled. She was pretty sure her face looked the same.

“I’m bored,” Blake whined.

“How about I tell you a story?” Emmeline offered.

“I’m not a big fan of stories,” Connor said.

“That’s a lie. You pretend to sleep when Mama tells us stories, but I can see you’re awake,” Blake retorted.

Connor blushed.

“It’s perfectly fine to love listening to stories. I read all the time.” Emmeline leaned back and tapped her chin. Her eyes lit up when she thought of the one she wanted to tell.

They went back to working on the garden as she told her story.

“There once was a kingdom ruled by a ruthless king. He was cold and merciless to everyone. But when he was alone in his castle, he was lonely and sad. Nobody knew this about him. Everyone simply assumed he was just a mean king,” Emmeline started.

Emmeline’s voice was soft and melodic as she spun the tale.

She didn’t notice the large group of people who had gathered around, listening to their luna’s voice as she told the story about the ruthless king who fell in love with a village girl.

The king refused to believe the village girl could love him back, and his doubt led to a tragic ending. When Emmeline finished, she sniffled and wiped away her tears. Blake sniffled along with her.

“That’s a sad ending,” Blake whispered.

Emmeline smiled gently down at Blake. “It is a very sad ending, but the moral of the story is that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.”

A cough behind them had all three of them whipping around. Emmeline squinted her eyes against the glare of the sun. A colossal form loomed before her. She tried to make out who the figure was.

“Emmeline.” Gideon’s voice broke through the silence. She stood up immediately, and Gideon’s features came into view. She wiped her hands on her light green sundress and wiped the sweat away from her forehead.

“Gideon, you’re home,” she breathed, her heart beating hard in her chest. She didn’t realize how much she had missed him until she saw him.

It was then that she noticed the number of people sitting around the garden. Emmeline blushed as Gideon walked up to her. He grasped her chin and lifted her face up for him to admire.

His thumb came up and brushed away the dirt on the tip of her nose. Gideon found her adorable, covered in dirt and telling stories while pack members sat around looking at her adoringly. His eyes never left hers.

Emmeline could look into Gideon’s eyes all day long, and not get tired. His smoky gaze enraptured her.

“I’m home,” he whispered huskily, savoring the bond flowing between them. His week away seemed to have not affected their bond at all. He wasn’t sure if this was a good or bad thing.

He inhaled sharply as he pulled away and turned to the pack members. They had watched as their alpha was affectionate toward their luna.

“Forgive me for not introducing you all to the woman standing next to me. Her name is Emmeline Watson. She is my true mate and your luna. I expect everyone to give her the same respect and loyalty as you give me,” he announced.

His face and voice were devoid of emotions and he commanded obedience.

During Gideon’s disappearance, Emmeline had taken time to get to know a few members. She even recognized a few people by name and face now.

At Gideon’s words, everyone stood and knelt before her as a sign of loyalty.

Emmeline felt absolutely honored. “Thank you, everyone. I am thrilled to have gotten to know some of you over the past week, and I’m eager to meet the rest of you. So, please, feel free to approach me,” she said, smiling, before turning to face Gideon, who gazed at her.

She gave him an awkward grin and turned back to Blake and Connor, bending so her face was at their level.

“I’m going inside to wash up. We can finish up another day. Maybe I can tell you the story of Hansel and Gretel?” she offered.

“Yes!” They both stood up excitedly.

Emmeline giggled and stood too. She dusted the dirt off her hands before patting both Blake and Connor on the head.

She turned to Gideon, and they walked back to the pack house. Emmeline sighed and tilted her head up toward the sun, smiling.