The New Alpha

by K. S. Martin

  ***

  Luca wished he’d caught Tina kissing him. He could’ve staged that nasty break up sooner rather than later but the damn girl was quicker than he thought. He’d given Mac plenty of time to grab onto her before he’d burst in. Mac was quicker than Luca planned too. Her lips were plumped from kissing when he’d opened the door. Next time he wouldn’t wait as long and would catch her in the act. Luca went into her office and closed the door as he often did when she left the kitchen. “Time for cha-ching!” He whispered to the screen as he logged in grinning while he typed his name. “Stupid little twat.” He muttered. “Not even smart enough to change the password. No challenge at all.” He grinned evilly at the screen.

  Chapter 6

  Owen called the meeting to order and sat down at the table at the front of the room. “I hope everyone is doing well.” He nodded at a few members before continuing. “I have some news that I need to share with all of you as it concerns each of you and the pack as a whole. As you know Shari came from Colorado.” There were a few murmurs. “Her father is the alpha of her old pack and he has taken very ill. He has terminal cancer.” Several members gasped and a few gave Shari sympathetic glances and the woman next to her leaned over and hugged her. “Her father has asked that we move and that I take over as alpha there. He doesn’t have a beta or a member capable of assuming control.” The crowd was starting to get loud. Owen put his hands up to calm them. “I know you were all worried when I mated outside of the pack that I would leave. I assure you it was never my intention for that to happen but since Shari grew up there and since she needs to tend to her father as he grows sicker, I have decided to go to Colorado and become alpha of their pack.” He paused and waited for the murmurs to quiet. “I know that this is sudden but we will be leaving on Saturday.” The murmurs grew into a dull roar.

  “Why weren’t we told sooner?” An older male member called from the back but Owen couldn’t see who it was.

  “I was arranging for you to be taken care of, for the business to proceed without interruption and for all of this to go as smoothly for all of you as it can go. I have arranged for an alpha, a very good one to take my place. He has come here from Montana to take over. Some of you have met Robert, Robert stand up please, some of you have not. This is my brother Robert MacEwan. He was alpha of his pack until it’s dissolution a few months ago.”

  “Why did his pack dissolve? Was he not a good alpha?” It was another question from the back.

  “My pack was mostly aging when I took over. I stayed until my last member passed away of old age. Incidentally, I still have a house there if anyone would like to take a vacation. It will sleep fourteen and is fully furnished but I suggest that you stay indoors.” The town we were in was slowly dying, jobs were scarce, and wolf hunting became legal last year. A few gasps sounded. “When that happened I encouraged the few youth members left to move where they would be safer. Most of them flocked to the cities to bigger more modern packs. Some went to neighboring states. I will do a great job for you. I would like to help this pack as best as I can but I understand if you would rather have one of betas take over. Matt and Eric are both good men no matter how green they are and no matter that I have always been an alpha.” Owen nodded behind him. “I do have one condition though. I recently found my mate and I will need you to accept her if I am to stay.” They were all looking around to find the mate of the new alpha. “She isn’t here,” Mac spoke up before they got any ideas. “She is human. I’ve known her my whole life and she employs Cassie back there.” Mac pointed and she nodded. “She also rents an apartment to me. She doesn’t know about us yet, I’ve only just found her again and I wanted to get the pack’s approval of her before I proceeded.” The room got loud again and not in a good way.

  “If she’s a human how can you protect her and us? You’ll choose your fragile mate over your pack responsibilities.” A man up front said.

  “Why do you want a human female? Choose a she wolf from the pack reject the human, this isn’t the sixteen hundreds you can reject her, I’m sure one of us is suitable.” A she wolf half way back stood to tell him a saccharine smile on her lips. She would never be suitable, Mac thought, too skinny, too plastic, and too ambitious for power. There was nothing worse than a fake high maintenance female. This was getting out of control quickly. Mac wanted to be their alpha, his wolf craved it, but it craved his mate too. Mac was so lost before he went to Montana and took over for a dead alpha, and he’d always missed the completion of his soul. That’s what Tina was, his other half, his cute, little curvy, genuine other half. He loved her, his wolf craved her, hell he craved her. They were going to end this disagreement immediately because he missed seeing her, and kissing her.

  “Let Matt run it, you go to your human.” Matt and Eric both stood snarling at the crowd. They could sense the room turning to bloodlust.

  “Down.” Mac commanded them. “They have the right to have their say.” Matt and Eric sat immediately. The room stilled at the sight of the two strong betas obeying so quickly at his command, faster than they ever obeyed Owen. The whispers started again. “I will give you all time to discuss this. In the meantime, the MacEwan’s need to have a private discussion, so help yourself to the cake that my mate made for you.” He pointed to the box on the side table. Shari hurried over to start slicing and plating Tina’s cake. Owen, Matt, Eric, and Robert filed out and closed the door behind them.

  “What do you guys think? Do I stand a chance?” Robert leaned on a door jamb.

  “I don’t know Rob, how much do you like this girl?” Eric asked.

  “I love her. It’s not a choice for me, if I don’t mate her, I don’t mate. So your pack will have a ruling alpha that is unmated and you know where that can lead.”

  “Yeah to a bunch of frenzied she wolves vying for your attention and the rest of us won’t be getting any, attention.” Matt coughed then laughed. “Luckily, I don’t mind humans but Eric is going to have a problem with it, he only wants wolves.”

  “Damn right.” Eric said. “You have to be too careful with humans. I want a woman who can give as well as take.” Owen shoved him and chuckled causing Eric’s laughter to bubble out of him loudly.

  “This is a mess.” Mac pulled his hand down his face. “It might not even matter. She very well could reject me. I found out yesterday she’s seeing her assistant. I really thought that he was gay. I swear I scented other males on him so I never dreamed that they were together but when I was kissing her in the refrigerator and he came in, she jumped across the room. I confronted her and she confirmed it. She never said anything any of the times that we were making out.” He slapped the jamb and dented the wood.

  “Easy little brother. Why were you kissing her in a fridge?”

  “Because she was already in there and anytime she’s around I have trouble keeping my hands and mouth to myself.” He grinned. Owen laughed.

  “I know the feeling.” He wagged his eyebrows.

  “Gross. Keep your conquests to yourself, these are my sisters in law, I don’t want to know. If they’re random that’s one thing but not women I know, okay?” Eric scolded them. Mac and Owen laughed together. The meeting room door opened and Shari stuck her head out. They want you back in here. The MacEwan’s filed into the room and took their seats. Owen went to sit beside his mate relinquishing control of the pack wisely to Mac who stood with a hip braced on the alpha table up front. An older male up front stood to speak and the room quieted.

  “My name is Ted, and I live in the community. I used to be a beta before my mate begged me to retire.” She smiled up at him. “The pack has asked me to relay their wishes.” Mac nodded. “We aren’t comfortable with a human female alpha. You will have to appoint a female beta to be in charge of the women. You can’t expect any wolf to take discipline, direction, or orders from a human, it’s not natural. The wolf could simply terminate her and that will lead to a mess with you.”

  “Fair enough.” Mac agreed.

  �
��Also, some of us are not comfortable with you as alpha.” Mac’s fists clenched. There was nothing worse than being an alpha without a pack, just being a wolf without a pack was extremely difficult. “So we decided to give you a trial period. Some of us think you will do fine and others of us don’t know you well enough to trust you yet no matter that, you are a MacEwan. You will be the alpha for three months on probation. We will feel you out and you can do the same. If at the end of those three months, we find you unsatisfactory or if we find your mate unsatisfactory, you are expected to step down and bow out gracefully. You may or may not be allowed to remain in the area. We will decide then by popular vote.” Mac walked over to him and shook his hand.

  “Fair enough. Like I said before though, I haven’t mated her yet and I don’t think that it’s something that should be rushed into.”

  “Well you best figure it out new alpha because you will not be allowed to remain as alpha if she hasn’t been judged and found acceptable.” Mac let out a long breath.

  “Okay again fair point. I will work quickly and diligently toward that. If there isn’t anything else, I would like to schedule another meeting a week from Saturday to introduce my mate Tina. Please assume that she is not aware of us unless I say otherwise. The meeting will be a picnic, I would like to start around lunch, and please bring a dish. I will supply the steaks and the beer and my betas and I will man the grills. Is that okay with everyone?” No one objected and Mac dismissed them. He shook offered hands as pack members filed out. Some congratulated, some encouraged and some just looked him up and down. A few unescorted females looked him over closely with undisguised lust and appreciation. When all of the members were out of the house, Owen went to the bar.

  “First lesson in being alpha of this pack Rob, stay calm in front of them which you did very well , but know how to release the steam afterward.” He pulled a bottle of bourbon from under the bar with one hand and four shot glasses with the other. He filled them. Matt and Eric picked theirs up and downed the fiery liquid then shoved them back across for a refill which they got. “To Robert MacEwan, the new alpha.” Owen announced. They tapped their glasses in a toast and took the shots. Robert turned his over on the bar.

  “I don’t want to be antisocial, but I hate that shit. Do you have a root beer?” They all laughed but they also knew why and none blamed him. Robert hadn’t been much of a drinker since he’d wrecked his car into a phone pole right after high school. It was a miracle that he walked away from the crash even his strength, and speedy healing abilities wouldn’t have helped if he hadn’t been wearing the seat belt or if the air bags didn’t deploy. There was nothing left of the car, it was a crumpled twisted and unrecognizable scrap of metal when he climbed out with little more than a bruise from the belt. That was the day he’d stopped listening to his friends. Anyone who let you drive in that condition is not your friend.

  “There’s ginger ale in the kitchen. Bring me one too, if Shari smells too much booze on me I will be riding the couch and the couch is not my ride of choice.” Matt and Eric both groaned while Mac chuckled.

  When Mac finally left, it was late. He entered the building as quietly as he could knowing that Tina would be up in a few hours and he didn’t want to disturb her sleep. What was he going to do about her anyway? The pack wanted to meet her but Mac wasn’t sure if they were on speaking terms. She had no reason to be angry with him, he wasn’t the one who lied or cheated. He shook his head and sighed as he walked carefully and quietly up the stairs. The light was on under her door and he heard her tapping a computer’s keys inside. He wondered what she was up to this late or this early depending on whether she’d been to bed or not. Her door opened suddenly when he got to the landing at the top.

  “You!” Mac was taken aback. “Did you think that I wouldn’t notice? Did you think that you could take that much money and I wouldn’t catch it? How dare you Bobby, how dare you.” He was Bobby again. It seemed like when he was in trouble his name regressed to childhood for her. “You act like you’re sorry for all the crap you did to me and then you steal from me! I am going to press charges and know that I will make sure that you spend the rest of your life in jail.” Her chest was heaving and her face was blood red. Mac was tired, bone weary and here she was screaming at him in the middle of the damned night. What the hell was she talking about anyway? “Do you have anything to say for yourself?” She was so beautiful even angry. His brows furrowed.

  “I don’t know what you’re going on about but I’m tired Tina so make your point so I can go to bed.” Mac leaned against the door jamb to keep from falling over.

  “You took money from my account.” Her little fists were shaking at her sides

  “Oh? And how did I do that?” He crossed his arms across his chest. She wet her lips and gathered her composure again. He was so handsome standing there in her doorway, even if she was madder than hell at him.

  “I don’t know, I suppose that you have been sneaking into my office when the bakery is closed. You’re the only other person here besides me and it can’t happen when I’m at work so when and who does that leave?” Mac took a long breath. This was the perfect end to this messed up week. “Ever since you showed back up here everything in my life has gone wrong. Luca won’t touch me, my house is flooded, my money is missing, my favorite cup was smashed…” Mac grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her.

  “Can you hear yourself?” He gazed into her eyes. “The cup was my fault. I did not sabotage your damned dishwasher, I haven’t told your boyfriend something that you should’ve told us both, and I did not steal anything. I don’t have to Tina because I’m loaded and have been for a long time.”

  “Yeah right and that’s why you live over my bakery. I’m sure you’re a billionaire. I’m calling the police first thing in the morning Mac so get plenty of sleep because tomorrow you will belong to Bubba at the prison.” She stepped back into her apartment and slammed the door. Mac let his head fall forward. He needed to straighten this and her out right now. He tried the door knob and it turned. Who slams a door and doesn’t lock it? Tina gasped when he glowered at her from the opening. “Get out!” Mac walked to the computer and looked at the screen. He sat down and started clicking away. “What are you doing?” She screeched at him.

  “I am auditing your account. Give me twenty minutes and if I can’t figure it out, I promise I will leave quietly. Okay?”

  “You just want me to think that you didn’t take it.” She said nastily and sneered at him. Mac shook his head just a little then he went back to clicking and tapping the keys. He grunted and she watched him for a moment. Tina circled the table to pick up her coffee but he got to it first and downed it in one gulp. He looked at the cup before setting it down. There was an orange cat in a sleep shirt, hat and bunny slippers. Mac grinned and went back to the computer. She’d accepted his peace offering. His cell buzzed and he pulled it out of his pocket and hit speaker.

  “MacEwan.” He snapped.

  “Rob did you make it home okay?” It was Matt.

  “Yeah I’m home.” He continued to type and click. Tina was pouring more coffee but he wasn’t sure if it was for him or her.

  “Did you make up with your girl yet?” There was snickering on the other end.

  “Not yet, I’m with her now and you’re on speaker. She thinks I’ve hacked her bank account and ripped her off. I am auditing her account now. What did you need Matt?” Mac was short with his new beta.

  “Not a thing brother, I just wanted to make sure that you made it home. Figure it out fast for her she is probably sick about it.”

  “Yeah.” Mac pushed end and went back to clicking and tapping. “Here. This company billing you for supplies is a fantasy.”

  “What? What do you mean?” She came to look over his shoulder.

  “They don’t exist. I’ve traced it thru a few companies but it always comes up the same. The bills are being paid from this computer but they aren’t going through bill pay they are being transferr
ed then the transfer is deleted. It is happening in the evenings and it’s been going on for months. See?” He pointed at the screen. “I was in Montana and without wireless most of the time. Someone on your staff is stealing from you Tina.”

  “Who? Who would want to steal from me? Why would they do that? She whispered. Her chin quivered. The look on her face hurt him. He never wanted his mate to feel this way, because he wanted her to be happy. Mac considered for a moment.

  “Who has your password?” He stretched and she watched him and nibbled her bottom lip.

  “I don’t know. It’s been the same since college.” Mac shook his head and went to the start button. He went through the motions of changing her password on the computer to a sentence. “I will change my password often and I won’t give it to anyone.” He went to her payroll program and put a password on it clucking his tongue at her for not having one. He did the same to her bank account and each of her supplier’s websites.

  “Now who ever has been doing this will want to continue. If anyone asks for the password, you say no, if anyone tries to use the computer, you say no. I don’t care who it is and that includes Luca.” Her eyes widened at that. “I mean it. Someone is robbing you blind Tina. As far as I can see and it’s a preliminary guess but I’ve counted one hundred grand so far.” Tina sat down hard on a kitchen chair and stared numbly at him. “I can look further tomorrow if you want but I really am beat and I need a bed.”