by Tamara White
“Okay, you can look now,” she says softly. “I’ll get your dress and help you do it up. Make sure you put the shoes on first,” she orders shooing Tim and Dad out the door.
She may be tiny and cute but that woman is so much stronger than she lets on. She is what I imagine our kind need in an Alpha Queen. Not me, a sarcastic, stubborn teenager.
Once I’m fully dressed, Laura tells me to close my eyes and leads me to the mirror in my closet. Turns out there’s a full length one in here too, I just missed it.
“Now don’t faint on me when you open your eyes okay? We can change it if you don’t like it,” she tells me nervously.
I get why she’s so anxious, I am too. This dress looked lovely on the hanger, I only hope it looks just as good on. It feels amazing but that’s probably just because it’s made from silk.
“Hurry up and open your eyes. I’m dying to see your reaction.”
Laughing at Laura’s impatience, I open my eyes not prepared to see someone so beautiful. My mouth drops in shock. Holy crap! I look spectacular.
The green dress looks amazing on my new shape and fits every inch of me perfectly. The shoes peek from the bottom of the dress though for the most part remain hidden. What completes the effect though is my makeup. Laura has given me such beautiful smoky eyes with a smattering of gold flecks around them. The gold makes my new vibrant eyes, that much prettier and draws more attention to my face. She used a pale pink gloss rather than a lipstick which looks more natural and hardly used any blush at all. Just a light pat on each cheek, to maintain a natural blushing effect.
I’m hypnotised by my own eyes! I keep being drawn back to them. If they have this effect on me, then I can’t wait to see what happen when the guys see me.
“Wow! I don’t even know what to say. Laura, I can’t believe you did this. I look…”
“You look like a queen,” she finishes for me. I’m speechless with how fascinating I look. Whatever Laura has done, leaves me feeling with a sense of power I didn’t before. I feel confident, ready to take on the Elders.
“Thank you. I never imagined I could look like this,” I whisper, watching her eyes mist up.
“You are more than welcome. You’re my family now, it’s my job. Now, before we both dissolve into tears, I’ll invite your body guards in. I told the others to meet you at the dining room. They didn’t want to leave you alone so, we compromised,” she says opening my bedroom door revealing Jake and Rick on the other side.
“Whoa!” Rick says stumbling a step as he comes in. “Is that you Dani?”
Jake’s just standing there wide eyed taking me in. I guess I look a lot different when I’m not just wearing jeans and a t-shirt.
Both boys are dressed in tuxs which highlight each of their bodies. I sigh, if only they were straight. Doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy the view though.
“Yes, it’s me. What’d you expect? I’d wear a frilly pink dress?” I ask thinking back to the pack introduction. I’m so glad I didn’t get pushed into wearing that monstrosity.
“No, it’s just you’re different. Your hair, your body, your eyes, its changed since we left the Elders,” Jake says stepping forward, pulling me into a hug. After a moment, Rick joins him. These two have become my best friends since being here. They listen, they make me laugh and they protect me. What would I do without them?
“Aww that’s so sweet. I changed not long after the shift, I think. Everything happened pretty fast, I didn’t even notice until the boys mentioned it.”
“Well whatever and whenever it happened, it was good. You look beautiful. I can’t wait to see your mates’ reaction tonight. Rick, did you bring your phone? Maybe we should record it?” Jake suggests while Rick just chuckles tapping the chest pocket of his tux. I guess he does have his phone and fully agrees to take pictures.
“Fine, gang up on me but don’t we need to go? I’m pretty sure there’s a rule about being late,” I say rolling my eyes. Jakes bursts out laughing at my sarcastic tone of voice while Rick just shakes his head. They both know my sarcasm now and no longer let it phase them.
“Dani, you need to respect the rules tonight. No sarcasm unless it’s with one of us and even then, not in the middle of dinner. It will be considered disrespectful and make everyone hate you more than they need to. Now come, let’s go surprise your mates with a stunning queen,” Rick declares holding his arm out for me. Jake does the same and we make our way to dinner. Between the two of them, I feel safe but I doubt either of them can save me from this dinner.
Chapter 23
Okay, the video recording was a good idea because Pete walked straight into a wall when he saw me.
I walked in through the double doors with both Jake and Rick on my arms. The whole room stopped, turning to stare as we made our way over to the boys. They were too busy talking to notice I’d entered and it wasn’t until Pete broke apart stalking away angrily, that anyone noticed. He was walking to the door on the side of the room and turned just in time to see me, them bam! Straight into the wall.
“Dani?! Holy crap!” he says getting up from his splayed-out position on the floor. “You look incredible.”
I smile, hugging him and whisper in his ear, “Are you okay? That look like it hurt.”
“I’m fine. My egos bruised but holding you in my arms while you look like this, I’m all better. Glad that I finally got that kiss though. They’ll all be lining up tonight,” Pete says staring into my eyes.
“Ha! I doubt that.”
“Are you kidding me? You come in here, dressed like a goddess ready to wreak havoc on the earth, and you expect no one to chase you down? I bet by the end of the night, all of us have snuck a kiss or two, maybe even more. You look more stunning than any of the females here. I’m proud to call you my mate,” he says, kissing me on the cheek.
Sighing, I relax against him and let my wolf be comforted by his scent. She’s used to all their individual scents now, even if she prefers it when they’re combined. It’s like a drug to her.
“Alright beautiful, as much as I want to hold onto you all night, everyone else is dying to touch you,” he says handing me over to Nate.
“Why hello gorgeous. Where have you been hiding?”
“I’ve been here all along, I was just waiting to shift apparently. I look like a princess,” I say grinning.
“Well, I’m glad you’re happy. You look magnificent. I can see my mother had a field day with you,” he murmurs grinning down at me. My wolf hums causing his to respond. Nate rubs his head against mine, scenting me.
Scenting happens when intense emotions are involved. It means he’s telling other wolves that I’m his. I didn’t know one of them could scent me without making the others angry but they’ve all done it.
“Okay break it up love birds, I still haven’t got a hug yet,” Cam says, humor lining his voice. I’m glad that none of them take offence to me greeting them individually in front of each other. I don’t even care what the rest of the room thinks. I kiss Nate on the cheek before walking straight into Cam’s arms.
The fresh pine immediately relaxes my muscles. As much as I hate to admit it, my wolf has bonded with Cam’s more based on his past. Though it could just be because my wolf wants to grab his father by the throat and rip until there’s no more pulse. Gross but that bastard deserves a fate much worse than what I’ll give him.
“I know what you’re thinking. Thank you for caring but I’m okay, I swear. He can’t hurt me anymore,” he whispers into my ear while I breath in his delicious scent.
“Oh, I know. He’d have to get through me before he can get to you and there’s no way on this earth that I’d let him hurt you. Besides, I’m pretty sure if I’m not around, the others would be more than willing to do the exact same thing,” I tell him looking up with a soft smile. He’s been through so much pain and I hate that he feels that his parents were right about his sister but there was nothing he could have done. He was a baby for god’s sake!
“Thank you
for caring but it’s not your problem. Don’t start something that you can’t finish. Dad is just as stubborn as you are,” he utters, fear in his eyes.
I hate that his father incites so much fear. Cam shouldn’t have to be constantly afraid of what his father will do.
Arms wrap around my waist and pull me away from Cam’s embrace. “God, you look amazing. And your scent, something’s changed because it smells heavenly,” Mitchell says, breathing deep into my hair. I smile at his tone of voice, he sounds drugged on my scent. Jonnie steps forward, sandwiching me between them and smiles down at me, his green eyes full of lust. A shiver runs through me seeing his pure need for me. I love that he wants me, even after I told them I want them all.
Jonnie leans down, presses his lips against mine while Mitchell grips a hand into my hair, holding me still as his brother kisses me. His lips are so soft, so inviting that I apply the smallest amount of pressure, kissing him back. They both respond with groans and step back leaving me panting for more.
“Come on, love. Let’s go introduce you to everyone,” Jason says, grabbing my hand and pulling me away from the rest of them.
“Sorry,” I whisper blushing when I see the knowing looks from around the room. I glance over at Laura wondering how she reacted to me kissing one of them, but she has a huge grin plastered on her face. When she catches my gaze, she gives me a wink and I smile back at her. I’m glad she’s okay now that she knows how I feel.
“I take it you’re enjoying yourself?” Jason asks at my side, steering me towards the middle of the room. There’s music playing and people dancing. Jason leads me out onto the floor and I freeze. I have no idea how to dance.
“Jason, what are you doing? I can’t dance. Don’t make me embarrass myself,” I beg him trying not to panic and run.
“Are you serious right now? You face off against a pack of enforcers and can still handle more but dancing? That’s your weakness?” he asks before laughing at the panic written across my face making the people closest to us chuckle.
Damn! Now everyone is going to know what a big wuss I am.
“Look Dani, just trust me okay? I’ll lead.” He places one hand on my waist and holds my other. I have no idea what type of dance he’s trying to show me, I just hope he doesn’t let me fall on my ass or worse, flat on my face.
Surprisingly, we actually dance pretty well together. I get swapped between all of my mates, Jake and Rick too, then the music stops suddenly. The Elders stand at the front of the room, lined up waiting for me.
Crap! This is the part that I’m afraid of. Stepping away from Jason, I make my way to them, standing directly in front of the one on the left.
He’s the one who clearly hates me. Green eyes spark when I bow my head in submission. He’s dressed up nicely in a black tux and I hate to admit, he’s pretty attractive. Black hair, muscles bulging, definitely my type. Apart from the fact that he obviously holds a grudge for something.
“I’m honoured to meet you. My name is Danielle Jackson, future Alpha Queen, and servant to our people,” I say waiting for his greeting.
“Your highness, I am Jax. It’s an honour to meet you,” he says sarcasm coating his voice.
After his greeting, I straighten moving onto the next. It’s the same line-up as last time. I wonder if this is some pre-ordained set up.
This guy reminds me of Pete with his cheeky nature and bright blue eyes. I repeat the same line as before and smile when the Elder grins. “Hello lovely, I’m Lance. If you ever want to talk, you come find me,” he says with a wink.
It’ goes on like that with the woman introducing herself as Sonja and the tattooed guy as Erick. Sonja is what I think of a dark beauty. Her dark ebony hair flows down to her waist and her eyes are a smoky grey. She’s wearing just enough make-up to make herself stand out but at the same time she remains mysterious. It’s quite an entrancing effect.
Erick is gorgeous. There’s no other word to describe him. Hair dark as the night sky, tribal tattoos covering practically every inch of his body and lovely soft brown eyes. They show a complicated soul and my wolf feels a kinship with him.
Last but not least is the awesome biker dude. I’ve been obsessed with bikes since a young age so if this guy doesn’t actually have one, then I’ll be severely disappointed.
I introduce myself and wait for his response but what he does, shocks all around us.
“You don’t submit to me,” he says grabbing my shoulder, pulling me back up to a standing position. I’m so confused. Aren’t I supposed to be submitting to each of them? I glance my grandmother’s way looking for some kind of clue but she’s just stoic as ever, maybe a small smile at the corner of her lips, nothing to tell me what to do though.
“I’m so sorry for what has happened in your life to lead to these events. Your mother was a kind and caring person who deserved better than we gave her and for that, I’m truly sorry. I will not make you submit to me, when it should be us submitting to you, rejoicing in the return of our Alpha Queen,” he booms dropping to his knees shortly followed by Lance and Erick.
I would have been standing here with my jaw open if my wolf wasn’t preening inside right now. She’s happy they have acknowledged our power, but irritated that Jax and Sonja have not joined in their acceptance.
I can’t force them to accept me though I may have a way to make them look worse. Dropping to my knees, I bow my head too.
“Alpha Queen is a title that demands no respect unless earned,” I say softly bowing to the room.
The people in the immediate vicinity drop to the ground around me and crawl closer, their heads bowed, wanting to be close to me, while I watch on in awe. They accept me.
Sonja and Erick begrudgingly do the same but it’s clear in their posture, they hate submitting to me.
My mates crowd around me in a circle, protecting me and showing the rest of the pack, I’m theirs.
The doors open with a loud bang announcing someone’s entrance. Luke and, what I assume is his mate Carrie, come waltzing in but stop cold at the sight of us.
My mates stand, bringing me with them and the rest of the room goes back into dinner party mode. Luke and his mate march straight up to me, obviously fuming.
I bow my head, showing submission even though my wolf is adamant we don’t. It would undo everything that just happened if I didn’t.
“Your majesty, it’s an honour to meet you officially. This must be your lovely mate and wife. It’s a pleasure to meet you. My name’s Danielle Jackson and I descend from the Jackson pack, the true Alpha Queen line,” I say introducing myself as diplomatically as I can. The Alpha Queen line may have pissed them off but too late now.
There’s a twitch happening with his left eye and it takes all my self-control not to laugh. He’s seriously pissed because he has no idea what happened before he came in. Guess that’s what happens when you’re late.
“Ah Danielle, what a pleasure to meet you. My mate has told me all about you,” Carrie declares pulling me forward and kissing me on each cheek.
Oh, My, God. Someone get me earplugs. Her voice is so high pitched that it makes me want to cringe in agony. Seriously, how can people stand hearing that voice?!
“Ah Father, it’s nice to see you. As much as we’d like to stick around though, my mate and I have other things to attend to,” Cams says, stopping me from responding. If I had, it would have been something to do with her voice and why it’s so high. Thankfully Cam saves the day by steering me away from them. We walk straight out of the dining room and into the room next door. It must be a guest room or a spare room, because there are no decorations setting it apart from the others. It’s just whites, and greys spattered across the room.
I hear the door close behind me and turn to ask Cam what we’re doing in here. I don’t get the chance.
His mouth descends on mine, kissing with so much passion, it causes a flame of desire to burn inside me. My wolf growls in approval. Cam pushes us through the room and we land on the bed,
hands roaming, needing to touch each other.
He slows the kiss, pulling back to look into my eyes. I see his heart in his eyes and know I’m falling hard. If I was going to fall for any of them it would be Cam. His heart is so loving that I wouldn’t want anyone other than me, holding his heart.
“Are you okay, precious?” he asks me, leaning down to nuzzle into my neck. I sigh, feeling totally at peace.
“Yeah, I’m fine, why? And what’s with precious? You haven’t called me that before.”
“Because you are. You’re precious to me and I want you to know it, hear it, feel it,” he murmurs, pressing his lips against mine, softly.
We lay there kissing for what seems like forever until the door slams open. “Sorry firecracker but it’s time to have dinner and you can’t miss it,” Pete says barging straight in.
“Come on precious, let’s go sit down to a dull dinner with my parents and the Elders. Just remember to think before you speak,” he says before placing another soft kiss against my lips.
“Aww you guys are so cute!” Pete squeals imitating a girly high pitched voice.
“Shut it or you won’t be getting a kiss ever again,” I warn.
“You wouldn’t do that, would you? These kissable lips,” he says running his fingers over his lips slowly. “This beautiful body,” he run his hands over his chest and down to his crotch. I can’t hold it in any longer, I crack up laughing.
“See? There’s my mate,” he says pulling me to him, stopping my laughter by kissing me gently.
“Good girl. Now let’s go,” he says leaving me mid kiss with Cam just shaking his head.
“One day you’re going to want to kill him and I’m just going to stand by and video it. Then when he pisses you off again, I’ll play the video,” Cam tells me leading me back to the dinner hall.
Pete’s kiss may have left me wanting more, but it’s the first time they’ve seen others kiss me so openly. They may have all seen me kiss Pete and witnessed Jonnie’s kiss in the dining room but they knew it was more for comfort than anything else at the time. This is different.