Wolf Moon (Alpha Wolf Academy Book 2)

by JJ King

  “Matilda,” she said, opening her arms wide in welcome for Donahue, who crossed the room in long strides and stepped into the embrace.

  “I’m so glad you’re here,” Donahue replied with a grin that gave her a girlish air.

  I stared at the two of them as they laughed and embraced again and was glad for the time to gather my thoughts and calm my thundering heart.

  I’d almost managed it when the woman turned toward me with a warm smile and simply said, “Thank you for seeing me, Elena.” She reached out a slim hand. “I’m Sylvie LaFlamme.”

  Chapter 5

  As I watched Donahue step through the doors and disappear back in the direction we’d entered, I felt my mouth go dry. I was alone with the Alpha.

  It had been hard enough coming to terms with the fact that I regularly spoke with the first daughter of the Canadian Alpha, but this felt different. It felt… more.

  I desperately wished for a bottle of water.

  “Please,” Sylvie said, gesturing towards two wingback chairs that faced the fireplace. “Sit. We have much to talk about.” She walked to a cart laden with thick mugs and a steaming pot of hot chocolate. I accepted the mug she passed with an automatic, “Thank you,” and sank into one of the chairs after Sylvie gracefully lowered into the other.

  She was so perfect, that was all I could think. From head to toe, there wasn’t a hair or item out of place. Unlike the bitch squad, whose claim to fame was a snobby glossiness that had pissed me off from the moment I’d laid eyes on them, especially Seraphina, Sylvie was refined and posh. There was nothing hateful in her gaze or stance, just a sense of control and power.

  I wanted to be just like her when I grew up.

  The thought took my breath away. I began to cough violently and only managed to not cover myself in hot chocolate because Sylvie reached out and took the mug from my hand.

  “Are you alright?” she asked, the look of concern on her face so genuine, it made my heart ache for my mother.

  I nodded and blinked rapidly, using the coughing fit to disguise my raised emotions. I’d been having issues with my emotions a lot lately, I’d noticed, ever since Viktor had ruined my life. “I’m okay,” I managed to get out as embarrassment settled in.

  Sylvie handed me back my mug and smiled. “You know,” she said, setting her mug down and rising from her chair. “I think we might need a little something more than hot chocolate.” She crossed the room and pressed a button on a cleverly disguised intercom system. I couldn’t stop my lips from twitching when she ordered us a meat lovers pizza, two cheeseburger platters with fries, and two milkshakes. She paused and turned to look at me with raised eyebrows. “Vanilla or chocolate?”

  Delight bubbled up from deep within me at the look of simple joy on her face. “Strawberry,” I said with a grin.

  She laughed and placed the order. When she sat down again, she toed off her heels before picking up her mug. “I’ve decided you need Sylvie more than you need your Alpha right now,” she said quietly, then took a sip. “You’ve got quite enough weight on your shoulders already. I’d like to help you carry some of it.”

  It was such a simple statement. No political smarminess, no ulterior motives, at least that’s what my gut was saying. I let the muscles in my shoulders relax and lifted my mug in a salute. “To less stress.”

  Sylvie’s grin was quick. Her eyes sparkled with amusement as she lifted her mug and repeated my toast. “I can drink to that,” she murmured and drank.

  ♀♀♀

  I stared at the last piece of pizza on the tray and sighed. “I’m full. Damnit,” I muttered. It was hands down the best pizza I’d ever tasted in my life and I didn’t want to have to stop but my stomach was going to get angry if I kept eating.

  Sylvie patted her stomach and sighed. “I should have worn yoga pants.”

  I eyed her knee-length skirt and rose-colored silk blouse then glanced down at my outfit. I was glad I’d gone with the sweater dress, instead of my usual jeans. I hoped Donahue would have suggested a wardrobe change if I’d been less than presentable.

  “But, yes,” Sylvie picked back up where we left off in our conversation. “I know what you’re talking about. An Alpha’s power is a very real and dangerous thing, especially if the Alpha chooses to use that power against others or doesn’t have the necessary training to control it.”

  I swallowed. “Is that something you want from me? To train me in case…” I trailed off but we both knew what I meant.

  Sylvie watched me for a moment then nodded. “Yes. I want to be upfront with you, Elena. My sons were trained from young pups and still underwent training once they were appointed Alphas.” She chewed her lip for a moment as though deciding something. “Occasionally, and this is extremely rare, a wolf is born with natural Alpha abilities without the appointment.”

  My eyebrow winged up. “Really? How would that work?” I’d never heard of such a thing but, then again, I was discovering that there was plenty I’d never heard of.

  “We honestly don’t know yet, but we’re working on it, shall we say.” Sylvie frowned. “A dear friend of mine is a natural born Alpha, though she had no idea what the power inside her was or how to control it until long after she’d lost her family and her mind.”

  I swallowed and muttered, “Fuck,” then grimaced when I realized I’d cursed in front of the Alpha.

  Sylvie merely laughed. “Fuck, indeed,” she said. “Dalia was one of the unlucky ones, but she’s learned how to control it, to use it for the benefit of others. She’s a good woman who was almost swallowed whole by a power she wasn’t prepared for.”

  Her gaze shifted and looked away and, for a long moment, neither of us said anything. Then, she blinked, as if coming back to the present, and looked at me with a frown. “Have you been told about the events that led up to…” she faltered for a second, then went on as if nothing had happened, “my Alpha appointment?”

  I nodded, trying to keep up with the barrage of new information I was receiving. “I’ve read about the Alpha Council and the Canadian wolves if that’s what you mean.”

  “The last few years have been challenging, to say the least,” she said, blowing out a deep breath. “It all came to a head with the Alpha Council, but there were so many stresses before that.” Sylvie paused and looked at me thoughtfully. “The life of an Alpha and his family can be overwhelming at times.”

  “Or her family.” The words spilled from my lips, surprising us both.

  Sylvie nodded slowly. “Yes, you’re right. We’re changing our world, Elena. It’s an honor, of course.” She reached out and took my hand. “But, it’s a burden almost impossible to carry, as well.” Tears shone in her eyes. “I don’t know how I could possibly do it without my children. Elena.” She squeezed gently. “Let your family help you. You’ll need them. And,” she smiled, “if you’ll have me, I’ll be there for you.”

  I swallowed the thick emotion in my throat and looked up at the ceiling as if that could magically wash away the tears that filled my eyes. I’d been telling myself I wasn’t ready to talk to my parents yet, but the heart and the head were two very different organs. My heart was crying out for my mom and dad. “Thank you,” I whispered.

  “Pierre lost control once,” Sylvie said, pushing to her feet to look out at the expanse of forest while I gathered myself. I appreciated the time and privacy. I sniffed and focused on her words, my interest piqued by her mention of the late Alpha.

  “We were in the midst of a crisis, of course,” she chuckled. “There was always a crisis, still is. That’s life as an Alpha. But, this time, our family was being threatened by an insane rogue and Pierre lost control for just a minute.”

  She turned from the view, so it framed her. The deep shades of evergreen tipped with fluffy snow made her hair stand out like flames.

  “It was like what I imagine deep-sea diving is like when you’ve gone too far down and the pressure is pressing in on your skull until you can’t think straight and
forget which way is up or down.”

  My eyebrows flew up. I knew that feeling, I’d experienced it during the attack when Viktor had stared me and Bash down. It had felt like I was dying, and maybe I had been, but somehow, I’d pushed through the pressure and fought back. I chewed thoughtfully on my lip. “Is it possible to fight back against that pressure?”

  Sylvie considered my question. “It is to an extent. When Pierre used it, I was able to retain my sense of self and calm him, while Katherine and her brothers were almost buried beneath the power of it.” She tilted her head to the side. “Katherine told me you fought back. How did it feel?”

  It was my turn to consider. Sylvie had been so open with me, I wanted to tell her everything and listen as she answered all my burning questions. But there was another part of me that wanted to hold back. She was an Alpha, and before she’d been appointed that position, she’d been the wife of an Alpha. She was also a member of The Sisterhood. There were deep secrets hidden in her heart, there had to be. I measured my words.

  “It felt like I was dying,” I said truthfully. There was no need to hold that back. “Everything was crazy.” My mind cast back to the stage where I’d bowed beneath the weight of Viktor’s gaze. “Bash was screaming, and I couldn’t think. Then…” I frowned. “I got angry. He wasn’t my Alpha. He was a murderer. He murdered my family, tried to kill me…” I shook my head, overwhelmed by the fury that was rising in me at the memory.

  “You denied his power,” Sylvie said with a nod as if it all made perfect sense to her.

  I frowned. “But it was still there. I felt it pressing on me. I was just able to push through it a bit.”

  Sylvie lifted a manicured hand to her mouth and tapped her lips, thoughtfully. “When I was given this ring.” She lifted her other hand to show me the gold that encircled the ring finger of her right hand. It glinted brightly in the light that shone through the window, but nothing like the diamond she still wore on her wedding finger. “I was also gifted the power of an Alpha and filled in on all the little secrets the old Council kept hidden from the world.” She dropped her hand as if it weighed too much to hold up, I thought absently.

  “An Alpha’s power is not absolute, even towards his, or her,” she added, “pack. When two Alphas pit their powers against one another, that’s where things get dicey. Some people are naturally more powerful,” she grimaced. “Like Viktor. He’s a madman, we all know that now, but he was always the more powerful son in his family. He was right about that. Your father,” Sylvie looked up with a sad smile, “was a better man, though. He was a better Alpha.”

  Sylvie moved away from the windows and began wandering the room, trailing her fingers over figurines or tables. I watched her and listened with rapt attention. No one ever mentioned my real father around me. No, my stomach twisted as I realized my mistake. Not my real father. I had a real father. He’d kissed my boo-boos and held me when I was afraid. My biological father was a rare topic.

  Part of my trouble sleeping, apart from the nightmares, was my endlessly wandering thoughts about them, my biological family. As little as I’d learned about the wolves that had birthed me, I knew even less about the brother and sister I’d lost before I could even know them. That, more than anything, gnawed at me.

  “You denied his power, Elena,” Sylvie said, coming to a stop and turning to look straight into my eyes. “That makes you as strong or stronger than him and you haven’t had a single lesson, yet.” What looked like pride radiated from her expression. “You’ll be a force to be reckoned with when you’re ready.”

  My stomach knotted. It was insane, all of it, that was the only thing I was sure of anymore. I’d lived my entire life with no desire to climb higher than my social station or reach for stars that I knew were too far out of my reach. I’d been happy with my friends and family, with the life I’d been given. That was gone now, I reminded myself, and felt another twist of pain in my gut. Everything was different now.

  “I don’t know if I want power like that,” I said quietly, pushing to my feet. I couldn’t sit still anymore, I needed to move. I wanted to shift and race through the forest but couldn’t, so I paced the room. “Look at what it’s done already.” I tried to keep my voice from rising, but it was a losing battle. “My friends and family are Old Ones know where hiding from a megalomaniac who wants to murder me and did murder my, his,” I corrected, not wanting to lessen my parents’ role in this, “family. People are dead.” My breath shuddered out painfully and I couldn’t stop the tears that filled my eyes anymore. They spilled down my cheeks like hot rivers. “What good is power if it gets people killed?” I closed my eyes and let my head hang.

  Arms came around me, gathering me close, and I let myself be held.

  She didn’t speak and I appreciated it. My questions were rhetorical, anyway. I knew that. There was no easy answer for the doubt and pain that filled the dark corners of my heart and mind. If my therapy sessions hadn’t fixed me yet, one woman, even the Alpha, wouldn’t be able to do the impossible.

  When I finally stopped shaking, I gently stepped back and lifted my gaze to hers. I opened my mouth to thank her, again, but she stopped me with a slight shake of her head.

  “No, don’t. I told you I’d be there for you if you’d let me.” Sylvie smiled and reached up to push a strand of my hair off my forehead. “Thank you for letting me.”

  She walked back to the sitting area and sank down onto the couch this time, so I followed. Like me, she picked up a throw pillow to hug. “I never thought I’d be Alpha, you know,” she said picking at the stitching of the pillow. “I fought for change, but I thought, maybe, it would be for Katherine, or her daughters, but never me. Pierre was so big and strong,” she smiled sadly. “I never thought...” she trailed off.

  I nodded and, this time, I reached for her hand. She was a woman in pain, not my Alpha. The look of quiet appreciation she gave me, pulled at my heart. I thought back on what she’d said earlier when I’d toasted to “less stress.” I hadn’t thought of it, hadn’t taken a moment to look outside of my own misery, but now I could see it clearly. She was broken, yet still standing for her family, for her country, for her pack. If she could stay strong through the loss of her soul mate, then so could I.

  “Still,” Sylvie said pulling herself together and continuing. “I’d been there, by his side, from the very beginning. I was an Alpha’s wife and a member of The Sisterhood, so I didn’t walk into this role…” her eyes flickered, as if she were searching for the right word.

  I provided it for her. “Clueless.” It was the only word that fit, the only one that described how I felt most of the time. “You weren’t clueless, like me.”

  She stared at me for a moment, then nodded. “I guess that sums it up. Knowledge is power and, I’m guessing, you’re feeling pretty powerless right now.”

  “Just a bit,” I said dryly.

  “Good.” Sylvie’s statement took me by surprise as did the thud of a knock on the door. “Perfect timing,” she murmured and stood to accept the new guests. I stood, too, completely baffled by the change in her demeanor.

  The door opened and I caught a glimpse of familiar guards, including one with chestnut hair and husky blue eyes. For an instant, his gaze locked on mine and I felt my blood hum with awareness. Then, a tall man with sable colored hair and eyes as green as the forest behind them, strode into the room, accompanied by a lithe blonde whose gaze scanned the room in an instant and came to rest on me.

  I stared back, emboldened by the hitch of her eyebrow and the amusement that shot into her eyes when I didn’t look away.

  “Anthony, mon fils.” Sylvie held her arms out as the man crossed the distance between them in a few long strides and gathered her in his arms. He was at least a foot and a half taller than her, especially since she still wore no heels, but I saw the tenderness in his eyes before they closed and he simply held her and, when he pulled back, it was to press a kiss to both of his mother’s cheeks.

  “Yo
u’re looking as beautiful as always,” he murmured quietly, then stepped back and reached for the stunning blonde.

  “Rachel.” Sylvie beamed and reached out to lay a hand on the faintest hint of a rounded stomach. “You look wonderful. How are you feeling?” They linked hands and began to chat rapidly in French.

  I watched, feeling like a voyeur, completely out of place and awkward. I rocked back on my heels and locked my hands behind my back, figuring this was the most respectful stance to take when in the presence of not one, but two Alphas.

  I was trying to figure out a way to sneak past them when all three turned to look expectantly at me. My stomach dropped to my feet and I became physically incapable of fleeing, even though I wanted nothing more than to run from the pressure.

  I’d just spent the last hour with the Canadian Alpha, my brain reasoned, urging me to behave normally. This was okay, I was alright. I drew my shoulders back even more and met their gaze.

  “Elena.” Sylvie held her hand out to gesture me forward. “Come. Meet my first-born son, Anthony LaFlamme, Alpha of the Eastern United States of America.”

  I stepped forward, hand extended like I’d been taught by my father.

  “And your new training instructor,” Sylvie finished with a decidedly wicked grin.

  Chapter 6

  “Are you limping?” Bash rushed across the room and reached for my hands. His eyes, sparkling like emeralds, searched mine as if they could find out the source of my pain and destroy it. “What happened?”

  I rolled my shoulders back slowly, winced at the way my muscles screamed. I was sore, sweaty, and frustrated. I was also thoroughly happy. “Calm down,” I said with a smile that hurt my face. “I started combat training today. This is from a sparring session. I’ll be fine in no time.”