Chosen Alpha

by Rae Hendricks

  Annalise was shocked as she saw the image of her wolf self. She was a beautiful grey, not unlike Isaiah, and was slender with thick fur that blew in the wind. She was shocked and surprised. “Yes, you look pretty amazing,” he let her know. That was nice to hear coming from the alpha. If she had been in human form she would have blushed.

  She could feel a strange energy coming from Roman, but his thoughts were shielded. She put her focus back on what was next. It was time to hunt.

  The run was exhilarating with the cold wind whipping through her fur. She could feel and hear so many wonderful things as she snatched up rabbits, snakes, and other creatures. Out in the cold night, they were running and hunting as the snow began to pile up on the ground, on top of the wetness that had soaked the area earlier.

  As they hit the edge of the pack's territory and bounded back around, she was feeling playful, ready to slow down and enjoy what it felt like to be a wolf. There were less rules for her. It was almost as if she was disconnected from that woman, the one with responsibilities and age-old ties waiting for her back at home. She could feel the same energy coming from Isaiah. He loved being a wolf. It was something she could just feel radiating off of him. Roman didn’t hate it. He took it on with a regalness and responsibility that was to be respected but was just a little boring for her taste. She decided to take advantage, and she pounced on Isaiah with a playful growl, yipping as he tried to nip at her.

  Roman watched as Isaiah and Annalise went ahead of him, playing games with one another like young wolves might. At first, it was nice to see the both of them enjoying their forms. Isaiah needed that care free break, and he knew it. Annalise was turning out to be an excellent wolf, no longer preoccupied with worry as she had been before. Her control for a new wolf was superb, though there was something a little frantic and hyper about her.

  As the playfulness got rougher and more competitive, something crossed his mind that had only flicked at the back once or twice before. It was something that was easier to see now they were in wolf form together with few watchful eyes around. The two had an amazing connection. He knew that already, but the connection was perhaps of a different form than Roman had expected. He could see it in their movements and hear it in the way they talked. He became suddenly aware of the reason the tensions with Tamara had been so high. He felt bad for her, being a witness to it on any level every single day.

  The worst part was that the two of them were only slightly aware of the spark between them and there was nothing they would be able to do about it. Annalise would probably move on soon, back to the coven, and maybe that was for the best.

  “Hey!” Roman called out to them, grabbing their attention before it went too far. “I think it’s time to test something, since your magic is back,” he told Annalise kindly, bringing her back to the task at hand. “I want you to see if you can change back into a human now, even if only for a moment.”

  “But won’t I be…. naked?” she asked. He could feel her insecurities in that. He got the feeling though, even with that human insecurity, the control was already there for her. It was amazing and almost frightening how well she had taken to this. She was a hybrid, something that had not been seen before by anyone he had known or read about. Her powers could be limitless.

  “Yes, but we will be respectful and look away.” Roman looked at Isaiah as if to tell him that it included him as well. It would be tempting, to look at a beautiful woman like that, but it would be wrong on so many levels. He couldn't force Isaiah to do anything, but he was happy as he watched his older brother turn around and face a nearby tree. Roman did the same.

  Annalise pictured herself as a human, as herself. She pictured her body being fluid and molding back into a human form. She was happy and surprised to see her own skin beneath her and feel her wild wolf hair over her body slowly disappear. She was happy but also cold.

  Using the same feeling, she morphed back into a wolf, using the image burned into her mind that Isaiah had shown her. She was lower to the forest floor again, her paws buried deep into the snow as she looked up at the full moon. There was peace in knowing the moon would never control her the way it did many new werewolves. Perhaps it had to do with the extra power the full moon also gave to a witch.

  “I did it!” she squealed happily into their heads before tackling them both down into the snow playfully.

  “Perfect. Now let’s all get back. The snow is getting really heavy,” Roman suggested, racing back towards the cabin. Annalise looked back at Isaiah and as she was about to follow, caught a glimpse of something he didn't want her to see just before he shut it out. He had seen her body as she had turned back into a human. He had looked. There was something grim in the realization that maybe he wasn’t as over that one moment they shared as he seemed. Tamara must have been picking up on that the whole time and even Annalise herself had not noticed.

  As a wolf, her brain was running at a million miles an hour. She put up that wall again, doing the best she could to block those thoughts, going silent while she ran after Roman, heading home. She needed her human self and her bed to figure this out.

  Once she got there, she wrapped up in her blanket and stared at the ceiling before using her magic to see through it, looking at the stars dancing above her until she was hypnotized into sleep. There was no easy answer about how she felt about Isaiah, other than to work on getting over him. She needed to control herself. As a human, she could do that. So, if she felt the need to be a wolf again, it would have to be with anyone but him.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  There was a slight chill to Isaiah’s body as he slipped into bed next to Tamara. They had been trying to sleep in the same bed for the past few days, hoping to get used to being so near to each other. Tamara had hoped yet again she would spark something. She had tried to take it slower as Isaiah had asked her. There was something about the full moon that always got her to feeling different, bold and sexy in a way she didn't on a normal day. Maybe it was the right time to just go for it. If they could make an heir, announce a pregnancy to the pack, a lot of pressure would be off. Then, they could grow more in their love for one another. Why not try and make that happen now?

  Isaiah wrapped himself in the covers and planted a kiss on her forehead, just as he did each night now. It was a sweet gesture, but Tamara was ready to have more. Her body wanted a satisfaction that she didn't often get, and she hoped that mating would solidify things between them. No need to fight when they made magic in the bedroom, right?

  Instead of letting Isaiah turn over and fall asleep, she placed her hand on the back of his head, pulling his face into hers for a kiss. She placed all the passion she could muster into it, pressing her body against his as she did. If his mind and heart wouldn't respond to her, maybe his body would.

  At first, she could feel him becoming pliant. He was surely feeling the effects of the full moon as well, though as alpha, he was better at controlling them than she. The only one with more control than him would be Roman, who was a freak among werewolves, a nice, friendly freak, but a freak, nonetheless.

  Tamara felt bold, slipping her tongue inside of Isaiah's mouth to taste the hot minty flavors of the snow and whatever else he must have caught while he hunted. There was a hint of iron as well, probably blood from a woodland creature he had gotten while out there. It didn't disgust her; only made her wish she had gone with them. Internally, she hadn’t wanted the burden of a new wolf holding her back from that free feeling she loved so much.

  Tamara let the blanket fall from her body, revealing the large tee shirt and panties she was wearing, hoping that seeing her like that would get him going. She had never had a lack of men turned on by the look of her body, even if she was a bit of a tomboy. She had just chosen to ignore the attentions of other men, considering her father would just send them away. With this one, she didn't have to ignore anything. It was something she needed to realize and just let go, letting herself be seen.

  Tamara pulled his shirt over his
head, revealing Isaiah’s rippling muscles. She had always thought he looked a bit like David Beckham, and even underneath his clothes that seemed to ring true. The kisses continued as she felt her body heat up to his touch. It felt like maybe she was winning.

  Isaiah relaxed himself and let his hands slide down the sides of her body, feeling for the curves that always made heads turn when she walked in the room. Suddenly there was something different, something stiff in his movements. It was like he had to debate within himself every time he wanted to kiss or touch her. Tamara didn't know what to think of it. Aware of what was happening inside, she felt herself pulling back from him, mentally traveling into her inner shell. If that was how he was going to be, regardless of their connection in front of the pack, she needed to protect herself; protect her mind, heart, and body.

  Isaiah felt strange with his heart, mind, and body pulling him in all different directions. It would be easy to give in and just give his body to Tamara. That was how it was supposed to be anyway, a completely natural thing for the alpha and his mate. But something still felt strange and wrong about it. This was his childhood friend begging for his intimate touch, a woman he was not yet in love with. Was she beautiful? Of course, she was. He, however, was not the kind of guy to have a woman just because she was beautiful and wanting him.

  Isaiah felt his body lock up as his mind went places he didn't want it to go. The other thing that felt wrong was what he had done in the woods. He had turned his head to see Annalise’s body, something he could not find an explanation in his human self for. He had been so curious and so unabashedly locked onto her female form. It seemed not to matter she had asked that they turn their heads. After something like that, how could he be touching another woman?

  At first, Tamara felt dead, a complete failure, like she might want to cry. It was her job as much as Isaiah's now to make sure they brought the pack a strong heir. Then, as Isaiah pulled back, shaking his head and diverting his eyes, her anger came again in full force. It burned her stomach and travelled up to her chest like indigestion. Like a fire, it raged through her whole being. She had a bad feeling she knew what it was all about, and maybe it was time to just be honest and clear about it. She had tried to give him the benefit of the doubt before, but now that she was trying to do her job. He was resisting so much after coming back from that hunt, she had no reason or care to be kind any longer. It was now or never.

  Tamara jumped out of the bed, glaring at Isaiah with eyes afire as she flipped the light on in a vengeful act. The sudden light stung both their eyes, making her tear up, yet she didn't dare react. She was too angry, though on the inside, she felt an inadequacy choking her once again. Was there something about her that was just unlovable? She had already lost one Young brother. What if she lost another?

  “I don't understand you,” she said, knowing she was probably going to wake up the whole house. “You know the pressure that is on us to have an heir, and here I am trying to make that happen. You took a mate for a reason, so why are you now so closed off from this?” She ran her hand over the front of her body, trying to force him to look at her. Isaiah kept turning his head away.

  Isaiah did not want any more fights or scenes. He knew he was being unfair and perhaps even fickle, but he didn't even have the answers for himself. There was nothing he could give her, to say or do that would satisfy her. It shamed him inside to know he was failing his pack and at the same time hurting a good friend. “If the witches end up attacking, it isn't a good idea for you to be pregnant, Tamara. That would make the both of us too vulnerable.” It was a lame excuse and the best he could give her right now. He knew, as a pillow hit his face pretty hard, that it wasn't good enough at all.

  “Are you kidding me?” she asked, gritting her teeth in pure rage.

  “Please, Tamara, can we talk about this in the morning? You’re going to wake the whole house,” Isaiah pleaded with little conviction. He noted that his voice sounded tired in his ears. Where had all this weakness and indecision come from?

  “I don't care if everyone knows how angry I am because I have had enough! We have been fighting for so long about silly things and skirting around the real issue here,” she announced, throwing her hands to the sky before slapping them back down on her bare thighs. It was about to spew out of her mouth, what had she been thinking. She now realized the one thing she thought before to be just her insecurity, was something more real than she had ever imagined.

  “I wish I could tell you something better and tell you when this was going to get easier, but I can’t, Tamara. It was part of the deal. You could have said no.” Isaiah knew the moment it left his mouth it was a mistake. He didn't know if she was going to explode on the whole house or simply cry her eyes out because he had offended her. Saying things like that after she had sacrificed so much for him would send him straight to the dog house and probably much worse.

  “I did not sign up for being a mate to someone who constantly shoots goo goo eyes at another woman!” she screamed, sounding a bit like a banshee. “I did not sign up to share you with another woman, a witch no less!”

  He had never heard that kind of screeching desperation from Tamara before, no matter how angry she got. It was like she was trying to scream until she reached his very soul to make him understand her. He’d been giving too much attention to another woman, even though absolutely nothing had happened. There was just no way he could just throw her out, however, no matter what that meant. She was a part of the pack now. He had felt how she had responded. Even if she would have left, she would always be welcome.

  “That’s not being fair, Tamara,” he scolded with a low tone, trying to diffuse the situation before Hector came running to his aid to protect him from his own mate. It wouldn't have been the first time something like that had happened in that cabin.

  Tamara felt like she was gagging on his words. It was him who was not being fair. “If you want to get into what’s fair, tell me why you don’t just send her away. You have done your duty, above and beyond. You were with her all night, helping her learn how to deal with her first change. So, why is she not packed up and on her way right now?” Tamara challenged him, waiting for him to give her an answer that she could live with. She was tired of him dancing around the topic with his sense of responsibility and his stupid giant heart.

  “The truth is something you don’t want to hear,” he finally said through gritted teeth. “because like it or not, the moment she turned, she became a part of this pack. That is something I have no control over. As a pack member, she will always be welcome here. It is up to her now if she stays or goes.” Isaiah was putting his foot down at that point because it was the law, even if he would keep her there anyway. She was part of the pack and could not be kicked out unless she committed a crime.

  “I thought you were not going to be your father, but it seems like you are bending the rules for your own purposes either way. You follow them when it’s convenient. Somehow, I think that is far worse than what he did. He was harsh with the laws and traditions. You are just all over the place and unpredictable. You don't deserve the title of alpha, Isaiah, and I didn’t realize it until now.” Tamara knew she had hit him just where it hurt. Isaiah looked at her with a feverish anger she had never seen from him. He was not the kind to lose control quite that way, but he looked like he was about to. Tamara braced herself for whatever was next, but all she heard was the slamming of the front door as he ran out, probably continuing the rest of the night as a wolf.

  Tamara thought she should go after him and ran towards the door but stopped short as the cold night air hit her bare legs. What could she say that would make anything better? She turned around, ready to settle in for some television until he came back, only to find a figure standing in the shadows. It was the last person she wanted to see right now.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Annalise had heard everything. It was kind of hard not to, considering how loudly they had been screaming. Tamara in particular had woken up t
he whole house. Annalise was the only one bold enough to leave her room to see what she could do to help. Now that she knew Isaiah had taken off, she wasn't sure why she was still standing in the shadows of the dark living room, watching Tamara as she decided not to follow him out. She knew now more than ever, Tamara had more than a simple dislike for her and exactly why. Tamara would probably be angry and embarrassed that Annalise had heard that knock down drag out fight. Annalise couldn’t help but feel partially responsible for the situation in some way. She had been the subject of it after all.

  “Of course, you’re out here right now!” Tamara cried, directing the anger she had for Isaiah right at Annalise. Logically, Annalise couldn’t help the fact that Isaiah had some strange obsession with her, but she did have the ability to bow out. That would be the right thing to do, especially now that he had a mate. Yet, she was still there living in his house and listening to the two of them fight about her. Tamara thought maybe it was her own issues, adding to the importance of this hybrid, constantly bringing her up.

  Tamara plopped down on the couch, not feeling too surprised when she felt the couch sink down next to her. Annalise had come to join her, completely uninvited. How many parties had this witch crashed in her lifetime?

  “Tamara,” Annalise began, reaching out to touch Tamara’s shoulder cautiously. Tamara shrugged it off and kept looking down towards the floor, her dark red hair covering her face in case her emotions decided to spill out her eyes. She did not want to give this tiny witch next to her the satisfaction of seeing her cry. “I heard it all, and I think a talk between us is long overdue.” Annalise was not giving up because she needed to make this right. She felt so guilty, especially knowing the way Isaiah had looked at her only about an hour before.