Chapter 4 - The Alpha

Mary continued to deliver more racks of goods for an hour or so with the lad who had brought in the food. With everything piled into the closet, Tessa did not mask her dissatisfaction.

"You're trying to get me killed aren't you?" she yelled when I once volunteered to help.

They had finally all left Mary and me alone.

"In one hour, the alpha is supposed to arrive. I'll get you dressed; go take a shower."

I nodded and followed, feeling like I had enough nerves in my stomach to make me sick. After much deliberation, I decided to take a bath in order to pass the time instead of using the stand-up shower. As I lay in nearly searing hot water, it occurred to me that I must never have had a bath. I let my damp hair fall like a veil over my shoulders and closed my eyes.

I said to myself, softly, "Focus, think, remember!"

Abruptly, I saw myself sitting in a bathtub in a middle-class bathroom, as though I were someone else. I appeared to be younger, maybe nine or ten years old.

A woman's voice was audible in the background.

"Hurry, Ana! You're going to miss the school bus!"

A stunning woman had entered, grinning broadly as though she was quite happy with her life at the moment. She carried a pocketbook in one hand and her car keys in the other, dressed in business casual.

"Honey, I have to go to work. Your dad will assist you in completing your preparations, okay?"

"Okay mom!"

My memories vanished when she closed the door after she departed.

I had a lovely home of my own, and mom? Now, where is she? What became of my father and me, and when did the wolf-men appear?

I spent a further fifteen minutes trying to recall more. In doing so, I had given myself a headache. I gave up and staggered toward the door from the bathtub, dripping water. The scent of the blue cloth I wrapped around myself made me feel instantly euphoric. I held it up to my nose to catch a stronger whiff of the aroma. It smelled like men's perfume—not too strong, not too subtle, just enough to tantalise your senses.

For at least a minute, it moved it closer to my face and kept it there. I was genuinely unable to get enough of the aroma.

I drooled all over my mouth, thinking that this had to be the Alphas towel. After tearing it free from my nose, I wrapped it around myself again. I checked myself in the mirror. I could see my reflection as the steam started to dissipate. Straight, silky drapes of my wet hair clung to my shoulders and back. The golden dots among the green were visible in the distance, and my eyes seemed to be brighter now. My skin appeared to be soft, delicate, rounder in the mouth, and had a fresher color—maybe from the food or the shower. Eventually, I gave up trying to cover up my cleavage because my breasts were protruding over the towel. After all, Maria would be the only one seeing this.

I attempted to cover my ass with the towel's end, but it stopped at my upper thighs. I finally sighed, thinking I had wasted enough time. I moved in the direction of the door at last. Maria was not alone, I realized with a little gasp when I opened it and saw the interior of the bedroom. A man was by her side, facing me. He loomed over the medium-height woman, giving the impression that she was little.

He was dressed in a black button-up that seemed like it would rip if he gave a little squeeze. His short brown hair was wavy and ruffled on one side, seemingly from stress, and he fixed his intense blue eyes on mine. His powerful aura was his most scary feature, other than his appearance. He exuded a sinister and potent aura, his demeanor alone menacing, and the expression 'if looks could kill' occurred to me. This may have been the most attractive man I had ever laid eyes on; I was at a loss for words. That such perfection existed was beyond my comprehension. He also appeared to be speechless. I noticed faint traces of tattoos near the nape of his neck.

I realized that he is a wolf-man.

"Oh dear!" Maria had screamed," If I had known you'd be here earlier, I would have made sure to have dressed her sooner."

Gritting my teeth, I gripped the towel tightly to my partially exposed breasts. I recoiled in shame as I realized how half-naked I looked. The man looked me over, his eyes resting on my lips, cleavage, and thighs as he examined every inch of me.

Embarrassed, I crossed my feet. He was getting closer and closer, and I thought my heart would have burst out of my chest. I became tired of seeing how enormous he was even when he was only an inch away from me. I maintained eye contact with his shirt's final button. With a finger beneath my chin, he forced my head upward. I met his contemplative eyes with large, concerned ones.

I thought, Is this the alpha? I was unable to stop the embarrassing mantra running through my mind.

Does he think I’m a beauty?

He traced my lips with the same thumb beneath my chin, then, with our eyes firmly fixed on one another, he caressed my shoulder and finally my collarbone.

"It's astounding that a human being could be so flawless," he exhaled, and I could sense the icy air escaping his mouth.

The pounding in my chest had started to speed up again, but I was unable to speak. He leaned in closer and closer until our lips were barely separated by strands of hair. I didn't want to resist since it felt like I was going down a spiralling tube.

It was impossible to resist kissing his flawless pink lips. I closed my eyes, waiting for his lips to meet mine as his hands caressed my jaw. Rather, he abruptly moved away from the situation and turned to face the exit.

He gave the order, "Have her dressed and present her at the dinner table in twenty minutes," just before slamming the door. It was like I was about to fall. I steadied myself and fixed my gaze on Maria, who was looking at me with a fearful, sorrowful expression on her face, as if to convey the message, Poor, naive young girl, she doesn't know anything.