11 - The Alpha's Mate

OKAY, deep breaths. In, out, in, out. Why did my voice have to crack like that? It was just a question, right? In my world, libraries were like, open to everyone. You just flashed your library card—though, yeah, I might've misplaced mine, but that's not the point!

I took a deep breath again and knocked twice on the big, fancy door in front of me, then peeked inside.

The Alpha was sitting at a giant desk, hunched over a pile of papers that looked super important probably werewolf stuff, like pack hunting regulations or something.

"Um, hi?"

He glanced up, his eyebrows drawn together in a frown that could curdle milk. "What do you want?" Not exactly a warm welcome, but hey, maybe he just had a permanent case of resting grumpy face?

"Um... I was wondering if I could maybe get permission to go to the library?" Why did this feel so hard? I practically lived at the library back home and no one even cared.

He stared at me for a moment. His gaze is so intense, making me feel like I'm under a microscope. "Why?" A simple question, but the way he said it made me want to fight!

"I just wanted to see if there are any books that might help me get back home," I explained. Please, please, please let him say yes!

He looked back down at his papers, a flat "No," escaping his lips.

My shoulders slumped.  Ugh, come on!  Was that really all I got?  "No?  Just... no?"  My brows furrowed and took a step closer to his desk and grabbed the collar of his shirt. I pulled him close to me!

"Look, I know you probably don't care about me or what happens to me," I blurted,  "But seriously, this whole situation is like a giant cosmic mess! It's crazy.  I need to get back to my world, like, yesterday!  Think about it – wouldn't everyone be happier if I just disappeared? No more weird human girl causing trouble for your awesome werewolf pack. Peaceful coexistence and all that!"  Okay, maybe that last part was a bit dramatic.

"Feisty, aren't we?" a flicker of amusement dancing in his eyes.  "Don't you think you're being a little too demanding for a prisoner?"

"Too Demanding?  I'm just asking for a stupid library book!"

He smirks,  "I'm sure some of the pack members aren't exactly thrilled about having you here.  Maybe even hate you, for all I know."  He gently removed my hand from his collar. A jolt of electricity seemed to shoot up my arm, making me gasp and pull back instinctively.  His gaze held mine, searching for something.  "But," he continued, his voice dropping to a low murmur, "how sure are you that you actually don't belong here, hmm?"

His question hit me. What did he mean by that?  Did he know something I didn't?  Confusion clouded my face, and I loosened my grip,  "What do you mean?" I stammered, completely thrown off guard.

Instead of answering, he turned back to his paperwork.  "Go," his voice was serious.  "Check the library.  Just don't come crying to me later if you regret it."

I stood there for a moment, completely confused. Regret?  What was that supposed to mean?  The door creaked open behind me, but I barely registered it.  My mind was stuck on the Alpha's cryptic words.  Did he know something about why I was here?

"Hey, let's go!" Granur's voice broke through my thoughts.  He grabbed my arm gently and started leading me out of the office.  My body followed him on autopilot, but my mind was still stuck on the Alpha's question.

'How sure are you that you actually don't belong here?'

***

GRANUR'S P.O.V.

Alpha shoved a stack of papers aside, eyes narrowed as he looked up. "Anything new on the human?" Short, to the point. How I liked my orders.

I strolled over and plopped myself in the chair across from him. "Yep. Guess who was right about that fleabag? Turns out she was yapping to Tyler about some wolf named Aurora, something about being summoned here as a sacrifice."

Alpha frowned, the papers forgotten. "Summoned, huh?" A glint entered his eyes, a hint of a smirk playing on his lips. "Interesting. Wonder who's messing with the dimensional doors, breaking the rules."

"Maybe the Fenrivia are in on it? What if this human's the key to lifting that demon wolf's curse?" I threw the question out there, worry creasing my brow.

Alpha shrugged, scratching his beard as he picked up the papers again. "Nah, doubt it. Don't sense any special zing in her blood. Smells and looks like any other human to me. The one breaking the curse should pack a wallop, as strong as the demon wolf himself, and this one? Not a chance."

Made sense. Whoever lifted that curse had to be a beast, not some scaredy-cat human. I could probably snap her neck in half without breaking a sweat.

"Keep an eye on her," Alpha rumbled, voice low. "No real threat, but we need to be careful. Don't want any hidden surprises or enemies sneaking around."

"Hold up, Alpha!" I scratched my head. "Why keep her safe then? She's a hostage, right? Shouldn't she be locked in a cell or something? What makes her so special?"

Alpha looked at me like I'd sprouted a second head. "We're keeping her. If she's not our enemy, she can be useful to the pack later."

A grin stretched across my face. "Useful, huh?" My voice dropped to a low rumble. "Is she your mate, Alpha?"

His eyes narrowed again, but a playful glint replaced the earlier suspicion. A slow grin mirrored mine, confirming my guess.

I let out a low whistle, a surge of unexpected joy bubbling up. A Luna – that's big, man. The heart and soul of the pack. We hadn't had one in over six hundred years. "Beautiful Luna for our pack, Alpha. You can count on me to keep her safe!" I boomed, chest puffed with pride.

He just nodded, a satisfied glint in his eyes. Finally, after all this time, a Luna had returned. And she was a looker! Pew.