Another One

“I can’t find my pin!” I said as I looked frantically around the mirror. “Ethan! Pins please! I need them.” 

In a few seconds I heard shuffling outside my door. The door opened slightly, a small hand popped out holding my pins. 

“Here you go sis,” 

I smiled as I took the pins, “Thank you,” 

Looking in the mirror, I relaxed and pinned the cloth in place. The binder was tight enough to let me breathe. I pulled on my father’s old robes, and then the pants. I quickly ran a hand through my short hair and tied the scarf around my nose and mouth. This helped with two things–  cover my face, and change my voice a little bit.

When I went to grab my boots, my eight year old brother came and hugged me tight. 

“I’ll miss you Eve!” 

I smiled as I hugged him back, his soft hair grazed my face. 

“I’ll miss you too! Have fun at school.”

I pulled on my boots and gave one last smile to my mother before I left the house.

Walking outside as a guy was so much easier than a girl. People didn’t stare at me, or called me names. And the best part of all– I could enjoy a peaceful night walk. 

The binding on my chest now felt normal. I struggled for a few months at the start. It's not that I didn’t enjoy being a woman. It's something I had to do. My father was a bodyguard to the biggest and the scariest Alpha in the country. My dear father took a big loan from him and ran away with his “lover” leaving my mother, my little brother and I to pay the debt.

The Beta had come to our house to inform us of the news. He asked for my brother to be sent to the Alpha’s mansion and work there for the rest of his life to pay the debt. I refused. I couldn’t have had my little brother being sent up in a place of violence, blood and gruel. 

So I took the matter in my hands, and lied. 

“I have a cousin. He’s my age. He can take my father’s position as the bodyguard.”

The Beta raised an eyebrow in suspicion. 

“And where is this cousin you talk about?” 

“He lives in a nearby town. I can send a letter for him and he’ll be there,”

“Does he know how to fight?” 

“Yes sir. He’s trained in martial arts and combat fighting and he’s a great archer.” 

The Beta thought for a moment, 

“Very well. Send him tomorrow.”

“There’s a condition sir,” I interrupted before he could leave. “My brother– he has a scar on his face, and would like to keep his face covered if that’s alright ?”

It was more than alright with them. The next day, I binded my chest and wore my father’s clothes and went to the Alpha’s mansion. The Beta tested me on everything I had stated about my so-called “cousin.” There were talks about the fact that my face was covered. But Beta shushed them, telling me he believed in me and if I tried anything else, he knew where my “cousin sister” and little brother lived.

“There are a lot of positions I can think of that your pretty sister can fill at my house,” he smirked, his gray eyes sinister. 

The urge to punch him was strong, but the one to protect my family was stronger. I nodded, biting my lip so I accidently wouldn’t swear at him and walked away.

My meeting with the Alpha had been a lot different. I wasn’t even sure if he knew his bodyguard had changed. 

At times I wondered if he judged how tiny I was compared to his big build and how I was his bodyguard. But he never said a word and neither did I. I had met the Alpha before, when I was twenty– two years ago. I wasn’t sure if he would even remember that then. My father had brought all of us to the Mansion for a party, he had just become the New Alpha at twenty six. It was considered a big achievement and so all the workers were invited to a party, however the Alpha wasn’t expected to be there.

Turns out he wanted to meet his workers and listen to their feedback. The workers were all taken aback by the humbleness and the gentleness of the man. And so was I. It was a meeting I’ll never forget.

***

The mansion was bustling with people running around in a hurry here and there. I paused as I asked one of the maids what was wrong,

“It's the preparations for the Mating Ball sir!” 

Sir. Took some time to get used to that as well.

I nodded and walked towards the Alpha’s rooms. I had heard about the Mating Ball before. But never had the chance to attend one. Only the Werewolves and elite Human families that served the Alpha were invited.

Young Women from the age of sixteen to twenty five were all asked to gather at the Benjamin Hall, where the Ball was held every year. Werewolf men would pick one (or many) women of their choice to spend a night with them, or take them to be their bride(s). Werewolves were allowed to keep several brides. In Fact it was quite uncommon for a werewolf to be satisfied with one.

They usually would keep one human woman, and one werewolf one. The human woman would give birth and would be discarded after. Whereas the child would be taken and would be under the care of the werewolf woman.

I felt bad for the human women that were forced to attend the ball, only to be impregnated and killed after they gave birth and if they were spared, they were forced to work as a maid in the house.

But like it’s said, there cannot be bad without the good. And there was news of quite a few Werewolves who fell in love with humans and ran away from the country to protect them. They lived as Omegas or worked as slaves in the country.

A werewolf being together with a human was looked down upon, and considered a sin. Though this Alpha had not yet executed anybody yet for this “crime”, the previous Alpha would kill their human lovers right in front of their eyes.

The door to the Alpha’s office was open, and I quickly got inside taking my position behind his chair. Alpha Julian Anderson was a man of few words, but when he spoke- everyone listened.

His table had a bunch of papers lying around. The bookshelf on the left on his table had a few books missing. I knew how to read, and I could see a few words that the letter had on them scribbled in perfect handwriting.

Selling of Human Slaves. 

I jumped as a woman stepped into the room. She wore a long red dress, with a slit on her thigh. She smiled as she walked towards the table I stood behind. 

“Where’s the Alpha, slave?” she asked, as she sat on the chair.

“He’s out, Miss. He’ll be here in a few minutes.” I responded.

Alpha did sometimes leave the office suddenly to talk to his Beta or other members of the pack. I figured this time it would be the same.

Until the Alpha was inside the premises of the mansion, I was to maintain my position in his office. There was another option of hanging out with the soldiers, which I did not want to do. The men here were like animals. The human soldiers were trained in such a way that all they saw were three things: Food, Blood and Women. All three of the things for their personal satisfaction.

“And you are?” I asked.

I hadn’t seen her in this mansion. The Alpha had a few “girlfriends” in the past months. There was one with blonde hair. She was sweet, and really nice to me. And then there was a red headed one, she often asked me to do her chores which was annoying. I’m the Alpha’s bodyguard not your servant!

“You’re still a human,” she sneered when I told her.

I brought myself back to reality. Now I had to deal with another one. I hope she was sweet like the blonde woman.

“None of your business slave.” she spat, and narrowed her eyes at me.

Nope. She was just like the red head. 

And then the Alpha walked in. I straightened myself and bowed as he took his seat without a glance towards me. He wore an indigo colored shirt and black pants. His combat boots similar to mine (only his were really expensive and not second hand) clacked on the wooden floor. 

His brown hair was ruffled and he held a paper between his fingers, his brown  eyes were focused on it. 

The woman in the red dress adjusted her dress and leaned on her hand, 

“Hi baby,” she purred.

I cringed. That was a first.

The Alpha without a doubt was attractive and muscled. He wasn’t scary buffed but he was lean, and had muscles in the right places. Not that I had seen him without his shirt. Okay I had. Once. And it was a very difficult morning run. I knew where his scars were, and that always made me blush for no reason. It felt so intimate somehow. But he was an Alpha and my boss. And I couldn’t possibly bear to have these thoughts.

The Alpha looked surprised, he then looked at the woman and then checked the time on his watch.

“Anna, the Ball starts at eight,”

The woman, disappointed, straightened up and pulled back a piece of her dyed blonde hair behind her ear.

“I know… I wanted to get your opinion on my dresses. I thought maybe I could…” she paused, and then kept a hand on his arm, “Give you a little show?” 

She whispered the last part but I was close enough to hear it. 

The Alpha sighed and looked at her, “Anna, anything you wear would look great on you–” the woman smiled from ear to ear, “I’ll see you at eight and please close the door on your way out.”

The woman sighed but smiled, “Okay, I’ll leave for now… but I won’t let you go tonight,” she winked and then walked around the table to turn his head and kiss him. 

My eyes widened and I looked the other way. Thank god for the scarf or my blushed face would’ve shown.

The Alpha worked in silence and I stood watching his back as he wrote letters after letters. 

“You can take a break now, Evans.” The Alpha said suddenly after an hour or so.

“Sir, I’m alright,” I replied. I was getting paid, and my family was fed. That’s all I required from this job and I was going to do it diligently.

“Is your sister arriving at the Ball?” 

I froze. How did he know about me? 

As if reading my mind, he replied, “I was going through the data of all the employees in my mansion. I saw your dependents.”

I cleared my throat, “No sir, she’s set to marry a farmer’s son soon,”

The Alpha said nothing and continued with his work. 

I exhaled a sigh of relief. Thank goodness he didn’t question further. Nobody except my family knew that I was Evans in the mansion and Evelyn at home. The neighbors and our family friends were told I was sent to marry a farmer’s son and I– Evans was a distant cousin who had come to take his Uncle's place and get rid of the family debt.

“Evans,” he asked again. 

“Sir?”

“Would you like to stay in the mansion?”