2 - Alpha Leander Knows Something

LUCY'S POV

Was he trying to humiliate me? He was normally very kind to me and treated me far better than any previous Alpha.

My previous pack was the Red Paw Pack, and I swore they were named from all the unnecessary blood they had on their paws.

They were ruthless.

They often beat me; the Alpha raped me the first night and several times afterward until he found his mate and sold me to Alpha Leander.

“I’m grateful to serve you, Alpha.” This wasn’t a lie; I was grateful to no longer be a part of the Red Paw Pack.

There was no deceit in my eyes as I spoke these words, and he nodded at me curiously. Nia, my wolf, was stirring in the back of my mind from the odd interaction.

'He knows something, Lucy,' Nia whispered to me.

I feared she was right.

When I looked back toward him after finishing refilling everyone's glasses, he was looking at me again.

His eyes flickered yellow briefly before he turned back to his guest and resumed his conversation.

I stood a few feet back from the table, watching and waiting for anyone to request more to drink or an appetizer.  

“As you all know, Liam and Leon will be back from their Alpha training in a few days. The Alpha ceremony will take place on their 24th birthday.  Since neither of them has found their mate, we will be hosting several mating galas in hopes of finding their mates before their ceremony. They must have at least one Luna when they’re sworn into their positions. We will be sending invitations to all the packs.” Alpha Leander shared with his guest.

I wondered if he meant every single pack because that would mean my father's pack.

My heart started beating hard in my chest at the thought of him finding me.

Alpha Leander tossed me a glance. Fuck. He can hear my heart racing.

“Every single pack Leander? Doesn’t that seem a bit excessive?” his Beta asked.

I was grateful for the question because it snapped his glance away from me and my thudding heart rate.

“Yes, as I stated, one of them needs to find their mate. We cannot pass them the Alpha position without a Luna. It would be dangerous and foolish for our pack not to have their full strength,” Alpha Leander explained.

“The Alphas will bring all unmated she-wolves. We will host two packs at a time until one of them finds their mate, hopefully sooner rather than later.”

His Beta nodded in understanding, and no one challenged him afterward.

I sent a silent prayer up to the Moon Goddess that either of them found a mate before my father made it here with his pack.

It was very rare to have two Alphas in one pack.

I had heard that Liam and Leon shared a rare bond due to being identical Alpha twins.

This would likely help them run the pack effectively, but I was still curious how two Alphas would manage running a pack together.

Alphas were typically very possessive and harsh.

Sharing wasn’t normally in their vocabulary, let alone a trait that could be witnessed.

Based on Leander's kindness, I assumed his sons were likely raised to be kind, too, but I had yet to meet them.

After the meeting, I was released from duty—temporarily, that is. Leander had asked me to meet him in his office in an hour.

I sat on my bed, trying to decide whether to try to escape, tell him the truth about everything, or play stupid.

Something was up with this Alpha, and I did not want to know what it was. He didn’t seem like the type to abuse his slaves.

Luna Sybil was sweet, and they always seemed desperately in love when they were together, but I trusted no one.

I decided to go with option three.

I steadied my heart rate before knocking on his office door. I jumped slightly when his Beta, Seth, opened the door. He signaled me to come in, which I did reluctantly.

“Sit, Lily,” Leander motioned to the chair in front of his desk. Fuck was my only thought as I sat down.

'Breathe, Lucy, it’s okay,' Nia whispered to me.

This calmed me down a tad.

“Was there something I can help you with, Alpha? Did I not serve properly tonight?”

The questions flew out of my mouth.

I don’t like awkward silence, and this is something he had caught onto, often causing me to say things or ask questions like a babbling fool.

He glanced down at my hands, my fingers fidgeting with each other, a nervous habit. I groaned internally, noticing this.

“You served fine tonight, Lily. I just had some questions, and with my boys coming back soon, I wanted to speak with you about some changes that will be happening,” Leander said calmly. 

I nodded in understanding. When I didn’t say anything else, he proceeded.

“You don’t smell like a rogue so I’m assuming you belong to a pack, this is why I didn’t swear you into our pack. It’s an odd thing for a wolf, a she-wolf nonetheless, to run away from their pack.” Leander didn’t ask a question like I was expecting.

This was a statement that I had not once considered.

The other packs never questioned my scent.

Whether they took notice or not, they didn’t ask or seem to care.

It was like he was reading my thoughts when the next words came out of his mouth.

“I could tell you weren’t a rogue the day I bought you from the Red Paw Pack. That pack is awful. Stuck in the old ways. I assumed after being here for a while, you would ask to go back to your pack. You don’t need to be afraid, Lily. I’m nothing like Alpha Zeak,” Leander stated.

Alpha Zeak was the Alpha of the Red Paw Pack.

The mere thought or mention of him made my stomach turn.

'You need to come up with something, he wants to know what pack you're from,' Lucy whispers frantically.