The Alpha and His Queen

t w o

The scent of lavender fills my room, followed by a strong gust of cold winter air billowing my wine colored curtains. Despite the snow falling, I still insisted on having my balcony open. The view of the kingdom blanketed with white soft snow is far too breathtaking. 

“You look as beautiful as the moon.” My mother says in my ear as she brushes my obsidian hair back. She has managed to tame my usually unruly hair, detangling it and creating a waterfall like curls fall down my back. Mom smoothed the strands until my hair gleamed in the light. 

“All thanks to you.” I say, smiling at her through the mirror. “I can never do what you do. Your work is like magic.” 

She smiled back, her own curtain of hair perfectly done. I always thought of my mom as the most beautiful woman in the world. Maybe I was biased but don’t all daughters think their mothers like their own personal Goddesses? Well into her forties, she still managed to look ethereal with her beauty. “You have Kat to thank for that. Years and years of her constant nagging has made me learn to do this.”  

“You know dad is purposely separating Kaleb and I.” I blurted out. 

My mother takes her time to answer, busying herself with my hair. “Your dad is being careful.” 

I let out a snort. “Of Kaleb?” 

She gave me a long stare. “Of what you two aren’t supposed to do.”  

Sighing dispassionately, I attempt to face her but she keeps me in place. “I’ve been told about the eel and the cave. We won’t do it.” 

“You mean the birds and the bees.” My mother corrected with a small laugh. 

I furrow my eyebrows. “I thought it was an eel.”  

She waves away the conversation. “Whatever it was, it’s not that. You two are very close to the age where mates are being found. Your closeness might cause complications.” 

“You agree with imprinting.” The entire werewolf kingdom knew of my mother’s forced imprint with my father’s brother. It wasn’t her fault as it wasn’t her choice but she still felt something for my late uncle Ronan. She never… judged him or Kyle and Kat. To her, imprinting was just another choice someone made.  

“I don’t see the wrong in it but that doesn’t mean your father is the same.” My mother wisely says. 

I had nothing to say to that. Instead, I focus my eyes on the winter happening outside.  

“I’ll have the maids come shortly to help you pack.” Mom says, breaking the silence. She gestures to my room. “And to have your room cleaned. By the Goddess, Liz, when was the last time you cleaned this place?” 

“Sorry, mom. My bad.” I gave an apologetic smile. I’ve been so busy the past few weeks my room has basically been a dumping ground of dirty clothes and scattered paperwork. I barely slept here too. The library became my new bedroom. When clean, my actual room is quite nice. Equipped with a vast sitting room with its clutch of chairs and divans which were upholstered in a rich coffee brown color, elegant designs picked out in darker threads. Tapestries and paintings hung along the walls, leaving spaces in between for golden sconces. A small study is wedged between the low couches. The desk was cluttered and a mess. Bookshelves were abundant in my room and in disarray. Some opened while others almost hung off the sides.  

My bedchamber is a lot cleaner as it hasn’t been used in a couple of weeks. There’s a massive four poster bed pushed against one wall near the floor to ceiling windows. Sheer drapes of cream and gold fell gracefully from a canopy hook, twining about the posts before fluttering to the plush carpet. My bedspread is in a deep grey tucked around the thick feather mattress, gold embroidery sprawling out elegant designs along the cover. The fireplace on the other side of the wall is surrounded by another collection of chairs and couches. 

A door stood open across the way, leading to my dressing room and bath. From where we sat, I could see my wardrobe which had countless gowns, dresses and ceremonial clothes. The edge of a large bronze bathtub can be seen as well. It was still sopping wet from my long soak.  

“Do you think it’s Kaleb?” I quietly question, my words coming out as more of a whisper. “Do you think he’s… it?” 

Neither confirming or denying, my mother faced me, her expression passionate. “I think whoever it is, he will knock you off your feet.” 

As a child, I always pestered my mom for what it would be like and I would always compare it to what I feel for Kaleb. “Is that what it feels like?” 

She thought about it long and hard. I can see from the way my mother looked that she’s remembering the day she met my dad. “It feels… it will feel right. A jolt of perfection. Like you can finally breathe.”  

“I can breathe.” I argue determinedly. It has to be Kaleb. It has to be. 

My mother gives me a soft yet secretive smile. “Not like you will when you meet him.”  

She gives me a kiss on the forehead before whispering her goodnight. I stare at my reflection, taking deep breaths. Was this not breathing? Was this— 

Without even a knock, the door to my room opens, the handle slamming on the wall. A distressed Kaleb with eyes so caramel it looked to be melting came right in. His floppy hair is even floppier with how many times he must have ran his hands through it. Still, my best friend manages to look like a prince straight out of a fairytale book. I hope he didn’t hear how much my chest started beating faster or how my breath hitches with just the sight of him. “Tell me you’re not going.”  

I roll my eyes at him. “Okay, I’m not.”  

He groans, coming to lean against the table I’m using as he blocks the mirror from my view and effectively making his muscular arms stand out. “Are you sure I can’t come?” 

I pry my eyes away from his biceps, feeling myself go slightly red. “Yes. I’ll be with your father though. That’s fine right? You don’t have to worry.” 

Kaleb wanted to say more. It was written across his face so plainly for all to see but he holds it back as we were always trained to do. The kingdom and our duties always come first. Personal lives… the things we want come last. Always.  

“How about a movie?” I offer, pointing to the bed and the nearby shelf filled with our movie collection.  

He let out a defeated breath and wheezed a pained chuckle. “Like the good old days.” 

“Nothing has changed, Kaleb. Nothing at all. You’re my Beta. You will always be my Beta.” I reassured in a small voice, hoping he understood that whatever happens between us, we will forever be each other’s comfort. Because that’s what the two of us are. Comfort. Familiarity. Safety.

Kaleb stares at me for a long time before smiling and ducking down to my mattress. “Do you have my favorite under your bed?” 

I roll my eyes pulling out the basket from our recent grocery run. “Of course. I always have your favorite. What do you take me for?”

“A forgetful cheap girl.” He says without hesitation.  

I resist the urge to smack him on the back of the head. Instead, I take a large tub of his favorite frosting from the basket. I take off the lid and dunk my finger in the cool sugary cake frosting. “You what my favorite is?” 

Kaleb scoffs like I’ve offended him deeply. “Obviously-“ 

I don’t let him finish and swipe my finger full of frosting across his face. 

He shouts in protest, gaping at me as he tries to wipe the frosting off. “Liz, the bed! Your mother will kill you! What are you doing?” 

I take another swipe at him with the frosting, giggling like crazy. Suddenly, we were little kids again with no responsibilities. “My favorite.”  

With a surprised shriek, Kaleb takes my hand and swiftly tries to squish it on my face.  

“Kaleb!” I scream, trying to push him away.  

We have a mini food fight on my bed and only stop when the tub of frosting is completely empty. We’re equally dirty and in desperate need of a bath.

Busy rubbing myself off, I don’t notice Kaleb reach for my cheek with his index finger. I look up and he grins, wiping off some frosting from my face.  

Kaleb brings it to his mouth and sucks on his finger. “Yummy.” The gesture made my heart want to jump out of my chest. “Maybe I have a new favorite.” 

The laughter dies in my chest. That wasn’t fair. He wasn’t making it fair. This was a dangerous path that we found ourselves in. I recognized it instantly… the intensity in his eyes and his words.  

I never meant to fall in love with Kaleb but I did anyway… we did. He’s my rock. My constant. I so desperately want him to be my mate but there’s a chance he wasn’t. A big chance.

It tore my heart apart.

“Why can’t we choose who we love?” I whisper to him in the eerie silence of my room. 

Kaleb's expression was unreadable. “We can.” He said hopefully. “There’s imprinting.” 

I didn’t want to think about imprinting. “That’s a last resort.”  

“Don’t make it sound like that.” He almost whimpered out. “Imprinting has been more common over the years. Mates are quickly becoming the last option. Did you see the statistics on the last report? Almost thirty five percent of the kingdom is already opting for imprints.” 

“That data isn’t accurate. Most of the people that chose imprints have never met their mates.” I tell him honestly, having studied the data thoroughly. “Would you honestly tell me you’d choose an imprint when you’ve already met your mate?”  

Kaleb stares into my eyes. “Yes. If my mate isn’t you, I’d choose to imprint.”

I took a quick intake of breath in surprise. The thing is… I didn’t know if I’d choose the same.