Raised For The Alpha

Confidence

I watch what the other girls are doing and try to copy them. The drink helps with my confidence. Oisin laughs and tells me that I have ‘liquid courage’ whatever that means, as I dance on the dance floor.

A song I hear him play in his bedroom comes on. Something about being right by your side if these wings could fly but it’s more upbeat and easier to dance to. I sing and sway my hips, holding my arms out as I spin around and feel free.

Oisin laughs as he guides me to spin around and as the track changes and his hands are on my hips, he whispers in my ear ‘I’m so glad I brought you tonight. You look so free. It’s a whole other side to you that I’ve never seen before and I’m so glad I get to witness it.’

I smile as I continue to dance to an unknown song, making up the words and singing the parts which repeat themselves. It’s a whole new side to myself that I’ve ever felt too. At least we can agree on that.

As the night continues and Oisins friends leave one by one, I realise it’s just the two of us left from the group. There may be other wolves here, but the remaining bodies all seem to be human.

This is my chance to get close to him. To prove that I’m not just someone living in his home and I’m worthy of his attention. He takes my hand and pulls me back to what he calls a booth in the VIP area.

I’m about to sit when another fairly familiar song plays. Oisin is sitting as I dance between his legs singing the parts I know. It’s by someone called Coldplay and it’s a song about stars. Oisin sings too and the way he looks at me melts my insides, I can’t help but grin as he smiles back.

I wish he would look at me like this always. I want my lips to touch his. I’m craving it. I want his hands on my body but the next thing I feel isn’t the butterflies in my stomach but something else. Oh no. It’s the contents of my stomach as it tries to make its way out of there and out through my mouth. I turn my head as I cover my mouth.

I manage to swallow the contents back down, which tastes absolutely disgusting and I realise that it’s time for us to leave too. I won’t be putting my lips anywhere near his tonight.

‘Are you okay?’ Oisin asks as he guides me with a hand on my waist. I nod with my hand still over my mouth, afraid the sick might come back up or he might be able to smell it with his strong sense of wolf smell. He just chuckles as we walk back to his car.

The drive home was okay, I had the window open a little for fresh air and fell asleep against the window. I can’t remember much of the drive but I remember the feeling of floating, the feeling of a warm body against mine before I was tucked into bed and my shoes removed. I don't know if I was dreaming or if Oisin carried me inside and tucked me into bed.

When I wake the next morning I find a bottle of water, a bowl of fresh fruit and a pastry next to me with a little note.

Your first time drinking may lead to feeling a little hungover. Make sure you eat something. Father isn't home until this afternoon, so stay in bed until then so that you can feel better. If you feel good when you wake up then maybe you will accompany me on a morning walk? I'll wait in my room for you in case it's something you'd like to do.

I look at the clock in my room. It's already ten thirty and I need to clean up any evidence of the scents on me from the night before. I need to wash my bedding and ensure there is no proof. I wish I could go with him but I'm already so late. I'm usually up at dawn to start my tasks. The other house staff with be so angry with me.

I get up and quickly shower off the scents of Oisin on me, the sweat, the drinks and the other scents of the club. I scrub until my skin feels raw. I throw my clothing from the previous night into the bath and I pound it with my hands, beating shampoo into the clothing to try and disguise the scent. If they are found now then they will think they were left by a girl from the party.

The one thing I didn’t think about is where I’m supposed to dry off these clothes. I can’t hang them in the laundry room as everyone will see. I can’t hang them in my room because Hazel will see. The proof would be there for all to see. Do I just throw them away? Is that ungrateful?

I’m panicking as I walk out of the bathroom with the wet clothing in my hands when I bump into Oisin. I know it’s him as soon as I hit his hard chest. My body hums with electricity when I’m around him and I know his scent. I look up as he smiles and places his hands on my shoulders. ‘What’s the rush?’ He asks me as I panic.

‘I don’t know what to do with the clothes.’ I whisper to him so that nobody else can hear. My room is high up and out of the way in the attic, but the bathroom is a shared facility with all the house staff. He shouldn’t be on this floor.

‘Come with me.’ He whispers as he grabs my arm and pulls me with him. He leads me upstairs. There are five floors in the pack house.

The basement - this is the house staff living quarters including one bathroom to be shared. Everyone has their own bedroom here. The laundry area is also down here. It’s thrown down a chute from a room next to the kitchen and there are washing and drying facilities here. There are steps which lead up to a small yard where laundry can be hung to dry but it’s separate from the gardens.

The first floor - this has a communal living space where people can lounge and watch television, there is an office on this floor, a ballroom, and the kitchen and dining room.

The second floor is where the guest rooms are. There are five in total which are all large with en-suite bathrooms.

The third floor contains four bedrooms and Alpha Magnus's office. These are both in the far right of the house, whereas Oisin's room is further towards the middle. There are stairs between these rooms and then two more rooms on the left side of the stairs.

The guest rooms and the spare bedrooms are cleaned less often than the other rooms as they aren’t used. Alpha Magnus never has guests stay and I overheard him say once that he wants to fill every room in this house with a child. That would be seven children. My womb wanted to close up when I heard him say that.

Oisin pulls me along to the second floor and checks before he hurries me down the corridor and into one of the guest rooms on the far left. ‘What are you doing?’ I whisper to him as he takes a key out of his pocket and opens a door inside what I assumed was a cupboard. He unlocks the lock inside and I see that it’s not a cupboard at all but there are spiralling concrete steps leading up to something.

‘Come on.’ He says as he takes my hand and leads me up the steps. They are tight but we can both fit as I follow behind him. He unlocks another door when we reach the top which opens up into my room.

I look around me, confused. Well, at least if I do fill the rooms with a child then this one will have direct access to me. I’ve never paid attention to the cupboard doors in my room before. I just assumed it was extra storage. ‘Do all the doors in here lead to other rooms?’ I ask him.

‘No. Just this one. The other two are cupboards which store old paperwork and things which belonged to our ancestors. Nothing is interesting in them. I was looking for more of my mother's things but I came across this door.’ He tells me.

I check the outside, hoping there’s a padlock so I can prevent anybody from getting into my room. There isn’t though. There’s no way to stop anybody from coming in.

‘You don’t deserve to stay in this room. You shouldn’t have to shower in shared quarters with the other house staff. You’re supposed to be the future Luna and you’re my friend.’ He says confidentially. I smile at that. I have a friend. My first friend.

‘You can stay in that guest room. It can be your room. Nobody will know. If you ever hear anybody then you can go up to your room before anybody has the chance. Nobody will ever know.’

‘I, I can’t Oisin. What if somebody catches my scent? They will know I’ve been staying in there.’

‘You’re the only one who cleans the guest rooms. Your scent is already in the room. It’s on the other side of the house from my father and a whole other floor. He wouldn’t know. It’s above the ballroom which is only ever unlocked during a special occasion. Nobody would hear your footsteps from below, and when it’s active, the noise is so loud that they still can’t hear. The ceilings are reinforced anyway.’

‘I don’t know Oisin. I appreciate you trying to help me but I’m afraid of being caught.’

‘If you get caught, which you won’t by the way, then I’m prepared to take full responsibility and say I forced you and threatened you.’ He raises his eyebrows and I laugh.

Is this truly happening? Will I get to stay in a proper bed for the first time? I’ll have my own bathroom which I won’t need to share with others. I can take my time. The window looks out into the waterfalls next to a cliff by the forest. Nobody would see me here as it doesn’t overlook the gardens.

‘Why are you doing this?’ I whisper but he just smiles at me and kisses my temple before handing me four keys.

‘This one is for the door to the stairs. Make sure that both doors are locked at all times. It fits both doors. This small one is for your armoire and drawers. If anybody comes in then they won’t find your clothes.’ He says this like I have an entire range of clothing to choose from. ‘This one is for the bathroom so you can lock it whilst you’re inside. This one here is for the main door into the room. Keep everything locked’

He walks out before I can ask questions and I check all of the keys, finding that my armoire does contain clothes and shoes. My drawers contain new underwear garments and nightwear, my dressing table has makeup and a hairbrush. The bathroom contains new soaps and other toiletries.

He’s done all of this for me. Why? Why would he do this?