Who Will Be My First?
1923 Words
*Rose*
In the chaos after the race, I learn nothing. I have no idea who the winner is. I don’t know the order the Alphas have finished, and no one can tell me what is happening.
Alpha King Gene claps his hands frantically, clearly happy with the outcome, though I don’t know what it is.
How does he know? Maybe he doesn’t care either.
He stands to congratulate all four of the Alphas, who are still in their wolf forms, on a great race and then says, “Thank you, everyone, for coming out!” and the crowd begins to disperse.
I stand, dumbfounded, still at a loss for words.
What is happening??
“Well, that was exciting!” Shelby says, grabbing hold of my arm. “To think, they all finished within one second of one another! They must have all been trying so hard to win!”
I think of what that other girl said behind me. Or trying really hard to lose….
Shelby leads me back toward the castle, but there’s such a crowd around us, and I feel stupid telling her I don’t know who the winner is.
I still can’t figure out how everyone else seems to know.
As we walk back to the castle, I hear some villagers discussing it. “I swear, it was Alpha Tristan!” the man says.
“No, no, he was a full step behind Alpha Eli!” his wife protests.
So perhaps I am not the only one in the dark.
Shelby is chattering on about the clothes everyone else is wearing, mentioning names of people I don’t know. “Gladys looked nice in that pink dress, but her hair was a mess. And then there was Syble. What was she thinking? White shoes? It’s way past Workers’ Day.”
I nod, hoping we get a chance to be alone for me to ask her what is happening, but the crowds are busy with servants scurrying around, in a rush to prepare for… something.
I don’t get a chance to ask her before we reach my room, and then, as we are standing at the door, she says, “Well, I have to go. I’ll be back later, though.”
“But–” I stammer.
“I’m sorry,” she says. “It’s just… I have to go help Adam with preparations for dinner tonight. He hates that sort of thing.” She rolls her eyes.
“Dinner?” I repeat.
“Yes, you’re having dinner with the king and all of the Alphas. And then… well, I suppose you’ll find out what your first man’s plans are.” She winks at me, and I feel my stomach tighten up.
Could I be expected to sleep with one of these Alphas tonight?
I don’t even know who won!
“But Shelby,” I protest.
“Don’t worry. I know he looks intimidating, but he’s very sweet. He’ll take care of you.” She smiles reassuringly at me and takes a few steps away.
“Who?” I ask her.
She laughs. “Very funny, Rose. As if you’re not all in a tizzy over this. I know I would be.” She mouths, “He’s hot!” and spins around to leave.
Sighing, I walk into my room. Vienna is there, waiting for me, her eyes wide. “Who won?” she asks me.
“I don’t know!” I fall face-first into the bed.
“Miss Rose, if you don’t wish to tell me, that’s fine. I was only wondering what shade of gown to put you in for the dinner.”
I grumble into the bedspread. “I really don’t know!”
“What?” she asks.
Flopping over like a fish out of water, I explain. “The race was very close, and everyone leaped up in front of the finish line. I honestly don’t know how anyone knows who won!”
She smiles at me. “Well, we will just have to go with a neutral color, then, one not associated with any of the packs.”
“The packs have colors?” I ask reticintly, worried about sounding ignorant.
“No, but the Alphas have favorites. It’s fine.”
“How do you know the Alphas’ favorite colors?” I can’t help but ask.
She shrugs. “It’s part of my job. I know their favorite scents as well.” Her smile is bright, and she seems proud of herself. As she should be.
I have several hours before I have to get ready for dinner, so I spend much of the day trying to occupy my mind. I don’t want to think about the Alphas, and I don’t want to think about my family.
Here, I have time to read, which is something I always enjoyed at home but never had a spare minute for, so I curl up in a chair and lose myself in a book. I decide on a steamy romance I found on the bookshelf. It makes sense that I would read that. Perhaps I will find some tips.
It’s all rather explicit, though, and by the time I’m through the second s*x scene, my face is red, my heart is pounding, and I’m thinking, “I can never do that!”
But I read on. This is my future!
At about 5:00 in the evening, Vienna suggests I go take a bath. She runs the tub for me, and eventually, I go in, locking the door behind me in case Shelby shows back up.
While I am in there, alone, I make a little inspection of my own parts. I’m not sure I have all of the nubs and buds and whatnot I’ve read about in the book. I feel grossly uninformed when it comes to my own anatomy.
When I get out of the tub, I am not any more prepared than I was going in.
But Vienna gets me all made up in a beautiful silver gown. She and a few other maids come in to do my hair and makeup. I look really pretty–for me–and the maids are all kind enough to tell me how “ravishing” and “gorgeous” I am. I wonder if I will get any food stuck in the gap between my teeth or if my nose will get in the way when the Alpha tries to kiss me.
A couple of hours after the preparations begin, there’s a knock at the door. My breath catches in my throat. Time sure has flown by. Is it really so late in the day already?
What if it’s him? What if it’s my Alpha?
Vienna pulls the door open to reveal Beta Adam. “Good evening, Miss Rose,” he says. “I’m here to escort you to dinner.”
“Oh,” I say, trying not to sound disappointed. “Where’s Shelby?”
“She’s… late,” he says, closing his eyes.
“Okay,” I say, not wanting to poke the bear.
“I didn’t want you to be late, too.”
I can only assume they’ve argued about this before he left her to come get me.
“Well, I’m ready,” I say. I lift my gown with both hands as I walk toward him, afraid I might otherwise trip.
Beta Adam takes my arm, and the two of us walk in silence to the dining hall. I am certainly not asking him any questions about the Alpha. He doesn’t seem like a chit-chatty kind of guy.
When we arrive, Adam pulls a chair out for me on one side of the king. His Majesty greets me, and I try to keep my heart from beating out of my chest. I am near the center of a huge table where hardly anyone else is sitting. Yet.
Adam leaves, I presume to go back and get his wife.
A few minutes later, more people begin to pour in, and my eyes fall on the handsome face of the blond Alpha–Mark–as he pulls out the chair next to me.
“Good evening, Miss Rose,” he says to me after he has already greeted the king.
“Hello,” I say. I can hardly get the word out.
The rest of the guests come streaming in, and almost immediately, someone says to Mark, “Congrats on winning the race Alpha,” and I bite back my shock.
He is the winner!
That means, the handsome man sitting next to me gets to claim me first…. My hand trembles as I pick up my fork to start the first course.
The other Alphas are seated right across from me, so I could speak to all of them–if I could speak at all. But I remain quiet for most of the meal because no words will come out of my mouth no matter how hard I try to force them. I am too nervous.
Besides, on the other side of King Gene, Beta Adam, and Shelby, sits Emily, the king’s cousin, and she will not stop talking.
She and I are going to continue to have major issues.
“You look so handsome tonight, Eli,” Emily says seductively. I can’t see her, but I see how the Alpha responds.
“Why thank you, Emily,” Alpha Eli says, smiling at her politely.
Kelly, who is sitting right next to her brother, looks almost as annoyed as I do. I remember how much I liked that girl when I first met her.
As dinner goes on, Mark tries to speak to me, but all I can give him is a bunch of one-word answers.
“How do you like it here?” he asks me.
“Fine,” I say, not lifting my face to look at him.
“Do you miss your family?” he wants to know.
“No,” I say. It’s true, but he might think I’m not a nice person.
“You’re not close to your parents?” he inquires.
“No.” Is that the only word I’m capable of speaking?
He nods his head. “Me neither,” he says, and it’s nice to know I’m not alone.
Rather than asking me questions, he begins to talk about his life back at Rapids pack. I’d much rather listen to his smooth voice than try to talk to him.
Dessert is delivered too quickly. He tells me about his younger brother while I poke at my cake, and then, when the plates are taken up, he says, “Are you ready to get out of here?” and flashes me a dazzling smile.
I can’t say no, but my heart is beating out of my chest as I look at him and slowly nod.
I can’t believe the moment is here–and I’m about to give my virginity to a man I’ve just met! My hands continue to shake as I prepare to stand.
His smile widens. “Great. I thought I’d never get you alone.”
He gets up and takes my hand, and we say goodnight to the king. We back away from the king and then, nearing the door, as we turn to walk away, I see Emily glaring at me. She lifts a hand and rubs her nose, and I feel my insides begin to scramble.
All I can think about is… what if my giant nose gets in the way?
- Writer
