Under The Alpha's Protection

Chapter 1: The Beginning

Blue Emmetson liked feeling useful.

She supposed it was one of the reasons why she liked working at the Community Clinic for Werewolves, even when she herself was a human.

It didn't matter what she was doing; whether it was taking a new patient's medical history, stitching up superficial wounds, sorting medical supplies into proper storage compartments, sterilizing surfaces, even mopping—Blue loved doing all of it. She loved being able to help the werewolves that entered through the clinic's doors, and she loved learning new things from Doctor Oswin Holloway.

"If my brother calls and asks for me, tell him I'm busy with a patient," Oswin grunted as he settled onto his desk chair.

Bracket Town's Community Clinic for Werewolves was not large by any means, but it was at least spacious enough for more than five patients to comfortably sit in the reception area at a time while waiting for their turn in the examination or treatment rooms. Doctor Oswin's office doubled as the consultation room.

Straightening her back from where she was cleaning the white tiles, Blue glanced at the wall clock in the consultation room. "It's already fifteen past six, doc. Your brother's going to know you're not seeing any other patients."

Oswin Holloway shook his head. "No, no, this is my younger brother, Deether."

Blue tilted her head, recognizing the name. "The one who sent that gold watch because he thought it'd cheer you up after your girlfriend broke up with you?"

"Yes, that brother. He has no idea we close at five." Oswin twiddled with a sheet of paper on his desk. "He doesn't even remember what my major in college was."

The nurse, a receptionist, and a medical technician who worked with Doctor Oswin had already gone home for the day. Technically, the janitor was hired so that Blue didn't have to clean up after hours, but Blue sent the woman home because it was her daughter's birthday.

Blue placed the wet mop back into its bucket, keeping hold of the handle. "Why are you avoiding his call?"

Oswin Holloway had hung up his white coat behind his swivel chair, leaving him in a slightly wrinkled salmon-colored dress shirt. His dark hair, meticulously styled when he first arrived at six-thirty a.m., now fell over his forehead from a whole day of meeting and treating patients. "Deether graduates college in a week, and he wants to go to Hawaii to celebrate. The rest of my family's all going, but I can't because nobody will cover for me here. Not that I want to go," Oswin snorted, leaning back and closing his eyes with a deep breath. "It's just going to be days of me babysitting Deether because that little alpha can't hold his damn liquor."

Blue smiled in amusement. Oswin's stories about his family were always a hoot. "I'm sure you could find another physician, or maybe reschedule some of the treatments while you're gone. It's Hawaii."

"Already been a bunch of times before." Oswin peeked an eye open with a frown. "Did that sound like I was bragging?"

Oswin Holloway had every right to brag. The beta physician came from a wealthy family, they're the ones who actually funded the construction of this clinic. Originally, the Holloway family all lived outside of the state, but Oswin had moved here eight years ago because he wanted to oversee the clinic, worried that werewolves who could not afford treatment from anywhere else might not receive quality healthcare.

"Nah," Blue shook her head. "You should take a vacation, doc. The last time you had someone cover for you while you took a vacation leave was Christmas last year, and it's already August."

Oswin Holloway waved away Blue's suggestion. Blue couldn't even keep pushing without looking like a hypocrite. She liked working in the clinic just as much as the physician. "Go and finish what you insisted on doing so you could make it in time for that dinner date you told me about."

Blue's eyes widened. "Oh, shoot."

"What, you forgot it was tonight?"

Letting the mop balance against the wall, Blue took out her phone. She was met with her blurry reflection on her phone's black screen, her long hair pulled into a high, truly messy bun. "No, didn't forget it was tonight," she mumbled, opening her text messages. "I forgot to text back."

As Blue composed a reply to the message she'd gotten an hour ago, he heard the beta snort at her. "I can tell you have no deep feelings for this boy, whoever he is. When my girlfriend and I were in our honeymoon phase, I couldn't stop talking to her. Either in person or online."

No, Blue did not have feelings for this boy because the individual she was meeting was a girl. "She's a friend, doc. And she rarely visits Bracket Town," Blue said. She nearly startled when her phone vibrated in her hands with an immediate answer to the text she sent just ten seconds ago.

"Is she a human like you?"

"No, she's a werewolf."

"Unaffiliated? Or from one of the four Packs?"

Blue paused from typing, looking up. Oswin Holloway waited in anticipation. The beta physician was unaffiliated himself, his entire family was. The physician didn't care much about the werewolf Packs in Clawsbrought State, giving medical care to any werewolf who needed it. But it must be interesting for Oswin to know that Blue had a friend who was a werewolf.

"She said she was from the Northern Pack."

Oswin's brows raised to his hairline. "Huh."

As someone who knew little besides the basic knowledge about the four Packs of Clawsbrought State, Blue had no idea why Oswin Holloway would give such a reaction. Or any reaction at all.

-----

Werewolves constituted only a small percent of their country's population.

The majority of werewolves were in Asia, where Oswin Holloway also hailed from. There were more laws protecting werewolves' rights there, and they were allowed to work freely in any industry amongst humans. Unlike here, werewolves in Asia were generally more integrated with modern society.

In Clawsbrought State, there were Packs in the Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western territories, all surrounding the Neutral Territory—where people like Blue resided.

Werewolves were allowed into Neutral Territory, of course. There was also no law that stated they couldn't live in the towns, so long as they and their whole family were unaffiliated. The werewolves that belonged to Packs visited sometimes, but they rarely stayed in Neutral Territory for too long. Mostly because it would be a whole spectacle if any human found out that a Pack werewolf was in Neutral Territory, and no Pack werewolf wanted to risk that.

Laia Steele seemed to be the only exception.

She had picked their spot for tonight: a diner that was walking distance from the clinic where she knew Blue worked at. The diner was open 24/7, which meant there was always a variety of customers whenever Blue stepped inside the doors lined with neon LED lights.

Sitting at a booth for two, Laia Steele blended in seamlessly with the humans and unaffiliated werewolves surrounding her. Their eyes met, and the alpha grinned and waved at Blue like it's been forever since they last saw each other, when really it had only been a week.

When Blue sat down across from Laia, she pouted. "I thought you would cancel at the last minute, I was worried when you didn't answer."

Blue smiled sheepishly. "I'm so sorry, I got caught up at the clinic. I hope you weren't waiting here for too long?"

Laia tucked black strands behind her ear, smiling to let Blue know her apology was easily accepted. "I only got here ten minutes before you did. I had to run around town to get a bunch of things." She placed her elbows on the table, her arms covered with a lightweight jacket on top of a grey bodysuit. Leaning closer towards Blue, she asked, "How have you been?"

"I've been really good," Blue said, copying her stance. Like Laia, Blue was also wearing a jacket; one made of thick denim to fend off the winds that got stronger at night. The question sounded like small-talk, but it didn't feel like that to Blue. It was comfortable between them. They've been friends for over a year now. "I'm almost finished with the ginormous book Doctor Holloway gave me about providing basic clinical aid."

"What were you studying last?" Laia looked genuinely curious. She always was when it came to Blue's life, probably because Blue was the only human friend she had.

While the girl seated in front of Blue was friendly and charming—not to mention beautiful—Blue wouldn't be too surprised if no other humans were too eager to be close with Laia Steele due to her being an alpha werewolf.

"Minor fingernail and toenail problems."

Laia grimaced. "Ew."

Blue laughed at the face she made. "You listened to me rant about a patient who had constipation last time we had dinner together, and you didn't even bat an eye!"

"But fingernails and toenails though?" Laia was trying hard not to laugh as well. "You know they're disgusting naturally, but it doesn't make sense that they could be so horribly disgusting."

Pressing her lips together, Blue nodded solemnly. "I understood that, weirdly enough."

A pause.

They both giggled.

Laia Steele had waltzed right into the Community Clinic for Werewolves a year ago. She had shorter hair back then, but had the same confidence she still held herself with today. When Blue had told her they only did check-ups on patients who made appointments through the clinic's website, Laia had booked the next appointment available on her phone, on the spot, then came back four hours later, smiling the same way she had the first time.

She chatted with Blue for about an hour while waiting for her turn with Doctor Oswin Holloway, and their conversations had flowed easily back then, same as now. Before leaving the clinic, Laia had been the one to ask if Blue wanted to keep in touch as friends. They had exchanged numbers, and while Laia had never gone back to the clinic for another routine check-up, she had kept frequent contact with Blue, sending random text messages and invitations to grab a bite whenever she was in Bracket Town.

While waiting for their food, Blue and Laia talked about whatever came to mind. Laia rambled about how her shopping day went, and how she had arrived at the Blooming Bakery thirty minutes before they were supposed to close because she got caught up looking at newborn things humans used for their babies. She told Blue the cookies she bought at the bakery were for an omega friend, but she had also bought one box for her older brother.

Laia didn't speak much about her older brother. Blue didn't even think she remembered the man's name. Landon? Luke? All Blue was certain of was that Laia's brother was in his thirties, and was also an alpha.

Before Blue could clarify, Laia had already switched the topic.

That happened too many times to be a coincidence. Blue had gathered that Laia didn't want to talk about her family (specifically, her older brother), or maybe she wasn't comfortable talking about her family here.

In any case, Blue didn't want to pry anyway.

They finished their greasy (but delicious) food, and Blue told Laia she'd pay their bill since she took an hour to confirm their dinner plans and felt bad. Laia bickered with her for only a few seconds before Blue busted out the pouty lips and wide eyes, and Laia caved instantly.

They walked out of the diner, and Blue was once again reminded of how much taller Laia was than her. Blue was five-foot-four (last time she checked at the clinic). Laia, standing, measured six-feet tall. If Laia's beauty didn't warrant second looks, her height definitely did. Being an alpha meant she was taller than the average female.

Laia always rode a motorcycle to town. It looked vintage, and was painted in all black. Blue had asked about it one time, and all Laia said was that it had belonged to her father. "Thank you for not cancelling. I had a nice time," she said as Blue walked her to her ride. "Are you sure I can't give you a lift home?"

Blue shook her head, pointing down the street. "My apartment's only a couple of blocks down that way."

"But the sun's nearly going down," The alpha pointed out. "Sure you don't wanna hop on? It's no big deal. The motorcycle's safe, I promise!"

That was worry coating Laia's words. Alphas were more naturally protective over the ones they cared about, and it did fill Blue with warmth knowing Laia genuinely worried about her. "Thank you, Laia. Both for tonight and for the offer. I am really fine though."

Laia looked, ironically, like a dejected puppy, her sharp features morphing into a frown. "Okay, if you insist. I'll text you again when I'm in town?"

"Looking forward to it," Blue grinned. "Take care on your way home."

Laia hugged her, and Blue tucked her chin on the alpha's shoulder (because of the height difference). "You too, Blue-pixie." Blue-pixie. The nickname she'd given Blue, which Blue didn't mind. Blue didn’t have one for Laia, and the werewolf said she liked it better that way.

Blue knew a lot about about scents and how sensitive werewolves were to them, and was fully prepared to give Laia some space because of it. But Blue had discovered a few months after she and Laia started hanging out that the female alpha didn't mind getting close and hugging her—not even if a tiny bit of her scent was left on her clothes.

As Laia took off, her long legs straddling the motorcycle, Blue waved the alpha off with a hand holding onto the strap of her backpack. She watched Laia smoothly glide down the narrow street that led to the main road.

Blue began to walk down the sidewalk, ready to head back to her small apartment and shower the day’s exhaustion away.

Her eyes, which had been previously on his sneakers, snapped upwards.

She felt someone looking at him.

Glancing around, she saw many people coming and going from the diner she had just left. There was an apartment complex not far from here, and a small grocery store at the other end of the street.

It could have been a bunch of people who just happened to glance over at Blue, but her senses had become alert, as if someone was directly watching her.

Trying to convince herself that she was being slightly paranoid because the sky was getting darker, Blue went home with the hair on the back of her head raised.