Working for the Alpha

3.Donovan

Donovan

The morning had not gone as planned.

It had all started, really, a few days earlier when I received the surprise resume in my inbox. I hadn't realized that I had posted the job listing for my personal assistant on the general internet, not just the internal server used by the pack. As soon as I discovered the mistake, I took it down, but the damage had been done. The resume was sitting in my inbox within minutes of the ad going live. Colin told me to delete and forget about it. Instead, I printed it and memorized every word.

It made no sense. I had no reason to contact her, she had no business being here, but I found myself sending the email, inviting her to interview for the position. With the speed in which she submitted her resume, it should've been no surprise that she readily agreed to meet me. The three days that followed were slow torture.

I couldn't concentrate on anything but the resume I still had tucked in my top drawer. Sleep eluded me as the beast within seemed to pace frantically, unable to settle down. For the first time in my life, I felt torn in two. On one side, my humanity- logical, sensible, intelligent. The other side, my beast, was savage, instinctual, brutal. The two aspects of my personality had always worked in harmony, but now I felt as though I was being pulled in two directions, and I wasn't sure meeting the strange woman was such a good idea after all.

Then, just to rub salt in the already raw wound, the morning of our interview, my coffee maker quit on me. Being sleep-deprived made me more reliant on caffeine to kick me into gear, and I stood in my kitchen staring at the silent machine like I wanted to resurrect it just for the joy of killing it myself.

With a heavy sigh, I weighed my options. I could, of course, go downstairs to the pack cafeteria for my much needed espresso. But, that would inevitably lead to the line giving way so I could be served first. I hated the imperialism of it. No one understood why it bothered me so much. Yes, I was the Alpha, but I could still wait in line like everyone else. I was still just a man.

This was why I needed an assistant. Well, one reason anyway.

My father had been everything I hated. Imposing his will on the entire pack, taking whatever he wanted, feeling entitled to the best without caring who it hurt to get it. He was overbearing, callous, even cruel. He held onto power in a tight grip, always looking at those around him with suspicion, assuming, perhaps rightfully so, that they were always conspiring against him. His power-hungry ways and fearful nature nearly wrecked the entire pack.

It had actually been my Uncle Seamus who had taught me what a real Alpha was. Patiently teaching me about controlling myself, leading with compassion, and putting more value in justice than in power. It had taken time, and a lot of effort, but shortly after my 20th birthday, I challenged my father and won the right to lead the pack. The years that followed were not easy. In addition to trying to save the pack from ruin, I had to face challengers on a regular basis, defending my new title against seasoned warriors, some of whom were better fighters than I had been. Still, my Alpha blood gave me strength, and my knowledge that the pack deserved a leader that would put the needs of the people above his own spurred me on. It didn't take long for my reputation as a fierce warrior to grow. Harder by far was to show compassion and fairness to those who had challenged me in the first place.

It wasn't until Colin had nearly bested me that things began to change. I don't know how long the fight lasted, hours at least, but I had nothing left. I thought that was it, I had failed, let my pack down. But then he sank to his knees, bared his neck, and swore allegiance to me as the true Alpha of the Crescent Moon Pack.

He'd been by my side as my best friend and Beta ever since.

The two of us were a formidable force, and it wasn't long until the challenges slowed and we were able to work to bring the pack back from the brink of disaster. Since then, our reputation had bloomed and we were ranked among the strongest in the territory.

But, all that success came with a price.

I had decided early that I wasn't interested in having a relationship with anyone until I found my true mate- the woman the Goddess herself made for me. Unfortunately, I still had needs that needed to be met. Denying my inner beast the release of our baser desires only made me short-tempered and led to bad decisions. At the same time, I found that working the long hours necessary to making the pack financially solvent meant I was neglecting other needs like eating and sleeping. So, I created the position of a personal assistant- someone who was paid to satisfy any and all of my needs whenever I called on her.

At first, the unmated women in the pack were more than happy to fulfill the role for no other reason than the chance to sleep with the Alpha. It soon became apparent that the position had an even bigger benefit, however. Being by my side meant my assistant was exposed to a wider circle of people, including other packs. I'd never had an assistant last more than six months before stumbling on her fated mate. In fact, my last assistant had lasted less than two months. I was happy for them, even if I did feel a twinge of jealousy from time to time. It was good for the pack, too. Half the time, the new mate would join our pack and we'd gained some very valuable and talented pack members along the way.

The system had worked well until I saw Serissa Carter's resume. I couldn't get her off my mind, and it was infuriating. She was human! I was beginning to think Colin was right and I'd fully lost my mind. I'd almost called off the interview several times, but couldn't bring myself to actually follow through for reasons I couldn't understand.

And then she didn't even show up.

Nine o'clock came and went with no word from Becca at the front desk that my human was here and ready to unwittingly enter a den of wolves.

Perhaps it was for the best, I told myself repeatedly, staring at the clock as the seconds ticked further and further away from a strange fantasy.