Secret Alpha

Chapter 6

“f*****g bastard,” I mutter under my breath as I try my best to insert the contact lenses for my second day of school. You would figure that after a year of this, it should be easier by now. Since I only put them in when I leave the house – which is not often – I still struggle a lot of times. My bright, purple eyes are now again an icy blue.

I slip on jeans, boots and a hoody, but this time I remove the sleeves. It is too damn hot. With my backpack over my shoulder, I grab my helmet and keys for my Harley Davidson. Mom wanted to drive me again to school, but I refused. I am eighteen, I do not need to hold someone’s hand. Yesterday was a once-off deal in any case and I only did it for her sake and peace of mind.

I love my Harley – it is the next best thing if Storm and I cannot run. I got up earlier this morning and went for our run and I will have to run again with Emily after school.

At school, I find a parking spot and make my way to my locker. And that is when I smell it again – rain.

“He’s here, he’s here.” Storm is almost beside herself with excitement.

“I see him, his locker is six down from ours. Holy f**k, he is gorgeous.” Panic is filling me. He is talking to another guy, laughing at something. His green eyes sparkling and his magnificent face alive with laughter. He puts a book away and I drool at the sight of his muscles rippling through his shirt by the movement. Suddenly he stops and a small frown settles between his eyes before he starts looking around. Oh s**t! If I am aware of him, he will be aware of me. I do not want to see him like this. I am not vain or anything, but honestly. Every girl wants to look her best when she meets her mate. Without pondering about it, I turn on my heels and get out of there as fast as I can without running full speed.

“Alex, you’re wearing contacts, we can meet him now.” Storm sounds pissed off at me.

“Yeah, sure. I am also dressed as a boy and pretending to be a boy. You really want to take the risk of being rejected?”

“He will not do that. He’s our mate.”

“You really want to risk it? Because I will if you want.”

“No … no, rather not. This is so unfair.”

“I know, Storm. I am sorry.” I actually really am sorry. I do want to meet him. I want to experience the love and companionship of the mate bond like Mom and Dave. Sure, I will not admit it to anyone out loud, but I do. I want it and that is the reason I am holding back. I do not want to lose it before I have it.

After a small eternity, I walk back to my locker. Making sure from a distance that my mate is nowhere in sight. I release my breath in relief when he is not there, and I manage to get to class in time.

I make sure to meet up with Nathan in the cafeteria at lunch.

“You’re wearing contacts,” I whisper in a conspiracy manner and smile. “Do you feel less self-conscious now?”

“Yes, I do, thank you.” We are sitting and I am answering his one hundred and one questions about Starry River when the faint smell of fresh rain tickles my nose again. My mate is sitting at a table surrounded by people. Everybody is laughing and chatting, except my mate. He is sitting there frowning, looking at every single female. I hate that he is looking at other girls. He is mine.

“Who’s that guy over there?” I ask Nathan. I do not care if he finds it odd that I am asking about another guy. I must find out more about him, otherwise, I will go insane. “Seems like everyone is having a good time but him.”

“That is Logan, only son of Alpha Lucas from the Blue Moon Peak and our future alpha. The reason he is looking so pissed is that he can sense his mate, but he cannot find her.”

Oh.My.Word. My mate is the future alpha of Blue Moon Peak. Politics immediately start running through my head. Romantic, I know, but bear with me. If Logan and I do complete the mating process, it will strengthen the alliance between Blue Moon Peak and Starry River, which is perfect for us. But if William knows about me and Logan, he might get it into his head to kill Logan or attack Blue Moon to avoid a union between us. Blue Moon might have the numbers, but William is devious. Point is, that I cannot reveal my true identity to anybody. Now more than ever.

“If he can sense her, why can’t she sense him? Make the search easier for him?”

“Well, either she’s avoiding him, or she hasn’t shifted yet and can’t sense her mate,”

“Well, I hope she’s worth the search,” I smirk, trying my best to seem like I do not care.

“I feel sorry for him. It must be hell to be so close but yet so far from the one person on this planet that has the ability to complete your life.” Nathan gets up and gathers his things. “I’ll see you later, I’ve been selected as a warrior and have extra training.”

“Congratulations, that’s awesome.”

He just smiles and waves as he leaves, and I am partly relieved about it. I am too stuck in my own drama. It is taking every inch of self-control not to get up and drop myself into Logan’s lap, whispering sweet nothings of comfort in his ear. I desperately want to remove that frown from his face.

“We are hurting him, Alex. It is wrong.”

“I know, Storm. I will think of something, I promise.”

Just then a girl walks past me, and I jump up to stop her. I suddenly have an idea that just might work.

“Excuse me,” I put my hand on her arm and she looks at me and then at my hand. She is definitely a human because a she-wolf would have immediately growled at me for invading her space like this. Quickly I remove my hand and smile apologetically. “I’m sorry, I just want to ask a question.”

“I’m not interested in dating boys,” she replies and tries to sidestep me, but I jump in front of her again.

“Please, it is nothing like that. I just need help from a female perspective.”

She looks at me with a puzzled expression, but at least she is not trying to walk away again.

“What are you doing, Alex? You ARE a female; you do not need advice.”

“Have you ever seen me in a dress in the last eighteen years, Storm?”

“Point taken, go ahead.”

“I know this will sound weird, but I want to buy my sister a gift, but I do not know anything about fashion. She is having a sixteenth birthday party and I want to buy her the perfect outfit.”

“That’s so sweet of you,” the girl gives me a warm smile. “What does she like? Like, what style?”

What style do I like? Hell, I do not know. Comfortable, I guess. I am not a tomboy but not even remotely interested in fashion. I am happy in jeans and t-shirts.

“I … I do not know. What kind of style would that guy like?” I point in the direction of Logan. “He looks like the kind of guy that would attract her attention.”

“Hmm, that is easy. I actually know him. He likes sexy and teasing. Not too short and revealing. No baggy clothes. To attract a guy like him, she must be feminine and confident without being slutty.”

Confused I look at her. What the hell is that supposed to mean? Is that a yes or no on heals?

“Tell you what, tell your sister to meet me this afternoon at Forever Twenty-One. I will help her shop. That way she can pick out what she likes.”

“You’ll do that?” I am completely taken aback by her generosity.

“I love doing things like that. I will even help with make-up.”

“Awesome,” I could not contain myself. This is great, I did not even think about make-up.

“What’s her name?”

“Alexandra.”

“Well, tell Alexandra that Cassidy will meet her this afternoon.”

“Thank you so, so much. I owe you one.”

Pleased with myself, I watch Cassidy go to meet up with her friends. Seems I found a way to help both me and my mate.

“Clever thinking, Alex”

“Yeah, until it bites me in the ass. You do realize that if this goes south, we are in deep shit.”

“But he’s worth it, just look at him.”

For a moment I allow myself to swoon over him and then I pull myself together. I am supposed to be on a mission. This day is nearly over and the only information I have is that of my mate. I need to find half-siblings. I wish I could just straight up ask Nathan about the other brother, but that would raise suspicion. I need to make friends. Ah, f**k.

Cautious I head to the boy’s bathroom. Nathan said it is a boy and since I know absolutely nothing of how to be a boy, I will have to observe them. Maybe I should check out the football or wrestling teams? But hanging there and not participating might look a bit creepy. I have no idea how to approach this.

I scrunch my nose when I enter the bathroom. Damn, boys are disgusting. At the first decent stall, I go in and lock the door. Girls always chat in the bathrooms. Maybe boys do the same. I do not know. I also do not have a better plan. After ten minutes of listening to boys peeing and talking smack, I realise this idea is a bust. Gathering my things, I leave the stall and wash my hands when someone comes in and that odd feeling of knowing someone hits me. I look up and straight into a pair of purple eyes. Let us be honest. This purple eye thing is making it way too easy.

“Hi,” I greet friendly.

“What the f**k is wrong with you chatting up other guys in the bathroom?”

Perplexed I look up at him. This redhead is big and strong and towering over me. If his mother is also an alpha’s daughter, I am going to have serious problems in the strength department. I can only hope and pray he is stereotyped stupid.

“It’s called manners, didn’t your mother teach you any?” I know I am looking for trouble with an answer like that, but hey, maybe this oaf is dumb enough to respond to the mother part.

“Don’t talk about my mother,” he growls at me, balling his fists by his side.

I just sigh at his obvious I’m-the-man body language and start washing my hands pretending to ignore him, but each and every one of my senses is tuned in to him.

“Do you hear me?” he demands and take one more step closer to me.

“Look,” I say and turn to face him, “I didn’t talk about your mother, I talked about your aggressive attitude towards friendly strangers.”

“Yeah, well, don’t talk about me either,” he growls.

I was about to decide to either taunt him a little more or just move on when two other boys entered the bathroom. Both of them are obviously wolves because they immediately pick up on the tension between doufus and me, eyeing us cautiously.

“Everything okay here, Joe?” one of them asks.

Finally, he has a name. Satisfaction flows through me. It is not much, but it is a beginning.

“We’re all good, aren’t we, Joe?” I smile brightly at the guys. “Now that that’s settled, I need to get to class.”

Once outside of that disgusting bathroom, I head outside. Partly to clear my head and sort my thoughts and partly to get rid of the urinal smell that is clinging to me.

I park my ass underneath a tree and take an apple out of my bag, looking at the students walking by.

“We really need a plan, Alex,” Storm chips in.

“I know we need a plan, but I do not know how. And I was all leave-it-to-me with the council.”

It is obvious to me that I need help. I do not know enough people and I have no friends here that could help me. Nathan is a good place to start, but Nathan is clearly a loner and will not have a huge network of friends that would be able to help.

“We need Cassidy,” I declare.

“But she’s human,” Storm protests.

“Exactly, humans are unaware of all the territorial drama and even less so about William. To them, he is just a criminal that the police cannot catch. They have no idea what he is about. Cassidy will easily tell if she knows anything, and the arrogant Blood Moon pack would not even notice her existence.”

“There’s no guarantee that Cassidy even knows anything.”

“Seriously, Storm. It is high school, of course, she’ll know something. Especially when purple eyes are involved.”

“It’s worth a try.”

Satisfied that I at least have an idea of where to begin, I grab my stuff and head out to the class to finish the day.