Alpha's One Night Bride
Alpha’s One Night Bride – Chapter 17

Jonathan hated having to leave Arina at home, but he knew she couldn’t come with him. Where he was going was dangerous and he didn’t want to subject her to it. He told her that he was going to be talking to some mutual friends about Emlin and what they knew about her. But that wasn’t entirely true. He was actually going to see some friends about Rock and find out more information about his origin. He needed to know what kind of life Rock had for him to grow into an awful and greedy werewolf.

Jonathan entered the pack that Rock was born into, Dawnguard, before he married Emlin and moved to Ironclaw. According to Arina, she’s never even met Rock’s side of the family. She always assumed they were dead. However, he instinctively remembers a run-in with a woman and her small daughter at Emlin’s funeral.

The woman was a bit older it seemed to Jonathan at the time, probably old enough to be his mother. She had short brown hair and her eyes were dark like Rock’s. The small girl resembled her greatly. She couldn’t have been older than 5. The woman stayed in her human form for most of the funeral, until the last few minutes when the moon was at the peak in the sky. Jonathan remembered them taking off shortly after.

At the time, he only noticed them because of how thin and sickly they appeared. They wore clothing that was nearly ripped to shreds and hanging off their bodies. The small girl looked to have dirt smudged on her face and was pale as a ghost.

Jonathan wanted to make sure they were okay.

“Hi,” 13-year-old Jonathan said to the woman. Her ghostlike gaze shifted in his direction; she seemed startled that someone was speaking to her. Up until that point, she was hidden in the back. Unseen and unheard. The young girl stepped further away from Jonathan and into her mother for protection. “I’m not going to hurt you,” Jonathan assured them. “I just wanted to say hi. You looked lonely.”

After a few moments of silence, the woman finally spoke. “Thank you.” Her voice was a bit raspy, as though it pained her to speak.

“I’m Jonathan. What’s your name?” Jonathan asked.

“Annika,” she spoke softly.

“Were you close to Emlin?” Jonathan asked her. Her gaze shifted from Jonathan and scanned the area until they landed on Emlin’s body. To Jonathan, it seemed like her mind had gone elsewhere.

“Not exactly,” she finally said.

“So, you must know Alpha Rock,” Jonathan said, eyeing her carefully. She didn’t respond to that. “One day, I’m going to be the Alpha of Sabrebite. Where are you from?” He asked.

“Dawngaurd,” she answered, she was still looking at Emlin’s body.

“Oh…” Jonathan said. He had only heard about Dawngaurd briefly and knew it wasn’t a good place. His father, Regan, had told him that Dawngaurd was filled with nasty werewolves, and they don’t like outsiders. However, this woman didn’t seem like she was nasty.

But she seemed sad.

“It was nice meeting you,” he said as he turned away and went to find Arina.

He later found out that Dawngaurd was Rock’s birth home. But he never found out who that woman was.

Back in the present moment, Jonathan stood at the entrance of Dawngaurd. The narrow streets were made of broken cement. The buildings were made from old maroon bricks with windows that were boarded off. The buildings didn’t look as though they were being used; instead, merchants and business owners appeared to be running their shops in tents and outdoor merchant carts.

Jonathan found his way through the town until he reached, what looked to be, an outdoor grocery store.

A plump woman with short red hair tied back in a bandana was stocking the fruits and vegetables when Jonathan approached her. She didn’t look to be nasty as Jonathan would have expected. The longer he was in Dawngaurd, the more he realized that none of them seemed to be nasty. Most everyone he noticed looked miserable; they were sad and thin, maybe even a little dirty. But none of them gave him a mean vibe, or even tried to start anything with him.

The woman turned as Jonathan approached; her eyes scanning his appearance with a worried expression on her face.

“Please…” the woman spoke softly. Her voice cracked as she spoke; she was trying to hold back her tears. “We have nothing more to give.”

Jonathan stopped walking and frowned.

“I’m sorry?” He asked. He could see the tears welling up in her eyes.

“Your friends have already come and raided us for the 3rd time this week. We have nothing left,” she answered.

Confused, Jonathan asked, “My friends?”

She wiped away a stray tear that had escaped her eye.

“You’re part of the Blackcrest pack, no?” She asked, still scanning his clothing.

“No,” he answered. Surprised, she met his eyes.

“Then another pack is here to raid?” She asked, her voice quivery.

His frown deepened.

“I’m not here to raid you,” Jonathan assured her. She didn’t look like she was buying it, so Jonathan continued to speak. “I’m not here to take anything or hurt anybody.”

After a breath of silence, the woman finally spoke. “Then why is it you’re here?” She asked.

“I’m looking for someone,” he answered. Her eyebrows furrowed as she continued to stare at him. “She goes by the name of Annika.”

“I don’t know anyone of that name,” she answered.

“I’m sorry. But this isn’t a big town. I’m surprised you wouldn’t know her,” Jonathan said.

“I don’t know anyone of that name,” she said again, louder. He knew he wasn’t going to get anything out of her and decided to just leave.

“Okay. Thank you for your time,” he said as he turned to leave.

As he walked away, and through the not so busy streets of Dawnguard, he was stopped by a small woman with brown hair and dark brown eyes. She was thin like the rest of everyone in the town and she looked to be a young teenager. She kept her brown hair tied back in a single braid that went down her back and ended at her waistline.

Staring up at Jonathan she asked, “Why were you asking about Annika?”

“I think she might have some information that I need. Do you know her?” He asked, eyeing her carefully. She seemed familiar.

“Annika isn’t alive anymore. She died years ago,” the girl informed him. His shoulders slumped defeated as his eyes fell to the ground.

“Oh…” he breathed. Looking back at the girl, she took an unsteady step away from him.

“I know you…” she breathed, eyeing him carefully. As they continued to stare at one another, he then realized why she looked so familiar.

“Who are you?” He asked in a whisper.

After a short pause, she finally answered.

“My name is Riya. I’m her daughter.”

(Arina)

It’s been a week since Jonathan left to investigate my mother’s death and he was returning home tonight. I was planning on making dinner and having his closest friends attend as a “welcome home” party.

Tonight would also be the night that I told him the news about Boris Conway and how he’s going to be coming here this weekend to see my photography.

“Arina,” Marian called from her office door. “What time should we be by tonight?”

“6 would be good,” I told her. Of course, I had to invite Marian and Anderson. After all, Anderson was Jonathan’s best friend and best man at our wedding. It would be wrong not to invite them.

I was planning on cooking a pork roast with mixed vegetables and mashed potatoes, Jonathan’s favorite cooked meal. Jess was planning on bringing a chocolate mousse pie for dessert and a plate of her fresh baked cookies.

Sitting at my desk and daydreaming about the evening ahead, I hadn’t even realized Jonathan walked through the door. I stood up quickly and ran to him. Throwing myself into his arms and melted in his embrace. It’s only been a week, but it felt like a lifetime.

“I thought you weren’t coming home until tonight?” I asked him, trying to keep my voice stead.

“I decided to come home a bit early. I wanted to surprise you,” he chuckled.

“I missed you so much!” I cried as my lips met his. He deepened his k**s briefly before pulling away.

“I missed you too. There’s a lot we need to talk about. But it’ll have to be later. Let’s get home first,” he told me.

“It was supposed to be a surprise. But I’m planning a ‘welcome home’ dinner party tonight. I invited your closest friends and your mom,” I told him sheepishly. He laughed, but it didn’t meet his eyes.

Something was wrong.

“What did you find out?” I asked.

“A lot,” he said softly. “Nothing that can’t wait though. Let’s not let this ruin our evening. Let’s go home.”

…

The dinner party went as expected. Everybody loved the food and Jess’s baked goods were a huge hit. It’s nice seeing Marian loosen up and laugh with the others. Anderson brought that side of her out and you can tell just how much they love each other. I was wrong when I said I didn’t believe in love and marriage; just by seeing the two of them together, I knew there was no stronger connection.

Besides Jonathan and I that is.

“So, tell me, Arina. What made you want to marry a dumb wolf like Jonathan?” Erick chuckled. A small smile tugged at my lips as Jonathan threw a couch pillow at him.

“Money obviously,” I chuckled back. Jonathan shot me a pained look, but there was humor dancing in his face. “What? We can share half the property even if we get divorced. It’d be stupid of me not to invest,” I laughed.

“I see where your priorities are,” Jonathan laughed back as he wrapped an arm around me and pulled me close to him.

We all shared our rounds of laughter and teasing. At that moment, life was good.

(Alpha Rock)

Her naked body was slender with breasts that Rock wanted to suck on forever. Her pale features glistened under the moonlight as she wrapped herself in the blanket Rock provided for her. Her short wavy blonde hair fell messily around her shoulders.

Peering at him through her long dark lashes and sapphire blue eyes, she spoke in a tone so velvety that it nearly gave Rock another e******n.

Piper was younger than Melissa, but she seemed so much more experienced. He loved the feeling of her young body against his and how she could go for hours without getting tired.

“Can I have another one?” She whispered to him, batting her eyelashes at him.

“No,” he told her firmly. She frowned and her beautiful full lips formed a pout.

“But it makes me feel so good,” she whined.

“Werewolf aphrodisiac isn’t easy to get, and I need them for my woman. I need them to be on top of their game for when they mate,” he reminded her. This wasn’t the first time he’s told her this.

“Doesn’t it seem like an unfair advantage though? Do they even know they are taking it?” She asked, rolling off him and onto her back.

“Why does that matter?” He asked. “As long as they are doing what I need them to do. They produce money and I can buy you whatever it is you want.” He winked at her, making her chuckle.

“Oh Rock,” Piper laughed. “You’re so naughty.”