Mated To The Wrong Alpha
Chapter 20

Not that she was ready for that yet, but pride had her wanting to at least be asked! Leaning against the counter, Helen spoke hesitantly. “Ava, I’m used to ‘mothering’ everyone in the pack, so don’t take this the wrong way—I’m not being nosey like my girls, inquiring into your personal life—but I can’t help noticing that there’s no mark on your neck. You and Arthur haven’t b***d-bonded yet, have you?” Flushing, she shook her head.

“Can I ask why? Did you refuse or are you nervous? I know the idea of someone sinking their teeth into your neck can be scary, but I can tell you, amazingly enough, the bite doesn’t really hurt. At that point, you’ve lost all rational thought anyway and the wolf takes over. You’re too caught up in the moment to even know—”

She interrupted before Helen went into even more details. “No, I’m not scared, and I didn’t refuse. It’s…well… Arthur hasn’t suggested it, or even tried. I think he’s wants to give me some time to settle and get to know him better.” She wasn’t sure if this was the case or not, but she preferred to think it was since the alternative was Arthur wasn’t sufficiently attracted to her to want to b***d-bond.

“Hmm… Well, I suppose that’s considerate of him, but from the sounds of it you already are bonding on some level. You simply don’t have the mark to prove it.” Helen carried the egg mixture to the stove. “You know I hold Arthur in great esteem. He’s a fine man and a good Alpha, but like any male, he can be plain stupid. This whole thing with Marla, and not b***d-bonding with you, is a perfect example. You know, you should just tell him you want to do it. It’s an incredible experience. And once it’s done, you’ll feel that connection even more strongly, and so will he.”

Feeling her face growing warm once again, she sought to change the topic. “I’ll think about it, Helen. Thanks for your advice. Oh, look! This toast is ready. I’ll go set it on the table.” She grabbed the plate and hurried from the room. Helen meant well, but she was pushing for something Ava was still ambivalent about. A bonding ceremony joined a couple but there were occasions where it could be broken. A b***d-bond was for life. Some said it was akin to being telepathically connected, and while she wasn’t sure if that was an overstatement or not, she didn’t want to chance it until she was sure how she felt about Arthur, and how he felt about her.

Marla arrived around eleven o’clock and Ava met her at the door, gritting her teeth but trying to be welcoming, even though spending time with the woman was the last thing she wanted to do. For her part, Marla smiled and offered a polite, civilized greeting even bringing her a present. “Our first meeting didn’t go too smoothly, so I thought we should start again. Here’s a little something to welcome you to our pack.”

Removing the tissue from the brightly coloured gift bag Marla handed her, she found a bottle of fragrance. Sniffing it cautiously, she found that it was surprisingly pleasant. The scent was light and delicate, floral rather than musky, and quite in keeping with her own preferences. She’d have thought Marla would choose something heavier and cloying, but apparently was one of those people who instinctively read others correctly. It was probably quite a useful skill when it came to her work at the gallery. Knowing what a client might prefer would certainly help in guiding them towards the right sort of art and boost chances of a sale.

Murmuring polite thanks, she glanced over Marla’s shoulder to see Arthur leaning against the doorframe of his office. He still had an aura of stress, but at that moment he was beaming approval her way and she felt a warm glow within at having been the cause of his happiness.

Giving her a wink and a nod, he disappeared back into his work space.

Leading the way into the living room that was across from the office, she tried to make some small talk. “So, do you always have Sundays off or is this a special occasion?”

“I only work part-time at the gallery and my hours are pretty flexible. Most clients are quite wealthy and have very discerning taste. They call me when they want something in particular and if Bastian’s Gallery doesn’t have what they need, I go looking for it. It gives me a chance to do some travelling, and I get to write it all off as a business expense.”

“It sounds like nice work, if you can get it.”

“I’ve found that if you want something badly enough in this world, you have to make the circumstances work for you.” Marla shrugged delicately as she looked around the room. “You haven’t made any changes yet, I see. If this were my house, I’d waste no time in starting to redecorate. This ‘old homestead’ decor is so outdated. When you’re ready, let me know and I’ll help you transform this place into something suitable for the current century.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” She smiled while seething inwardly. She’d just arrived, for heaven’s sake. Redecorating was the last thing on her mind. Besides, while it wasn’t exactly up to date, the house wasn’t shabby; it was comfortable and homey. Helen had probably decorated it years ago and, while the older woman wasn’t technically lady of the house any more, Ava couldn’t imagine taking over and redoing everything. This had been Helen’s home for years and would continue to be for quite a while to come. Any changes that were made should be agreed upon jointly by her, Helen and Carrie. After all, they all shared the house.

Deciding to change the topic, she tried to sound perky and pleased at the woman’s presence. I’m doing this for Arthur, she reminded herself. “Marla, Arthur didn’t know when he invited you to lunch, that I’d already made plans with Julia, but you’re more than welcome to come along.”

“Oh. Julia isn’t overly fond of me. Perhaps I should just stay here. I can help Arthur in the office and keep him company while you’re gone.” Marla glanced across the hall towards the open office door. Arthur could be seen bending over the lower drawer of the filing cabinet, his pants pulled taut, showing off his muscular thighs and tight rear-end to their best advantage. Both women paused and admired the view.

Forcing her gaze from her mate’s butt, Ava countered Marla’s suggestion. “Oh, Julia doesn’t mind at all. I’ve already explained the situation and she’s looking forward to seeing you.” Crossing her fingers behind her back, she made a mental note to buy Julia something really nice as soon as she had some money of her own. Julia had sympathized with her over the phone, telling her to bring Marla along so that they could share the misery.

Marla looked as if she’d continue to refuse, and while Ava really didn’t want to have lunch with Marla, she didn’t want Marla spending time alone with Arthur. Deciding that keeping the woman in sight was the better option, she pressed her case. “Arthur knows about the planned lunch with Julia and even said how good it would be for you to come along, since you’re trying to expand your circle of female friends.”

Barring her teeth in an insincere smile, Marla finally acquiesced, and they set out towards Julia’s house.

Lunch at Julia’s wasn’t a complete disaster. All three women made an effort to get along and chatted about Thomas’ condition—it was rapidly improving—the state of the weather— unseasonably warm—and recent movies in the theatre. Julia had made a delicious quiche and tossed salad and when Marla complimented her on the meal, Julia offered to share the recipe.

After clearing the table Julia hesitantly mentioned her plans for the afternoon.

“I thought I’d give Ava a tour of the woods. We found out yesterday that we both like to go for a good run, and she hasn’t had a chance to explore yet. I know you’re not really that in touch with your wolf side, Marla. If you’d rather not—”

“Oh, no! Don’t change your plans for me. I haven’t been out for a while and I can use the exercise. I can even show Ava some of the spots where Arthur, Ryne, and I used to go when we were all pups together.”

Ava and Julia exchanged looks but made no comment. It had been over an hour without any snide remarks coming from Marla. The reprieve had already lasted longer than either of them thought possible. Was this the start? Hopefully not.

Julia gave a little bounce and clapped her hands in what was probably feigned excitement over Marla’s participation. “All right then. Marla and I will act as your tour guides, Ava. Follow me!”

They walked across the lawn and ensured they were actually into the woods where the trees started to thicken, before shifting into wolf form. It was private land and while the chance of someone from the outside seeing them transforming was negligible, it was better to be safe than sorry. Ava noted that Julia had become a dark grey wolf, while Marla’s animal was a rather dull, mousy brown, which was totally in contrast to her flamboyant blonde human physique. Was that why Marla wasn’t as fond of her wolf side and hadn’t been in the woods recently? Being a plain, ordinary animal probably vexed the other woman no end.

Ava had always been pleased with her own wolf’s appearance. Her fur was thick and silvery with touches of black near the tips of her ears and tail. Idly, she thought that she and Arthur made a handsome couple, his solid black contrasting nicely with her silver.

Julia was prancing, eager to begin her run and Ava quickly followed her, carefully noting all that she encountered. The air was crisp and clear, carrying on it intriguing scents while the ground was slightly damp and spongy underfoot, providing a good grip as they raced along. Ava darted her eyes from side to side, taking in all the sights, her ears pricked with curiosity. It had been several days since she’d been out in wolf form and it felt incredibly good to be back in the wild.

Understanding that Ava would want time to absorb her surroundings, Julia politely stopped at a number of spots along the way. Ava yipped her appreciation and sniffed the ground, trees, and bushes, her wolf’s brain sorting and storing the various scents while making a mental picture of the land and the animal life that inhabited it. Deer, rabbits, squirrel and even skunks occupied the woods, and she anticipated going hunting in the near future. While she seldom killed her prey, she loved the thrill of the chase.

For her part, Marla trailed behind them and flopped down disinterestedly whenever they stopped. It was only when the scent of water indicated that they were nearing the river that she seemed to perk up. Marla began trying to take the lead and head south while Julia kept cutting in front and herding her in another direction. In frustration, Marla snapped and snarled but Julia stood firm, growling and lowering her head in warning. Eventually, Marla backed down and Julia phased into human form. As soon as she could talk, she verbally began to rip into Marla.

“Will you stop being such a bitch? You know Arthur’s forbidden anyone to go near that area unless accompanied by himself or one of the more experienced patrollers.”

Marla returned to her human form and immediately countered Julia’s claim. “We’re not that close and besides, Ava is new here and wants to see more of the territory.”

Ava had changed while Marla spoke and knew something was up by the way the two women snarled at each other. She tried break the tense atmosphere that was developing.

“I do want to explore more, but it doesn’t have to be today. I can wait until Arthur takes me.

What’s so special about that part of the river anyway?”

Julia glared at Marla while explaining. “Well, first of all, it’s where the oil spill was. We haven’t had conclusive results back yet to prove the area is safe, and until he knows all the contaminants are gone, Arthur doesn’t want anyone there. Secondly, it’s very rocky and dangerous, which is one of the reasons the oil spill grew as bad as it did; a lot had leaked out of the containers before anyone came by and noticed.”

Ava nodded. “Arthur mentioned there was a particularly treacherous area, but I didn’t know exactly where it was. Oh!” She remembered the phone call earlier that morning. “And he got a call about the oil spill this morning. The lab wants to do further testing. There was something about the oil having leached into the ground and the possibility of having to do a major

environmental cleanup in order to prevent further damage.” Ava noted the worried expression on Julia’s face and tried to offer some reassurance. “It wasn’t definite though; they were just checking.”

“See?” Julia looked smugly at Marla. “Yet another reason to stay away. The ground could be contaminated as well as the water. If we went that way, we could end up getting sick.”

Marla seemed to cool down and returned to the pleasant persona she’d been assuming. “You know, Julia, you’re right. I’d totally forgotten about that. We are supposed to keep clear. See what happens when you stay away from the woods for too long?” The apology almost sounded sincere, but Ava had her doubts. Still, she was curious as to the other woman’s motives.

“Why did you want to go to that particular spot, anyway?”

“Like I said, it would be interesting for you to see, and Ryne and I used to spend a lot of time there as well. He loved taking pictures around here.” She shrugged. “I really miss him sometimes and revisiting places that we shared helps me deal with the loneliness. Ryne and I were very close. We’d actually discussed becoming mates, rather than just lovers, and now that he’s gone… Well…I feel that a part of me is missing, too.” Marla’s eyes began to fill with tears and Ava awkwardly patted her shoulder.

Julia looked at Marla and shook her head. “If you miss him so much, then why didn’t you go with him when he left?”

“Umm, I…” Obviously searching for an answer, Marla shifted uncomfortably. She looked around the woods and shrugged. “This is my home. I couldn’t just leave it.”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” Julia snorted in disbelief. “Well, it’s time we were heading back anyway. I want to visit Thomas again and it gets dark early this time of year. While we might be able to see quite well, those stupid hunters can’t. After Thomas’ close call, I’m not taking any chances.” With that, Julia shifted form. The other two followed suit and they began loping home.