Mated To The Wrong Alpha
Chapter 31

Ava sat in the kitchen idly nibbling on a bagel while watching Helen mix up a batch of muffins. Sunshine was streaming through the white lace curtains into the homey room. It beamed across the marble counter top, highlighting little specks of flour that drifted lazily through the air. The grey-haired woman hummed under her breath as she stirred flour, raisins and spices into the thick, rich batter. Helen never seemed happier than when she was preparing food for the endless stream of visitors through the Alpha house. Sometimes Ava suspected the pack members came more for a sample of Helen’s cooking than they did to talk with John or Arthur.

This morning, half a dozen men were gathered in the office to discuss a recent financial report. Since the pack was old and well established—well over a century—they’d amassed a tidy sum through the pooling of resources and sound investments. The current economy and the oil spill cleanup were having some minor negative impacts on their capital, or so Arthur had explained to her that morning. Not having a head for finances, she’d merely nodded politely at the gathering before heading to the kitchen where the topics of conversation where likely to be more to her taste.

Carrie was also avoiding the drone of voices embroiled in financial mumbo-jumbo. She sat across the table from Ava, her feet propped on a chair. Her ankles already showed signs of swelling, despite the fact that it was still early in the day. A cup of herbal tea rested on her bulging stomach and she idly rubbed her abdomen as she grumbled. “I am going to be so glad when this is over.”

Helen raised an eyebrow. “It seems to me just a month or two ago, you were raving about the wonders of expectant motherhood.”

“Yeah, well that was before, when I could still see my feet and get a decent night’s sleep.” Carrie shifted in her chair. “Now I want this pup out of me and in my arms so that my body is my own again.”

“Being pregnant is pretty taxing it seems.” Ava eyed Carrie with a frown. When she’d decided last night to let nature take its course with regards to starting a family, she’d only been thinking about the two ends of the project. She’d conveniently ignored the middle part.

“It has its moments,” Carrie sighed but then a smile crept over her face. “But for the most part, it’s been an amazing experience. Are you and Arthur already thinking of having a family?”

She shrugged. “We talked about it. My cycle will start next week, and I think I’ll go drug free and see what happens, especially since I don’t react well to the medication.”

Carrie giggled. “I’ll tell you what will happen. Your pheromones will turn Arthur into the most passionate, possessive mate you’ve ever seen, while you’ll be this out of control maniac.”

“No, I won’t! Er…will I?” She bit her l*p in trepidation, Carrie’s description creating visions of her chasing after Arthur and ripping their clothes off regardless of where they were or who was about.

Helen snorted and then offered some reassurance. “Carrie’s teasing you, Ava. Your first un-medicated heat will seem more intense, because you’ve never unleashed that side of yourself before and you’re not sure what to expect, but it’s not a constant state. It’s more like waves or the tide. It builds up to a peak, and then ebbs for a while before building up again.”

“Oh! That’s good. How many…er…tides should I expect?” It was embarrassing to admit that she didn’t know these things, but she’d grown up without a mother. Sarah had stepped in as a surrogate, but this topic had never come up. And the giggling, teenage conversations with her friends probably hadn’t contained the most reliable information.

“You can expect two or maybe three a day, depending on your emotional state.” Helen supplied the answer while popping the muffins into the oven.

“You better hope they aren’t tidal waves!” Carrie quipped before reaching over and patting Ava’s arm. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t tease you. It wasn’t that long ago that John and I were newly mated. I remember all the uncertainty that went with it.”

“That’s okay. I’m happy for any advice or insight you have to offer.” She traced a pattern on the table. Should she broach the subject that had been weighing on her mind since last night? If she didn’t ask, she’d never find out, so… “As a matter of fact, I was wondering if I could ask you something about Arthur.”

“Sure. We might not know the answer but ask away.” Carrie glanced at Helen who nodded in agreement. Grabbing a cup of coffee, Helen sat down at the table and they both looked expectantly at her.

“Well…” She began slowly. “Last night, when Arthur and I were discussing having a family, he seemed sort of sad or wistful. And a while back, he mentioned not really having much of a family life while growing up, so I started wondering about his background. Where are Arthur’s parents?

He’s not that old; I would have thought they’d still be here.”

“Well, it’s not really a secret.” Carrie paused and sipped her herbal tea thoughtfully.

“No.” Helen agreed. “I suppose Arthur won’t mind us telling you. His mother, Mindy, was originally mated to Ryne’s father who belonged to another pack. No one knows why, but the relationship didn’t last, and she came back here when Ryne was only a baby. Not long after that, a rogue wolf passed through. She hooked up with him—despite everyone warning her— and left, taking Ryne with her. Then about two years later she was back again, but this time she had Arthur as well as Ryne. They stayed for another year, then Carter—that’s Arthur’s father—came around again. He tried to live with the pack but could never seem to fit in. When he left, Arthur’s mother took the boys and went with him again, only to return after a few months on the road.”

“That set the pattern for several years until finally the Alpha at the time put his foot down.

They had to either stay or leave because the constant coming and going wasn’t good for the pack. Every time he arrived, Carter upset the balance of the hierarchy. He wasn’t interested in being a team player and was only concerned about himself, rather than the good of the pack. Carter’s personality was too dominant to accept someone as his Alpha; he was meant to be a lone wolf. He didn’t have the temperament to be around others; too quick to fly off the handle, if you ask me. Anyway, after the ultimatum, Carter left and Mindy went along, only this time she left the boys behind with me and Zack. Ryne was thirteen and Arthur was almost twelve. I think Mindy knew the moving around wasn’t good for them, but she loved Carter too much to give him up, so she did what she thought was best.”

“We haven’t seen Mindy or Carter since. Someone once said they’d gone to Europe while another rumour had them in South America.” Carrie shrugged. “No one knows for sure.”

“That must have been really hard on Arthur and Ryne, always moving about, constantly joining the pack, then leaving again. And then to be abandoned by their mother…” Ava felt an ache in her heart. She’d lost her own mother at a young age but at least her parent hadn’t chosen to leave her. Had Arthur and Ryne felt hurt and betrayed? Wolves were pack animals, and with a few exceptions, needed the stability and structure of a group. Even if the pack was a family unit with only four members, to have that taken away must have been devastating.

Helen’s next words confirmed her suspicions. “The boys were pretty shook up at first, but after a while they came to accept that we were giving them a permanent home. Arthur especially seemed happy to be settled finally. Both boys were so grateful for anything we did for them. Neither of them ever said anything, but I’m sure they’d had very little to live on for most of their lives, what with following Carter around all over the country. The man never kept a job for long. And personally, I suspect that he wasn’t the best role model. His temper was short and nasty, and he had a roving eye, too. I can only imagine what the boys experienced. Neither Arthur nor Ryne ever really talked about it, but we all had our suspicions.”

Carrie spoke, a distant look in her eye. “Growing up, we all played together. I remember how Arthur and Ryne kept appearing and then leaving. All the other kids thought it was strange because our pack was so stable. Sure, someone new came along now and then, but it was a revolving door with those two. They’d be there one day, then gone the next, and half a year later they’d reappear once more. Sometimes, when they first arrived back, they’d be so distant, as if they were afraid and didn’t dare join in. Both of them seemed thin, too, like they hadn’t eaten enough. Even as pups we noticed it.”

“It wouldn’t surprise me.” Helen pursed her lips. “I talked to Mindy about how Carter treated her and the boys, but she always said nothing was wrong. If I saw a bruise or a mark, she had a story to go with it. She’d fallen, or the boys had been playing too rough. Zack even tried to make her talk but she never would admit anything. It was sad and a bit strange that she felt such loyalty to Carter when he obviously didn’t deserve it.”

Ava could easily imagine Arthur as a child, underfed and dragged from one place to the next, subjected to the whims of a domineering, ill-tempered man who didn’t care enough about his family to provide them with a stable home life. She wasn’t sure how she felt about his mother, but at least by leaving them behind she’d given her sons a chance at a normal life with Helen and Zack.

Absentmindedly, Carrie stirred her tea as she continued to talk. “Ryne and Arthur were really close, like they’d formed their own little pack to compensate for not having one of their own.

There was always a reserve about them, as if they didn’t dare get too close to anyone for fear they’d leave. Once, we were all talking about how great it would be to see the world—you know how you get itchy feet in your mid-teens—anyway, someone complained about how boring life in the pack was. Arthur got really mad. He said it was awful never knowing where your home was, or to have close friends because of always moving from place to place. He felt that belonging somewhere and having a family was the most important thing in the world.”

“You could see it in the boys’ eyes, especially Arthur’s, when they finally realized this was home and they belonged here.” Helen reminisced. “Such a change came over them. The two of them scoured over every nook and cranny of the whole territory, learning every feature and immersing themselves in pack history. It was like we’d given them the best gift in the whole world. I think that’s why Arthur is so passionate about the land and protective of the pack. He knows what it’s like to be an outsider and now that he has a home, he’ll do anything for it.”

Just then the timer for the oven rang and Helen jumped up to check on her muffins.

Ava glanced at the clock and gasped. “Oh no! Look at the time! I’m going to be late for work if I don’t get a move on.” Dashing from the kitchen, she raced upstairs intent on grabbing her purse and a coat. Thankfully she was already dressed in her waitressing uniform. Opening the bedroom door, she slammed into Marla who was just leaving the room.

“Oh!” Marla was clutching a book in her hand and looked flustered. “I… I was getting a book to read. I remembered that Arthur had a great collection in his sitting room.”

Surprised to find Marla in her room, Ava brought up a point Arthur had mentioned to her the very first day. “I thought Arthur said our rooms were out of bounds to the rest of the pack.”

Something—possibly irritation—flashed across Marla’s eyes but it was gone before Ava was sure. “Arthur meant the rest of the pack. I’m such old friends with him; he doesn’t mind me popping in now and then.”

“Oh… Sure.” Ava paused. Something seemed off about the story but unfortunately, she didn’t have time to question Marla about it. And really, what harm was there in borrowing a book, anyway? Dismissing the whole situation, she brushed past the other woman. “Sorry, I have to run; I don’t want to be late for work.”

“That’s okay. I’ll talk to you later.” Marla stepped into the hallway.

As Ava grabbed her purse and coat, she took a quick glance around the room but saw nothing amiss. Giving a shrug she left the room, carefully closing the door behind her.

Marla was still standing in the hallway. “Don’t forget I told that fellow you’d meet him at the

Grey Goose after your shift was over.”

“I know. I haven’t forgotten, but thanks anyway,” Ava waved in acknowledgement as she ran down the stairs and rushed out of the house.