Mated To The Wrong Alpha
Chapter 45

It had been her birthday yesterday and she’d totally forgotten about it! Her lips trembled as she stared at the tag. He’d written ‘love Arthur.’ Had he meant it or was it a throwaway term used when signing a card? His feelings a few hours ago led her to believe it was the latter. Arthur had no love for her, even if he had remembered it was her birthday and bought her a present. A lone tear rolled down her face and she quickly scrubbed it away.

When had he set the present out? The package had been on the bed when he’d thrown her down, so he must have placed it there at some point after coming home in the morning and before listening to the tape. But why hadn’t Marla taken it when she’d come into the room to leave the diary and steal the note? It made no sense.

Should she open it or not. It was addressed to her, though she doubted Arthur still wanted to give her anything. After some hesitation, she sat down on the edge of the bed and opened the box, curiosity winning out. Drawing away the layers of tissue paper, she gave a soft cry of delight. It was the green angora sweater she’d looked at on her second day. Gently she picked it up and stroked the soft material against her face. How had Arthur remembered her mentioning it?

Confusion filled her. What was going on? Did Arthur care or not? The present seemed to indicate yes, but his feelings after b***d-bonding were a definite no. Maybe he had felt something, but her deceit over Seth had ruined it.

Realizing that she was clenching the sweater in her hands, she smoothed the material and refolded it into the box, then threw out the wrecked paper and bow. The card she kept, tucking it into her small jewellery box. Even if it meant nothing, she wanted to remember that at one point, Arthur had cared a little bit.

Standing by the dresser, she considered what she should do next. She didn’t feel like facing the rest of the pack. Logically, she knew they wouldn’t be aware of what had happened, but she didn’t feel up to faking happiness. Unfortunately, hiding in the room wasn’t a solution either. Eventually, she had to face the world. As she wavered, practicality won over. Her stomach rumbled reminding her that she hadn’t eaten since lunch the previous day. Taking this as a sign, she dressed and went in search of something to eat.

Ava followed the familiar clatter of pots and pans that let her know Helen was back in her domain. As she entered the warm, friendly kitchen, she pasted a smile on her face and tried to sound perky.

“Hi, Helen. I missed you yesterday.”

Helen was pulling a ham out of the oven and answered over her shoulder. “I indulged myself and slept in since it was around two in the morning when I finally got home, and then I guess our paths never crossed.”

“Wow! You really stayed late with Carrie and John.”

“Well, it was mostly John. The man was a total wreck after the birth and was convinced he’d never go near Carrie again for fear of making her pregnant.”

“I take it he didn’t do well during labour?”

Snorting, Helen shook her head and after testing the temperature of the ham, popped it back in the oven. “He’s fine now, but at the time it was touch and go with him.” She closed the oven door and finally turned to look at Ava. Giving a cry of joy, Helen hurried across the room and embraced her. “Oh, Ava, I’m so happy for you.”

Automatically, Ava returned the hug. “Uh…thanks, but why?”

Stepping back, Helen beamed at her. “The b***d-bond, you silly goose.”

Feeling herself flush, she clamped a hand over the mark on her neck. Darn, she should have worn something with a higher neck.

“So you and Arthur finally took the big leap. Was it like I described it?”

“Er… Yeah, it was…amazing.” She answered slowly, not sure what to say. Yes, it had been the best, most mind-blowing experience she could imagine, but afterwards things had definitely gone downhill.

“Now don’t be shy. I still remember what it was like with my Zack.” A dreamy look washed over her eyes for a moment before focusing again. “So, where’s Arthur? I’m surprised he didn’t keep you locked up in the bedroom all day.”

“Arthur is… Well… I don’t really know. He left right afterwards and I haven’t seen him since.” She shoved her hands in her pockets and stared at the floor.

Helen looked shocked by the news, but quickly composed herself. “Use your connection.

Think about him and you should get some sense of where he is or what he’s doing.”

She shifted uncomfortably. “I… I can’t. He seems to be blocking me out.”

“What? Blocking you out when you’ve just bonded! Now, that’s strange. I mean, it’s possible to learn to keep the other person out sometimes—handy for planning surprises and such—but I’ve never heard of anyone doing it the first day.”

“Well, our Alpha is a private sort of guy, I guess.” She darted a glance up at Helen, feeling the need to tell someone about what had really happened. “We didn’t part on the best of terms.” Helen’s face reflected her disappointment. “You had a fight after b***d-bonding! Whatever was it about?”

In the face of Helen’s concern, all of the feelings from yesterday came rushing back and her pep talk about being strong fell to pieces. Blinking rapidly, she tried to keep her tears at bay and shook her head, pressing her trembling lips together.

Helen laid her hand on her arm. “You’re crying! What’s wrong? I was mated for quite a few years. Maybe I can help.”

The soft words proved to be her undoing and she started to sob loudly. Helen gathered her close, soothing and clucking while the whole story was related. When she was done, Ava wiped her face with a tissue that Helen handed her.

“So you see, he loathes me. He thinks I was cheating on him and he wishes we’d never b***d-bonded. The very idea disgusts him and that’s why he’s blocking me out.”

“Now, Ava, maybe you have it all wrong. When a couple first start to sense each other, it’s usually vague emotions and it can be hard to interpret exactly what they mean or what caused them. It takes practice and time for the connection to fully develop.”

She shook her head sadly. “No, I felt those emotions and they weren’t coming from me.

They were Arthur’s. And if he wasn’t loathing me, then why was that feeling there?”

Pursing her lips, Helen shook her head. “I don’t know, but I’m sure there’s an alternative explanation. That man loves you. Why, he even had a birthday present delivered for you! It came

around noon yesterday, but he’d already left, so I set it on your bed. Did you find it?”

She nodded. “It was lovely, but I think he’s changed his mind about me now.”

“People don’t change their mind about who they do and don’t love that quickly. I’m not saying he wasn’t upset with you earlier, but it wouldn’t cause him to fall out of love. It was a misunderstanding and once he thinks about it, he’ll see that.”

“No he won’t. He believes Marla can do no wrong.”

Helen sighed heavily. “True. She’s his blind spot, but Arthur’s bound to realize the truth through what he’s sensing from you. Has he been reading you at all? Any tingling in your mind, like someone else is there?”

She shook her head. “I don’t think so.”

“Humph! Stupid man. How is he ever supposed to understand you, if he doesn’t make some effort?”

“I really don’t think—” The door opened behind her, and she stopped mid-sentence.

John walked in grinning from ear to ear. Immediately, he grabbed her by the waist and spun her around before planting a k**s on her face. “Hey, Ava! Did you hear the news? I’m a daddy!”

His happiness was infectious, and she couldn’t help but smile and hug him back. “So I heard.

Congratulations, John. I saw Carrie and the baby yesterday.”

“Isn’t he perfect? And strong too! Takes after me.” John boasted as he crossed the room and peeked in the oven. “Mmm, ham and scalloped potatoes for lunch! Helen you’re the best.

The guys will appreciate that after being out in the cold and wet.” “Wet?” She glanced out the window. It wasn’t raining.

“Yeah, down by the mouth of the river. Someone—aka Ryne—left three barrels of oil there. Thankfully, the patrols scared the guy off before he tipped over all three. The clean-up won’t be nearly as extensive since we caught it so early. Arthur’s been out there coordinating the operation almost constantly for the past two days.

Helen looked meaningfully at her. “That explains it, Ava. He’s been so busy; he hasn’t had time for anything else.”

She gave Helen a faint smile, not nearly as hopeful as the other woman was, but at least she now knew where Arthur was spending his time. Hmm… Barrels of oil. Oil containers were missing from the back of Marty’s garage. It was too much to be a coincidence. Ryne had probably seen the oil there when he left his car, or Marla—posing as Marlene—had noticed it and told Ryne.

Recalling how dishevelled and muddy Marla had been coming in the other morning, it now made sense. She’d been out helping put the barrels in the river, though why she was helping Ryne after he’d threatened her, still made no sense.

The next question was how to convince Arthur of what was going on. There was no hard evidence. Marla wouldn’t be dumb enough to leave muddy shoes and pants lying around, and obviously she’d masked her scent since no one mentioned scenting her.

Furrowing her brow, she wondered how she could prove her suspicions. She considered telling Helen and John but decided to go to Arthur with her evidence first. Even if he was mad at her, he was the Alpha and anything concerning the pack on a large scale needed to be brought before him.

Deciding some fresh air might help her think about how to present her case, she took her leave of Helen and John. Helen seemed reluctant to let her go, but she assured her she’d only be gone a short time.

Standing in the back entryway, she looked out the window checking the weather, hesitating about going back to get her cell phone. She didn’t plan on being out for long. Did she even need a coat? It was chilly, werewolves were immune to slight fluctuations in the temperature though, like all creatures, prolonged exposure to the cold could have its effects. Finally deciding to grab a light jacket, she stepped outside.

After an extremely warm October, November was proving to be colder than normal. The trees were now bare skeletons, their once colourful foliage long gone. A cool, damp breeze danced across the open spaces, reminding everyone that winter was just around the corner and, on most nights, frost blanketed the land.

As she stared up at the sky, she noted the heavy grey clouds gathering on the horizon and sniffed the air. Snow was likely. For the most part, she enjoyed the wet, white stuff especially in her wolf form. It was great to tumble in, and the white blanket made the whole forest seem like a giant treasure hunt. Interesting smells would rise through the snow, begging her to dig through the fluffy layers in order to discover what was hidden beneath. She wondered if Arthur enjoyed a winter romp as well, but the idle thought made the smile leave her face. He probably wouldn’t want to go with her anyway.

Shoving her hands in her pockets, she stared at the ground as she walked instinctively heading for the woods and the trail that ran through it. The sound of footsteps caught her attention and she looked up curious as to who else was there. With narrowed eyes, she watched the figure approach. Average size, light brown hair, shoulders hunched. It was Rose. Pausing, she waited for the other girl to catch up to her. To the best of her knowledge, Rose hadn’t spread her rumour beyond Zoe and Phoebe, but Ava felt the need to set her straight just in case.

“Morning, Rose.” She called out once the girl was close enough to hear her.

“Ava.” Rose looked at her warily, as if unsure what to do, then took a deep breath and gave a forced smile. “I was heading out for a walk. Care to come with me?”

Surprised by the offer, she hesitated before nodding. This was a change. Where was the angry attitude of a few days ago? Could Zoe have talked to her and explained the situation? Possibly.

“Uh… Sure. A walk would be great.”

They headed into the woods together, each cautiously observing the other. Finally, tension seemed to get to both of them at the same time.

“Ava—”

“Rose—”

They both gave a short laugh and Rose nodded for Ava to go first. Since she was technically the higher-ranking wolf present, Ava decided to take what was her due. “Rose, I know what you think you saw the other day—”

“I didn’t think anything. I know what I saw.”

Ava raised her eyebrows and the other girl fell silent. “Yes. You saw me with another male, but your interpretation of what you saw was all wrong.”

Rose cocked her head obviously not understanding.

“I mean, it looked like I was having a…a romantic meeting with someone, but it wasn’t. Seth is an old friend from my former pack. We grew up together. At one time, we thought there was something between us, but now we both realize we’re more like brother and sister than lovers.

It’s a platonic friendship.”

Rose walked along silently for a moment, considering the information. She looked at Ava out of the corner of her eye. “So there’s absolutely nothing between you two?”

“Nothing at all. Just friendship.”

“And you’re in love with Arthur, not this other guy?”

She hesitated, but then decided it could do no harm to tell Rose the truth. She did love Arthur, even if it wasn’t reciprocated. “Yes, I really do love Arthur.” Impulsively she decided to press the point and pulled her jacket open, revealing her neck. “See? We’ve even b***d-bonded.”

Rose stared at the mark, apparently speechless. Finally, she collected herself and smiled with a forced cheerfulness. “Well! If you guys are b***d-bonded, then what you’re saying must be true. Arthur would know if you were cheating on him.”

He would if he cared enough to try and find out, she thought sadly to herself, but put on a happy face for appearance sake. “So, are you convinced now?”

Flushing, Rose nodded. “I’m sorry, Ava. When I saw you with that other guy I was so surprised, and then angry for Arthur, and mad at you.” She shrugged and looked at Ava apologetically. “I guess I’ve always sort of hero-worshipped Arthur and the idea of someone hurting his feelings really had me upset.”