Filed To Story: Veiled Desires of the Alpha King Novel
Dawn moved her hips in a humping motion, and Zina burst into giggles.
A moment later, Talia also started laughing.
Talia never had these scandalous girl-talks, but more than paying heed to her discomfort, Talia was glad that the mood in the kitchen was good.
Dawn and Zina talked to her in a friendly way and joked, and Talia hoped that she made two more friends. Combined with Keith and five other people from the training center, that makes it eight. Talia was pleased with his progress.
Dawn was goofing around while hugging her invisible lover made out of the air, and Talia remembered the man from the living room (aka Alpha Maddox).
What if he announced that Talia is his mate when she brought the tray with snacks? He was big and intimidating, and he even raised his voice at the woman who accompanied him (aka Mindy).
Talia couldn’t imagine her reaction if Alpha Maddox claimed her as his mate. Would she collapse and pee her pants, or stand rooted in the spot? Maybe her survival instincts would kick in and she manages to run away. Scary. She decided to avoid them at any cost.
“Hey…”, Zina called Talia. “Is it true that you are staying in the packhouse?”
Talia paused, unsure if that’s a good thing or not, but she didn’t want to lie. “How do you know?”
“Rita told us.”, Zina said. “She is cleaning the rooms and she saw you a few times, and we know that no new Omega appeared in the common buildings, so I guessed. This pack is huge, but we who come to the packhouse are few in numbers and we all know each other. You are a new face, so we got curious.”
Talia saw that both Zina and Dawn were looking at her expectantly, and she feared what question will come next. She didn’t expect it will come from behind.
“Did the sauce burn?”, Stephanie asked when she entered the kitchen, and Zina swiftly moved to the stove and started stirring the pot in question.
Dawn was already checking the pastry that was baking in the oven, and Talia was mixing already over-mixed salad.
Zina released a breath of relief before responding, “The sauce is fine.”
Stephanie definitely saw them chatting and if anything burned, Stephanie would scold them.
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Check out Alpha Maddox’s and Mindy’s photos in the comments.
To Dawn’s and Zina’s pleasure, Talia avoided taking dishes into the dining room.
Talia didn’t want to meet that intimidating man (aka Alpha Maddox), or other people that were there.
Besides scary guests, there was also the unpredictable Alpha Dayson.
Talia was not sure how she would react if Dayson tells her to eat with them at the table. Talia didn’t feel like she belongs there and sitting at that table with Alphas and their high-ranking members will definitely be uncomfortable. On the other hand, if Dayson doesn’t invite her, she will feel neglected.
Talia was aware that Alpha Dayson and his circle are way out of her league, and that it shouldn’t come as a surprise that he ignores her when others are present, but part of her was not willing to be treated differently depending on the audience.
It would be better if Alpha Dayson was always indifferent toward her, but during the time they spent together, Talia got to see different sides of Dayson, and his episodes of kindness touched her heart.
Talia feared that while the more important people are in the packhouse, Dayson will look at her in the same way he did when Cassie accused her of stealing food. If that happens, Talia’s heart will shatter into pieces.
Talia was not sure if staying away was the right thing to do, but she was determined to avoid Alpha Dayson and the guests, to the best of her abilities.
It’s only for a day or two; she will manage. After that, they will return to normal, whatever that ‘normal’ is.
Stephanie already said that she will eat in the kitchen, and Talia was determined to join her. While they plated food on serving trays, Talia and Stephanie put food on the side for themselves, and Dawn and Zina were packing dinner in containers to carry into their apartments. There was plenty for everyone.
“Aww…nothing this time…”, Dawn was deflated as she returned to the kitchen and Zina rolled her eyes dramatically.
“No luck?”, Talia asked even though she knew the answer.
“No.”, Dawn said dejectedly. “Axel is a looker. He can’t be older than twenty-three years old. I really wished that we click.”
“He smiled at you.”, Zina reminded her.
Dawn cheered up. “Yeah. Maybe I have a chance. I heard that he will stay for three days.”
“We are done here, right?”, Zina asked Stephanie who confirmed.
“Yes. I will see you at six-thirty in the morning so that we work on breakfast. Don’t be late.”
Zina and Dawn grabbed containers with food that they previously packed. They got extra and are planning to share with their roommates.
“Talia”, Zina called. “Will you come to the Shifters tonight?”
Talia blinked. “Shifters?”
“Ah, she is new.”, Dawn reminded Zina and spoke to Talia, “Shifters is the hottest nightclub in the area. It’s a bit of a drive, because it’s on the border of our territory but it’s totally worth it. Everyone will be there. That’s a perfect chance to mingle with hot stuff from other packs, and even humans come in large numbers.”
Talia didn’t want to reject the invitation, even though she had no intention of going. “I will come if I can.”
“Great! Come and join us dancing the night away. Treat me well, Talia because you never know, I might be Luna in the morning!” Dawn paused and turned to Stephanie. “Don’t worry. Even if that happens, I will be here on time to help with breakfast.”
Zina and Talia giggled at Dawn’s cheeky remark that was a total contrast to Stephanie’s unamused expression.
After saying their goodbyes, Zina and Dawn left, leaving Stephanie and Talia behind who had their own mini-feast spread on the kitchen island.
Stephanie poked a salad and shook her head. “Kids. They will stay away from those Alphas if they know what’s good for them.”
Talia didn’t understand. She heard stories about how women swarm over Alphas. After all, Alphas are the most powerful werewolves, and she-wolves are attracted to power.
Talia thought how if she had more confidence, she would also hope to catch the eye of an Alpha. Or maybe a general. Why did Stephanie talk like that was a bad thing?
“What do you mean?”
Stephanie chewed slowly for some time before responding. “Messing with Alpha who is not your mate will not bring anything good. Do you know that there are two types of bonds between mates?”
“I’m not too familiar with the topic.”, Talia admitted.
“In the case where mates are blessed by the Moon Goddess, the bond will strengthen after they mark each other, giving them power boost. This is the bond everyone dreams about. However, there is another one, mates out of choice. In this case, the bond doesn’t exist between a couple who marks each other. After the marking ceremony, the bond will form, but compared to the bond between destined mates, their bond will be weak and it won’t bring any increase in power, no matter how much they love each other. For Alphas, power is very important. That’s why every Alpha will search for his mate to make her his Luna. Unfortunately, that means whichever girl ends up tangled with those boys, unless they are mates, she will be left behind.”
Talia understood the point, but it made her uncomfortable. “Are all Alphas power-hungry?”
“For Alphas, this is beyond the selfish search for power. An Alpha is responsible for his pack members. Alpha can be challenged to a duel. Normally, the challenger will be an Alpha and the defeated one will lose the right to lead his pack, assuming that he survives. Can you imagine how the losing pack members will be treated after being absorbed? Unless you have the strength of a ranked member, you will fall below Omegas.”
Talia forgot to chew her food. She knew very well what it means to be below Omegas.
“Did Alpha Dayson fight in those duels?”, Talia asked after some time.
“Many.”, Stephanie said. “When he took over the pack, challengers were coming one after another with the hope to beat him and take over the Shadow Fang pack.”
“And?”, Talia wanted to hear more.
“As you can see, we are still standing.”, Stephanie said with some pride in her voice. “At first, Alpha Dayson would just injure challengers and send them back without taking anything from them. He just wanted us to be left alone. But soon they started coming back, and some even used sneaky methods to gain an unfair advantage. Alpha Dayson was enraged, and he started taking lives and absorbing packs. He built quite a reputation for himself. That’s why no one dares to challenge him, and we are the largest pack on the continent. His parents would be proud.”
Stephanie let out a long breath before continuing, “Alpha Dayson is a wonderful Alpha. The only thing lacking is for him to find a woman and settle down. It will be nice to see little ones running through this house again.”
Talia felt a pang in her chest. A woman to settle down. Dayson has many to pick from, and he will probably pick one soon.
Was he waiting to find his mate like other unmated Alphas? Well, princess Marcy and Cassie were proof that he was definitely not waiting idly. And Talia was confident that there are many other women, just like those two.