Chapter 64 – Sorry Alpha I Am Wolfless Novel

Filed To Story: Sorry Alpha I Am Wolfless Novel

“Oh my, look how young Joaquin is.” She cooed as she touched the boy’s face in the picture. “He was always so handsome. Don’t you think so?” She looked up at me with a happy smile and tears brimming in her eyes. I knew that’s who it was, and the man must be his father.

“He was definitely a handsome little boy.” I agreed. “Is the man with him your husband?” I asked.

“You didn’t know?” She asked, me confused.

“No, I was never really allowed out, unless it was a mandatory thing I never went to meetings. And usually my family kept me hidden at the back. I had never actually seen the previous alpha. It was purely coincidental that I had seen Joaquin’s face prior to forming the mate bond.” I looked at the floor in shame as I confessed how my Grandfather had forced me to be raised.

“That’s a shame.” She seemed saddened. “My husband was a kind and gentle man. He would not have liked the way you were treated.”

“We can’t change the past.”

“No, but we can stop it from being repeated.”

“What are you talking about?” I asked her.

“No one should treat you, or anyone else in the pack, like that.” She seemed angry, did she and the former alpha not know how people in the pack viewed me when I was growing up? Or was I mostly ignored until I was old enough to be a topic of discussion? The previous alpha died when I was eleven, so maybe most of the pack didn’t know much about me then. I wasn’t even old enough to start trying to get my wolf at that time, so it was possible they didn’t know.

“Riviana, have you talked to my thick headed son yet?” Lila asked me, her voice changing from saddened ponderings of the past to annoyance. Was she angry at me too, or at Joaquin?

“We tried to talk to each other earlier, it didn’t go well.”

“Was he mean again?” She asked as if she expected this.

“Not really, I’m sorry to say that I let my typical response to him come out, but I think it’s become a defense mechanism to him now. I can’t help it. Plus, he acts like a jerk so much that it’s just natural for me.” I told her. “I’m afraid I was a bit too snarky with him.” To my surprise she laughed.

“That’s fine, he needs someone to humble him, he’s been holding himself too high for so long, do me a favor and knock him a little lower will you. Once you think he’s fallen enough, come talk to me, I have something I want to tell you.”

“Can’t you just tell me now?” I asked her, curious as to what it was.

“No, I think it best to wait. But just know, he’s not all bad.” Her knowing smile seemed a little devious at the moment. I didn’t know what she was hiding, but I was definitely curious.

Christmas was coming up. I hadn’t even thought about it until just now. But I only have about two weeks. I shouldn’t be heartless and ignore him, I needed to get him something. The problem was, I couldn’t go to the store to pick anything out. So, I was stuck shopping for him, and everyone, online.

I had already picked out gifts for Aunt Eve, Uncle Wesley, Carter, Noah, Nikki and Grandfather, which were the usual crowd. New to my shopping list this year was Juniper, Paul, Cedar, Vincent and his family, David, not to mention Shane and Shawn. Then there was everyone at the estate. I needed to shop for Lila, Abigail, Peter, get something small for the rotating housekeepers, and of course Joaquin. I had never had to shop for so many people in my life.

Most people were easy, I knew what types of things they wanted because I had either spent my entire life around them or they were open and friendly, so they were easy to understand. The only person who was hard to shop for was Joaquin.

“UURRGGHH!” I screamed in frustration as I tried to think of what to get the jerk that seemed to have everything and wanted nothing to do with me.

I had figured out almost everyone’s gifts in no time at all. But here I was spending hours trying to figure out what to get that jerk. Most of what I knew about him had to do with his personality, which sucked.

“What do you get a man with a superiority complex that hates you?” I asked myself. “I can’t make myself invisible, which is probably all he would want from me.” I was talking to myself, that’s how mad he was making me. I growled to myself as I continued to look at what to get him.

I started to think about What Lila had said earlier. She said he wasn’t all bad. I guess she might be right. He saved my life twice now. And he had managed a few conversations with me that didn’t end in disaster, or that didn’t go south because of him. He wasn’t the only one to blame here.

Then I remembered the picture that I had seen. I remembered how happy he had looked in it, and I realized that I hadn’t seen a single guitar in the music room. Did he get rid of them when his father died? Would he get mad if I got him a new one? Would he be fine with a memory of his father now that his mother was back?

I had a plan, I just hoped it didn’t backfire on me. I started looking for the items I wanted to order. This plan needed two things to make it work. But I wanted to get him something else too, just in case they didn’t go over very well.

In the course of my searching I found a watch set that looked like it would be perfect for him. It was masculine and screamed alpha to me. The band was made mostly of platinum but with a line of black gold in the middle. The face of the watch was platinum ringed in black gold. Instead of digits for the numbers, they had small black spinel stones embedded in the face of the watch beneath the crystal. The constant contrast of black and platinum was mesmerizing to me that I just felt drawn to it. It also came with a matching bracelet, it was a thick, army style id type bracelet, best of all, I could put an inscription on it, but I would do so on the bottom not the top.

I had ‘Alpha’ engraved onto the watch for him. As for the bracelet, well that inscription read ‘Joaquin “FIDO” Gray’. I just knew he would love it. There was one other gift he was going to get. I just hoped I didn’t laugh too hard when I gave it to him. This last one was how I was going to start letting him know I might forgive him, if he was willing to try to behave himself and start over with me. I couldn’t wait for Christmas now.

**

Riviana

**

I didn’t have to wait long to talk to Joaquin again. Two days later, I had just accepted a delivery of gifts that I needed to wrap for Christmas, I ran into Joaquin on the stairs.

“What’s all that Little Bunny?” He looked at the many, many packages in my arms.

“Christmas presents.” I answered without looking at him or stopping.

“Seriously, you’re doing this again?” He complained?

“What exactly am I doing Joaquin?” I asked as I struggled to hold on to all the packages in my arms. They weren’t heavy, not for someone with enhanced strength. No, my issue was the fact that I was smaller than people like Joaquin. I had smaller arms and hands than he did. I’m sure he would have no problem carrying them all, but I was struggling.

“You’re ignoring me again.” He sounded petulant. “What gives? Is this becoming a hobby of yours?” I couldn’t see him as I had already moved past him, but I could hear him coming up behind me.

“I’m not ignoring you. I answered you, didn’t I?” I wanted to laugh at the absurdity of him in that moment, but I just didn’t have the opportunity, my precariously perched piled chose that moment to topple over. “No! Dammit!” I growled the two words in quick succession before they could fall as I watched them unbalance.

The next thing I saw was Joaquin’s arms reaching around me from behind, grabbing the stack of boxes and bags that had begun to spill. He kept them all from falling with ease.

“Why did you order so much?” He snapped, but he didn’t really sound upset, he sounded like he was laughing at me.

“My list of people to shop for got a lot bigger this year. Since I have met a lot of new people. Before I have only ever shopped for my family and no one else, this is the first time I have shopped for someone other than them.” Being this honest with him, I could feel the blood rushing to my face, I looked to the floor trying to hide my embarrassment. Why did I have to be so pathetic, so different from everyone else?

“Let me help.” He said. Without waiting for an answer, he lifted most of the pile up and over my head. I looked over my shoulder in awe and I saw him holding them easily as he stared at me apathetically. “What?” He asked me as if I was the one that had done something strange.

“Let’s go.” He was acting like I asked for his help and was now wasting his time.

Don’t snap at him, he’s helping me. I had to remind myself three times before taking a deep breath and walking the rest of the way to my room.

Joaquin didn’t wait for me to invite him in, he just went inside and walked over to the table by my desk, setting the packages down before turning to me.

“Who all did you buy for?” He looked like a little kid trying to see if they were getting a toy too.

“My family, my friends, my guards, the staff, your mother.” I told him, waiting to see the look on his face when I didn’t mention his name.

“Hmm, should have known you wouldn’t get anything for me.” He frowned looking at the pile.

---