Orphan Alpha novel Chapter 4

I was waiting for Toby in the quad after finishing my last final exam when the scent of cedar and rain reached me. Our mate is near! My wolf yipped in my mind. Panic and desire began to war within me as my eyes scanned the empty quad. I knew Barb had spoken to Alpha Tristan yesterday, but that didn’t change the fact that I was still a rogue with Alpha blood. I screamed when a hand grabbed my shoulder.

“Shit Hannah, I think you burst my eardrums!” Toby exclaimed.

“You scared me, Toby!” I scolded, my heart still hammering in my chest.

Toby moved to put his arm around me and was suddenly slammed against the building.

“MINE!” snarled the man holding Toby with his elbow pressed against his throat.

Even with a murderous look on his face, he was gorgeous. I couldn’t help but rake my eyes over him, taking in his muscular form and shaggy, jet black hair. His scent was intoxicating. I wanted to mark him right there in the open. Get a grip Hannah! I scolded myself, shaking my head to try and clear my thoughts. Toby’s face was turning purple from the lack of oxygen.

“Let him go asshole!” I heard myself say.

I watched the muscles in his back tense momentarily before he released Toby. He looked at me, his eyes a mixture of confusion, anger, and hurt, before leaving as quickly as he had come.

“What the fuck was that about?” Toby choked out, rubbing his throat.

“I don’t know Tob.” I lied. “We should get back to the orphanage. We have a graduation party to plan and we should probably see if Barb has a line on any furniture for your new apartment.”

Toby and I walked home in silence. Neither of us wanted to talk about anything other than the incident at school, but I couldn’t give Toby any answers. We weren’t supposed to tell humans about us, unless we mated to them, and Toby wasn’t my mate. When we walked in, the receptionist called for Toby to sign in, he had technically moved out the day before and didn’t live in the orphanage anymore. I was waiting for him to retrieve his visitor pass when Barb grabbed my arm and led me to her office.

“I’ve received a call from Alpha Bruce today.” She said, closing the door behind her. “Alpha Tristan wants a meeting with my pack, about you.”

“But I’m not a member of Silver Moon pack yet. I still have almost a month until I’m not a ward of the state and can join!” I exclaimed.

“I know.” She shushed me. “When Alpha Tristan called yesterday, I told him as much. Since you intend to join our pack when you age out of the system, he has decided to approach our Alpha as if you were already a member.”

I sat in stunned silence. I would have expected Alpha Tristan to want to reject me since I was a rogue. The incident at school combined with him reaching out to the Alpha of my intended pack was beginning to suggest otherwise. My heart sped up as I let myself hope that I wasn’t jumping to the wrong conclusion.

“Alpha Bruce didn’t divulge Alpha Tristan’s intentions.” Barb cautioned, answering my unspoken question. “All he would say is that I am to take you to the pack house this evening.”

I nodded as Barb led me to the door, advising me to dress nicely before I left. I headed to my room, hoping that Toby would be there to distract me until visiting hours were over. I was relieved to find him lounging on my bed, skimming through a magazine.

“What did Barb want?” He asked when I entered the room.

“Oh! I forgot to tell you yesterday, she offered me a position here as caregiver once I turn eighteen. She wanted to go over a few details with me.” It wasn’t totally a lie, she had offered me the job, but I couldn’t tell Toby what today’s conversation had really been about.

Toby jumped off the bed and grabbed me in a congratulatory hug. He knew I had been stressing about what would happen to me after my birthday. I gently pulled away and picked up the magazine he had been reading when I came in. I chuckled when I realized he had been looking through a furniture catalogue.

We spent the next few hours figuring out how to create a budget online and picking out his dream pieces of furniture. He couldn’t afford most of them, but it still felt good to fantasize about owning them. I felt a twinge of jealousy. I didn’t have to worry about a job or place to live anymore, but I also wasn’t going to be decorating my own place any time soon.

When the announcement ending visiting hours came across the pa system, Toby gathered up his newly printed budget and a few print offs of furniture he could actually afford before heading out. As soon as he shut the door behind him, I flew to my closet. I had a meeting with two Alphas, and I had to find something to wear. I tore threw my clothing, tossing things on the floor as I searched for the perfect outfit. Nothing I had seemed appropriate and I was about to have a break down when Barb entered the room.

“I thought you might have this problem.” She chuckled, looking at the clothes tossed everywhere. “I brought you something to wear.”

She handed me a light floral print dress. It wasn’t fancy by any means, it looked more like something someone would wear to work at an office. I gave her a quick hug and ran to my bathroom to change. The dress accentuated all of my curves without making me look overly sexy. I looked like an attractive young intern as I threw my hair into a high pony and applied light makeup. I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to look for a meeting with alphas, but if this was what Barb felt was appropriate, it would do.

“Flats!” Barb said, handing me my shoes as I exited the bathroom. “You look lovely.”

I clasped my hands tightly in my lap as Barb pulled up to the pack house. The place was huge. It looked like an upscale, rustic hotel from the outside, which wasn’t helping my nerves. Some of the pack new me from my previous meetings with Alpha Bruce while trying to find a way for me to join before I was eighteen. This evening was different though, I knew Alphas didn’t travel alone, so there would be wolves who didn’t know me aside from my scent as a rogue.