The Silent Alpha

***Talla’** 

It turns out the pack clinic is not really a clinic at all, but instead a full blown hospital meant to care for its ever growing pack.

The three story building has a pediatric wing and OBGYN on the first floor, labs and OR rooms on the second floor and the refugee women placed temporarily on the third floor.

The first floor was once the infirmary but with Celina, Aurora, and Valentina being healers, it was no longer needed and the hospital was rearranged to house the Amethyst women and children.

Celina briefs me on the work they've been doing with the girls as we make our way to the third floor.

"About 200 men, women and children were rescued from Amethyst Lake, half of which live here on the third floor while the rest are at Lluvia Blanca," she explains, my eyes growing wide at the sheer amount of survivors from the fallen pack.

"Thirty men were rescued with the women, most of them victims of the no mate rule Nikolai imposed against them.They are good men who just want to love their mates, so we are not really concerned about them being here.Only authorized and mated males are allowed on the third floor,"she continues.

"We don't need an unmated male going crazy and assaulting one of our girls if she goes into heat.You'll see authorized badge.” The living arrangements are pretty clear.

We prioritized preserving family units so mothers, children and mated pairs are roomed together while unmated women and siblings are housed together, three or four to a room.

Many of the orphaned children were adopted either by some of the women here or by members of the Kingdom who were willing and able to take on a child or two.

No one here is a prisoner.

They can come and go as they please.

Most, though, prefer to stay here and only go out when there's a group activity.

We're still working on them gaining confidence to be independent but it will be a while before all of them are comfortable being on their own.

Our main job here is to make sure they feel safe on their own and provide a learning environment where they can grow and develop as individuals.

Our volunteers take turns cooking meals, taking the girls on trips to the city, and holding vocational and self defense training.

We want the girls to be independent by the time the pack renovations are complete, so that they will be able to move into their apartments and be functional members of the kingdom."

She smiles brightly as she explains her hopes for the women, her eyes twinkling with the same passion as Aurora’s.

She gives me a few pointers on how to behave with the girls, emphasizing patience and asking for consent whenever possible to make them feel in control of their lives and decisions trip," She shrugs.

"Part of our job is helping them feel confident in their own skin and having them see their own worth.Plus going out helps them feel like real people and gives them something to look forward to."

We enter the third floor where a group of women are gathered around the large recreational area.

Upon seeing Celina, the girls rush to greet her, all of them bowing giddily.

Among the girls is Nadia, the Amethyst wolf I met yesterday.She waves timidly at me, her cheeks blushing as I smile back and wave.

"Guess who gave me his black card?" Celina wiggles her brows, the girls bubbling with excitement.

"Alpha Javier will be hosting today's shopping spree!" Celina splits the girls into two groups of 10 and assigns them all into a van driven by the three authorized male guards, William, Hayden, and Cory.

The girls seem comfortable with the guards, some joking and laughing with them as we walk into the mall.

Nadia seems a bit smitten with William, but keeps her distance, walking quietly alongside me with her eyes cast down to avoid any eye contact with anyone.

"Would you like to hold my hand?" I ask her, holding out my palm for her to take, hoping to make her feel more comfortable.

"I-it's okay," she smiles sheepishly.

"You don't have too-"

"I don't mind," I reply, thinking of the many times Zane calmed me down by simply holding my hand.

"Sometimes we all need Nadia timidly places her hand in mine, her palms a little sweaty and shaky.I feel a small pinch in my heart.How cruel must her life have been for her to be this timid in a shopping mall, afraid to look anyone in the eye? Celina leads us into a little boutique with beautiful summer dresses in the window display, instructing the girls to each pick a dress.

"You are all such beautiful girls," she says to the group.

"But you have to feel it for yourselves.I can't always be the one telling you.So pick address and see for yourselves just how perfect you all are." Several of the girls look nervous but Celina offers a reassuring smile.

"I've asked the boutique owner to close up the shop for us while we're here.It's just us so don't be shy.You're safe with me."

Some of the nervous smiles remain but the girls spread out, skimming the hundreds of dresses on the racks and filling up the changing rooms.

Celina has a speaker brought by one of the guards and plays some music for a mini fashion show with the girls.

Nadia clings to me, looking anxious about picking a dress.

dress do you

you want a long one or a short one? Sleeves or no sleeves?" She burns bright red and

dress before,"she replies

a house keeping

cleaning

I ask, raising

"Yeah," she nods.

auctions when we turned 18 by the Alpha.We would reject our mates so no bond could interfere with our duties...No one

say more, but she bites her lip again and waves

sorry.That was a stupid thing to say.Ignore

a little at the sudden movement but relaxing when she sees the look

I

but she tries to smile

don't have to say that.I know I'm not the prettiest wolf." I

are not ugly.I've seen ugly.My sister for example is an ugly bitch...but you? You

her eyes in an attempt to hide her tears, but she fails

inspect her frame as she collects herself, noting her wide hips and thick thighs, before grabbing her hand and pulling her toa different

in silence as I push around dresses until I pull out a little pink dress that accentuates the waist and flares out at the hips in the dressing room.I hear her shuffling in the

look silly,"

this." I think

dress too? That way we can both

shapeless dress that I know will do absolutely nothing for my figure so

ready?" I

groans but regardless, I hear her open

step out with her and clap ecstatically when I see how gorgeous the dress fits her, the fabric hugging

good on her naturally pale skin, her blue eyes popping against the

tries to hide by holding her hands over them and

I squeal, trying my best to cheer her up and make her

does look lovely in

caught William's attention, the guard lightly"I think William likes the dress,"I giggle, Nadia's face morphing into a tomato when she looks

throat and she looks back at the ground as if praying that the

"N-no," she protests.

now...he’s still hurt about his last one...She wasn’t

second chance

her fingers tugging at

ask, cursing mate bonds under my

showing me

not ready to be my mate just yet ...He asked me to wait

managing to look stiff and

"He’s very nice,"

growing frustration with her

hard to speak to but that’s okay.I’m practically

learn to accept me," she says, her

will be enough for him one

you

to be so cold regardless of his past.I stop mid sentence when I recognize Williams's behavior...recalling my own cold

quizzically, tilting her head to

over to the dress rack

dress with long sleeves so you’re

ask more but decides against it and

hand her a dress in a similar style as

we leave, I manage to convince

I think about my

push him away, Zane is slowly

me, playing by my rules, even when my rules were sometimes unfair

the girls raiding the cafeteria for a home cooked

for me this morning, a small note

you for giving me a

stare at the words for a moment, knowing in my heart that I have never truly given him a chance

as I work with some of the girls with their reading, I think about Zane’s note, wondering if it were truly possible for

entrance of the third floor, several of the girls rushing to greet the Queen

worried, her hands curling and uncurling with

over, leading me to a private room

to take a seat at the small table, taking the seat directly in front of

but I can tell Aurora is

apologizes, taking a

Kota were playing out in the woods, a group of wolves entered River Moon without our knowledge...and there was an altercation with Kota."