Chapter 28: Trusting the Alpha

OLIVIA

“~No way.~”

~Smack~.

“OUCH! Maya, what the hell?”

“I’m instructing you!”

“By smacking me?”

“When you mess up, ~absolutely~.”

Maya stood with her arms folded across her chest, a rolled-up magazine clutched in her hand. She smirked at Olivia, pleased with her unconventional teaching method.

“I thought we were wolves, not dogs.”

She shrugged nonchalantly. “It’s the same principle.”

“I don’t think you breaking my nose is going to improve my ~sniffing~ abilities.”

“I’m on a tight schedule here, I’m doing the best I can. You could always extend your visit!”

This wasn’t the first time Maya had suggested that.

Living in the pack house wasn’t terrible. Quite the opposite. Plus, it was bustling. She wasn’t sure if it was due to the recent massacre, but she’d never witnessed so much activity.

There was a continuous rotation of pack members on surveillance duty, others were caring for the children, maintaining the gardens—the chores were endless.

On top of that, she’d barely seen Alexander since that morning. She’d attempted to find him to examine his wounds, but she’d only caught a fleeting glimpse of him.

Maya, on the other hand, had stuck to her like glue and made sure they were always occupied. She wasn’t joking when she said she’d teach her how to use her nose. Olivia didn’t exactly agree with her teaching methods but…

She was still thankful.

In the past five days, Olivia had learned more than she ever thought possible. She was clueless about this world.

It had always felt like a curse, but now she was realizing that she could use some of these abilities to her advantage.

Of course, that was true in the human world.

She was yet to discover what it was like to be a wolf in a werewolf world.

“Maya…you know I have to return.”

“But why?”

Because this wasn’t her home? Because she was…different? She wasn’t sure.

“I—I have my job, my apartment…”

~Will~. Did she still have Will? Did she ~want~ Will?

He wasn’t the person she thought he was. It was difficult to completely sever the connection…to forget everything.

But she knew she couldn’t ignore what had happened.

“You could have a job here. And ~your own room~.” She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. “Even though sharing a room with me is ~fantastic~.”

Fantastic wasn’t the term she’d use, but she was grateful that Maya allowed her to invade her personal space. She knew that since her transformation, she’d become slightly more paranoid.

It was probably because she was more aware of her surroundings. Granted, she didn’t know how to utilize her new abilities, at least not according to Maya, but she was conscious of her enhanced senses.

Maya didn’t perceive her as a threat.

She’d welcomed her into her personal space where she could easily harm her if she wanted. Maya trusted her. And the feeling was mutual... Maya hadn’t harmed her. How could she not trust her after this?

“I—I’m not sure…” She didn’t know if she could completely abandon her human life. There wasn’t much holding her back but... to give it all up? To trust them entirely? To change her entire life... again?

Maya gripped her shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “Hey, I’m sorry. I don’t mean to pressure you. I’ve—I’ve never been human. I don’t understand the appeal. For me, it’s a no-brainer to be with my own kind.”

“I need time.”

“You’ve got it.”

She needed to sort things out, she needed answers. From them and from Will. She couldn’t make such a significant decision while she was still confused.

A pack operated so differently from what she was accustomed to in her human life.

She couldn’t just do as she pleased. Her actions had consequences and they supported each other. There was also a hierarchy. Alex was at the top of the pyramid.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“I’ve—Will told me about betas, alphas, omegas…”

“And you want to know what’s true and what’s not?”

She gave a nod of agreement. “Perhaps I’ve misunderstood the dynamics of alphas and packs.”

Maya pursed her lips, her index finger tapping thoughtfully against her chin as she hummed. “Most packs operate similarly. Alphas lead, followed by betas and then…” She paused, clearing her throat.

“It’s not exactly that omegas are at the bottom. It’s more like... you’re difficult to categorize.”

“We’re at the bottom.” This was in line with what she’d been told.

Maya winced. “Not all packs are identical. Alpha females, they’re not as... ~fertile~. Betas ~can~ bear cubs but it’s not a guarantee. Omegas though—they’re built for it.”

“So all the omegas—they’re the mothers.”

“Kind of. The thing is, there aren’t many of you. Because…”

Her eyes followed Maya’s gaze as it darted to her face, a flush of embarrassment coloring her skin. “Because?”

“What did Will tell you?”

“He said we were more sensitive to alphas and given his flawed portrayal of alphas, it made sense. He said they treated omegas like playthings.” Now Maya was avoiding her gaze.

Maya straightened her posture, her head tilting from side to side. “You’re—you’re more receptive to them. It’s harder for you to say ~no~. There was some mistreatment of omegas in the past which led to their dwindling numbers.

“It’s outdated and foolish and we don’t practice that. I can’t guarantee that all packs refrain from it. There might be some…desperate ones.

“Humans have been encroaching on a lot of our territories. It’s been difficult to expand and many of us have perished. ~But~ I can assure you that Alex would never harm you.”

Alexander hadn’t—well, their initial encounter was intense, but she hadn’t exactly been herself either. Apart from the heat and a few other regrettable incidents, he hadn’t ~used~ her.

If he was capable of doing it so easily, he could have done it by now. She’d been here for a while. What would be the point in waiting to use her later?

“Are there any other omegas in the pack?”

Maya shook her head.

“Just you.”

“Have you ever encountered another one?”

“From a different pack.”

“And?”

“And what?”

“Was she…”

“Oh, she was fine,” she quickly reassured, waving her hand dismissively. “She was willingly mated to the alpha. No one was causing her harm.”

“Is that—is that why Alexander is interested?” A tight knot of anxiety formed around her heart, making it feel as though it couldn’t beat properly.

She had repeatedly asked him why he wanted her to join the pack. She couldn’t understand it. But—they had just established that he wouldn’t harm her… He could always ~persuade~ her without causing her pain.

But he hadn’t ~forced~ her.

“~No~.”

The response was immediate and emphatic.

“Then why, Maya? Why does he want me to join the pack?”

Her shoulders sagged, her sigh causing her chest to shudder. She ran her hand through her hair, her foot tapping restlessly on the ground.

“You should be asking Alex this…”

“I ~have~,” she emphasized. “He hasn’t given me an answer.”

“Alex is a good man,” she defended. “He wouldn’t harm you, or any other omega. You’re alone out there, and he doesn’t trust that ~Will~. Alex has a habit of taking in strays. Jason was a stray. So was Mason.”

“Do you mean rogues?”

“Rogues?”

She nodded. “Dangerous, solitary wolves. Will told me about them. They don’t belong to a pack and they’re quite wild.”

“No, they were without a pack. Sometimes, smaller packs disband or get overrun by a larger pack and they don’t want to join them so they leave, and they join another pack.”

“So he wants me to join because…”

“Because he doesn’t want a dishonorable alpha to get to you. If you’re here, you can make your own decisions.”

“For six years, I’ve managed to avoid a direct encounter with an alpha. I’ve seen a few from a distance, but Alexander is the first one I’ve actually—really interacted with.”

“Hmm.”

“Hmm?”

“You’re a bit unique. Let’s just say, you haven’t quite mastered the art of ~listening~,” she chuckled.

“So, I should just agree with everything he says?”

“Some would.”

“You mean I’m not doing it right?”

“No, no!” she quickly reassured. “I find it refreshing. Please continue to challenge him. It’s entertaining. As far as I’m concerned, he can spend the next ten years trying to win you over.”

Olivia had been under the impression that everyone in the pack feared the alpha. But Maya didn’t seem to harbor any fear.

She’d provoke Alexander at the drop of a hat. And he allowed it.

“So, he’s just being friendly?”

“Exactly,” she confirmed, punctuating her response with a pop of her lips.

But somehow, that didn’t feel ~sufficient~. She couldn’t quite put her finger on why.

It was an instinct. Something within her ~insisting~ there was more to Alexander.

There was a piece she was overlooking.

The same piece that kept drawing her back, the same voice urging her to trust him, even when she saw him as nothing more than a beast.

What drove her to follow him, to comply with his plans from the start?

But she couldn’t articulate it. She didn’t even ~know~ how to broach the subject with Maya.

“Is there anything else I should be aware of?”

There was a brief, but noticeable hesitation in Maya’s eyes. It wasn’t the first time.

“Not that I’m aware of, but Alex would know more than I do.”

Back to square one. “Well, he’s been avoiding me so…”

Maya leaned in, draping an arm around her shoulder. “I’ll tell you what. I’ll give him a piece of my mind and ensure he sits down and talks to you properly. Sound good?”

“You think that will work?”

“I can be ~extremely~ irritating when I want to.”

“And that will be enough?”

“It usually is,” she replied, winking.

“Thank you.”

“Alright! Enough with the distractions. We’re not finished here.”

“Are you done with the rolled-up magazine?”

“Are you going to get it right?”

“I can see why Alex usually gives in.”

Maya was persistent, but it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. If she could get ~real~ answers from Alex, it would help her make sense of everything. Plus, things ~were~ improving—aside from him avoiding her.

Perhaps their fresh start would encourage him to be more open with her. They wanted her to stay. It wasn’t unreasonable for her to expect honesty in return. At least she had Maya to tell her the truth.

Now she just had to persuade Alexander to do the same…

And then…

Then she could make a decision.