#Chapter 6 - Officially Meeting the Alpha

Shirley “Do you have any idea who I am?” he asks, his voice dipping low as his features are painted with arrogance. But I can’t answer his question. I’m too stunned. My charm…my charm actually failed. I know I shouldn’t be so thrown, but this isn’t what I had expected. Of course, my charm has the ability to fail, but the request I had made wasn’t even a difficult one. It was nothing compared to the one I’d given Ralph - attempting to get him to spend a large sum of money on me. So why had I crashed and burned? All I’d asked was for Keith to leave us alone. I’m still trying to work through my thoughts when I’m suddenly interrupted. Keith lets out a soft rumble from his throat, snapping me out of my daze as I blink away the gloss in my eyes. I realize he’s waiting for my response, which I quickly throw together. “Who are you?” I ask, once again pretending to be clueless despite the information Jean already gave me. My rattled emotions make it easy for me to fake my confusion. “I’m Keith - the Alpha of this pack,” he informs me, his stare once again becoming skeptical. “You really don’t know that?” Part of me wants to laugh. He really thinks high and mighty of himself if he’s willing to assume that I’d be able to just tell he’s the Alpha. But then again…maybe he’s not completely off base. As wolves, we’re trained to recognize an Alpha amongst the other wolves, even in their human forms. Even without Jean’s help, I should have suspected he was a leader from the confident way he carries himself. Maybe I would have too - if I hadn’t been so distracted by his good looks when I’d first seen him. “Well, I do now,” I reply, fighting off a sarcastic tone. And because I’m aware that I’m talking to the Alpha, I know I’m expected to also report my identity to him. Although, I make sure to bend the truth. “I’m Anya,” I remind him of my name. “Foreign exchange student who came to this pack for a small visit.” Or a big one if you consider what I’m here to accomplish. Taking in my information, Keith gives a small nod, his piercing gaze still pressing into me. “And what pack are you from, Anya?” he asks. I try not to think about the delectable way he said my name…or “Anya’s” name as I work up another lie. “Uh…the Shadowmoon pack,” I tell him. “Which is about four hundred kilometers from here.” I’m not sure why I slipped in the last bit of information - perhaps it was out of nerves. But I try to keep myself calm as I see his expression change again. It’s almost playful, another challenge. “Shadowmoon…” he repeats the name, his lips again twitching into a slight smile. However, this time his delight isn’t comforting. I suddenly have a bad feeling pooling in my stomach, which causes me to speak before he can question me more. “Well, Keith,” I press out his name that time. “I know you may be Alpha, but last time I checked the federal law, that still doesn’t give you the right to meddle in my personal affairs.” It’s not really a warning, but I’m aware that my words are anything but sweet as they fill the limited space between us. Only, they seem to be swept away as Keith huffs. “Maybe not,” he says coldly. “But as Ralph’s best friend and closest confidant - I have a right to meddle in his.” Ha! I want to laugh right in his face. Best friend? Closest confidant? Is he even aware of the type of person Ralph is? That Ralph is the one in “dangerous territory” and has been strutting down the wrong path for some time? Honestly, how well does Keith actually know his best friend? I can assume it’s not as well as he thinks as I recall one of his claims from earlier. He’d mentioned Jena and Ralph’s baby as if they were still expecting. Little did he know, they’d lost the baby weeks ago - and it was all Ralph’s fault. But I don’t say any of that to him. I can’t. Jean already stressed how important it is that no one finds out about Ralph. He’d kill her and even their first pup, Eliot. One slip up on my part and their fate would be sealed. So I swallow my words, store them away somewhere deep so they can’t reach the surface. Instead, I replace them with others, still trying to get Keith off my back somehow. “What are you going to do if I keep exploring things with Ralph?” I ask tentatively. “Have your pack banish me?” Something seems to pass through Keith’s eyes then, making them turn darker, his gaze harder as he eats up my questions. “Oh no,” he purrs out and already I feel my skin begin to prickle. “But I have other ways of getting what I want.” I nearly shiver at his evident threat, but use everything in me to suggest that his words have no effect. However, that doesn’t stop Keith from attempting to push me further. “Do you really think with your little powers that you can shake up a mating bond?” he asks, nearly through his teeth. Every inch of my skin nearly pales. My powers…he knew about my powers? I want to ask him how he figured it out, or even when. But I don’t. I don’t give him any indication that he’s right. “I have no intention to cut off their mating bond,” I tell him, my tone dry. “Ralph and I just met - nothing has happened. I just like hanging out with him.” I stop for a moment, giving him a firm look. “But what I don’t like is someone ordering me around,” I finish. I expect him to push back on me again, to feed me another reminder that he’s the Alpha. But he doesn’t. Instead, he gives me a pointed stare and then follows it with a nod. “You better be telling the truth,” he states. I’m halfway to telling him that I am when he cuts me off. “Because it’s not me you’re committed to. You’re committed to his mate,” he throws out. Only, that’s not all he does. Following his words, Keith suddenly raises his phone, shining the light right in my face. I have to blink for a second as my vision adjusts, but once it does, my mouth completely falls open. That conniving Alphahole. It’s Jean. I’m staring right at Jean. But it’s not some picture he’s pulled up - it’s actually her. He FaceTimed her and now he’s forcibly making my face her. My blood is hot as Jean and I stare at each other in shock. She has no idea what’s going on and I’m failing to give her any insight as I can’t manage words. But I need to say something. At any second she could call out my name in confusion - my real name. At any second, she could reveal that we actually know one another. At any second, all our plans could be completely destroyed. I try to conjure up words. To say something - anything - that will explain what’s going on as I stare at Jean’s dumbfounded expression. I try and try. But when words do finally come, they’re not from me. And they’re not really words - it’s just one. My name. “Shir…”