The Alpha’s Dilemma

“Where the hell are you running off to again?” Thane asked with his brows raised. Sasha could spot his freckled face curve to a smirk. The snow had occupied a chunk of the forest entrance and she had run through the ice to spend some alone time in the wild at least until after the Omega her father brought to her quarters, got tired and left. Thane’s leather clothes always appeared the same every day for as long as she could remember, Thane had been her Beta.

They grew together although he gave her some years, she never saw that. His blonde hair was natural and during his teenage years he attempted to dye it red to look like Ryan, his model Beta, who saved the great Kael centuries ago. The outburst that echoed from the class as soon as he walked in with his shoulders held high, deflected his ego and immediately made him retreat from his decision and choose to keep it the way it was, blonde. A lot had spiraled between those naïve years and the present but Thane’s changes were more visible and shocking to Sasha, seeing that they spent their years together.

She watched him flaunt his first beard and then go on to having a whole forest of it which ruined her crush on him; she argued that the beards took away his innocence and the dreamy chiseled shaved chin that her eyes lusted over. Thane’s changes attracted all the females especially the omegas who spent their boring noon hour’s day dreaming about a chance with him.

Familiarity, yes, that was what stopped her from seeing any shade of him sexually. He was the only brother figure she got and her father’s constant reiteration of Thane to look out for her, stapled the notion in her subconscious.

“Away, from this wicked world?”

Sasha shouted at the top of her voice as she doubled her speed, for years she had trained to run with wind and her trainer Riven had taught her every skill needed to beat the wind at a race. No matter how much she tried to push herself, Thane was always a step further, she didn’t think it was a gender based bias because she had defeated nearly all the Gammas that Riven brought for her to compete with, both in strength and speed.

Her strength was unmatched and although her father attempted to look past it, he couldn’t help but agree that she was a brutal force. The only tragic flaw was that she knew it too.

“I think the vile that the world fear is you!”

He attested as his left arm wrapped itself around her and turned her to face him. He was reading her next move, and his feet were tender on the snow veiled soil hence granting him ease with speed. He was close enough for her to sniff him, she smelt something feminine and she knew it wasn’t his natural.

Some omegas must have gotten their hands on him which is a futile task except he obliges them. It smelt all differently, they must have put in extra efforts to please him.

“Slot, I’m running away for my life and there you are drowning in the mist of ladies.”

The spark in her eyes translated jealousy to him and he loved that she cared. She could sniff him all she wanted if it would arouse what he sees in her again.

“No one is chasing you and the last time I checked Sasha Vega fears nobody.”

He smirked again spiting her the more, she unhooked his wrap around her and let her claws hit the snow to his face. He was snaring her in and the word “fear” was her trigger. Her fangs tore out and her eyes darkened, she was postured for a fight.

“Woah! Slow down, Sasha. I would have loved a duel but not today.”

Thane said as he raised his arms signaling his retreat. He didn’t have to but just wanted a more dramatic moment and there he had it. Nothing gave him extreme ecstasy like when they were alone together. The urge to maximize every second filled his heart, to see her in her every shade; angry, happy, sad or overconfident.

Sasha dusted herself, she knew when he was mocking her and now was part of it, hence her instinctive decision for a duel. According to her father, “only fools exchange pleasantries at the battle front”. She doubted her dad’s analogy but slowly it was being indicted into her.

“So, why keep your date waiting?”

Thane asked with all the answers already written on his face. He just wanted her to vocalize her frustration which appeared as an energy booster to him.

“I never planned a date with anyone, my father did. So I don’t think my presence is needed.”

“Really? So you would rather just leave the poor gent alone in there?”

Thane probed.

“If you care so much why don’t you just go and keep him company. Moreover he wouldn’t mind starting a same s*x relationship with you!”

Sasha probed with her hands molding a snowball.

“Eeew stop that! I was just giving you a suggestion.”

He scoffed.

“Why won’t you take your own advice?”

“Because I’m not a girl and definitely not the alpha’s heir.”

“Suit yourself!”

Sasha sprinted from him enjoying the winter wind that brushed her face. She was in love with nature. It seemed like her all in all solace.

“What do you think your dad will say when he finds out. The alpha leaves no room for silly actions and you know that!”

Thane expressed again with a smirk, it was a usual script he read to her and he never got bored of it.

“Thane, I’m tired. I’m tired of being shoved around by my dad.”

Sasha said kicking the snow heap that obstructed her free walk. Her feet was familiar with the woods and even with her eyes closed, she could maneuver its axis. She had stayed in the woods for hours until Aurora and Thane came to find her.

It was her safe haven even from the bunts of her stepmother. The deepest part of the Arden forest had seen her vulnerability even more than any human alive had.

“Why don’t you just tell him how you feel?”

He asked looking like he also needed some convincing for him to believe that was the way out.

“Does that even matter to him? You have met Alpha Vega; does he look like one who cares how anyone in the world feels?”

“You can’t just keep running away from him and who knows? Maybe you might meet your mate in one of those dates.”

The outrageous burst of laughter was expected, the dark winter weary elms nodded in amusement too.

“All, my father ever arranges for me to meet are Omegas. All of which lack enough power and strength to meet my fantasy. I didn’t start running with the wind at 5 when my mate were still playing with their drawing books, only to settle for less.”

Sasha responded, clicking her teeth like some excited cub.

“That sounds like pride Sasha Vega!”

Thane probed.

“It is! Beat me at fencing then come back and tutor me on pride. I have more than enough reasons to hold my head up.”

Sasha huffed.

“I guess not enough reasons to convince the alpha!”

Thane emphasized.

“I guess not. Nothing I say is enough!”

She was sounding softened.Thane knew she wasn’t joking; it was just a lie for her to call it a fantasy. She had drawn the future in her head with him and her nurse, Aurora, a dozen times. She wasn’t backing down on her fiery dream to be glued to that Alpha with whom she would expand the kingdoms and build the greatest pack of all times. Establishing a powerful legacy and she didn’t see that being achieved with marrying a Gamma or worse, an omega. He had made futile attempts to convince her otherwise, and he had retreated.

“Besides, the idea of mate is old school. If you ask me, I never thought it existed.”

Sasha said advancing towards him. She knew it made him uncomfortable whenever her eyes were glued to his and she loved it. It was her way of taunting him.

“Stop doing that already. The concept of a mate is true. It has been as long as werewolf history.”

“You see, you called it a concept, that’s all it is and will ever be. If you argue so much that it exists, then who’s your mate?”

She asked staring at him like every sinewy move he made was an answer long awaited. She could listen to his heart thump as it provided a melody for her.

“I think my mate is Becca, Beckett’s daughter. She sent me a love letter last night”

Thane bragged. It was his nature to brag about gifts or letters that his crushes gave him. He shared some gifts with Sasha and they spent most of their nights laughing at the love letters.

“You flirt! Let me see that!”

Sasha snatched the letter from Thane proceeding to read out the notes of love. Thane was a flirt and welcomed advances but wasn’t committed enough to see it through. He had his eyes on one person solely and that’s Sasha. He was willing to die with the secret anyway.

“I think she writes better than the rest omegas that have sent letters. Did you observe her play on words and allusions. She alluded me to Kael the Great...”

“Oh stop being annoying! She doesn’t speak as intelligently as she writes. Moreover stop whoring yourself!”

Sasha scorned at Thane. His baseless bragging was itching her. Their conversation was brought to an abrupt halt by the sharp recurring howl that slipped its way through the elms and into their ears. They could both hear it, it was Aurora.

It was her emergency signal to alert them either of her father’s need of her or his abrupt appearance in her chambers. The howl came through the pipe way that Thane had constructed from her room, facing directly into the forest. She and Thane alone could detect it and only the trio know about its existence.

“The last person to get to the castle forfeits their full moon spots!”

Sasha reechoed as her hind leg pushed her with the wind. She accelerated as she advanced through the spikes of the elms and arrived at her room window. She had missed a step while climbing the castle and her toes were burning but she paid it no heed.

She didn’t need to check for Thane, he wouldn’t come close to her room at least not after the signal of her father’s presence. She jumped in and quickly unbuckled her boots. She let her hair down and let her night robe slip over her like flowing oil. She could hear her father’s steps, they were closer than the air around her, her sense picked from his steps, that it wasn’t a pleasant visit.

The metal door flung open as if conflicting with the force of gravity which flung sideways. Her heart thumped louder than her breath as he stood in his full training suit. He had just come back from the field, it was obvious.

He smelt like grass, she could smell Riven on him, which implied that they were obviously in a conversation about her. She could have detected a whole number of things if he had not thrown her off and in a blink, pin her to the wall. His eyes were hot, they could burn through hers.

“Where were you girl?”

He asked, still searching her eyes.

“Here, dad. I’ve been here dad.”

Sasha’s tongue voiced as it loosed itself.

“Don’t lie to me Sasha!”

Alpha Vega’s voice shook the whole space and administered a silence which was only interrupted by the sound of blood dropping. Her heart froze.

“Even if you didn’t like him, you didn’t have to kill him!”

He growled.

Vega slowly released his grip on Sasha like a lioness letting down her cub. He retreated on her bed, his head was banging from rage, he had pierced himself with his nails and his blood was dropping. It wasn’t healthy for him but when he saw the Gammas surround the entrance of the castle. He knew something was not right and his heart couldn’t race any faster.

“Beckett, what is the meaning of this?”

He asked, still trying to make sense of the annoying movements and sounds of the Omegas clustered around the castle entrance.

“My lord, greetings”

He said with his knees bent and his elbow seated properly on his bent knee. He had his face stationed towards the ground.

“Beckett, are you deaf? I asked a question not a demand for your greeting!”

He shouted. Beckett in turn trembled as his tongue became too heavy to utter words. It was either his words or his head and he picked the former. The words were even heavier but they couldn’t remain sealed.

“T