His Territory

One

“Honey, are you ready? Please tell me you’re ready. We really cannot be late tonight,” my mom pleads with me as I finish getting ready. I was used to her nagging but still had the urge to roll my eyes.

I check myself in the mirror one last time and glare at the outfit I’m wearing. People normally wouldn’t find me in a black fitted dress, or any dress for that matter, that’s too short for my liking yet, here I am, wearing one. Luckily, I have managed to convince my mom that ballerina flats are much safer than the three-inch heels she wants me to wear. I’m as clumsy as they come and will probably embarrass myself enough without adding a heel to my disability. And yes, it is a disability considering I’m a werewolf and should be naturally graceful. Apparently, that gene skipped me.

“Let’s go,” I say, grabbing my purse from the counter. My mom comes around the corner in a pretty lavender dress and we walk outside together, getting into her white Honda. Teenagers would probably think I’m crazy for letting my mom come with me to a party, but I don’t really have a choice. It’s a pack party that everyone has to attend unless you’re ill or have an equally better excuse.

In all honesty, I do not want to attend. I would rather have the stomach flu than have to endure this god-forsaken party. Our Alpha is finally coming back after four years of traveling the world and to welcome him the Beta decided it would be such a good freaking idea to throw a pack party. Of course, we all know what the real reason is for this idiotic thing. Alpha Calloway just wants to make sure his mate isn’t here so he can start his hunt for her. Unfortunately, that means I get to watch a few of the more desperate girls throw themselves at him all night.

I mean, I understand that he’s an extremely powerful werewolf in our hidden world and a real life Adonis, but please ladies. You’re giving the rest of us normal wolves a bad reputation; the ones who couldn’t care less if their mate was any size, shape, or color. As long as he loves us and treats us with respect, we’re happy.

“Earth to Cassia. I said we’re here,” my mom repeats in annoyance, bringing me out of my thoughts. I hop out of the car and audibly groan at the oversized house. I absolutely love how beautiful it is but I can’t wrap my head around why they need so much space. Only the wolves with titles are allowed to stay in it, excluding the Omega’s. All of us common wolves are assigned to a house and can expand it if we please or just leave it like it was given to us.

Of course, we have to have money if we want to remodel or expand our houses, but most of us are living off of the money the Alpha gives out every month depending on family size. It’s only my mom and I living in a house so we don’t get that much money a month, but it’s enough to keep us alive. Most Alphas wouldn’t do what he does so we’re very lucky to have such a compassionate leader, even if he is gone all of the time.

“Boo!” someone shouts, bringing me out of my thoughts for the second time tonight. I swat my hand at my best friend and he smirks.

“What the heck, Smith? Were you trying to give me a heart attack?!”

“Actually, I was trying to get you to cuss, but it seems I have once again failed. I’ll get you next time, Cas.” He laughs as he brings me into his infamous bear hug. Smith’s hugs are literally the best in the world. If I could take his hugs and bottle them up then I would.

“I don’t know why you’re so obsessed with getting me to say a bad word. It’s not going to happen and you know it.”

He rolls his eyes then loops his arm through mine. “This way, milady.”

As we enter through the massive oak double doors, I instantly feel self conscious and underdressed. Here I am, standing next to my supermodel best friend in a tux, wearing what seems like a silly dress and flats. All I want to do is blend into the white marble floor and never show my face again. While my blonde hair is elegantly curled, others have their hair piled beautifully atop their heads to match their flamboyant dresses.

And to think I was worried about my dress being low cut! If some of these girls so much as slightly bend over we will all be given a free peep show!

Smith runs a hand through his shaggy brown hair and whistles in satisfaction. His green eyes meet my light blue ones and he suggestively wiggles his eyebrows.

“Remind me why we don’t have these type of parties more often?” he jokes.

“Because they’re stupid,” I whisper under my breath but I know he heard it from the goofy grin on his face.

“I’m going to go mingle with the part of the female population that isn’t immune to my good looks. I’ll catch up with you when dinner starts, Cas.” He smiles, heading straight over to a group of beautiful girls. Leave it to my best friend to think with his hormones.

With Smith gone and my mom off finding our spot, I quickly escape outside and into the garden that is on the right side of the estate. The last time I was here I found a cute little path that led to a bench and a mini pond filled with koi fish. What I loved about it was the trees surrounding it, making a secluded area that is perfect for reading on a nice spring afternoon. It was so peaceful and serene that when I first found it I never wanted to leave. Places like that remind me so much of my father, as if he’s actually there with an arm around my shoulder.

“You shouldn’t be out here,” a deep voice startles me and I quickly glance around for the culprit. A shadow of a man slowly emerges but stops short of the little light that illuminates the walkway. From what I could see he was tall with broad shoulders and could probably fill an entire doorway. His aura gave me a sense of danger but also a feeling of security, two reactions that often didn’t coincide.

“Then why are you here?” I question, pushing back my shoulders to appear more confident. In reality I wanted to hightail it back inside.

“I’m visiting and wanted to explore,” he quips, not straying from his comfort of darkness. His voice almost sounded threatening, as if he had more to say but couldn’t let on to his actual intentions.

A shiver pass down my spine, and an uneasy feeling settles in the pit of my stomach, “We’ll miss dinner if we stay out here chatting all night.”

I hoped he caught onto my hint of wanting to leave, but I have found men are more often than not completely dense to a lady’s wishes. With a slight movement, I subtly inch towards the way I came.

“What’s your name?” he asks, ignoring my silent plea to leave.

“What’s yours?” I fire back.

He chuckles, his baritone voice getting lost to the surrounding foliage, “It doesn’t matter. I’m not here to enjoy the festivities anyway.”

“Then what are you here for?” I curiously ask. This stranger felt dangerous and out of control, but also like he wouldn’t hurt me. I hoped he wouldn’t hurt me.

“To see an old friend,” he says in slight disdain.

My phone buzzing scares me out of my pensive conversation with the hidden stranger and I quickly answer it.

“Where are you, Cassia? They’re about to serve dinner,” my mom says before I can get any words out.

“Be there in a minute.” I hang up the phone and turn my attention back to the mysterious intruder, only to see that he’s disappeared.

“Hello?” I call out to the empty night air, but I know he’s long gone. The atmosphere lacks a certain electricity without him here, even hidden his presence demanding attention.

I do the only thing I can and shake off the creepy encounter, chalking it up to being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He didn’t do anything wrong besides giving me a scare, and even if he did I never saw his face. There was no way to know who he was or his intent, so there was no use in me worrying about it. My curiosity would have to take a backseat.

With a newfound pep in my step I go back into the party, quickly wondering if Alpha Calloway has already found his mate or if she isn’t here. The chances of him actually finding her tonight are slim but I still hope that he finds her soon.

Mates always mellow out their other half and if there is anything in the world that our Alpha needs, it’s to be mellowed out. He may not have been here for four years, but from the stories I was told of him, he is very strict and has a zero tolerance policy. You don’t become a pack to be reckoned with by being soft, though.

I manage to find my mom through the chaos of everyone else getting to their seats and give a big sigh as I sit down. I had been hoping that my mom didn’t notice I was gone therefore getting out of the dinner, but she has a sixth sense when it comes to me. There really is no reason for us to even be here, anyway. Call me disrespectful, but this seventeen year old has more important things to do than humor an Alpha.

“Where’s Smith and his family?” I ask my mom, looking around for my promiscuous friend.

“I don’t know, honey. Everything is name tagged so they’re sitting wherever they need to.” She smiles although it doesn’t quite reach her moss green eyes like it normally does. I give her a questioning glance but she averts her gaze to the floor.

Once everybody is sitting in their correct seats the Beta goes up to the podium in the front of the room and addresses us. “I hope you are all enjoying yourselves at Alpha Calloway’s welcome home party. We have a nice supper planned for you but before we start, it has been requested by the Alpha himself that all non-mated females present themselves in a single file line in front of this podium. I know this is odd, but the Alpha wants to make certain that his mate is not here before he starts looking for her. So please make your way up here and then dinner will be served, mate or not,” Beta Hill kindly smiles.

I sigh at all the girls rushing to be in the front of the line while the rest of us saunter up wanting to get this over with. We all just want the dinner to start because if there was one thing the pack house knew how to do it is cook super delicious freaking food. Besides, I know for a fact that I’m not his mate, so what’s the point of even going up there?

“Honey, I know you don’t want to go up there but it’s Alpha’s orders. Please just humor him, Cassia. You may think what he’s doing is stupid but there is no better feeling in the world than finding your mate. That’s all he wants.” My mom’s words of encouragement get me up and standing behind a girl in a bright pink dress that smells like too much perfume.

I guess if the poor guy wants to find his mate, then why shouldn’t he go through all means possible? We all know what would happen to an Alpha’s mate if she had her first heat and he wasn’t there. I’m just thankful that hasn’t happened yet because we would have blood on our hands if she started her heat without him. An Alpha goes insane from the scent of his mates heat and tramples through anybody who gets in his way.

As the line gets smaller and smaller butterflies form in my stomach that soon turn into lions which turn into big elephants stomping around. I write them off as nerves about meeting someone with so much authority. Our inner wolves get skittish around more powerful wolves because our instincts tell us to run and hide.

The girl in front of me bursts into tears at the Alpha’s rejection and runs off, leaving me a squirming mess in front of his unwavering gaze. I look everywhere except in his eyes and he growls a warning at me that has me cowering in fear but also feeling something else I can’t put my finger on.

I force myself to look into his deep midnight blue eyes and a different kind of growl rips its way out of his throat. It makes me shiver and I know exactly what it means. How could I have been so stupid? I should have known there was a reason that I had doubts about coming tonight. Now it’s too late. My fate has been sealed.

"Finally,” he growls out in a quiet manner that still seems to resonate throughout the room. Our goddess must have a really sick sense of humor.