Once Upon A Human

Alexandra

His gaze lingers on me, intense and unsettling, as if he’s trying to decipher my thoughts as he hands me a black credit card. He’s already done so much for me, I can’t keep taking from him especially if I have any chances of staying hidden in his pack until I decide what my next move should be.

“Don’t even think about it,” he says in a low growl like he’s in my thoughts. His dangerous aura awakens something deep and exciting inside of me. Something that I know is forbidden. The air remains charged between us and I realize I selfishly don’t want him to leave.

His crystal blue eyes stare back at me for a moment and I suddenly feel he shares the same sentiment. I shake my head, pushing back the thoughts that an Alpha could ever want me and I step back. He clenches his jaw tightly, accentuating its sharp lines and turns abruptly. “I’ll be back late, see you tomorrow,” he says before disappearing through the door. His words are short like he’s angry with me.

Plopping back onto the bed, my body melts into the plush mattress as my thoughts run rampant in my head. I can’t stop thinking about Alpha Liam, knowing deep down that I’ve become smitten over him. My heart races whenever I’m near him while my stomach does somersaults inside. He makes feel safe and worthy. It’s a feeling I’ve never experienced before.

One that I maybe shouldn’t get used to.

Drowning in my own fantasies, I don’t hear the footsteps but instead a familiar perky voice bouncing from the hallway. “Today, we’re going to shop till we drop! Are you ready girl? I promise you’ve never shopped like this before,” Mia calls out with a stunning redhead by her side who exerts nearly as much power as Alpha Liam.

I quickly move to stand up, knowing that an omega should always acknowledge those higher ranked. “Hi,” I say with a small smile.

“Well, well. If it isn’t the famous Lexi, it’s nice to put a face to the name,” she says in a giggle, extending her arms and enveloping my body into a warm embrace.

“F-famous?” I stutter out, sensing my cheeks tinge pink.

“That’s not what she meant,” Mia retorts and rolls her eyes. “Layla is Liam’s twin sister. Obviously fraternal. She knows everything that happens in the pack.”

“Thankfully, fraternal. I mean, we all know who the better looking twin is,” Layla laughs and pointing a finger at herself.

I smile, finding her light hearted personality strangely addictive to be around. “We should go, the human malls are way bigger than the ones we have here,” Mia explains, pushing my back to hurry me through the doorway. Once we’re in the hallway, I follow the two girls, who have their arms linked together and are giggling to themselves about everything they’re going to buy as we reach outside of the packhouse.

We shuffle into the black SUV and make our way down the long winding driveway from the packhouse. “Has my brother been a gentleman?” Layla asks with a pointed look. It’s clear that she’s searching my face for emotion.

“He’s been very kind. Too kind actually. You all have,” I explain, clasping my hands together in my lap. I can’t help but feel uncomfortable with how direct she is, an Alpha trait I’m sure.

“I know he seems intimidating and is rough around the edges but really, inside, he’s just a big teddy bear. You let me know if he causes you any problems,” she continues, playing with the ends of her long red ringlets.

“As if,” Mia scoffs. “Alpha Liam is the best Alpha around. Everyone loves him. Don’t worry Lexi, he’ll grow on you like a bad smell too.”

I purse my lips together in a tight line. Horrified that they have the wrong idea, I pipe up, “I’m grateful that your pack has taken me in. Things could have ended up differently if Beta Jax and Alpha Liam hadn’t felt remorseful for me.”

The two of me glare at each other for a second too long and I know they’re saying something about me through the mindlink.

“So, do you like him?” Mia asks, a wide smile spreading across her face like a school girl. I feel my face flush, humiliation pounding through me but before I can defend myself, Layla chirps in. “Don’t worry if you do, he’s quite the hot commodity around here. If it isn’t the she-wolves from our pack throwing themselves at him, it’s the other Alpha’s daughters oh-so-casually popping up at Alpha meetings,” she says as she rolls her eyes.

Dread spreads across my chest. I’m even farther out of his league than I realized. I can’t compete with these other she-wolves. “What?! No!” I stammer, “He’s an Alpha. I’m an omega. Our worlds are very different and I’m sure his mate is out there searching for him somewhere.”

“Did you know that Lexi is going to be eighteen soon, Layla?” Mia squeals, clapping her hands in excitement.

Layla presses her lips together, suppressing a smile. “We have to throw her a birthday party! I’ll talk to Liam about doing it on the same night as her pack ceremony, I’m sure he’ll say yes!”

The thought of telling them that I’m still unsure of my next move and if I even want to become pack runs through my mind but I decide against it, seeing how excited the two of them just became. I don’t want them to think I’m ungrateful. Plus, I could use some friends right now. It’s nice to get to go out and do these fun things. Otherwise, I’d be stuck making up beds and scrubbing floors.

Soon, towering buildings and stampedes of cars surround us. “Is this the human town?” I ask, my eyes wide as I take in the scenery. It’s a dramatic shift from the pack which was nestled within lush forests to the human town that looks like a concrete jungle. The streets are alive with the hustle and bustle of city life, yet the humans barely glanced at each other, each seemingly caught some kind of rush like they would be late if they didn’t hurry up.

Layla lets out a dramatic exhale, “Oh Moon Goddess, I love it here!” The car slows to a halt and Layla and Mia step out, both of them excited and eager to relish the day here.

I notice how coffee shops line the streets yet no one was enjoying their drinks and baked goods, instead they were all taking them to go. I watch intently as one man stuffs a muffin in his mouth, one hand on his cellphone and the other balancing his coffee. I couldn’t help but wonder what life in such a place must be like. It seemed too complicated. The beauty of pack life was its simplicity. We didn’t need eleven different choices for coffee every morning.

We make our way through large double doors and into the mall. Mia must have noticed my surprise as my mouth slightly dropped open. The sight was incredible, there were different boutiques carefully arranged on each side. Bright red signs were visible in all the storefronts, each one offering some sort of sale. “You haven’t seen anything yet!” She chants, lacing her arm with mine and pulling me inside the first store we passed.

Four hours later, I swear we’ve somehow managed to buy out half the mall. Mia and Layla are still buzzing, chatting about all the new things they’ve bought. I didn’t really want anything, unaccustomed to these sorts of luxuries but it seemed that everything I touched, one of them would add it to the pile and purchase it for me when I wasn’t paying attention. How was I going to explain this to Alpha Liam? I’d for sure have to work off the debt, I knew this stuff wasn’t cheap.

My mind reeled to Alpha Liam. I wondered how his meeting went, I wondered what made it so dangerous that I could come to the mall but couldn’t go with him. I looked down at the multiple bags I was holding, guilt quickly taking over.