Page 27 of Taken By the Alpha Priest

“Back to this wolf stuff,” I say, leaning forward. “I have about a million more questions.”

Peaches grins, brushing a stray curl out of her face. “Ask away,” she says.

“Okay,” I say, settling back into the couch. “So you all keep talking about bite marks and alphas and omegas, and I’m just wondering—what in all hell does that mean?”

Peaches sighs, her cheeks pinking slightly. “Alright, fair. That’s a big one. It’s…kind of hard to explain, and it’s gonna sound real weird to someone like you.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Weird? Peaches, my threshold for weird is completely shot. Just lay it on me.”

She laughs nervously, rubbing her hands together. “Alright, alright. So…you know Reyes is the Alpha Prime, right?”

“Yeah, I got that much,” I say. “Big, scary, apparently in charge of everything.”

“Right. So the rest of us are organized into this kind of hierarchy,” she explains. “At the top, you’ve got the alphas—like the pack’s protectors. There aren’t many of them, maybe ten or so. They’re the strongest and take on the biggest responsibilities for the pack.”

She starts rattling off names, but I hold up a hand. “Peaches, I’m not gonna remember any of this.”

“Fair,” she says, giggling. “Anyway, then you’ve got the betas, which is most of the pack—just normal folks. You all handle day-to-day stuff, keep the pack runnin’, and follow the alphas’ lead.”

“And I’m a beta?”

“I think most people who are turned by an alpha are, yeah,” she says.

“And omegas?” I ask, filling in the blank.

Peaches nods. “Omegas are rare–only born lycan are alphas, like me? We’re good at more specialized tasks—tracking, sneaking, blending in when we’re in full shift. Stuff that takes finesse rather than brute force. And we’re um…we have heats that respond to alphas, where we can’t really…”

She trails off and I frown. “This seems bad.”

“It’s not!” she says, shaking her head–but it really looks like she’s in denial. “Just the full moon makes us kinda crazy? So I usually lock myself in here and try to avoid all contact. I guess it can be fun if you’re mated.”

“Oh my God,” I murmur. “Peaches…that sounds awful.”

“It’s not,” she replies quickly, then shrugs. “But the pack hierarchy runs deep. Most of the pack are betas, so the alphas set the tone, and the omegas work closely with them. It’s just…how we’re wired, I guess.”

I frown. “And Reyes, as Alpha Prime, sits at the very top?”

“Pretty much,” Peaches says with a grin. “He’s big, bad, and everyone listens to him—most of the time.” She glances at me, her grin turning wry. “You might not like it, but it works for us.”

“Great,” I mutter, leaning back into the couch. “So he’s the boss…whether I like it or not.”

Peaches snorts. “Not exactly. Other alphas can challenge him. Like–this girl, Frankie? She’s real crazy and always questioning him. When you first got here…I really thought she was going to challenge him right then, try to become Prime herself. But most of us just want to get by and keep things running.”

“Still feels like a lot,” I admit.

Peaches pats my arm, her tone cheerful but firm. “You’ll get the hang of it. It’s not as complicated as it sounds. Just stick close, don’t piss off Reyes, and you’ll be fine.”

“Not all bad,” I echo, staring down at my hands. “Peaches, this is all bad.”

She laughs softly, standing up and smoothing out her dress. “Maybe. But hey, you’re still you. And who knows? Maybe you’ll find some perks.”

I close my eyes, taking a deep breath. “So–maybe no transformation. Just, what…enhanced smell? Great. I’ll be able to smell everyone’s fear when I go back to Homestead.”

“You’ll probably also smell dinner,” Peaches says, grinning. “Magnolia’s cooking tonight. Something cheesy.”

As if on cue, my stomach growls, and I can faintly pick up the scent of melted cheese. “Mac and cheese?” I ask, incredulous.

“Yep,” Peaches says proudly. “Magnolia and Grant went on a supply run to the city last week and brought some back as a treat.”

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