Page 22 of Alpha's Choice
“I’m surprised he’s willing to be away from you at all.” Kylie perched on the edge of the couch, her eyes darting around. “Especially since you’re not marked yet. Alphas, in particular, are very possessive of their mates.”
“He’s being very understanding about my need for time.” I hesitated, nervous to share my thoughts. “I’m surprised how quickly the mate bond has affected me, though. The more time I spend with him, the more right it feels.”
“The mate bond is a powerful thing. If you were a wolf, you’d already be marked and mated.”
“I worry he’s going to regret me being his mate. We’ve already gotten pushback from his family, and Mrs. Wells in the office was just awful this morning. Will the entire pack feel the same?”
“The pack accepts human mates, but there’s never been a human Luna as far as I know.” Kylie twirled a piece of hair around her finger. “You won’t be what they were expecting.”
“Tobias said the Goddess chose me for both him and the pack.” I paused, trying to sort into words the way I felt. “I don’t know if I believe that. I don’t know if I can meet the expectations of the pack. And I don’t know if it’s fair to Tobias to even try.”
“You could always reject him.” Kylie’s voice was quiet. The kind of quiet that hinted at dangerous topics. “The Goddess might grant him a second chance mate, or he could take a chosen.”
Jealousy flared up at the thought of Tobias with someone else. “I don’t know if I can let him go. And if I did, I couldn’t stay here. Seeing him with someone else would be too hard.”
“Your feelings are that strong already?” Kylie’s curiosity shone in her eyes. “For a wolf that makes sense, but you’re human. It’s only been a day since you met him.”
“I do.” My confession surprised even me. “My brain keeps throwing up questions and blocks, but my heart is definitely affected.”
She studied me, and I could almost see her thoughts as they churned in her head before deciding. “He’s right that the Goddess chose you. The pack may have trouble adjusting, but there’s a reason you’re his mate. If you show them why, they’ll eventually accept you.”
“Will you?” I was tentative, worried about the answer, but needing to know. “You told me you didn’t see how a human could be Luna. And I know some in the pack believed it would be you. I would hate to lose your friendship over this.”
Kylie tried to give me a smile, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I won’t lie. I may have gotten caught up in what people were thinking, but in the end, he’s not my mate. He’s yours. I’ll get over it.”
“Your mate will have to be pretty amazing to deserve you.” I reached out and took her hand. “But I do worry he’ll take you away from this pack.”
“I’ll just have to convince him to move to Gray Rock.”
“What if he’s an Alpha?”
“I hope not.” Kylie elaborated when she caught my surprised look. “My parents are Omegas. It’s fine here, but not all packs are as progressive as Gray Rock.”
“What exactly is an Omega?”
“Omegas have weaker wolves. They shift late and often test into more supporting roles.” Kylie’s gaze was unfocused, as if remembering something painful. “Many packs hold a low opinion of Omegas.”
“If your parents are Omegas, does that mean you are, too?”
“Not here. True mates are more likely to have children whose wolves are stronger than their own. Both Roger and I have wolves that are stronger than omegas.”
I sensed a but. “What about in other packs?”
“Some packs would say since my parents are Omega, I am too.” Kylie gave me a twisted half-smile that spoke of unpleasant things. ”Another pack’s Alpha could reject me over that.”
“Well, he’d be a fool, then.”
“Oh, for sure.”
Laughter spilled out, awkward at first, but then morphing into true giggles. And just like that, the tension in Kylie’s body was gone. She raised her brows. “So, tell me about you and Tobias. You’re living here now, I take it? Are you sharing a bed yet?”
My face turned red, and I hid behind a pillow as I filled her in on our night together. Then I told her about Mrs. Wells and my date with Tobias.
“Mrs. Wells is a stickler for protocol. She even looks down on Omegas.” Sympathy shone in Kylie’s gaze. “Tobias’s father was more formal in how he ran things, and his father before even more so. Mrs. Wells has worked for all of them.”
“I feel bad that Tobias is going to make her retire.” I bit my lip. “Do you think the pack will blame me for that?”
Kylie shrugged. “It’s hard to say. It’s probably long past time for her to stop working, but the rumor mill is strong around here.”
