The Alpha's Daydream

Malachi jolted awake with the painful scream.

“Noooooo!”

“Ariella? Ari, wake up! Ariella!!” he shook her carefully, his heart twisting at the painful expression on her face. She thrashed around, her hands pounding into his chest.

“No, no, no!” she sobbed, tears leaking from her eyes.

“Ariella, it’s okay. I’m right here.” After flicking on the light, he pulled her to his chest, holding her close. “It’s okay, I’ve got you.”

Her eyes flew open, glazed with the nightmare, and took a moment to search his eyes. Many emotions crossed her face. Fear, terror, disbelief. But when realisation crept across, he felt her sag against his chest.

“You’re alive. You...you’re okay,” she placed both of her palms over his heart, and loosened a sigh when it sped up. He wasn’t sure what she had been expecting, but feeling his heartbeat seemed to wipe away the vestiges of her nightmare. She looked back up at him and smiled weakly through the tears that were still slipping from her wide brown eyes. “It’s beating. Your heart is beating and you’re alive,” she ran her hands up his chest, around his neck, and rested her forehead against his.

Malachi pulled her closer, unsure how to answer. He was content to just hold her and let her recover, maybe talk about her night terror when she was ready. Whatever was plaguing her in her dreams, he wanted to leap in and tear the monsters to shreds. He didn’t think he’d forget her traumatised expression anytime soon, and it was instinct for the Alpha to want to protect his mate.

Even from her dreams, which he knew was impossible.

“I’m right here, and I’m not going anywhere, Ariella,” he smoothed back her tussled hair from her tear-streaked face.

Her beautiful brown eyes lifted to his again, arresting him in place and piercing his heart with tender arrows. “I’m so glad you’re okay,” Ariella pressed a firm kiss to his forehead, her hands placed firmly on both sides of his head. “So glad, you have no idea.” Her intoxicating lavender scent smothered him with its beauty, dragging him under her spell.

He remembered what it felt like to have his lips against hers, the electricity pulsing between them amplified by the water above them.

He wanted to kiss her again.

And again, and again.

But at the time, she had been drowning, her lungs void of air.

Now, while she was still shaking from the nightmare, he doubted she would be okay with a kiss. A real kiss.

That would have to wait for when she was ready, when she chose him.

Or not at all.

Shaking off the negative thoughts, Malachi just lay there and enjoyed the feel of Ariella in his arms, her ear against his heart, her breathing becoming more regular as he stroked her back comfortingly.

She was his mate, and he would do everything in his power to protect her.

Even from himself.

~~~~~

“So what’s on the agenda today?”

Malachi looked at her through his glasses even though they were prescribed for close computer work and reading. His vision of Ariella would always be crystal clear even if he had mud in his eyes. “My agenda is to finish this stack of paperwork, then hopefully get down to training this afternoon and check up on the new warriors. Feel free to tag along.”

Ariella gave him a sheepish grin from her position on the velvet loveseat. She had made herself perfectly at home in his office, tagging along wherever he went. She had stuck to him all morning, following him like a shadow ever since waking up in his arms. Though insisting she was okay and slept perfectly fine since her nightmare during the night, her furtive eyes betrayed her words. She was troubled by it, he could tell by the scrunch of her brows he’d seen when she thought he wasn’t looking.

“Okay, sounds fun. I guess Beta Hamilton is expecting me to be there anyway. I can’t hide in your office all day,” she flung an arm over her eyes and gave a heavy sigh.

“Who exactly are you hiding from?” The Alpha’s heart rate spiked at her words, spoken innocently but they could easily hide something darker.

“Oh, just some of the other girls and guys...and Harlow… and Hendrik… and everyone in general really. I can see why you like this office so much. It’s so tucked away, and peaceful in here...” she lay back and looked up at the ceiling, at the countryside scene painted up there. Her expression was so innocent and beguiling at once, he swallowed hard before speaking, afraid he’d say something to dampen her wistful attitude.

“You can’t always hide in here you know.”

“What? You mean the maids won’t bring us lunch and dinner and breakfast and lunch and dinner...” she sat up with a giggle. “Why can’t we just run away from it all, and live somewhere they appreciate you and respect your excellent intellect? Why can’t we go somewhere...hmm.. by the sea? And start another pack of cute little children who will grow mature and wise under your expert leadership skills?” she clasped her hands together, excited by her brilliant plan, her eyes shining.

“I am trying to work here…” he gave her a mildly amused look.

“I know, I know,” she flopped back down and again flung an arm dramatically over her eyes. “This is your pack, your home, your duty. We need courage and bravery to face our responsibilities, no matter what they think of us,” she said seriously, fist high to punch the air. Then her eyes brightened with the spark of something new. “You know, maybe we should have a pizza night, and invite everyone for food and games? No one can hate you if they’re eating woodfired pizza. Mmm, with lots of mushrooms and cheese…” she went back to daydreaming.

Malachi loved the expression on her face. So peaceful. So different from the panic of last night. Her mood now was all sunshine and rainbows. The grey clouds had cleared and left his mate with an infectious giggle that he wanted to hear all the time. He’d asked her this morning about her nightmare, but she’d just brushed him off with a smile and cute tilt of her head. Yet despite her positivity, he could sense the shadows in her eyes, the fear that no doubt still wrapped around her heart. She was probably just forcing it from her mind with her playful banter.

“I thought I’d find you here.”

Ariella instantly sat up and Malachi rose from his chair. “Mom.”

Seneca walked into the office with head held high and eyes barely acknowledging his mate. “I just wanted to let you know, in an hour we’re holding the funeral ritual to honour warrior Archie.”

“You’re right, I nearly forgot about it. I need to prepare—”

“Son,” the Luna laid a hand on his arm, stopping his rushed movements. “I’m taking it.”

“But I’m Alpha—”

“The Alpha who they think killed him. They won’t want you there, Malachi. It would be disrespectful to show up. Just leave me to handle this.”

The young Alpha wilted back into his seat, resting his forehead in his hand. His heart ached with a painful emotion, and he felt helpless to fix it. “Alright, yeah. I never thought it would come to this.”

“Oh, this pack has seen worse,” his mom raised an eyebrow, her dark eyes sharing very little emotion. But he knew the times she was talking about.

“You’re right. Thank you for doing this for me. I know it’s hard, us both trying to fill dad’s place in a completely different way.”

She nodded, squeezing his shoulder and showing comfort without words. She was never one for words, nor tears for that matter. She’d shown the customary amount of grief at the death of her husband, but Malachi knew that deep down she was relieved.

She was free.

“I’ll see you for dinner,” Seneca turned to go.

“Can I come with?” Ariella spoke up, and Seneca froze at the sound with her hand on the door handle. “To the funeral ceremony. Can I attend with you?” Ariella clarified when both remained silent.

“Why on earth would you want to do that, child?” Seneca narrowed her eyes.

“Well,” Ariella stood and clasped her fingers together, a habit Malachi recognised she did when she was nervous. And with the frosty look his mom was giving her, Ariella had every reason to be nervous. “Well, seeing as I will be Luna one day, I thought I might as well see how you do these kinds of things, how you conduct a funeral ritual. I want to learn.”

Seneca made no move to reply, just folded her arms delicately and kept staring at Ariella, making her fidget even more. But Ariella didn’t back down. “And...to pay my respects to Archie. I honestly feel bad for what happened to him—”

“Ari, he assaulted young women! He deserves no one’s respect!” Malachi couldn’t control himself any longer. He’d watched the pain Archie had caused, and had since been grateful for the cruel wolf’s death. He couldn’t stand for Ariella being sorry for him.

“Malachi, he was a good warrior!” his mother turned to him now, her ebony eyes flashing. “He served and protected our pack for many years. Don’t you forget that. Not everyone can be faultless and seeming to deserve pure respect.”

Malachi could only bow his head under the gentle rebuke. He’d take correction from his mother, but no one else.

“If you let me come along, I’ll stay in the background. I won’t make a scene,” Ariella quickly said, looking persistently with wide eyes between the mother and son.

Seneca smiled at Ariella, a smile that had the potential to hide many secrets. “Alright, Ariella dear, I’ll allow you to attend. As long as you don’t try and tell me how to do my duty.”

Ariella shook her head and smiled gratefully, but when her eyes met Malachi’s, they mirrored his dark frown.

Seneca caught their shared glance.

“Oh, don’t worry, Son,” the Luna lifted her chin and gave him a subtle smile. “I promise I’ll bring her back in one piece.”

Malachi could barely concentrate for the next three hours.

Every thought of his was on either his mate, how the rebellious pack members were treating her, and whether his mother would come to her rescue or let her get eaten by the wolves.

By mid-afternoon, he’d finished the bulk of his work and headed out to the training field. Already, a good number of young wolves had begun their routines. He spotted Ariella stretching with Harlow, and jogged up to her.

He didn’t miss the way her brown eyes lit up when she saw him, and his heart twisted on itself.

“How’d it go? You’re okay?”

“Of course, I’m okay,” she rolled her eyes at him, rising to her feet. She then placed a hand on his shoulder, and grabbed her foot with the other, stretching her leg up and holding for a minute. “It went well, as far as funerals go. It was quite similar to what we do in my pack—my old pack,” she corrected, quickly darting her eyes to his, as if making sure it was okay what she’d just said.

Was she implying that this pack was now hers?

Again, his heart did a funny flip and he resisted the urge to shake off her hand and make a run for it. Run far, far away where Ariella would never find him. Where she could never get her heart broken by him.

“Sure. I’m sure lots of packs cremate and honor their dead,” he muttered quietly, his voice suddenly thick with emotion. What kind of emotion, he couldn’t say.

“Your mother was very… very gracious. She knew exactly what to say and how to handle herself and the sensitive matters. A true Luna. Your father was blessed to have such a strong Luna by his side.”

The others had moved away, leaving the couple relatively alone. “Shame he was too big a fool to recognise his blessings,” Malachi responded with bitterness.

Ariella tilted her head, regarding him in the way that always made his palms sweaty and his heart rate spike. “He abused her, didn’t he?” she whispered.

“Not physically. He never raised his hand against her. But there are other ways to make someone feel worthless. To make them so full of insecurity.”

“Emotional abuse.”

Malachi nodded his head and kept his eyes trained on a meaningless spot in the distance. He was ashamed of his own father. “He never respected her, never let her have a say in anything. Barely let her leave the house unless it was on his arm as an accessory. Always for show. Always the perfect wife who agreed with every perfect word he spoke.”

Ariella wrapped her arms around herself and visibly shivered. “I’m so grateful you’re not like that.”

He stared into her rich caramel brown eyes, losing another piece of himself to her. “I would never treat you like that, Ariella. You know that, right?”

“I trust you,” she smiled, then gave him a small wink before moving away to spar with Harlow. Many of the other young warriors had shifted and were fighting in wolf form, and when Hamilton approached him, the Alpha shifted as well and spent the next hour showing the wolves how to take down a rogue in twenty different ways. The primal impulses found their to the front of the Alpha’s mind, and he caught himself staring at his mate more than a number of times. Her amber and russet fur shone in the sunlight, her eyes hinted with playfulness, and he couldn’t help puffing out his chest, trying to be the strongest, most worthy male she would be attracted to. His ears tingled with her laugh, and when he turned to her, he saw her sharing a giggle with Hendrik, another large and strong male. His rank was Gamma, and Malachi felt an angry emotion give birth in the pit of his stomach. He growled, and images of tearing the warrior to shreds invaded his mind.

Alpha, calm down, his Beta mindlinked, giving him a stern look, and Malachi shook his head side to side, clearing the deadly urges. He settled on a dark glare, and directed it at the pesky warrior. But Hendrik was no longer near Ariella. He had moved to another group of wolves, correcting their form and posture.

The Alpha burned through his frustration by sparring with his Beta, the two powerful wolves circling each other and going in for the kill. They strategically deflected each other’s attacks, always moving and changing strategy to come out on top.

They were magnificent to watch, and soon everyone had ringed them, cheering them on.

When Malachi called it a half hour later, everyone slowly dispersed, ready to enjoy free time or finish daily chores.

Harlow stepped up to him and laid a hand on his arm. “I heard what happened with Archie’s ceremony. I’m sorry they excluded you like that.”

“No big deal,” he tried shrugging it off. “His mate is still grieving, and I don’t blame her for blaming me. Only time will tell what happens now.”

She gave him a reassuring smile. “I like how positive you are. That’s what we need—a positive and confident Alpha. I always knew you’d be amazing at this,” she squeezed his arm, and from the corner of his eye, Malachi sensed Ariella watching them. Her small fists clenched and unclenched.

“Yeah, thanks,” he moved away from the young shewolf who had been his friend for as long as he could remember, and jogged up to Ariella.

“So, you learn much this afternoon?” he scrambled for something more profound to say, but came up blank. Sometimes, being this close to her addled his usually crystal clear and rational thoughts. He blamed it on the mate bond.

“I learnt how good a fighter you are,” her lips lifted in a cheeky smile. Her eyes travelled down to his bare chest. “And that all the shewolves think you’re totally…” She stammered, her cheeks growing blushed. “Think that you have a fine physique,” Ariella eventually said, averting her eyes briefly before lifting them to his. He couldn’t deny it was admiration and something heavier that he saw in the warm caramel depths.

“Uh huh,” he couldn’t help smirking at her.

“Yeah. I think you should go put a shirt back on. After all, this—“ she motioned to his well-muscled torso, sweat glistening on his skin in the late afternoon sunlight, “belongs only to me, right?” Biting her lip, she stepped closer.

Her bold words shocked him, once more blindsiding the Alpha. “Who knew you were so cheeky?” He caught her around the waist and tugged her close, pressing his lips to the top of her head.

Her palms lay flat on his chest and pushed him back. She made small dismayed noises, muttering something about him being all sweaty and gross. But by the grin on her peach-coloured lips, he knew she enjoyed the contact just as much as he.

“Alright, Luna. You go on ahead. I’ll be back in time to help prepare dinner.”

She gave him one of her heart-stopping smiles, then skipped away. Her colourful ponytail swayed over her slender shoulders, brushing the small of her back, and he restrained himself from running up and catching her again around the waist, never letting her go.

Instead, he turned his gaze to his Gamma who was packing up the bits and pieces of training equipment.

“Hendrik,” he addressed the warrior, who immediately gave him all his attention. “I need to have a word with you."