Queen of Alphas. (Book 1 Of The Queen's Rising Series)

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The drive back to Nicolaus's territory was about an 8-hour drive, one that we took in silence, only stopping briefly for some food. The comfort of the SUV was a blessing as I barely felt any cramps in my legs, I had even drifted off to sleep a few times. We decided to stop one last time for a top-up on fuel, I got out of the car eager to stretch my legs. I walked inside and began rummaging through the isles, looking for something to snack on. My eyes caught a drunk middle-aged human, he was staring at my ass. My lip twitched, surely there was a species out there whose males weren't utter creeps. I ignored him as I picked out some beef jerky and Takis. I then went to the cooler and had to bend down to reach the sprite. As I bent I could hear the unmistakable sound of a wolf whistle... I held back my growl.

    At the counter and ready to pay I felt a presence behind me, I knew it was the drunk by the pungent stench of alcohol and vomit, it took all my being not to gag and push him away, these are fragile humans, I reminded myself. All thoughts of ignoring him went out the window as I felt a slap on my ass, slinging my elbow back immediately and connecting with his cheekbone. I held back another growl, and forced my eyes to not shift to my wolf's, humans knew of our existence, but they were hunted so I had to be careful not to alert the humans of my nature.

"What the fuck? You stupid bitch..." He didn't finish his sentence, Nicolaus coming behind him and wrapping an arm around his throat. Nicolaus shook with rage as he tried to not tear the human into pieces.

"You will apologize to her or I will kill you," Nicolaus said, his voice thick with menace.

"I'm sorry!" The man squeaked out in fear, panic in his eyes. Nicolaus dropped him roughly and came to stand beside me, wrapping a protective arm around my waist as I finished paying for my items. My eyes caught Rogan through the window, his nose flaring at me.

    We got back into the SUV and continued the rest of the journey in silence. I watched in amusement as the scenery changed around me. We were getting close, I could tell by the way Nicolaus's guard eased up a bit. You could visibly see the tension being released from his muscles. We were headed towards the north part of North America, mountains scattered the horizons, the air smelled crisper than before. I detected a few whiffs of moose and bears. My wolf smiled at the prospect of hunting big game, I was excited by the thought too.

    When we had finally pulled into the driveway, it was 6:00 at night; we drove down a long driveway that was barely visible. The packhouse was a mansion, and even though it was huge, I couldn't find it in me to be surprised; I expected it from Nicolaus's status. However, I also couldn't find it within me to be impressed. I'll have to tear it down and build a proper castle later, I thought. Sighing I relented, for now; it will have to do. The outside, however, was exceptionally lovely; a large fountain lined up symmetrically with the front steps, white rose bushes and forget-me-nots grew along the base. The fountain held a statue of a man surrounded by three wolves in the middle, water cascading from the man's feet. The house itself was hidden in thick birch trees, a mountain peaking in the background, you could smell the aromatic smell of a fresh spring river.

    As we walked up the steps, we came to double doors that donned stained glass with trees and wolves. It was an ironic scenery, and I hated anything having to do with irony. The handles were exquisite, though, they were made out of tree limbs and stained a dark reddish-brown. Opening the door, we walked into what I perceived to be the foyer. There was an enormous tree that went all the way up to the ceiling, at the base was a large koi pond that was shaped by the roots; they surrounded the base and occasionally traveled through the middle and seemed to create a small bridge across. Two sets of stairs were on either side of the pond, leading to a balcony that bound around the tree gracefully. Stone lined the walls and complemented the ash-stained oak floors. It is possible I'll keep this place after all. It felt more like a den and not a confined house. The air was crisp and cool and gave it a cave-like feel. Niosh and Aioli weren't far behind me, though they were directed to my room where they took my things.