Prove it, Alpha

Six

Hoall

The night was difficult for Hoall. Most nights were. But her first night on the plains was especially excruciating. She had journeyed so far--further than any Northern alpha had gone in centuries--to find her mate. And once she had found him, she could not even stay with him. She cursed her body and its limitations. 

Judith, a common pack wolf, came down with another bucket of ice to pour around her. 

The criminal beside Hoall winced, shivered, scowled, but had no words to say. His face twisted into an odd expression which Hoall could not interpret, and shivered harder than he had been before. 

The female said nothing, and instead entered Eve's cell again--the third time that hour. 

"I haven't seen my alpha this restless before. You must be the real deal." 

"I do not understand what you are saying." Eve mumbled, the exhaustion of the trip was catching up to her, and it was getting harder and harder to keep her eyes open.  

"Dante? The alpha? He's dying to see you again. He's driving everyone crazy. When he's annoyed or stressed he tends to micromanage everyone around him. They're all telling him to just come down and see you."

"Why doesn't he?" Eve asked. "I miss him as well."

"He can't. He's worried he might scare you off, or do something...inappropriate."

"I traveled days down my mountain, away from everyone I know and everything I am to see him, to love him, and now he will not even go down stairs to see me? What could possibly be inappropriate? He is my mate and I am his. Nothing we can do will ever be wrong."

"You Northerners," Judith said with a slightly amused expression. "Things are always so easy for you, aren't they?"

"I have been told about the...traditions Southerners have when mating. Forgive me for not truly understanding. In the North we do not assume we will see the next sunrise. We live like we will die that night. Food is scarce, the mountain fights us at all turns, neighbouring packs fight for territory daily. But yes, I assume we Northerners have it easy, compared to you."

"Sorry." Judith said, raising an eyebrow. "Are you always so dramatic?"

"I do not know 'dramatic,' but this is how I speak always. I tell the truth. The whole truth."

"Do you now? I guess we'll just have to wait and see how true that statement holds in the future."

"You doubt me?"

"Let's just say that in my experience, my alpha's mates aren't exactly known for their honesty."

A pit grew in Hoall's chest, and she replayed the female's words in her head, in case she had misheard. 

"Mates? Alpha Chardonnay has other mates?"

"They certainly think so. You don't know much about the politics down here, so let me try and clue you in a little. Around here, if you're not top dog, you might as well be no one. For a female the only way to get to that position is by being mated to the strongest male around."

"And those females who love other females? What of them?"

"They're out of luck. They're just doomed to be omegas their whole lives, if they're lucky."

"This makes no sense to me," Eve admitted. Her strong feelings on the subject had awoken her, and she spoke with more energy than before. "Our goddess is a female. She has made her daughters so much stronger than her sons. Why would you Southerners defy the laws of nature?"