Payment To the Alpha

James' POV

"Alice went to get Avery. When she comes down I want everybody to be happy and talkative, there should not be any silent moment for more than five minutes or she will have too much time to reconsider the plans. Is that understood?"

I said as we were standing beside each other in the dining hall. In a symphony-like way Amber, Alex, George, and the five cooks uttered, "Yes Alpha," and then they all went to their respective seats and the cooks went back to the kitchen.

"So, my beloved brother, if I may ask, how badly did you fuck up?" Amber asked with a big smile on her face and angered eyes.

"Enough to make her interested, not enough to make her cancel. However, I did underestimate her power to fight against her urge for me. And also, wipe that look off your face, I didn't hurt the girl," I responded as I leaned back in my chair crossing my arms.

"Damn, resisting the charm of the one and only James Knight, I like her already. But seriously James, she seems like a really nice girl and she's young, don't fuck with her," Amber said and I leaned forward placing my elbows on the table and clasping my hands together.

"Or what, sis?" I said with a challenging voice.

"Or I'll kick your ass," Amber answered mimicking my position, then we all broke out in laughter.

"Maybe I should take a shot, doubt she'll resist me," Alex spoke throwing a peanut up in the air and catching it with his mouth. With those words, I felt my blood begin to boil as anger was taking over, my wolf fighting to come out but I needed to resist or I would hurt my brother. I stood up causing my chair to fly back on the floor and a loud growl came from my mouth before I could stop it, as I immediately got enraged at Alex's words.

"James, she can hear you!" Amber quickly stood up as she warned me about the repercussions of my actions.

"James, do you really think that she will be happier about coming with us if she finds out we're werewolves?" Amber said as she whispered the last part and I slowly began to calm down and fixed my chair and sat back down staring at Alex, "Now is not the time for you to push my buttons, is that clear?" I asked, my voice holding much authority seeing as I spoke as the alpha and not his brother.

"Yes alpha. I'm sorry. Can I just ask you one thing?" Alex trod carefully with his words so as not to anger me again,

"you seem quite overprotective over a girl who is a business agreement, how come?" With Alex's question, I looked down and shook my head. Yeah? What's going on with me?

'Mate'

My wolf Blade said in my head. I had been hearing that word come from his mouth ever since I laid eyes on Avery, I had just not yet been able to accept it. She's a human, nothing more, how can my mate be a human? I am the alpha of the world's most dangerous pack, everyone fears us, we have made a name for ourselves, not intentionally, we just did things our way and to some people "Our" way may seem barbaric, even for werewolves, but that is how I and my pack survived after the death of my parents.

'She's not human, you dumbass.'

Blade said in the back of my head. Okay so in all honesty she wasn't just human, she too was a werewolf, at least partially, she is half werewolf and half-witch. My parents had told me everything just a few months before they passed. They made sure she was stripped of her powers before she was born so that she wouldn't be too powerful when she joined our pack, that she wouldn't be stronger than me. There was more to it than that though, but they didn't make it long enough to tell me.

I realized I was drifting off into my own thoughts when Alex cleared his throat.

I dragged my hand through my hair and then looked up at both Alex and Amber as I said, "I think she's my mate."

Both Alex and Amber looked at each other with quizzical faces and their mouths wide open as if I had just told them I'd seen a ghost.

"But James, that's fantastic!" My sister yelled out as she rose from her seat and started to jump like a little girl until she realized that I wasn't smiling,

"Isn't it?" she asked now starting to dial back the excitement and going for the pity look.

"She's human," I spoke in a dark voice.

"She" I started to say when I heard footsteps coming towards us, it was Avery and Alice.

She walked into the dining hall looking beautiful, breathtaking even. This is the woman I am going to marry. She's going to be mine in a matter of weeks. Every thought in my mind went away the moment I saw her, it was blank, and then like a refreshing wind under the heating sun she spoke,

"Good morning everyone.” Her voice was soft and smooth and somehow just like the rest of her appearance, her voice was innocent.

"Good morning, please, have a seat," I said as I pulled back a chair to my left.

Avery's POV

As Alice and I walked towards the stairs she stopped mid-track and grabbed both my hands as she looked me in the eyes with that same warm smile, I just couldn't help but feel like there was something behind it like it was a mask or a facade, nevertheless, she was incredibly nice and caring so I will just sweep those thoughts under the rug.

"I hope you don't find me too forward or anything, but the way you make James act, I have never seen him act that way. He's giggling and blushing when he's around you and it's rare. I am really glad that you are coming home with us, even it is just for a few days. I'm sure it makes James quite happy to sense that the rest of us have all taken a liking to you."

Alice's kind words truly made my heart smile, as well as my face, seeing as I was smiling like a fool the entire time she spoke, I was surprised that I didn't scare the woman.

"Thank you very much Ms... I am so sorry I don't know your last name" I said, I could feel my blood rushing towards my face making my entire appearance that of a tomato

"That is because we are on a first-name basis my dear, I don't want any of that 'Ms.' nonsense, you call me Alice and nothing else, are we clear?" I could feel the blood flowing back down at her words and all I wanted to do was embrace her in a big hug, so that's what I did. At first, Alice stood there all stiff, probably surprised by arms quickly going around her waist as I hugged her, I almost felt the urge to cry, I don't know why. I don't believe that I'm all that used to the love Alice has shown only these two days of knowing me... one day if we get really picky since we met yesterday and now is still morning.

Why am I contemplating this? I shook my head and pulled away from the warmest hug I have had in a long time.

Alice chuckled before she said,

"Oh dear, I was not at all prepared for that. It was nice, and something tells me you needed it just as much as I did."

I smiled at Alice and decided to keep walking to the stairs when Alice grabbed my hand and pulled me back,

"What's going on?" I asked with a smile and tried to suppress my worried voice.

"Oh I was just thinking... do you think we could just talk for a bit? I have some things I need to get off my chest and I think you're just the person to help me out," she said. However hungry I was, and I was hungry, my stomach was making sounds I have never heard before... but I couldn't deny her what she was asking for, I'm a helper, I like helping people and she has been nothing but nice to me since I got here.

"Of course what's up?" I asked and Alice started talking. If I didn't know any better it would seem as though she was stalling and making everything up that she was talking about, but nevertheless, I let her ramble on.

After 15 minutes she thanked me for listening and giving her my advice on the matter that I'm still not sure what it was by the way, but finally, we were making our way to the dining hall.