As Rachel exits the room,leaving Helen and Alpha Max to themselves,the heaviness of the room could actually be felt. Helen fidgets uneasily,her fingers twirling the hem of the cotton shirt she had on. For whatever reason,she could not raise her eyes to meet him. Her breathing hitched and she felt a flush of hot emotions in her system.
Alpha Max couldn't even believe that this party that he had reluctantly attended,was going to present a second chance to him. He remembered how persistent Adam was about the party. He had only accepted to come,so his son wouldn't feel lonely, especially since the sad incident happened.
Snapping the sad thoughts out of his head,he realized that Helen also felt his fears and she could read his mind to an extent. He stared hard at her and began to take cautious but firm steps towards Helen.
Immediately,he walked close to her,his eyes darkened and his inner wolf roared at her presence. She was his second-chance mate. Alpha Max raised his hands and Helen flinched, shutting her eyes. With a sly chuckle,Alpha Max traced her jawline with his fingers and sniffed the cologne at the crook of her neck.
"Well..I honestly didn't think it would be possible to come across You. Even when I hoped I'd be lucky,I just didn't envision you this pretty",Alpha Max said slowly, drawing his words in the most erotic way.
"In a world like ours,the hopes and imaginations are the things that keep us living. You should believe more that anything is possible",Helen replied raising her face to his gaze.
Alpha Max looked down at her and said admirably, "And a bold one,I did attract".
"Daddy!!!"Adam's voice could be heard and his tiny little steps could be felt scampering towards the back of the house, interrupting their little moment. They disentangled from each other before the young lad ran towards his father.
Closely followed was Rachel. She held her knees and raised her hands signaling for a little time to catch her breath,from pursuing Adam. After some seconds,she stood erect and began to explain to Alpha Max and Helen, who were smiling amusingly at her.
"I'm sorry..so sorry. I must say,this little one would make an excellent runner. I tried.. tried to keep.. him away but just when I went to get him some chips,he ran off",Helen said breathlessly.
"I told you that I can run faster than you,but you wouldn't believe it, besides I wanted to play some games with my daddy",Adam said lovingly.
As if just realizing that there was another person in the room,Adam turned to Helen and smiled at her, displaying his set of milk teeth,with pieces of pastry stuck in his teeth. Instinctively,he raised his hands at her and when she carried him ,he whispered to her to convince his father to join them for the games.
Alpha Max read his thoughts, even before he whispered to Helen and laughed at his son. Soon, Rachel led the way and they were all back at the front yard. Helen gaped in surprise at the turn out of the guests.
"How long was she in there with Alpha Max?",she thought. Gabriel jogged out of the house with some ketchup and mustard,as the Alpha had ordered more meat for the grill. Helen even spotted Ethan, Gabriel's beta with some group of young boys playing chess. Maybe the house party wasn't a bad idea at all.
She blushed at the thought of her meeting her mate and turned to search for him in the field. Her eyes met with Alpha Max's gaze,who obviously was reading her mind.
"So are you going to tell me what went down in there,or you both are just going to be reading each other's minds and giving each other body language?", Rachel asked with her hands akimbo.
"What? No! C'mon! Nothing.. none.",Helen stuttered. "We just met and besides I don't even know if he'll want to reject or accept me",She said,while picking a strand of hair from her face.
"Did I just hear you right?. Ever since you both met,he's been drawing circles around you. He wouldn't even let you out of his sight. Moreover,his son has already taken a liking to you", Rachel said.
"Who knows,if we all weren't here,Alpha Max would've torn these clothes from your body and pleased you passionately", Rachel joked.
"Get out!"Helen almost screamed, giving her friend a friendly jab at her shoulder as they both laughed.
"But seriously Helen, I think he already wants you for himself, besides I'll be happy if all his past and pain can be replaced with something that'll bring him peace and happiness. He deserves it. And the same goes for you".
"I can't even believe that you had gone through rejection and you didn't even tell me. I may not have gone through it before,but I know how hurting that period is. Please,my friend,give it a chance", Rachel said with a more serious tone, holding her friend's hands.
Helen nodded affectionately at her friend's words. She opened her mouth to say something,but the loud voice of Gabriel calling on the attention of everyone for a quick announcement and toast drowned her voice. The both ladies chuckled as they moved closer to where Gabriel stood.
The house party climaxed when Gabriel's father, the Alpha of the pack,announced the presence of another Alpha,Max. He reiterated that although Max was an Alpha in another pack,he was welcome to visit as they had been allies for years before the death of Alpha Max's father,who had led their tribe to several victories.
Alpha Max, who wasn't one for show-offs, shrugged his shoulders lightly and gave a brief wave. His show of humility,attracted more cheers and triggered some emotions for Helen. Sensing her feelings,Alpha Max jerked and shut his eyes for a while, taking everyone by surprise.
The entire pack was on alert as they watched him carefully, eager to know what was the reason for the trance he was in. Rachel held Gabriel close to herself as they exchanged knowing looks,while Helen silently prayed he wouldn't do what he was about to do.
Helen was a beautiful one but what people didn't know was that she had fears in mating again, especially with the way her original mate rejected her. Alpha Max must have felt her fears,so when he finally opened his eyes,his words rang.
"Greetings! Most of you must have heard the tales but I'll tell you one thing, I do what is right inorder to ensure my Pack's safety. And it has been my utmost pleasure to come out tonight and I'm also pleased to let you all know that..",Alpha Max paused as he watched all the curious faces, looking at him.
His eyes met Helen's and he smiled lovingly before completing his sentence. "I'm pleased to inform everyone here that our friendship with this pack would be endless,as I've found my second-chance mate in this gathering".
"Whoa! Who could that be? Who's the lucky one?", everyone kept whispering to each other with some low hums of surprise. "However,I'll give this beautiful one a chance at knowing me before I return to publicly marking her to be mine. Cheers!",Alpha Max said with finality, raising his glass of wine.
"That's beautiful! Although,I'm pretty sure my Alpha instincts can guess correctly,I'll let your little secret stay for a while. Congratulations to you both!", Gabriel's dad joked from where he stood.
Gamma Adolphus,the most social of the pack,turned up the music, lightening up the tensed air that followed the announcement of Alpha Max. Adolphus,who usually went hunting with Gabriel,was known to be a cheerful one in spirit. He was the loud one and the funniest.
Clapping his hands in sync with the tunes from the blaring speakers,he wiggled his body and raised his legs as he sang along. Stretching his hands towards one of the single ladies in the pack,he pulled her towards him and soon the duo danced amid cheers and woos from everyone.
Rachel was nodding her head to the rhythm,when she felt broad hands wrap around her waist, pulling her to the dancefloor. She didn't need to turn to see who it was,she knew. No one else than her Alpha.
Helen's POV
While everyone took their turns at the dancefloor,I decided to take some tacos and grilled chicken with some punch, because of my growling stomach. I had barely filled my plastic food tray with food when I sensed his overwhelming presence. I didn't even know when the cup of punch slipped through my hands and the purple-coloured liquid spilled on the field.
I watched helplessly as the liquid gargled, watering the field with its contents. "Oh my goodness!",I exclaimed and I turned my back to meet Alpha Max, leaning on the metal pole of the swing, staring hard at me. I tried to say something but with the way he stared at me,I just couldn't find the words.
"I know you spilled that because of me. You feel my presence the way I do yours. You're in my mind, the same way I'm in yours. You can't find the right words to say to me. I know that", Alpha Max said with pride.
"Well,I know for a fact that you are enjoying this. But honestly, I don't know how I feel..", I tried to say before he cut me off.
With a speed of flash, Alpha Max was towering over me. Gently,his thumb trailed the vermilion border of my lips and uncontrollably my breathing hastened and as I leaned into his touch,I felt his throbbing heartbeat. With his other hand,he raised my face to his and for the first time,I could see the passion burning in his eyes.
"You do know how you feel about me. We're meant for each other and you know it. Our hearts and emotions are one", He said solemnly.
"Then if we are,why can't I penetrate into your thoughts and see you",I managed to say.
"You've seen me. What you mean to say is that you can not visualize my past. You want to know how we got to this place. I understand. You may not know mine but I know yours",Alpha Max said with certainty.
"Wha.What? You mean you know how...I..um..",my heart skipped at the thought of him knowing about my rejection.
"I'm an Alpha. I know. But what I can't penetrate is what and why that happened. When I officially mark you as mine.. and trust me, that will be soon,I'll be able to feel and know everything about you. But first,I'll be permitted by you to be marked. I want you and if you let me in, you'll be my weakness", Alpha Max said with a low growl.
I closed my eyes in a sensitive way,his words made me feel only to open my eyes and he was gone. I turned around and I saw no one apart from Ethan,who was sitting on a chair across the swing. Ethan looked away,when our eyes met and I flushed in embarrassment.