ALESTER:

“I was so scared. I’m so glad we found you!” Phiona said, her body visibly relaxing.

‘Mate!’ His wolf sprung up in excitement as her candy sweet smell engulfed him. Immediately, his wolf felt guilty and angry. The stranger’s beauty had infatuated them both. And his wolf was angry that he let himself lust after another. Someone not his mate.

Alester couldn’t care less. Unfortunately, they both had to share each other’s thoughts, emotions, and body. So, while Alester couldn’t care less, he still felt guilty.

“Who’s this?” Phiona stared daggers of jealousy at the strange naked woman.

Alester wanted to defend the girl, his wolf wanted to defend himself.

“She’s a new wolf. She didn’t hear anything about this life. She is terrified. We need to get her back inside.” He spat towards Phiona. His wolf whined, “Don’t make mate hate us”

Alester scoffed. She’ll be fine. Nothing has thrown her off me this far. Though he still hoped something would.

Phiona looked at Alester, a few seconds too long. Then at the new girl. Her features softened to look like concern.

“Oh, you poor thing.” She cooed. “You must be terrified. Let’s get you back where it is safe. And let me get you some clothes.”

Just as she said that, the wolves made themselves known nearby. It was the pack. ‘Phiona must’ve insisted on meeting me first and made the pack agree to stay back.’ Alester rolled his eyes at the thought. His wolf was ecstatic at the thought of his mate wanting alone time with him. It had only been a couple of hours, yet already Alester wished he didn’t have a wolf. Fawning over Phiona was getting annoying.

“Here, try this for now.” Phiona untied the dress from her leg and dropped it into the girl’s hands as if it were a dirty rag. Yet her face continued to only show concern. Alester scoffed inwardly at her fakeness. One of the many reasons he loathed Phiona.

As the scene played out before him, Alester felt torn between two emotions: disgust that a part of him wanted to eye up Phiona, and displeasure that it wasn’t Phiona covered up instead of the girl. His wolf whined at the thought of disdain towards his mate. And Alester felt like trash for staring at them in the first place. He turned away. They may be wolves and nakedness was expected, but he was oggling and it wasn’t right.

The dress must not have fit because Phiona was walking in front of him dress in hand towards the pack of wolves and the girl’s face was a blazing shade of red.

Phiona looked displeased as she jogged to the nearest wolves and searched for any clothes to cover the naked girl

She only found the clothes meant to cover Alester and reluctantly handed them to the girl.

She eagerly put on the baggy clothes, and rolled up the sleeves and pant legs as as she did so.

While Alester was kicking himself for feeling sad that she covered up, he also felt somewhat pleased that she was in something that belonged to him.

They all walked back to the party. The wolves followed at a distance behind them, monitoring the newcomer.

Alester’s wolf could tell that his nakedness seemed to upset his mate and begged Alester to shift back into a wolf.

After a few minutes of his wolf begging, Alester gave it what it wanted and shifted. Besides, he didn’t want Phiona to see him naked, either.

His wolf cuddled up next to Phiona as they walked. Her hand was always near him, brushing at his fur every couple of steps.

Alester hated how good it felt for Phiona to touch him. But all the arguing and shifting was leaving him mentally tired, so he let his wolf take the reins for the walk back. Though he couldn’t help but smile as he noticed the hurt look on the girl’s face every time Phinoa touched him. He hoped it was jealousy. And even if his wolf wanted to deny it, he felt secretly thrilled by it, too.

Upon returning, Alester snickered, seeing Phiona’s dad drag her off to their guest room as soon as they got back.

“You may have mated. But it is too early to be going around naked!” He demanded.

“Dadddd. I’m a wolf. We all go around naked.” She whined.

“I don’t care, missy. You are my daughter and if-” The scolding departed down the hall with Phiona.

Even his wolf thought it was a hilarious sight. Alester shifted back and warned the girl to close her eyes. She listened. The other wolves all shifted back. They already understood what was going on. They had heard the conversation in the woods.

He stared at the girl, making sure her eyes were closed. He didn’t need her screaming again.

“Son.” his dad clasped his shoulder. He wouldn’t turn his eyes off of the girl. “Go get me some clothes, dad.” He sounded weary. His dad left him to go get some clothes. The others either changed into the clothes they had left on the floor or went to their rooms to change.

“Keep your eyes closed.” He told the girl. “I’m going to grab your arm and lead you to a room where people aren’t getting dressed.” The girl nodded in response before replying, “And here I thought you said you wouldn’t touch me.” The girl laughed.

Alester smirked in response but kept his voice even.

“You could open your eyes and walk past all the naked men yourself.” He replied, purposely sounding dismissive. “No. no. you can lead me.” She said frantically, stretching her elbow out as a means for him to grab. He stepped towards her to take her arm.

With Phiona’s overpowering scent no longer present and being in close enough proximity to the girl, the smell from earlier wafted across his face. It was softer than before, but it smelt heavenly. He needed to find out where to rest of the smell was. Where the food had gone. Alester grabbed the girl more roughly than he intended to in his haste to get her somewhere private. He pulled her into a nearby room, closing the door behind him. He came closer to the girl, sniffing around.

The smell wasn’t as strong as it was earlier, and it pained him. He needed whatever gave off that scent. He needed it to be a stronger smell, like it was earlier.