The Alpha’s Fated Choice (Alpha's Fated Encounter Trilogy #1)

If Rita hadn’t said anything, I don’t think any of this would have been an issue. But ever since our conversation, Alex is constantly on my mind.

“How do you know if you meet your fated mate?”

My question has Drew choking on his wine. He hits his chest, coughing violently before gasping, “What?”

“Are you alright?” I demand, instantly on my feet.

He waves me off. “I’m fine. What did you say?”

“I was just curiou—”

“You think this guy is your fated mate?” Drew’s voice is serious.

“I don’t know.” I move my shoulders in a helpless shrug. “Rita thinks he is—or that he could be. I’m not exactly in a position to date or anything. I don’t know the first thing about any of this. When I was sent here, I was not allowed to complete my pack education. So, I don’t know what to do about any of this or whether he is—”

“What do you mean you weren’t allowed to finish your pack education? Every adult…” Drew hesitates, frowning.

I give him a steady look. “You were part of the pack security team, Drew. I know you are aware of the circumstances surrounding why I was sent to Oakrest.”

Drew presses his lips together and looks down at the floor. “Of course. Yes, I was told.”

“I was sixteen.” As I look at him, I find myself remembering that night once again, the night I have never discussed with anyone before. “I never liked those boys, but I didn’t want to hurt them. They always bullied me because I didn’t have a wolf. For some reason, even though they were orphans just like me, the fact that they had their wolves and I didn’t made them think I was lesser than them. The Director never stopped them. I complained so many times, but nobody intervened. And then, that night in the common room…”

I hadn’t taken my scent blockers for two days, through no fault of my own. The Director had been away from the orphanage; she was the one who would call me into the office and give me the medicine. She would watch me to make sure I took it.

“They attacked me, all of them at once,” I tell Drew. “Even at the orphanage, the education I received was separate. Every other shifter was taught about their bodies, but I wasn’t. I didn’t know anything about mating or sex or any of those things till I came here. I didn’t realize what those boys were trying to do to me. I didn’t understand. All I knew was that I had to stop them. And that’s what I did.”

“Only one boy survived,” Drew says quietly. “I’m sorry, Sophia. I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories.”

I shrug. “This is the first time I’ve ever talked about it. Never saw the point.”

Drew’s silence is heavy, and then he reveals, “What you just told me is not the story Alpha Black gave us. We were informed that you had suddenly become violent and gone on a killing spree. And the reason you were sent to Oakrest was to isolate you from others to prevent you from doing something like that again.”

I absorb his words, looking down at my wine glass.

At this point, it doesn’t surprise me. The pack has never accepted me as one of their own, not since I was born. I was never given the same privileges as others. And when I was sent here, I was only permitted to go to the local high school and receive the education I was legally required to have. I was not allowed to take part in the pack education that all wolf shifters are privy to.

I’m pretty sure Alpha Black detests me. During his brief visits when I first came to Oakrest, he would interrogate me about who I was friends with or if anybody had approached me. The couple of younger children who used to seek me out would always stop after those visits, and I just know it was the Alpha’s doing. I can’t imagine hating a child so much that you would deliberately isolate them. Maybe his hatred for me stemmed from the fact that I was the only pack member without a wolf. It’s rare, but it does happen.

When I came to this place, I still could not even feel my wolf. It was only when I started taking part in the cage fights that things changed. Perhaps the violence woke up the beast inside. But I never told anybody about it.

I’ve never attempted to shift, either. I don’t even know how.

Even though I’m part of a pack, I feel alone, as if I don’t belong anywhere. The feeling of being unwanted and undesired has been ingrained in me at this point, and to some extent, I’ve made my peace with it.

So, when Rita suggested that Alex might be my fated mate, I found the idea horrific. The thought of being tied down to someone who could then torment me shook me to the core. A fated mate is supposed to be your life partner who cares for you, but I don’t buy it. My Alpha was supposed to protect me, too, and he didn’t. My pack was supposed to love and shield me as a child, and they didn’t. Why should I expect my fated mate to be any different?

Drew is quiet for a few minutes, and then he gets to his feet. “Wait here.”

I throw back my wine and pour myself another drink, wanting to get really drunk now. I’m halfway through the second glass when he returns.

He sets down a couple of books before me, and I look up at him. “What’s this?”

Drew stuffs his hands in his pockets. “Katie loved romance books. Couldn’t get enough of them.”

When I just stare at him, he sighs.

“Katie was not my fated mate, Sophia, so I don’t really know what that particular bond is like. What I do know, from the education you should have received, is that the bond between a fated couple is not explosive. Two people who are designed for each other are drawn to each other. Even if you don’t like him right now, since you two have crossed paths, and if he really is your fated mate, the two of you will be drawn to each other constantly. Having a fated mate is a blessing, Sophia. Your other half will understand you in a way nobody else can.”