Page 2 of Her Bully Alpha (Honeycomb Valley Alphas #1)

"I'm just getting in the door," I laughed as I stepped into my house, flicking the light on. It was bright, and I winced as I slipped my purse off, setting it on my side table. Did I grab the mail yet?

I rubbed my eyes. After the long day, having a drink after work was probably the wrong call, but I needed to unwind. "I told you I would be fine getting home by myself."

"I just wanted to make sure that you got home okay. You were pretty buzzed when you left." Joshua said through my phone and I groaned in response.

I knew I would have a headache tomorrow, but it was worth it. I was glad I went out with everyone and enjoyed myself. We always worked so hard, and it was nice to relax and unwind every once in a while.

"Joshua, I'm okay. I had a great time tonight. It was nice to let loose and just enjoy myself. I didn't drive. My house was just a block away from the restaurant."

I paused as I stepped back to shut the door and glanced at my mailbox. Had I grabbed my mail? Was there anything in it when I stopped here really quickly after work? "You have a good night. I'll see you at work."

Joshua sighed. "Sounds good. Talk with you later, Sam. Let me know if you need anything."

I ended the line and sighed as I flipped my mailbox lid up. I grabbed the letters inside and did a quick glance through them. My fingers froze as soon as I saw the stamp, and my heart stopped beating.

The wolf Council was requesting my attention tomorrow.

Shit.

It wasn't something I could ignore either. They had power over everyone, including humans. I was never free, even if I no longer lived by the pack code.

My fingers tightened on the letter, and I felt sick. My stomach twisted up, and I bit hard onto my cheek. Would I ever really be free? A question I already knew the answer to.

I had worked hard to separate myself from the pack to get away from my past and everything in it. So why the hell did they want me now? After all these years, why now?

I turned, walked inside, and shut the door behind me. I locked it and leaned against the door, staring at the letter. I should have known it was coming. I had visions about this, about me getting this letter.

I just figured they were weird dreams. And if they were ever going to request my attention, it was going to be because I made a name for myself. I knew the chances of that were slim....but still.

I tossed the letter aside, shaking my head. It had to be a joke. I turned my attention to my kitchen and took in the butcher block countertops that went well with the olive green cabinets. The room wasn't large, but it worked perfectly for me.

I picked this house because it wasn't far from the firm and it had a cute garden space in the back. I had purchased it a few years after leaving the pack at eighteen. I managed to get a simple job at a firm and went to school. I worked hard and ran the front desk. I worked as an accounting clerk while in school, and after getting my bachelor's degree, I became an audit associate.

I had worked my ass off to get myself where I was, and I didn't have any help. I had struggled, going days without a good meal, almost losing my sanity and my house during it, but I made it.

I loved my job and enjoyed letting my mind focus on the paperwork and financial information in front of me. I felt important when I did it, and I loved the praise I received for doing a good job.

I glanced around the house, taking in all the hard work I put into it. When I bought the house, it was in shambles. I purchased it for cheap, and when I had free time, I did the renovations myself. Room by room, I turned this place into my home.

I looked back at the letter. I grabbed it and ripped it open, turning towards the living room. I flicked on my reading light as I curled onto my couch. I pulled the letter out of the envelope and unfolded it.

The paper was thick, and the stamp at the bottom told me it was real. The Council used it so people knew it wasn't a fake.

I chewed on my lower lip as I quickly scanned the content. The Council was requesting my attention. Yada yada yada…

I yawned, too tired to actually read through the entire thing. Liquor buzzed my mind, taking away my care.

My eyes froze as I neared the middle of the letter. It spoke of the virus and the way it was impacting the packs.

I had learned a little about it. We had some clients who were shifters, and I'd heard about the struggles of getting pregnant. Word around the firm told me it was the females that were being affected, suddenly becoming infertile.

I felt a little sad for them because there were some decent shifters out there that were ripped apart with this news.

But what the hell did that have to do with me? I was human, and everyone liked to make that known. There was nothing I could do to help them, so why the hell did they want me?

I continued to read, and my eyes widened.

You've been picked carefully out of several thousand profiles as the mate of one of the Alphas in the valley. Please report to Building C at the Council Hall. We will be expecting you tomorrow at eleven.

My stomach stirred, and I swung out of my chair. I quickly covered my mouth as I ran for the bathroom. I barely made it in time as I threw up my entire evening's events.

I clutched the toilet, squeezing my eyes, but the words replayed in my head.

Mate.

This was some sick joke, for sure. There was no way that they were asking one of the Alphas to mate with a human. Even if the virus affected the females, they had plenty to go around, didn't they? They couldn't honestly think that sticking me, a human, with a werewolf was the answer, could they?

Besides, the virus wasn't that big a deal, was it? It was new still, and they surely had other options.

I leaned back, grabbed a towel, and wiped my mouth. I leaned onto my feet and looked back out to my house. My heart lurched at the thought of leaving.

This was my home. I couldn't just have my entire life ripped apart because the Council said it could I? I worked too hard for this.

I grew up being treated like shit, like I was lower than the dirt they all walked on. I dealt with years of abuse and bullying. Even my own parents favored my brother over me. He was born to be an Alpha, so he was raised to be one.

I wasn't saying my parents didn't love me, but it was clear to our father that my brother was more important. He focused a lot of his energy on him. He was the next leader, so he needed it.

Our father met our mother when he was visiting a town, and he said it was love at first sight. He hadn't cared that she was human. He loved her with every fiber in his being, and she returned the love. When they had my brother, my father was over the moon.

My father never said he was disappointed that I was human, but I often thought he did. There were a lot of things I couldn't do that he and Henrik could do. A lot of things I missed out on.

I rubbed at my eyes, suddenly exhausted. I didn't even want to think about everything. I wanted to crawl into bed and sleep.

I turned my lights off and made my way upstairs. I stripped my clothes off and crawled into bed. I stared outside my room, feeling like that little girl again. I hated the feeling. I left the pack over six years ago and made something of myself. And now….it was going to be ripped away?

I felt tears bloom, ready to fall. I wouldn't bend so easily, though. If I was to be mated, so be it, but that didn't mean my life and freedom were over. Right? I could figure out what they wanted and go from there.

I woke to the sound of kids laughing outside. I winced, feeling a headache in the back of my head. The hangover was intense, as I expected it was going to be.

I rolled over and rubbed my eyes, pinching at them.

"Fuck. I should have had a glass of water before bed."

I looked over my shoulder, glancing at my alarm clock. It was just a little past nine. I thought of how I would normally get ready to work, but not this morning. I would need to call my boss and tell them I wasn't coming in. I needed to get dressed, get over to the Council building, and wait.

I just hoped it was quick.

I dressed and headed over after calling out of work for the day. I explained the letter to my boss, knowing they needed to know. You never knew how things would turn out.

***

I stood in front of the huge building. A shiver ran down my entire spine. All those years getting free to just land myself back here again into the mouth of the beast.

I quickly straightened my back and held my head high. I would not be coward about this. I was strong. I could do this.

I pushed the door open and headed inside. The building reminded me a lot, like the courthouse. It had a large open hallway with tons of doors that led into separate courtrooms. There was a line near the front desk where you could ask for directions, but I knew I needed to head up the spiral staircase near the back and to the third floor.

I took the stairs and cringed at the photos that lined the wall. It was all of the Alphas. Who knew how many generations it went back. I paused when I spotted my brother. He looked different, but then again, he was. He was the only one that I knew that didn't act like the world revolved around him. But I hadn't met a lot of Alphas, and I didn't care to either.

I continued up the stairs until I hit the top, and a lady was sitting in a chair at a large desk. I walked towards her, and her eyes snapped up at me.

I opened my mouth to speak, but she waved a hand. "You can take the hallway down and enter the room. They are waiting for you."

I snapped my mouth shut. Of course, they were waiting for me. I turned, looking down the hallway, and continued down it. My nerves were on high alert as I got to the door and opened it.

Inside, the Council sat in their chair at a large, long table. The room was silent as I walked in. Two chairs on the other side of the table sat empty.

"Welcome, Sam," the one in the middle spoke. The Council consisted of twelve members. They were all older than dirt, two from each pack. They were the ones who made the decisions and looked out for everyone's best interest, making sure no pack was getting everything.

The one who spoke was Ralph. I knew him and Jennisa. Ralph had been the old Alpha before my brother took over his role. Jennisa was the mother of an old Alpha from another town. They were the two that were assigned to our pack, and I saw them frequently.

I scanned the others, knowing I should know names but I didn’t. They were just people to me that sat with power I would never understand.

I swallowed, feeling my nerves getting the better of me. I was trying to remain calm, but it was hard considering I knew what was going to happen next. My life was going to change forever unless whoever walked in stated they refused. I could be rejected and go back home.

"Hello," I said, stopping in front of one of the chairs. I sat down, placing my hands on my knees.

Ralph knitted his fingers together, resting them on the table. Ralph was an old man with a long white beard that matched his hair. He was tall but still bulky for his age. I could see even with years he had the aura you didn’t want to screw with."Let us get right to the point. We hate to waste any more of the Alpha's time."

I scowled, grinding my jaw down. Of course, because my time was just able to be wasted. My time wasn't important, and I didn't leave work to be here.

"As we explained in the letter, the virus is taking hold of many people, all of them are female shifters."

"I read the letter," I explained, looking at each of them. "But I don't understand what this has to do with me."

"Science chose you," another spoke with a shrug. She was sitting next to Jennisa looking irritated. "We have a hard time understanding it, but it's true. We have a scientist looking into the virus and…well…she can explain it a lot better than we can, but the point being your match was made to produce strong, intelligent children."

I curled my fingers into fists.

"Would you like to meet your mate?" Ralph asked, tapping his fingers onto the table.

It wasn't like I had a choice. After seven years of scraping myself out of this mess, they dragged me back into it.

I watched them wave a hand, and the doors to the left of us opened. I knitted my fingers together, feeling the fear taking the best of me as my eyes landed on Jay.

You have got to be fucking kidding me.