It took me a long while, and I didn't quite have time to complete them all before I needed to start getting ready, so I pushed them to the side for the time being. Collecting all the cosmetics samples I'd managed to stow away and everything my friends had given me over the years -expiration date what? - I began putting on my 'glamour face', as Sarah would say.

After I was pleased with my minimal eyeliner, eyeshadow, and strong lip, I turned to my hair, plaiting it into a smooth braid. In a sense, it almost seemed ceremonial, and some of the anxiousness in the back of my brain ebbed when I picked out some baby hairs and curled them so the curls complimented my appearance.

If I had any luck, some of my friends would have images on their phones that I could later ask them to email me. And even if we all went our separate ways, I'd always remember the good moments we had.

I stowed all of my items away in their hidey-holes and walked out early.

picked up a second tie, looked at it, and then put it down. I felt silly deliberating over what to wear like a teenager getting ready for prom, but I wanted to make a good impression on the few local alpha males I would be meeting.

It essentially meant strong, well-organized, in charge, and successful. Half of my nervousness stemmed from the fact that so much was being said by a single garment.

After much deliberation, I settled on a simple black option. It had gravitas and simplicity.

I gathered the necessary components from my seldom used walk-in closet, spread them out on the floor of my living room, and paced for the better part of 10 minutes. Obviously, this is an essential step in getting dressed. While I was at home, in my mind I was already at the meeting and going through my prepared remarks.

"the previous alpha had big shoes to fill.."

In spite of the fact that I had just recently assumed my position as pack leader after Bert Saw's tragic passing, I didn't want to get off to a boastful start by mentioning that fact. Those who need to act superior over the deceased are either weak or vain.

The previous alpha may have messed us over royally, but he died in a raid that also lost his pack the moonstone. As he had no children of his own, he had put his beta, one William Henry, in charge until I came around.

Even though I was born to lead, I must admit that I was a little... anxious.

Yet I had to rein it in because the more seasoned alphas in my pack would smell weakness a mile away, and that was the last thing we needed.

After pacing for a little more, I returned to putting on my suit, and this time, I fastened my tie slowly and deliberately in front of the mirror. The outfit was finally finished, and I immediately felt better. I also felt a bit more put together and in charge, which was precisely what I needed.

After looking at the time, I knew I wouldn't have much time to go to William's residence on the outskirts of town. This wasn't a party where showing up late was considered chic. Oh no, I didn't want to give the senior alphas a bad image by wasting their time.

There had been, never would be grovelling. I also had no intention of turning into a fanboy who would bend over backwards to please them. But I did think it was important to appreciate the experience of the pack leaders and acknowledge their achievements.

I hastily left, got in my vehicle, and drove to William's place. It would have been more convenient if he had met me at my apartment, given that we both possessed cars. Nonetheless, we were being a bit more careful about our timetable predictability since we still hadn't located the guy who'd murdered Bert.

I beat the previous record by a wide margin, and if I sped a bit, nobody noticed. Fortunately, William was all set to leave when we arrived. My car was safely parked in his tidy little garage, and I climbed into the rear of his stealthily protected conveyance.

It looked like any other sleek black Vehicle, but I knew it had extra security features like bulletproof glass and metal plating on some of the doors. That wouldn't be enough to withstand a full-scale assault, but it would give you some valuable time to assess the situation and devise a plan. If there's one thing I picked up on the battlefield, it's that sometimes seconds may make all the difference between life and death.

"Have you found anything yet?" As William was behind the wheel, I voiced my curiosity. To this day, I find it incredible that he could get about the city without resorting to a GPS since he had memorised so much of it.

"Having the video helped, but it's still slow heading," William answered

No "rock-solid" connections have been made, but "we could have discovered a link with a firm we were hoping to be engaged with previously."

"Oh, so that's the one where Beo's been emailing the CEO. I think so, sir. He has arranged a meeting, right? "

"Yes. We're crossing our fingers that we can get access to their bank records and investigate whether or not they've made any questionable transactions. Death benefits."

"Yes, sir."

The topic of discussion turned to something else, most likely the mundane tasks and inconveniences of leading a pack. Once upon a time, when I was a young alpha, I believed being pack leader meant nothing more than midnight moonlit sprints and well planned hunts. I think I would have been deterred from trying had I been warned that there would be a lot of political manoeuvring and diplomatic wrangling involved.

But I figured I was holding my own, at least. I could only pray that the wise men and women agreed. In no way did I want to bow down to them. But I don't think it's a good idea to start a fight with another pack in my first year as alpha.

The restaurant's location below the building was easy to find. My finance firm was the owner of the whole tower. I was honoured that the older alphas were willing to have their meeting deep into my domain. That was a gesture of confidence in me that I wasn't quite sure I deserved, but I wasn't about to reject free assistance.

"Just drop me off at the lobby. Before I go inside the restaurant, I'd want to take a little tour around the outside.

"Are you certain that you want to be by yourself while I park the car?" "Yes, I think we'll be all right."

William acknowledged my request with a nod and complied with it. I straightened up one final time and headed out the door.

Nevertheless, before I could even open the door, the aroma of something exquisite assaulted my nose like a freight train. For a split second, I stood there, totally oblivious to everything save the intoxicating aroma.

It beyond description, but my rationality yearned to make sense of whatever it was that had us so enchanted. Maybe some lavender, raspberry, and verbena? But then a tangy scent would hit me. Then a more nuanced scent, like damp soil or pine needles. Intriguing as a siren's call, the conundrum held me captive.

Who knows how long I stood there, panting like I had asthma. The door wouldn't open until I finally got a grip on myself. There were several visiting alphas who I didn't want to see puffing at.

"Sir? Is there anything wrong? "

To bring me back to earth, William had me blink. It was completely inexplicable to me why he didn't seem to have any sense of smell. Did I lose my mind?

I'll go fetch the door if you need me to. "Right. In a word, yes. "

I gave him some space and stood back as he did exactly that, shaking the enticing aroma out of my nostrils. Were the other alphas trying to undermine us? Is it possible that one of them had a mystery bottle of powerful pheromones and discarded it just outside the building's entrance? That was an effective method of frightening me, I had to admit.

Nonetheless, I wasn't going to let myself be duped, so I mentally prepared myself. Till I stepped inside and saw what had to be the source of the noise.

A young lady, maybe in her early twenties, was standing directly across the lobby from me. She had brown hair and vivid green eyes, and they were piercing into mine. Her presence was electrifying, and I felt it all throughout my body.

As William came in from the back, I was only half-aware of his presence and his voice, but I had no clue what he was saying. Just the lady, her alluring aroma, and an uncomfortably large distance separated us from one other.

A part of me felt like it needed to break out of my skin so that my inner wolf could squeeze through the little gap. My eyes started to weep, and the pain in my teeth made me want to sink them into her flesh. What would it be like to be right up against one of her scent glands if I could smell her so powerfully from across the large lobby? Such as the one that is embedded in her wrist? Such as the one on the side of her neck that is really sensitive to touch? A shock ran through me at the realisation; I'd completely forgotten about the alphas' senior status. The lady avoided my gaze and raced into a lift, out of sight before I could react.

I had to circle back around and locate her. Seeing as how she had just emerged from the mail room, she had to be a building resident. Thankfully, her leaving enabled her pheromones to swiftly disperse, and I was able to recall the reason I had originally come to the place.

"Sir? Is there an issue?"

For the second time in as many minutes, William's words snapped me back to the present.

"No, no, I'm OK. Go ahead and enter the basement with me. "

We came down the steps together, and I was relieved to find that I had arrived first. There are no older alpha males in the area to see me making a fool of myself with some random female visitor. Indeed, I like the fairer sex as much as the next guy, and I have always admired the many facets of feminine beauty. There was a distinction, though, between liking a lady and being utterly enthralled by her very presence and aroma.

The wait staff recognised us immediately, and I was escorted to the back room, where I always had my secret meetings. They gave me ice water and my favourite whisky, and I was finally able to calm down and forget about the girl for the time being.

A really ancient alpha with creases deeper than some people's wallets, Alfred Crete was the first to arrive. Age hadn't changed his imposing bearing; he still carried himself like a true alpha. As a pack leader's lifespan was far lower than that of any other wolf shifter, he represented the ultimate objective for all of us.

'Alpha Crete,' I said as I stood and extended a hand. "Please sit down; I'm hosting."

"Alpha," he echoed, grabbing my hand firmly. " I've found your ascent to this position to be really fascinating to see. "

"It's been over in a flash, hasn't it? "

"Yeah, but you're dealing with it quite well."

A direct praise was out of the question, so I merely nodded politely and hoped he understood." You're welcome to take a seat right here. My crew can give you with everything you need. "

"Your hospitality is noted."

The more seasoned leader took a seat and relaxed a little. After a few minutes, the second alpha showed up, and then another 10 minutes later. The rest of the group followed suit, and soon I was staring across a table full of well-established, self-assured alphas.

"Thank you for meeting here tonight," I continued, sounding forceful. "There is a lot I know we can talk about."

A sage spoke up: "That we do." His voice was a deep, rumbling growl. "First off, how do you intend to handle the riverstone?"