Alpha Noah

~Abella

I’m not sure why I’m so nervous.

The note is clutched in my hand, in case this is a sick ruse put together by the girls in the house. How embarrassing it would be to come here, and assume Noah wants to speak to me, but it was put together to make fun of me. At least with this note, I have an excuse if it doesn’t come together.

Maybe it’s just me doubting why he wants to see me again. I hardly remember our conversation from that one night I found him burning all those letters. Everything after our first introduction feels like a blur, and as much as I try bring it back, nothing comes to me.

As I approach the back of Noah’s estate, just like he requested me to do, I shiver. Morning dew is settled over everything, only adding to the cool chill. Morning has only just awoken, and tiredness still haunts my eyes.

Apparently Noah finds morning the best time to observe his garden.

I didn’t even know he had a garden.

He’s not there when I find myself at his back door. I assumed he would have more important Alpha work to do, which means this meeting must mean I’m either fired, or getting a promotion. Either way, I’m nervous. The last thing I need to add to all this drama with Cian is getting fired.

The door closing behind me makes me jump. Whirling around, I see Noah, hands shoved in his pant pockets, smiling at me. There is something so innocent about his smile. Unlike Cian, there is nothing malicious behind it; I know Noah would go behind my back to trick me. I’m not sure how I managed to get mated to Cian, but I suppose there’s no point getting mad over it right now.

“Good morning Alpha,” I say, forcing some semblance of cheer into my tone. He’s allowing me to get off my morning shift for this meeting, and I won’t be ungrateful.

“I’m glad you decided to come.”

Something about his tone suggests he didn’t think I would show up. Fascinating, since he’s my boss, and when he wants to see me, I go right to him. Even if I didn’t want to. If only he knew I’m mates to an immortal. I can’t help but wonder what he would think of me, or if he would trust me as much. I wouldn’t if he was mated to a Sin…

Noah motions for me to follow him across the lawn, toward a line of trees on the edge of the property. He looks nice today, which is a vixen thought that crosses my mind, quickly followed by guilt. I shouldn’t be thinking like this when I have a mate.

Today, the Alpha is dressed perfectly for a wander around a garden. He wears a simple silken shirt that’s a dark green colour, blending beautifully with the colour of his eyes, and that dark unruly hair he never bothers to maintain, yet it looks so perfect each time I see him.

“Is there any particular reason why you wanted me to come here today?” I ask him, not wanting to beat around the bush any longer.

“You seem like the kind of girl who likes pretty gardens,” he replies.

Eyeing him suspiciously, I don’t answer him. He’s lead me through the trees, toward a iron fence overgrown with vines and brush. A flutter of fear consumes me for a small moment, as I consider the idea of him luring me out here for ulterior motives. I’m unsure of what I did to upset and Alpha, but he would get away with it regardless.

“No really. I’ve haven’t even been here for more than a week,” I muse, as he fiddles with the latch on a tall gate. “Why bring me out here over one of your other employees, or your assistant.”

I vaguely remember him telling me he isn’t in a relationship with his assistant, like everyone assumes. Pushing that thought out of my head, I follow him into the garden.

For a moment, I’m struck by how beautiful it is.

“I’m not the gardening type. This actually belonged to my mother before she died. I’ve had people tend to it over time, but she planted most of what exists here,” Noah explains, leading me down a gravel path. We walk past trees dropping thin pink petals, past vibrant green bushes sprouting vivid flowers of all colours. It’s quite a sight to behold.

“It’s beautiful,” I admit honestly. As much as I want to reach out and touch everything, I resist. If this really has been created by his late mothee, I wouldn’t want to disrupt anything. “Do you like beautiful things? You made this Pack to be so immaculate, it’s like magic.”

Noah smiles slightly. “I take pride in what I enjoy.”

I’ve always wondered how Noah has made our pack as perfect as it is. There is never a blade of grass out of place, never a building not built to perfection. No other pack is like our own, which perhaps is due to the harmonious nature which has been upheld here through centuries. Still, there really is not much wrong with the Harmony pack on the outside.

“So, planning to tell me why I’m here?” I ask, as we round a corner, coming across a section dedicated to beautifully formed roses.

As much as I would love one, I keep my hands to myself.

“I wanted to talk to you about your job. I’m willing to offer you a better job working for my assistant. That is, if you would like that,” he offers.Content rights by NôvelDr//ama.Org.

I figured. Why else would he bring me out here to show me this garden and butter me up if he didn’t want something from me. I’m not sure why he is choosing me, though, when I’ve hardly spent any time working here, and he has many other employees who would kill for that job. Either way, I’m unsure of whether I should take it or not. With everything with Cian going on…

“Maybe. I would have to think about it,” I tell him, wrapping my arms around myself. Despite the warmth of the rising sun above me, I still feel cold. Each time Cian creeps into my mind, the more uneasy I feel. I can’t escape my fate, and after this, I’ll have to go back to the life I’ve been hiding from.

Noah seems to notice as we walk, looking down at me with those eyes of pure emerald pigment. “Something on your mind?”

Sighing deeply, I decide what I should share.

There’s no way I want to share to him about being mates with an immortal. Especially a Sin. I can’t be sure how he will react, and maybe he would look at me differently. But also, it’s as if I can’t bring myself to admit to him I have a mate. It’s as if my heart pangs with unease at the thought of him knowing, despite it being a perfectly normal thing.

“A lot, actually,“ I tell him, deciding to share at least a small portion to get it off my chest. “It feels as though my life has been turned upside down. As much as I try make sense of it, something new comes around the corner and screws things up. Now I have a decision on my hand that I don’t know the answer to.”

Noah doesn’t look away from me. “Sometimes it’s not so obvious.”

“I wish my life was a simple. You’re simple, but in a good way. A clean, easy way. Nothing about you is difficult or hard to understand,” I tell him.

Talking to him is easy. Despite him being an Alpha, and my boss, it’s as if I can pour out my thoughts and feelings, and he won’t judge me. He replies simply, in a helpful way. As my nerves that I feel around him when I first lay eyes open him vanish into nothingness, and it’s a feeling I’m not used to.

“Well you don’t know me, do you,” he comments. There’s a slight smile on his face as he says it, but I get a feeling he truly means that. Maybe he isn’t so easy to read. Maybe he wants me to see him that way, but it’s clearly not the case….

“I suppose.”

We continue walking, passing by a trickling fountain and a bushes fashioned into various sculptures. As we share each other’s company, I feel oddly content. When I look at him, watching the way the sun glows upon his skin, or the way the water from the fountain reflects into his eyes… I can’t help but admire him. It only accentuates the guilt.

Admittedly, this entire putting feels romantic. Just thinking that makes my cheeks stain crimson.

“You’re welcome to come visit me whenever you please. I don’t have many friends around here, so I would be grateful to have your company if you would like,” Noah says suddenly, filling the silence with his own admission. It takes me aback. Is he asking me to be his friend?

I glance up at him. “I don’t see why. I’m just a troublesome mess.”

“You’d be surprised how much I like you,” he replies, pacing ahead of me, turning around to walk backward in front of me. I giggle at his playful grin, covering up his vulnerable admission.

Shrugging my shoulders, I consider his offer. “I might come visit here and there.”

He winks. “I would like that. A lot.”

For a moment, the guilt washes away. Something about Noah makes me feel right. Maybe Fate got my mate bond with Cian wrong… or maybe someone is truly out to screw with me.

Either way, I won’t feel bad about this.