— • 🌲 Nathan 🌲 • —

I knew it was her went I spelt that same lavender and pine scent that I noticed the first time I met her.

After following her for a couple of weeks I know that she's not a wolf, her bestfriend is in love with her, she's run away from home and she was travelling with someone else. Don't think I'm a creep who stalks girls for fun, I was send on an assignment by my Alpha, I'm just doing my duty.

Besides, defying my Alpha is not a good idea, the last time someone defied him, they were locked in the concrete bunker for a month with barely any food and water and only allowed to return to the pack when they apologised to the Alpha and he felt they had served their punishment.

Our Alpha is a good Alpha when it comes to leadership and tactical planning, but when it comes to sympathy and love, he's not the best. I mean alphas aren't made to be overly caring - that's the luna's job - but they are supposed to be a little compassion. After all, their pack is their family.

Heading towards the west of the pack house, towards alpha's office, I pass Zayn.

"Hey Zayn." I chirp, before adding, "you brought her back here right?"

He nods his head. "Yeah I got her, she's got some attitude, Lil lass nearly spoke out at the Alpha last night." He says.

"Hmmm." I mean I already knew that about her, she literally exploded like a bomb when she found out her family lied to her.

He smiles slightly. "Lil lass don't like me though."

I laugh. "And that doesn't surprise me." He shuffles awkwardly. "You can go, Zayn." I say. I have my own things I need to do.

He smiles and nods his head. "Thanks Beta. See you at the meeting." He says and scurries off.

Where's he off to in such a hurry? Probably to go chat up the single females of the pack, possibly some mated ones. He's a bit of an ass like that. Likes the attention, even if it is off angry males.

I laugh and shake my head. I need my a-game on.

I knock and after hearing a 'come in', I enter. Pushing open the large wooden door, I step inside the Alphas office.

"You wanted to see me Alpha?" I ask, walking up to his desk.

I hold some formalities with him, usually starting and ending conversations with Alpha, but due to me being a Beta I'm allowed to call him by his real name.

Luna's and Beta's are the only ones allowed to call an Alpha by his real name. Usually outside of working hours. The rest of the pack call him Alpha as a show of respect, but he has my loyalty so formalities are forgotten.

He beckons me round to his side of the desk. "We got the girl you told me about, but patrol have said they noticed another smell with hers before, she was travelling with someone. Find out who it is." He demands.

I nod my head. "Yes Alpha." I pause before speaking up again. "She is okay right? I mean she's been sleeping rough for a while. She's not malnourished or anything is she?" I ask.

I am genuinely concerned as well. Over the time I followed her, I gained a soft spot for her. And at time we spoke, she was so gentle and caring. She would make a great mate.

A low growl is heard as the alpha starts speaking. "She is fine, I will make sure she is well and healthy. Remember Nathan, she's going to be my mate, not yours." He snarls.

See, he can be very nasty. "Don't worry. I won't try anything Alpha. But you can't force her to mate you." I say trying to calm the situation as well as making my point.

"I'm the alpha." He growls. "I can do whatever the hell I want." He snaps.

"You can try Leon, but she's different, I can feel it, don't force it, she's quite strong-willed." I argue, using his real name just to annoy him that little bit more.

I receive a final warning growl. "Go and find Claire, she will look after our new arrival for this first week." He demands.

I don't bother arguing at the fact he ignored what I previously said, and focus on trying to find Claire.

Walking along the hall, I make my way downstairs to the living quarters near the kitchen, where the lower ranking wolves live.

Upon reaching the hardwood door, I knock twice before entering.

I frown as I see Claire sat on the bed, tears streaming down her face. Her curly auburn hair sticks to her cheeks as she sobs.

She doesn't notice my presence at the door as she continues to cry. My heart clenches at the sight of her upset.

"Hey..." I say, walking closer to her.

She instantly wipes her tears and brightens her face with a smile. I know it's a fake smile because the sadness still lingers in her beautiful blue eyes.

"Hi, ummm Nathan, what are you doing here?" She says somewhat surprised.

Completely ignoring her question, I sit beside her and ask, "what's up, you can tell me anything you know." I say truthfully.

She notes the truth I lace in my voice and gives a slight smile. "It's nothing really, just some of the other pack members making fun of me."  She says with sadness.

The words pierce my heart and I want nothing more than to hold her tight. I lift her head to look at me. "Claire. You're so amazing, you are so smart and beautiful and talented and you are worth more than this whole pack combined." I say from my heart.

The sincerity of my voice shocks her slightly but she shrugs it off as if I was just being nice. "Thank you but I know it's not true."

I'm about to say something back to her when she starts talking once more. "Okay, what did you need me for, I know you didn't come down here for the fun of it." She says in a more neutral voice. She's closing up the vulnerability she just showed me and trying to distract herself with work. I know that feeling all too well.

"We have a guest, I need you to greet and make comfortable." She smiles at the opportunity given to her.

It is very rare the alpha gives an omega a task as important as this. Maybe it's due to the fact that her being so low ranking in wolf status means she feels she must obey the alpha and so will not step out of line. After all it is possible for an omega to move up in the ranks if the alpha sees fit.

I smile at the thought of little Claire being treated as a pack member and not some outcast. "I'm proud of you Claire, this may be your chance to move up in the ranks and show those nobody's that you deserve to be a part of this pack as much as they do."

She smiles at this. Truly smiles, and I can feel the waves of excitement bounce off her.

"Omg yes!! Imagine." She says happily but her face falls. "But alpha Leon would never." She mutters lowly, her face falling.

I put my arm around Claire and say brightly, "I'm sure I could have a word with the Alpha."

She turns to me and almost yells in happiness. "Really?"

I smile back at the now happy Claire, "of course."

Seeing her this happy because of what I've said makes me feel good inside and I don't know if that's feeling but I really want to kiss her.

I refrain, knowing doing anything as such could create problems for both her and me. I'm yet to find my mate and so is she. Her birthday is in a few days and I don't want to complicate things with her mate, with any new feelings. Besides I need to keep her at a distance. I can't fall for her now, especially when she's getting closer to finding her mate.

She must have noticed me staring at her because she twists her hair between her fingers. It's one of her nervous traits.

I frown and then smile. "Am I not allowed to admire something beautiful?" I say deeply, completely entranced by her very being, and take a step forwards.

She bites her lip at the comment and I stop just in front of her. "If you keep biting your lip like that, I'm going to kiss you." I say in a low growl, my voice hoarse from holding back my wolf. Which is odd really, because my wolf should only be interested in my mate.

She looks up at me with those gorgeous blue eyes and a piece of her hair stays in front of her face, while the rest falls back. I gently swipe it from her view, my hand lingering on the side of her face.

I can't decide whether she wants me to kiss her or not. She hasn't stopped me so far, but she hasn't advanced either.

"Do you want me to kiss you Claire?" I ask, my voice now deep and husky at the thought of getting close to this stunning girl that stands before me.

She nods her head yes. "But we shouldn't." She manages to whisper. I can tell by the breathiness of her voice that she's struggling just as much as me.

I swallow the lump in my throat. "I know." I say sadly and dip my head slightly and pull away from Claire. My body feels cold after removing myself from her.

Her eyes follow me to the door with longing. "I'm sorry Nath, it's just-"

I cut her off, "your mate, I know." My voice heavy.

Smiling, I try to brighten the situation, "you never know, you may be mated to a Beta or an Alpha. You'd finally be a high ranking wolf, higher than those bitches who bully you." I say trying to talk about anything other than what just happened.

If only I knew how true my statement actually was.

She smiles at me, "thank you Nathan."

I return the smile and ask "Who were the people that were awful enough to you, to make you cry?" My chest tightens at the possibilities running through my mind, of who it could be.

She sighs, before saying, "don't be causing any trouble, but it was Poppy, Dave and Valentina."

I shake my head. "Don't worry I won't."  I lie, I most definitely will. "Now, you best go to the guest, west side, last room on the left. I've kept you waiting long enough."

I notice her blush slightly and I slip out of the door.

Now to find those bitches.

Heading towards the main sitting area, I spot them all giggling at something Victoria said. The vile
She-wolf herself.

"What's so funny?" I say, trying to hide the spite that wants to slip from my lips.

They all turn towards me, each of them giving their attention to me but shuffling into a comfortable position.

Poppy and Dave link arms and he nods his gel head in greeting. "Beta." He says respectfully and I nod in reply. I turn my attention to the she wolf that's practically pushing her tits in my face. Yep, definitely her favourite 'comfortable position'.

She purrs a coy greeting and ran her claw like fingers up and down my arm. "Hey Nathan."

I turned to her and corrected her mistake, "beta." She shrugged and continued to move closer to me. Standing so close her scent started to mix with my own, making me feel sick. "Get away from me Victoria." I demanded.

Hurt shone in her eyes but I knew it was simply because I'd shown her up in front of her friends.

She fake cried, her voice a pitiful mewl "but.."

She was really starting to get on my nerves and you could tell. A dangerous aura threatened to grow around me as my distaste for this woman grew.

I let a growl escape my lips, "but nothing!" I start. "I don't like bullies." I spit and the shock of it causes her grip on my arm to falter, so I move a few inches away from her, making sure I'm still close enough to scare her.

I could see a look of fear, she was terrified of me and what could happen if I reported to the alpha and he took my side. It subsided to show only anger for the very girl who ratted her out, Claire.

"I'll kill that bitch." She muttered under her breath.

At those words, I glared at her, my voice a deathly whisper "you so much as even look at her the wrong way and I will personally see to it you are treated lower than she is. She may be omega but that does not mean you disrespect her. She is every bit a part of this pack as you are. Understood?"

I swallow, trying to calm down before I unleashed my wolf on them.

Victoria nodded her head in response but I needed her to do better than that. I grab her and pull her dangerously close. "It's beta to you, mutt!" I snarl.

She recoils from me in shock, and this time with actual hurt on her face from my words, but I don't care. She can't hurt Claire and think it's okay.

"Hurt her and I will end you. That applies to all of you!" I give a final growl and that's when Alpha Leon comes over.

"What is all the commotion?" He asks, rather calm compared to my seething self.

I turn to him, showing the fire burning in my eyes. "I was just leaving." I stalk past him, not sparing him a second glance. I need to calm down, so I head outside, completely ignoring the pleas of my alpha to tell me what happened.

— • ⚡️ Isabella ⚡️ • —

I awoke to a soft knock on my door.

Feeling the cold against parts of my skin as I shuffle around, tucking my stray leg back under the covers, and pulling the duvet to cover my shoulders.

"Come in." I call out, snuggling in the warmth the duvet holds.

A girl around my age with long curly, auburn-coloured hair walks into the room. She's has gorgeous grey-blue eyes and her face structure is flawless, defined cheekbones, lips that curve slightly upwards at the corners, a soft nose dotted with freckles that stretch along her cheeks and what I assume are her natural eyebrows.

"Hey, I've brought you some stuff." She says as she walks in and stands at the end of the bed.

I didn't notice but she's holding a basket that resembles those of a picnic basket like I had at home. Suddenly a wave of homesickness hits me and my face falls.

She must have noticed because she rushes to my side and places the basket on the floor. "Are you okay?" She asks, her voice laced with concern.

At least someone here cares about me.

I smile as best to calm her nerves. As caring as she is, she seems nervous around me and I don't understand why? I'm the newcomer here.

"Yeah, just a little homesick." I admit.

She lets a little breathy sigh out and I turn to face her. "Are you okay?" I ask. Now it's my turn to be concerned.

She furrows her eyebrows and lets a smile loose on her lips. I can tell it's fake but I don't push too much. I want her to open up, not close up completely. I know I must approach this carefully.

I place a hand on her leg, "you can tell me? Who do you think I'm going to tell?" I smile, "I'm new here, the last thing I want is to cause trouble."

She gives a proper smile and begins telling me. "I'm the omega of the pack."

I want to ask what an omega is but feel if I interrupt she may not continue the story.

"And there are certain pack members that make it there mission to bully me because of it."

When I'm sure she's finished speaking, I ask my questions. "Okay, so first... what is an omega?"

A gasp was heard before the girl started speaking, "you don't know what an omega is? Did you not have omegas at your pack?" She asks, clearly shocked.

I shake my head no, "I'm human, I have no idea if my family had an omega, I left when I found out they were lying to me all my life."

Memories of the day I found out filtered through my mind and I had to blink back the tears.

The girl didn't question any further and changed the subject to its origin, which I was grateful for.

"An omega is the lowest ranking wolf, there is the Alpha, the leader of the whole pack; the Beta which is second in command and kind of the Alpha's best friend, they step in as leader when the Alpha is absent; then the Delta, which is the third in command, they are usually in control of patrols and hunts and excel in strategy making. Below the highest ranking wolves are those that are leaders of the set categories; warrior leader, hunting leader, and healer leader. The rest of the pack is made up of the warriors, hunters, healers, and there are a few wolves that are exceptional in multiple categories. Below all of those categories, is me, the omega. I'm technically a maid, babysitter and entertainer. I serve no purpose to the pack other than to do whatever is asked of me. I have no authority over anyone other than the pups of the pack."

After a couple of minutes of trying to process the information just relayed to me, I speak up. "I had no idea packs were so complex."

She spoke then, "they're not really, you are either Alpha, a high ranking wolf, a subordinate member of the pack or omega."

I nod my head, "that makes sense."

The room falls into an uneasy silence, until the red head breaks it. "So, what do you think of Red River/Black Valley pack so far?"

I give an uneasy smile. Honestly since coming here I've not felt very welcome, I mean I was kidnapped. Do they just expect me to make myself at home?

"Umm well honestly I don't feel welcome, I mean I was kidnapped." At that information she lets out a gasp. From that I can tell she wasn't made aware.

"YOU WERE KIDNAPPED?" she shouts, eyes wild.

I instantly try to silence her by placing my hand over her mouth and then nod my head. "I was, but I'm guessing by your response, you weren't told. There's probably a very good reason for that so can you please not draw any more attention to me? I already feel out of place. Besides, we wouldn't want you getting into trouble."

She seems to have calmed down, so I remove my hand and let her speak. "Well do you have any idea why they might have kidnapped you?" She asks, genuinely curious at this point.

I nod my head. "I do, but I can't tell you here, I can't risk them finding out. Is there anywhere I can meet you? outside in the woods maybe? I can't risk anyone finding out. Please I'm trusting you. Tell me where and come alone." I say, deciding that she seems genuine.

She gives a bright smile and says "of course, meet me in the woods just right of your bedroom window, at 3:30am."

I groan, "so earlyyyyy," and start organising some of my belongings for bed.

She laughs, "it's when the night patrols switch." And slips out of the door.

It closes with a soft click and I'm left with my thoughts. My thoughts brush over my family, Emilia and the girl who's name I forgot to ask. Setting an alarm for 3:20 I crawl into bed and try to get a couple hours sleep.

Word count [3408]

Opinions on Nathan's POV?

- Bri xox