Maeve and the Alpha

Author's note: Hi all! First off, thank you to everyone who gave me feedback on the last two parts, even the negative ones. Everyone is entitled to their opinion at the end of the day, and considering I've been posting on here for almost ten years, I have gotten more than my share of good and bad criticisms. "Camping with Wolves" was my first jab at writing a CNC story, and while I do like what I wrote for the most part, I can look back on it and agree there are some things I wish I had done differently, though I do that with pretty much everything I write.

Second, I did not intend for this to be as long as it ended up being. My plan was to divide this into two chapters, but the more I wrote and the more worldbuilding I added, the harder it became to find a good stopping point. So I'm just posting this as is. It's very long, so I understand if you can't get through the whole thing in one go. However, I did my best to have a good mix of story and sex so it can be consumed in chunks.

But anyways, here is chapter two of "Maeve and the Alpha." Enjoy!

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"Maeve, will you hurry up! We've got to leave in ten minutes!" Maeve Dunphy rolled her eyes at the sound of her father calling up the stairs to her. She sat in front of her bedroom mirror, putting her red hair up into a ponytail. When she was done she stood and inspected herself, from her neatly done hair, to her subtle makeup, to her black button down shirt, and then her black leggings. She picked up her phone and took a picture of her reflection.

'Thoughts?' She texted along with the picture to her boyfriend. She was just pulling on her sneakers when a text came back.

'Beautiful as always,' along with a red heart popped up on her screen, making her giggle. Still grinning, she walked back up to her mirror and undid the top buttons of her shirt to reveal a dark green lace bra covering her 36E breasts, her light pink nipples showing just through the lace.

She took a picture and sent it to him along with the text 'how about now?' and a smiley face. She buttoned her shirt back up and grabbed her suitcase before leaving her room. She had just made it down the stairs when her phone buzzed again.

'It'll look even better on my floor,' he responded, making Maeve blush furiously. She could already feel herself moistening at the thought of what Caius would do to her when they were alone tonight. It had been almost two weeks since the pair had last seen each other, and not even the late night sexting sessions had been enough to quell the beast that her boyfriend had awakened in her. He was going to do whatever he wanted to her, and she was more than happy to oblige.

'Have a nice day at work. Do try to focus, Alpha.' She smirked before slipping her phone in her pocket, knowing that if the picture had him turned on already, the use of Alpha would have him bouncing off the walls.

Maeve set her suitcase next to the front door then went into the kitchen. Her dad, Larry, was standing at the counter. He was a portly man that stood at just under six feet, with brown hair that now sported stripes of gray. He wore a black suit with a light blue shirt, and his phone was glued to his ear. Her mother, Maya, had just finished filling a travel mug with coffee for him, and handed it to her husband along with a kiss on the cheek. Maeve was the spitting image of her mother. They were the same height, had the same bright green eyes, and the same red hair, though her mother's was a lighter shade. Her mother was also skinnier, with a more athletic build, reflective of her softball years growing up, and her skin was tanned from time working out in her garden.

Maeve was surprised to see her younger sister, Emma, sitting at the kitchen table. The 16 year old rarely woke up before noon, and even now, as she was working on a bowl of cereal, Maeve was certain she was about to keel over. Like Maeve, Emma had been born with their mother's red hair, but Emma had dyed it black when she started her goth phase a year ago. She also had the same pale skin as Maeve, a result of spending most of her summer holed up in her room reading and listening to heavy metal music.

Maeve greeted her parents with a peck on the cheek each, then grabbed a bowl from the cabinet and sat at the table. "Why are you awake so early? Breakfast date with a skinwalker?" Maeve joked as she grabbed the box of cereal.

Emma scowled. "No. Mom's dragging me to orientation." She shot a glare at their mom, who just rolled her eyes.

"And then afterward we're going to the mall to do some back to school shopping," Maya added as she sat down with her own mug of coffee.

"Mom I don't need you to hold my hand while I do all these things," Emma said with a huff.

"I'm not going to hold your hand. I'm going to make sure you don't see that boy," Maya said matter of factly, making Maeve snort into her cereal.

"Leave Doug out of this!" Emma nearly roared. "Besides, once I'm at school you won't be around all day to keep me away from him!"

Maya raised an eyebrow. "Maybe, but it'll be pretty hard to have a dating life, much less a social life, if you're grounded until the end of time, now won't it?" Emma's already pale skin somehow blanched even further, and she let out a huff of defeat as she sat back in her chair with her arms crossed. Maeve glanced from her mom to her sister, suddenly feeling very justified in her decision to keep Caius a secret from her family.

Just then, Larry finished his phone call and let out an exasperated sigh. "Fucking Mark. He acts like he can't handle the Perkins settlement without me."

"Maybe he just appreciates your input," Maeve offered. She finished her cereal and got up to set the bowl in the sink. Larry snorted.

"Please. More like he doesn't want to be left holding the buck if it goes to shit." Larry shared a look with his wife, who cleared her throat.

"Speaking of Mark, I saw Tanya the other day at the store," Maya said. "She mentioned that John has barely left his room in the last couple of weeks." Maeve didn't respond at first to the mention of her ex-boyfriend, instead choosing to focus on filling a travel mug with coffee. "Have you talked to him at all since-"

"Nope," Maeve replied coldly as she added some cream to her coffee. She took a sip then sat back down at the table. "Nor do I plan on."

"Honey," Larry said as walked over and sat down at the table. "I don't know what happened to make you guys break up, but you were friends first. Surely you still care about him."

"Of course I care," Maeve said halfheartedly. "I'm sorry that this is hitting him so hard, but it's for the best. We just didn't work as a couple, and I don't really feel like talking about it." She stood up from the table with her coffee and headed toward the kitchen door. "I'll be waiting in the car," she said over her shoulder to her dad.

"Maeve, wait!" Maeve stopped at the front door and turned just in time for her mother to walk up to her. "I'm sorry for bringing it up. You know your father and I just want what's best for you."

"I know, and I appreciate it. But I'm 21 now. I promise, I know how to handle my dating life." Maeve smiled and gave her mom a one armed hug. "Besides, you've got your hands full with Emma."

"Don't remind me," her mom said with a groan, and the two laughed. "Have fun this weekend hun, and be safe."

"I will mom," Maeve said with a nod before grabbing her suitcase and leaving the house. She had just made it to the car when her phone buzzed. She pulled it open and sucked in a breath.

'Little late for that,' the text from Caius said, along with a picture of him sitting at his desk, his hard cock in his hand. Maeve felt her mouth water at the sight of it, and her mind spun with images of her under his desk, taking him in her throat. Before she could go any further, her phone buzzed again. Another message from Caius.

'See you soon, little one,' was all it said, and Maeve replied with a kissing emoji before getting in the car and turning on the AC to cool off.

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Maeve's shift at The Jive went by painfully slow. Usually she can rely on work to keep her distracted, which has been especially useful these last couple of weeks. However, of course on this day they got pretty much no customers. Even the usual midday rush was small.

After giving a customer their caramel macchiato, Maeve glanced at the clock that hung over the door. 4 PM. She sucked in a breath, but just then her co-worker, Tiffany, bumped her shoulder, making Maeve jump in surprise.

"Easy there," Tiffany said with a chuckle, her raven hair tied back in a braid today. "You okay? You've been jumpy all day."

"Yeah, sorry," Maeve muttered. She sighed as she grabbed a cloth and wiped down the counter.

"Hm, you know for someone who's about to spend the weekend with her hot, rich boyfriend, you don't seem too excited." Tiffany said as she crossed her arms. Maeve rolled her eyes.

"Of course I'm excited. I'm just nervous. It's not like we're going to be by ourselves all weekend. He wants me to meet his friends and family, and see his hometown." She sighed and set the towel down, leaning against the counter with her back to the door. "This is all just happening a lot faster than I was expecting. I mean, we just started seeing each other."

"Hmm." Tiffany thought for a moment, then grinned. "I think that's very fair, and I get why you're scared. I also think that as soon as you see him, you'll forget all about it."

"You think so?" Maeve asked, tilting her head.

"We're about to find out," Tiffany replied just as the door opened. Maeve whirled and immediately felt her skin flush.

Caius Sheffield strolled into the coffee shop with an aura that made everyone glance in his direction. He was 6 and a half feet tall with black curly hair that had been recently trimmed, milk chocolate skin, and light brown eyes. He wore a black button up shirt that had the sleeves rolled up to reveal his strong forearms, black pants, and a pair of brown Oxfords.

As he approached the counter, his eyes immediately honed in on Maeve, and his warm eyes seemed to brighten as his lips curled into that crooked smile that she had grown so fond of. Maeve couldn't help but smile as well, and intwi an instant she was running around the side of the counter and throwing herself at him. He caught her easily, pulling her into a tight embrace.

The two stood like that for a full minute, Maeve inhaling the familiar scent of her boyfriend while he stroked her hair gently. "Hello, little one," he said, his voice low and heavy. Maeve nearly buckled at the sound of her nickname, but managed to compose herself at least a little.

"Mmmm hi," she muttered, not wanting to pull away from him. But the sound of a throat clearing behind her made her turn. Tiffany was leaning with her elbows on the counter, watching the two with a smirk on her face.

"I hate to break up this reunion, but we do have work to do and she's mine for at least 20 more minutes." Tiffany glanced past them at the couple of people who were queuing up behind the couple. Blushing, Maeve gave her boyfriend a quick kiss before hurrying back behind the counter. When Caius walked up to the counter, he flashed Tiffany a grin.

"And how are you today, Tiffany?" He asked, his tone lighter as he pulled out his wallet.

"Oh you know. Tired, but hanging in there," she said, flashing him a wide grin. "Just waiting for my rich, beautiful, well-built soulmate to show up and tell me I never have to work another day in my life." Caius chuckled and shook his head.

"I'm sure you'll find him one day. In the meantime, may I get a white chocolate coffee with a double shot of espresso?"

"Double shot?" Tiffany asked as she put the order in on the register then wrote the details on a cup. Maeve picked it up and immediately went to work on the drink.

"Had a long drive," Caius admitted. He glanced past Tiffany just in time to see Maeve turn in their direction. "Worth it though," he added with a smile that his girlfriend reciprocated. He swiped his card then put a twenty in the tip jar, thanking Tiffany before moving around to where the drink pickup was.

Maeve kept her focus on making Caius's drink, but she could feel his eyes on her, running over every curve of her. She could almost feel his lips on her body, and it made her blush even harder. By the time she'd finished and set the drink on the counter in front of him, he chuckled lightly at the sight of her.

"You look like a tomato," he said before picking up his drink. She growled at him.

"Oh shut up," she said, rolling her eyes playfully. "Anyways, I get off in 20 minutes. Think you'll manage?" She crossed her arms, and he just shrugged.

"Works for me. I could stare at you all day," he said with a smirk that made her giggle. He gave her a wink then turned and walked to a table to sit and wait. She watched him walk, unable to tear away from his retreating form.

"Hey! I need some help here!" Tiffany called to Maeve, and with a start she ran over to the machine to help her prepare orders. Tiffany laughed lightly. "Feel better?"

"Much," Maeve replied as she prepared a strawberry smoothie. "Thank you." She smiled at her co-worker, who just shrugged before walking to the counter and handing a customer a latte.

After twenty minutes of work, Maeve finally took off her apron and ran to the back. She grabbed her suitcase before returning to the front of the store. Caius was texting on his phone when she approached. He looked up and smiled at her before standing and slipping his phone in his pocket. She threw her arms around his neck and stood on her toes, tilting her head up as he leaned down and kissed her. Maeve felt all of her worries slip away as soon as their lips met.

After a few minutes, Caius finally pulled away, making Maeve whine. He chuckled and picked up her bag. "Come on, little one. Let's get going before I mount you right here."

Maeve couldn't help but grin at the thought. She reached down and squeezed the visible bulge in his pants, making Caius grunt. "Hmm, if you insist, Alpha." She winked at him before heading to the door, swaying her hips the whole time. With a growl and a smirk, Caius followed her.

A half hour later, Maeve was settled into the front seat of Caius's SUV. She had taken off her shoes and was sitting in the comfortable leather seat with her legs crossed beneath her, the AC on full blast. Caius had one hand on her thigh, and despite her initial worry, he seemed more than capable of maneuvering the car on the highway with one hand.

"So what's the plan for this weekend?" Maeve asked after texting her mom to let her know she had been picked up.

"We get there tonight, stop and have dinner. Then tomorrow I have a council meeting around noon and after that I thought we could spend the day wandering around town. Then Sunday, my parents are having us for dinner." Caius felt Maeve tense under his touch, but he just smiled and squeezed her leg reassuringly. "Don't worry. My parents will love you."

"Hmm if you say so," she mumbled. "I'm sorry. It's just I never really had to go through the 'meet the boyfriend's parents' thing with John. This is officially new territory for me."

"I think we crossed the new territory line when you found out I was a werewolf," Caius said with a chuckle. Maeve laughed as well and rolled her eyes.

"Yeah that's a fair point I guess," she said as she leaned back in her seat. "What about your friends? Are they going to be nosey and judgey and ask a bunch of questions?"

"Probably. But they mean well."

"When will I get to meet them?"

"Tomorrow. They're coming by for breakfast before the meeting. No it's not just for you," he added when she raised an eyebrow. "They come over every Saturday for breakfast before council. It's a way for the four of us to catch up on things that are going on in each others' lives."

"Sam and Sasha don't work with you and Reese?" She asked, recalling the names of his Betas.

"No. I offered Sam a job when I became head of the company, but he declined. He and Sasha are teachers. Sam teaches 9th grade world history, and Sasha teaches 7th grade English." He shrugged. "Different people have different lots in life, you know?"

"Yeah I do," she said, thinking of how despite how different her and Lisa were, they were still best friends. She felt a twang of guilt in her chest. She'd be seeing her friend soon, and Maeve had no plan for revealing her new relationship to Lisa. How was she supposed to tell Lisa that she was dating the guy who had beat up Lisa's boyfriend? How would she react to finding out her friend was about to spend a weekend surrounded by werewolves?

Most of the drive to Silver Falls was spent in silence, Maeve being content with just existing in the same space as her boyfriend. Occasionally, she would ask random questions about the town and the pack, curious about where she was heading toward.

"So do you guys have like, McDonald's and Starbucks then?"

"Yes," he said without glancing from the road ahead. "That's the beauty of chain restaurants. They'll set up wherever they can make money, and not ask any questions."

"Do humans ever pass through town?"

"On occasion, yes. Usually tourists who pass through on their way to the lake. Sometimes they'll even stay the night at a hotel in town." Maeve gaped at the nonchalance in Caius's voice.

"Aren't you afraid of your secret getting out?"

"No. It's not like we walk around all the time in our were forms. If the humans see or hear a wolf at night, they have no reason to think it's anything more than a regular wolf." Caius stole a glance at Maeve. "Humans see and believe what they want to believe. When you spend your whole life believing one thing, it's hard to believe anything else." Maeve nodded in concession. If she hadn't watched Caius and six other wolves turn into humans before her eyes, she probably wouldn't believe some inconspicuous town was full of mythological creatures.

Maeve stared out her window, watching as they passed towns and trees and mountains. At one point they passed a river that sparkled as the setting sun reflected off of it. As day shifted to night and the sun was accentuated with hues of red and orange, She couldn't help but smile, feeling a sense of ease the closer they got to the town. She considered how relaxed and held together Caius usually was, and she could understand how growing up in this area could do that to someone.

Maeve's eyes shifted to her boyfriend. Caius Sheffield, Alpha of the Silver Falls Pack and CEO of Sheffield Spirits. He was only 27, but he was responsible for not only one of the largest alcohol distributors in the Northeast, but also the 10,000 werewolves who called Silver Falls home. Yet somehow, he always seemed relaxed and composed. Even now, when he had a tired look on his face from a long day of work and travel, he gave off such a relaxed energy.

"Yes?" He asked, pulling Maeve out of her trance with a start.

"Sorry," she said quickly. "I'm just... you're so young, but you have so much you have to deal with. Doesn't it get hard?"

Caius considered her words for a moment. "Sometimes," he admitted. "But I've spent my whole life preparing for it, so I suppose it wasn't much of a change. I had already earned most of the pack's respect by the time I became Alpha, and since then I've done everything I can to protect and serve the pack."

"Have you ever wondered what life would be like if you didn't have all this responsibility?" Maeve asked thoughtfully.

"When I was younger," he said. "When I thought it unfair that I had to miss out on hanging out with my friends because I had to train or because I had to go with my parents on a diplomatic meeting with another pack. Unfair that I was to be a leader when no one asked me if that's what I wanted."