Christina

“Are you about ready to head out?” Dane, my older brother and Alpha asks me as I drop my last bag by the door.

“Yep, you’re rid of me for three months, bro,” I say smiling at him.

“Don’t say that, Chrissy. You and I both know that I would have found a position for you in the pack,” he says. My brother is perfect, a perfect Alpha, a perfect mate, a perfect father, and a perfect brother. Me? I’m less than perfect.

“You and I also both know that I didn’t want you supporting me my entire life, Dane.”

Our parents passed away many years ago, and Dane, being the man, Alpha, and brother that he is, has made sure that I’ve never wanted for anything. The only problem is, I’m an Alpha as well. I want to make my own way, not feel like I’m being given a handout by my brother, the pack’s Alpha.

“It’s not like that, Christina. I could use a good fighter like you. I hope you know there’s always a place for you in this pack if you ever decide to give up the Train. But do me a favor this time?”

“What’s that?”

“Take some classes, Chrissy. You could kick those Alphas’ asses, and I know you’d enjoy that. You’re a strong Alpha female. You don’t give yourself enough credit.”

I look at the necklace of dog tags around his neck, or wolf tags as he calls them. Where mine are silver, his are gold. A gold tag for every achievement he received during his time at the Alpha Academy. I have the ability to earn them as well, if I attend the classes and I’m either the best, or the first to achieve the goal. The silver tags that I wear around my neck are for the assistants. We earn them for different reasons, but we can earn them each semester. I have a drawer full of duplicates, but I only wear one for each achievement. I’ve achieved all the possible silver tags.

Each assistant also has their own color tag that they can hand out to the Alphas in class or even the instructors if we feel that they have done something deserving of recognition. While the gold tags are worth five points, our tags are worth one. Earn enough points through your tags and you could earn a spot on the leaderboard at the Academy. My brother has been ranked number two on the leaderboard for the last four years. Before that, he was ranked number one.

“Bye, Aunt Chrissy,” my nephew and the Alpha heir of this pack says, rushing out the front door of the packhouse.

“Bye, Devin. Be good for your parents. Bye Harper,” I say to Dane’s mate as she walks out with Olivia, my brother’s daughter on her hip.

“Bye, Christina. It was good to see you,” she says.

“Thanks bro. I’ll see you in a few months,” I say, stepping forward to hug my brother. I don’t know how he does it, but the man never misses anything. His mate adores him, he knows every little thing that happens in this pack, and when he talks to you, you feel like you’re the only person in the world, and everything you say is of the utmost importance to him, that YOU are of the utmost importance to him. And I’m not just saying that because I’m his sister. He’s like that with everyone. As I said, he’s perfect.

“You know, I think I might have done you a disservice by not allowing any of my friends to date you,” he says, looking at the ‘O’ tag around my neck. It’s the orgasm tag. Since I don’t sleep with the young Alphas at the Academy, I’ve never had a reason to give it out, and now, I sort of feel like I wear it as a badge of honor, or dishonor maybe.

“None of them were my mate, Dane, you know that. There is only one way that a non-fated relationship with an Alpha heir ends and thanks to you, I’ve never had to deal with that heartache.”

He hugs me again and then he has a driver take me to the train stop. I work on the Train and therefore, at the Alpha Academy. Each semester, the Alphas who will be coming of age in the next quarter are sent to Alpha school. The train takes a week to go across the country collecting all the Alphas who are eligible to attend the school. While we’re on the train, me and the other assistants act as waitresses, cooks, and clean-up crew. It’s pretty much the same once we get to the school. The only thing we aren’t responsible for are the Alphas quarters and their personal belongings. Alphas have to wash their own clothes and clean up after themselves. It’s part of the education they receive at the Academy - understanding some of the work that goes into being an omega.

There must always be at least one more female assistant than Alpha in the class. The biggest reason for that is the sex class. I, personally, have never attended the class. While most of the returning women have, I’ve been assigned to mated males every semester that I’ve worked. They only last one semester because they miss their mates too much, being gone so long. Mated instructors are excluded from the sex class, knowing that they would only hurt their mates if they participated. Because they were excluded and I was their assistant, it was easy for me to exclude myself as well. Every assistant is invited to attend, but I've chosen not to. Sylvie, one of the widowed Lunas who has been working at the school for years, takes the class every semester. She’s told me that I should try it, at least once.

“It sucks in the beginning. These young Alphas always think they’re the shit. They’re not, but by the end, it’s like heaven on earth, every class,” she told me.

She usually pairs off with Alpha James as his assistant, and from what I can tell, he usually teaches the sex class. There are other classes, such as strength training, sensory training, managing your pack, understanding when someone is in trouble and needs their Alpha to step in, things like that. I’ve assisted as required when my Alpha was teaching, but I’ve never participated in any of the classes.

The other consistent instructor is Alpha Sebastian. He’s been teaching classes for several years. The other instructors tend to rotate in and out, whether it’s because they have a mate back home or they just don’t enjoy teaching. However, Alpha James and Alpha Sebastian are constants at the Academy.

When Dane’s driver arrives at the train station two hours later, I get out, grabbing my three bags which account for 99% of my life. What a sad state that my life can be placed into three small carry-on bags. I thank the driver and hook the bags over my shoulder making my way to the train station. There are three stops for us and the instructors before the train begins making its way across the country.

The Alpha Academy is a 10-week, grueling schedule for the Alphas. On either side of that, there is a week-long train ride, which means that I’m only home one week every quarter, or four weeks a year. It’s why I chose this job. My brother can say all day long that he’d find a place for me, but I needed to find a place for myself and for now, this is it.

I walk up, seeing a young girl with several bags standing at the station looking lost.

“Hey there. Are you here for the Alpha Train?” I ask her as I walk up.

Her big blue eyes go wide. “Yes! I wasn’t sure I was in the right place.”

“This is it. I’m Christina,” I say.

“Hi, I’m Haley. This is my first time,” she says, which I already knew.

“Well, don’t worry, it’s pretty self-explanatory, but if you have any questions, there are several of us who have done this for a while. You can always ask us.”

“Thank you so much. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I’m thankful to already know someone who knows what they are doing,” she says, smiling a big, happy smile at me.

“What made you decide to try the Alpha Train?” I ask her. While most of the time is spent at the Academy, the slang term for the Academy has become the Alpha Train. You can’t work one without working the other. Most of the Alphas coming to the school talk about ‘Riding the Train’, it’s slang for going to Alpha school.

“Oh, well, it sounded exciting. I wanted to see what it was like for the Alphas, and why so many of them are just so good. I mean, do they really learn everything they need to know in 10 weeks?” she asks.

“They do. It’s grueling for them. Long, hard days, but if they want their position, it has to be earned.”

“What about you? Why are you here?” she asks.

“Well, as you can tell, I’m a bit older than you are. I never found my mate and I didn’t want to be a burden on my family, so I decided to start working here. This way, I still get to see them, but I’m self-sufficient.”

She smiles her big smile again. “I’m saving money for college. I want to be a doctor, but my family could never afford that, so here I am.”

“I think it’ll take more than one semester for you to make that kind of money,” I tell her.

“That’s okay. If I like it here, I don’t mind working the job for a year or two.”

An older man, obviously an Alpha walks up to us. “Good morning, ladies. Here for the Alpha Train?”

“Yes, Alpha,” we both say.

“Well, then, I must be in the right spot. Do either of you know when the train will arrive?” he asks.

I look at my watch. “The trains always run on time, Alpha. It will be here in about ten minutes.”

“Hmm, not long enough to let my wolf out then,” he says, looking at the empty landscape around us.

“Probably not, sir,” I tell him.

“Oh my goddess. I’m so rude. My name is Alpha William. You can call me Alpha Will.”

I chuckle. “Hi, I’m Christina.”

“And I’m Haley. This is my first semester,” she says.

“Mine as well,” Alpha Will says. “How about you, Christina?”

“My eighth,” I say.

“Ahh, a veteran. That’s good. I know who to go to if I have any questions,” he says.

“That’s what I said,” Haley says excitedly.

“Do you know which stop we are?” Alpha Will asks as the train whistles in the distance.

“We’re the first stop, Alpha. Two more and then we’ll be off to get this semester’s Alphas.”

“Should be interesting,” he says as the train pulls up.

Sebastian

“Hey James,” I say, walking up to the train station as we wait for the Alpha Train to arrive.

“Hey, Seb. How was your break?”

“Good. I went and saw my son. How about you?” I ask.

“Same,” he says.

James is the leader of the Academy. He makes the assignments, pairs us with our assistants and if there are problems, he’s the one who makes the final decision on punishment. However, he’s the kind of man and Alpha that looks to others for their input.

He and I have been friends going back to our days as Alphas. Our packs were close enough together that we entered an alliance. Our friendship only strengthened when both of us lost our mates. James lost his mate first, being a bit older than I am. He lost Aimee in childbirth. I lost Suzanne several years later. Her loss nearly killed me, but I stayed alive for my son. However, once he took over as Alpha, I was lost. I had nothing and no one, until James came to find me.

He knew firsthand what I was going through and he told me about the Alpha Train.

“Just try one semester, Seb. If you hate it, what have you lost? Three months. So what? But if you’re like me, and you love it, you’ll have found something to give your life meaning again. One semester, my friend, that’s all I’m asking,” he said to me, and he’d been right. I had loved it, and four years later, I still do. I enjoy going to see my son, his mate, and my grandpups, but I needed something to give my life meaning and this is it.

“Any requests for your assistant this time?” he asks me, looking over the schedule while we wait.

“Who are the veterans?” I ask, knowing I’m teaching the sex class this time instead of James, and I don’t want to worry about some young newby making the class harder for me.

“Sylvie, who is already assigned to me,” he says, making me smile.

“When are you going to make an honest woman out of her?” I ask.

“She doesn’t want that. She loved her mate,” he grumbles. Sylvie was a Luna in her pack. Her experience was similar to ours, except she stayed on until her son took over the pack to make sure no one else tried to take if from him before he turned eighteen, especially since her mate died in battle. She and James have been paired together for years now and the two of them are practically inseparable when we’re at the Academy. However, when we get back, they go their separate ways for one week and my understanding is that what happens during that week is no one’s business. They have no ties to each other, just a mutual respect and admiration for each other.

“We also have Christina, Mia, and Laura as our vets. Two newbies, Emma and Haley.”

“Pair me with Christina,” I say, making James raise an eyebrow.

“You know she’s never done the sex class, and I’ve assigned it to you this semester.”

“She’s always been paired with mated Alphas, hasn’t she?” I ask, thinking back.

“Yeah. Her Alpha has changed every semester. Why? What’s your interest in her?”

“She’s an Alpha female and I’ve never seen her take a class,” I say.

“She hasn’t,” he confirms.

“I want to know why. I want to know what’s holding her back. I’ve seen her working out. She’s strong and powerful, but she isn’t taking the classes.”

“You know who number two is on the leaderboard right?” he asks.

I hadn’t put the two together, but the lightbulb goes off. “Her brother.”

“That’s him.”

“I want to push her. I think there’s more to her than she gives herself credit for.”

“What if she doesn’t want to assist you in the sex class?” he asks.

“That’s her prerogative, but she’s not some young, nubile she-wolf. I’m sure she’s had sexual partners before. If she’s got reservations, I’ll try to work through them. If I can’t, I’m sure I can get someone else to stand in. Sylvie maybe,” I say, smirking because I expect the growl that I get.

As we’re talking, I see Laura jogging up.

“Hey Laura. How was your week off?” I ask her.

“Good, for me. Not good for this position. I found my mate. I told him I couldn’t back out from this semester but it’s my last one, Alphas.”

“Congratulations!” James and I say to her.

“Thanks,” she says, blushing. “Uh, is there any possibility of pairing me with a mated Alpha this semester?” she asks.

“Actually, I have you scheduled as the float. How do you feel about that?” James asks her.

“That would be perfect. And I’ll have to skip the sex class, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I’ll see if Sylvie or Mia know anyone who wants to fill in,” he says.

James turns back to me. “I’m putting you as lead instructor for The Beast,” he says to me.

“What are you trying to do, kill me?” I ask.

“You’re an Alpha. Suck it up, buttercup.”

I shake my head as we hear the train whistle in the distance.

“There’s our ride,” I say.

“We’re missing two,” he says frowning.

“Who?” I ask.

“A new girl, Emma, and Benjamin,” he says.

“Ben took his mate on vacation before coming to teach, so he’s catching us at the third stop,” I tell him just as we hear tires screeching in the distance.

We all watch as a car comes racing into the parking lot and spins out, barely missing a light post. A young, perky girl gets out of the driver’s seat and huffs. “I thought I was going to miss the train.”

“You nearly did,” James says, eyeing her. Neither of us have any tolerance for tardiness.

As the train pulls into the station, I grab my bags and get ready to board. James and I let the women enter before us and then we climb onto the passenger train. When we get on board, I can see that Christina has already started setting up the train. Her brother’s pack is closest to the first stop, and she usually has it mostly set up by the time the train gets to us.

“Christina!” James says by way of greeting as we get on the train. He and I also appreciate assistants who are conscientious, thoughtful, and mindful of what’s going on around them. Christina has always been like that.

“Hello Alphas, hello Laura,” she says, turning to Emma. “We haven’t met, I’m Christina,” she introduces herself.

“Hi, I’m Emma,” she says, and we go around and introduce ourselves to the others on the train, only three at the first stop. Our four make seven, so we should have four more joining us at the third stop, which we won’t get to until tomorrow.

“Dinner isn’t for a couple of hours, but did either of you want a drink?” Christina asks.

“The usual for me, Christina,” James says.

“And you, Alpha Sebastian? Whiskey neat?” she asks me.

“Yes, thank you, Christina.”

“I’d like a drink,” Emma says.

“You’re an assistant, you get your own drinks, that’s how it works,” Christina says. “Get settled and Laura and I will show you around. You start working the minute you get on the train.”

“Geez, okay,” Emma says. James and I look at each other.

“I’ll get a couple other names from Sylvie, just in case,” he says softly. I nod, as Christina brings our drinks over.

“You have plenty of time to get settled in before dinner Alphas,” she says.

“What’s for dinner and please, please, tell me it’s your chicken fricassee,” James says.

“You’re in luck, Alpha. It is, and apparently, Haley can make fresh pasta, so we’re having fresh gnocchi to go with it.”

“Oh, I think I might be in love,” James says, putting his hand to his heart.

“You better not say that in front of Luna Sylvie, Alpha. She’ll have your balls,” Christina says, making me bark out a laugh.

“I feel like I’m out of the loop,” Alpha Will says, coming over.

“When you’ve been around as long as some of us have, it’s like creating your own little pack. Christina is a veteran, so she’s accustomed to me and the others who have been around a while.”

“Well, I’m looking forward to being part of the team this semester,” Will says.

I take a sip of my drink, watching Christina over the rim.

I’m looking forward to this semester as well.

Christina

I already don’t like Emma. Who takes a job and then expects the waitstaff to wait on the waitress?

“I’ve got her,” Laura says, probably recognizing that I’m not thrilled with our newbie. Haley I already like. She’s ready and willing to work. Emma…not so much.

“There’s something different about you,” I say, realizing that under normal circumstances, Laura would be irritated with Emma as well, but she seems distracted.

She looks around and then she turns back, she pulls her shirt away from her neck. My eyes widen as I see her very fresh mate mark.

“You found him?” I ask.

“I did. I already told Alpha James and Alpha Sebastian that this is my last ride on the Train.”

“Oh, Laura, I’m so happy for you. But I’m going to miss you.”

“Hey, I heard the Alphas talking while we were waiting for the Train. Alpha Seb wants you as his assistant this semester.”

“What? Why?” I ask. There’s something safe about being paired with a mated Alpha. We’re not allowed to fall in love with the Alphas, any of them. I’m too old for the up-and-coming Alphas, but I’ve always felt drawn to Alpha Sebastian. There’s something very sexy about the older Alpha.

“He said he feels like you’re not meeting your potential or something like that. And Christina, he’s teaching the sex class. I just wanted to give you a head’s up.”

“Thanks, Laura,” I say as she goes to help get Emma settled.

Why does Alpha Sebastian suddenly want me as his assistant? Am I some sort of pet project for him? I hate the idea that he thinks that I might be lacking in some way, and he feels the need to push me to grow. It’s one thing for my brother to feel like I need to take the classes, but it’s quite another for one of the instructors, particularly Alpha Sebastian, to feel like I need to take them.

As I make some snacks for the Alphas, I think about that. Do I want to take the classes? If I’m being really honest with myself, the answer is yes, I do. I’m an Alpha. I feel the deep-seated need to compete and to win. Why haven’t I taken the classes? That answer is buried much deeper. I don’t want to disappoint my brother. He’s so perfect, such a good Alpha. I would hate to embarrass him by being mediocre.

I finish making the snacks and I bring them out to Alpha James and Alpha Sebastian.

“Thank you, Christina,” they say as I hand them their drinks.

“You’re very welcome, Alphas,” I say.

“Christina, Alpha Sebastian has requested you as his assistant this semester,” Alpha James says.

I look over at Alpha Sebastian and I see him watching me closely as he sips his drink.

“I hope I can live up to your expectations, Alpha,” I say.

“I have no doubt that you can and will, Christina,” he says. There’s something in his tone, something that hints at expectations beyond the classes. I see Alpha James glance at him, but he doesn’t say anything.

“Alpha Sebastian is teaching the sex class this semester, Christina,” Alpha James says.

“I’d like for you and I to talk about it first if you have concerns, Christina. I understand that this would be your first time, and if you have any issues with being my assistant in that class, let’s talk about them. I’m willing to do whatever is necessary to help make it more comfortable for you, if you’re uneasy about being the subject of that class. So don’t answer now. Think about it, and if you have concerns, let me know and we can talk.”

“Yes, Alpha,” I say.

“If you agree to be my assistant, Christina, I’m just Sebastian, or Seb, when we’re talking.”

“Do I have to agree to be in the sex class right now to agree to be your assistant?” I ask him, already recognizing that I can’t back down from the challenge that I know he’s going to give me. It’s sparking my interest and the Alpha in me, even making my wolf stir excitedly.

“No, you can agree to be my assistant and then think about the sex class. But again, I want you to come talk to me if you have concerns. We’ll talk anyway, before the class. I want you to have a very clear understanding of what to expect, especially since you’ve never been in the class before.”

“I think it would be good for me to fully understand the expectations that you have for me in that class, Alpha.”

He raises an eyebrow. “I thought you were agreeing to be my assistant, Christina.”

“I am…Sebastian.”

His smile is quick and wide and oh so sexy. “I think we’re going to have a great semester, Christina. But let’s meet after dinner and you and I can talk.”

“Very well,” I say, looking at Alpha James.

“So, that’s a yes?” he asks.

“Yes,” I say, looking back at Alpha Sebastian who winks at me. Damn, I need to get my hormones in check. We’re all werewolves with enhanced senses, but he’s an Alpha which means his are better than most. It was one thing to admire him from afar, but quite another to be getting turned on when I’m working beside him day after day.

I turn and begin walking away, hearing Alpha William asking who is going to be assigned to him.

“You’re going to be assigned Haley. She’s new,” Alpha James says.

“Oh, I met her. We’ll get along fine,” he says.

I finish making dinner with Haley, Emma finally getting to the kitchen right as the food was ready to be served. I hand her two plates and Haley takes a third as Laura finishes making another round of drinks and we carry the drinks and food back out to the dining car.

When we get there, Alpha James and Alpha Sebastian make room for us, Alpha Will following their example.

“Oh, Christina, you’re a woman after my own heart,” Alpha James says. I just shake my head.

“I’m pretty sure that spot is taken, Alpha, but thank you,” I say.

“And Haley, you made this gnocchi?” he asks.

“Yes, Alpha. I hope you like it,” she says, blushing sweetly.

“Sweetheart, if you weren’t young enough to be my daughter, I’d have to take you as a mate. As long as you cooked for me every night,” he says, making her giggle. Alpha James is very much tied to Luna Sylvie, at least while they ride the Train. What they do when they have their week off, I don’t know. But most of their time is spent at the school and in that time, they are practically inseparable. In all my semesters riding the Train, Alpha James hasn’t had an assistant other than Luna Sylvie.

“So, Haley, Emma, tell us a little bit about yourselves, what brought you to the Train?”

“I wanted to meet some Alphas,” Emma says. I’m shocked that this is her response and that she doesn’t realize that these Alphas will only be short-term, if at all. Usually, she-wolves who only want to meet Alphas don’t get accepted on the Train.

“And I want to take some classes,” she says when we all stare at her.

“What kind of classes?” Alpha Sebastian asks her before I can. He smiles at me to let me know he saw that he beat me to it.

“Oh, uh, well, I haven’t seen the course roster yet,” she says.

I look at Laura and I can tell that she’s thinking what I’m thinking. This one won’t last long. In the two years I’ve been on the Train, I’ve only seen it happen twice. The Alphas are usually pretty good about screening out the ones who are solely here because they’re hoping to become Lunas. This isn’t the time for a young Alpha to get trapped by someone because he got her pregnant. None of them, at least not when they get on the Train, are old enough to sense their mates.

“What about you, Haley?” Alpha James asks, redirecting all of us from our thoughts about Emma.

“Well, I’m trying to earn money to put myself through medical school. I want to become my pack’s doctor.”

“What if you meet your mate and move to a new pack?” Alpha Will asks her.

“Well, every pack needs a good doctor, right?” she asks.

“Very true,” Alpha Sebastian says.

“Smart and you’re a good cook? I might have to rethink my age requirement,” Alpha James says, winking at Haley.

“I’ll be sure to let Luna Sylvie know that you’ve made some changes to your requirements Alpha. It’ll be the first time I’ve seen an Alpha neutered,” Laura says, popping a bite of food into her mouth as she smiles at Alpha James.

“A good point, young lady. I like my balls right where they are,” he says. Alpha James is harmless. He’s sweet and flirtatious, but he’s very serious when it comes to training these Alphas. I’ve watched him push young Alphas to the brink of exhaustion and somehow, he draws even more out of them. They all leave here stronger because they learn that they can endure more than they thought they could when they arrived.

Alpha Sebastian is the same, but his methods are different. Where Alpha James is more of a drill sergeant, Alpha Sebastian is the kind of man who expresses his disappointment in you. Somehow, he establishes early that you don’t want him to be disappointed in you, so each of the Alphas in his class strives to achieve perfection so they don’t disappoint him.

“What about you, Alpha Christina? What’s a young Alpha female doing riding the Train?” Alpha Will asks me. The new Alphas are always curious about me. Alpha females are in high demand, even as chosen mates.

"I never found my mate and I didn't want to be a burden on my brother. I searched for my mate for several years, even considered working this Train back then to see if I’d find him. But, over time, I began to assume my mate was killed in battle. Now, I’m twenty-eight. If he is out there, he'd have taken a chosen mate by now. For me, this helps me to make my own way, and I like it. I’m independent and I don’t feel like a burden to my brother or the pack.”

“I doubt he feels that you’re a burden, Christina,” Alpha Sebastian says.

“No, he doesn’t,” I say, smiling and looking down. “My brother is a good Alpha, one of the best.”

“Number two on the leader board, Will,” Alpha James tells him.

Alpha Will whistles low. “So, he really is one of the best?”

“He is,” I say proudly. It’s true, my brother is an amazing man, brother, mate, father, and Alpha. He’s the total package.

When I look up, I see Alpha Sebastian watching me closely. His gaze is intense, and I get the feeling that he’s very much like my brother. I expect when we meet later, it will feel like there is no one else in the world but me, that no one and nothing is more important to him than me at that moment.

And that is very dangerous for me and my heart.

Sebastian

She’s chasing ghosts. That’s what I call it when someone feels that they aren’t able to live up to the standards of someone they care about. Christina is chasing her brother, Dane. As an instructor, I know every name on the leader board. I also know how many points it takes to knock someone down. Alpha Dane was number one until four years ago, the year my son rode the Train. That year, and every year since then, my son has held the number one position. Alpha Dane has remained in the number two position.

“How’s his son doing?” Alpha James asks Christina. I’m not surprised that he knows about Dane’s pups. When you’re on the leaderboard, people pay attention to your heirs. There’s an expectation that you achieve the same goal your father did. James’ son knocked him off the leaderboard, and Ryan knocked me off four years ago.

“Devin is a little Alpha. He’s ten now, going on eighteen,” Christina says, smiling. Her eyes get a faraway look in them, and a sadness. She’s young enough to want her own pups, but since she never found her mate and she hasn’t taken a chosen mate, she hasn’t had them.

“How about you, Laura?” Will asks her. I tune out, already knowing Laura’s background.

I need to focus on my upcoming conversation with Christina. I need her to participate in the sex class with me. I know it crosses boundaries, and I know that James is probably going to ask me about it later, but I’ve been drawn to Christina since the first time I saw her. In the last two years, she’s done nothing but reinforce that my initial assessment of her was spot on. What I haven’t been able to figure out is why she doesn’t take the classes. The only answer I have is that she’s chasing her brother’s ghost.

I intend to push her this semester. I want to see this woman blossom into the ferocious Alpha that I know she can be. But more than that, I want to be the man that brings it out of her. I’ve tried to stay away, did a damn good job of it for two years. But when I went to see my son this past break, he asked me what it is that keeps me coming back to the Train. My initial response was that it’s the Alphas. I like being a leader, like training the next generation to be better than they think they can be.

But my son isn’t number one on the leaderboard for no reason. And whether I’ve lost my touch or he’s just a better Alpha than I was, I’m not sure. All I know is that he called me on my shit.

“That’s not the reason you return semester after semester, Dad. What’s the real reason. What’s the draw? Or maybe, WHO is the draw?” he’d asked me astutely.

“Since when did you become smarter than your old man?” I asked him.

“Since my father set the expectation that I would surpass him in all things. I never wanted to let you down, Dad.”

“You never have, son.”

And he’d left me wondering what it is that continues to draw me to the Train. The answer is sitting in front of me. Her long blond hair tied up in a ponytail, her blue-grey eyes are watching Laura as she gives her background, but they keep flicking over to me.

I know she’s nervous about the sex class. I also know I shouldn’t be so concerned about her agreeing to it, but something deep inside me, something instinctual, something that is coming from my wolf, feels the need to touch this woman, to leave my mark on her in a way that she’ll never forget. The entire point of the class is to teach Alphas how to bring a woman to the best and strongest orgasm of their life. And I desperately want to see Christina come undone for me. I want to watch her eyes goes dark, watch her shock as I make her body feel things that she’s never felt before and never will again. I’ll make sure of it. I intend to ruin her for any other man, which is wrong. I know it’s wrong. Christina isn’t for me, but for these ten weeks, she’s all mine.

My wolf growls possessively in my head, making me wonder why he’s so drawn to her. Whatever the reason, I intend to find out.

When we finish dinner, I watch Christina tell Emma that she’s on dish duty since she didn’t help to cook. I can already see that Emma is going to be a problem. Hopefully, James can find someone else to replace her quickly. She’s the kind of woman who will try to trap one of these young Alphas into a mate bond by getting pregnant.

“Christina, my room in fifteen minutes? We can talk about this semester.”

“Yes, Sebastian,” she says, making me smile. I like hearing her say my name.

“Oh, we’re allowed to call you Sebastian?” Emma asks.

“No, only the instructors and my assistant are allowed to call me Sebastian. Everyone else will call me Alpha Sebastian,” I tell her firmly. I don’t want her getting any ideas that I might be interested in a bed warmer. If I’m running the sex class, my nights will be very busy with Christina and that suits me just fine.

“Geez, okay, Alpha Sebastian,” she says with an attitude.

I look at James, giving him a ‘get her out of here’ look. He nods and I know he’s already working on it.

“Does anyone know what time the Train stops tomorrow to pick up the rest of our group?” James asks.

“Three-fifteen, Alpha,” Christina and Laura say together. It’s good to have veterans on the Train. It’s good to know that we have several assistants that we can trust and who already know the types of things that we will ask and will have the answers ready.

As I head back to my room, I hear James call out to me.

“Seb, hold up,” he says. I stop, already knowing where this is going.

“What’s going on with you and Christina,” he says the moment we’re out of earshot.

I could lie, but he’d know it was a lie and as an Alpha, lies are beneath me, so I tell him the truth.

“Partly, I want to push her. I want to see what’s behind all the fear of not measuring up,” I say.

“And the other part?” he asks me.

I blow out a breath. “I’m not sure, James. I just know I’ve always felt a pull to Christina. I won’t do anything inappropriate, you know that. But…I need to see how this plays out. I need to see if there’s anything there.”

“Be careful, Seb. Don’t go scaring off one of our best assistants.”

“I doubt she scares easily, James.”

He shakes his head and moves down the hallway to his room.

Fifteen minutes later, there’s a knock on my door.

Time for me to work my magic and make sure that Christina agrees to be my assistant, in every class this semester.

Christina

I fight the butterflies in my stomach as I approach Sebastian’s door. He’s an instructor, he has an adult son who isn’t that much younger than I am. He has no interest in me other than he’s an Alpha and I’m an Alpha who apparently isn’t living up to the standards of other Alphas, namely my brother and Sebastian.

I take a deep breath and knock on the door. I plaster a smile on my face and when Sebastian opens the door, his smile is warm and doesn’t seem to be forced.

“Come in, Christina. Are you comfortable meeting with me here, with just the two of us?”

“Of course, Sebastian,” I say, knowing that he’d never do anything inappropriate. It’s not who he is.

“Have a seat. Do you want a drink?” he asks. I’m surprised that he has his own drinks in here when we have them on the Train and at the school.

“Sure,” I say, unused to having someone serve me.

“Whiskey okay?” he asks, holding up the bottle.

“Absolutely.”

When he turns to pour our drinks, he glances at me over his shoulder. “I like being able to have a drink in my room without having to go ask someone to make it for me.”

“Pouring whiskey into a glass isn’t exactly making a drink, Sebastian,” I tell him as he hands me a glass. I stare at the glass a moment. He didn’t ask me how I liked my whiskey. I know he likes his neat, meaning nothing but whiskey. But I like my whiskey on the rocks and that’s how he gave it to me.

“How did you know?” I ask him.

“I pay attention.”

The idea of Alpha Sebastian paying attention to what I want, what I like, makes my heart stutter with joy, but I quickly rein it in. I need to focus. Sebastian doesn’t want me like that. He’s an Alpha, a good one. I know that he used to be on the leaderboard when he was an Alpha, that’s how good he is.

“So, I’d like to know how you feel about taking the classes this semester,” he begins, sitting down across from me and focusing on me just like I expected, as if there’s nothing else in the world right now except me.

I look down at my drink. “Before I answer that, may I ask you a question?”

“Anything. I’d like for you and I do have conversations regularly. I want you to feel free to ask anything and not worry that I’ll be offended or put off. I’d rather know what you’re thinking and what you’re questioning. The more I know about you, the more I can help you this semester and the better our partnership will be.”

I nod, swirling my whiskey around in my glass. “Are you disappointed that I haven’t taken any classes in the two years that I’ve been here?” I finally look up, needing to see his response to my answer.

“Disappointed? No. Curious, yes. You’re an Alpha female, one of the very few unmated Alpha females out there. You can’t tell me that you haven’t realized that you would do better than some of these yahoos who come in for the Alpha school.”

I laugh. “Yahoos?”

He smiles and damn is it sexy. “Yes, how many cocky Alphas have you seen walk on this Train?”

“Nearly every one of them. It’s rare to find the exception.”

“Exactly,” he says, leaning forward. “And how many of them take a shot at being the first to ride The Beast when offered?”

“Is that how you judge them? The Beast?”

He sits back, an arrogant look on his face. “I don’t judge; I assess.”

“And what is your assessment of me?” I ask boldly.

He looks at me intently for a moment, maybe deciding if I truly want the answer to my question. I realize that I’m not sure that I do.

“You’re afraid of disappointing your brother, of not meeting the expectations that YOU think he has for you.”

“You think I don’t know what my brother expects of me?”

“I think you have incredibly high expectations of yourself, and you assume that your brother’s expectations are the same. And they may be, but I don’t think so. I’ve met your brother. He’s a good man and a good Alpha. He sees things in others, understands things in others that they sometimes don’t understand in themselves.”

“Kind of like you?” I ask him.

“And you,” he says, making me wonder where he got that idea from.

“He told me he wants me to take the classes this time. He said I don’t give myself enough credit.”

“I would concur with his assessment,” he says, smiling and taking a sip of his drink. “I think you could give these Alphas a run for their money, Christina. You just have to believe in yourself.”

I nod. “I’m not sure how many I can take. It’s a lot to take classes and work. I wouldn’t want to leave my work for others to have to do.”

“I can talk to James, see what we can do. You’ll already be in the strength class with me and in the sex class with me, hopefully, but I’d like you to take the sensory class and the communication class.”

“That leaves How to Manage a Pack and Managing Pack Finances, maybe one more.”

“Unless you’re planning to take over your brother’s pack, you don’t need those, but the others will be good for you, I think.”

“Okay, I’ll see if I can work those into my schedule.”

“Good, now, let’s talk about the sex class. I need to be blunt, and I need you to be honest.”

“Alright,” I say, already starting to feel uncomfortable with this conversation. I take a sip of my drink. Damn, the man knows his whiskey. I’m not sure what my face conveyed, but Sebastian smiles.

“It’s the good stuff.”

“Yeah, it is!”

“So, I’m assuming you’re not a virgin, but I need to know that for sure. Have you had sex before?” he asks.

“Yes.”

“With an Alpha?”

“No. Dane never allowed his friends to date me.”

“What about Alphas that weren’t his friends?” he asks, obviously surprised.

“Dane…sort of became a parent figure to me when our parents died. He’s like an Alpha big brother on steroids. I think word got around quickly that he’d hurt any Alpha who touched me. They were always pleasant, but they never, ever tried to date me.”

“Humor me for a moment,” he says, pulling out his phone. He hits speed dial and puts it on speakerphone.

“Hey Dad, what’s up?”

“Ryan, what do you know about Christina Kneeland?”

“Alpha female, off limits,” he says instantly.

“At who’s request?”

“Oh, it wasn’t a request. Alpha Dane was quite clear about what he’d do to any Alpha that touched his sister.”

“Thanks, Ryan. See you in a few months.”

“You got it. And Dad, I hope you figure out that dilemma you were having,” he says, making Sebastian scowl before he hangs up.

“Well, there you have it. Your brother really did scare off every Alpha out there.”

“I’m not surprised. Working the Train, I’ve seen quite a few I’d be happy never seeing again.”

“Well, I don’t scare easily, Christina. And I want you as my assistant in the sex class. So let’s talk about what that means and your feelings around that.”

“Okay,” I say, shooting the rest of the whiskey in my glass.

“Another?” he asks.

“Yes, actually,” I say, feeling the need for a bit of liquid courage.

He refills my drink, and I notice he refills his as well. I wonder if he’s nervous or just trying to make me feel like having another drink to calm my nerves is no big deal.

“Being the lead instructor of the sex class, I’ll obviously be at the head of the class. We’re scheduled to have five Alphas this time around. In the beginning, there will be five tables, spread out in a semi-circle around the room. I’m sure you know that each Alpha is assigned to a partner, and they are a team for the entire semester unless the female requests to be removed from the class.”

I nod. I knew this part.

“As my assistant, you would be on the table in front of me. What I would do, is use you to show my instruction before having the Alphas practice on their partners. So, for instance, we start easy, letting the pairs get to know each other. But the goal is for the Alphas to begin to recognize the non-verbal cues of their partners. All of you have a lot of work to do and you carry a lot of stress in your bodies. The first couple of classes are simply about massage, getting a feel for your partner’s bodies, how they like to be touched, where they may be sensitive or ticklish, and where they need more attention. If you’re willing to turn around, I’ll give you an easy idea of what I’m talking about,” he says.

“Okay,” I say, setting my drink down and turning away from him.

He comes to stand behind me and I feel the heat of his body before I feel his hands on my shoulders. Then his thumbs begin sliding over my shoulders and up my neck into my head.

“Oh…” I say, but it comes out as a moan.

“So, you like your neck rubbed and you like your scalp massaged,” he says softly, his fingers continuing to massage my neck and my scalp. “Has anyone ever rubbed your neck and scalp like this?”

“No. It feels incredible,” I say, feeling goosebumps rise on my skin. His hands are like magic.

“The first couple of classes, you’ll be on your stomach and the goal for the Alphas is to get their partner to a stage where they are relaxed enough that they’re either asleep or in a bit of a trance.

“Mmhmm,” I say, not really caring anymore as long as he keeps doing what he’s doing.

“That’s week one. Week two, you’ll be on your back. The same principles apply, the Alpha will be exploring his partner’s body, finding all the areas where you do and don’t like to be touched and by the end of week two, we expect every Alpha to have given their partner at least one orgasm.”

That makes me take notice. “What?”

“Relax, we’re just talking,” he says, moving his hands down my neck to my shoulders. “Each Alpha is expected to make his partner orgasm through touch alone. Depending on how his partner likes to be touched, and whether the Alpha picks up on her non-verbal cues, he may or may not achieve the goal.”

I feel myself relaxing again under his strong fingers.

“Weeks three and four, we’ll teach the Alphas how to make a woman orgasm by using their mouth. After week four, classroom activities are achieved outside the classroom as this isn’t some porn show. Some women will struggle to relax in the group setting, even when we add the curtains in between the beds. But you won’t have a curtain Christina, and I will make you come in front of the class. I need you to know that you are willing to allow that. I understand that will take trust and it will mean that I need to get to know your body well enough that if I need to make you come in a couple of minutes, I can do that.”

I chuckle. “It takes more than a couple of minutes to make me come, Sebastian.”

His hands stop and a moment later, I feel his breath against my ear. “Not if you’re doing it right, Christina.”