The Alpha's Sister

3 - Alex

[Kaylee]: Hello, overly trusting lady ;) 

I smile at the response as I read it again. As soon as I let my guard down with her, I could see we have a similar sense of humour. And it wasn't just the humour - I felt comfortable around her really quickly, which is pretty rare for me. It's been a while since I've felt this kind of automatic connection with someone. When I left yesterday, I felt like I was leaving a  friend, not just an acquaintance I met an hour ago. I really want to see her again. And... I also want to find out more about Jayden. She did agree to help me! But would she think it's weird, too eager? To hell with it! I quickly write and send the message before I can have second thoughts. 

[Me]: Hey, we still haven't settled on who's the true Mortal Kombat champion! Looking forward to my ultimate victory... 

No answer. She must be busy... Or maybe she thinks I'm weird? Clingy, even? Oh god, the overthinking is back, tenfolds. She just seemed so cool and laid-back, I really wanted her to like me! Well, okay, I have an overwhelming tendency to want everyone to like me, but I truly felt like I connected with her... Maybe that was all in my head? 

Ping!

I jump, and quickly grab my phone.

[KetchupMan]: You. Me. Toybox. In 20mins.

 I'm disappointed it's not Kaylee for half a second, but I quickly cheer up at the invitation. 

[Me]: On my wayyyy

I get in my car and I don't even have to think to find my way towards the Toybox. The Toybox is a charming little café that turns into a bar in the evening. It got its name from the decoration, which consists entirely of mismatched vintage objects, including a large collection of antique toys. It's situated in the nearest human town, where Tyler and I went to high school. Tyler, AKA KetchupMan, AKA my best friend in the whole wide world. We met on the first day of high school, at the welcome BBQ, where he somehow managed to spill an impressive quantity of ketchup on himself. I tried to help him clean up while also teasing him mercilessly, and the rest is history. 

"Ty!" I call out as I see him walk in.

"Alex!" 

I run to him and we hug for what is probably an embarrassingly long time for two friends who saw each other a week ago, but we don't care.  We've always been really affectionate together. When we were younger, Ty's parents used to say we'd end up together. They stopped when they found out about my... situation. 

We sit down and place our usual orders - latte for him, hot cocoa for me. 

"So... Spill the tea!" I urge him. 

It has become tradition for us to go to our favorite coffee spot for gossip and life updates. He is from the werewolf clan closest to mine, and both are about an equal distance from the human town. Being a neutral space neither in his clan nor mine, away from prying ears, the Toybox became our safe haven. 

"So, there was this guy..."

Tyler's life updates often revolve around his hectic dating life. I don't mind - they're highly entertaining. Besides, dating is often a very big part of teenage and young adult life. I must admit I sometimes feel like I'm missing out a little. Fortunately, I can live vicariously through Tyler's crazy adventures, which he's always happy to share with me in great details. His stories are always more unbelievable than the last, and this time, like always, he doesn't disappoint.

"How on earth do you find so many people to go on dates with in our remote community?", I ask once he finished a story involving two or three potential prospects whose names I'm already struggling to remember. 

"Other than the fact that I'm completely irresistible?" He asks with a cheeky grin. "Well, first of all, I recycle-"

"Hold on- recycle?" I cut him off. "This is another one of those weird dating terms, isn't it? Like, that one with the ghosts or the breadcrumbs?"

"Well, this is more of a me thing, but I'm sure it'll pick up someday! The point is, I make sure things don't end badly and we keep contact so that a few months later, we can pick things back up and-"

Ping!

I glance at my phone. 

It's from Kaylee.

"Who was that ?" He asks, smirking and raising an eyebrow. He does that almost every time I get a random text - it's kind of a joke between us, because we both know my life is dating-free and drama-free. Texts are usually either be from my friends or my mom. This time, however, I hesitate.

"...Alex?"

I hesitate a few seconds more. I know Kaylee said us meeting wasn't against the rules, officially. Still, I have a feeling her family wouldn't approve, and I really want to keep this a secret for as long as possible. But what's a best friend for, if not for sharing and keeping secrets? Tyler has been my confidant for years, and never broke my trust. Plus, I always feel lighter when I confide in him. Even though there are only humans around at the moment, I lower my voice. 

"Kaylee."

"Kaylee...?" He cocks his head in confusion.

"Darkwood..."

"KAYLEE DARKWOOD?"

"Shh!" I smack him lightly on the head.

"Ow! Sorry! It's just..." He lowers his voice to a whisper. "Kaylee Darkwood ? As in, the Darkwood family?"

"Yes, the Darkwood family."

"And you let me go on about my petty stories! Girl, spill."

I take a long sip of my drink. For once, I actually have gossip to share from my usually boring life. I know I won't get out of sharing every last detail. 

"Wow," he says, dumbfounded, once I'm done. "You spent the afternoon with Kaylee Darkwood. Gotta say, I'm kinda jealous."

"More like one hour, really" I correct. "Wait, jealous? Why?" Tyler's never been one to idolize Alpha families. He's even pretty critical of that system of hierarchy, and thinks it's outdated. Why would he be jealous?

"Alex..." He says as if I'm the most oblivious person in the world. "She's so hot." 

I scoff, unsure if he's joking or not. I've never been one to really think of people as being hot or not, partly because I knew there was no point in pursuing anyone other than my destined mate. I try to conjure Kaylee's image in my mind. She was pretty, I couldn't deny it. Dropping over unannounced also informed me she was one of those girls who managed to make oversized, lazy Sunday outfits look good, and could make a messy bun actually work instead of just... fall apart. Most of her face looked sharp, like the angles of her jaw, eyebrows or cheekbones, but her dark brown eyes looked soft and kind. 

"She's good-looking," I concede. 

"Understatement of the year"

"Want me to get you a date with her, if you like her so much?" I tease. 

"I wish!" He sighs. "But no, she's clearly not into boys."

"How could you possibly know that?" I ask, rolling my eyes.

"I just know, Alex, my inner radar is never wrong! Although I wish it was, this time..."

"Ty! You can't just decide that based on seeing her once or twice from afar! Aren't you always complaining about people telling you you don't 'look' bi, and how stupid it is to judge people from their appearance?" 

"My inner radar is never wrong," he simply repeats. I roll my eyes at him again, and the conversation turns to a list of his "inner radar" theories about different people that turned out to be true. We keep chatting until we lose track of time and our empty cups are long forgotten.