Guest Post: Ruby Reads In Defense of Alpha Heroes

Please welcome Ruby from Ruby Reads to Parajunkee's View this morning. Inspired by some of the questions popping up around the bloggysphere Ruby is taking a stance on Alphas...

In Defense of Alpha Heroes

Remember a few Follow Fridays ago, when the question of the week was what kind of heroes we prefer? Raise your hand if you said “Alpha hero.” Yes, me too. I saw lots of different answers on the blogsphere. Some went for the strong, silent type. Some liked the sensitive or the artistic guy. Whatever our preference, the hero is integral to our enjoyment of whatever book we’re reading. I adore love triangles, but they also make me wary. I know myself; therefore I know that I’ll choose sides early in the story. And if the writer doesn’t pick the guy I do? Well, it takes some fancy writing to get me to keep reading to the end. For me, the hero is the one who has the cachet to make or break the story.

I’ve stated my personal preference for alpha heroes, but that isn’t a blanket statement. I’m discerning. I like alpha heroes, not abusive cavemen. Alpha heroes only work if their heroines are strong, too. Without her strength, the alpha hero degenerates. In fact, I’d sat that real alpha heroes are attracted to strong women. Those who aren’t, well—they aren’t alpha heroes—they’re bullies. They’re abusive and they give alpha heroes a bad wrap. There’s a lot of good in this dominant species of hero—and plenty to love.

One of the defining characteristics of an alpha hero is his intense focus on the heroine. He generally has two chief priorities: making it clear that his heroine is his (to both the heroine and the rest of the world), and protecting her. This is why the alpha hero works best in dangerous situations. He’s the kind of guy every girl needs when she’s being stalked by murderous vampires or in fear of her life because she witnessed a murder. Yes, the alpha hero can be high-handed. Yes, he can be domineering. He’s not afraid to use sex or his physical superiority to get his way. But at the end of the day, the best kind of alpha hero doesn’t lose track of one very important fact: his mission is to keep his heroine safe, not to inflict pain on her.

This doesn’t mean that the alpha hero never gets it wrong. He’s male, after all. He’s also apt to forget that this is the modern day. Often times his heroine doesn’t want to be protected, or doesn’t feel that she needs to be protected. And, of course, great heroines can take care of themselves. What I like about alpha heroes is that they still have the instinct to protect. One of my favorite examples is Adam, from the Mercy Thompson books. Adam is an alpha hero who deals with his “condition” in the best of ways. He steps back and allows Mercy the freedom he knows that she needs—the freedom to solve her own problems, and to be in control of her own life. It doesn’t mean that he doesn’t have protective instincts (because, by god, he does), but that he’s a stellar alpha hero, so her intellectual and emotional safety is as important to him as her physical one.

Alpha heroes are no more flawed than other types of heroes. What’s so delicious about them is the focus they direct on the heroine. They’re steadfast in their pursuit of her. With an alpha hero, the heroine never has to wonder whether the hero really wants her or not. He’ll always make that very clear. It’s true that he’ll have a hard time taking no for an answer (he won’t. At all.) and that he’ll have a tendency to be jealous, but I think the alpha hero is worth it. At least, fictionally speaking. What about you?

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Thanks for stopping by Ruby! I know I love Alpha men...in my books and IRL (I married a Marine!). Let us know how you feel about Alphas and visit Ruby at her online home by clicking on her banner.