Alpha Males

Let’s talk about alpha men. Why? Because they’re fun to talk about. I love writing and reading about alpha men. To me, they make the perfect romantic hero because they’re just so…alpha! These men aren’t pc, aren’t wishy-washy and definitely aren’t going to stand around thinking when they should be doing something. They're also hard to control, incredibly stubborn at times and occassionally threaten to drive the heroine to violence.

One of my favorite alpha males comes out of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Sure, Darcy gives the impression of being a snob, but underneath it all he’s alpha through and through, as shown by the way he tracks down Wickham after the dastardly soldier has run off with Lydia. There is such honor in him, such willingness to do anything to protect Lizzy’s reputation, in spite of the fact that they’ve had a massive falling out. That protectiveness is what, for me, separates the alpha from the wanna-be-alpha. These men will go to any lengths for the women they claim as their own.

In terms of the tv adaptation of the book (the BBC one), I think Colin Firth did a brilliant job of portraying an arrogant alpha male who we all end up falling in love with. If you watch that adaptation, you'll notice that Mr. Darcy doesn’t actually say much about his feelings to Elizabeth (except for the infamous outburst). It’s with his actions that he speaks the loudest—and that is one of the greatest challenges of writing the alpha male. Getting that emotion, that heart, across, without making these men speak lines they would never in a million years speak. But when it’s done right…pure magic.

So, who are some of your favorite alpha heroes?