JAKE
I watched as she sprinted away from us and let out the breath I’d been holding for a while. She's a real grown-up now. Far from the little Clair with messy hair and pigtails who followed me and my friends around all the time. And she’s so fucking sexy that my mind was still reeling from the image of her full ass as she sped away.
I shook my head, trying to let go of any thoughts about her, knowing that having my member on full erect while talking to my Gamma would be disastrous.
"What was that, Jake? Not Clair, please. No messing up with pack members, remember? Especially not my sister." Aaron broke the silence between us as we both looked in the direction where Clair was headed.
I could hear the disappointment in his tone, and I couldn’t blame him. He was simply protecting his sister from me.
"I don’t know what you’re thinking, man. I just hugged Clair. It s not like I’m fucking her."
A low growl reverberated from his chest, and I knew right then that I made a wrong move by using fuck in the same sentence as her name. I raised my hands in the air before turning to him.
"Don’t think anything, man. You know, I always think of her as my sister." I tapped his shoulder before turning away. "And I know the rules I made, not breaking them," I added as I walked towards the packhouse, not in the mood to continue with my training today.
I just lied to my Gamma.
I always thought of Clair as my sister, even if I knew that she was showing too much attention to me while we were growing up. But everything changed three days ago when she showed up in my territory. Every sisterly thought I had for her just went down the drain.
I had my fair share of females and never ran out of them, although I never touched anyone from my pack. It was a rule I set for myself, my Beta, and my Gamma — no messing around with females from the pack.
I always have one when I need one, but no female has ever taken my attention the way Clair did.
Girlfriends from the past had never had me take cold showers more than once to keep the heat at bay. Especially not those I’d just taken for pleasure. I stopped thinking about them the moment we were done with the deed. I’m a certified fuckboy. I wanted to fuck but I never lusted after just one female. Or paid full attention to any.
However, Clair, she has been stealing my attention since she returned.
Maybe because she’s Aaron’s sister. Maybe because she’s my little Clair, my princess Clair.
Maybe because she’s off-limits.
But I'm a man and very much aware that Clair is attractive. I don’t think I’ve seen a female more attractive than her. And just the thought of her sapphire eyes, her luscious lips, and the way her hips move could make my shaft twitch in an instant.
And fuck it! Her voice — her sweet angelic voice — could make any man fall to his knees. And when she’s angry, that’s where the biggest turn-on comes. I wanted to slam her on the wall and fuck her hard.
Damn! Everything about her sets my dick on fire!
I didn’t notice that I let out a low vibrating growl as I entered the hallway of the pack house, eliciting a confused stare from the warriors I met along the hallway.
"Alpha." They gave me a nod as I passed by. I didn’t even bother to respond and went directly to the flight of stairs to my room. I needed a shower. A fucking cold shower!
I had no idea how I would fight this ordeal. I wanted a taste of her. Maybe after that, my cravings for her would be gone. But I knew better. My princess didn’t deserve to be treated the way I treated other females.
She was the type of female that you bring home as your mate. And be loyal with. Something I won’t be able to do. Because I had no idea if I knew how to be loyal to someone.
After I took the much-needed shower, I went down just in time for my meeting, which was requested by some of the Elders, including the former Beta and Gamma of the Pack. I had no idea what the sudden request was for but accepted it out of respect for our pack elders.
My own Beta and Gamma were already by the door of the meeting room waiting for me.
"Alpha." Beta Gavin gave me a nod in acknowledgment, as did Gamma Aaron. "Everyone who needs to be in this meeting is already inside." He added.
I nodded back and opened the door to the room. I was quite surprised to see not just the Elders and the former Beta and Gamma inside, but the former Beta and Gamma mates were also in the meeting room.
They all rose from their respective seats out of respect. I nodded in acceptance and ordered them to take their seats before I took mine.
"Shall we start?" I asked in a monotone voice. I leaned my back on my chair and crossed my legs, my hands entwined while I waited in silence.
"Alpha, with due respect, we know this is a topic you would rather avoid, but we are hoping that you would keep an open mind and listen to us first before you make any decision or cancel the meeting." Marina started, she was the former Beta Female.
"I’ll do my best." I nodded my head as I answered. She smiled as her mate reached for her hand and urged her to continue.
"As you are well aware, Alpha. The pack has been thriving all these years despite not having a Luna. All tasks that the Luna should be handling are all well covered."
I cleared my throat which had Marina stop from talking.
"And for that reason alone, that we are thriving, it means we don’t need to have one." A scowl formed on my face in annoyance as I said these words. I knew where this meeting was leading to. "We’ve been through this topic for a long time. I’m not changing my mind."
"Alpha, we respect your views on this. But can you hear us out more?" Former Gamma Cesar asked. "Continue Marina." He gave her a curt nod.
Marina let out a sigh before she continued. The elders were shifting in their seats. They must have felt the annoyance rolling off me. "As I mentioned, Alpha, the pack is thriving with all the Luna’s duties because I and Katya, together with some of the elders, have stepped up to perform those duties. We’ve been doing it even before you took the Alpha post, Alpha Jacob."
Katya, the Former Gamma’s Mate cleared her throat before adding her piece. "And it would always be an honor to do it for you and the pack, Alpha. However, we thought that after our own mates stepped down from being Gamma and Beta, we could also step down and just enjoy our lives as pack members."
"But the women in our pack, they needed guidance too - the daycare center, the warrior’s cafeteria, the women’s hours, the celebrations, and all the things a Luna can work her magic with, we all need it. So we continue to take lead in all of these even after our mates have retired from their posts. And it would break our heart to stop doing what we are doing for them just because we wanted to retire as well when we are well aware that nobody will step up to this." She added.
"We all agreed that instead of our mates, we should have a Luna that oversees this." Beta Anthony looked at me, firm but respectfully. He has always guided me in the past and I know the sincerity of his voice.
"We, of course, would offer our assistance to our Luna if she needs us. But we all believe that everything should be in the Luna’s hand now." Marina smiled warmly at me.
"And it’s high time to have an heir, Alpha Jacob." Elder Rose added. "You’re not getting younger. And soon it might be too late for an heir."
"I don’t have a Luna," I answered curtly, my face void of emotions.
"We are aware of that. And your Beta and Gamma are mateless as well. And without a female in authority, it can lead to a pack failure." Former Gamma Cesar raised his hand to his chin and started to brush his beard. "You need to lead, Jacob, but your Luna needs to ease the burden of little things around the pack. Unless you have other females around who will step up to this role, then I suggest you get yourself a Luna."
"And for all it’s worth, I believe it’s time that Cesar and I take our mates away from these responsibilities." Former Beta Anthony added, not lifting his gaze away from me even after his mate Marina rested her head on his chest. "And most importantly, we need an heir. The next Alpha of this pack."
I shifted from my seat and leaned my elbow on my desk, my hands palming my face. "I appreciate your honesty. Give me time to go over this. It’s not easy to find a Luna when you don’t want one." I told them my truth.
"I know you’ve been avoiding meeting your mate, Alpha. If that is still the case up to now, then maybe we can go to the other road, pick a Chosen Luna." Elder Rose suggested, and almost everyone nodded in agreement.
I sighed and looked at everyone around my room, including my Beta and Gamma. "I will. just give me time."
I swallowed before I continued, "Marina, Katya, I would like to personally extend my gratitude for all your help all these years. It will never go unnoticed, but I ask for a little more patience and hope you will continue with your duties until I find you your Luna." I had no idea how I pushed those words out of my mouth. I just made a decision without thinking about it. I made a promise to them that I would give them a Luna.
Satisfied with my request, both Marina and Katya gave me a wide, warm motherly smile. "With pleasure, Alpha. We will wait and make sure that we will also assist the Luna once she’s ready to transition to her tasks." Marina assured me, to which Katya nodded in agreement.
AARON After the meeting ended, the elders, together with the former Beta and Gamma and their mates, left the meeting room, leaving me alone with Alpha Jake and Beta Gavin. Beta Gavin and I just looked at each other, waiting for the Alpha to break the silence. We dared not voice our opinion when it was not requested since we both knew this was a sour topic for the Alpha. After a long silence, the Alpha cleared his throat and lifted his gaze, shifting it back and forth between me and his Beta. "I honestly have nothing to say." He scowled. "Can you fucking find your mates now so I don’t have to deal with this Luna game?" My lips pursed into a thin line, trying to gauge the weight of his statement before the whole room erupted into a spring of laughter. Alpha Jake was shaking his head while laughing. After a while, Gavin joined in, and in seconds I found myself laughing with them. Relief coursed through me that the Alpha was taking this lightly compared to what I expected. "You got m
CLAIR I spent the whole day locked up in my room trying to decide whether I should stay or just go away from here and move on with my life. Before I came back here, I already had everything planned out. Come back - shift - leave. But I didn’t expect Jake to consume my mind since I got here. And that hug we shared yesterday had me hoping for something. I actually decided to stay longer to get to know him again. However, the news Aaron brought me last night bothered me so much that I was not able to sleep at all. I spent the whole night turning and tossing. I was confused, and for the first time since I got here, the feeling of being unwanted crept in again. After a constant battle with myself, I finally got the courage to gather all the clothes and things I came home with and tossed them in my duffel bag, not even bothering to fold them. Flashes of my conversation with Aaron last night kept playing in my head. Jake will have a Luna soon and I didn’t want to be here when it happen
CLAIR I kept the pain at bay while panting, waiting for the wolf to emerge from the bushes. It didn’t take long before a big black wolf stepped out of the bushes and towered over me. "Jake..." Relief coursed through me at the sight of his wolf. I didn’t know how I knew it. I haven’t seen his wolf since I was twelve. But I knew it was him when I saw the wolf’s eyes - the darkest shade of blue. If I was not in pain, I would have marveled at the wonderful creature towering over me. Instead, I just let out a weak smile, letting him know I appreciated his presence. After a mere second, screeching pains started to build up again in multiple places - my shoulders, stomach, spine, limbs, knees, elbows, everywhere, and I have no idea which part pained me the most. I just wanted it to end, so I let out another torturous scream like it would help. My entire body was on fire until a cold hand reached out and gently rubbed my back, a thumb wiping sweat from my brow. I looked up and saw Jake a
AARON I paced back and forth at the entrance of the packhouse, waiting for the Alpha and my sister. I was beating myself for not coming home earlier to stop Clair from running away. I almost went mad when I saw all the things she came with gone from her dresser, together with her duffel bag, and her truck was nowhere in sight. I called my dad and he confirmed that they had a fight. He raised his voice at her, but he never thought she would go today because she mentioned she would be leaving tomorrow. I tried reaching her through mindlink, but I couldn’t get through her mind. I blamed myself again for why I didn’t bother to teach her about it. Left with no choice, I alerted the Alpha, and he directed me to send people to look out for her. And I did, reminding everyone that she would be shifting tonight. I was hell-bent on trying to scent her when I received a mindlink from Jake saying that he had found Clair and that she had shifted. I felt relieved for her safety but felt guilty kn
CLAIR "Are you okay, princess?" He stopped at the foot of my bed. The worry in his eyes was gone now and replaced by confusion. On the way he rushed in, he probably wasn’t expecting a grinning female in the bed. "I’m sorry I didn’t knock. I thought I heard you scream, and I got worried. Are you okay?" I just looked at him. My eyes were probably sparkling with happiness. "Yes! I shifted!" I said excitedly, more to myself than to him. "Yes! And you did well." He said before he let out a rare smile and my heart just skipped a beat. "How do you feel now? Muscle pain? Headache? Hungry?" "Yeah, a bit of everything you said. Especially the last one." I giggled softly before I looked around the room. "Where are we?" "Packhouse. You said you didn’t want to go home." He sat on the end of the bed, making it dip against his weight. He sat with his back facing me. It gave me the chance to take a closer look at him, even on just his backside. And I took my time to indulge in his features -
CLAIR It has been two days since I last saw Jake. I missed him, and I knew that I could just as easily go to the pack house and pretend I needed something there to catch a glimpse of him, but I restrained myself. I didn’t want to go that way. So I went with another strategy that I thought would not be too obvious. I went to the afternoon training sessions for two consecutive days, despite attending the sessions in the morning just so I could see him if he was there. But luck wasn’t on my side. I sighed and closed my eyes as I leaned against the walls of the pavilion where I was sitting. Jenny was beside me, lying down on her stomach while reading a book. We decided to chill in one of the pavillions surrounding the territory after the afternoon training session just to pass the time. "That was deep. Something bothering you?" She dropped the book in her hand and pulled herself up to sit beside me. I shook my head and forced a smile. "Nothing. Just bored." "You missed him?" She ask
JAKE I snapped my head towards my Gamma when I felt him freeze in his spot. I launched into a big jump before attacking the wolf about to take his neck with my knife, completely cutting its throat when it landed on my feet. "What the fuck, Aaron! Focus or you’ll be butchered soon! Shift if you can’t fight in this form!" I spat at him, brows furrowing as I continued to keep my guard up, preparing for another attack. "Sorry, Alpha. It won’t happen again." He looked at me, his eyes flitting with a fear that I had never seen in him before. This was not the first time our pack was attacked, and as the commander of my warriors, Aaron was fearless. So this was something new. Something was wrong. "What’s wrong? Don’t lie!" I rolled off an Alpha command right away, not giving him time to lie. I just didn’t have time for it right now. I waited for his response as we continued to move forward on our feet. I heard wolves fighting, but they were far from where we were. "Clair. She’s heading
CLAIR Unfortunately, sleep didn’t come. It was almost three o’clock in the morning, and I was still wide awake. The face of the wolf that almost took my life lingered in every corner of my room. When I couldn’t take it anymore, I stood up from my bed and went to my dresser, and took Jake’s shirt that I had placed in there without even washing it. It was the one I put on after I shifted, hoping his scent would calm me down enough for sleep to take over. And then, for the first time since I came back, I drew the curtains closed, putting the room into total darkness. I wasted no time and lay in my bed, closing my eyes and pulling my blanket over my head, ready to put my mind in the blanks when a mindlink startled me. 'Are you awake?' A voice came into my head. 'Jake? Why are you still awake? It’s three in the morning.' I pulled my blanket down from my head and openly stared at the dark ceiling. I heard him chuckle before answering. 'Do you really expect an Alpha to sleep peacefull