I spend my weekend training and sleeping. The calming energy I felt on Friday has lingered, and it was just what I needed to leave Cory behind. I feel much better as I awake on Monday morning. Double-checking myself in the mirror, the messy bun I forced my red locks in is messier than I meant, but oh well. Leaving my room, I walk down the stairs and into the kitchen, where I know I’ll find my mother. I’m surprised not to see Peyton. I guess he already left. I grab a granola bar and some bacon; I don’t have time to eat a full-blown meal right now, so this will have to do.
“I’m leaving now, Mom. Love you.”
“Be safe, and please, behave, Paige. Remember that you’re the Alpha’s daughter.”
My mom is always like that. She wants perfection, even though perfection doesn’t exist. She runs our pack with those same expectations. It’s why everyone tries to avoid Luna Margot. She will criticize you for hours if you let her. The only person she accepts at face value is my dad. That’s because they’re mates, and the mate bond is unbreakable.
Driving to school, I wonder about my mate. Will I even have a mate? Will he accept me for who I am? Do I want a mate? The thought of getting hurt again makes me feel queasy. What if he rejects me because I’m not as tall as some she-wolves or even as skinny?
I’m athletically built, but my stomach isn’t flat, showing evidence that I eat something other than salad. My mother used to say that those were qualities of a healthy she-wolf who can bear children, but even she’s commented on my appearance as I’ve grown.
Amber is much skinnier with her thigh gap and her tall, slender frame. I think that’s where some of my insecurities come from.
The thought brings a mix of sadness and anger over me as I pull into the school parking lot. I push it down because I want to have a good day today. Just one good day. I link up with Val and Thomas to make our way to our classes. The day drags by, and by lunch, I’m starving. Thomas is the first one out of the class when the lunch bell rings. He impatiently waits for Val and me to catch up.
“Come on. Come on. Hurry.”
“Chill out. It’s not like they are going to run out of food before we get there.” I reply.
Thomas isn’t usually this excited for lunch. His excitement leaves me with an uneasy feeling as we enter the cafeteria. The lump grows as Thomas suggests we eat facing the door.
“What are we going to—” I'm cut off by Amber’s shrill screams.
I look up to see that Peyton and his buddies rigged the cafeteria doors to dump ice water on her and Cory as they walked in the door. Suddenly, that uneasiness is replaced by a proud feeling. My brother exacted revenge on the two people responsible for hurting me. That feeling fades when I think about the punishment he’s going to face.
He’s been in trouble a lot lately, and I know it weighs on my parents because Peyton has to get ready to be Alpha. The principal opens the door, getting the last bit of water on his bald head.
“Peyton Bradshaw, follow me to my office.” Peyton looks at me and winks. He doesn’t care about the punishment.
Peyton
The whole prank went off exactly as I planned. Cory and Amber are freezing and soaked. Paige is smiling again. I’ve accomplished my goal. Maybe next time, Amber will think twice before messing with my sister. Cory too. He needs to be careful because when I’m Alpha, I won’t think twice about banishing him. As I walk into the principal’s office, my dad is already sitting there. The principal probably mind-linked him when he heard the screams. I have a reputation around here.
“Seriously, Peyton? This is not how an Alpha behaves,” my dad says.
“Oh, really? An Alpha is not supposed to stick up for his people?”
“How is pranking people sticking up for them?”
That’s when I realize he doesn’t know. Paige never told him what Cory did.
“Cory cheated on Paige with Amber. They deserved it for hurting your daughter.”
His eyes go wide with anger. He never liked Cory, but I don’t think he thought Amber was capable of such a thing.
“Ah, well. I guess that’s the end of that.”
“We have to punish him in some manner, Alpha,” the principal begs. He’s been dying to kick me out since he met me. But despite my best efforts, I’m the next Alpha. I’m untouchable.
“Not this time, Nathan. This time Peyton did what was right.” I detect a hint of pride in his voice.
The thought brings a smile to my face even as the principal stares at me with disgust. I may mess up a lot, but I will always protect my people. Especially Paige. I leave the principal to simmer in his anger for me.
Claire is waiting for me outside. For a minute, I stand and admire her beauty. Her golden hair sits on her shoulders. Her bright blue eyes notice me staring, causing her to blush. Goddess, I love that. My wolf purrs, loving her just as much as I do.
“What are you looking at?”
“Just my beautiful mate.”
Her face falls. Neither of us are eighteen yet, so we aren’t confirmed to be mates. She doesn’t believe me, but I can feel it in my bones. She’s mine. I touch her face and tilt her chin up to face me.
“I love you,” I say.
“I love you, too.”
“Mmmmm. We should just skip afternoon classes.”
“Oh, you think so?”
“I do.”
“I hate to break it to you, but if you keep missing class, you’re going to fail. If you fail, you’re going to have to spend Saturdays inside of class instead of inside of me,” Claire says.
“You know, maybe we should go to class.”
She gives me a mischievous smile before whispering a promise to make it worth my while. Sweet girl, she doesn’t have to bribe me to follow her. I’d do it no matter what.
“Have they suspected you?”“No. I’ve been sneaking around during the day when no one is home,” I reply, sipping my bourbon.“We can’t let Colin meet his mate. He’ll be stronger, and we can no longer overthrow him.”“That boy is the worst excuse for an Alpha I’ve ever seen. A mate won’t change that.”“He’s my nephew.”“I don’t care! He’s weak. This pack needs a strong, ruthless Alpha. They need me.”Growing up, Colin was always wishing and hoping for his mate. It’s disgusting. An Alpha must be an Alpha with or without a woman behind them. The Alpha is the strength, not the mate bond. Colin could never understand it from my perspective, could never understand why I hate the mate bond. Of course, he can’t. He was born into rank. He and his parents are the most protected in the pack. The rest of us aren’t so lucky.I was born to a pack warrior and an Omega. One night, a rogue broke into our house. My parents hid me in a cabinet, blocking my view of the rogue, but I could hear them. They b
I awake in the morning to my mother yanking me out of bed. “Paige, you’re going to be late for your hair and makeup. Get up!”“Ugh. What if I don’t want to get my hair and makeup done?”“Then, you can explain to your father and Alpha Colin of Aurora Flame why you aren’t looking your best on your big night!”Like I’m the one who asked for this party. My parents insisted on it. Peyton and I are turning eighteen, and they want to go all out for it. I’d rather hang out with Val. Why would Alpha Colin care what I look like anyway? I only remember meeting him once a few years ago, but he didn’t pay me any attention. He was following his dad around like a little Alpha puppy.I groan and push myself out of bed. Every freaking muscle in my body hurts. I guess I’ve been overdoing it at training. With that thought, I push through the soreness and open my bedroom door. I call out for the she-wolves and my mother. They are quickly up the stairs and into my bedroom. My mother paces around while the
The world stops. I can’t hear anything over the loud pulse in my chest. Relief and excitement wash over me at the same time. I finally found her. I can’t believe it. She’s more beautiful than I imagined. All my restraint leaves my body, and I run to her. I pick her up off the ground and hug her. Touching her feels like lightning is pulsing through my veins. I feel so alive. Just hugging her feels amazing. I can only imagine what mating with her would feel like.Much better than your hand. Dom laughs.I’m betting you’re right.“I’m Paige.”“I’m Colin.”“Could you put me down?”I put her down quickly but grab her hand. I look down at my mate to see a hint of fear in her eyes. My thoughts begin to swirl as I try to decipher her body language.She’s not going to reject us, human.You don’t know that.Our parents are staring at us in disbelief, the Beta’s daughter is seething with jealousy, and there’s a boy standing next to her who looks like his world is crumbling. For a second, I wonder
I inwardly groan. Colin has met Paige, his mate. Our plan for the Alpha just got a lot more complicated. He’s head over heels for her too. I could see it the second he saw her. I need to talk to James. The plan needs to be changed. This girl is innocent and doesn’t deserve what we have planned for Colin. I’m not so sure Colin deserves it either, if I’m being honest. The nerves are getting the better of me. I just need to remember that this is the only way to get Charles out of the way.“You okay, little brother?”“I’m fine. It’s great that Colin has found his mate.”“I don’t know. She seems to be opinionated and strong-willed. You know submission is needed in a good Luna,” he says, taking a big swig of his whiskey sour.The anger boils in my blood again as the memories of Charles breaking Nicole’s spirit. She, too, was once opinionated, but as time went on, Charles made her submit. He violated the mate bond in the way he treated her. He sleeps with other she-wolves to keep Nicole in l
My mother decides to stay with Tasha’s family to help them plan a memorial while the rest of us head home. Each of us trying to wrap our brains around what just happened. As we reach the house, my father resigns to his office, slamming the door hard enough to knock a picture from the wall. Peyton to his room. Colin walks me to mine. “Stay, please.” I ask as Colin turns to leave. You do like him! Ash barks. I just don’t want to be alone. I lead him into my large bedroom. Mentally high-fiving myself for making my bed this morning. “Did you know her?” he asks. “We trained together. She’s a pack warrior, though we weren’t close outside of that.” He wipes my tears from my cheek, and his warm hand sends shocks to my skin. He feels so good. I’m not sure I have the restraint to avoid kissing him. I stand up from the bed, trying to put some distance between us. “I’m, uh, going to change. I just realized that you have nothing to wear to bed. So run to your room and grab something.” “W
Our first night wasn’t the magical one I had hoped for. But waking up next to her almost makes up for it. Dom hounded me all night to mate her, but I resisted. Paige wasn’t ready for that, and I want it to be special. I wrap my arms around Paige as she stirs next to me, wanting to feel her as much as I can before she pushes me away. She opens her giant green eyes and inhales a deep breath, breathing in my scent. I wonder what I smell of. “What are you thinking about?” she asks. “What my scent smells like to you. You smell of vanilla with a smidge of cinnamon.” “You smell like a rainy spring day.” She laughs. “More specifically, it’s mint and cypress.” Her laugh sounds like a perfect symphony. I lean down to kiss her lightly on her lips, pulling away to resist deepening the kiss and making Paige feel pressured. I find my way out of bed, not missing the glimpse of sadness in her eyes. Dom tries to push me back, but I fight him. “I’m sure you’re getting hungry. I’ll go change, and t
I wake up with a heavy mind because of last night’s events. I waited all night for Claire to show up, but she never did. She never responded to my texts or calls, either. I was drowning my sorrows when I first heard the howls. Following my father to Tasha’s body, I sobered up exceptionally quick. The sight of Tasha’s body made my stomach churn. I stood frozen, just staring at her.My father and Colin went into Alpha mode, my father ordering everyone to do something, including ordering me to find a sheet to cover her with. I also accompanied him to tell Tasha’s family. The entire night left me feeling even more unprepared to be Alpha. I’m just an eighteen-year-old kid. My wolf is worried about the position, too. Neither of us feel like an Alpha.A light knock on my door pulls me from my bed. The scent of the person behind the door has me throwing the door open with more force than I meant to.Mate. Mate. Mate!Claire stands before me, her eyes cast down as she tries to explain herself.
It’s lunchtime before I push myself off the bathroom floor. My face is still puffy from my pain. I was considering skipping lunch when I hear a knock at my door.My father pops his head in. “Meeting in the dining hall.”“I’m not feeling well. Save me the cliff notes.”“It’s mandatory,” my father orders.He never speaks to me that way. Something must really be going on. Announcing Tasha’s murder wouldn’t have him so angry. Curiosity pulls me out of my bed and out the door. Following my father to the dining hall, almost everyone has gathered, but I don’t see Colin. My father pulls me to the front of the dining hall to join my mother, brother, and Claire. I smile at them. I knew they were mates. I’m glad that is working out for one of us. I swallow the hurt that pierces my chest when I see Peyton and Claire looking so happy. My father waits for Colin’s family to enter the room and settle. His body tenses, but his eyes never meet mine. I guess the guilt is eating him alive. Good.My fathe