What would you do if you had been saving yourself for your mate?
Only for him to choose another Alpha Female right in your face?
Reciprocate the act.
Avenge.
An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth.
Easier said than done. Because whenever he was around me, my body betrayed me.
"Alia, do you trust me? Even just for tonight?" His voice came out low and rough that it sent shivers of pleasure direct to my core.
I know I should not trust him. But my body and my mouth have a mind of their own.
"I trust you, Gavin..." I whispered as I pressed my back to his naked chest.
He took a deep breath and dipped his head into my neck, slowly brushing his lips against my burning skin. I angled my neck, giving him more access while a sultry moan escaped my throat when he started nibbling and sucking the soft spot on my neck.
This was all wrong, but I don't want to be right this time. Just for tonight.
******THE BETA IS MINECHAPTER 1
ALIA
My name is Alia Williamson.
I lived in a world that humans thought did not exist, just a fantasy world.
We do, however, exist. I am a shifter, a second-born Alpha Female from the Williamson clan.
And this was the first time I stepped out of our territory since I turned eighteen four months ago. Not that I was not allowed to, but with my father gone and my brother just starting to learn the ropes of being an Alpha - I decided not to add any more worries to his many responsibilities.
So I kept still and had not left the territory until today.
For the Claiming.
No, I was not in attendance for my own Claiming.
My brother wanted to attend the Ball to find his mate, and I insisted on tagging along.
I wanted to see what this Claiming was all about. Not that I desire to be claimed. I wanted my mate. Only him. I was just curious about this whole ordeal. And so I came with my brother.
My older brother, Alpha Caspian of the Blue Meadow's Pack, took over the Alpha post when he turned eighteen more than a year ago, after the sudden death of my father, the then pack Alpha.
Because he was thrust into this post at eighteen, my brother did not have the opportunity to travel around to scent for his mate. So he took the easy way, attending every Claiming Ball in the hope of finding his mate and sweeping her off her feet away from the other Alphas. Romantic, isn't it? But unfortunately, he hadn't had any luck yet.
The claiming will begin soon. It was a good thing we arrived before it started. Some pack issues had us leave the territory at a later time than anticipated, so we came in late for the Ball but just in time for the Claiming.
I would say the ballroom was fascinating. I marveled at the elegant decor and the merry festivities around me. I was just enjoying the view, awed by how many Alpha Females were present and the Alphas.
The ballroom was oozing with Alpha pheromones.
I silently wondered if I would be mated to an Alpha. Or a Beta. Well, it doesn't matter. He could be an ordinary wolf, and I would still want him.
Why not? He was made for me. And I'd been waiting for him ever since I found out about Mates.
I smiled at the thought. One day. I would meet you, mate!
My brother had left me alone in the ballroom and went to meet some other Alphas. He promised to pick me up in ten minutes so we could get to the arena stage before the Claiming began.
So I was taking my time and decided I would grab some ladies' drinks. After all, I was with my brother, what more could go wrong?
I gladly treaded my way to the bar I saw at the other end of the ballroom when suddenly, I scented him.
An intoxicating smell of the wild forest, freshly cut wood, and mint swirled all around me.
My body froze in my spot. That scent! I had no idea where it came from, but I knew right there and then, I found my mate. He´s here!
A certain pain crossed my chest when it hit me. What was he doing here? Was he claiming someone? No! No! No way! He´s mine!
After an eternity, I could not hold it anymore. Why was he not looking for me? I swung my head slowly in all directions to look for him.
And there he was, standing tall and proud in his goddess-damned glory.
An automatic smile graced my lips, and my eyes beamed with happiness as I took in all of him. And he was too much to take.
He was wearing a black-colored suit with a white shirt that did nothing to hide his bulky chest.
He stood more than a foot taller than me, at 6'4 or maybe, to my 5'2. And Goddess! The way his black, shiny hair fell was perfect to compliment his chiseled face. He has rough stubble on his chin, and all I wanted was to run my finger over it.
Goddess! You blessed me so much! How was I mated to this perfect man?
He stood frozen by the door from the balcony, his eyes fixed on mine, but I couldn't exactly read him. His eyes were dilating into full obsidian black and a part of me was disappointed not to see the real color of his eyes.
But... but... Were his hands coiled into fists? Was he angry? Why?
My brows furrowed in confusion as I stared at him. I dared not step forward, for I could not decipher his emotions. Does he not want me?
Before I could muster the courage to approach him, he tore his eyes off of me and turned in a different direction. My eyes followed as he approached a man in the corner holding the lists of Alpha Females for Claiming.
Tears started to well in my eyes as he leaned down and wrote something on the paper that was handed to him.
He was listing his name for the Claiming. He would claim someone, not me.
I clutched my heart in my palm and took a step forward in his direction.
I growled lowly, my chest heaving. He's mine!
He needed to claim me, not any other Alpha Female!
But before I could reach him, he returned the list to the man in charge and left in a hurry, without throwing a glance my way.
He left just like that.
And no matter where I turned to find him, I couldn't.
I lost him in the crowd. I lost him.
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Sneak Peek of Book 2 of the Black Shadow Pack Series - THE BETA IS MINE (Completed). It is already available on the APP. I hope you will check it out! :)
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Thank you, lovelies, for your tremendous support for HE'S MY ALPHA. We ended the month of October at #3 for New Book Gems and it wouldn't be possible without all the love (and GEMS!) that you gave us!!! Please keep them coming! :D
I hope you will give Gavin and Alia's story a chance as much as you did for Jake and Clair.
THANK YOU AGAIN! And I hope to see you at the Beta book! ♡
Much love, Cassandra M.
Jake - 14 yrs old Clair - 9 yrs old JAKE Her scent reached my nose even before I felt her presence. Twigs snapped as hurried little footsteps echoed around as she approached the place I was resting in. I turned my head in the direction of the noise just in time to see Little Clair emerge from the bushes with a small plastic bag that she immediately placed behind her back as soon as she saw me. Her round eyes widened in surprise as she realized that she was not alone in this place. "What are you doing here, princess? Hiding again from your mother?" I asked without taking my gaze away from her small, lovely face. A smirk formed on my lips as I waited for her response. She let out a little huff and continued to walk towards the boulder I was sitting on before slumping her small frame onto the space beside me. "How did you know that?" She raised her brow and tilted her head to look at me. "Did you follow me? And why are you here? This is my place. You're not allowed here." She con
JAKE "No, I don't need a Luna." There was a note of finality in my voice. She turned her full attention on me, a scowl forming on her small face. "Why? I always wanted to find my mate, Jake. How can you even say that? What if she finds you? Will you run away?" I smiled at her questions, but in a bigger picture, it would look like I was running away from my fate. "I just need to reject her, then we can both move on with our lives. It's that easy!" Her eyes widened again, jaw-dropping. It took her a few seconds before she started talking in a whisper that, if not for my werewolf hearing, I would not be able to pick up. "You can't do that. Mommy said mates are a gift from the Moon Goddess. And it will hurt her. It will hurt you too, you know." Her eyes locked with mine, and for a moment, I thought I was looking into the eyes of a grown woman who knows the depth of her statement. I cocked my head to the side and winked at her, hoping to lighten the atmosphere. I didn't like her going
CLAIR I turned the radio a notch higher and let myself get lost in the blasting music as I drove on the freeway. With my window down, I basked in the warmth of the sun against my skin, loving the feeling of the fresh air on my face and the wind blowing through my hair. I had been driving for five straight hours, and I still had two more hours to go before I reached my destination. Fourteen hours of driving were too much to bear, but I had no choice. My name is Absaline Clair Montrell. I am a shifter. I spent the last five years of my life living among humans, except for my werewolf uncle. Uncle Theodore found his mate, who happened to be a human, and decided to leave the pack life for her. And from what I witnessed, he has no problem living the human life. After my mother died from an attack while visiting her friend from another pack, my father decided he didn't want anything to do with me and sent me away. Maybe I reminded him of my mother. They said I had her blue sapphire ey
CLAIR I fidgeted with my fingers as I stood beside my truck, the one Uncle Theodore gave me. It was an old rusty-colored beat-up Wrangler truck, and I had been driving it since I was sixteen. Aaron volunteered to pick me up from the nearest train station, but I refused to leave my truck. I could have driven myself to the territory if I only knew the way to get there. But with the territory being surrounded by massive forests and mountains, the GPS was not working perfectly in that area, so that left me with no other option but to have Aaron pick me up and follow his car. To say that I was nervous was an understatement. I think I was scared. And I had no idea why. It must have been the realization that, after five years, I was finally coming back. Five years, five long years. I had been around humans for so long that it seemed I had forgotten how it was to live within the pack. How will they react once they see me? Will they accept me? Does anybody care at all? I let out a sarca
CLAIR "We are almost here. Get yourself ready." "What do you mean?" I looked at the view in front of us as we approached. Confusion was written all over my face. I turned to Aaron with a raised eyebrow. "This is not home as I remember. This is the packhouse, right? You and Dad live here now?" Aaron shook his head as he put the car to a full halt and unbuckled his seatbelt. "No. I stay here, but Dad lives alone in our house. But I will stay at home with you and Dad for a few days until you turn 18. I assumed I needed to teach you the basics of pack life first. But for now, hop off — we’re meeting Alpha Jake. He is expecting us." He said it nonchalantly as if it was the most natural thing in the world. He walked out of the car even before I could berate him for not telling me about this stopover. I sighed and slumped my back onto the seat before unbuckling my belt. Although there was nothing wrong with meeting the Alpha, I suddenly developed a sickening feeling in my stomach. I was
CLAIR I followed him to his office after making sure Aaron would stay and wait for me outside. I threw the gum discreetly into the waste bin along the way. It didn’t escape my eyes that Jake scowled at the sight of me chewing gum. Not that I care. It’s just that it’s better to throw it away, and maybe he would stop scowling and be more welcoming. Jake’s scent enveloped me as soon as I stepped into his office. It’s calming but doesn’t stop me from being annoyed with his silence. I was at least expecting him to be a little enthusiastic upon seeing me back. I set myself up for failure. The boy, no, the man in front of me, was stoic as stone. No emotions at all. But I should have expected it from him, like what Aaron said, he changed. He was no longer the lovable Jake I adored as a kid. "So... why am I here again?" I broke the silence that was killing me while I sat in front of him. My fingers reached for the pen laying down on the table and started twiddling with it. It took him a fe
CLAIR "Thank you, Alpha." I turned around and grabbed the door handle again. I stopped for a moment when I felt my neck burn. I know he’s watching me. I contemplated if I should look back, but decided against it and turned the knob to open the door. I hurriedly exited his office, and as soon as I closed the door, a loud smashed sound of glass against the wall was heard. I stood frozen in shock for a couple of seconds before I was able to compose myself and walk away completely from his office, shaking my head in disbelief. 'What a prick!' I told myself. 'I heard you, princess. You forgot to turn off the mind link.' I stopped on my track and felt the hair at the back of my neck stand up when I heard his voice in my mind. And did he just chuckle? 'Shit! How can I turn this off?'I asked myself but I was well aware that he heard that too. 'Find it out yourself.' 'F**k!' 'Your mouth, princess.' 'F**k! F**k! F**k! Can you still hear me?' I closed my eyes and my hands rolled into fi
CLAIR The last three days went by fast. After the awkward first meeting with Dad after many years, we all tried to move on and be a family. It wasn’t easy, and I wanted to be a rebel and let him know how badly he treated me for sending me away. But I couldn’t. As much as I hated him for sending me away, I loved my father. And I longed for him just as much as I longed for Mom. I knew it would take time before all the wounds of being abandoned would heal. But I wanted to make us a family again, even just for a short time before I moved on and became an adult on my own. So I was trying just as he was. Dad was the manager of the town’s public library in nearby town. He’d been bringing home additional books for me to read since I arrived. He was aware of my love of books, but Aaron had taunted him that it appeared he just wanted me to be cooped up in the house with books and with no social life. But, to be honest, I haven’t had time for myself or for all the books Dad has given me sin