The Female Alpha's Cursed Mate

“I give up... you win!”

I take the helmet off my head to reveal my tinted red hair. After flipping the strands of hair in my sight off my face, my gaze comes in contact with my ponyass best friend sitting on the ground with one of his hands raised as if to shield himself from an attack. He was damn lucky we agreed beforehand not to take the bout too far if not I would still be hurting him in different parts by now.

“But I thought you didn’t want to stop,” I say in a teasing voice, but even I know that he has no other choice than to give up. Talk about how battered his arm was already.

“It's enough now. I’m not getting my hands bruised again,”

“Poor Mark. It’s going to take hundreds of years before you can get a chance to beat me,” I taunt him. “And even after that time, I don’t think you’ll still be worthy of trying,”

“I was holding back this time around, and you know that,” he says and that was enough to make me poke him dead hard in the chest with the tip of the wooden spear in my hand, earning a groan from him in return.

“You were saying?” I poke him with the spear twice again. “C’mon, say what you said again. That you were holding back? Tell me what weapons we are using again. Swords? Stop giving lame excuses for your sorry ass,”

“Let the man be, Soma. You won already so what more do you want?”

I look to the side to see my sister standing not too far away from the ground where Mark and I were having a bout, and as usual, she was giving a neutral vibe which seemed rather annoying. “What else would I expect from you other than you siding him when it should be me you should be siding instead?” I ask her with a frown, and when I feel Mark trying to back away from the tip of the spear, I poke him again with it.

“Ow,” he whimpers, apparently from how hard I hit him.

“Yeah,” I say as I give him a brief stare before facing my sister again, “that’s what you get for not staying put,”

Seeing that my sister was still boring her gaze deep into me, I take the spear off the weakling and then throw it to the ground before I start to walk off from his side. Not that I did not want to continue to beat the hell out of him, but I felt it was time I gave it a rest.

When I get to where my sister is, I hand over to her the helmet I was holding and she wastes no time in grabbing it from me. With the building behind her not too far ahead, I start to walk up to it so I could go in through the open pathway into it.

“Next time, Mark, she will not be here to save you from the beating I intend giving you,” was what I announce loud enough for Mark to hear and I think I got my message across to him.

Two men, dressed in armless body armor and then pants, were standing by each side of the path I wanted to go in through with their hands behind their backs. Nothing about their gazes said they wanted to speak to anyone, and that to me was something that seemed off.

“Hi guys,” I say to them as I give each of them a wink but get a bow in return. It only makes me scoff and then mutter, “We really need to get less serious guards soon,”

“And why should we do that?” My sister following behind me says and I shrug in return.

“To give this place a much better vibe? C’mon, you can see for yourself how serious these ones are,”

“That’s the way they should be, Soma. Changing them would not change the type of service they render over here,”

“Yeah, yeah, tell me about it,”

The path I just got in through smelled like heavy pieces of metal mixed with the strong scent of chemicals and it was all because of the armory I could see around the place. More like artifacts gotten from last wars or so and it gave the path a medieval feel. Well, that’s just how I always feel whenever I go through the path.

It was apparently the hallway that leads into the main building that I have to get to. It was mainly to get a bath which I know that I need right now. But first I would need to get this heavy piece of armory off my body. It was much too heavy for me to carry on with for too long.

“Girl, I think I’m going to get myself a cool off tonight. And you are coming with me,” I suddenly announce for my sister to hear as I stretch my weary limbs. It was basically because I wanted to kill the silence between us that made me speak up.

“No, we’re not,” the response I get her from her sounded rather too authoritative for my liking which makes me shake my head at the fact that I was supposed to be the older one here yet she sounds like it is the opposite.

“And why shouldn’t we?”

“Remember what happened the last time we went for a cool off as you call it. How you ruined everything by upsetting the men we met there? I’m not about to risk a repetition of what happened that day,”

“Oh please, Cassie,” I roll my eyes at the accusation against me. “That was just one time. I promise it won’t happen again,”

“That was what you said the last time. But what did it lead us to? The same old thing,”

Instantly, I stop. And then slowly I spin around so I could be directly looking at my sister. Yes, I towered over her because she was a shorty and I wasn’t. Not that I was tall but I beat her by two or more inches.

“How old are you, Cassandra?” this time I call her real name.

“Twentyone,” she reluctantly says a while after, almost frowning in the process. At least it did not ruin that beautiful face that she has, one of the things I envy about her.

I nod once. “For a girl your age, when last did you get laid?”

The question brought a reaction to her face and I could tell I was embarrassing her because it was too sensitive. But I have to be blunt with her if I am going to get any chance to convince her that we had to get out of the territory tonight.

“You don’t need to answer if you’re not comfortable with the question but I am certain it has been pretty long since you last got a D in you. Don’t know how many cobwebs you got under there now,”

“Soma!” she almost shrills at how dirtymouthed I was being so I caution myself. At least I said what I had to say.

“Okay, okay,” I say with my hands raised as if to say I surrender, “but if you think about it, going for a night out will help you in some way. Probably get you a man that will help you feel like a woman again. We are not going to be waiting for an unknown mate to do that for you, which I know isn’t happening now,”

“Are you asking me to go about sleeping with random men?”

“Not like that. But you have to experience life a little. Stop being too uptight, Cassie. You’re a grownass lady,”

“I’m just twentyone, which I already mentioned to you earlier,”

“Still grown to me, sis. At least you are old enough to get yourself what a little girl can’t. Even little girls do that already, trust me,”

She shakes her head as if in disappointment. “For an Alpha, you have the worst advice ever. How is that leading by example, Soma?”

“That’s why I have you here, Cassie. To help lead by example instead,”

“It’s not funny,” she rebuffs.

“Didn’t plan for it to be,” and then I turn around so I could continue the mini journey that would lead me to my room which I really have to get to already. “Are you coming?” I inquire out loud after not hearing her footsteps tagging along.

“I’ll be there with you soon,” she responds immediately but it was more like a yell because I was already far away before she even does that. Wonder what is going on in her mind.

“Be quick with that. I still need your help to get this off me,” I then hit the supposed armory over my chest to signify what I was talking about.

“We’re still not going for your cool off, Soma!” she suddenly announces before I round the corner that would lead me to the last pathway to my room.

“Okay!” I yell back as I eventually get out of sight with a creepy smirk revealing on my face.

It didn’t take too much to convince my palefaced sister to go with me on my supposed ‘cool off’ which was at a clubhouse. I always have a way of getting to her so this time around was relatively easy.

My best guess about her being easy to be convinced was because she was too scared to let me out by myself. How thoughtful of her! She did mention my bad behaviors during such situations like this as to why she never wants me to go for any of my socalled cool offs but I have it in mind not to portray such tonight. Only if I wasn’t messed with. And that’s why I chose an entirely different clubhouse from the ones I used to frequent.

Cassie and I didn’t come alone to be surrounded with heavy noises from jukeboxes, the reek of erotism coupled with that of alcohol, and the stench of sweats leaking from the pores of the overworked humans. Wolves, likewise, as I already perceived my kind since I got in here. We were here with my best friend, Mark.

It was a usual routine for him to be everywhere I go even when I do not need him to, and it mainly makes me forget what he is supposed to be to me. My best friend, or just my beta?

I do not find myself addressing him as my beta, ever. And it is because he has been my closest acquaintance even before I took up the mantle of an Alpha.

Surprised, right? That’s just how I was when I found out I was going to be leading the pack I was born into. It was confusing and at the same time strange because I was a woman about to lead a group of wolves that I was uncertain if they would want to follow my lead. Sure there had been scuffles here and there but now I am convinced of the say I have over the Blood Crescent pack.

“I think you need to slow down, Soma. You’ve already had too much to drink,”

Lazily, I turn my head to the left side of where I was seated after hitting the wineglass of liquor on the booth. Just the very spot I chose to have my drinks as I wanted to be close to the source and I can’t lie that it has helped in many ways.

Mark was there by the side seated on a barstool, with his hand gripping his cup of wineglass on the booth. Despite how rowdy and everything the club was — a reason LED lights do not sit well with me — I could see the features of his face. Did I tell you how chiseled his face was? Well, I am saying that now.

“Does this look like I have had anything yet?” I almost belch after responding to his allegation of my liquor drinking. Damn it, my eyes were getting drowsy already.

“If fifteen shots aren’t already more than enough for you to consume, then I don’t know what else is,”

“I’m immune to it, remember?”

“Still doesn’t change the fact that it would end up messing your head in some way. Immunity doesn’t stop a possible hangover.”

“I know what I came here for, Mark. Stop being a pussy and let me do what I want without your dictation,” instantly I take my wineglass and then down the whole content. “Now for the next one,” I say after wiping my mouth with the back of my palm.

Instead of attempting to call the bartender to serve me another shot, I go for the nearest I could see. And it was Mark’s.

“What do you think you are doing?” he asks as he gives me a frown while ensuring that his grip on the wineglass was firm. And yeah, my hand was on his as well as I try to take his hand off the glass.

“What does it look like?” and that was when I start to squeeze on one of his fingers so hard that it was bringing out a reaction on his face. “Just let it go,” I tell him but he has no intention of doing so.

“You think I’m going to let you have mine? Never,”

“Mark... let the goddamn glass go,”

“Why not have your sister’s? Why must it be mine?”

When he says that, I decide to look from across him to see my sister sitting comfortably without any reaction to the fact that I was attempting to get Mark’s drink. By the look of things, she hasn’t touched her glass yet.

“Hey, redhead,”

I take my hand off Mark’s the instant I hear that. Apparently, someone was standing behind me, or should I say by my right? And by the scent, I could tell which identity the person fell under. And yeah, the person practically shouted into my ears, something someone my kind wouldn’t hear as we had the sharpest of hearings.

‘Pfft, humans,’ I sneer and then turn my head around to come in contact with who it was. Why was I offended? Because I was called a redhead which I know was to seem I was a slut.

My sight falls on three hefty men standing side by side, with one in a green shirt being the nearest to where I was. I accessed them from head to toe and I was able to tell they were here for trouble. It brewed all over them.

“What do you want?” I groan as I direct the question to the one closest to me, obviously unwilling to hold a conversation with him. And to make matters worse for me, the jukeboxes began to play a track under the bop category. A category I kind of hated as I was more into rap.

“Would you like some nice time with us?”

“Go away,” I waste no time in saying as I turn my head back around. The fact that he had to go straight to the point with his ugly ass beard shows how much trouble he is going to be. The audacity!

“Is it because of your boyfriend? C’mon, ditch the loser and follow us,”

I look in the direction of Mark as they were talking about him and I was able to see that he was getting furious with their choice of words. And they just even got here.

When I look back at all three of them, I size them all up with a sort of a onceover. “Go... away...” I utter the words slowly this time around so they would know how serious I was being. I do hope they all got the memo because I was nearing my limit already.

With another onceover at them, I turn around to look back in the direction of Mark and my sister, and this time Cassie was looking in this direction. Guess the supposed scuffle has gotten her attention already.

I suddenly feel a grip on my shoulder and this irritates me to the core.

“Get your filthy hand off me!” I growl while trying to control myself. With a shrug, I get the grip off of me.

First I was called a redhead. And now the pony human was trying to force me to go down with him and his friends. I think this situation was getting out of hand.

His grip comes back on my shoulder and I think I have had enough of it. “What is wrong with people?” after lamenting, I pick up my wineglass. And with a swift movement, not without catching Mark’s expression telling me not to do what I intend doing, I smash the glass on the side of the human’s head.

It all happened so fast that even his companions had no idea how to react to the new development. It made it seem like I just destroyed a man’s existence but I cared not. I just needed to get him away from me.

Eventually, his companions realized what has happened and that was when they rush in to hit me but before they could do anything of such, I have hit them both in their faces which I’m sure has led to broken lips.

The hits on their faces were not enough to put them to the ground as they end up coming at me again. I was on my feet already this time around, but before I could do anything to fend myself off them, a figure stands in my way but backs me.

Instantly I knew it was Mark who has began shielding me from the human’s companions and so I watch the scuffle from there even though I know I should be leaving. I even go as far as adjusting my black dress so it could at least get down to my kneecaps.

I might say I was intrigued with what is going on in front of me until a flash of my eyes sights a man somewhere far off...

There was something unique about the stranger from afar. Just something I cannot place my hands on. With the intensifying feeling and all that radiating from where he is to my side, I could at least tell it was something like a pull that wanted to call me toward him. I think it was already.

My vision suddenly gets blocked due to the ongoing brawl happening right in front of me. Crazy enough, my mind has completely nullified such an event out of my mind as what I wanted to focus on now more than anything was that stranger ahead. If possible, get a much closer look at him. Mark would have to deal with this nonsense here without me as his spectator again.

Instantly, I mix with the crowd by the side so I could escape from the booth. My speed was an advantage in disabling others from seeing me move away. Especially those bastards that thought they could ruin my night.

Through the crowd, I let my eyes stay on the prize ahead. What the heck am I even saying? I sounded like I was on drugs or something and that was pretty annoying to the core. In a good way, though.

It didn’t take me much to get closer to the stranger despite the ruffles and shuffles of the crowd. And there he was, seated alone in a corner with bodies around him. However, he looked disinterested in the happenings as he has his focus on a wineglass of liquor on the table in front of him.

I’m trying to make a perfect understanding of his facial feature, and no lies, it was pretty hard due to the number of bodies on the way. His face was not even the problem. No, it wasn’t. The problem now was why I was actually having this strong admiration for a total stranger. It’s something that has never happened before even with my number if body counts.

He was my kind. The scent exuding from him told he was one. If I could sense his scent, then couldn’t he as well? He should. He definitely should. Then why isn’t he looking up at me? His expression wasn’t letting me know if he was in any way.

Just when I decided to take a step further to the unique stranger, I realize someone is standing in my way. Or let me say someone suddenly has blocked my path.

“Soma, where the hell are you going?”

To be honest, I thought at first that it was one of the bastards that I fought with not too long ago. It wasn’t until I snapped out of my senses, and by deciphering the tone of the voice, did I realize that it was Mark standing in my way. And yes, it felt like he was shouting into my ears because he literally was.

“Get out of my way!” I yell at him as I try to shove him aside. Why did he have to come at this time?

He doesn’t even budge from my push and this was infuriating me. I was even beginning to clench my fist so I could give him the punch he deserves at this moment for wanting to ruin my plan.

“What are you trying to do, Soma? Are you drunk?” he asks me, calmly this time around.

“I’m trying to get to him.”

“Get to who?”

“Him!” I then gesture toward the back of him with my head, and this prompts him to turn around so he could have a look at what I was referring to. However, I use that to my advantage as I push his body aside which sends him colliding with people but I cared less about that.

Unfortunately, it was a waste of time as the stranger that I have my eyes on before was now nowhere to be found. Even his wineglass wasn’t there anymore. It made it seem like he was never there before.

“Where’s the ‘him’ then?” I hear Mark’s voice behind me and I have to shake my head because I was sort of disappointed.

“He’s gone...” I whisper, still trying to see if I would at least trace him to someplace with my eyes. But there was nothing at all. Nothing. Made me feel like I was making a fool of myself.

“What are you even talking about?” Mark asks in a much too confused voice.

“Nevermind,” was the only thing I could say as I turn around to get back to where I came from.

“You’re drunk already, Soma. We need to get you out of here,”

When he grabs my arm and starts to pull me away from there, I do not fight it. Not that I do want to, but I was too downcast to even try. Why does this feel so much like a heartbreak?

I need to get my head around this whole thing. It was just some kinky feeling, so I do not have to take it up as something that important. But why does it feel so intense like this?

‘It wasn’t just any feeling,’ I hear a voice right inside my head but I do not startle or anything because I have a good idea who it is.

‘You felt it too?’ I respond to the voice in my head without even saying anything. Let’s just call it something akin to telepathic communication.

‘Maybe even more than you,’

“Where did you find her?” Cassie’s snappy voice suddenly grabs my attention and I have to focus on the reality happening around me now.

Yeah, I was now outside the clubhouse, which I apparently did not realize in time, but the music was still booming into my ears. Geez, it was kind of cold out here. For me to feel it, then it was that bad.

“She was wandering off while looking for some man or whatever it was. I clearly have no idea what she was talking about,”

“So, she’s drunk already?”

“Perhaps she is,”

And that was how I found myself in the backseat of Mark’s automobile. The very one we had used to arrive here. Felt kind of stuffy in here even if it was cold outside.

I thought I felt someone staring at me. And this caused me to turn around immediately to see if I would get a glimpse of something of a person. But I could sight nothing through the side window. Even when I looked behind through the back window, there was nothing still.

I have to shrug off the feeling because I know it could just be me acting up. I mostly feel insecure about a lot of things so this was not an exception.

The music from the clubhouse starts to fade away slowly when Mark’s car starts to get on the run. Before we knew it, we were out of the driveway and onto the road in the dark of the night.

Nothing of importance happens for a while as there was shared silence between all of us. Until Mark, perhaps unknowingly, rides onto a bump roughly.

“Ow!” I almost yelp when my hand hits the door after the impact of the car on the bump. And it obviously caught the attention of the other two.

“What is it?” Mark actually asks me.

“Didn’t you see where you were going through, you dummy? Now you made me hit my hand on the door,” I snap at him.

“Oh, sorry about that,”

I might have overreacted again. When I decide to touch the part of the hand that pain was excruciating from, I felt liquid dripping out of it. Obviously, it was blood as it felt thicker than necessary.

“Damn, I’m bleeding!” I hiss.

“Did that happen from hitting your hand on the door or you got that from the clubhouse?”

“I think it’s from the clubhouse. This doesn’t look like something a door would do,”

“That’s what you get for picking up fights with strangers,” Cassie suddenly says, much to my annoyance.

“Don’t start with me, Cassie. You know what happened in there so don’t blame me for defending myself,”

“The dude didn’t even do anything to you before you hit him with a wineglass,”

“He grabbed my shoulder... roughly! Didn’t you see all of that?”

“Maybe I would if you learn to keep your hands to yourself,”

“What about I keep it in your face!” I rebuff, already infuriated to the core.

“Stop, the two of you! This is insane!” Mark yells to put us to order and I think that worked because we were both hushed instantly.

I relax my back on the seat while holding tight the part that was bleeding. It was just a scratch so I know it was not something I should be bothered with. I just need some time and it would be like nothing of such happened.

“I knew we should have brought the guards with us...” was Cassie’s words before everything became quiet in the car throughout the rest of the journey back to the packhouse.

It’s been me, myself, and I trapped in my room all morning. Normally I would call me not heading out yet as a result of a mood swing but the reason was nothing like that. It was more as a result of a hangover which wasn’t that bad but was entirely my fault.

I wasn’t even drunk in any way last night. Perhaps a little but not to the extent of feeling sober. Just do not know why I was reacting opposite to how I always feel after having a lot to drink. Oh, I forgot that having that much was still synonymous with getting myself badly drunk to stupor.

‘You still haven’t told me why we felt that way yesterday,’ I decide to do something to keep myself busy so I chose to speak with my spirit wolf in my head. There were a few things I needed to consider.

She responds instantly. ‘Because I have not figured out the reason...’

‘Why does it seem so hard to understand? Isn’t it something that would have been familiar to you already? Like a mate pull or so?’

‘I’m not underage. And he clearly cannot be as well. Did you see the shape of his body? He clearly looks like someone maybe even older than I am. I even managed to perceive his scent from faroff. Besides, how will an underage gain access into a clubhouse?’

‘It’s the human’s abode, Soma. Anything can pass through them easily,’

‘Let’s talk later. I can hear someone approaching the door,’

And truly, I could. I was in a lotus position on my bed which directly faced the entrance in the spacious room. Something that Mark calls unnecessarily spacious.

The footsteps stop and it increased my curiosity in knowing who it was following a knock on the door. Not that the scent wouldn’t exude in but I wanted to guess who it would be.

Aish, I forgot I was not myself this morning so there was no way I would get who it is by taking a guess. Damn the hangover. So, I ask, “Who’s there?”

“Honey, it’s me,” a feminine tone comes from outside the room.

That voice. It could only mean one thing. My mother was here!

I take a quick scan of my room to see if everything was in order. Seeing I have nothing to be worried about, I sigh in relief. Thankfully I was out of my PJ already.

“Come in, mom,” I call out back to her and then adjust my positioning on the bed so I could put my feet down to the floor because of the numbness on them.

The door opens without a single noise to show that it was being handled and from the side, my mom’s feature is first revealed.

The glow on her porcelain face still has me wondering how she manages to maintain it. She could easily pass for my sister instead of a mother with such a look.

Her dress was a green fitted gown which got to her feet, that, I could clearly see as she approached my bed with a smile on her face. And yeah, she has her hair done to complement how stunning she looks today.

“Sweetheart, how have you been?” she asks me as she reaches out for a hug with her hands spread wide. I do not waste time pulling myself into the hug while still sitting down.

I stay in her arms for seconds more than expected before letting her go. Even though it hasn’t been too long since I last saw her, I miss her.

“Hi, mom,” I say as I shift on the bed to make space for her to sit which she does instantly. “What are you doing here?”

The strong scent of whatever body spray she has on invades my nostrils. It amazes me how she knows which best to use every time, knowing how much she spends on making herself look good.

“I came to say hi to you and your sister. You know it’s been a little while since I last saw the two of you,” she says with her grey eyes boring into mine as I focus on her. I was actually trying to get an alternative reaction from her by doing that.

“In a space of two weeks?” I shrug. “Not that bad,” I then decided to ask, “So what about dad? How is the old man doing?”

“I told you to stop calling him old. He’s still agile enough for me,”

“Yet, he decided to leave his position of Alpha when I only turned nineteen. Doesn’t sound like someone agile to me,”

“Still doesn’t change the fact that he is not old,”

“Okay,” I agree with her. But even she knows that I did not... And I never will.

We both become silent after that. When she shifts her gaze away from me, I could tell that she was looking slightly hesitant as it was written all over her face that she has something to say. Maybe I was overimagining it but it seemed like that to me.

I would have saved her the stress, but do I want to? Nah. So I shift my gaze from her to the ceiling above to pass away the time until she is ready.

“Can I talk to you about something, Soma?” she suddenly says about a minute later and I swiftly look at her again.

“Of course,” I tell her.

She firstly lets out a huge sigh and it only makes me wonder why she is finding it hard to comport herself. “So I heard you went to a clubhouse..” the first reveal, and then, “and you got into a fight again,”

A frown reveals on my face. “Cassie reported me to you, didn’t she?”

“Does it matter?”

“It does for me,”

“She did,”

“That snitch!” I hiss.

“Don’t call your sister that. She has every right to tell me or your father what you have been up to. Especially if she feels it’s wrong,”

I swear to the moon goddess, if Cassie were here, I would hit her so hard for not knowing how to mind her business. Why does my sister have to be such a screwup?

“Mom, you realize I'm an adult, right?” I start to say.

“Yes?”

“And that I am free to do whatever I like?”

“I do know all of that. But don’t you think you are going overboard with your lifestyle? For heaven’s sake, Soma, you are the Alpha of this pack. How do you expect the people to react knowing they have someone that gets into random fights as a leader?”

“That is left for me to be worried about. Don’t I get to live my life again just because I became an Alpha?”

“No one is stopping you from living your life. But there are protocols you have to adhere to,”

“None of which applies to me,” I counter with a slight snap. I do need to keep it cool. “Those random fights, as you call them, you know full well that none of them is my fault. If those humans know how to keep their distance away from me, I’m sure none of that would have happened. And I’m being honest when I say this,”

“Sweetheart, I understand everything you’re saying. But please, try as much as possible to do away from such acts. It’s not just for your own good, but the good of everyone else. I know what I’m saying when I say you should do that,” she then touches my hand and caresses it.

I look down at the hand on mine and it gives me mixed feelings because I know it has a manipulative vice to it. That’s basically what mothers do to get you to do their bidding when they cannot take the forceful approach anymore.

“Promise me you’ll stop with acts like that,” she says, expectedly, and I try not to roll my eyes at the fact that I know that was what was coming next already.

“I’ll try,” I force the words out of my mouth but I could see that she was pleased with my likely promise that I know I won’t adhere to.

“Good. So how much are you prepared to meet with the Alpha of Dark Moon pack? Do you have everything all set?”

“Not everything. There are a few things left to do but I’ll handle them later.”

“Good. Figure out the rest in time. I know you’ll do well,” she says and then immediately stands up to her feet. “I’ve got to go now. Your dad and I are supposed to meet at someplace,”

“Where are you two old lovebirds heading to?” I ask out of curiosity as she starts to sway away.

“Somewhere that would interest you if you had a man to yourself...”

“Aren’t you done with it?” I almost snap after taking a look at my reflection in the mirror for the umpteenth time. And my statement was directed to my sister who has been working on my hair for so long now.

She was presently brushing it down just so I could look more flashy... her words. And I know I should have fought against it due to how timeconsuming it would be, which it presently is, but I already know better than not to go against her when she has set her mind to something.

“Hold still,” she says as she pulls on my hair a little, which gets a slight whimper from me. What did she do that for?

“And how many more minutes do I have to wait?”

“Let’s say about thirty,”

What she says makes me focus my gaze on her reflection through the mirror. And just like every other time, it was blank. No emotions to it. Not even one to tell if she was kidding or not. Why the hell would I want to be seated here for thirty more minutes?

“Did you just say thirty?” I ask for clarification with my gaze still on her reflection.

A brief stare was thrown back at me before she stares back at the hair that she has in her hand. “Did I say thirty? I meant to say three...” she says in contrast to her previous statement, and no lies, that got me a little annoyed because she had me thinking already. The more annoying thing about it is the fact that she maintained her neutral expression even after that.

“Don’t be pulling my legs like that again. You know how much I hate it,” the cautioning spills out of my mouth, with my annoyance apparent laced through it. “Besides I still am pissed with you after finding out you told on me to mother.”

Silence followed up after that with me staying put and her doing what she had to do. It was rather uncomfortable for me already because even the moon goddess knows that I hate staying in one place for too long while working on myself. You know, the usual things ladies do. I’m never keen on those kinds of things.

Eventually, she lets go of my hair which gives me the chance to admire the way I look through the mirror. Cassie was right. I have to look more flashy, and that was how I was now. Guess it wasn’t bad after all to allow her to work on it.

“I had to tell her, Soma,” I hear Cassie say. And it was at that time that I was slyly touching my now glowy hair. “You acted out of conduct so what other thing did you expect me to do so you could at least get back in order? I was thinking about you and the rest of us,”

“That’s the same thing mom said. And I consider it bull,” I admit, turning around on the seat so I could directly face her. And because she was on her feet, I have to gaze up. “You all should understand that this is the lifestyle I choose to live. I don’t want my role as a leader to be the reason I won’t do what I please,”

“Not when it affects the lives of those under you,” Cassie interjects instantly. “What do you think their reaction would be when they find out that you are acting wild? Not something they would want to emulate,”

“If you’re that perfect, maybe you should take up the role of Alpha instead. I can always pass on the mantle to you so I could at least live my life the way I please. I was never meant to be the leader in the first place, anyway,”

Cassie frowns at my statement. And not just any frown, it was deep enough to tell she was displeased. “I do not want the role. If I ever did, I would have made my intentions known all along. So I do not. But it does not mean I do not want something else. And it is to be on standby while I watch you run on the pack in the right way. And I will definitely be here to help you the best way I can so you could stay on the right path,”

“Urrgh,” I grunt as I stand up to my feet. “I can’t wait for you to get a mate,” I say as I start to approach the doorway while adjusting my long leather robe.

“Why?” she asks.

“So you can leave me the fuck alone!”

And as I open the door to get out of the room, I sight Mark in the doorway with his hand raised.

He was clothed in a similar robe to mine which was adorned with symbols representing the heritage of our pack. And since today has sort of a special occasion, it was basically the right thing to wear.

“Hey,” he says, giving me a lazy grin as he puts his hand down. “I was just about to knock,”

I nod. “Let us go now,” I tell him, and before I finally step out of the room, I turn around to give my sister a look. She was staring directly at me when I do so. After a sigh, which was because I was about to pass on temporary responsibilities to her, I eventually walk away with Mark already leading the way.

He leads me through the hallway out of the building. Right outside, beside three automobiles, were a certain number of warriors. Practically, they were going to be our escorts to our destination which was in another territory.

“I thought I told you I only wanted a few,” I say as I turn my head to look at Matthew who was right beside me.

“I know you did, but I have to be more cautious of likely disasters that could happen along the way. It is basically for our safety,”

“Not like we can’t take care of ourselves on our own,” A scoff follows my statement before I walk up to one of the automobiles and then get into it through the backseat with the aid of a warrior

Mark gets into the backseat with me through the other side, and a few moments later the car was on the run out of this territory. About twenty minutes later, we were completely out of the Blood Crescent pack territory.

As the ride wasn’t intended to be fun, not much was said between Mark and me on the way. Not because I did not want to talk with him — he has not offended me in any way — but because I have little desire to converse with him. Especially when I know I was going for business.

I’m glad he did not push with it and just brought up brief talks for us to deliberate on. Pecks of having a best friend that knows a lot about you.

I believe it took like an hour but we eventually arrived at the Dark Moon pack which was located up east to the Blood Crescent pack — my pack.

We were granted quick entrance into the territory after the guards confirmed our identities. Glad it wasn’t something that caused rancor as I was worried I would not be recognized, knowing that I might not be recognizable due to being a new alpha.

The territory of the Dark Moon was much similar to ours. Except for the strictures of most of the residential quarters, there was no reason why this place would not be referred to as the Blood Crescent pack as well. And being that it was my first time here, I wanted to get familiar with it a little so I was fascinated with the things around.

The car I was in came to a halt in front of a building, which like others, was similar to the structure of my pack. Through the front window, I could see beings standing in front of the building, and two of them stood out among all of them due to their choice of clothing.

“This is it,” Mark says and I am prompted to nod before I get out of the car after it gets opened on my behalf by a warrior of mine outside.

The air over here feels a lot different that I have to take it in when it hits my face. I briefly close my eyes at the impact and later on, I was on my way up to the building with Mark tagging along.

“Alpha Soma...” one of the two men that stood out says, with his hand held toward me which I take into mine instantly. He is actually huge and that is sort of exposed because he chose to put on a fitting buttondown shirt that had its sleeves raised to his elbows.

“Alpha Tyrone, I presume?” I say in return.

“Yes,” he nods with a slight smile tugging at the side of his lips. And after the confirmation of his identity, I take my hand out of his. “And here’s my brother, Leonard, who is also my beta.”

I look to the other man beside him but I am instantly affected by the creepiness he has on him. And it all has to do with the smirk he has on his face.

“Hi,” he says, licking his lips as he holds his hand out for a shake.

I don't know what I'm the most uncomfortable about. The beta smacking his lips against the other or the fact that it seems like he is about to flirt with me.

I should be used to situations like this now, I know. But the feeling that came with this one felt kind of different. Has me wanting to cringe or whatever I should call it.

“Hi,” I say, in return to the beta’s greeting. I couple it with a brief onceover before accepting his handshake. But there was no warmth to it.

The fact that my inner mind is telling me that I'm exaggerating the situation was another bother. Maybe I shouldn’t think too much about it. Knowing myself, it was something that wouldn’t happen yet until something completely different fills my mind.

I try to take my hand out of the beta’s hand but it seems he wasn’t ready to let go yet. It prompted me to look from his face to his slight grip on my hand then back to his face. The creepy smile was still there and it still was a bother.

Eventually, he lets go, slowly and stylishly. Don’t know what he was trying to do by pulling that off but I felt nothing to hold on to after.

“So, you two should come in to rest for a while. We have your rooms ready for you,” Alpha Tyrone suddenly says, grabbing my attention.

“Well, thank you,” I respond when I shift my gaze to him, “But I’ll be taking a walk around the premises for a while. Hope you don’t mind?”

“Of course, I don’t. Feel free to do whatever you want,”

“Thank you... again,” I dish him a sly smile and then tell Mark, “Shall we?”

Mark seems confused when he asks, “Now?”

“Yeah... now.”

Then I turn around to walk down the stairs that lead up to the balcony of the building. The group of warriors that came with me felt like a hindrance the moment I face them, and I’m sure it would be like that if I allowed them to go with me on my brief walk around.

“Don’t worry about us,” I start to say when I walk through the space provided between them, “we’ll be back in no time.”

I round the corner of the premises with Mark by my side, all the while staying silent. I won’t necessarily say Mark was by my side. It was more of him leading the way because he knows his way around here, unlike me who is coming here for the first time.

We were now in something like a balcony, except this seemed like an extension to another part of the building. Probably the backyard or something.

“You seem rather uncomfortable,” was the starter Mark uses once we were far away from the front of the building we just left.

“Am I?”

“The Soma I know never stays quiet except she’s going through something. So what is it?”

I sigh inwardly because, apparently, I wasn’t being myself. “To be honest, Mark, I have this feeling of not wanting to be here. But at the same time, I feel I have no choice. There’s no odd feeling to it at the end of the day, except the stress that comes with being on a fence,”

“Being an Alpha was never meant to be an easy job. If it was, you wouldn’t be in the position. No offense,”

“None taken. I see nothing wrong with what you said,” I tell him. And after tugging strands of hair off my face, I proceed to say, “Did you see what his brother was trying to do?”

“Who? Alpha Tyrone’s brother?” Mark asks, and I nod in affirmation. “Well, maybe I did. Other than him trying to flirt with you or something, I don’t think I saw anything else.”

“You make it sound like it’s an ordinary thing to do,” I sound annoyed when I speak, and it’s because I am. I almost touch my hair again but at the last second decided not to. “His intentions were clearly written on his face, and I find that mostly irritating because I never like my man that way. Or is that how he always is?”

“Asides from always having a smug expression on himself every time, I can’t necessarily say that is how he is. But when an obviously unmated wolf sees something blessed, what do you expect him to do? Look away?”

I don’t know why, but I suddenly reflect on his words. Mark never utters a statement without attaching something to it. It wasn’t making much sense, until...

“Are you indirectly trying to say I’m busty?” I ask him, ensuring I was looking at him straight in the face when I do so.

“Whatever you term my words to be is fine by me.” was his straightup response.

A smile finds its way to my lips. “Awwwn. My best friend just admitted to the fact that I’ve got the right proportions for a woman. I would have loved to give you if you weren’t this close to me,”

“Pfft,” he scoffs. “You know fully well that I would reject without hesitation,”

“Trust me, you can’t resist my charm if it goes down to that,” I say almost flirtatiously, but then recall something we were initially talking about. “And back to Alpha Tyrone’s brother, he was actually one of the reasons I was eager to leave there. The major reason was what I said already. Y’know, about the odd feeling,”

“You might just have to get used to him because it’s going to take more than two days before we find out way out of here. I’m sure you can take of yourself,”

“Of course, I can. But Cassie doesn’t think the same. She believes I’m too wild for a lady. One of the more reasons I think she needs a brain reset to understand that this is how I am and will ever be.”

Something suddenly grabs my attention. Or should I say the sound of someone? And when I look in the direction of where the sound came from, I realized it was a kid that has just fallen to the ground. A boy to be precise whole judging from the hair. I could be wrong, though.

Mark gives me a brief stare and then starts to stroll up to where the kid fell. Apparently, there was no one around here except us so it was obligatory he did something to assist. Not that I couldn’t do the same, but I would rather not try due to how ‘kid unfriendly’ I am.

“Hey, kid. You okay?” I hear Mark’s concerned voice from the little distance away and it makes me wonder how he can switch personalities when he needs to.

I was right about the kid being a boy as when Mark helped him up, I could see him clearly. The kid’s face has this little familiarity, but I cannot dwell on it too long because someone is approaching us already. And this time around, it is a lady with long curly hair.

She starts to say something but I immediately get uninterested in what is going on that I turn around and start to walk away. But I haven’t taken more than two steps when I halt. It’s not because of the event going on not far away from me, but because of something else.

The pull. The same pull I felt when I was in the clubhouse some nights ago. It has been ignited again.

But I’m confused as to what is going on because there was no absolute reason for it at the moment. The last time had been as a result of the strange man I saw in the club, however, there was no one here.

I was about to try to shrug off the feeling when I suddenly feel the urge to let the pull take over me. It felt kind of strange to consider at first but before I knew it, I was finding my way through the premises of the territory I was completely unaware of.

‘Are you sure about what you’re doing? We literally have no idea why you suddenly felt that way,’ Rainia’s — my wolf — voice gets into my head, reminding me of the fact that I was acting out of instincts which shouldn’t be the case in this situation.

‘I know what I’m doing. And I need you to trust me.’

‘You don’t expect me to trust you when you do not know your way around here. You should stay put, let Mark guide you through.’

‘Not in this situation, Rainia. I have to figure this out myself. There should be a reason why such a pull would occur like it did the other night,’ I round a corner when I tell her that.

‘This seems a bit crazy, you know,’

‘Does it still?’ I produce a sly smirk when I utter that, and at the same time, I stop walking to observe my finding.

“It’s you again...” I whisper.