Alpha Mine

Chapter 1

Kissed

Monte

When the new moon turns red

And you bare your heart to the goddess

Mother Luna shall hear your prayers

And grant you your deepest desires

The Night of the Bloody Moon was in full swing, and I’d never felt as out of place as I did now.

On every eclipse of the moon, wolf shifters from packs near and far gather in the Midland Forest, to celebrate the occasion like our fucking lives depended on it.

But tonight was different.

The eclipse had aligned with a new moon, which made it a rare double omen.

To the rest of the wolves, this meant a magical time bursting with possibilities and wonder, where anything could happen.

No matter how outrageous your dreams, there was always a chance when the Goddess smiled upon you, and her favor was never more generous than on her most holy of nights. All you had to do was say a prayer.

Simple, huh?

Well, I don’t believe in shit like that.

After enough years of disappointment, I was done believing in miracles. If prayers worked, my mother would have survived her illness, instead of me watching helplessly with the wide eyes of a young pup as she gasped her last breaths in the hospital bed.

If prayers worked, I would have beaten every rival in a competition for first place, like I’d trained and bled to do.

The Goddess would have answered me at least once in my many pleas for a different fate than the one laid out before me.

Hell, if prayers truly worked, I wouldn’t be getting married in a matter of days to a stranger my father pledged me to when I was barely a pup.

I would be living the life that I chose. Even if I had no idea what that could even begin to look like.

A familiar nudge at my side dragged me from my dreary thoughts, and my attention returned to the festivities all around us.

Bonfires burned; some had even shifted to their wolf form as they engaged in the celebrations.

In the twisting shadows, I could see the outlines of pairs making the most of their time together.

The Midland Forest was neutral ground; a place no pack could claim. Here, anyone could mingle, fight, or fuck without fear or care. From the bitterest of rivals to the best of comrades, it seemed that everyone was thrilled to be finally letting loose.

Everyone except me.

“Everything alright?” Nena murmured at my side, nudging me once again with that perfected combination of annoyance and affection that only a sibling could pull off.

“Everything’s fine.”

I immediately grimaced at the sharpness of my tone. My sister didn’t deserve my foul mood.

With a snort, I tousled her wild brown hair, then pulled her tighter into a side hug as she groaned and made a halfhearted attempt to escape.

“Don’t worry, I’m just thinking about the wedding,” I reassured her as I finally let her go.

Once free of my playful grasp, she immediately leaned against me once more, companionably resting her head on my shoulder.

“You’re sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure,” I said with a sigh, fighting to keep my shoulders from sagging. “I guess things are just…”

“Moving too fast?”

That got a rueful chuckle out of me. “Somehow, yes, it feels like things are moving a little too fast.”

The arrangements had been in place for more than half my lifetime, but it just felt so terrifying now that the Redrows had decided it was finally time to collect.

Nena playfully butted her head against my chin, a little too forceful for it to really be a nuzzle.

She still wasn’t completely in control of her own strength after her growth spurt, but I didn’t mind one bit.

Anything was a welcome distraction from the impending marriage that would seal a political alliance between the Redrows and the SanGraals.

Our packs had a long, bloody history, decades of border wars fought over territory. The last one had been so devastating that my father and the Redrow Alpha had finally sat down at the table and struck a peace treaty, binding it with something more permanent than words: their sons.

The Redrows needed what we had. Our side of the land was fertile, our crops steady, our food supplies enough to keep a pack thriving even through harsh winters.

And in return, we needed what they could give.

We relied on their protection from the rogues still prowling at our borders, hungry to carve our territory for themselves.

On paper, it was a win-win for us. In reality, it was my prison.

Honestly, I’d expected an earlier marriage when I turned eighteen three years ago.

Their delay had given me an illusion of false hope that maybe Hunter had chosen another mate for himself and would wait for the deadline of the treaty to pass, after which I’d be free of the marriage bond.

Free to live as I want.

Choose who I want.

It didn’t help that I was a hopeless romantic, but I had always been one of those who believed that you should marry who you love, spend the rest of your life with the person you want.

But the needs of the pack prevailed, whether I liked it or not.

“I think I may just need a little time alone to compose myself,” I blurted out.

But before I could take back the shameful admission, Nena gave me a gentle smile and nodded. “Then why not? Go take a walk, take your mind off things.”

I stared down at my little sister as she pulled away and stretched out, luxuriating in the heat of the nearest bonfire.

“But—”

“And don’t say that you have to stick around because you need to watch over me,” Nena interrupted in her forceful little growl. “I’m old enough to handle myself, Monte. Don’t keep using me as an excuse.”

My mind was reeling as I kept staring at her. I opened my mouth, but no words came out. When had she grown up so much? Or was she just repeating what others whispered behind my back?

As if she could read my mind, Nena rose to her feet and surveyed the festivities before us. There was a calculating gleam in her eye as she decided exactly how she was going to enjoy her time away from my watchful gaze.

“You’re hovering too closely anyway,” she said as she gave me a sideways glance. “No guy’s gonna come over with you sticking next to me like that.”

That was enough to finally make me relax, but I rose to my feet as well. “Come on, Nena, do you really expect me to believe that all the boys are avoiding you because they’re intimidated by me, a short and thoroughly unimpressive Omega? I think it’s you they’re afraid of.”

“Oh, I agree completely.” She gave me an impish grin. “They’re not intimidated by you, they’re worried about disappointing you. You’re a big, soft puppy most of the time, but the second some poor wolf comes sniffing around me, you turn into a rabid guard dog.”

I snorted. “Well, of course they should be. I only want the best for my dear and only sister. Can’t have just anyone trying their luck.”

Nena rolled her eyes, but the smile she gave me was full of affection. “I know you do.”

With an exaggerated sigh, I pulled her into an embrace, and we gently nuzzled for a moment; her laughter muffled against my shoulder.

After one last wave, I left her to her own devices and made my way into the dark woods that loomed just behind the festival grounds.

With each step I took into the moonlit undergrowth, the chaos of the celebrations faded to a low hum save for the occasional burst of cackling laughter or friendly baying that carried on the wind.

My mind went back to Nena and just how much she’d grown when I wasn’t paying attention. She really had blossomed into a headstrong, confident young adult while I’d been worried about protecting her from the world.

My proud smile didn’t last very long as my thoughts shifted to what she said to me before we parted.

Nena was, unfortunately, quite correct. I did distract myself with her.

Thinking about protecting her gave me something to do, something measurable and achievable.

There wasn’t an ounce of that relief to be found when I dwelled on my own future, so I picked something that I actually, and actively, could do.

I would rather be seen as the overprotective older brother than the lost, depressed shell of a man that I had become lately as my marriage loomed ahead.

The last thing I wanted was to burden Nena further, just when she was getting ready to spread her wings.

The poor girl didn’t need to carry my troubles as well as her own.

Her life was full of opportunity with many paths to choose from, while I had only one road before me. That had been the case for as long as I could remember, and unless I wanted my pack and family to suffer, there would be no changing it now.

Deeper into the forest I went, until there were no longer any paths to tread.

Instinct alone carried me onward, and I was so preoccupied with my thoughts that I didn’t even wince as twigs snapped beneath my bare feet.

On second thought, I shouldn't have taken off my shoes earlier, or rather, I should’ve worn them before venturing this deep into the forest. But whatever.

I could use my wolf if the ground got too rough.

I’d never been this far into the forest before, but I felt a strange sense of calm and certainty, and I didn’t stumble over any roots. It felt like the Goddess herself was coaxing me on, and at the moment, I was ready to take any guidance she offered.

Or perhaps I had given up once again and was letting my life follow its destined track. That was what I’d been doing my whole life, and in a few short weeks, my few remaining choices were going to be completely and unceremoniously stripped from me.

I couldn’t help but snort. If nothing else, the stripping would be quite ceremonious. There was nothing my pack liked more than their little rituals to rigidly adhere to.