Chapter 1
CHAPTER ONE
“Idon’t care who it is, Leo, but an alpha needs a mate.”
Leo Lyons didn’t bother looking over at his meddling sister.
He didn’t care what she thought. She wasn’t his mother, or his keeper, and she wasn’t going to dictate what he did with his life.
If she wanted to control someone, she could go find her spineless mate.
He’d roll over and do whatever she demanded in a heartbeat.
“Natalie is looking for a mate. If you would just go on one date with her, you would see…”
“He would see what a conniving pain in the ass she is and hopefully run far and fast,” Caiden Thompson, Leo’s best friend and beta of his pride, said as he walked into Leo’s office.
“Natalie would make a perfect alpha-mate,” Scarlet said, her hands going to her hips as she glared at Caiden.
“That woman is a damn viper,” Caiden shot back. “There is nothing perfect about her.”
“How dare you!”
“Enough!” Leo snarled, raising his head from the financial statement he was looking at to give his sister a hard stare. “I will mate when I find my true mate, and not before.”
When Scarlet looked as if she were going to interrupt him, he pushed back his chair and rose, bearing his fangs at her.
He was sick and tired of how she acted as if she were the alpha of their pride and in charge.
The way she tried to boss not only him around, but others in his town, was flat-out pissing him off, and he was done.
“I will not date Natalie, or Cadence, or Victoria, or any of your other superficial friends that you deem worthy of being my mate, just because you think I should, Scarlet. None of them are worthy of the title of alpha-mate.”
“Leo!”
“No!” He slammed his hand down on his desk in fury. “You do not control me, sister. I am alpha. I make the decisions. I will mate when I am damn well ready, and not before.”
Scarlet stared at him, her mouth open in shock. He’d never spoken to her the way he just did, but it was long overdue. He’d let her get by with way too much since their parents’ deaths.
“It’s time for you and Russell to find your own place,” he went on coldly. It was way past time. They’d been in his home for over five years now, making decisions they had no right to make. Changing things he didn’t want changed.
Scarlet’s eyes widened, and she shook her head adamantly. “No, you can’t do that. This is my home, too.”
“No, it isn’t.”
“Mom and Dad wouldn’t have wanted–”
“Don’t try that bullshit with me, Scarlet.
This is my house. You moved in here after our parents passed, but it was mine before then, and it is still mine.
It never belonged to Mom and Dad. You’ve mooched off me long enough.
It’s time for you and Russell to use some of that trust fund money you were given and find your own house. ”
Scarlet’s eyes filled with tears, her bottom lip trembling. “You can’t do this, Leo.”
He refused to be swayed. Caiden was right. Natalie was a viper, along with all of Scarlet’s friends, and his sister was the head snake of them all. Not for the first time, he wondered how she had become the spoiled, selfish person she was.
“I can, and I am. You’ve taken advantage of my generosity for long enough. You have three weeks.”
He stared dispassionately when Scarlet let out a loud sob, her thin shoulders beginning to shake. “No, please no, brother. Don’t do this.”
Caiden began clapping slowly, his low laughter filling the room. “Good performance, Scar.”
Like a switch had been flipped, Scarlet instantly stopped crying and glared at him, snarling, “Don’t you fucking call me that, you bastard.”
Caiden raised an eyebrow at her, a cocky grin crossing his face. “Trust me, that’s far better than what I want to call you.”
“Three weeks, Scarlet,” Leo interjected, before settling back down in his chair and clasping his hands together in front of him.
He was so damn tired. He’d let his sister get by with too much for far too long.
It had to stop now before he found himself somehow mated to a woman he couldn’t stand, and hating life for the rest of his years.
Scarlet stiffened, turning to look at him, her eyes flashing a dark golden color before returning to their natural blue. “You will regret this, brother.”
Leo stayed silent, having already said everything he intended to. He refused to feed into her antics. There were several places in town for Scarlet and Russell to rent or purchase.
“It’s about damn time,” Caiden said, after Scarlet flounced out of the room, slamming the door shut behind her. He lowered himself into a chair across from Leo’s desk, shaking his head. “I don’t know how you’ve put up with her and slick-dick Russell for as long as you have.”
“You and me both.” Sighing, Leo glanced down at the spreadsheet he’d been looking at when Scarlet appeared not too long ago. “Maybe with them out of my house, I can find a way to keep them out of my damn bank account too.”
“You know she was right about one thing.” When Leo’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t reply, Caiden went on, “Some of the elders in the pack are making noise about you needing a mate.” When Leo stiffened and sent him a glare, Caiden held up his hands as if in surrender.
“I’m not saying I agree. I would tell them all to fuck off if it were me. ”
“I am not going to tie myself to a female just to make those old coots happy,” Leo snarled.
“I get it.” Caiden leaned back in his chair and laughed. “Hell, they have more issues with you than the fact that you aren’t mated.”
Leo grunted, throwing the spreadsheet on the desk. “And they will keep having those issues until they either leave or go to meet their maker, because I’m not changing the way I do things just to appease them.”
“Point taken.” Caiden gave him a cocky grin. “You wouldn’t be the alpha I know and respect if you did.”