Chapter 2 - Alpha
Brent’s POV:
The flight was barely over an hour from my pack, Valley Wolf, but I was already beyond ready to get out of this vehicle that had only left the airport about 45 minutes ago… My head was pounding and my wolf would not shut the hell up. I held my head in my hands in a failed attempt to steady my breathing, trying to push through the pain. I'm an Alpha, how was a migraine taking me out this easily? My wolf was now in full blown panic as we were coming upon Wolf Moon's pack borders.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" My Beta asked, giving me a concerned look. I gave him a death glare and he just shrugged and looked out his window. "Why is this place so...dull? There's nothing here?" Anderson wondered aloud. TOO FUCKING LOUD. "My head feels like it's about to explode. My wolf is going insane." My Beta looked back at me with a huge grin on his face. "What the hell are you so happy about? I just told you I'm in pain and you're smiling at me?" Anderson chuckled, "maybe it means you're about to find Luna. That is exactly how I felt before finding Jess."
Once again I gave him a threatening glare. I am 37 years old and mateless and it was wearing me thin. I'd had a mate, but she eventually rejected me after years of not being able to conceive a pup. It destroyed me. I prayed daily for a second chance, but after damn near two years..nothing. So not only was I mateless, but the likelihood that I'd ever have an Alpha heir regardless, was very slim. These facts had hardened me over the years and speaking of mates was a huge trigger for me.
"Shut the hell up, Anderson."
He put his hands up in surrender, "yes, Alpha."
Of course, I knew all about how he met Jess, and while I felt for what the poor girl had gone through, I didn't care to hear their love story again. Call me jealous. I really didn't care. Besides, I had lived it. I had earned my disdain for mates and while I hoped for a second chance I was truly in no rush to be potentially crushed once again.
I unbuttoned the top button of my black dress shirt, and pushed my sleeves up to my elbows. I rested my head against the seat and closed my eyes in an attempt to find relief. As the Alpha of Alphas in the Northern Region, I was on official business doing my yearly checkup on the packs under my jurisdiction, but that did not mean I wasn't going to be at least slightly comfortable, especially in my current state.
"We've arrived at Wolf Moon pack, Alpha,'' the driver suddenly stated, pulling me from my thoughts and keeping me from choking my overly excited Beta. I rubbed once more at my throbbing temple before pulling the door handle and stepping out of the vehicle. I was in shock as the faintest scent of vanilla and amber entered my nose. Is that what I think it is? ' Mate !' my wolf howled in my head. A second chance mate? A second chance to have my Luna? Oh, my Goddess. This could not be real.
My wolf was on a mission. I finally understood what all of his commotion was about and damn it, Anderson was right. I would never live this down, but honestly, I didn't care. I had to get to my Luna. Between my wolf and a sinking feeling in my gut, it felt like something was terribly wrong .
I barely had a shred of control over my wolf, allowing him to pick up on the faint scent so that we could follow it. We blew straight past the Alpha of Wolf Moon and his Beta, I didn't give them so much as a nod. Alpha Jacobs called after me, but that didn't slow me down. If I slowed down now my wolf would shift and I couldn't have that on another Alpha's territory. Even if I am Alpha of Alphas it would be seen as incredibly disrespectful.
The scent was taking me to the trees - the opposite direction of the pack house.
I heard Anderson coming closer to me, "Alpha! Wait! What are you doing?"
Did he dare question me? Anderson had always been a pain in my ass, never fully submitting to my authority, but I let it slide most of the time as we'd been best friends since we were young pups, but right now he was pissing me off with all of his questions this morning. I decided to ignore him and kept going, the scent getting stronger with every step. My wolf howled,
' GET TO MATE! NOW!'
"ALPHA!" Anderson tried shouting again.
"Anderson, if you do not shut the fuck up, you will run the full six plus hours back to our pack in human form! Do you understand me!" I shouted back at him using every ounce of my Alpha Authority.
He was shocked at my outburst, but he complied and we continued on. I could hear Alpha Jacobs and his Beta running up now as the scent began to overwhelm my senses. My eyes searched the area frantically.
Finally, I saw her. The most beautiful woman I had ever laid eyes on. Yes, even more, beautiful than my first mate. My pull toward her was so much stronger than I ever thought possible. Even without the marking or mating, I swear I could feel the bond all the same. Suddenly my heart began to beat wildly in my chest. Something was wrong, why was her heart rate so slow?
I arrived at her side moments later and noticed a bottle of silver and a photo of a young girl that looked very similar to my mate.
The bottle looked empty, holy shit she drank the silver! I grabbed her wrist to feel for a pulse. It was there, but barely. Anderson arrived and went to the opposite side of her, grabbing the bottle of silver. His wolf could feel the Luna aura coming off of her, and he immediately became protective of her.
"Alpha, there's still some silver left. She didn't drink the whole thing." He excitedly announced.
Sighing, I silently thanked the Moon Goddess. Hoping this meant she would live, but would her wolf come back to her? I scooped her small body up into my arms as Alpha Jacobs and his Beta finally caught up.
"Alyssa," Alpha Jacobs spoke, barely above a whisper...
"Beta Jones, alert Gamma Pembrook, he needs to know."
My eyes tore from my mate, glaring into Alpha Jacobs’ stunned eyes. "My mate deserves privacy. No others need to know of her condition. Clearly, she needs medical care. For what reason do you have to get your Gamma involved with my mate?" I asked. Becoming even more protective of her, if that were even possible.
Alpha Jacobs stuttered out, "A-Alpha O'Connor…Alyssa Pe mbrook can't be your mate..her mate is um, well he is my Gamma..."
"Mine!" I roared into the faces of the three men staring back at me...