Chapter 1 - Riley
“Happy Birthday!”
I looked up from my desk to find Troy standing in my office doorway. His dark brown hair was combed back, and he gave me a charming smile that I knew the girls fawned over. He looked exactly like he had when we were in high school.
“Nothing says happy birthday like a meeting with my council members,” I grumbled, tossing some papers down.
“The perks of being Alpha.” Troy walked in. He swung into a chair and leaned back. “Do you feel old yet? You’re officially twenty-four. You look old. Maybe you should retire.” He smirked as he said the words.
My life hadn’t changed since I took over as Alpha when I turned twenty. My life had revolved around the pack and trying to take care of it. As if being Alpha wasn’t enough, we had an entirely different issue on our hands.
“You're an asshole.”
He laughed as he gave me a shrug. “You have plans besides the meeting?”
I shook my head. I wasn’t really in the mood to celebrate my birthday. With everything going on in the pack and the council up my ass, I just wanted to be left alone.
“Oh, come on, go out for a beer at least.”
“Is that beer with you?” He is the only person who would understand the pressure I was under.
“I guess it depends on how late your meeting runs.”
I rolled my eyes, knowing that Troy was likely in Riverville to visit his parents. He came in weekly to have dinner with them and stay in touch.
“Why don’t you join us for dinner?” Troy asked. “Maybe it will help with your grumpiness.”
I rolled my eyes. “I don’t want to impose.”
“You wouldn’t be. Come on, join us. My mom's making her meatloaf.”
Before I could answer, Thalia knocked on my door. She was the council's secretary. She always seemed to pop up at the worst time.
“Yes, Thalia?” I sat up a little straighter, worried she was about to tell me someone else was at the infirmary, or so other bad news.
“I was told to grab you for the meeting.” She offered a smile. Thalia was a petite, sweet woman, and I wondered how she managed to work with the council members, given their unkindness.
I pulled myself up and looked back at Troy. “I’ll let you know.”
He waved a hand. “Text me.”
I left him in my office and headed down the hallway with Thalia. She walked a step behind me, and I pushed the door open to the council’s room. There were four of them in total: Jasmine, Dean, Laura, and Kelly.
We normally have five, but Cathy stepped down a few months ago, and they hadn’t filled her spot yet. I wasn't sure if they were ever going to, but that was the last thing on our minds. They had more important things on their hands.
All of them were older, with gray hair. Jasmine was short while Laura was tall. Dean had a full beard and mustache, while Kelly was clean-shaven. They were all wearing crisp attire while they waited.
I shut the door behind me and took my seat across from them.
The meeting room was small with a rounded table.
There were pictures of past council members lining the walls behind them that just made them seem even more powerful.
It was like all the council members were staring at you during these meetings.
There were no windows, no other doors besides the one behind me.
“Glad you made it.”
“Hard to miss it when you have Thalia running after me everywhere.”
Jasmine smirked. “She’s a sweet girl. Determined to impress.”
I sighed, not in the mood for any chit chat. “Has there been any change?”
I watched as Laura’s lips pulled in tightly, and I knew that whatever news they had wasn’t good. It never was, but I hoped. They kept telling me they were looking for a solution. I kept hoping they would have something every time I came.
We’d been dealing with pack members' mated bonds failing. It was just a couple at first who said they were happy and could feel their bond, and suddenly, like a snap of a twig, it was gone.
Mates that had been together for years were explaining that something felt off. Their connections weren’t as strong as they used to be, and they didn’t understand. We had members coming forward one after another.
We started hearing about this happening more and more. If that wasn’t bad enough, the unmated were starting to grow angry. Not just upset, but losing control over their inner wolf. I’d watched brawls break out of nowhere.
I’d already witnessed too many bloody scenes, too many deaths. I couldn't let this get any more out of hand than it already was. It didn't help that the council wanted to keep this hushed until further notice.
I adjusted myself in my chair. “You guys said you have the answer, yet your faces are telling another story.”
They were all good at keeping neutral expressions, but I could see concern underneath. It was almost like they weren't sure about whatever they were about to say.
Jasmine tapped her fingers on the table. “We have, but you're probably not going to like it.” She looked over at Dean, who made a face.
I frowned, feeling my stomach tighten at their words. “What is it?” Had they found no solutions? Or did they find out that the solution was going to be harder than they expected?
Dean cleared his throat. “It seems that they are being corrupted. Someone is affecting them. We found that it's actually dark magic.”
I frowned, trying to think how that was even possible. I could see maybe it affecting a few people, but an entire pack? Several packs? Just who was behind this? Was it one person? A group? I had hundreds of questions. “All of them? How is that even possible?”
“We’re still trying to figure out the how and why, but that’s what we know. There is dark magic that’s been used, and it’s causing bonds to shatter. It’s messing with bonds that have already been put together. It won’t be long before this issue starts to get out of hand.”
“Out of hand?” I felt the words come out clipped. “It’s already out of hand. I’ve watched blood be shed because two guys wanted a woman. This is already out of hand. You need to tell everyone.”
Laura shook her head. “We are still keeping this under wraps, which means this is not known information to the public.”
I threw my hands up. “And just how long do you think that’s going to work before the public starts demanding answers? How long have people been putting two and two together?” We were already running out of time.
“We are doing what is best for the pack, Riley. You are an Alpha. You know that not everything is public knowledge.”
I ran a hand over my face. “I understand that, but this is affecting everyone across the pack. This isn’t a small thing. And it's just my pack.”
Jasmine tilted her head as she stared at me. “Riley, I would get control of your answer. We don't need you joining the problem.”
I curled my hands into fists. Jasmine's sharp eyes remained on me, tracking me like I was an injured animal.
“We have found a possible answer to the problem.”
“A possible answer?” Irritation started to build up again. “You have asked me to wait patiently for months, and you have a possible answer? How the hell does that help?”
Dean sighed. “We will have to track down this dark magic, and that will take time. But in the meantime, we need to get the sudden anger flare-ups under control. It starts with you. So, we have found a way to calm your emotions so you can stay level-headed.”
I almost laughed. “Do tell what your plan is.” I wondered what idiotic idea they had come up with.
“We found your mate.”
I laughed this time. I doubted they had. I’d spent all twenty-four years trying to figure that out, and I hadn’t. There was no way they found my mate.
I ran a hand over my face. “And exactly how did you find my mate?”
“That part is classified,” Kelly said, holding a serious face.
I leaned back in my chair. “So, I’m just supposed to believe you have found my mate without you telling me how you did it?”
Jasmine raised an eyebrow at me. “Are you doubting us?”
I sighed, no longer interested in the meeting. I just wanted this to be over. I would meet whoever they wanted and let them know they were wrong. I waved a hand. “Fine, who exactly have you found as the solution?”
“A human girl. We think that humans are the solution to the problem since they don't possess magic or feel the bonds as we do.”
I almost laughed if I wasn’t insulted by their words. They found that a human would be able to help with a shifter issue? For heaven's sake, just who the hell was working for them? Did they hire idiots?
“Are you kidding me right now?” I asked, grinding my teeth together.
They all shook their heads. “You know her. Her name is Janella Mendez.”
Every muscle in my body froze as I listened to her name. I hadn’t heard it in a while, but my body reacted. There was no possible way that she was my fated mate. I would have known. I spent years around her, and I didn’t feel anything towards her.
I ground my teeth together, unable to deny the fluster that formed in my belly. A part of me was suddenly interested. I hadn’t seen her in a long time. Troy didn’t talk about his sister. It would be interesting to know what happened with her.
I arrived at Troy's parents' house for dinner. I rang the doorbell, and it was thrown open. Lily, Troy's mother, opened it and looked shocked. “Riley? What are you doing here?”
“Troy invited me to join you guys. Did he not tell you?”
I could see Troy was sitting behind her on the couch. He looked surprised when he saw me. Lily turned and crossed her arms at him. “Troy?”
“In my defense, I didn't think he would come.”
Charlie, Troy's father, who was sitting on the recliner, chuckled.
Lily shook her head. “Well, come in.”
I stepped inside, and Lily shut the door behind me. “It's been a while since we last saw you, Riley. How have you been?”
“I've been good. Busy. How have you guys been?”
“Wonderful.”
I slipped my shoes off and moved over to join Troy on the couch. They were watching a baseball game, and I could smell chicken from the kitchen. My stomach growled, and I realized that I hadn't eaten since breakfast.
“Dinner is actually done if we want to move over to the kitchen.” We all moved to the kitchen, where Lily grabbed another plate and set it out for me.
I sat across from Troy. “This looks lovely, Lily.”
“I'm glad you could join us. It's been a while since we've had a fourth person eating with us.”
I felt the space grow tense suddenly, and Troy froze as he reached for a chicken. He looked at me for a split second before grabbing a chicken breast and moving it to his plate. “It's not been that long, Mom.”
Lily scuffed. “It has. Honey, has she called? She told me she was going to call tonight.”
Charlie shook his head. “No, she hasn't. I'm sure she will. It's still early.”
I knew they were talking about Janella. I grabbed a chicken and pulled it onto my plate. “Has she been home since she moved away? I haven't seen her around at all.”
Lily shook her head. “She's busy. Very busy girl. We're so proud of how well she's done for herself.”
“What is she doing?”
“She's an assistant to a CEO.” Lily's eyes sparkled as she spoke. “She's doing well for herself.”
A part of me suddenly ached because I didn't like what I was going to have to do. I swallowed. “Where did she end up going to anyway?”
“A couple of hours away up north,” Charlie said as he cut his chicken. “It's a beautiful city. Clairview.”
I noted that name and nodded. “Good for her.” I thought of the council's words just earlier. You need to bring her back and marry her. You need to mate and get yourself under control. It's what's best for the pack.