“You know this sounds too perfect, right? After all the crap we've been through, this would be way too easy. There has to be a catch, nothing can just fall into place that perfectly when I'm involved.” She tells me while we walk away from the dance floor, and I ponder on it. I can't say I don't share Samantha's concerns, especially with our track record.
“Let's just enjoy our wedding party, wifey. We'll have plenty of time for our responsibilities soon enough.” I kiss my wife's head and we start making our rounds, greeting the guests and thanking them for their presence.
Samantha
“What time is it?” I groan annoyed as the sound of the alarm and way too much movement in the bed wakes me up.
“It's 10 past 8, wifey. We need to get a move on soon, or we'll miss our flight. And if we miss our flight we miss our chance for a honeymoon, so chop chop.” Jason ushers me, and I am briefly contemplating a divorce right about now.
“Argh, how are you so... alive? We literally slept like 3 hours.” I open just one eye as I speak to him.
“I'm not. I'm practically asleep inside, but if I let myself stay in bed, we'll not be able to get to our flight. And I want you to have the honeymoon that goes with the wedding. We both deserve some alone time away from the pack.”
Goddess, when did Jason turn into the caring one and I turned into the lazy one? But he does have a point. We only have 3 days to spend together on our honeymoon before we need to get back home and check on the pack, because after that we will be flying to the States to help with the trials that my uncle is organising, so he can choose the next Alpha of Tristate pack.
Needless to say, our schedule is jam packed, so I find my motivation to get out of bed and start getting ready to leave.
After I get out of the shower, I see Jason left a cup of coffee and a muffin for me on the nightstand. I smile and I can feel the literal hearts forming in my eyes, that's how in love I am.
Descending the stairs two at a time and nearly tripping, I get downstairs and shove the last bit of my cupcake in my mouth, chasing it with the remaining of my coffee.
“I'm ready, let's go babe!” I peck Jason's lips and he playfully swats my ass before picking up our bags. I hold the door open for him and I can feel the excitement of our trip bubbling up inside.
“Sun, sand and baby making here we come!” Jason shouts enthusiastically. I join in the happy moment, but soon enough my brain processes the words that left my husband's lips, and I stop dead in my tracks.
“Wait, what?”
Alright, so the truth is Jason and I haven't really left our honeymoon suite. We went to the beach once, and that was it. We couldn't wait to hurry back to the room and dive into each other's arms once more. Truth be told, even if Jason was joking about the baby making, I'm not really against it. It may be all that time spent with the handsome bundle of giggles, that is my godson, but I wouldn't mind one of my own. Jason for sure wouldn't object, not with the amount of baby hints he's been dropping lately.
I never could have imagined Jason Wright as having dad potential, but I have come to realise that the Jason I thought I knew a few years ago, was not the real him. The real Alpha Jason Wright is the man standing now besides me. He's a great mate, a loving husband, a fair Alpha and a caring friend. That's how I know he would make a very good father also.
Right now I am so jet lagged, yet so full of energy that it's almost suspicious. Jason and I came to the United States straight from our honeymoon. We decided to take an extra day for ourselves and didn't have enough time to go back to Crescent Moon.
Brian assured Jason that everything is under control and there are no issues that require either of us to go there, so we took advantage of that.
My husband is already with my uncle discussing the trials and the challenges prepared to select the new Alpha, and Tyler is on my bed asking way too many questions about my after wedding activities. Wanting desperately to change the subject towards something that wouldn't make my cheeks burn in embarrassment, I decide to ask about the new Alphas.
“So, has anyone arrived yet? Did anyone show any potential so far?”
“There are a couple of Alphas without a pack that came yesterday, and few more today. About 5 or so lone wolves and even some rogues, to spice things up. The best part is that we even have 2 females, though that might need to be verified at a later date, because they are more buff than my dad and Bolder.” I burst out laughing at his mean comment, although I know it's wrong.
“It's going to be interesting, to say the least, but it's impressive how they haven't started fighting yet.”
A loud crash makes Tyler and I look at each other confused, before jumping from the bed and going straight towards the balcony doors. We pry them open and look outside, curiosity getting the best of us. In the distance, towards Carla's beautiful garden, we see a big fight between some of the contenders, and they are messing up the Luna's topiary. Not that Carla is too keen of stuff like that, but they are really going at it, destroying everything around them. I can make out two men fighting and a third one that looks like he's trying to separate them. A few others are there but they don't get involved, either they're too scared or they're thinking that getting into it right now might get them disqualified. The same guy that tries to pull the two beasts apart, looks up suddenly, like he knew Tyler and I are watching. I feel a bit like a child caught with their hand in the cookie jar when he looks straight in our direction and then Tyler quickly pulls me inside, closing the blinds. I chuckle softly at Tyler's reaction. I guess I'm not the only one feeling like I got caught, although my friend rarely gets embarrassed like that
“Looks like I spoke too soon. Those feral mutts are going to be disqualified. What a waste of time, space and resources. If they can't hold their shit for a few hours until the trials begin, how the hell do they think themselves as being able to lead a pack?” He huffs, and I think this is the first time I see Tyler getting mad. I'm not even sure why he is so upset. Surely there is at least one Alpha out there that can take on the part, and make a good team with Ty.
63 - Trials
Samantha
After witnessing the fight that broke outside, and having those wolves year each other apart before the rounds even began, Tyler and I take it as our cue to go in my uncle's office and join the talks about the upcoming trials.
So much for catching up with my friend, but it's time we all act like the serious pack leaders that we are. OK, fine, I'll admit I'm pretty excited about this event, mainly because it was originally my idea, and I want to see it play out.
“What do you think that was all about?” I curiously ask Ty as we hurry towards the office.
“I have no idea, probably too much testosterone in those savage meatheads.” He shrugs, but I press harder, not feeling satisfied with the answer.
“I'm not dumb, Ty. I am much more observant that people give me credit for.” I furrow my brows trying to make a point, but he feigns innocence. Fine, two can play at this game.
“I meant the guy who caught us looking. It's like he sensed us being there, his eyes shot right at us, at you... Do you guys know each other?”
“No, Sam, and I have no idea what you're on about, but let's go in and see if we're ready to start this show.” He dismissed me just like that, but I know there's more to the story. I think Ty and the mystery Alpha know each other, and I have a feeling they do not like one another and might cause some issues.
As soon as we stepped foot in the Alpha's office, Jason came to peck my lips, and even though it was a chaste kiss, I felt my whole face redden and my ears burning.
“Right, now that you two have gotten your fix, because it must be tough being apart for less than an hour, can we get to it?” It was Jason's turn to feel embarrassed, but he covered it with a slight cough, to which my uncle just smirked, knowing he got under my husband's skin.
“I believe it's time to announce the begining of the trials and do the first round tonight, because I fear our guests might st
art killing each other anyway.” My uncle puts the idea on the table and we all agree, especially after what happened earlier.
“Cool, so we have 3 out already, we're sifting through them easily, then.” Tyler jumps in but his father shakes his head, disagreeing.
“No, just 2 are out for now.” Tison sees mine and Tyler's confused faces and starts to explain his earlier answer.
“You must have heard about the fight that broke earlier. A lone wolf and a pack wolf didn't see eye to eye. The third one that got involved is a rogue, but tested Alpha. The guards that saw the fight and eventually broke it down said that the rogue only tried to pull them apart, so he stays.” Tison explains.
“Of course he does.” Tyler scoffs, visibly annoyed. Jason and I share a look, both wondering what the hell is Ty's problem?
The others seem to either be oblivious, or just ignore Tyler's little outburst.
Bolder brings out a folder and removes the top 4 files that were on top of it.
“These are also out. They didn't test Alpha accprding to our standards, mainly because I would never leave the pack in the hands of people who:
Condone rape, he points to the first file.
Lie about where they come from, he shows us the second one.
Kill the innocent, he points to the last two and I cringe.
“How many left?” Jason asks, but I am just as curious.
“We should have 3 female Alphas, 5 rogues, 10 lone wolves and 18 pack wolves. They all showed Alpha potential, though some of them lack a few essential skills regarding the running of a pack, but I guess that can be taught. What we need to 'sift' out are the ones that lack compassion, empathy, basically their human side.”
“Yet the rogue stayed..” Ty mutters, feeling Bolder's words about sifting being directed to him.
“For a rogue, he's shown empathy and he cared about stoping the fight and not offend his hosts. I say that puts him in the lead. Not to mentiom his test scores.” Carla intervenes for the first time, and I catch the pride beaming in my uncle's eyes. I smile knowingly. Carla is the most compassionate person I know. Of course she will stick out for that rogue despite his background, just like she did for me. She never judges a book by it's cover, and luckily Tyler is smarter than to question his Luna.
“I'm with Carla on this one. I've been unjustly judged by my rank before, so I think we should only judge the remaining contenders by what they do while they are here.” It's Jason who beams proudly now, and thankfully everyone else agrees with what I said, so we walk out to announce the beginning of round 1.
We go where the tents, that are housing out guests, have been set up. I notice a lot of guards and warriors are patrolling the area, probably expecting another fight to start soon.
It takes just a few minutes for everyone that wants to be the next Alpha of the Tristate pack to gather in front of us. I notice the females and my eyes linger on them for a second, while I try not to make it look like I'm rudely staring.
Tyler caught the line of my gaze and snickered next to me. Yes, he was right about their appearance, but this is not the time to be childish.
“Welcome Alphas. It's an honour to have you all here today as we start the process of selecting our next Leader.” My uncle starts his short speech.
They all must see this as a few welcoming words from the Alpha they might replace, but in reality, this is a quick, but very effective first round.
Bolder gives a subtle warning to us, and the warriors, Betas, and even Carla, shift their position so they are well rooted to the ground, before my uncle starts speaking again.
“May only the strong stand, and the weak BOW DOWN AND SUBMIT!” The booming of Bolder's voice, and the sheer power of his tone was meant to compel any wolf to submit to him, and a lot of them did, visibly annoyed that they couldn't fight it. Snarls and growls can be heard as the Alpha's in front of us are forced to kneel and bare their necks.
Bolder used his strong Alpha tone, his wolf making an unadmissable appearance in his voice, and as a result we are now left with just 12 possible Alphas.
“Well, wasn't that fun!?” My uncle chuckles amused at the sight before him. “Next round will begin tomorrow morning at 5 am sharp.”
I notice the rogue that got under Tyler's skin, smirking when he saw my friend bow down and submit. Way to get on the future Beta's good side, I shake my head disapprovingly looking between the two.
“Get some rest and if you want, you can even get to know the pack. It's not like you can be the next Alpha if the pack members don't want you.
That reminds me, any winner can be vetoed by the pack. The whole point of this is to try and make everyone happy. Peace and happiness within the pack is just as important as having a strong leader.” My uncle finishes his speech and I notice the rogue's face fall upon hearing that winning doesn't necessarily mean he will get to be the next Alpha, and now it's Tyler's turn to smirk.
What kind of game are these 2 playing?
64 - Worthy
Tyler
The best and worst thing about my gift is that ultimately, I know the outcome of a certain situation. It usually comes to me as random as it gets, knowing that we are out of milk just because I closed my eyes briefly and saw my dad walking to the fridge to find the milk carton empty. Sometimes the gift is a bit more useful, like learning that Jennifer is pregnant and having a flash that showed me her mate holding a baby with a blue blanket and crying. OK, I'm not sure how 'helpful' that vision was, because they would have found out eventually that they're having a baby boy, and I doubt they would have been mad or anything, but it saved them from buying the wrong clothes and painting the kid's nursery pink. The coolest part of having these flashes, is that I can sometimes change the course of events. Meaning that I can go buy milk so I can make sure my dad doesn't have to take his coffee black, or I can push Jason to be at a well determined location at a very precise time. See what I did there?
The way this world works, is that whatever needs to happen will happen eventually, with or without my help or interference. I tried to save someone's life once. I was 7 or 8 and my mother and I were in a crowded market in the part of town where mostly humans live. I had accidentally touched a man's arm when I had a vision of him getting hit by a car just after walking away from where we were. So I grabbed his arm and pretended like he hurt me, just so I could stall him. I breathed relieved as soon as I saw the blue sedan that, in my vision, had hit him. Once my mother assured the stranger I was fine, he went his own way. Moments later we heard commotion and saw people running. A delivery truck was left in neutral and rolled away, pinning the same man between the car and the wall. It was then that I understood I'm only a bystander and that I can't control anything. I might be able to get a heads up, but sometimes telling people makes it worse, that's why even today, I use my gift carefully and only a few people know of my abilities.
And to explain my sudden trip down memory lane, and why I've been so bitchy and snappy lately, know that I had a vision about 2 years ago and for the first time ever it was about me. I didn't realise it at the time, but when we had the first lot of contenders come to our pack, and I smelled the scent of my mate, I remembered that stupid vision and I finally understood it and exactly what it meant. Or what it means, because I have been trying my best to avoid the moment, although I know that, just like with the human that I tried to save over a decade ago, I am only putting off the inevitable.
I groan and suddenly the urge to punch something, or someone, fills me. Fuck my life!
I've always thought that if I were to have any problem in finding my mate, or with my mate once I found them, if would because I'm gay. The Moon Goddess knows best which souls to pair, but sometimes the human side, especially in males of high rank, is too strong and can be stubborn and not accept a mate of the same sex. Well now I wish that were the case. Oh, as stupid as it sounds, and I know it sounds stupid, I would happily trade a stubborn Alpha male that refuses to accept he's gay, for what I've been given.
You must have figured out by now who my mate is, and fine, I'll just come out and say it. It's him, the rogue who seems to have caught everyone's attention for various reasons. And the problem isn't that he would much rather have a woman be his mate, no, that rogue would fuck anything, male female or hermaphrodite. Fuck, why does thinking about that turn me on? I hate this stupid mate bond and that I get a hard on just thinking about him. I am losing it, and the more I delay the moment I saw in vision, the worse I'm making it for myself.
'I'm a rogue, I don't have a mate!' I am not eager to be hearing that anytime soon, but I have to admit, he's damn strong and powerful. I don't like it, but he has the potential to be a great Alpha, and I have to stop thinking about stuff like that. He doesn't feel the bond, no rogue has ever felt a mate bond, that's their nature, they don't have mates.
Putting on a casual face to go along with my casual bad boy outfit, I pluck myself out of the chair I've been sulking in since I woke up. It's nearly 5 in the damn morning, which means the next round will start soon, so I better hurry to get there and don't miss any of the action.
“Morning Ty, you alright?” Sam greets me yawning like she hasn't slept in days, which is probably true.
“You look like shit? Who kept you up all night?” Jason joins in the teasing and Sam shoots his glare.
“I think that should be my line directed to you.” I wink and head over to the ring that Alpha Bolder and my dad prepared last night. I think Jason might have gotten those old men hooked on fights. But I knew the point of all this. It had been indeed, Jason's idea, and I must say it's a brilliant one.
The end game is to see which of them can be a team player and not just out to save his own skin. I think my mate and the other lone wolves and rogues will struggle with that. Rogues, for instance, don't have that strong pack bond and might find it difficult to partner up in order to achieve a goal. And why am I scared for the rogue? The fuck if I know, I should want him out, gone, but still here I am, secretly happy that he's still in the race, and even more secretly wishing that he'll come out a winner. I think I've become a sadist.
Fight For The Highest Wolf Rank Page 31