The Alpha's Embrace

2. Mate

After spending a few minutes agonizing over the inevitable, Serenity left her office and headed towards her house to get ready for the king's arrival.

When she entered the house, it was quiet. Meaning Serena was not home. Serenity couldn't help but sigh as she closed the door and shook off her jacket.

Dropping the keys in the bowl, Serenity jogged upstairs to take a shower. She let the lukewarm water cascade down from her head as she was lost in deep thought, barely remembering how she had gotten washed up and dressed.

When she was done, Serenity went downstairs and sat on the couch and laid down. Covering her eyes with her arm, she waited until the scouts informed her the king's entourage was nearing the border before getting up.

Serenity grabbed her jacket and put it on before slipping on her boots.

'Is she with you?' Serenity mind linked her aunt to ask.

'She is. She got ready here. What happened? She was crying when she came.' Serenity sighed when she heard her aunt Mary's reply.

'Just a fight, I'll talk to her after I deal with the king.' Serenity dismissed the link after saying that.

Closing her eyes, she took a few deep breaths before opening the door and heading outside. The inside of her cheek was about to be bitten raw by her as the restlessness of her wolf became more apparent.

The closer she got to the middle of the pack, the stronger the reaction. After meeting up with the others, Serenity barely heard what was being said by those around her as they all walked together to the peak of the pack to wait for the king's arrival.

While Serenity was standing there surrounded by pack members who were coming to greet the king, a hand suddenly was placed on her shoulder, awakening her from her stupor.

Turning her head, her eyes collided with Thomas' concerned one. A frown on his face as he looked at Serenity.

"Serenity, are you okay?" She could hear the concern in his tone as he asked.

"Yeah, I had a fight with Serena." Serenity briefly explained and shrugged Thomas' hand off her shoulder. "It's on my mind."

'Liar, it's your mate, isn't it? He's here, you feel him coming.' Thomas mind linked to Serenity.

However, before she could answer, the cars came into view, and the king's entourage drove into the town, coming to a stop a few feet away from the group.

The car doors opened, and instantly, Serenity's senses went off. He's here! Her mate was coming out of the car. Her body tensed as she slowed her breathing as her gaze stared ahead.

The car door slammed, and hurried footsteps followed. Then her eyes fell on him. His brown hair was neatly styled, his face was sharp and handsome, his eyes were piercing blue and his lips were plump.

When his eyes met hers, he smiled. A gentle smile, as if nothing in the world could bother him, Serenity couldn't help but notice the dimples on his cheeks, which in her opinion made his already handsome face shine.

That was when her eyes roamed his body. He wore a long button-up white shirt and gray slacks with dress shoes. The sleeves of the shirt were folded to his elbows, and when he clenched his fist, his forearm veins popped up even more.

Serenity's eyes could help but trail from his forearms to his bulging biceps. Her mate seems to be in good shape. And his height. Serenity guessed he was over six feet tall.

Serenity stood there frozen, just studying the man that was her mate. The attraction she had to him was instantaneous. It was without a doubt the mate bond began its work.

And as he stopped in front of her, the smile he had on his face deepened. His hands caressed her face lovingly.

"Breathe," his deep somber voice reached her ears, and it was only then she realized she, in fact, stopped breathing the moment she laid eyes on him.

And when she breathed in, she smelt him. He smelled good, so good. There weren't any words that could describe how good he smelled to her.

"My name is Jared, Jared Lupe. And yours, my mate?" Jared introduced himself. Serenity was so out of it that she didn't even notice the pure shock in Thomas and the others' faces as Jared's twin brother Jorah reached out to her sister Serena.

"My name....." Serenity's introduction was cut off by a sharp scream. A scream she would recognize anywhere. Her instincts went off as she pushed Jared away, and her head snapped in Serena's direction.

Serena was pale, visibly so as she scrambled backward from a man. Serenity's eyes widened as Serena cried out again.

"Stay away from me!" Serena screamed as she turned tail and rushed into the crowd without a second thought. Serenity rushed towards the man and held him down.

A dangerous move, as a growl rumbled its way from his chest and out of his mouth. His piercing blue eyes stared directly at her in warning. But this gave Serena enough time to escape from the chaos.

"Do you want to f*****g die?" The man roared in rage, tugging his hand out of her hold and went for her throat, but another hand held his own down first.

"I should be asking you that little brother?" Jared squeezed his brother's arm so tightly it creaked.

"Okay! I think we all need to calm down!" Thomas hurriedly walked toward the trio as he motioned the pack members to move further away.

"She stopped me from going after my mate! How is that any of her business or yours?" Jorah snapped at his elder brother.

"It's my f*****g business because she's my f*****g sister, you piece of shit." Serenity snapped at Jorah.

"It's my business because you tried to harm my MATE." Jared flung Jorah's arm away as he replied to Jorah's question.

"Okay, let's kindly speak like rational adults." Thomas tried to intervene again but was pushed out.

"Who the f**k is your mate? It ain't me." Serenity glared at Jared before turning to Jorah. " What did you do to my sister?"

"The f**k is that supposed to mean?" The brothers both asked simultaneously. While Thomas gripped his hair in despair.

The brothers glance at each other briefly before turning their gaze back to Serenity. Thomas felt as if the situation was getting worse, so he forcefully placed himself between Serenity and the two angry men.

"Alright, calm down, Serenity. I think you're misunderstanding something here." Thomas frowned. "The king didn't do anything to Serena. She just suddenly overreacted. "

'The king?' Serenity's eyes flickered towards Jorah, who was scowling at her. 'f*****g damn it. What are the f*****g odds?'

"Deal with this, I'll go after her." Serenity ordered Thomas.

"Wait, hold on, deal with what? I want to see Serena." Jorah stepped forward and demanded.

"Be my guess then," Serenity sarcastically motioned him to follow Serenity. "Do you even know where she is?"

"Doesn't matter. She's my mate. I have to make sure she's safe." Jorah argued.

"Safe? Are you insinuating that I would hurt my f*****g sister?" Serenity smiled coldly.

"ENOUGH!" Jared roared at them. His jaw clenched as he glanced at Serenity and Jorah. "Enough of your arguing. Serenity, go look for your sister. I'll make sure he doesn't move."

Serenity's face hardened as she heard him order her around, but she really needed to go find Serena, so she had to let it go. For now.

Without another word, she turned and, without caring for her clothes, kicked off her boots, shifted into a dark brown wolf, and rushed into the forest.

"Well, welcome to the tranquility pack." Thomas turned to the two men who stared in the direction Serenity had left in and welcomed them awkwardly.

Jorah's eyes left the treeline, and he looked at Thomas coldly. Jared raised his eyebrows and didn't reply. He was thinking about Serenity's last glance at him.

Clenching his teeth, he had the sneaking suspicion that his mate was going to be difficult.

"Your name and rank?" Jared questioned Thomas.

""Um, I'm Thomas Welsh. The beta." introduced himself.

"Right, can you tell me more about the pack's current situation." Jared nodded and asked, but Thomas' face stiffened.

"What do you mean by that?" Thomas asked. A cold smile graced his lips.

"Heh," Jorah scoffed. "This is f*****g ridiculous. You, a beta questioning my brother in front of me?"

"Jorah calm down." Jared gentled chastised his younger brother before turning his attention back to Thomas. "I don't think this is the appropriate place to have this discussion. It was my fault asking in such a crowd."

Thomas pursed his lips, and he glanced at the surrounding pack members in the corner of his eyes.

'f*****g damn it.' Thomas cursed in his head. Word has probably spread by now. Serenity left to look for Serena, but she didn't stabilize this situation.

'Things are about to get super annoying. Those fuckers are going to start moving, I need to isolate these two from the pack.' Thomas thought to himself.

"Let's go to Serenity's house. She'll meet us there." Thomas gestured for them to follow him. "Just you two, I'll have the Delta get your men situated."

"Your majesty!" The wolves who came with Jared and Jorah began to protest.

"Silence." Jorah stopped the protest immediately. "I'm not in any danger here, or are you insinuating that you are stronger than Jared and I?"

The wolves bared their necks in submission after hearing their king's words. Jared glanced at his brother and said nothing. His eyes cautiously surveying the pack members who were beginning to surround them.

'A f*****g power struggle, was that why she gave me that look?' Jared raged in silence. Not only did the beta misunderstand him, but she also misunderstood him.