The Alpha's She Wolf

“Ten laps, back and forth! If any of you pups is caught slacking off, it’ll be ten more!” shouted Beta Lucas as all of his warriors jumped into the freezing cold water. It was just past six in the morning and the sun was starting to come up, its golden light painting the clear blue sea. At Mariners Moon Pack, swimming an hour a day after sparring was part of our training. And while most of the young wolves disliked being forced into the cold water at such an early hour, I found it rather refreshing. In fact, it helped me start the day with a clear mind, which was very important for me as Alpha in the making. “I can’t wait to be Beta,” whispered Flint, my best friend, mid-swimming. “I bet Lucas loves to sit and watch as we freeze to death over here!” he complained, although training didn’t really bother him as much as he pretended. Flint was blonde and muscular, even more than the other warriors, as he trained extra hard due to his future Beta position. Don’t get me wrong, but he was a good looking guy and his vivid green eyes were his secret weapon to winning any she wolf’s heart. They would all fall for him, but he didn’t give them any attention - as he claimed, he was saving himself for his true love. Mates were the only thing he didn’t joke about and having turned eighteen two months ago, he had already gained his wolf and was therefore searching thoroughly for his one and only. “We just have to make it through another year,” I laugh in response, still focused on swimming as fast as I can. “But I’m pretty sure you’ll be the one dying to jump in with everyone else.” “Maybe.” He smirked. As we swam through the borders of our territory, I couldn’t help the smile on my face. I would soon carry the title of Alpha of Mariners Moon Pack, which was a big responsibility, but one I had been training restlessly for my entire life. While we were not one of the biggest packs in the US, having just above 300 wolves, outsiders respected us. All of our members were natural swimmers and skilled fighters, and we have been known for taking down much larger packs by taking our fights to the water. That being said, a lot of expectations fell onto me, Zale, prodigy son of the great Alpha Roman Maynard. Even though most pack members felt at ease while swimming, I was really good at it at a very young age. That’s why I was allowed to start training with the other warriors at the age of ten, four years before all other pups. I also excelled at strategy planning and logic tests, even though I didn’t have the best grades in school. What can I say? I take my Alpha duties very seriously, but since ranked members didn’t need to go through university, I just wasn’t having any of that useless crap. I hated wasting my time on anything I felt was unnecessary. Before I could even realize it, I was done with my laps. The other warriors followed a little further behind, all of them gasping for air after the long morning of training. But I just took a deep breath, welcoming the new day as I quickly got out of the water in only my speedos. “Good morning, Alpha Zale!” A blonde girl caught my attention. She was wearing a short hot pink dress and I couldn’t help but take in her curves. When I finally looked at her face, I realized she was one of my classmates, but I didn’t really know her name. “We’re excited to see you at the ceremony tomorrow, Alpha Zale! Maybe we can hang out later?” Another girl, presumably the first one’s friend, flashed her lashes at me. She was a pretty brunette and suddenly I caught myself imagining what it would be like to have both of them in my bed. “He’s not Alpha yet.” Flint barked as he caught up to me, quickly scaring the girls away. By the unusual frown on his face, I figured he was not amused by me eyeing the single ladies. “Isn’t it about time you stopped sleeping around? What will your mate think when you find her?” he scowled, making me roll my eyes. “You’re getting your wolf tomorrow! Do you think he’ll approve of your manwhore attitude?” “Goddess, Flint! Chill!” I brushed him off, wrapping a towel around my waist as I made my way to the pack’s gym. “And yes, I’m meeting my wolf self tomorrow. That’s exactly why I’d like to enjoy my freedom before a mutt starts bossing me around.” I couldn’t tell Flint this, but the reason why I enjoyed getting into girls pants so often was because it helped distract me from the void I felt inside of me. As an only child, my parents gave me all of their love and being the heir of the pack I had everyone’s support and attention. But ever since I can remember, there’s this empty feeling inside of me, as if I wasn’t completely whole. My mother said it was common for a wolf to feel that way before they found their mate, and even though I felt that wasn’t quite the reason behind my feelings, I tried my best to just shrug it off. “You two will share the same mind, so I doubt you’ll do anything against your will. But I do hope he’s not as horny as you are.” He jokingly slaps my arm, his casual goofy smile lighting up his face. “Who knows? Summer is just as much of a prude as you are. Maybe my wolf will be into all the fun, like me,” I reply laughing. “Summer is not a prude!” he faked irritation, as if I had offended his wolf partner. “He didn’t even mind it when he found out I had already kissed someone.” “On the cheek!” I reminded him, watching as he rolled his eyes. “I just hope you do find your mate soon, so you can get a piece of all the action” “What are you two strays mumbling about?” Alessia caught us by surprise, throwing one arm around each of our necks. Alessia was our Delta and a very attractive girl. She had light skin, soft as sand, beautiful long caramel hair and hazel eyes, but to the disappointment of all the unmated males in our pack, she was happily married. She had found Hector, her mate, just two weeks after connecting with her wolf, Kara. Sadly, her mother and our former Delta passed away in battle when Alessia was only nineteen. She was now 24 and had every pack members’ trust and respect. The Delta position was the only one that could be occupied by either a male or a female, and she exercised her function with exemplarity beyond compare. “Just trying to convince Zale to keep it in his pants.” Flint rolls his eyes at me. “Again?” Alessia snorts. “You should focus on your duties instead of your d**k, dumb pup.” “Hey, watch your language around your Alpha!” I growled. “Alpha in training,” She corrected “As far as I’m concerned, I still outrank you. And I command you to go change and get ready for breakfast. There’s a meeting your father wants you to attend.” “As you wish, my lady” I kiss her hand and she abruptly pulls it away, ready to slap me in the face, but I quickly duck. “See you after breakfast!” I scream already running off, leaving an annoyed Alessia behind. After reaching the gym’s changing room, I took a quick shower and got dressed in sports shorts and a dark grey plain T-shirt. I took a look at my reflection in the mirror, using a razor to shave off my thin beard; it made me look older, but I liked a clean face. I then analysed my slightly tan skin and shining blue eyes, which always got a nice glow after training. I ran my hands through my short black hair, styling it wildly. Pleased with the result, I smiled. I definitely looked like a Greek god. “Come on, Narcissus, don’t fall in love with your reflection.” Flint’s voice echoed through the room. “I’ll try,” I joke, rushing to my future Beta’s side as we march to the cafeteria. Just then, I get the feeling that something’s missing. “Hey, have you seen Zakai at training today?” “Nah. Pretty sure he skipped it again,” Flint replied, looking around for our friend. “Let me text him.” Even if they were born in the same pack, members were only able to communicate through mindlink once they got their wolves. Even though Flint had already gotten his, neither me nor Zakai did, so if we wanted to communicate, we had to do it the old fashioned way. “He said he slept in again. Bullshit.” My future Beta snorted, crossing his arms. “He’s gonna be Gamma, for Christ’s sake! He needs to take his duties seriously.” Did I say the only thing he didn’t make fun of was the mate bond? Well, he didn’t joke about the pack’s safety either. “As long as his parents are out of town, we can forget about him showing up for training,” I laugh. Gamma Martin was known for being serious and firm. He would definitely lose it when he came back and found out his son was slacking off. “Besides, his official training as Gamma only starts in two weeks, after he turns 18,” I add. As we enter the dining hall, we realize most warriors and other pack members are already enjoying their breakfast. I quickly make my plate with eggs, sausage, hashbrowns and bacon, then turn to see Flint’s plate filled with pancakes, syrup and slices of cake. I nod my head in disapproval, but smile nonetheless. It’s shocking how crazy that guy is for sugar. He’s lucky werewolves can’t get diabetes, or he’d totally be sick already. It didn’t take long for me to devour my food and I noticed Flint was slowly eating every piece of his meal, enjoying his sugar rush. Worried about making it in time for the meeting with my father, I wave him goodbye and make my way to the kitchen, where the Omegas are working hard to keep the food trays always full. “Good morning, Mrs Dawson.” I greeted the brown haired lady, who’s around her fifties. “You and your cooks did an amazing job with the food, as always.” I smile, carefully placing my plate in the dishwasher. “Oh, my sweet boy, how many times do I have to tell you?” she shakes her head. “You don’t need to bring your dishes, we can fetch them for you. As the next Alpha, I’m sure you have a lot more important things to do.” Colette Dawson, the chief cook, was always concerned about the well being of every pack member. I would even go as far as to say she was like a second mother to most. “Nonsense!” I replied. “But I do have a meeting to attend to now. Otherwise, I’d love to help you out some.” When I was a young pup, I loved sneaking out to the kitchen to watch and help the other cooks. In fact, I made more of a mess playing with flour than I actually helped, but Mrs. Dawson never complained about it. “You better get going then, little Alpha!” she chuckled. “Oh, and don’t be late for breakfast tomorrow! I’ll be making your favorite eggs benedict pancakes. It’s a special occasion, after all!” I smiled in response, mouthing a heartfelt ‘thank you’ as my stomach purred in anticipation. I then rushed over to the Town Hall, which was an enormous modern building in the centre of the city. It had a curved shape, white walls and a bunch of glass windows, as well as a lovely garden in front. It was my mother’s, the pack’s Luna, idea to get the prettiest flowers to color the place, and she assisted the gardener Omegas daily to keep it perfect. The Town Hall is where all the ranked members lived, but my father made sure every pack member could walk freely, especially on the first two floors, where there were common areas such as the playroom, the ballroom, the convention centre and a small house theatre. I quickly climbed upstairs to the fourth and final floor, where my father’s office was. I entered without knocking, a benefit only few had. As soon as I opened the door, I was met by my father, my mother and Beta Lucas. It was weird seeing them reunited without Gamma Martin and Delta Alessia, but since most meetings didn’t require the presence of all ranked members, I just shrugged it off. “Hey, Dad. Mom,” I greeted them with a simple smile. “Beta Lucas.” I bowed my head. “I’m still your Alpha, boy!” my father growled in complaint, but I knew he didn’t mind it. He always tried to keep me in line to balance the way my mother spoiled me. You see, shortly after she had me, she had a health problem that made her unable to have more children. It’s sad because she wanted lots of pups, but I wasn’t complaining about having all of the attention to myself. “Oh, Roman, don’t be like that!” My mother’s angelical voice made my father sigh. Even the mighty Alpha couldn’t go against his Luna’s wishes. “Anyway, Son, there’s a few things we have to discuss. First off, I need to know who you will be choosing as your Beta.” My father looked at me with seriousness. “I told you already, I want Flint White as my Beta,” I answer without hesitation. “That’s a fine choice,” Beta Lucas said with a smile. It was weird seeing him without his usual frown, but I guess that was part of the ‘big bad coach’ usher. Lucas Beaumont had lost his mate to a rogue attack as he was out helping defend another pack. Unfortunately, he had no children he could pass his title on to and he was more than ready to retire. He always served his pack well, but he deserved some rest at last. “Since Flint is not of Beta blood, we’ll have to perform a transfer of power ceremony right after yours. Following tradition, your Gamma will be Martin’s son, Zakai, and Alessia will remain your Delta. Both Zakai and Flint will start training as soon as you do,” my father stated. “Now, I know your official training does not start until tomorrow, but there’s a meeting with the Alpha and Beta of Oceans Howl Pack I’d like you to be present for. They should be here any minute now…” he announces just as we hear a know on the door. Beta Lucas stands up to greet our guests and I must say, they look rather powerful. Oceans Howl is one of our neighbouring packs and one we are allies with. They are a bit larger than our pack, with just above 350 members, and they’re one of the three packs that reside in Miami. “Thank you for having us, Alpha Roman.” Alpha Alaric bowed his head in respect, but his serious expression made me tense. “It’s my pleasure,” my father answered, gesturing for the two men to sit down. “This is my son, Zale, he’ll be starting his Alpha training tomorrow.” He waved his hand in my direction. “It’s an honor to meet you, Alpha Zale.” The man held his hand out and I shook it immediately. “So, what is it you’d like to discuss, Alpha Alaric?” My father calmly asked, taking his seat. “I’ll cut straight to the point; Oceans Howl Pack would like to end the alliance with Mariners Moon,” he said firmly. Oh, that was bad.