Mated in the Island

CHAPTER 1: Invitation

Humboldt County, California's Redwood Coast

LEONARDO

Being the eldest son of Maximiliano Cabello and Elizabeth Johnson-Cabello is not easy. I have to prove to my parents, especially with my dad and all of our allies, that I deserve to be the next Alpha of Hyperion Pack. That's why I am always buried in paperwork, spending most of my time in my office, training, and pack gatherings. Given that I am the eldest, it is already my birthright to be the heir, but my father doesn't see it that way. It doesn't matter if you are the eldest or the youngest-- what matters to him is that you possess the qualities of a perfect Alpha like him. Yes, his standard of comparison is himself. But that is unquestionable. He is really the best Alpha I've ever known, setting aside the fact that he is my father. We may not be the largest pack in Northern America, but we have the most allies worldwide. For him, having many allies worldwide is better than being the largest pack in the country, and I have to live up to this mindset, which is quite challenging when it comes to my personality.

I am not really a social person well, that's on my father. I spent most of my life training and preparing for the Alpha position. I really don't have time for fun. I attended lots of parties, but they were all related to alliance business. I am forced to meet and smile in front of different packs from different parts of the world. My brothers told me that I should be used to it by now, but unfortunately, I am not close to achieving that. For me, all of these social gatherings are fake because this is not me, I am just living the legacy of my father, and to be honest, I don't want to stay behind his shadow forever. I want to make a name of my own. That I am different from him. That I have a unique way of leading a pack, incomparable to my father. I want other packs to see who Leonardo Cabello really is not just the son and heir of Maximiliano Cabello, but then again, that's somewhat hard to achieve because my father was a legendary werewolf. I guess that's the perk of being born a long time ago compared to me, who was born 29 years ago.

In some ways, not everything about these parties is bad because I always get laid at the end of the day without making an effort to find a she-wolf to f**k. My seriousness and being subtle seem to draw their interest in me. They always find me and try to read me, but my emotions remain a mystery, making them feel curious about me. And they all say that other than my looks, they find my mysteriousness hot and sexy that's why they keep on throwing themselves at me. Maybe it is true, or it could be my title too. But one thing I am sure of is that every woman I f****d experienced the highest level of satisfaction and that news travels as fast as a bullet train.

I am really enjoying my bachelor's life. Even at the age of 29, I don't mind that I haven't found my mate yet. I prefer to be in control and f**k whoever I want. I really hate the idea of mates because you will be stuck with one person and, as far as I know, that one person can be the death of you. I find myself lucky that I haven't found her yet. For a well-traveled Alpha like me, who attended thousands of pack gatherings, I should have found my mate already, but I guess the Moon Goddess has shown me mercy and decided not to give me one because of the burdens I am carrying on my shoulders. I've already got a lot on my plate, and I cannot imagine adding the weight of looking after a mate. It would be too much for me.

Then again, my father decided to intervene. A few weeks ago, he called me from Spain and started pressuring me into finding my mate or finding a chosen mate if I was never going to find my true mate. He said that I must build a family as soon as possible and have my own heir. I wanted to scream at my dad about how ridiculous his thoughts are, but I can only do that in my dreams or if I am alone in a very secluded place where no one can hear me.

I told my father that I was not ready to settle down yet, and I didn't have time to look for my mate or a substitute because I was busy with pack business. But he did not buy my excuse and gave me a very nice, "stop with your bullshit Leo." Our conversation keeps on playing in my head like it just happened yesterday.

"Stop with your bullshit Leo! I don't like the reputation you are trying to build. Everybody was talking about you boning every she-wolf that would throw themselves on you. You are an Alpha, and you should start acting like one! Your mother and I did everything to raise the three of you to become a respective gentleman, and only the Moon Goddess knows where we went wrong in raising the three of you. Leave the stubbornness to Rafael, for he is the youngest, but you, as my eldest son, should act more responsibly and start to become a role model to Mateo and Rafael! If you do not move your ass to find your mate, I will definitely find someone for you. Don't push me to do that, Leonardo; I still want you-- to have the freedom to find or to choose your mate, unless you are going to leave me with no choice but to do that job for you!"

He did not even wait for me to respond when he ended our call, and I am sure that his face turned red from anger. I am glad that dad and mom decided to stay in Spain for a while as soon as he handed me the Alpha role. It's easier to handle his scolding over the phone instead of dealing with it face to face.

I was finalizing our budget plan for the first quarter when Mateo entered my office.

"What's up, bro?! Did I disturb you?" he said. Mateo is always the polite one and the most romantic. Unlike me, he never touched any women, even those who were flaunting their bodies in front of him. Mat told Raf and me that his whole being, especially his heart, is only for his mate. I want to feel bad for him because he doesn't know what he's missing, but of course, that's his choice, and I respect that.

"It's ok. I am almost done. I just need to sign one paper, and that's it for the day." I replied while keeping my focus on the document in front of me. After signing the paper, I directed my attention to Mat, sitting on the visitor's chair on my left.

"What brings you here, Mat?" I asked.

"One of the omega's handed this invitation to me, but it's addressed to the Alpha, so I decided to give it to you personally." He said while handing the invitation over.

"Are you sure that's your only reason?" I asked, c*****g an eyebrow. Mat chuckled before he answered my knowing question.

"Well, I am curious to know because it looks like a wedding invitation." He grinned. I shook my head while telling myself, "typical romantic Mat" in my head.

"I will read it aloud then," I said, then I started opening the invitation and read. The letter said,

To Alpha Leonardo Cabello of Hyperion Pack,

We will be honored by your presence to witness as I, Jorge Jimenez and Natalia Rodriguez, exchange our vows and start a life of being husband and wife. The wedding will take place on one of the most beautiful islands in the world where Natalia and I met, the island of Boracay.

This invitation comes with plane tickets both for international flights and domestic flights in the Philippines.

Regards,

J

PS

You don't have any reason to ditch me this time, bro. I know it will be a long flight, but you cannot escape this time. Not on my wedding day. You will love Boracay, I promise. You will thank me for the rest of your life that I invited you there. See you!

"We never heard of Jorge meeting his mate, and now he is getting married?! What a lucky bastard!" Mat said in a joking way, but there was a hint of envy in his tone.

"Yeah, that's why I am surprised. I was just talking with him three days ago to catch up, but he never mentioned anything about meeting his mate or about a freaking wedding. It feels like he dropped a bomb on me." I uttered in disbelief.

"Maybe he did that on purpose because you are always turning down his invitations. Among our allies, only the Black Pearl pack hasn't expected your visit, and I don't think you have any plans on visiting them soon," he said in a teasing tone.

"Can you blame me? Philippines is so far!" I sighed.

"Well, you have no choice but to go this time," he muttered with a playful smile.

"J is like a brother to you, and this day is very special to him. You cannot miss his wedding, Leo. It will break his heart if you don't attend, especially after all the arrangements he made for you." He added, making his point clear.

"I know. Maybe it's my destiny to go there." I said while pulling out the plane tickets from the envelope. My eyes grew wide as soon as I saw the date of departure.

"What's wrong, Leo?!" Mat asked worriedly as soon as he saw my reaction.

"I have to leave in 3 days!"