My Mate is an Alpha

Chapter 9

SASHA

“Well, I think your other sister doesn’t like me much,” I stated matter-of-factly, still baffled by my short exchange with Kirana.

My eyes continued to follow the feisty girl until my Alpha caught my attention again, sighing heavily. “I’m sorry about her. The mate bond is a sensitive subject to her, and she knows how to be rude when she wants to.”

Cedar ran his fingers through his neatly-combed hair, untidying it. The simple action made his distress, and even a hint of anger, evident. Aside from the couple of times he had let his lust shine through when we were together, it was the first time I witnessed his emotions get the best of him.

“I should’ve warned you about her strong personality, but I was hoping she’d behave,” he continued, his voice heavy with regret.

Once my shock was gone, I reached out for his hand. He had been tense since his sister appeared, but as our fingers interlaced, his body relaxed. The contact was soothing for both of us. I couldn’t begin to understand what Kirana’s problem with the mate bond was, but I for one believed it was magically comforting.

“Don’t worry about it.” I glanced up at him to flash him a smile. “She’s not wrong, y’know. She doesn’t have to like me just because I’m your mate. It’s okay.”

“She has no reason to dislike you,” he persisted, though I could see his eyes softening. “She’ll see that when she stops acting like a child.”

Cedar tried to hold onto his serious demeanor, but it wasn’t long before his lips curled up to mirror mine. He pulled my hand up to his lips, laying a long, firm kiss on the back of it. Even in the cold weather, his gesture made warmth spread over my skin.

“Come on.” He locked his arm with mine, holding me close to him as he led the way. “I promised a tour, and it’s about time I take you on one.”

As we traversed the pristine white cloaked lands, Cedar made sure to explain about each of the most important buildings. The one I was most impressed about was the Elder Shrine, which consisted of a small, white-painted stone chapel. It was where the pack’s Elder resided, but wolves could also visit it when they wanted to pray to the Moon Goddess.

The more we distanced ourselves from the town square, the fewer cottages we came across. Only sentinels and a good part of the Omegas resided near the borders, in the lowest altitude areas. I got the chance to greet a few of them on our walk, and I was impressed by how my Alpha knew all of their names.

Once back to the main village, settled on the plainest part of the territory, my mate guided me to the highest peak. There laid the ninebark garden, from which his pack derived its name. The shrubs were flowerless at this time of the year, but the mesmerizing view was probably more beautiful than it would be during Spring. We sat together in the hexagonal, white wood gazebo to admire the world below us for a moment.

“Are you ready to head back?” Cedar asked me after a while.

I nodded, turning my attention from the view to look at him. “Yeah. I don’t wanna be late for my own presentation lunch,” I chuckled. When I stood up, he followed right behind me. “Thank you for taking time out of your busy Alpha routine to show me around.”

“It’ll be our busy routine soon,” he observed playfully. “And it was no trouble. I hope you enjoyed our little tour, even if there’s nothing really striking about these lands.”

“You keep saying that, but I disagree.” He c****d his head to the side, waiting for an explanation that I didn’t hesitate to deliver. “Diamond Tempest had modern architecture, and the forests filled the territory with life even during winter, but they also made everything darker; colder. Ninebark has a more open area. The lack of trees allows the sun to illuminate every part of the territory during the day, and at night, the village lights up, bringing warmth to the darkness.” I made a brief pause before concluding, “I think it’s beautiful here.”

He looked surprised for a moment, until a short, sweet laughter broke through his lips. “Not that I had ever had a doubt, but with every minute that goes by, it becomes more and more obvious that you’re meant to be Luna of this pack.”

Unsure of how to respond to his meaningful comment, I simply smiled, overflowing with contentment.

Cedar guided me back to the Alpha suite before excusing himself to meet with Lyall and Sophie in his office. Since their previous Gamma was demoted, the Beta and Delta were working together to make up for his absence by sharing the tasks equally among themselves. Despite being overloaded, they both exercised their extra functions without complaints. I hoped I could help them find someone fit to take on the unoccupied position after becoming Luna.

Meanwhile, I focused on getting ready for the ceremony. I started by unpacking my belongings and organizing them in the closet and chests of drawers. It felt a little weird to settle in my mate’s place, especially when he had always had it just for him, but he told me to make myself at home, so I tried my best to.

Once I was done unpacking every single item, I scoured through my clothes in search of the perfect outfit for the occasion. Since it called for something a little more sophisticated, I eventually picked one of my favorite pieces: a long-sleeved, pear green cotton winter dress. It had an elegant turtle neck collar and a delicate bow belt around the waist. The slim-fit upper-half hugged my skin tightly, while the flowy rounded skirt cascaded all the way down to my feet.

I complemented the look with nude low block heels before heading into the bathroom to add a touch of natural makeup, with brown eyeshadow and nude lipstick. I was halfway done when I heard the suite’s door opening. Cedar let me know he was back, but didn’t rush me, so I took my time to finish the details.

By the time I stepped into the room again, I found him buttoning up his off-white dress shirt. He hadn’t put on his pants yet, and I couldn’t help but admire the sight of him half-dressed in his navy boxers. When my eyes eventually met his, I noticed they were wide open, and his mouth hung open.

“Ma chérie… You look…” he breathed out, searching for the right words. “Breathtakingly beautiful.”

“Thank you, mon chéri. I could say the same about you.”

It took him a second to understand what I meant. He only did upon following my gaze, looking down at his boxers. A sexy grin lit up his face as he glanced up at me again.

“Wait a minute.”

Cedar quickly reached into one of the drawers, closing it and moving onto a second one. He disappeared into the bathroom before I could see what he was carrying. I figured it out as soon as he appeared again to stand at the door.

“Now, we’re matching.” He gestured towards his complete outfit. Aside from the shirt he had previously put on, he was now wearing moss green pants and a bow tie of the same color.

I couldn’t hold back a chuckle as he walked up to me. “Are you always this sweet?”

“With you?” He offered me his hand, and I promptly took it. “I doubt I could behave any differently.”

“We really won the lottery, didn’t we?” Topaz sighed dreamily.

“For once, it seems like it,” I agreed.

“Allow me to escort you to your very own lunch party, my Luna.”

“It’d be an honor, my Alpha.” I held my skirt and bent my knee slightly in a playful curtsy, which earned me a loving kiss on the cheek from my mate.

Together, we climbed down the stairs and exited the pack house to head to the Event Hall. The venue was entirely decorated in the traditional cream and brown colors of Ninebark, making it just as welcoming as the rest of the pack. I held my breath when I realized that most tables were already occupied. It was my first time meeting all the pack members at once, and it made me shiver.

Would they accept me as their Luna?