My Mate is an Alpha

Chapter 3

SASHA

As soon as we were far enough from the other wolves, my counterpart lent me some courage to ask my first question. “Cedar,” I called, immediately earning his curiosity. “Will you tell me more about yourself?”

He raised his eyebrows in surprise before his expression softened. “Your wish is my command.”

Arm-in-arm, Cedar and I strolled through the peaceful woods surrounding the town square. I had grown up in these lands, yet they felt so different to me. With my feelings heightened by the mate pull, it was as if I was seeing the world through new lenses. My heart skipped a beat with every step we took together as I listened attentively to everything my mate shared with me. It was enthralling to get to know him.

“I wasn’t supposed to take my father’s title until I turned 21…” he explained. “But on my 18th birthday, he insisted that I was ready.”

“You were so young.” The words left my mouth subconsciously, like a loud thought.

“As young as our friend Caitlyn when she was made Luna.” He flashed me a warm smile that almost knocked me off my feet. “And not much younger than you are now.”

Captured by his pools of clear blue, I couldn’t break eye contact. “How old are you?”

“24,” he revealed as he came to a subtle stop. Before I could wonder what he was up to, he let go of my arm to step in front of me, staring directly into my eyes. “Enough about me. I wanna know about you.”

It was hard to concentrate when he looked at me like that. Not in a weird way, though; it made my insides melt, setting my soul on fire. I wondered if I had the same effect on him.

In an attempt to snap out of my trance, I looked away. “About me? Let’s see…” I pondered thoughtfully. “I’m 21. Mostly a goody two-shoes, as Gamma Jasper likes to say. But in my early teens, I would sneak out to spar with him, Lance, and our current Beta, Luke.”

“Something tells me you haven’t stopped since then,” he suggested playfully.

“I haven’t,” I agreed, laughing. “Though I don’t have to do it in secret anymore. Females used to be prohibited from joining warrior training here, but sparring in wolf form helped me connect with my wolf. I always enjoyed the thrill of it as well,” I confessed, feeling utterly comfortable around him. “I also wanted to become Gamma when I was younger, just like my father.”

“A Gamma?” At first, I thought he would laugh about my childish dream. Yet it didn’t take me long to realize that he was just confused. “Forgive me, but I must say you don’t strike me as a Gamma.” I raised an eyebrow at him. I couldn’t have predicted the words he spoke next. “You’re poised and intelligent, but above all, I can sense your strength. The Gamma role would never allow you to shine as much as you’re meant to.”

I was taken aback by his explanation. How could he know so much about me? We had just met.

It didn’t take Cedar long to answer my unspoken question, “I’ve heard a lot of great things about the Delta of Diamond Tempest.”

My mouth formed the shape of an ‘O’ as I concluded, “Caitlyn.” Then, a smirk played on my lips. “I could say the same about you, Alpha Cedar.”

“I hope to live up to your expectations,” he promptly replied, a hint of seriousness permeating his features.

I didn’t miss the opportunity to tease him, “That we’ll see…mon chéri.”

His initial reaction was to widen his eyes in surprise. In less than a second, though, his lips curled up into the most sensual smirk. I bit down on mine, fighting the desire to kiss him. Every fiber of my body begged me to throw myself at him and let Topaz claim him as ours. This was borderline insane.

“What’s on your mind, my Luna?” His expression changed as he too noticed a change in mine.

I hesitated for a moment before answering him, “Isn’t it crazy how the mate bond works? How it can pull two complete strangers together…”

“A little bit,” he acknowledged. “Although I’d prefer to call it magical.” He leaned forward just enough to make my heart stop. My lips parted slightly as I waited for him to kiss me, yet he didn’t. “You see, Sasha… The reason why I brought you here to talk instead of ripping your clothes off and claiming you in front of everybody else, like my wolf wanted me to do, is because I don’t wanna be a complete stranger to you when I eventually do that.”

My jaw dropped as I processed his less-than-subtle comment. My heart raced in my chest, and I caught myself actually hoping he would listen to his wolf. I shook my head to clear it before my mind became blurred with dirty thoughts. At least now I knew that he did feel the same about me.

“As anxious as I am to get acquainted with that perfect body of yours…” he went on, leisurely tracing the outline of my lips with his thumb. “I’d much rather get to know you first.”

Just then, his eyes flashed a more vivid, piercing blue before he shut them abruptly. His wolf was pushing forward. I wouldn’t lie; it filled me with a sense of satisfaction to see what my presence did to him. A second later, he reopened his eyes, which were now back to their usual calmer, lighter shade. With a smile, he offered me his hand, intertwining our fingers as we started walking again.

“What is it like in Ninebark?” the question slipped from my mouth as soon as it popped into my head.

“Has Caitlyn not told you about her first home?”

“Yeah. A thing or two.” I shrugged.

“Well, I think it’ll be best to show you rather than tell you. Ninebark’s a bit different than Diamond Tempest, but worry not; I’m sure you’ll love it.” He shot me a comforting side glance, and just like that, I believed him. “We’re heading there later on today, so you won’t have to wait too long to see your new home with your own eyes.”

“Today?!”

I didn’t know why I was so surprised. In werewolf society, mates from different packs would usually move to the pack of the highest-ranking party. As an Alpha, Cedar couldn’t abandon the wolves who depended on him to come stay with me, so it was obvious that I would have to be the one to leave my home behind. Living apart from each other wasn’t an option either, since the mate pull would make the distance unbearable for the both of us.

“That’s what I was planning,” he went on. “But we can stay for another day or two if you need more time.”

“No, that’s fine.” I forced a smile. It wouldn’t be fair to keep him from his duties for any longer than he had to. “I’ll, uh… I’ll make sure to pack my things and be ready to go with you after the meeting.

For a moment, all he did was stare at me. There was a hint of concern in his eyes as he studied me. Was he trying to figure out if my answer was genuine? He truly seemed as sweet as Caitlyn painted him out to be.

“I’m really excited to see your home, Cedar,” I insisted. Thankfully, my attempt to ease his mind was successful.

“Our home,” he corrected. “And you don’t need to call me by my name. I liked the way you addressed me a minute ago.”

A grin played on my lips as my heart was set on fire. “As you wish, mon chéri.”

A low groan rumbled in his chest, letting me know he truly enjoyed the sound of the words that left my mouth. He brought my hand up to his lips to place a long, heart-warming kiss on the back of it. Suddenly, all of my insecurities were gone. As crazy as it sounded, I was ready to venture into a new land with this man I barely knew.

Diamond Tempest was the only home I had ever known. Of course, it pained me to leave it behind. The thought of not having my friends with me anymore was saddening, and as Delta, I was reluctant to leave them hanging. On the other hand, I doubt they would allow me to stay if I tried. They would always want what was best for me.

“I wish we didn’t have to leave our family behind too,” Topaz’s voice echoed in my head. “But this is our destiny. Besides, doesn’t a new start elsewhere sound exciting? I can’t wait to see what the Goddess has in store for us.”

Well, on that we could agree.