My Mate is an Alpha

Chapter 4

SASHA

Two hours weren’t nearly enough for me to properly get to know the man I would be spending my entire life with. I wish we could have at least a couple of days just to ourselves, not because I feared that we might not be right for each other, but because I was utterly fascinated by him. There was so much more I wanted to learn about him, and I knew the feeling was reciprocated.

By the time we reluctantly returned to the main part of the territory, only the Alpha couple and the Betas were there, along with a man I had never seen before. The town square was a lot less packed as the visiting leaders gathered at the Event Hall to wait for the meeting to start. A pinch of guilt struck me as I realized that me stealing the Alpha of Ninebark was the reason why all of our allies were being kept waiting. Not very Delta-like.

“But very Luna-like,” Topaz countered cheerfully.

“Oh, there you are!” Lance was the first to spot us.

The next minute, all eyes turned to us. I suddenly wanted to shrink and disappear inside my coat. As the Gamma’s daughter, and more recently the Delta of Diamond Tempest, I was used to the attention. Yet for some reason, my friends’ stares and grins now felt a little overwhelming.

It didn’t take Cedar long to pick up on my nervousness. He gave my hand a reassuring squeeze as he led me towards my friends. But before we could reach them, the unknown man stepped in front of us.

Although he was even more muscular than my mate, his aura wasn’t as powerful as an Alpha’s. Tattoos adorned the sand skin on his neck, hands, and knuckles, though I had the feeling he had many more underneath his heavy clothes. The sides and back of his head were meticulously faded, gradually transitioning from a shorter length to the longer, dark spiky hair on top. He sported his beard in a long stubble that added to his intimidating look. At the same time, the warmth in his light brown eyes softened his overall demeanor, rendering him more approachable.

“Ah, you must be Delta Sasha.” A smile spread over his lips as he stretched his hand out to me. “Or should I call you Luna Sasha?”

I shook his hand, but before I could understand who he was, Cedar turned to me. “My Luna, allow me to introduce you to my Beta, Lyall Russell.”

“The famous right hand,” I said playfully. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Please! The pleasure’s all mine.” The Beta bowed his head curtly.

“Are we all ready for the meeting?” my mate asked, turning his attention back to Lance and Cait.

“Whenever you are,” the Alpha replied calmly.

Once again, Cedar’s gaze fell on me. “As much as I’d love to get a few more minutes with my Luna…” He lowered his head to plant a kiss on the top of mine. “I reckon it’d be disrespectful to delay this meeting longer than I already have.

Just like he had been able to feel my nervousness earlier, I could sense his hesitation to leave me. “It’s okay,” I reassured him. “I’ll go pack my things. We can meet back here once the meeting’s over.”

Cedar forced a smile in silent acquiescence before letting go of my hand to join my Alpha and Luna. His Beta too excused himself, following closely behind him. However, before Lance started leading the way, he turned to his second-in-command.

“Are you sure you’re feeling well enough to accompany us, Luke?” he asked worriedly. “It’s completely fine if you need more time to recover.”

I could understand our leader’s concern; after all, Luke’s life had been hanging by a thread only a few days ago. He had gotten badly injured in the final battle against the bears, and if it weren’t for Cait’s power-enhancing bite, his wolf would likely not have been able to heal him. But I’d also be stupid to think our stubborn friend would let that keep him from his duties.

“I’ve gotten enough rest. I’m your Beta, and as such, I’ll be by your side at the meeting,” Luke insisted, ripping a smile from me. I would miss him so much.

Lance sighed in defeat. “Very well. Let us go, gentlemen.”

There was an ache in my heart as I watched Cedar leave with the rest of my friends. Topaz also became a little uneasy. A couple of hours ago, I didn’t even know about my mate’s existence, and now I dreaded the thought of being away from him. The mate bond truly was a peculiar thing.

“Doesn’t get any easier. It’s all downhill from here.”

The familiar voice caught me by surprise. Absorbed in the new feelings I was experiencing, I failed to notice that the Beta Female had stayed behind with me. When I glanced at her, I saw her eyes glisten with a similar mix of pain and longing as her mate disappeared in the distance.

In the end, Megan tore her eyes away from the Beta, flashing a smirk at me. “Got yourself one of the big fish, huh?”

“Seems like it,” I chuckled. “Why didn’t you go with Luke?”

“Well, meetings don’t require the Beta Female’s presence.” She shrugged. “Besides, you’ll be leaving Diamond Tempest today, so I thought I’d keep you company for a while longer. I know we haven’t been friends for long, but with everyone else busy… Beggars can’t be choosers, am I right?”

“That’s really nice of you, Meg,” I replied honestly.

Megan was Caitlyn’s best friend; they had grown up together in Ninebark, the pack I was about to move to. Originally an Omega warrior, she became Beta Female upon finding out that she was mated to Luke. She was quite the fierce fighter, and when she moved to our pack, she was encharged with training our new army of she-wolves. I had been their coach until then, but I had to admit that Meg was a lot more fit for the task than I was.

“I envied you, y’know?” I confessed, catching her attention. Since I would be gone by the end of the day, I might as well tell her the pathetic truth.

“Cait told me. Though I could never figure out why.” she revealed, completely unfazed.

“You were everything I ever wanted to be. A fierce warrior who didn’t take crap from anyone.”

“Okay. I’ll let you in on a little secret, just because it’s your last day here.” She crossed her arms in front of my chest, turning around to face me. “I’m a little crazy. People say I’m too much sometimes. And I like to play it off like I’m f*****g awesome. That’s all part of my charm.” She shrugged, a proud grin on her face. “But training warriors, and fighting… That’s about all that I can do. You take that away, I’m pretty much a disaster. To this day, I have no idea how Cait puts up with me. Hell, I have no idea how you put up with me!”

I furrowed my brows, genuinely confused. “What do you mean?”

She sighed, letting her head fall. A moment later, her eyes met mine again. “You’re amazing, Sasha.” Her sudden compliment caught me by surprise. She made a brief pause before correction, “Actually, you’re more than amazing. You’re so great at everything you do, I sometimes wonder if you’re Selene in disguise.”

“Now you’re exaggerating,” I laughed a little.

“It’s true,” she said in all seriousness. “Life hasn’t been fair to you lately, which is why you don’t believe it, but it is true.”

I need a few seconds to realize that this wasn’t one of her pranks. Megan was known for being a trickster. She reminded me of Jasper in a way, but on a whole other level. She lived life as if it was one big joke, and her sole purpose was to have fun along the ride. I hadn’t met this sincere, serious version of her yet.

In the end, a smile played on my lips. “Thank you, Meg.”

“Tell anyone I said that, I’ll kick your ass!” And there she was - we were back to classic Megan.

“My lips are sealed,” I agreed, following her as she led her way inside the pack house.

As a former member of Ninebark Pack, she told me a bit more about it, just so I would know what to expect. She also confirmed my suspicions that, despite being tough on the outside, Beta Lyall was a big goofball. We were almost at the door to my room when she was called to take care of a small problem. I thanked her one more time before we parted ways.

And just as I turned around to continue on my way, my gaze landed on the one ranked member who hadn’t been outside. We both stopped dead in our tracks. Our eyes locked, but we both remained silent.

“Jasper,” I whispered at last. Since the moment I found Cedar, I could feel this little awkwardness between my best friend and me.

The Gamma forced a smile, much like he had the last time I’d seen him. “Hey, Sasha.” His eyes scanned the hallway for a brief moment. “Where’s Mr. Perfect Alpha?”

“At the meeting.”

“And you’re not with him because…?” he wondered, but he continued before I could. “Don’t tell me you’re tired of him already.”

I rolled my eyes at his silliness. “I decided to sit that one out to go pack my stuff. Would you like to come with me?”

“Why would you need to pack?” His brow wrinkled in uncertainty a moment before realization dawned upon him, and his eyes widened. “Wait. You’re leaving?!” Again, I had no time to reply. His gaze fell to the floor, and a huff of resignation and sadness broke through his lips. “I mean, of course, you’re leaving. You’re mated to an Alpha.”

I showed him a small smile that matched his sadness. “I wish I didn’t have to go so soon.”

“Yeah.” He took a few steps back, inhaling a deep breath as he gestured for me to open the door. “Let’s make the most out of the time you have left.”

***

“So… An Alpha, huh? Not bad,” Jasper chuckled. I knew him well enough to identify the melancholic undertone in his fake laughter though, but I decided not to address it. It would be best for both to avoid turning my departure into a funeral.

“Are you jealous, stray?” I teased in an attempt to lighten the mood.

I was busy filling my third suitcase with the most essential items I wanted to take with me to my new home. With my back to the Gamma, I couldn’t have foreseen his next move. A squeal of surprise escaped my mouth as I was hit by one of my dresses, which he had rolled up in a ball.

“You wish!” he scoffed playfully.

“You’re an ass, Jazz!” I replied, unable to contain my laughter.

Yet as I carefully placed the last piece of clothing inside the open suitcase, my heart broke a little. So far, I had been positively focused on how exciting it would be to have a fresh start with the man who had been made just for me. Now, it finally sunk in that it meant I wouldn’t be seeing my friends, including Jasper, too often anymore.

When I stood up and turned around to flash him a saddened gaze, his face fell. “I’m gonna miss you.” Goddess! Don’t cry, Sasha! If you get teary-eyed now, he will too.

He bit the inside of his cheek before managing a half-smile. “Ha! I bet you won’t even remember me after one night with Mr. Perfect Alpha.”

I wanted to laugh at his joke. Instead, a sob came out. “I’m serious,” I insisted, approaching him slowly. I watched his smirk fade as he stared into my eyes. “I know I’m always cursing you, and calling you names, but it won’t be the same without you.”

“Hey.” At last, he dropped his fun façade. Both his hands cupped my cheeks as he whispered, “I’ll always be here. If you miss screaming at me, I’ll be one call away.”

His words comforted me, and the corner of my lips curled up. My time was almost up. The meeting should be over any minute now, and I still wanted to speak to my father before leaving.

My hands wrapped around his wrists, gently pulling them off my face so I could lean down. I felt him stiffen when I briefly pressed my lips against his cheek in a goodbye kiss. As the tears threatened to fall again, I quickly pulled away, turning around. I picked up my luggage and carried it towards the exit with me as I tried to recompose myself.

With a heavy heart, I glanced at him over my shoulder. “Goodbye, Jazz.”

Aware of how much harder it would be for me to go on if I stayed any longer, I held my head high and hurried outside without looking back.