Mateless Alpha

Chapter Nine

Ishtar's POV

"Ma'am we are here." Iran, the driver alerted me, bringing the car to a stop.

"Are you sure you will be alright here? I can come with you?" He offered with concern as he surveyed our surroundings. There were no buildings in view, only trees and grass and the place looked like it has been inhabited by wild animals and reptiles.

"I will be fine."

I said calmly despite the chaos that was going on within me. Part of me wanted to accept his offer for safety, but I couldn't risk it since he is human. What if I shift with him around? That would scare the hell out of him. It would be a terrifying experience for him.

He nodded in understanding and stepped out to help us unload our belongings. As he finished, he turned to me once more. "

Thank you, Iran. If anything, I will let you know."

"Okay, ma'am. Take care. Bye, Ryan," he bid us farewell with a wave before climbing back into the car. I watched as he drove away, the sound of the engine fading into the distance until only silence remained.

Taking a deep breath, I turned to face the path ahead, the uncertainty of the future bugging my mind. Ryan looked up at me, his innocent eyes filled with curiosity and trust. I knew I had to stay strong for both of us as we ventured towards the unknown. I sighed heavily and kneeled on one of my knees, crouching down to his eye level.

"Baby, I want to tell you something."

"Okay, mummy," he responded, his bright smile showcasing his tiny, gleaming white baby teeth.

"We are going somewhere to stay for a while. You'll make lots of new friends there, and the place is very beautiful. But they might have trouble pronouncing your name, Ryan........" I trailed off, unable to hold back a laugh at my playful lie, which in turn made him giggle.

"...so to make it easy for them, we will call you Ajani, which is the same as Ryan. Do you understand?" I asked, trying to gauge his reaction.

"Yes, mummy," he replied with laughter bubbling in his voice.

He was excited to start the journey but the same couldn't be said about me. I was dreading this uncertainty. We were standing at the border of the Southern Supreme Moon pack and I wondered how I would gather that courage to go in. For so long they have been our enemies. Whenever anyone from the supreme pack trespasses on their land, they hunt that wolf down and kill him and vice versa. This enmity dates back to about twenty years ago. I heard there was a war and one pack betrayed the other, just like mum said dad was betrayed.

As I stood there, contemplating which direction to take—left or right—a sense of urgency crept in as I heard footsteps and voices approaching from a distance. It was fairly dark and before long, it would be midnight soon. Carrying Ryan in one arm and using the other to carry our things was challenging but for our safety, I tried. The uneven terrain caused one of our bags to fall multiple times, adding to the difficulty of our situation. Yet, driven by necessity, I managed to guide us to a secluded spot among the trees just in time. We hid ourselves just as the voices drew closer, thankful for the cover of darkness and shadows of the trees. Nestled among the shadows of the forest, we listened intently to the conversation of the approaching men. They were about five men.

"Hahahaha, Adonis won't stand a chance. With the rage Alpha Atticus has within him, he can easily defeat that wicked Alpha," one of the men remarked, his words sending a chill down my spine. I felt it was a coincidence that they were talking about Adonis. I would have believed that it was not the same Adonis I know if they were not talking about a fight.

"We all know that our Alpha has long yearned for revenge, and he won't hesitate to kill him if he were to be in front of him," one of the voices stated with a chilling certainty.

"Hey Marco, I thought you were called to the army, why don't you want to go?" Another voice chimed in mockingly, triggering a round of boisterous laughter from the group.

"Oh yeah, he didn't pass the alcohol test," a third voice added amidst the laughter. From their tone, you could tell that they were wasted.

From their conversation, I gathered that their Alpha, named Atticus, maintains strict discipline within his ranks, prohibiting alcohol to ensure sobriety at all times, especially during times of conflict.

"So when is the next war Marco?" One of them asked, maintaining the same tone of mockery.

"I don't know but, I heard from Bettina that the Alpha is planning on attacking Visiondale soon. They are looking for a spy who can easily tell them Adonis' plans. Then, he would plan the attack." Marco stated, taking the question rather seriously.

My hand was over Ryan's mouth. Thankfully, he didn't make any noise.

"Do we always have to fight? Can't we all reconcile and be one happy werewolf kingdom?"A different person stated. That was the most sensible thing I had heard since they started talking.

"That is quite impossible," Marco responded, capturing everyone's attention.

"Alpha Atticus' revenge is unquenchable. His fury burns like an inferno. Only a miracle can change that. He firmly believes his father was killed by Alpha Maximus, Adonis' father. Besides, the war will be a good thing for Visiondale," Marco elaborated, sparking curiosity among the group.

"Why do you say that?"

"The people there are suffering under his rule," Marco explained solemnly. "He has made absurd amendments to their constitution and has forbidden them from doing a lot of things. I heard they are planning on overthrowing him because he is mateless and doesn't want to choose a bride to make his Luna.

"A mateless Alpha? That is almost unheard of. I thought that Alphas always have their mates. What happened this time? See, even the moon is not in favor of him being Alpha."

"No, that is not it," Marco corrected, his tone serious. "It is believed that he once had a mate. It was his maid. His parents didn't approve of it. Poor girl, she committed suicide. Ever since that incident, Adonis has never been the same. He looks tough, yet he is very weak. That is why I said he can't stand a chance against our Alpha."

"He should surrender then!" One joked and their laughter echoed through the night.They were standing by the roadside probably waiting for a car. I wanted to leave since the clock was ticking but I could only do that when they are gone. Luckily, a car stopped by them and only two of them boarded the car. The others turned back, disappearing into the darkness within minutes.

Ryan was eerily quiet. I glanced down to see his eyes closed, breathing silently. My immediate concern shifted to how I would carry our bags. Stepping out of our hiding spot, I pondered over this, my mind consumed with thoughts.

Lost in my thoughts, I failed to notice someone approaching until it was too late to retreat back into hiding.

"Hey, are you lost?" A young woman's voice broke through my thoughts.

"Yes, I guess," I replied tentatively, grateful for the unexpected encounter yet wary of revealing too much.

"Where are you from? You shouldn't be in the woods at this time."

"I am from the Northern Supreme Moon pack. We are here to visit a friend, but we got lost, and my son fell asleep," I explained, trying to keep my tone casual despite my nerves.

"Oh okay. What is the name of this friend? Maybe I can help you locate him?" she offered kindly.

"Atticus! His name is Atticus," I responded instinctively, hoping my answer wouldn't arouse suspicion.

"The Alpha?" Her question made me tense, and I nervously nodded in confirmation.

"Umm, it is quite late so I can't guarantee that you will be able to see him unless you try in the morning. And it's the full moon; he would be going to hunt. Come with me. There is a cheap motel nearby. You can rest there, then in the morning, I will take you to him," she suggested generously.

Normally I wouldn't trust strangers but this lady seemed nice and harmless and she looked genuinely worried about us. She took my bags which made it easier for me to carry Ryan.

Third Person's POV

She felt restless as the clock ticked to midnight. She was standing outside the motel. All of a sudden, she felt the urge to shift. With so much anguish, she shifted for the first time in six years. She felt alive, strong, and happy despite the pain she went through a while ago. She has missed this feeling of power.An idea sparked in her mind, bold and risky, yet undeniably thrilling. Without hesitation, she bolted into the nearby woods, driven by a newfound sense of purpose and excitement.

Meanwhile, at Visiondale, the full moon cast its glow upon the land, signaling the time for the werewolf pack to shift and howl in homage to the lunar deity. Some were afraid to mate since it is against their laws but having Luna Grace around gave them the confidence to.

Adonis, like every full moon, felt strong, stronger than he has always been. He felt good and powerful, drawing his power from the moon. He had argued again with his mother, who was forcing him to pick a luna tonight. Even though he was against it, Luna Grace wouldn't let go. She had already arranged with some of the maidens to showcase their beauty before Adonis. Because it is the full moon, it is also the time that he is most sensitive. Perhaps one of these maidens will attract him. To please his mother and to get her off his back, he agreed to let her do whatever she wanted. And that was what she did. One by one, these ladies, stepped forward in their wolf form, in an attempt to win the Alpha's heart.

Luna Grace's excitement morphed into anger as Adonis began rejecting all the ladies she had carefully selected. Only three were left in line for his consideration, and one by one, they too faced his refusal.

When he rejected the last one, Luna Grace's frustration reached a boiling point, and she let out a primal howl of anger.

"What are you doing? Are you insane?" She growled in anger.

"I am sorry mother but I do not need any of the........"

He paused when he felt an uncontrollable feeling and strength. This was not the power coming from the moon, it was a different power, more like a mate bond. To him and everyone present, that was quite impossible.

His eyes scanned the crowd, searching for the source of this inexplicable connection. Guided by an instinct he couldn't ignore, he broke away from his mother and moved toward the pull, like a compass pointing north.

There, behind a tree, stood a white werewolf with brown streaks in her fur. She exuded an aura of grace and strength that drew him in. As he approached her, the mixture of her vanilla fragrance intoxicated him. His sandalwood scent hit her hard, almost causing her to succumb to him. This moment felt unreal. He couldn't understand what was happening to him as he stares into her eyes. He has never felt this way in a long time and he fought the urge to mark her right away. Maybe this was the moon giving him another chance. Before he could think of what to do, he whispered,

"Mate."