She is Alpha, not Luna

1 - Raincheck

Sophia

Yes, I'm a female. Yes, I'm an Alpha. No, I don't plan on ever becoming a Luna, and no, I absolutely wouldn't want a mate that's weaker than me. And before you go judging, think about what I would have been if I were a man.

Now that I say that, it's probably why I'm pushing thirty and still mateless.

"And thank God for that!" I mutter mostly to myself.

Raising my shot glass, I gulp the tequila like it's water. Four other slim and well manicured hands raise their own glasses and take a shot as well, not having the slightest idea what we are drinking for this time. We are past needing a reason, that's for sure.

"Man, I love girls night!" Andreea yells a little too enthusiastically, drawing all the pub's attention on us. She is the most recent one of our group to get married and the reason we are here this fine night.

"Technically, it's your bachelorette party." Lenox, my former roommate at the Alpha Academy, points out. Ah, there you go. A reason.

"Here here!" The rest of us say, Deena waving at a server desperately to get another tray of shots, but Andreea shakes her head.

Slurring, Andreea explains the technicality like she always does. A proper Luna through and through, this one, but it looks good one her. Me? I'm am Alpha, finesse is not my strong suit, though I try.

"Actually, since I'm already married, this is just girls night. And since sour puss over here, miss Alpha, will most likely never give us another opportunity, let's make this a quarterly thing." She says, her eyes sparkling like diamonds at the bright idea she just got.

And in case anyone was wondering, Miss Alpha is me, Sophia Stone, Alpha or the Sirius pack, no fated mate, marriage and bachelorette party in sight.

Andreea and her mate Joseph got married a few months ago, straight after their Alpha and Luna ceremony. We had to cancel her bachelorette party a few times because of schedules conflicted. It's a miracle all of us made it to the wedding, to be honest.

Ignoring the obvious jab at my still single ass, I ask, intrigued. "Quarterly?"

"Yeah. Think about it." Andreea's eyes sparkle like she is pitching a new law in front of the Supernatural Council, hands in the air to showcase her point.

"A quarterly girls night out." The rest of the girls whisper the words, looking utterly mind blown, like Andreea had just discovered fire. Man, we are wasted! But I have to say Andreea is brilliant. Since we are all very important and busy women, and not to mention that, except for Alana and I, the rest are all living thousands of miles away, this would be a well deserved break.

More shots followed, and we may or may not have already set the dates for 5 years worth of future girl night out meetings. I have no idea, we're all too drunk to care about being practical or responsible right now. Or at least I am.

One by one, my friends receive texts that are from their mates, and the bond is making them call this a night. What a bummer!

After a lot of drunk fighting over who has the bill, only to find out that many of the men present in the pub have already approached the server to offer and pay our tab, the girls each give me a tight hug as Alana and I head out.

"We should walk, Soph. I need to sober up a little, I'm already sick to my stomach." Alana looks at me with unfocused eyes. I nod, agreeing that the cool night air might do us good.

One second I'm holding Alana's hair in an alley away from the main road, as she pukes her guts out, and the next I'm fighting for my life, gasping for air as claws rake my back, puncturing my lungs at once.

The attack came out of nowhere. They came out of nowhere, as unfortunately the stench of Alana's vomit covered their own putrid smell.

As I fell down, I saw their ugly faces. Two of them, smirking like they had won a big fight. Rogues, but they are muscle for hire, that much is clear. They attacked with precision and I didn't even get the chance to fight back.

I can feel Death pulling me closer, calling my name. I can feel the fragile life slipping out of my body, slowly leaving only a corpse behind.

My wolf is eerily quiet in my head, not that she's been too present all night, allowing me to be the only entity controlling my mind for the first time in ages. It feels weird and final. And if that doesn't sober me up, then I don't know what will.

My eyes might be slightly unfocused, but I can't see Alana which worries me even further. Instead, I notice a shadowy figure approaching me. It's not walking and not floating. Oddly, its movements are mesmerizing, acting like a calling and drawing me into its dark mistery. Then I notice the silvery shine of its chosen weapon. s**t, I'm actually about to die!

"Yeah, I don't think so, mate. While I would honestly enjoy the vacation, the sleeping undisturbed and all that, I have like two thousand people depending on me." And my God, sleeping without having to wake up at some gnarly hour for warrior training sounds divine.

I can practically feel the scythe nicking at my chest, while somehow I'm conjuring the dark cloaked figure that is the Grim Reaper himself.

He stops, the scythe merely touching my body yet not harming me, my soul still mine. At least I got his attention, I think to myself and start talking again when the sharp blade doesn't move. I mean, it didn't pierce my chest to collect my soul, but it's still too close for comfort, so I keep on talking, while discreetly trying to push the sharp blade away with my shaky fingers.

"Not to mention I haven't exactly provided an heir for my pack, which makes the logistics of finding a new Alpha an absolute b***h. You have no idea. So I will have to put a pin on this whole dying thing. See you in about, say 50 years? That cool with you?"

I stare deep into those red eyes and notice the shapeless Reaper doesn't do or say anything else. I take it with him agreeing to our rescheduled rendezvous, and after winking at him, I feel myself taking a deep breath and waking up. Why did I have to wink? What if I made it angry?

"Hoooly s**t, she's alive! You're alive!" Alana, my best friend and Beta female screams, pale faced like she just saw a ghost. I got to chat with the Reaper and I'm still not acting like that.

"Of course I'm alive, silly, why wouldn't I be?" I get up, albeit a little awkwardly since I feel like my body is not quite fully functional, and try to dust myself off.

I quickly glance around at the dark alley, not another soul in sight. Yet I feel like we're being watched. Like I'm being watched.

"Gee, I don't know, maybe because you were dead. No pulse, no signs of life, dead, dead, Sophia."

"Don't be ridiculous. The Reaper and I agreed to meet later, as in 50 years later. Now let's go, we have a few schemers to catch." I grab my Beta by her wrist and hurry out of the place that we were ambushed in.

"What?" Alana looks at me like I have grown two heads. Which I might have, considering just how intense this migraine is. Definitely strong enough to affect two heads, not just one.

"Well, it's simple, really. Someone set us up, and sent those bastards straight for us, knowing we would be at our most vulnerable." I explain as we hurry towards our hotel, all bloodied and with shredded clothes.

"Granted, it's a lesson well learnt. Suffice to say I am never getting drunk again. But the only people that know about our whereabouts, and more importantly our inebriated state, are me, you and the other Lunas." I state the obvious.

Ignoring the gulping sound that Alana makes, I stop a little to give her a once over. I notice her disheveled appearance, but she's unharmed otherwise. I seem to have been the intended target of the attack.

Alana has never quite fit among this particular group of friends I have. I met most of them while I was in the Alpha Academy, all strong females, Alpha born, but they met their mates and took a step down and became Lunas.

The taking a step down part is something I refrain from saying out loud, or to their faces, for obvious reasons. They may be Lunas, but they all have Alpha blood running through their veins, and despite me being stronger, they could each do some serious damage to this pretty face if they wanted to.

Alana is the only Beta in our group, introduced to the other girls by yours truly. She has been my best friend and fiercest supporter since we were young pups, and after finding her mate, a rogue wolf that my father welcomed into our pack when he was Alpha, they became my Beta couple as soon as I took over.

Needless to say, we are a team and, once again, Alana seems like the only person I can trust, since one or maybe all of the women I considered sisters most likely betrayed me.