The Dark Alpha's Light

Lenore My alarm clock woke me up from a pleasant dream. I was running across a field of wildflowers being chased by a huge black wolf. I wasn't running in fear; I was laughing the whole time. When the wolf caught me, I was licked and nuzzled by him. I wanted more, and then the alarm went off. I sigh and turn the thing off before I rise from my comfy, cozy bed. I put on my favorite workout outfit, throw my long brown hair into a ponytail, and head out of my room. My father, Wyatt Moonglade, the Alpha of the Moonglade Pack, sits in the kitchen sipping on coffee and reading a newspaper. I walk over to him and kiss his cheek. "Good morning, Daddy," I greet him and grab a glass out of the cupboard. He is a handsome man with sandy blonde hair and brown eyes. "Good morning, Princess," he responds to me. "Did you sleep well?" I nod as I pour myself a glass of orange juice. I sit on a stool beside him. "I slept great." "That’s good to hear. We are going to be having some visitors today,” He tells me. “Alpha Edwin Dante is coming, and he is bringing his son Simon,” Dad wiggles his eyebrows at me. “Daddy,” I sigh. My father has been trying to get me to be the chosen mate of Simon Dante for a year now. I am nineteen and still haven’t found my fated mate, but I’m in no hurry to find a mate. I like my life. I have been doing the Luna duties ever since my mother died when I was sixteen. My older brother Ryland will become alpha in two years, so his mate Bethany will become Luna then. I have been helping Bethany learn everything she needs to be a good Luna. After that happens, I plan to take a trip around the world to find what I want to do with my life. A mate would get in the way of that. “What? I think you and Simon would make a great match, Lenore,” Dad responds as Ryland and Bethany enter the kitchen with their two-year-old son, Andrew. “Are you trying to push Simon Dante on Lenore again, Dad?” Ryland asks our father. My brother looks almost identical to our father but with longer hair and hazel eyes. “Not push, Ryland, encourage,” Dad says to my brother. I smile at my nephew, who runs over to me with a happy squeal. I pick him up and place him on my lap. “How’s my little Andy this morning?” I kiss his cheek. He looks so much like my brother. “Hi, Auntie Lenny,” He grins as I kiss his cheek again. My sister-in-law sits across from me. “He just loves his auntie,” She laughs. I smooch Andy’s cheek one more time, “Well, I just love him,” I smile at Bethany. “If you had a mate, you could have one of your own,” My Dad adds with a grin. “Dad,” I sigh. “Are you trying to get rid of me?” “No, Lenore, of course not,” Dad folds the paper and sets it down. He looks at me with his brown eyes. “I want you to be happy and have a full life.” “I am happy, Daddy,” I reply to him. “I have a full life,” I bounce Andy on my knee. “Sweetheart, you are nineteen and unmated. And while I appreciate everything you have done since your Mom died, you need a mate,” Dad argues. I huff and set my nephew down on the ground. He runs over to my brother, who picks him up. “Daddy,” I roll my eyes. “I’m not ready for a mate,” I sigh. “Sweetheart, I met your mother the day she turned eighteen, and we had Ryland eight months later,” Dad argues. “We were very happy together,” He gets a little choked up. It's been three years, and he is still grieving for her. I put my arm around his shoulder and kissed his cheek. “I have to go to training,” I tell him. “Delta Reyes hates it when I am late.” “Of course he hates it,” Dad huffs. “You are my daughter, so you are held to a higher standard.” He pats my shoulder. “Have fun and watch out for that Lyle kid.” “Lyle is my friend, Daddy,” I shake my head. “Yeah, and he wishes he was so much more,” Ryland joins in. I ignore my brother and leave the apartment. It’s attached to the main packhouse. I walk down the stairs and run into my best friend, Judi. She is the beta’s daughter. Her father, Beta Carl, and my father are best friends. “Hey, Judes,” I say to her. “Hey, Len,” Judi greets me. She is dressed for training too. We always go to training together. “I hope Delta Reyes doesn’t go too hard on us today. I am still sore from yesterday.” “I didn’t mean to shove you into the wall,” I laugh. Judi narrows her eyes at me. “b***h, you slammed me into the wall,” She nearly yells at me. “Judith Stewart, language,” I hear her father, Carl, snarl from behind us. We stop and face the beta. He is big for a beta. Rumor has it that he is related to the king, so he has alpha blood. “Dad, I’m nineteen. I can say b***h,” Judi snorts. “Judith, you are my daughter. You need to set an example for other pack members, like Lenore here,” Carl explains to her. He glances at me and then back at Judi. “Are you both heading for training?” “Yes, sir,” I respond to him. “Well, you don’t want to be late,” Carl tells us. “We won’t be late if you quit yelling at me,” Judi snarks at her father and starts down the stairs. “We’ll talk about the disrespect later, Judith,” Carl calls after her. I smile at him and then follow my friend. Judi and I get outside and race to the training facility. When we show up, Delta Reyes is already on the field barking orders to the warriors. “Ms. Moonglade, Ms. Stewart, I am glad you finally decided to join us,” The delta yells at us. “Sorry, Delta Reyes,” I say to him. “We would have been on time, but my Dad had to yell at me,” Judi snorts. “You two will be training with Alvin,” Delta Reyes indicates his son, Alvin. Alvin is a hard-ass who is all business.“Get your stretches done and meet me on field D,” Alvin grumbles and walks away. Judi and I usually train with the female warriors, but sometimes we train alone. As the daughters of the Alpha and Beta, we are required to train harder than the other women. My father runs a relatively progressive pack that allows anyone to train as a warrior no matter their rank. Not everyone makes it, but they are allowed to learn how to fight. Dad feels it’s necessary that everyone knows how to defend themselves. Moonglade Pack is a medium-sized pack located in northern Nevada. We specialize in coal and silver mining. But we also run some casinos and hotels in Reno. My Dad has built us up as a tough but fair pack. We are strict about training but lighthearted in other aspects. Since my mother died, I have kept up the morale of the pack. We celebrate birthdays and graduations together. I show everyone in the pack respect, and I even know everyone’s names. I work hard to ensure everyone has everything they need. It's one of the reasons I have delayed finding my fated mate. Judi and I do our warmups and stretches before heading over to field D. Lyle Roth is talking to Alvin. Lyle and I have been close friends since middle school. I know he has a major crush on me that only intensified when his mate rejected him. I have told him that I only want to be friends, but he wants more. “Good morning, Lenore. You look hot today,” Lyle smirks, and his brown eyes twinkle. My wolf Astrid growls in my head. She doesn’t like it when males flirt with me. She is adamant that I wait for my mate and not give in to any other male. I have had a couple of boyfriends, but Astrid makes it hard to get too close. I smiled at Lyle, “Well, I did just run twenty laps,” I said to him. “That’s not what I mean, Lenore,” Lyle snorts. “Okay, ladies, get into your stances,” Alvin orders us. “Why is it just me and Lenore?” Judi asks. Alvin ignores her question. “We are just sparring today. My father wants me to evaluate you two.” “Evaluate,” Judi puts her hands on her hips. “We are better than half the people here.” My best friend is constantly questioning everyone. She really doesn’t like being told what to do. Alvin looks at me. “Look, it’s not coming from my Dad. It’s coming from your Dads.” “Come on, Judi. Let’s get this over with. I have a lot of paperwork to do before Alpha Dante arrives,” I tell my friend. “Ooo, is Simon coming too?” She laughs. I huff, “Yes.” I reply and hear Lyle growl. “Is your Dad still pushing you to mate with him?” Judi asks, and Lyle growls again. “Cool your nuts, Roth.” “Judith, shut up and spar,” Alvin snarls at her. We get into our stances and spend about an hour and a half sparring. Judith is quicker than me, but I feel I am stronger. In the end, we both manage to flip each other, and there is no clear winner. “Okay, you can stop,” Alvin yells at us as we lie on the ground, panting and covered in bruises. “Hit the showers,” He snarls. Judi snorts and helps me to my feet, and we both stumble back to the packhouse. I usually eat breakfast in the dining hall with the pack, but today I feel like a quick bite to eat in the apartment. Judi chooses to go to the dining hall. I run upstairs, and the apartment is quiet. I take a long shower and hum a song my mother used to sing to me. I start to think about the black wolf that has been plaguing my dreams. Astrid hums in my head while I think about him. I feel that he is my mate, but I hope I can wait a few years before I meet him. ‘You can’t delay fate, Lenore,’ Astrid says. I ignore her and finish my shower. I spend a few minutes deciding on what to wear. I settle on a black skirt and a light blue shirt. I leave my long honey brown hair down. It’s the same color as my mother’s. Everyone always tells me how much I look like her. I have her blue eyes and pale complexion. I know it pains my father to look at me sometimes because I see the longing in his eyes. I grab a banana and a granola bar before heading out of the apartment and down to the office. My father lets me use my mother’s old office to do my work. I have kept it as my mother left it. I turn on the computer and put on my favorite 80’s new wave playlist as I get down to work. I want to get a start on the financials before Alpha Edwin arrives. ‘Lenore, Alpha Edwin Dante, and his son have arrived,’ Dad mind links me after a couple of hours. ‘I would like for you to greet them with me.’ I huff. ‘I’ll be right there, Daddy,’ I respond to him and sigh. I finished the page I was working on and stood up. I smooth my shirt and fix my hair and head out. I get to the front of the packhouse, and my father and brother are there, along with Beta Carl and Gamma Brent. I stand beside my brother. “Hey, sis,” Ryland greets me. I elbow him. “Ry,” I respond. “Behave,” Dad chides us as two black SUVs stop in front of the packhouse. A large man with red hair gets out of the SUV and grins at my father. “Wyatt,” He sings out. “Eddie,” My father holds out his arms and hugs the other man. A younger but still large man with red hair slides out of the vehicle. I groan as he looks me up and down hungrily. He approaches Ryland and me. He wiggles his eyebrows at me before holding his hand out to my brother. “It’s good to see you again, Ryland.” “Simon,” Ryland responds tersely. He and Simon don’t get along well. Simon liked to pick on Ryland during alpha training. Simon even tried getting Bethany to leave my brother. Simon directs his attention to me. “Lenore, you get prettier every time I see you,” Simon purrs. “You say that every time you see me, Simon,” I respond. “I mean it every time, babe,” Simon winks at me. “Come on, kids, let’s go inside and get the meeting started,” Dad says. “I need you to take notes, Lenore.” “I have to go get my notebook from my office,” I tell him and rush ahead of them into the packhouse. I go into my office and grab my notebook, other paperwork, and several pens. The men are already in the meeting room when I arrive. I check to ensure that coffee and other refreshments have been set out. I grab a water bottle and take my seat next to my brother. Beta Carl and Gamma Brent sit on one side of my father while my brother and I are on the other side. Alpha Edwin sits with his Beta and Simon across from us. “Okay, let’s get down to business,” My father announces. The meeting takes about an hour while Alpha Edwin and my Dad argue about business. Then they digress into talking about nothing important. “So, Lenore,” Alpha Edwin directs his gaze at me. “Have you given any thought about choosing Simon to be your mate?” Simon flicks his green eyes at me. “I believe you and Simon would make a great pair, and my pack would be grateful to have a Luna like you.” Everyone is now staring at me, and I start to tremble. My mouth hangs open for a moment. “I-I-I,” I shake my head. ‘Tell them no,’ Astrid growls. “I have to think about it, sir,” I manage to squeak out. “You have been thinking about it for months,” Alpha Edwin looks at Dad. “Simon has other she-wolves he could mate with, but we believe Lenore is the best choice.” Dad eyes me and reaches over to place a hand over mine. “Give her another week, Ed,” Dad speaks up for me. “We are going to King Tyrell’s alpha conference next week, and maybe-“ Dad winks at me. “Lenore may meet her fated mate.” “I’m going?” I ask him. This would be the first time he took me along. Usually, he only took Ryland. “Yes, Lenore. It's high time you met your mate or chose one,” He insists. “Dad,” I sigh and fold my arms. “I still think you should pick Simon,” Alpha Edwin says to me. “Fated mates aren’t always the best. Take mine, for example. Chloe ran off ten years ago to be with some rogue,” Alpha Edwin snorts. I say nothing as Alpha Edwin and my father start talking about sports. “Daddy, can I go now?” “Yeah, Lenore,” He responds. “Did you take good notes?” I nod. “I always do,” I respond as I stand up and gather my papers before walking out of the meeting room. I head to my office so I can type down my notes and keep them for future reference. While I am typing, Simon Dante waltzes into my office without knocking. “This looks like an old lady’s office,” He wrinkles his nose. “It was my mother’s office,” I respond. “I haven’t changed it since she passed.” Simon scoffs. “You can update it a little,” He shrugs. “What do you want, Simon?” I ask him. “I guess we are all going to the conference, and I wanted to know if you wanted to be my date?” He asks. “We’ll see each other there, Simon, since our dads are friends,” I say to him. “Yeah, I know, Lenore. I just want to know if you want to be the beautiful lady on my arm that I get to show off to everyone else?” He waggles his eyebrows at me. I sigh and pinch the bridge of my nose. “We can hang out, Simon. But I don’t want a date.” “You are such a prude, Lenore,” Simon scoffs. “Fine, I will take someone else.” “Okay,” I reply casually, which causes Simon to scoff again. “Is there anything else? I have a lot of work to do.” “Man, you are too young to be doing this much work. You need to get out and party more,” Simon laughs. “I don’t really like parties, Simon,” I sigh again. “That’s because you never go to any,” Simon argues while running his hand through his red hair. I have to admit that Simon is a good-looking man. He isn’t as bulky as many alpha males. I also like his medium-length red hair and emerald-like green eyes. But I don’t like that he is a player and party animal. “I have gone to a few,” I retort. “Simon, are you ready to go?” His father pokes his head into the office. “Hello, Lenore. Hard at work, I see.” “Yes, sir,” I respond. “I’m coming, Dad,” Simon responds. “We have to go home,” Simon says to me. “This is your last chance to be my date at the conference.” I look up at him. “Fine, Simon. I’ll be your date.” “I knew you would cave for the ole Dante charm,” He smiles. “Be sure to dress nice,” He reaches over to pat my hand. “Come on, Simon,” Alpha Edwin urges his son. “Bye Simon, Bye Alpha Edwin,” I wave. “Goodbye, Lenore.” Alpha Edwin winks. He and Simon walk out of my office, and I sigh with relief. I spend a few more hours in the office before deciding to spend time with the orphaned pups. Some of them were refugees from packs that were decimated. While others just had the misfortune of their parents dying. I like reading to them and playing with them. I imagine myself adopting orphaned pups rather than having my own. After the orphanage, I eat dinner in the apartment with my family before going to my room. My Dad says the conference is in three days, making me feel uneasy for some reason. Astrid has been acting strange ever since I said I would be Simon’s date. ‘Don’t mate with him,’ She kept snarling. ‘I’m not going to mate with Simon Dante,’ I snarl back. ‘We are just friends.’ ‘He doesn't want to be your friend,’ Astrid growls. ‘Why have you been acting so weird, Astrid?’ I ask her, but she doesn’t answer and instead retreats to the back of my mind. I shake my head, pick up my favorite book, and read until I fall asleep, where I dream about the black wolf again.