A Matter of Convenience

Three

“At what point do we change the rules? When can we adapt with th-”

“Ah, I see we have a visit from the elders.” Lionel walks up behind me and places a hand on my back. He’s my dad’s best friend, his Beta. I know the touch on the back is to keep me under control, so I swallow the rest of the words I want to let out of my mouth. “I’m Beta Lionel. It’s great to meet you.”

“Beta Lionel, we are happy to see you. We were hoping to talk to Alpha Emmet for a bit.”

“I think he’s still resting, but he’ll be up soon.” They nod.

“While we wait, we have someone else to see.” A nurse walks past, and Elder Thomas steps forward.

“Excuse me, miss. Can you tell us where we can find Alpha Ericson?”

“Yes, you all can follow me.” They nod at us and turn to follow the nurse. I plop back into the chair and let my head drop.

“You okay, Issy?” I look up at Lionel and shake my head. “I hear that no one from Darkfang is allowed on the premises. Care to explain?” I let out a dry chuckle.

“That wasn’t my doing, but I’m not surprised Dad felt the need to do that. I really don’t want to talk about it now.”

“That’s fine. So what did the elders want?”

“Besides telling me that if I don’t produce a mate, Greg would be taking over, I don’t know.”

“Fu.ck! Greg?! Don’t worry, baby girl. We will figure this all out.” Lionel pats my back before walking away and leaving me to my thoughts.

~Ericson~

How did my life come to this? How’d I go from having it all and about to step into the Alpha role to losing everything and ready to end my life? I didn’t actively try to end my life, but I did engage in behaviors that could do just that. I mean, what would you say the goal is when someone drinks so much alcohol that they can’t even think straight? So much alcohol was consumed that my wolf blacked out. Let me be clear that this was werewolf-proof alcohol, not that weak stuff they make for humans.

Before anyone judges me, let me just go over what brought me here, to the clinic. I’m Ericson Walker, the Alpha heir of the Scarlett Moon pack. I’m 24 years old and have been ready to take over for my father. At 24, I had the backing of my parents, my pack, and I had my mate by my side. That all changed as quickly as the wind blew.

*Flashback*

I walk to the packhouse with a pep in my step and a hum on my lips. I just found my mate three months ago and finally got her to move to my pack. She’s 18 and just graduated from high school.

I was touring a pack with my future Beta, getting to know the ranked members. It was the fifth pack we’d visited, and I know my parents hoped I would find my fated mate. They were in luck because that’s just what happened. Since she hadn't finished high school, she asked if we could wait for her to finish before we took things further.

I won’t lie; those three months were excruciating. I tried to visit her as much as I could, which consisted of keeping my jealousy in check and having a lot of family gatherings. I couldn’t wait to get her home, but I didn’t want to pressure her.

I was at her graduation cheering her on, and now, a month later, we are settling her stuff into the packhouse. I’m extra excited tonight because we will finally mate and mark each other. I can’t tell you how many times I visited Palmona, but I know that the wait is going to be worth it. I’m no virgin, but I refuse to disrespect the mate bond in any way.

I had some work to do with my father, which I tried to get through as quickly as possible. Now, I’m on my way to my mate so we can finally make things official. Amara Ward, the light of my life, my future Luna, and daughter of the Beta of the Ashmore pack. She’s everything I could want in a fated mate and more. She’s 5’11 with a toned body. Her golden brown skin tone glows under the sunlight. She wears her hair long, flowing to her lower back. She has dark brown eyes, a cute button nose, and rosy pink lips. I know how soft her lips are due to all of the making out, but I have yet to feel how soft her body is.

I had an Omega grab some roses for me to give her, and now I’m making my way up the stairs of the packhouse. I have Amara getting settled in my bedroom on the Alpha floor, and I can’t wait to break it in. I will make her mine tonight, and we will start our lives together.

I’m stopped on the guest floor by a pack member wanting to ask me a question. I catch a whiff of her scent, and I’m confused. She came with a few people who were helping her move her stuff, and we set them up on the guest floor. Maybe she was here talking to someone.

I breathe deeply, letting her scent of peaches and vanilla wash over me. I’m still confused because her scent is pretty strong, and it's as if she’s here right now. I follow her scent down the hall until I’m stopped in front of an almost closed door.

There’s moaning coming from the room, and her scent seems so strong. My heart drops, and my mouth goes dry. This can’t be happening, can it? There has to be some explanation that doesn’t point to what I think this is. “YES, FU.CK ME HARDER!”

“Fu.ck! Amara, your pu.ssy is so fu.cking good! He’ll never be able to fu.ck you like I can!”

“AHHHH! SIMON!” I push the door open and see red as the scene unfolds before me. My fated mate, Amara, is on all fours in bed. This Simon guy is behind her, plowing into her with reckless abandon. I watch him slap her ass and wrap her hair around his arm. He pulls his arm back, making her head fly backward. His mouth goes to her neck, and I’m fighting Blade for control.

A ferocious growl rips through the room, startling the two. Simon jumps away from Amara while she tries to cover her body. “Ee….Eric, uh, baby…”

“DON’T!” Simon has enough sense to look terrified even though he’s moved in front of Amara as if to protect her. “What the fu.ck are you doing?!” Amara wraps the blanket around her body and pushes past Simon. She stops a few feet in front of me, looking down.

“I…I’m sorry. This is all too much for me. I can’t be Luna and I… I love Simon.” I swear my heart is beating so loudly in my ears, and there’s a pain in my chest. I can’t breathe; I can’t take a full breath. I think I might die right here and now.

I want to rip his throat out, and I want to rip her head off. Blade is out for blood, and I’m losing my grip on him. I’m the Alpha heir, and I’m well within my right to end these idiots standing in front of me. The problem is… she’s my fated mate. I love her already. I think back to the late-night texts and the long phone calls over the past three months. I got to know so much about her, and I’ve fallen head over heels. What hurts the most is that my fated mate, the woman I love, doesn’t want me. “Get the fu.ck off my territory.” I turn without waiting for a response. I run down the stairs and out of the packhouse. The moment I hit the tree line, I shift and run as if my ass is on fire.

*End of Flashback*