Not just, the Beta

CH 18

Slade

He was once again sitting in his room staring at his father on a video call, did not like at all what he'd heard, was hearing even now. That they’d compiled a list of she-wolves for him to come home and look at.

For him to pick his Luna from, a list of four they'd narrowed it down to, from apparently a list of 12. Had been working on it for four days now, and when he came home, he had to pick one. So that his father could get the mating alliance paperwork started.

Talk to the future Luna’s father about what securities he wanted for his daughter, when she came to be his mate and moved into his Alpha Suite.

“Have you gone insane over the past three and half weeks?” He grated out. He didn't want a bloody chosen mate and certainly not one handpicked by his own father. Goddess only knows what kind of she-wolf he would pick.

An Alpha-blooded? That just told him his father was out to make his heir a pure-blooded Alpha was all. He was trying to make the pack stronger, he didn't actually care what Slade wanted at all, it seemed.

“No son, your mother and I are very happy with each other. We were from a mating alliance to bring two packs together. You know this, we love each other.”

“That does not mean that is what I want. I have a Mate out there, I'm sure of it. Could likely be that Audrey is my Mate, for all we know.”

“I'm aware of the relationship you formed with her. She's on the list even. Actually, her father approached me, she's taken quite the shine to you, and you, her, from what we hear.”

Slade sighed now, “Then just wait for the full moon and see.” He muttered.

“You'll be here for that son, your sister's first shift, remember.”

“Yes, Audrey knows this as well. So, we'll find out on the full moon after that. What's the rush? We're both barely 18!”

“I want to see you happily mated off is all.”

“To someone of your choice though, not mine.”

“Now son.”

“Don't you son me, when you're trying to railroad me into being mated off at 18 to someone I barely even know.” He shot at the man and had clicked the line closed. Not something he would normally do; hang up on his father. But he was actually too mad right that minute to talk to the man.

Audrey was on the list, he thought, as he sat back in his chair, he did really like the girl. She smiled nonstop at him and was in his bed every day begging to have him, always wanted to be with him, she was bright and intelligent from all he'd seen.

The way she was all over him and touching him, he’d caught her sometimes just smiling at the hand she touched him with, she would giggle a little even, and he'd seen her hug her hand to her chest once, and sigh softly a little, sounded content to his ear even.

It was completely possible with all that he saw, that she already knew he was her mate, but couldn't tell him. The laws dictated it wasn't allowed, considered coercion of another, especially if they wanted to mark and mate prior to a full moon.

Her father had gone to his already on the matter, maybe she'd scented him that first day and that's why she latched on to him the day she arrived. Anything was possible, just because he didn't smell her, didn't mean she couldn't scent him.

He saw his father's phone number blip on the screen 10 minutes later, and snarled at it. He didn't want nor need a mating alliance. He glared at it, hit the answer button after like a minute and did actually glare at his father “calm down son,” He stated “I understand you're unhappy, your mother just suggested we let you put a name on the list yourself. So, who would be appropriate to you, to go on that list? Mind you, I want a strong female, no pretty princess type, someone that will do the job of the Luna properly, and produce a good strong heir as well.”

“You say all that, but are you going to wait until the full moon after next for Audrey and I to see each other on the full moon...”

His father sighed now, “if that's what you want, son, I can wait and delay one full moon. That's all you get.”

“What on earth is the rush?” He asked, “are you dying?”

“No son.” his father shook his head. “Choosing now will give you and your Luna time to get to know each other, before you have pups, get to like each other and come to love each other, that's how proper mating alliances are made and that's how they work, it’s for the best to do it early.”

He was just staring at the man now, it had to be more than that, something else was going on. He just hadn't figured it out, was all “I just can't pull a name out of thin air,” he muttered, “and I don't see the urgency to be honest with you.”

“Don't you dare hang up on me boy.” His father grated out as he'd seen Slade’s hand reaching out to end that call once again.

“What can you do about it from six hours away?” He shot at him and disconnected the call once more, refused to answer the next one, or the ones after that when they came in.

He was sitting in his room staring out the window when Alpha Gretta strolled into his room and looked right at him “someone ticked off their father, my office Slade.” He sighed and got up, followed her all the way there to her office and found all four of those council members sitting staring at him now.

“You gotta be kidding me right.” He muttered as he watched Alpha Gretta place a call to his father and put it on speaker for all to hear.

“Thank you, Alpha Gretta, for the assistance with my son and his petulant fit.”

Slade actually snarled at his own father over that one, and everyone in the room stared at him. Not even Hail his wolf was happy with how this was going. He saw Alpha Tyler’s wolf surface and look right at him.

He settled his beast and murmured “what do I owe the pleasure, father?” Like the ever-present good son, something he usually was.

“I don't like the disrespect you show.”

“Well, neither did I.” He shot right back “now you're pulling the entire counsel in!”

“What did you think was going to happen after those words, Slade? Of course, I was going to show you I still have power and control over your life, even there.”

Slade stood up. “If you leave this office without being dismissed.” It was Alpha Gretta. “You'll be punished for all to see. We do have 24 shaming posts, six outside each dorm. You're aware of that, yes?”

He was, there were currently three wolves on those posts at the front of the Wilder dorm, after three wolves had gotten into a punch up. The night before last, she-wolves at that, all angry about the one Alpha they were all apparently sleeping with, and didn't know they’d been sharing him. They hadn't liked it, and their yelling match had turned into a fistfight.

He was just standing there, he watched Alpha Patrick produce a set of silver cuffs and put them on the table before him. They would, it seemed, cuff him to a shaming post and shame him for not wanting to deal with his father; accept a mating alliance.

He stalked around the room more than annoyed, was being mated off and didn't even get a say about it. He watched as Alpha Hailey smiled at him after his third lap around the room. She had strolled herself over to stand next to the door, he’d looked at it more than once as he’d stalked about, debating with himself if he'd rather be put on that shaming post, than finish this conversation at all.

“Son?”

“Alpha Roman,” he shot back, and actually heard Alpha Gretta snort with amusement at his own words. He looked right at her, she was fully amused, he realised. It was likely by the way Alpha Hailey had stepped to the door, they all knew he was considering the option of being punished, really considering it.

“It's not a bad thing, son.” His father sighed, “and I'll put anyone you want on the list. Just tell me who you'd be willing to accept.”

“And my Goddess Gifted. What about her?”

“You might not even have one. Your mother and I have never come across ours.”

“You verbally relinquished them back to the moon goddess if I recall correctly.”

“We did.” His father stated simply “I love your mother and she, I, you will come to love your chosen mate as well, just need to be open to it, is all, son.”

“And if I'm not?” He snapped.

“Then I'll choose for you, what's best for the pack.”

“Oh, just like you're trying to remove Oriana as my Beta, because you think that's best for the pack.” He roared at the man as his fists balled at his sides. He was not only being railroaded out of his Beta but into an alliance mating and Chosen Luna.

He heard Gretta clear her voice and looked at her, she looked right at him pointedly so, and then kind of just tilted her head skyward a little, and shrugged her shoulders at him before returning her eyes back to him, and tapped the seat next to her.

He knew she was trying to tell him something, didn't really understand what it was. He was staring at her with a frown, trying to figure it out. She smiled right at him and looked at the seat next to her. He stood there and thought about her actions. She smiled at him after he looked at the seat next to her, and then back to her.

“Alright.” He finally stated “Oriana, my Beta, as my mate.” He rapped out at his father. The man was trying to remove her from his side as his Beta. Well, he could put her right back there next to him. That was what Gretta was trying to tell him he thought.

He saw Gretta wink right at him, and nodded her head ever so slightly. She had gotten her point across to him, it seemed, and she was happy.

Though he took it one step further when he heard Beta Anders' reaction to his words and what he wanted, “I’ll accept and bed, only my Beta. As a chosen mate. I will take no other.”

He heard the yelling in that room from Anders about ‘the bloody hell he would’. Then he heard wolves ripping out of each other back there in his father's office. He sighed as Alpha Gretta disconnected the call. It was all wolfed out back there now.

“Well played Slade.” Alpha Gretta chuckled “I didn't think you were going to win, at one point.”

“Did I really win?” He muttered he didn't think so.

“Yes son,” Alpha Hailey stated, “you did, gave them an option that clearly is not something your current Beta will accept, his daughter in your bed or your Goddess Gifted, that was very well played indeed.” She held the door open for him to leave.