Wrapped in his sheets

ARLO

The rogues were catching up to me. I kept pushing my legs forward, knowing all was in vain. There was no way a eleven year old can outrun trained and adult wolves, who thrive to kill. 

All of a sudden my mother's brown wolf jumps on the one right behind me, just as he was about to bite my leg off. My mother, the Luna of the Ceaser pack, one of the kindest woman I have ever met, easily finished off two of the rogues. When she was fighting off the last one, three more rogues jumped on her, nibbling her shoulders, biting her legs, slashing her back.My mother told me to run.

Without thinking twice I ran to get help for her. When I reached in front of the pack house, where most of us lived, my knees almost gave out. The stench of blood strong, floating through the air. Bodies lay every where, mostly rogues. 

I found dad, in his majestic black wolf, fighting of three wolves at once, and he did it with ease. I was about to call him, when every one stopped. They fought off the rogues, after recovering from the shock, while my dad was still frozen. His eyes locked with mine, while the beta of our pack took care of the rogues he was fighting. 

He came rushing towards me, dodging wolves here and there. 

"Dad, mom..she.." I could not even form a sentence properly.

I was a crying mess when the gamma female took me inside. I looked around to see that all the rogues were dead. My dad had already left towards the clearing where mom was. He will save her, I'm sure of it. every one in the pack house were crying. Some were giving me looks of sympathy. My best friend Lily came over to me and hugged me. 

"Lily, do you know why they are giving me looks of  sympathy?" I asked after rubbing my nose.

"The Luna is dead Arlo..."

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My eyes snapped open, and I found myself in my office, covered with the paperwork I was doing last night. That unfortunate day, kept coming back to me as nightmares. My mother was dead because of me, and my father knew that. In fact while I was waiting for both my parents, the whole pack knew that their Luna was dead. They had had felt their bond break. Only I was the gullible person, as I had not received my wolf yet.

My father's remorseful howls could be heard for days. Usually a wolf loses it's humanity after losing their mate. Three days later, on my twelfth birthday, I was sent off to the neighboring pack, my mother's pack. She was the current Alpha's sister. I did not even see him since then. The last time I saw him was when he came to me in the battleground.

"The King has arranged a meeting with you, Alpha", Steve, my second in command informed me, breaking me from my chain of thoughts.

I looked up from the paper works I was doing. Steve had a nonchalant look on his face. If it was anyone else, he would have been killed, but the fact that he is my best friend and also my cousin, saved him a lot of time. Steve was my uncle's third child. The other two, Malcolm and Marissa, were almost five years older than us. They were the Alpha and Beta of their pack. Steve was my age, and when I went to his pack, we automatically bonded. Sometimes I feel he hates my father more than me.

It's been only five months since I took over this pack, and I'm already the most feared Alpha around. My main motive is to kill each and every rogue, not sparing a single one. And I am sure, that is why the King wants to hold this meeting.

"When do we leave then?" I ask Steve.

"We don't actually..They are coming here to commence the meeting.", he replied.

"Why? If he called for the meeting, we are supposed to go." I asked once again, not sure of the reason.

"Something about security and all" Steve replied, no longer interested in the conversation. I had some idea about where his attention was. 

Dismissing him, I went to my room to do my morning chores.

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Three hours later

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I was in my office, planning tomorrow's meeting with the prince, when Steve and Lily walked in. They both shared looks. Lily cleared her throat and composed herself before speaking.

"We are going mate hunting for you today." She said with a straight face. This was nothing new. They always tried to take me to places,to help me find their mates, no matter how many times I have told them that I do not wish to have a mate. They make you weak, and nothing else.

Before I could reject her idea, Steve starts speaking.

"Arlo, common dude. If not for you then us. We are all twenty two. Surely our mates are not in these two packs. Let's go to a nightclub, have some drinks, and if luck favors, we will find our mates." Steve said, more like whined. That boy always wanted to find his mate.

"Alright, we'll go, but I will be late." saying so I excused myself. Can you imagine, the Alpha leaving the room to get away from people. Although I did not miss the amused and shocked look on both their faces.

I was pretty busy the rest of the day. Four hours before we were to leave, I took a run, to settle my agitated wolf. Duke and I were pretty close. I shifted for the first time when I was fourteen, which is pretty early. 

On our way to whatever nightclub Lily and Steve had chosen, both of them could not hold their excitement. Right now looking at Lily, all dolled up, in a red dress, no one would realize that she was our Gamma, the strongest warrior in our pack. And Steve, he looks plain stupid, not the ferocious wolf he usually is during training or wars.

It was almost midnight when we reached the club. As soon as I entered, a strong smell hit my nose. It was my mother's smell. Not exactly my mother, there was also forest mixed with the calming honey scent of my mother. 

Mate!!!

Duke's ears perked up, while he stood straight. Jonathon, my uncle always told me that our mate smelled the same as our favorite things. I could feel him closing in on me, and very soon he was behind me. Three strong strides and he would reach me. Something I can never let happen

I do not want a mate, and I sure as hell do not wish to meet him. So I ran.