ALPHA DARREN'S OMEGA MATE

Mate!

ALPHA DARREN

I quickly dressed in my dark blue jeans, a white t-shirt with the sleeves rolled up to my elbows, and black shoes.

I popped my head into the living room for a few minutes to speak with my parents before heading to the kitchen. I grabbed my lunch: four slices of sandwiches, a bowl of fruit, and a bottle of water alongside some juice. I planned to eat it in my office to catch up on work.

Just as I finished my lunch, Beta Michael mind-linked me to let me know that James and three warriors had picked up Amelia and Annabelle and were on their way here. I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding and thanked the Moon Goddess for keeping them safe until we could reach them.

What they had endured and the things they had witnessed were unimaginable; the sooner they arrived, the better.

I checked my messages and noticed one from Elder Robert.

“Good day, Alpha Darren. Sorry I missed your call. We were made aware of the attack on the Claws Pack just a couple of hours ago by a surviving member, and we are currently still investigating what transpired. I’m on the pack lands now, and as soon as we ascertain what happened, we will contact you, Beta Michael, and Annabella. Bye for now.”

A surviving member, huh? Michael hadn’t mentioned Amelia contacting the Elders, which stirred a strange feeling in my gut. I decided to bring this up with my Beta.

“Michael, do you have a moment?” I sent through our mind link.

“Of course, Darren. What’s up?” he replied promptly.

“Are you able to come to my office? If it’s not a problem, or should I discuss it over the mind link?” I asked.

“Actually, Noah is coming to our floor in twenty minutes to help Bella with Anna’s birthday. Once he’s here, I can come down. Can this wait twenty minutes, or is it urgent?” Michael asked.

“Yes, it’s urgent, but it can wait for twenty minutes, I guess.”

“Great, see you then,” he replied before cutting the mind link.

I returned to my work. I was up to my eyes in responsibilities today, juggling the tasks of both the Alpha and my Beta. I hadn’t gotten a minute to myself, but honestly, I didn’t mind.

The only thing I could think about was the Elders’ message. A survivor informed them, but who could it be?

“Hey, Darren, are you okay there?” I was pulled from my thoughts by my Beta, Michael.

I hadn’t even noticed when the door opened, much less when he sat down across from me at my desk.

This guy is amazing. This is his office; his desk. Yet when I’m preoccupied, he doesn’t ask me to move. It’s as if he’s in my space, not his.

“I’m sorry, Michael. My mind was elsewhere,” I said, trying to focus on him.

“I hope it was a pretty girl making you so distracted,” Michael said, winking at me.

Hahaha.

“No, Michael, it’s not about women, trust me,” I replied, chuckling.

“Fine, fine,” he surrendered. “Okay, so tell me, what’s on your mind then?” He crossed his legs.

“Today, I called the Elders to inform them about the Claws Pack, but there was no answer. I left them a message about the attack and asked for someone to call me back.” I cleared my throat and continued, “I stepped out shortly to make breakfast and lead the training sessions, and when I returned, one of the Elders had left me a message.” I pressed play on the voice note so Michael could hear it for himself.

“A survivor informed them? Amelia never mentioned she spoke with them. I wouldn't have thought she would think to call, but then again, she has surpassed all my expectations of what an eighteen-year-old would do in her situation. Maybe she did. I’ll call her and ask,” Michael said to me.

Michael called Amelia, but she was adamant that she never made a call, claiming she didn’t have the contact information for any of them and that she definitely couldn’t find any survivors when she looked.

“f**k,” Michael shouted, frustration evident in his voice.

“What is it, Michael?” I asked.

“What if we’ve left another survivor there alone?” He asked, panic etched across his face.

“Well, if Amelia didn’t make the call, then there’s a possibility that someone else got out before she did. That would explain why she didn’t see anyone. But... I’ve got a strange feeling about this, Michael.” I said, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on me.

“What do you mean?” Michael asked, curiosity piqued.

“I don’t know. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I felt the same strange sensation when I first listened to the message earlier,” I shared with him.

“Okay, well, you know I trust your judgment. How about we wait to hear from the Elders before we proceed further? They’re on the pack lands now, so whoever it is isn’t alone, and Amelia will be here soon. We’ll find out more then,” Michael suggested.

I agreed with him, and he headed back to be with Annabella while I started finishing the paperwork and preparing for Amelia and Annabelle’s arrival. I mind-linked with Noah while we waited for dinner to be ready in the kitchen when we both received another mind link from Michael, letting us know that Amelia and Annabelle, along with everyone else, would be arriving in a few minutes.

Noah and I left the kitchen to head to the front door where Michael and Bella were already waiting. I gave Bella a hug, and she shared a grateful smile with me, but I could tell she was struggling to hold herself together... poor girl.

We stood outside as the SUV made its way down the driveway. It pulled in front of us, and the guys started disembarking. At the same time, Zack began prancing around my mind, whining.

“What’s wrong, Zack?” I asked my wolf.

“I don’t know, Darren, but I think something is going to happen,” Zack replied, which only heightened my unease.

I told him to try and relax, and he settled back into the depths of my mind. The guys began to shuffle up the steps and into the house. Then James walked around from the other side of the SUV with a girl. She kept her gaze fixed on the ground while holding hands with another girl. Of course, I knew it was Amelia and Annabelle, but for some reason, an unsettling feeling churned in my stomach that wouldn’t shift.

Suddenly, Amelia looked up, and our eyes met for a brief moment. I swear my heart skipped a beat. Just as she looked away, Zack rushed to the forefront of my thoughts and uttered the one word that would change my life forever.

“MATE.”