Chapter 1
1646 Words
KARLA
1,2,3.
My eyes open and close once again but this time, I have to squint to confirm the sight in front of me despite the fact that I have perfect eyesight.
Not once when I was being taught what makes a good Alpha did I learn what to do when your mate cheats on you. I cling to the thankful thought that our mate bond is unsealed because if not, I would have felt it in my soul everytime he touched this woman. My calm is alarming, the level of not showing my emotions must have gone up a notch because I feel nothing. Nothing but a gut wrenching disappointment.
My breath catches in my throat, trying my best to contain my wolf, Luna. “How could he? How could the man who promised us the moon and stars betray us like this?”
Yes, how? I too am at a loss for justification for his actions. Roman is mine, has been for seven years now so why is he here with this woman. Is it because I was never available for s*x that he chooses someone who is?
“No, Karla. Don't you dare blame us for his infidelity.” My wolf, luna howls, pained by not just the thought but the visual of his betrayal but I refuse to hear her.
If I accept her pain it will increase my own, and right now I'm trying to hold myself together. That, and the fact that I'm trying to see why the hell I'm not going for blood right now, any sane mate would but I stay calm, too calm.
“Karla, do something!” Luna screams, and believe me I don't miss the irony of my wolf being named Luna whereas I'm an Alpha. I don't have any Alpha blood in me but I was raised by the strongest and the kindest Alpha's I know and if that doesn't make for a good enough Alpha I don't know what does.
“Why aren't you doing anything?”
“I- I'm trying to think, Luna.” I snap, the moans of Roman and his mistress echoing in my head. This is the man that almost drowned trying to save my life and I should accept he's doing this?
“I can see it, you see it. Of course it's f*****g happening. That scumbag hurt us, Karla.”
He did. Her more so than I and I fight very hard for control. “Stop fighting me, Luna. I'm hurt too, I know I should storm in there and tear his head off his shoulders but I can't, I'm sworn to protect him.” I whisper, but that only seems to anger Luna even more. My duty as his Alpha outweighs my pain as his mate, at least that's what I try to tell myself.
“Karla!” Luna screams as I back away from the store room.
“You know what, Luna? This could be a one time thing, I'm willing to move past this, I-”
Luna sighs, “We can't, Karla. First or not, Roman is cheating on us.”
“I know, but he's going to come back.” I tell her, trying to convince us both because I can't lose Roman and if I do lose him, I'll lose more than just him. “You know how my parents were too, both sets.” I emphasize since I have four parental figures that raised me simultaneously.
Luna scoffs, the irony of my idiocy known to her. “That's a different situation and you know it.”
She's right, I do know it but I refuse to accept that Roman will continue this pattern. So I argue with my wolf. “It's the same, Luna.”
“Fine.” Luna grumbles, but I know this mater is far from dead with her. She loves Roman, so do I but losing him isn't as big a loss as the consequences attached to the action. “But you confront him, if not I will and I'm taking a hand, or an eye as punishment for this shit.”
“After the ceremony.”
“What if he does this to me again, Karla?"
“You?” I laugh, the sound bitter on my tongue. “What about me?”
“He loves you.” she whispers, my heart breaking at the her words. I know what love looks like and I'd be a fool if I said what Roman shows me is it, it's more of a duty, a tie we can't break or on my end should never break.
I shove the dark thoughts of the consequences to befall me if Roman and I were to break what we have before Luna can catch wind of them. Leaving Roman's house I am met by one of my assistants, Ophelia.
“Alpha, you look a little-”
My feet come to a stop, my gaze veering to her. “A little what?”
Ophelia swallows, “Nothing. It must be in my head.”
“It is.” I resume my long hefty strides, the sooner I can drown myself in work the easier it'll be to avert the random flashes in my mind of my mate with some woman on his c**k. “Run me through the progress for tomorrow night.”
“Err um, I-”
“You what, Ophelia?”
“I haven't been to the site yet, I was checking on the bakers but..” she trails off.
Once again, my movements halt as I turn to look at her. “Ophelia dear, I'm not in my usual very jolly mood, so I highly suggest you finish your sentences like the f*****g grown up you are and-”
“I'm sorry, Alpha.” she hastily bows, “It won't happen again.”
My lips pull into a grin, but that only makes Ophelia take one step back. “Don't interrupt me.” I warn her, because it'll be a darn shame if she became the object of release to the mood that Roman has put me in. “Now, go on. Walk with me.” I tell her, noting she always walks two steps behind me.
“Yes.” she rasps, trying to keep up with my pace. “I haven't checked with the arena yet because I went to check on the bakers to ensure the pastries are ready and as you requested.”
“Didn't I assign that to Celeste?”
“You told her to put in her two weeks notice after her last screw-up.”
I frown, my head tilted towards her. “I did?” surely she must be mistaken because that sounds nothing like me, but Ophelia nods. “Then hire her back.”
“Moving on, we are likely to have new pledges after the mating ceremony-”
Right, the mating ceremony. That'll ease Luna's mind when Roman marks us in front of everyone as his. But it's also the night I'm likely to lose some members. “How many am I losing, and what are their positions?”
“Well, those of high ranks, like Zetas, refuse to trade packs. Rather, their mates shall be welcomed here. But we do have six known going.”
Six? That's a low number but under my mother's reign the highest o transfers is recorded two. “Names.” I demand.
“Elizabeth Ownen, Erin Carter, Nyx Warren, Ezikel Sternberg, Calvin Temple, and this one you may be familiar with, Damien Rhys. The above are going to be golden hunters as of tomorrow night.”
“I see, and how many new members shall I be expecting?”
“My estimation is about three hundred, they're unbranded so they will wear your mark as their first.”
I nod, that's great news. Despite the challenges that come with growing the pack, I'm certain I'll manage just fine considering its all I've prepared for since I was thirteen years old.
“The extended invites to the royals have been replied to, and your parents have confirmed they will be landing just in time for the ceremony.” Ophelia informs me.
I sigh, of course I knew the royals would come, and my parents? I thought they wouldn't come. After my mother, Alpha Camilla retired she bought off land worth five packs and started her second pack alongside her mate, Alpha Adrian, his Beta and older brother Alpha Ryan. The pack is far, and only for the retired Alpha's Beta's and many who have served in their packs. There is no Alpha, but seven of them sit on the Golden council as they call it.
“Some of the dragon clans have confirmed but we're yet to receive any word from the dragon King.” Ophelia continues.
Right, the dragon King. I'm glad he's not responded, he can be a huge distraction.
“And the induction ceremony?” I ask her.
“Moved to two nights after the mating ceremony, your mother suggested you will need time to bond with your mate.”
The tip of my nose twitches at her words, “My mother? Which one?”
“Alpha Camilla.”
“Right.” I sigh, because the other wouldn't try interfere with my work or life, we have a streak if blood blood going.
“She proposed a week but I told her you'd kill me, and honestly, she scared me so forgive me.”
“No harm done, Ophelia.” I offer her a gentle smile to ease her brewing anxiety.
“Reminder, Stacey and her husband fly in tomorrow night.” I smile at her last update, knowing my best friend and cousin is coming to Silverline brings me almost joy. Most people have a phone to set remainders, I have Ophelia, and Celeste.
- Writer
