Creating The Perfect Alpha

Warning: This story contains abuse, violence, explicit scenes, and forced unions. *** The scent of incense filled my nose, the quietness around me almost deafening. I stared up at the new marble statue. They had captured his likeness quite well, frozen in time as we would always remember him. He was handsome, even in death, and I remembered that he had been kind too, something I found to be a special but rare quality in alphas. “What are you doing?” A voice startled me. I spun around, staring up at an enormous older alpha. He towered so far over me that his shadow enveloped me in darkness. Quickly, I lowered my eyes in submission. “I-I apologize, my king,” I stammered. “I was merely... paying my respects.” “People already did that at the ceremony today,” he remarked, his voice dark, almost suspicious. “Yet you stand here alone, staring at my son’s statue... and you’re without your mate.” I gulped, fearing the worst right away. Would he have me punished for sneaking off here by myself? Or tell Darren? “I just... wanted to do it more... privately,” I whispered. “Why?” he asked. “Because...” How did I explain myself? I let out a long breath. “Because your son was a good man, and I wanted to honor that in private.” Slowly, I glanced up, seeing the narrowed stare he gave me. I quickly looked down again, hoping he wouldn’t find any reason not to believe me. The sound of footsteps echoed through the large mausoleum. I glanced to the side, seeing him walk around me. I turned slightly, looking over my shoulder as I watched the older alpha stare up at the statue, a longing in his eyes. Understandable. “You knew him well?” he inquired. I shook my head, only to realize he wasn’t looking at me. “No, I didn’t. I had only spoken to him a few times at parties in the palace,” I replied. “He treated me... respectfully.” The king turned his head, frowning. I glanced down. “You’re a luna,” he remarked. I nodded. “Why wouldn’t you be treated respectfully?” I bit down on the inside of my cheek, not sure what to tell him. I remembered the tales of him and his mate. He had honored her, always wanting her at his side. They had been paired by the Moon Goddess through a true bond. Another rarity. He wouldn’t understand my position. I shook my head. “I just thought he was a good alpha,” I replied. “He will be missed even by those who weren’t close to him.” A silence followed my words. I looked up, finding the king staring at me with those sharp alpha eyes, indicating that he was slowly trying to look past my walls, trying to find the truth I was keeping from him. “Aurora!” A new voice joined us, sending chills down my spine. I gulped, slowly turning to look over my shoulder, spotting the large figure not far from us, standing near the entrance. “Is that your mate?” the king inquired. “Yes, my king,” I whispered. Darren came closer. As he noticed I wasn’t alone, I saw him pause slightly before he bowed his head in respect to our king. “I apologize, my king,” he said. “For what?” the king asked. Darren seemed momentarily confused. “My mate. She wandered off.” “She did,” the king said. I felt my shoulders draw up, trapped between the two powerful males now, my heart hammering with fear. “I will ensure that doesn’t happen again,” Darren vowed. I caught the look he sent my way, and I focused on the marble floor. “Do that,” the king said. I listened to him walk around me again, only to pause. “She is very nice company,” the king added, shocking me. “Wouldn’t want others to enjoy it a little too much.” A slight smile lingered on my lips as the king continued on. I glanced in the direction he went, seeing him disappear through the entrance, only for someone to block my view of him. I looked up, finding Darren towering over me, anger in his eyes. “What are you doing here?” he snarled. “I-I was just... saying goodbye to our prince,” I replied. “He is dead.” “I’m... aware.” “No reason for the extra show.” “I wasn’t...” I could see from the way he looked at me that there was no reason to try to explain myself. I pressed my lips together before Darren seized my arm and pulled me along. I didn’t even fight him, knowing it wouldn’t change anything. He pulled me outside, the sun still shining and the birds chirping. I looked up at the blue sky. It almost felt worse to see such a beautiful day knowing it held such sorrow. “Come here,” Darren hissed, leading me away from the group of wolves gathered outside. “Ouch,” I groaned, trying to stop his claws from digging into my skin. He refused to relent, pulling me toward the many cars parked in the distance. “I-I was just saying goodbye!” I repeated. “You were with the king, alone!” “So?” Darren spun around, halting us in the large gravel parking lot, towering over me. He leaned forward, making me feel even more crowded. I took a step back, hitting a car with my back. Darren placed both hands on the vehicle, keeping me trapped. “Do you not know what’s going to happen now?” Darren inquired. I felt puzzled, my head jumbled, unsure how to answer. “There is no heir anymore, Aurora,” he said. “I’m... aware.” “So they will need a new one.” “Maybe a distant relative.” “There is none,” he hissed at me, making me clamp up. “No, they are going to reinstate the old tradition.” “The old tradition?” “The Alpha Games,” he declared with a smirk. I stared for a moment, my mind trying to remember what I had been taught about our history regarding the Alpha Games. If I recalled correctly, it was an old tradition from long before our time, when kings were chosen rather than born, and the strongest alpha would become our next leader. “Has... the council declared this?” I inquired. “They will soon enough.” “So... it’s certain?” He nodded. “My father assured me the council has convinced the king. The winner of these games will be the next heir.” Darren leaned closer, his threatening aura making me shrink against the car. “And no good-for-nothing luna mate is going to stand in my way of that. Do you understand me?” I hated how he used my status as if it meant nothing. A luna was not nothing! “What was I doing? I’m not trying to ruin anything for you,” I said. “You spoke to the king,” he hissed. “Is that illegal now?” “You could have ruined my chances. The games are not just about fighting. They’re about proving your good qualities as the next leader.” I wanted to spit in his face that he possessed none of those qualities, but I kept my mouth shut. “So I’m not going to let a mate who wanders around put me in a bad light.” “I didn’t say anything bad about you.” “You are my mate,” he repeated. How I wished I weren’t. “You are a reflection of me! I refuse to let you portray me as...” “What?” I asked when he paused for a few seconds. “Pathetic and weak,” he snapped. I wasn’t shocked he used those terms. He had always seen me that way. I leaned a little closer. “And this weak little luna is the only one who can give you true alpha heirs,” I reminded him. He pushed off the vehicle, giving me space, only to scoff and straighten his suit. “And how well have you succeeded at that?” he inquired. His jab stung. He shook his head. “And especially with how rare you lunas are, you should be working hard to give me those heirs. But six years together, and there is nothing!” His words made my blood boil. I clenched my hands into fists, feeling my claws dig into my skin. “Maybe if you didn’t spend so much time with other females, there would be...” Instantly, his face darkened, and he leaned in until he was inches from me. I looked down, unable to hold his gaze. He grasped my hair, forcing me to face him. I grabbed his wrist, feeling the sting of his grip. “What did you say to me?” he growled lowly, his voice changing slightly. He tightened his hand around my hair, making it hurt even more. “Well?” he pressed. “I...” “Yeah?” he inquired, his eyes shining yellow, proving his wolf was at the surface, ready to inflict pain on me too. Do it! Tell him again! my wolf urged. I wanted to. I wanted to repeat the words, make myself even clearer by spitting in his face, but instead... I lowered my eyes again, showing submission. “That’s what I thought,” Darren said, only to shove me back, making me hit the car and knocking the wind out of my lungs. I coughed, leaning to the side and resting a hand on the mirror to keep myself upright. “Now let’s go home. I’m tired of the tears and the fake sorries. We all know everyone here can’t wait to get the games started.” He is a f*****g prick, I thought, as I listened to him walk away. He dared to insult the memory of our former prince. I looked up, watching him leave, and shook my head. “Aurora!” he shouted. Come on, get up! my wolf said. I nodded, pushing myself upright, my back still aching as I walked after him. I followed him to the car, where a few of the warriors closest to Darren stood waiting like bodyguards. Darren opened the door for me, gesturing for me to get inside. I knew it wasn’t done out of kindness but out of control. I slipped inside, and he followed. The warriors took the remaining seats, and I was squeezed into a car with four very dangerous men. A luna shouldn’t have felt the kind of fear I did, but things were different for me. I looked down, watching my hands twist around each other, feeling as though I could barely breathe. It was a relief when I saw the pack house come into view in the distance. As the car parked, Darren slipped out with the others, this time not bothering to wait for me. I climbed out of the car, closed the door, and stared up at the large house. It looked so beautiful on the outside. Three stories tall, with a dark red brick exterior, large windows to let in sunlight, and a vast forest surrounding it—perfect for runs and a wonderful place for children to grow up. I sighed at the thought, leaning against the car. Children, I thought. Our heat won’t be here for a while. We have time to get used to the idea again, my wolf remarked. “Like every year,” I murmured. We can always... “No, it’s time. I can’t keep trying to prevent it,” I whispered. But pups with him? I shook my head, covering my face. It wasn’t as if the thought was pleasant for me either. “Yeah,” I murmured. “A good mate would.” A good mate wouldn’t abuse us either. I let out a long sigh. “No, they probably wouldn’t. But what do we know about good mates, right?” Don’t say that, my wolf said as I walked toward the house. “Why not?” Because it makes it sound like this is our fault! “Isn’t it?” No, it isn’t. He is a liar, a manipulator! I wasn’t going to deny it, but I was the one who fell for those lies. You hear me? my wolf asked. I didn’t respond. I stepped inside, hearing the liveliness of the house, yet feeling like a ghost haunting this place. No one was able to see me. No one was able to hear me. I walked ahead toward the stairs and made my way to the highest floor. Stepping inside my room, I began changing, placing the dark dress aside before slipping into something comfortable. Moving to the bathroom, I removed my makeup and put my hair up. Going back to my bedroom, I grabbed a book before leaving again and heading downstairs. Finding the kitchen, I stepped inside to find the lower-ranking wolves planning dinner, standing together over a list. When they heard me, they straightened. “Is there something I can help you with, Luna?” the head chef asked. “No, I was just going to grab some water.” It grew quiet as I walked over to the fridge, and I felt the many eyes on me. I glanced over my shoulder, seeing everyone except the head chef look down. I took a bottle of water and began walking away. “How was the funeral?” the head chef asked. Images flashed through my mind—the statue of the prince, the conversation with the king, Darren’s anger. “It was...” The sound of a doorbell rang through the house.