Ultima Trials

Ultima Mates

Hayden’s POV

Cam’s arms were wrapped tight around my waist, as his face rested on my neck. The sobs that had racked my body for the last hour ceased the moment I caught his scent in front of the door, but those stupid sniffles came at their own will.

“Hayden, talk to me.” Cam whispered.

I didn’t say anything.

“The Elders know that I’m Randall’s son.”

I wanted to look at him, but the clenching in my heart grew worse.

“Hayden, please.” He kissed my neck. “Talk to me.”

“What’s the point, Cam? You’re Alpha. Either Graystone or Silver Star. You have to be Alpha. It’s in your DNA. Your wolf won’t settle just being a Consort. Or whatever.” I held back my sob.

His arms left my body, and he got out of bed. I couldn’t hear anything except the pounding in my head. A warm hand pulled my face out from under the blanket. Cam’s soft lips met mine in a kiss that heated my body and pushed every negative thought from my brain. Nothing mattered in that moment except his lips on mine. My breath hitched as his tongue softly brushed against my lips. He pulled away, those ice-blue eyes staring back at me.

“I’m not going anywhere without you, Hayden. I told you when I marked you that you were mine. That goes both ways. I’m just as much yours as you are mine.” He kissed the tip of my nose.

“You’re going to have to leave, and I love that you will get your pack back, but now that the Elders know who you are, what does that mean for us?”

The sadness crossed his face before quickly being replaced with something else.

“It means that you and I are a team.” He said, pulling me from the bed, “Come on. I just got an idea.”

He pulled me to the conference room we had met in the first night we got there, and a few minutes later, Ultima Randall, Gloria, Bentley and the other Elders had joined us. Cam sat in a chair and pulled me into his lap.

“As you are all now fully aware, I am the biological son of Randall Wixx and Wiccan Gloria. Though my parents will and always have been my parents, that creates a larger problem for my current title. As I am the first born of both sets of parents, that also makes me an Ultima Wolf, my mate, Hayden, is also an Alpha.”

Elder Santiago spoke, “Yes. It does create a large complication. One that must be rectified if you wish to take your place as Ultima of five packs.”

Cam rolled his eyes, “I will be Ultima of four packs, not five. My mate is the Alpha of Black Storm, and she will remain Alpha unless she wants to step down.”

Randall hid his chuckle with a cough. The other Elders looked confused. They all looked at me, and I shrugged.

“As I am rightful Alpha to Silver Star because I was the last titled, and birthright Alpha to Graystone, Blue River and Mystic Moon. I would like to take my role.” Cam stood tall.

My eyes almost popped out of my head. He just said he wasn’t leaving. Now he wanted to take over not one but three packs. The others in the room matched my expression. Except Randall. He looked proud. Of course, he had been an Alpha longer than most. I was sure he was tired.

Cam squeezed my waist, “By that I mean, I would be the Ultima of my father’s pack.”

“Which father?” I didn’t know this Elder’s name.

“Does it matter, William? Alpha Camden has accepted his title,” Randall snapped.

The Elder, William, growled but didn’t speak. I guess even as an Elder he wasn’t dumb enough to go up against an Ultima.

“Actually, it does matter,” Cam interjected.

William smirked at Randall.

“Because of my current situation, I cannot freely leave the state, I will not be able to be Alpha of Graystone.” Cam looked at Randall. “That leaves Blue River, Mystic Moon, and Silver Star.”

Randall tried to hide the pain of losing his heir, but pride still shone as Cam took a stand to protect his son and mate. Something Randall never had the chance to do.

“If your father is who you say he is, the one that drove my mother out of her home, then I want nothing to do with him or his legacy. I’m sorry.”

Randall shrugged in agreement. Guess his dad really was a d**k.

“I am willing to accept the legacy that you have built.” Cam smiled, “With conditions.”

Randall nodded.

The very first condition was that Randall and Gloria were given the opportunity to reconcile after being apart for 25 years. The next was, Randall’s father was to go nowhere near Mav nor me. If he had such a huge problem with a Wiccan being Luna, he’d have a larger problem with a female being Alpha. Randall agreed. The last and final thing would be that Silver Star be disbanded completely, to restart a new pack under the authority of Cam and I.

I looked at Cam scared. I was drowning in just my Alpha duties at Black Storm. There was no way I could take on a whole new pack. He kissed my cheek and smiled at me.

We negotiated terms for another two hours, checks were written and the date of the challenge was set.

Cam and I were packing our things to leave the urgent banging on our door stopped us cold in our tracks.

I opened the door and Bentley was breathless. “Noah escaped.”

Hayden’s POV

Two weeks passed with no news of Noah.

Cam had taken an Alpha tour of Blue River and Mystic Moon. It had taken him a whole week and Mira was miserable. Even though Cam spent most of the day with me on the phone, it wasn’t the same as him being home with me.

I kept myself busy by overseeing the construction of my new buildings and even helping relocate my pack members. I spent time getting to know Mav, just one on one. He was a great kid, but he missed his dad almost as much as I did. Cam would be coming back at night, and I was so excited. I had planned a special dinner made for just the three of us. I wanted to talk to Cam about it. One was about his challenge with Noah.

If Noah failed to show, he was considered a forfeit, but if he showed, then it only confirmed his guilt and he would be arrested. Either way, the title would go back to Cam. Most of the pack members had already found new homes in different packs. The few warriors left had come to Black Storm, they had come close to the level of my warriors in the week that they had been with us.

The next was I wanted to complete our bond. We were marked, but there was something blocking us from being together. Something I hadn’t told anyone and yet this was something that Hunter didn’t need to know, but I couldn’t keep it from him forever.

Cam smiled when he saw our dinner, even Mav wore a new suit. We ate and talked; Mav was excited to be able to travel to all these new packs in a few short months. As hard as it was for me, it was twice as hard for Cam. He had to leave not only his mate behind, but his son. His son that he had never spent this much time away from.

Eventually, Cam would have to meet my parents. He had met my father during Alpha Training, but my dad was old school in respect. He was already pissed that I was marked. I had to explain it to him a hundred times before he left. My parents and I weren’t ever that close. They loved and were proud of me, but they were always busy being Alpha and Luna, so Hunter and I always found things to do together.

Dinner ended with Mav fast asleep at the table, as usual. While Cam tucked Mav into bed, I cleaned up from dinner, letting my mind wander to all the future dinners we would have. As a family. Ones that I should be sharing with Hunter, but he had…. No. I shook my head and went to my bedroom.

I had never seduced anyone before, so I went the basic route. I had taken a shower before dinner, finding every single hair, and shaving it off. It was different shaving.. down there, but I had heard some warriors talking about how much they liked it when a girl was smooth everywhere. Was there really any point in putting on lingerie if Cam was just going to take it off? So instead, I climbed onto my bed naked as the day I was born and waited.

“Sorry, I know…” Cam came into the bedroom and stopped. “What- what’re you doing?”

Immediately my body filled with regret. I jumped up and sped to the bathroom, locking the door. I looked at myself in the mirror. My hair hung down to my shoulders in waves, something that had taken forever because my hair never knew if it wanted to curl or wave. I had spent hours watching videos to learn how to contour my face and do a smokey eye. My lips were a deep red. I looked down at my body. It was curvier than most she-wolfs my height, and I had love handles that no matter how much I tried they would not go away. I did have the beginnings of a six pack and my legs were long and toned. Maybe he wanted a thin figured girl. I couldn’t help my curiosity when I looked up pictures of Luna Jeri at other Alpha functions. She was petite, with perfect curls. Big brown doe eyes, and gorgeous darkened tan skin. She was the perfect Luna. I wasn’t.

A soft knock pulled a slight whimper from my chest. “Hayden, I can feel you. Come out and talk to me, please?”

I knew he couldn’t see me, but I shook my head. I felt foolish. I looked foolish. I grabbed a towel and scrubbed my make-up off, knowing my skin would hate me in the morning. Then I wrapped my hair in a bun high on my head and nodded. This was who I was, an Alpha. I sighed. No matter how many times I said it, it just never felt.. right.

“Please, Hayden? You’re wolf is going crazy, and it’s driving Jersey mad. It’s driving me mad. I just need to see that you’re okay.”

I snorted. I was fine. I was always fine. I didn’t have a choice, but to be fine. Too many people needed me. I had never needed them, so why did I want to change that? Because. Stupid mate bond. It made people crazy. Like grandpa had said.

Grandpa had never come out to say I wasn’t good enough to be Alpha, but who needs words when actions speak louder. He didn’t come to my ceremony, said that only his grandson should be titled, and that he would come to my Luna ceremony. He didn’t come when Hunter was first in a coma. He called a coma a weakness. A true Alpha knows when to give up or fight harder.

“Hayden, I need to see you, hun.” Cam was begging.

I sighed and wiped the few tears that had fallen down my face. I would be strong. My towel was wrapped tight around my body as I opened the door. Cam stood there; his face etched in fear.

“Are you okay? What happened?” He looked me up and down. “Why did you run like that?”

I shrugged, “It was stupid. I shouldn’t have done that. Let’s just go to bed.” I went to my closet and put on my shorts and tank top. As much as Cam understood me sleeping in my brother’s shirt, it was still another male. He never came out to say it, but I could tell. I sniffed my brother’s shirt. It didn’t even smell like him anymore. It had been years since it had any other scent than mine. As I walked out of my closet, Cam sat on the bed with his head leaned in his hands. He groaned as he looked up at me.

“You can’t just… I…” He tried to start.

I didn’t say anything, just climbed into bed and pulled the blankets up to my chest.

“Hayden, it’s been years since… that.” Cam whispered, “I wasn’t expecting you to want to do that… Not that I don’t want to. I’d love to. I just… The last person I made love with was Jeri. I don’t want you to feel like you’re competing with her.”

I heard his voice break when he said her name. I couldn’t help but be jealous. I knew that he loved her even before they were fated. They had a whole life together before me. I just wanted to start my own life. With Cam.

The problem was I would always be competing with her. How silly is that? She died. Painfully. Never even got to meet her son. Yet everyone looked at me as if I was Cam’s second choice. I would never measure up to the Luna she was or what she could have done.

Maybe because we’re not a Luna. We’re an Alpha. Mira said lowly, You and Hunter had it bad. Your grandfather was tough on you, and then Dad was tough on Hunter. You weren’t expected to be anything but someone’s trophy wife, a glorified party planner. Yet here we are. Alpha of a strong and growing pack, mated to an Ultima. You tell yourself every day that you can do this, and every day you do. Everyday you’ve given every part of you to your pack, and they love you for it. Cam only wants to love you. Not because of our pack, or even because we’re his second chance, he wants to love you because everyone deserves to be loved.

I closed my eyes to keep the tears from falling. He wants to love me. He wants me. Mira was right, for the last nine years my family had balked at the progress I had made. It was hardest to tell Grandpa. He never acknowledged me as Alpha, but I did it anyway. I learned the ins and outs of running a pack in months when my brother and other Alphas took years. It didn’t matter that I was single my entire life, I had a pack who loved me and for a long time that was enough. Now I had someone who wanted to love me, and I had no idea how to love him back.

“I can hear the gears in your head, Hayden. Talk to me.” Cam pleaded. “Please. Just talk to me.”

Rolling over, I met Cam’s deep blue eyes. They were full of devotion. Devotion to me. I bore his mark. I was his. He was mine. I still didn’t know what that meant.

“I’m scared.” I said finally. “Scared that I won’t measure up to her. She was beautiful, and a perfect Luna. I don’t know how to be a Luna, not anymore. I’m an Alpha. I’m used to doing things without asking, or without worrying about how anyone else feels about it. My pack has always known that I’d do anything to protect them. I don’t know how to be.. this. The person I would have talked about to this…”

“Was Hunter.” He didn’t need any more explanation.

I nodded.

“Well, the first hint is, as an Alpha male, I’m always ready to have s*x. Always. It doesn’t matter if I just came off the training mats and have a broken arm.” He chuckled. “Second, you don’t need to be a Luna for me to want you. I want you because even despite me losing my home, my pack to some psycho, you still took me and Mav in. The reason you asked for my mark could have been a bit more romantic, but you have it. You were willing to be bonded to me simply to give your pack members what they needed. That’s Alpha material. That’s love.” He climbed on the bed and stroked my cheek, “Finally, you aren’t Jeri. Stop comparing yourself to her. I’m not. You are two separate people whom I love. Jeri was exactly what I needed then. You are what I need now.”