A Hidden Crown

Chapter 3: She's Mine

Michael

When I arrived at the pack house, everyone was standing outside, cheering. As I walked through the crowd, I greeted my people. I shook some of their hands, “Alpha,” “hey Alpha,” “welcome home Alpha.” It felt good to be home, to see all the people I hadn’t seen in years. My pack was the most diverse in the North, making it one of the largest. I’m hoping to make even bigger changes with my return.

Tafari, my best friend and beta, would leave to come back home to see how my uncle was running the pack during my absence. It always made me feel good to know that my uncle was treating the pack well. Once my uncle concluded his welcome home speech, it was my turn to address the crowd. I gave a short, to-the-point speech. I let them know that I was here to help, protect, guide, and listen to them.

After my speech, everyone split up into their own little cliques. Most of the older pack members went home, leaving us young ones to party. A group of us were hanging out. They were talking about their latest hookups and breakups. They were on a mission to see who could drink the most without passing out. But I had other plans. Plans to find my mate. I was hoping she would be there, and praying it was her.

There were plenty of she-wolves throwing themselves at me, knowing that I wasn’t their mate. All of them hungry for power. And that’s when I saw her. Lyla. A childhood friend, I made a thousand good memories with, and one terrible mistake.

It was a class project that I couldn’t participate in because my parents were gone. My wolf Knight was already awake in me; his strength and rage ran through my veins. It was too much for me to handle. I had lost control and lashed out, destroying school property. She tried to calm me, wrapping her arms around me. I grabbed her without thinking and swung. The window shattered. Screams mixed with a metallic scent filled the room. I felt like I had knocked the breath out of myself when I realized what I had done.

I thought John was going to kill me that day. I went to their side of the pack house to see her. John met me at the door, jaw tight, eyes darker than I’d ever seen them.

“As much as I want to knock the sense out of you, I won’t,” he said. “Two reasons. First, you’re a minor. Second, you’re my Alpha.” He held my stare. “Those aren’t shields. They’re responsibilities. You carry yourself like one.”

“I know,” I said, guilt taking hold of me.

“You hurt my girl,” he said, voice low.

“I didn’t—”

“No, you didn’t,” he said. “I know today was hard for you, but you need to learn how to control your wolf. You can’t let him control you.”

I nodded. “Can I see her?”

He stepped aside. “You can try. I can’t promise she’ll let you in.”

Before I reached her door, I turned halfway to face John. “How bad?” I asked.

“A few cuts from the glass and a concussion. She’ll feel like she got hit by a truck in the morning.”

I winced at his words. I wanted to ask why she wasn’t at the pack’s hospital, but I decided against it. He was willing to let me in, and I was grateful for it.

I knocked on her door and begged her to come out, but she didn’t. I sat on the floor, my back against the door. I could tell it hurt John to see us like this. I held tears in my eyes, refusing to let them fall. Alphas didn’t cry. John left, giving me privacy to try to talk to Lyla. I retold her funny memories from our even younger days. I could hear her slightly giggling at some of the stories. I told her how sorry I was, that I didn’t mean to hurt her. A piece of paper slid from under the door. She apologized to me but said she would only come to my aid when her Alpha asked her.

She stayed true to her word. She never came near me after that.

Our school wasn’t built on popular versus not; we mixed, fought, made up, and learned. Some kids were born to rank and acted like it. The “high-ranked” were Alpha, Beta, and Gamma families’ sons and daughters, the ones who’d grown up under protocol and pressure. Lyla wasn’t like them. She talked to everyone. People drifted to her and stayed.

Once we got to high school, things changed. Our circles, intertwining, gave me a chance to be by her side. We slowly started rebuilding our friendship. I have always cared for Lyla, but Tyler helped me see how far I was willing to go. Tyler was the school’s playboy with a hit list. When I found out about his failed attempt, John and two other warriors had to get me off him. Then there was Ian, who made me realize I loved her. When I had finally built up enough courage to tell Lyla how I felt, I was shipped off to Alpha School.

But I was back. I found her sitting in a chair, smiling, watching other people have fun. My eyes fell to her hand as it feathered up her leg to tug at the bottom of her dress. It had risen, exposing her thighs, an innocent movement that had me licking my lips. The black long-sleeved silk dress clung to her, refusing to be pulled down.

My heart was pounding hard. Could she really be mine?

“Hey Michael, where are you going?” Fari asked.

I didn’t even realize my feet were moving toward her until Fari called out to me. “One second,” I said as I continued to walk in her direction. Her scent of green apples filled my nostrils, and my wolf began to howl. The closer I got, the stronger her scent enticed me. My body temperature was rising with each step. Knight had come to the surface prepared for what was to come next.

I couldn’t believe this was really happening. As I stood inches behind the one person, I couldn’t wait to call mine; my excitement turned into fury. The scent of another male was all over her. “Mate,” Knight growled possessively into her ear.

When her face met mine, her cream-tinted eyes were laced with panic.

She yelped, “I’m sorry,” and took off running.

I didn’t know what to do.

Knight pawed at the floor of my mind. Go after her, he growled. I didn’t move; anger held me in place.

“Hey, man, are you okay?” Tafari said, breaking me from my trance.

“Yeah, I just found my mate, but...” My voice broke.

I waited three years for her, and she just gave herself away to another, without even waiting to see if we might have been mates. Maybe she didn’t feel the same way as I did.

“But what man? Who is she?” Tafari asked, pointing at the other girls, asking, is it her, or her?”

My anger quickly turned into fear. Did she go to him?

“Lyla,” I said out loud.

Tafari’s eyebrows pinched together. His gaze flicked past me as if searching for his memory. His mouth tipped up. “Lyla,” he repeated, recognition settling. “The Lyla. You lucky SOB,” he said, grabbing my shoulders and shaking me.

“Yes, she’s mine.” I smiled weakly.

“Well, where is she?”

That question made my heart throb. “I don’t know. I think she might be seeing someone.”

“Oh,” he scratched the back of his head, “Lyla’s a great person, and the pack likes her, but she is practically human. You know, with her not having a wolf and all. Maybe it’s a good thing she is seeing someone.”

A wave of shock passed across my face. I couldn’t believe Fari would fix his mouth to say something like that, knowing how I feel about her.

Careful, Beta, Knight snarled, his voice vibrating through my chest. The warning slipped out of my mouth in a low rumble.

“Careful, Beta.”

“Sorry Alpha. I was just thinking with her being wolf-less, do you really think she would be any help to you or the pack?”

My eyes darkened. “If the Highest thinks that she is up for the part, who are you to question it?”

“I just thought—”

“Stop talking Beta,” Knight said, taking control.

Fari’s lips shut quickly.

He knows he has crossed the line with his words. He gulped nervously.

I stood there, the festive sounds of the party fading into a dull roar. Fari’s words were a seed of doubt, but they were nothing compared to the overwhelming pull of my mate. Lyla was consuming my every thought. I wanted to be with her; I needed to know if she was seeing the male who had marked her with his scent. Without another word, I headed in for the night.