The Last Alpha

Chapter one The pack I grew up in was once known as a rather prestigious pack. We were known all over the world as the Elemental Pack. Each member on their 18th birthday received not only their wolf but also the power of one of the four elements. Most would be gifted with water or air; Alphas and Betas were luckier than most members, they could potentially have earth and fire. Every 100 years, a member is born to the Alpha bloodline with the ability to possess more than one element. These people would automatically get the Alpha position, regardless of origin, birth order and gender. I was Alpha Damien’s second-born child. As a daughter, I was naturally pushed back to be Alpha. My older brother, Edward, was to be Alpha after his 18th birthday; if our father deemed him ready at least. There was just under a year between him and me. Currently, I am 17, and I still have just under a year until I get my wolf and element. Edward had recently started preparations for his final year of training. He was good, and I dreamt of being as fast and powerful as he was. “Thalia, where are you? It's time to train!” I heard my father shout from downstairs; I put my diary back into its hiding place behind my drawers and checked myself in the mirror. I wasn’t ready yet, so I grabbed a hair tie from my desk and pulled my wavy brown hair into a messy ponytail. I wore my usual leggings, sports bra, loose top, and trainers. I left my phone in my room and headed downstairs ready to kick some ass. I passed my father as I ran outside the packhouse towards the training grounds, and gave him a quick peck on the cheek as I went. I ran with everything I had, as I knew Edward would be mad if I were late again. I pushed the massive doors open that led to a vast training area. This was the main room; we had others filled with weights, treadmills and a lot of other training equipment, most of which I had not used. My brother glared at me as I walked in. I was 2 minutes late, but that’s pretty good for me. I stared at him in fake shock, then giggled to myself. "Thalia, as you're late, you're up first. You will be fighting Jackson. Take up your positions. Start when ready. Everyone else, grab a partner and do some basic manoeuvres." I heard his Alpha tone from across the room, and even though I also have Alpha blood I was forced to comply. Jackson was to be my brother's Beta, so this wasn't much of a fair fight in my opinion. Jackson had trained much more than I had and he had started at a much younger age. This was going to hurt. Jackson and I walked to the middle of the room. There was a large area in the middle where we could beat the crap out of each other. Magic crystals were placed throughout the room to enable faster healing. They work better on those with their wolves though. I glanced around the room quickly, most had already found their sparring partners; Jackson gave me a half smile, his version of an apology for what was to come. Jackson made the first strike. I attempted to dodge his punch but he caught my rib as I moved, and that'd hurt later; I stumbled a bit but regained my balance. As Jackson moved back, I found a small opening so I managed to land a hit on him. He came round for another punch, this time I managed to fully move out of the way. I spun around and landed a kick to the back of Jackson's leg. He fell to the ground and grunted in pain. I smiled; I had been practising a little outside of training for the last 6 months and I am glad to see it's paying off, even if it's just a little bit. The next two hours went on just like that, an even-ish fight between myself and Jackson, the future Beta to the Elemental pack. I had somewhat of a crush on him and had for a while now. I had never done anything about it as he was my brother's best friend. That was a line I didn't want to cross with my big brother. Though it would be great if we ended up as fated mates, then Edward couldn't kill Jackson and me for it. Every now and then I would look into Jackson's gorgeous brown eyes and imagine a life with him; I felt I could be happy as a Beta's mate. As fate would have it, I was not to be a Beta's mate. Jackson was already 17, turning 18 in just a couple of days. Father and his Beta, Jeremy, Jackson's father, had been meticulously planning his coming-of-age ceremony. The preparations were almost complete, Delta's and Gamma's from allied packs were attending with some of their un-mated females looking to gain favour with the future Beta, and in turn with the future Alpha; these starry-eyed women would be arriving tomorrow, and this is something I hadn't prepared for yet. Jackson was likely to meet his mate and I don't think I'm ready to let go of him just yet. The training was now over for the day. I quickly glanced at my brother and got a small nod of approval. He still looked somewhat disappointed though; at least I had improved a bit. I could now keep up with Jackson. Don't worry Brother, you're next. I will get to your level! I quickly ran back to my room in the packhouse, threw my clothes in the wash basket and stepped into my bathroom, I needed a shower to clean all this sweat off from this morning, as the water was warming up I heard my brother and father discussing something in his office, my bedroom was only two doors down. The discussion sounded rather heated. I pressed my ear to my bedroom door, trying to listen in. "You can't do this to me father! Being Alpha is my birthright! You cannot delay my ascension back a year! I'm ready for this!" I heard Edward half-yell at our father. "Edward, calm yourself. My decision is final. You know our history. We were meant to have a true-born alpha over 50 years ago. Something is wrong with this pack and I need you to be one with your wolf and your element. You need to be at your best before you take over. That is the end of this discussion." My father stated factually. 150 years since the last true Alpha died? How is that possible? From what I remember, he was gifted Water and Earth, a powerful Alpha, he created a peace that has lasted this long. I hope it sticks.