The Alpha's unexpected Red Mate

~ Rhett ~ The meeting was slowly ending. It lasted for almost three hours, however, our business proposal seemed to take its final shape. “Thank you, gentlemen. I am happy that we could reach an agreement. I would also like to thank my son, Rhett, for taking care of all the details. As you most certainly know, I am retiring, and Rhett will take my position soon. You will all be notified when this happens.” My father spoke in a calm voice. It was so typical of him. And so with this, the end of the meeting was announced. The business pack representatives all nodded in a sign of approval while turning their heads towards me. I nodded my head once to return the business salutation and then redirected my gaze to my father. The left corner of his lips twisted into a slight smile, only to disappear a second after. His face was stripped of every emotion, but then again, my father knew how to do business without showing his feelings. Makes you look weak and unreliable, he used to say. “Terribly sorry, sir, I have some news which can’t wait,” the meeting silence was interrupted by Christopher, one of our pack’s Beta. He stormed into the room and then paused with hesitation. He knew how much my father disliked being interrupted. “What is it, Christopher?” My father growled, demanding Christopher proceeds with the news. “Um... I need to see you in private, sir,” he finally uttered. My father didn’t hide his dissatisfaction and slowly stood up from his chair while leaning with both his hands on the old oak table. “Gentlemen, please excuse me,” he looked at each of the partners in their eyes before turning on his left foot. He left the room followed by Christopher, who held a curled paper in his right hand. There was dead silence in the room. I followed each of the man in the room with my eyes. Nobody seemed to be fond of starting a conversation. I took a sip of my whisky and started inspecting the glass in my hand out of boredom. Some of the men started finally whispering between themselves. I looked up in the direction of the moving lips. None of them seemed to be bothered by my look. I suppose it was nothing about my father, my promotion or me in general. “I am sorry for keeping you waiting, gentlemen,” my father entered the room and approached the table. “Unless there is something else to discuss, I would like to close this meeting.” “Thank you for the meeting, Edward,” one of the men said. “And good luck, Rhett. I am positive you will successfully pick up the family business once your father retires.” He was one of the eldest people in the room. Older even than my father. He walked with a cane and seemed to enjoy everybody’s respect. The rest of the men followed, and they were all soon out of the room. I directed myself towards the door, but before I could grab the doorknob, I heard my father. “There are a few things I need to discuss with you, Rhett.” I turned myself to face him. “Yes, father?” “As you know, and as I said during the meeting, I will soon retire. You will take over the entire business, but also the pack and all the responsibilities that go with it. Are you ready to be the new Alpha?” he asked with a lot of authority in his voice. “I am,” I said without hesitation. After all, this was something I have been preparing myself for the past ten years. I put my best foot forward when it came to learning how to do business with my father, and I trained to be the strongest of all the men in our pack. The only missing thing in my life at this point was my mate. I searched for her and searched, and still nothing. “Good. Then we can talk about you taking over the pack,” my father’s voice snapped me out my thinking. “I was hoping you would find your mate, yet here we are, still no girl in sight. I don’t need to remind you of your age. I think you are well aware that in order to take the role of the pack’s Alpha, you will also need to settle down with someone.” “What are you suggesting? An arranged marriage?” I said without surprise in my voice. He was right, my father. I was already thirty-three, and I knew my time ran out. Everybody else around me seemed to have found their mate; some of our pack members even had children already. “I don’t think you have other choices. You don’t want to be overthrown as the Alpha, do you? Because that could be a problem at some point. And I don’t trust anybody else to guide this pack as you would,” my father pointed at a leather armchair for me to sit. He poured us another whisky and soon after handing me one of the glasses, sat in the other armchair, next to me. “I will not force you into an arranged marriage with someone you don’t know and don’t like. But know this... I will organize a feast with the members of the Crystal Moon pack, and you are free to choose a girl with whom you will spend the rest of your life. The pack needs a Luna, and I trust you to choose wisely. Why are you smirking?” “Crystal Moon pack, really, father? Everyone knows they are one of the richest packs in the neighbouring territory.” I protested. So this will also be another business investment, my marriage. “We need their alliance, Rhett. Don’t act like a child,” father’s voice rose, and I could feel he is unhappy with my comment. “I could have married off Christopher’s daughter to their Alpha’s son, but she found her mate last year,” he reminded that other possibilities are non-existent. “Alright, alright,” I tried to calm down the situation. Even the fool could see that there was no other way I could ensure good leadership without a Luna. For an Alpha without a Luna would not have enough respect from his people. A Luna has always been a symbol of Alpha’s emotional balance and prosperity, and by providing offspring, she was seen as a major player in preserving the Alpha’s family line. “I will marry some girl from the Crystal Moon pack,” I finally sighed and gave my father a look. He seemed at peace after hearing my last words. I smiled and finished the last drop of my drink. “Good, I will start planning the feast then,” he jumped on his feet like a five-year-old and went behind his desk to note down tentative dates for the party. I lifted myself from the armchair, left the glass on the silver tray on his buffet cabinet and prepared myself to leave him with his planning. “If that is all, I will head to the training session I have with Master Klaus.” “You do that. And Rhett? Thank you for being present today. It meant a lot that others can see who will inherit the business after I am retired,” he left his agenda pages to give me a warm look. My father was rigorous when it came to work, education and bringing me up. But he was also a very loving parent, he just rarely showed it. “I am glad I could be there to meet my future partners,” I winked. Just as I was about to leave the room, a thought flashed in my mind, and I stood as if buried in place. “Father?” I slowly asked, fearing what I would hear from him. But something inside me longed for the answer to this question I was about to throw into his face. I was not ready to live my entire life wondering what if one day I meet the one and I am married to someone else. What if, God forbid, I find her, my true mate, and I am buried in a marriage with children I have with this other woman I was in a way, forced to marry? “Rhett? You were about to say something?” my father brought me back to reality. “What if I find my mate a few years from now?” I finally laid the question. “You will do the only reasonable thing; you will reject her the moment your eyes meet,” his eyes went a shade darker, and I could feel the anger building up in him. I was not to question the decisions we make from now on. For some reason, hearing his answer hurt like hell. This means I will be bound to live my life in utter misery, knowing I could have been happy with my mate, but I had to choose pack alliance just because my father said so. Then again, as the future Alpha, don’t I make my own rules? Don’t I decide to divorce my wife and remarry with my true love? With the one who is destined to be my pack’s Luna? Without a word more, I stormed out of my father’s meeting room. This cannot be. If I ever find her, I don’t think I will be prepared to reject her as if she meant nothing to me.