The Last Silver Wolf

Chapter 2: Alexander Tate

Alexander

I woke up in my office, again. Normally I tried to limit my work hours but it had become increasingly more difficult being the Alpha of North Lake Moon Pack and the CEO of a large investment firm. We were one of the largest werewolf packs in the northwest and tensions among other nearby packs had been increasing lately. It also didn’t help that I didn’t have a Luna to help with pack affairs, although that would soon change with my upcoming mating ceremony to Cece Calister.

The thought of Cece made me cringe and I internally cursed the moon goddess for the terrible hand she dealt me. Cece was not my destined mate, I didn’t have one anymore. Normal wolves will not feel the presence of their mate until they meet for the first time after their 18th birthday, but Alpha wolves are different. From the time our mate turns 18 and they get their wolf we can sense them and feel their presence. This helps Alphas find our Lunas faster than others because we need them by our sides to reach our full strength and potential. Plus our packs need their queen to lead them in ways no Alpha can do alone.

But fate had given me a cruel curse because when I turned 18, I didn’t feel my mate. I had no connection to anyone and realized that either I had no mate, or she died long before then. I used to think it wasn’t true and spent years traveling to other werewolves packs trying to feel the mate connection, even going to other countries but it was no use. I can’t describe the pain and loss I felt, realizing my mate had died before I had the chance to know who she was. I poured myself into my work after that, determined to never take another mate.

But the damn Elders are changing my plan. Now that my birthday was coming up, they were forcing me to choose a Luna before I turned 30. Although I was pissed at this new law they were imposing, I understand where they’re coming from. A Luna makes the Alpha stronger, not just physically but also mentally. No pack has known to survive without a Luna for so long and some Alphas have been known to be driven to madness without their mate by their side. I needed to be at my strongest and couldn’t risk the elders or my pack thinking I wasn’t strong enough to take care of them. The responsibilities were starting to wear on me and I’m sure those closest to me were starting to notice.

Cece wasn’t my first choice as my chosen mate, in fact, she drove me absolutely nuts. But I decided that if I wasn’t mating for love, then it would be for a strategic alliance. Her father is Brandon Calister, the Alpha of the Blood Lake Pack in Michigan. They are the largest pack in the Midwest and are known for their brutality and defeating other packs just to deplete them of their resources and leave them for dead. Although they hadn’t posed a threat to North Lake Moon yet, an alliance like this would secure my pack for generations. If I was going to be forced to marry someone, I would do it for the good of my pack.

A knock on the door ended my train of thought. “Come in Drew,” I answered, loud enough for him to hear me through the Mahogany doors.

With more energy than I could stomach this early, my Beta, Andrew Earl, burst through the door with a broad grin on his face. “Good morning, Alpha! Wait, did you sleep in here again? You know, if you’re not going to use your $10,000 bed, then I am totally going to steal it. I know Sarah will love it!”

I laughed out loud at the thought of Andrew trying to haul my Alaskan King bed through the halls of our pack house. Andrew was my best friend and the best Beta I could have asked for. We had been friends for as long as I could remember, he also grew up in the pack house when his dad was the Beta to my father, our previous Alpha. I was sure he would become the Beta to my older brother Jonathan. Wait - no. I couldn't think about my brother today.

“Go for it! If you can carry my bed by yourself from the 4th floor to the 3rd floor, you deserve to keep it.” I challenged him. We both laughed at the absurdity.

Sarah was Andrew’s mate, we had all grown up together and even though they didn’t feel the mate bond until they both turned 18, Drew always loved her even as kids. They were a perfect match and sometimes seeing them together reminded me of what I would never have. I silently cursed the moon goddess again, thinking about what could have been and the life that was taken from me.

Drew plopped himself in one of the leather seats in front of my desk, making himself comfortable. “So… is it true you purchased a s**t-ton of share for ChatFix? Since when do we care about a social media company?”

“They’re technically a tech software company that supplies their customer service software to thousands of companies all over the world. And yes, they also have their social media app. But I find it very impressive how they’ve kept both parts of the brand united yet distinctly separated.” I explained. I was genuinely impressed with the company overall, especially in its marketing and growth efforts. They had many marketing campaigns that other companies have been trying to copy, without as much success. “Plus, we need to diversify our portfolio and as much as I hate to admit it, social media companies are the future.”

Drew nodded his head in understanding, then smiled cheekily. “So… when do I leave for New York?”

“We leave tomorrow afternoon, we meet with their CEO and executive team on Thursday morning.”

Drew eyed me suspiciously. “You’re coming with? Isn’t Cece keeping you busy with mating ceremony planning?” He tried but couldn’t hide the disdain in his voice at the mention of Cece’s name.

“I’m the CEO, it’s my duty to be there. Plus, I could use a little break from my soon-to-be Luna.” I said as diplomatically as I could through gritted teeth.

Drew snorted. “I can’t blame you! You should hear what she’s come up with today, she wants a six thousand dollar white rose flower arch for you both to stand under during your vows.”

I squeezed the bridge of my nose in annoyance, feeling a headache coming on. “Please tell Sarah that she is a saint for helping with the ceremony. I don’t know how she has the patience to put up with her.”

“Maybe she’ll lend you some. You’re going to need extreme patience for the rest of your life.”

I cringed at the thought and shot him a death glare. “Don’t remind me. Goddess give me strength.”

The pack house was swarming with people when I finally came down the stairs to hunt for my breakfast. The chaos was already giving me a headache and I growled in frustration. A path cleared for me like the red sea as I walked through the hallways. My pack members all bowed their head slightly as I passed, a sign of respect. Although some Alphas chose to rule their packs in fear, I wanted to earn the respect of its members instead of scaring them in submission. Not to say I couldn't take anyone on. They were well aware of my strength and no one dared challenge me or my authority.

"Babe! You're here! I can't wait to show you what I have planned," a shrill voice called from behind me. I cringed as I turned around to see Cece running towards me. She had long platinum blonde hair pulled up in a high bun, that made the 6 foot tall woman in heels appear even taller. She probably liked to look tall so she could look down on everyone. I laughed to myself at the thought.

"Cece, don't you think this is a little... much?" I waved my hand to the chaos around me. She wrapped her hand around my arm and her long red spiked fingernails ran up and down my arm. I had to resist the urge to pull away.

She laughed and squeezed my arm pulling me closer to her. I could smell her thick perfume like a sick cloud around me. The smell would be overpowering even without my advanced wolf sense of smell "Oh Alexander, you are so funny! It's MY Luna ceremony, it has to be over the top. My daddy said I could have whatever I wanted.. and he'd pay for it if your little pack couldn't afford to."

I turned from her to hide the disgusted scowl. "My pack is doing well financially. I just don't think it needs like a wedding. We're not even destined mates nor are we in love."

Cece gasped and pulled away from me, fake alligator tears pooling in her eyes. "I can't believe you'd say that! I am going to be your Luna and mate, so you better start treating me like it. My daddy won’t like hearing how you have been disrespecting me!”

With that, she turned on her heels and stormed off. I rolled my eyes as she stomped away like a child. I know I should probably feel bad for hurting her feelings, but everything I said was true. She was aware we were only mating for an alliance, yet she tried to pretend we were in love. I definitely wasn't that good of an actor and it took everything in me to pretend like I could stand being in her presence. It's for the good of the pack, you're doing it for them. I reminded myself.

I signed, thinking about what it would have been like if my true Mate was here. I'm sure she was an incredible woman, fierce and strong, but also soft and empathetic. I bet she had a sense of humor too. The Moon Goddess would have known I wanted my mate to be my best friend that would understand my jokes and banter. I needed to laugh in my life and I wasn't serious like my brother was, which is why he was born to be the Alpha instead of me.

My heart throbbed with the unspoken pain as I thought of those two individuals lost to me. I had billions of dollars, good friends, and thousands of werewolves who respected me and relied on me, but I still felt like I had nothing. The loneliness every night I went to bed alone was becoming suffocating and I found myself barely able to sleep most nights. At this point, I would give anything for a decent nights sleep.