Our Wolves Within

4.

All of this explained why, over the years, I remained a spectator to her. She was five years younger than me, yet she was in a grade below us in high school. That only served to highlight her extraordinary intelligence.

I was confident Louisa would be a fantastic Luna. Jackson seemed to sense that I did not know much about her personally, but from what I could see, she was always kind to everyone. It was also an opportunity for learning. I learned how to be a good Alpha from my father. Louisa might learn how to be a good Luna from my mother.

We were driving up in front of our cottages before I realised it. Jackson said, "Here's to an incredible week filled with forced submissions and slaughter."

I chuckled since I was experiencing the same emotions. We were a physical species who took pride in showcasing our prowess.

Among a tonne of other packs, where better to do that? I was eager to face off against my rivals.

As we made our way to the location of the bonfire, night had fallen. It was a wonderful way to begin the workweek.

Bodies of every age crowded the vast clearing. In fact, there were a good number of younger puppies there that were presumably in competition as well. Oh no. I hope them have the best of luck. Two of them appeared to be little more than five or six years old. Since an Alpha worth his salt would never let pups battle if they were not strong enough, I kind of wanted to see them fight.

A man in front of the bonfire yelled over a loudhailer, "Attention." Welcome to the Games of XXII Alpha.

We have sixty-three packs taking part this year. Let us spend some fun tonight before our tournaments start at precisely 7:00 A.M.

Cheers of celebration broke out from everyone. Gone was the chance to resist the thrill that was circulating through the assembly.

There was a part of me that wished we had stopped and invited Louisa along so we could spend the week together. I had no idea if she was even capable of fighting. If not, though, I would definitely teach her. I was aware that although her father had been a fighter, it did not follow that she was as well.

One part of me was excited about next year since she will be standing next to me.

I heard an irate voice startle me out of my dream.

I watched a man try to put his hand up a woman's dress while holding onto her arm. I tried to help, but all I could do was watch as she easily threw him to the ground.

It seems that Nightshade had a Luna this year, and she was one hell of a badass—certainly not one of those submissive, meek Lunas. When Alpha Kade got close to them, his aura quickly spread about him despite his seeming calm demeanour. Holy crap, that aura was powerful.

I knew it would be difficult, so there was a part of me that wanted to fight her. I could tell she would be a strong contender this year, so the other part of me did not want to compete against her.

"Whoa. It was quite stunning, Jackson remarked.

"Huh. I wholeheartedly concur with you."

I hope you end up with her rather than her partner. "I want to record your devastation on camera," he said with a deep laugh.

I turned around and proceeded to find someone else to chat to because I did not think him funny at all. One of our soldiers, Danica, offered me a fresh drink, which I gladly accepted and expressed my gratitude for.

Luna Elle has a hilarious wolf. Zen informed me, "She saw that you were going to step in and wanted me to convey her appreciation."

She was so kind to say that. Little things that a person did when no one else was around revealed something about their personality. It was simple to put up a front and act a certain manner in front of people. It was the epitome of deception. But you saw the true face of the individual when the crowd thinned out and the spotlight moved on.

My father taught me many things, including that one. He knew the stress and pressure beneath the Alpha mantle, so when I was little, he instilled it in me. Throughout school and especially after I assumed the role of Alpha, it saved my ass. They did not see me; they saw my title. There were moments when it was difficult to tell who wanted to be with Tom and who wanted to be with Alpha Tom.

Another one of our warriors, Sheila, smiled as she approached me. We had a former relationship, but it ended before she turned into my warrior. I swore once I took over not to associate with anybody who worked directly for me, since it would undoubtedly create a conflict of interest that we did not require.

"Apha, would you want to dance?" she enquired.

If it had been yesterday, I would have probably said yes, but as soon as I smelled Louisa, I changed my mind. I could not help but think about how much better it would be directly from the source.