The Demon Alpha

Thorn's POV “Father! It’s my right and you know it!” I was having this argument with my father for the third time this week. I was his only child and sole heir to the Full Moon Pack, but as a woman many members of the elder counsel were fighting my ascension to his position as alpha. Our country had never seen a female alpha before and I was determined to change that. I knew I could handle it and I also knew that I was the best fit for the job. As a 17 year old woman standing just over five feet tall and weighing less than 100 pounds many of the other wolves in our pack doubted my ability to be a protector or adequate leader. The pack warriors that trained with me on a daily basis were extremely quick to correct them while also showing them the various bruises and broken bones they obtained from sparring with me. Even with the healing speed of a wolf, blows coming from me tended to last at least a day if not more. My mother left shortly after I was born and my father had never taken a chosen mate after she left, so I was the only child he had throughout his entire time as alpha. As the daughter of the alpha I was stronger, faster, and held a more commanding presence than anyone else in the pack, including his beta and gamma. Even they couldn’t deny my authority. “Thorn, you know this is out of my hands. I don’t doubt you but the elders do.” The tone of his voice made him seem genuine and it made me feel a little upset with myself for being so hard on him. I had always had an excellent relationship with my father, so it stands to reason that he would be fighting for me to take my rightful position. “Then what is it going to take for me to convince them? You’re less than six months from retirement and I would hate to have to rip someone apart and TAKE the alpha position from them.” I guess the look on my face must have accurately portrayed how enraged I was because he swept his hand through his thick, grey hair and over his face as he thought about his answer. “You could take a mate.” He looked at me pleadingly, apparently begging me to have mercy in this conversation. “You know I’m hoping to find my fated mate father. I’m not going to take a chosen mate just to please the counsel.” I gritted my teeth and tried to calm myself. I knew my father was doing his best to help me and he was only posing a potential solution. “I’m sorry father. I know it would help, but I can’t do that and you know why. I don’t want to end up like you and mother.” “There’s more to that story than you know Thorn, it’s not a fair comparison.” He looked like he regretted the statement as soon as it slipped from his mouth. I bit my lip and counted to ten in my mind as I tried to regulate my breathing. My father had always been secretive about my mother and for him to bring it up now just made the rage I was already feeling that much stronger. “Then tell me father. I’m sick of this. I’m almost 18 years old and I know NOTHING of my mother.” “I’ll make you a deal, Thorn?” I could tell he was really making an effort so I gave in and agreed, nodding my head. “You come with me to the summit at Red River Pack and I’ll tell you everything you need to know about your mother.” My jaw dropped. He had never offered me any information about my mother and now all I had to do was go to a summit with him and he would tell me everything? I’ve been going to summits with him since I was ten years old and old enough to start learning how to run a pack. “Fine father, you have a deal.” I hugged him and turned to walk away when he called for me again, hesitant this time. “Thorn, I should tell you, Black Forest Pack will be there…” I had the slightest twinge of…something…in my mind when he said that but nothing could explain to me why he was telling me this. I shrugged my shoulders and started walking back to my room. I was absentmindedly scrolling on my phone and not paying attention to my surroundings, so when I hit the top of the stairs I slammed straight into what felt like a brick wall. I stumbled a little before his hand was wrapped around my wrist. I expected my best friend Eric but the sickeningly sweet smell of roses and rainwater told me instantly that it was Jake instead. Jake was the gammas son and was going to be taking his father’s spot when both of our fathers retired in a few months. Jake was already 19 and had shocked the entire pack when he hadn’t immediately found his mate. Everyone thought it would be his high school girlfriend Calliope. They had dated for almost a year. When it turned out to not be her, he broke up with her because he wanted them both to find their fated mates. She wasn’t happy and left the pack shortly after she turned 18. “Watch where you’re going Princess.” He rolled his eyes and pushed past me. Jake and I had never really gotten along. I was a little worried that it would effect our working relationship when I became alpha and he became gamma, but despite all of our little spats, even I knew Jake was the best person for the job. He was massive, standing at six feet eight inches and built like a professional body builder with thick black hair that he kept neatly braided down his back, he was the only person that could even get close to taking me down at training. He may even be better suited to being beta but I would never take that right from Eric. As Jake started storming down the stairs I yelled after him, “Wait. Can we talk?” I wanted to try to start working on this now so that things could run smoothly in the future. But he simply kept walking. I rolled my eyes and when I got back to my room I mind linked him, ‘I know you’re not my biggest fan, but we need to get better at getting along before our fathers retire. You and I both know that running this pack will go much more smoothly if we can at least stand to be in the same room as each other.’ No sooner than I closed the link and settled into the couch in the larger portion of my room, there was a knock on my door. “Come in!” I yelled, even though I knew I didn’t need to, as a wolf, they could have heard me if I had whispered it. Sometimes I just like the semblance of normalcy. The last thing I expected was for Jake to come striding into my room. I gestured for him to sit, either next to me or across from me, whichever he chose. He sat across from me, dropped his head into his hands and sighed deeply. “Your father told me you are attending a summit with him at Red River Pack?” I nodded, trying to figure out what his point was. “He also told me that Black Forest Pack would be there…” I sighed and nodded again, trying to figure out what everyone was so upset about when it came to Black Forest. I could have never expected the next words that would come out of Jake’s mouth, “I’m coming with you.” I opened my mouth to argue but before I could he started speaking again. “Don’t argue with me Thorn. If you are going and Black Forest is going to be there, I’m going too. You will not be anywhere near them without protection. You may not like it, but as your future gamma, I’m making this decision without your input in your best interest.” I was shocked into silence. 17 years with this man, assuming he could care less whether I lived or died, and here he was volunteering to go to a summit with me for my own protection…but from what? “Until someone tells me what the big deal about Black Forest Pack is, no one is going anywhere with me, especially not for protection.” Jake’s head shot up and he stared at me, almost as if he thought I was joking. “You really don’t know, do you?” “If I knew whatever it is, I’m sure all of the conversations I have had today would have been a little easier.” I rolled my eyes and waited to see if he would be the one to explain it to me. “Thorn, I really shouldn’t. Your father should be the one to tell you.” His voice was low and for the first time in as long as I could remember, it seemed as if Jake were being genuine with me. I figured I could return the favor. “Please Jake? We both know he doesn’t tell me anything if it has to do with myself or my mother.” He stared at me hesitantly for a moment and then stood up, walked the few steps to close the distance between us and crouched directly in front of me. This was the closest we had ever intentionally been and I almost recoiled when he reached out and took my hand in his. He looked me directly in the eyes when he spoke, “Thorn, Black Forest was your mother’s pack. She was their Luna before she met your father.”