Unclaimed Fate

Step of fate

ASHER’S POV

MK stares at me in shock. "Ash, are you serious? You mean you don’t know the name of the Alpha from the pack next to ours?"

"MK, it’s not my fault. There are so many Alphas around, it’s really hard to remember all their names," I explain.

MK turns to Dante and says, "Why don’t you tell her the Alpha’s name?"

I glance at Dante and notice he looks just as confused. "Well," he begins, scratching his head, "I actually don’t know his name either." I laugh a little while MK gives Dante an even more shocked expression.

"Unbelievable," MK mutters, shaking his head at Dante

"Are you going to tell me the Alpha’s name now?" I ask.

"His name is Patrick Nile. And he's a powerful Alpha," MK answers.

"What makes you say that? Is it because he's the Alpha of the strongest pack in the world?"

"No, that's not why, Ash. Believe me, I've seen him myself." "He can take on a whole army of werewolves," MK says, then turns to me and asks, "Do you remember the battle we had with the Gold River Pack?"

"Yeah, the one where my dad died," I answer. Dantes’ dad died in that battle, too.

"The Gold River Pack attacked us, wanting to take control of our pack. But Alpha Patrick stepped in and because of him, we're free today. He saved us from being ruled by a cruel Alpha," MK says, thinking back to the fight.

"He doesn’t seem like a hero to me," I mutter under my breath, but of course, both MK and Dante hear me because of their werewolf hearing.

"What makes you say that?" MK asks.

"Have you seen his eyes? They're so cold!"

"He wasn’t always like that," Dante says. I glance at him, waiting for him to continue. "I heard he was a happy kid once," he adds, "but something happened when he was young that changed him."

"What happened?" I quickly ask.

"Only those close to him know," Dante replies.

MK, Dante, and I sit quietly for a while, each of us wondering what could have happened to Alpha Patrick when he was young.

I now have a small clue as to why my mate is so distant, but I still don’t know the full story. I also need to find out why he refuses to accept me as his mate. To get that answer, I’ll need to talk to him.

It’s midday, and I’ve already eaten lunch. Right now, I’m standing in front of the bathroom mirror, looking at my reflection. There are no dark circles under my eyes.

I'm dressed and ready to visit the Sunrise Ark Pack to speak with Alpha Patrick Nile. When I walk into the living room, I see MK and Dante lounging on the couch, watching an action movie.

"I'm heading out," I say as I reach for the front door.

"Where are you going?" MK asks, still glued to the TV.

"I'll tell you when I get back, okay?"

If I tell him I'm going to see Alpha Nile, he’ll start asking why, and I’m not ready to share that yet—not until I get all my answers from the cold Alpha himself.

"Why won’t you just tell me where you’re headed? At least then, I’ll know where to look if you don’t come back by midnight," he says, trying to make me feel guilty.

"Look, I know you were worried when I didn’t return to the pack house last night. But MK, you don’t need to stress. I can take care of myself," I reassure him.

"Ash, I know you're strong and can handle things, but I’ll always worry about you. You’re my Beta and my friend, and I don’t want anything bad to happen to you. I care about you."

Hearing the concern in his voice, I finally decide to let him know. "I’m going to meet Alpha Patrick."

"Why?" Of course, MK would ask that.

"I’ll explain when I get back," I say, quickly opening the door and stepping out of the pack house before MK can ask more questions.

But I was wrong. He mind-links me. *When will you be back?*

I respond through the mind-link. *Before evening. If I’m late, I’ll let you know.*

MK doesn’t try to contact me again after that.

Mind-linking is a cool ability that high-ranking werewolves have. We can talk to each other just by thinking, as long as we’re close enough. But it has some downsides too. For example, if an Alpha doesn’t want to hear from anyone, they can block voices from their mind. However, no one can block the Alpha’s voice from their own minds.

I keep walking toward the edge of our territory, hearing the crunch of dry leaves beneath my feet. I cross the border and step onto the land of the Sunrise Ark Pack.

I continue deeper into the woods, hoping I’m heading in the right direction toward their pack houses. I really hope I’m on the right path. I take another step, and suddenly I’m greeted by Beta Caleb walking up to me. "Beta Asher," he says with a nod.

"Beta Caleb," I nod back.

"May I ask what brings you to our territory today?" he grins, clearly amused.

I chuckle at his choice of words. "Well said, Beta Caleb," I reply, complimenting him.

"Thank you," he says, pretending to tip an imaginary hat, bowing playfully, and then putting the invisible hat back on his head. His cheerful behavior catches me off guard.

"You weren’t this friendly last night," I say, raising an eyebrow.

"That’s because I didn’t know who you were. I saw you as a possible danger to my pack," he explains.

"And now you know me?"

"Not really," he admits, making me laugh. He adds, "But you seem like someone I can trust."

"I am," I confirm with a smile.

"So, did you come here for a friendly chat with me?" he says, wiggling his eyebrows playfully.

I laugh. "Not exactly. I’m here to talk to your Alpha."

"And what do you need to talk to him about?" he asks curiously. He’s probably wondering why a Beta from another pack would want to meet with his Alpha.

"That’s for him to find out," I respond. "Can you take me to his pack house?"

"Sure," Beta Caleb agrees, leading the way.

His focused expression suggests he’s already informed Alpha Patrick of my arrival through mind-link. I hadn’t wanted Alpha Patrick to know I was coming because I didn’t want to give him time to prepare for our meeting. But now, unfortunately, he’s aware that I’m here.

After a short walk, I see a large pack house come into view. As we approach it, I can sense my mate’s presence inside.

Beta Caleb steps ahead and opens the door for me. "After you," he says, motioning for me to go inside.

I step into the house, with Beta Caleb following closely behind. As I glance around, I don’t see anyone at first. It feels like it’s just me and Beta Caleb in the house.

"The Alpha is in his study," he informs me, leading the way.

When we stop in front of the door, Beta Caleb opens it and gestures for me to enter.

I thank him and step inside. As I look ahead, I see Alpha Patrick standing behind his desk, wearing the same cold expression of anger that I saw on his face last night.

Behind me, I hear the door close. Beta Caleb must have shut it. I get the feeling he’s already left the pack house. Great. Now, I’m alone in a room with the icy Alpha.

"What do you want?" he demands sharply, folding his arms.