The Alpha's Lost Love

Chapter 12

~ Alpha Bastian's POV ~

I arrived at my office, deciding to get some work done before the festivities were to begin. I reached the hallway where my office is and found that the door was ajar. Walking slowly towards the doorway, in case this was some sort of trap set by someone, I pushed the door further open and I saw my beta pacing up and down the floor. He didn't even look up as I walked in.

"Umm, Mark?" I tried to get his attention, with no response back. "Mark! What are you doing here in my office...pacing back and forth like a madman?"

After I yelled his name, my beta finally looked up at me. His facial features seemed distraught and had me worried that something terrible I wasn't aware of was happening.

"I...UGH!" he said and started pacing again while rubbing his face viciously with both hands.

I walked over to Mark and grabbed him by the shoulders, stopping his footsteps immediately.

"What is the issue? You can talk to me, man. You know we talk about everything usually," I said while steering Mark to the sofa and sitting next to him.

"Well man...I found my mate," he started and looked towards me to see how it would affect me. "But, I don't know exactly who she is."

"I'm so happy for you! But also, what do you mean you found her but don't know exactly who she is?"

He tried standing up to march around the room again; however, I grabbed his arm pulling him back down to sit and relax.

"When I woke up this morning, I began patrols like I normally would and was walking by the packhouse when I smelled the most amazing and delicious scent. I thought maybe it was just something that was being prepared for this ball tonight, so I tried to ignore it. My wolf was going crazy and growling at me to see where the scent had come from and I didn't listen at first. Then, he started bouncing around in my mind and caused me to get a headache so I just wanted to appease him," Mark said while rubbing his temple like the headache was still having an affect.

"Yeah, Maverick and Baskier can definitely be persuasive when they want to be," I laughed a little.

"Without a doubt," my beta continued. "Anyways, I walked to the kitchen where all the omegas were preparing the food and nothing in there smelled like this. So, I went to leave and smelled it again, going up the stairs...to the alpha floor."

He looked over at me in that moment, inspecting my visage, with a slightly accusing look on his face. I must have only seemed confused, as I am, so he continued to tell me what happened.

"I don't know why the smell of my mate would be on your floor since you don't usually have any women over and you don't have any siblings who have just come of age or anything like that...so I'm super confused," Mark said, putting his face in his hands.

"Well maybe it was a new omega who has recently shifted or something. Man, we will figure it out! I definitely haven't had any she wolves lately...or in over the last two years," I said chuckling to ease the tension in the room. "You don't have to worry about your best friend having been with your mate or anything like that, for sure!"

Mark looked up at me, seeming appreciative that I didn't get mad at the accusation and instead tried to help him feel better.

"Seeing as you are here already, how about you help me get some paperwork and stuff done until time for the packs to arrive? You will likely scent your mate again during the ball if she is an omega that has been in the packhouse because mother is paying the ones who work in the house extra to serve at the ball and help out," I said while patting his back.

For the next couple of hours, Mark and I took on the paperwork that was on the desk. He also went more in depth discussing with me how things had been these past couple of years when he and father had to take over the alpha duties and then during the couple of weeks I had been out searching for Laila. As alpha of Moon Lake, it was hard to hear what they had to deal with in my stead. I should have just bounced back and been the Alpha my pack deserves, I berated myself.

"The packs are starting to arrive, son," my father mindlinked.

"Alright, thank you and we will be out there shortly," I replied and got up from the desk.

"Mark, it's time for us to be on the best behavior and greet these packs....and all of the...ugh...unmated females who will be vying for my attention," I said while ushering him up and towards the door. "Maybe your handsomeness will distract them."

We both started laughing while walking outside, taking our places in the line with my parents to greet the guests. One by one, alphas from different packs began getting out of their big vehicles and coming up to us. Following behind them were daughters or unmated ranked members in the packs and I couldn't help myself but feel disgust from Baskier rolling through me.

"How terrible these people are just trying to auction off their children or pack members. All they will get out of it is a treaty of some kind or grandchildren with our special alpha blood in it. Maybe you should try to read their minds as they come up and see why they really want to auction their women like cattle," Baskier said displeased with the situation we have found ourselves in.

"No, Baskier. I won't put down the walls I have tried so hard to build up just so I can invade these peoples privacy. They are not just auctioning off their she wolves and daughters...they are trying to get a good match for them," I said irritated.

"Oh but they are and it could benefit -," he started to reply before I blocked off the link with him for the time being.

I continued to greet the packs and act like the perfect gentleman mother wants me to be, despite feeling uneasy at having to find another mate when I have one already.

~ Later that day ~

I walked up to the big doors of the training center and noticed how it had beautiful fabric draperies along the hand railing of the stairs. There were also twinkle lights around the doorway, making it look like the typical fairytale ball. Sighing, I opened the door and walked in. Immediately I set my focus on going to the bar and getting a drink before anyone had the chance to interrupt me. However, before I could even get halfway across the room which was now transformed into the perfect ballroom with tables around for the meals, mother stepped in front of me. Her small stature did nothing to terrify me, but the disapproving look on her fact made Baskier cower in my mind with his tail between his legs.

"Yes, mom...why do you look like that already? I just got here and the place looks amazing, might I add," I tried flattering her.

"Thank you but that won't get you out of my wrath, son," she said while putting her hands on her hips. "You cannot honesty think it is a good idea for you to start drinking right now. You need to be levelheaded so that you can think clearly on which she wolf here might be a good match for you and for the pack."

"Also, in case of a vampire attack," dad butted in. "It would be highly likely for them to try something with so many here. Especially, since even though there are so many high ranked wolves here, most of them would be drinking and relying on you and our pack to protect them on our land."

"Ugh, fine! I won't drink anything...yet," I conceded.

"Good," mother said with a smile. "Now come over here with me and let's get this ball started. First, we will eat and then you will dance."

I grumbled silently about how I didn't want to dance with any of the women here, but mother elbowed me in the side to quiet me down and brought me over to the head table at the back of the room. It was in a center location at the back, where it could be seen from any of the tables around the room. We sat down and every other wolf in the room immediately followed. Then, the omegas began bringing out the food. I kept looking over at Mark to see if maybe he could smell his mate when an omega would come by, but he continued to just look disappointed.

Too soon, all of the food had been served and eaten and mother informed me it was time for me to come down so the women could have a chance to dance with me. I once more surrendered and walked to the dancefloor where there seemed to be a line of wolves waiting for me.

One by one, I would spin the women around the dancefloor. They all seemed to know how to dance, assuming due to the fact that they are all ranked members and we usually learn how to at least waltz for occasions like this. The night got later as I just kept on pretending to enjoy myself. Baskier, however, was agitated and barking in my mind that it is wrong for me to touch any of these women since they aren't our mate. I just ignored him and kept a block up in my mind for most of the dances so he wouldn't be able to randomly force a shift to get us out of here. That would be seen as an embarrassment to our family and pack and would make mother so upset at us.

After hours of dancing around the room, I excused myself to get a drink. I walked towards the bar tiredly, only to be bumped into by someone.

"Oh I am so sorry!" the feminine voice said from the floor since my body had bounced her back on to her butt.

"It's perfectly fine," I said while barely looking over and extending my hand to the faceless voice, only to see none other than Alessa sitting there with a supposed to be seductive look on her face.

I helped her up while quietly breathing to calm myself. This woman has already invaded my privacy once and made me feel inadequate as an alpha to my pack, so I wasn't looking forward to being around her again. After helping her to her feet, I went to walk away. Then, before I could, I felt a small hand on my arm.

"Oh but Alpha," Alessa began. "We haven't had the pleasure of dancing together yet. Would you do me a favor by accepting my apology for my clumsiness and dancing with me despite it?"

I went to tell her that I would rather get a drink than dance with her; however, I could see my mother out of the corner of my eye giving me a look as if she was daring me to say no and defy her. Therefore, I instead offered my hand once more to Alessa and led her to the middle of the dancefloor. As we arrived in the middle, I noticed there was a crowd of she wolves who all were looking at Alessa in jealousy. Even the women who I had already danced with were seeming envious.

Curious as to why, I glanced at Alessa. Sure, she was beautiful - her long blonde hair curled and laying over her shoulder and down her back, her makeup done to perfection in the woman's world, and her dress a long black silk fabric with a deep v neckline. Can't these women see that I don't want to be here anyway, even if Alessa does look good to most of the men here, I thought. I think her makeup is too glam and too much for my tastes, as I prefer a more natural look and the dress is sexy, no doubt, but it isn't making me want to go take this woman out of here and make her my Luna immediately or even just take her out to f**k her. This whole thing is just making me long for Laila even more.

As I was lost in my thoughts, I wasn't aware that Alessa was continuously dancing closer and closer to my body. We were practically chest to chest while her arms were wrapped around my shoulders. Every sway of her hips, she would look up at me expecting me to be intranced. I continued to dance with her despite feeling irked that she just kept trying to push her boobs up against me. Eventually, she went to move one of her hands down my chest causing me to jerk away abruptly as soon as the song ended and walking away towards the bar once more. Goddess, I need a drink, I thought.

I got to the bar, only to be bombarded by Mark. He practically ran into me. I raised an eyebrow at him as he got as close to my body similar to how Alessa was trying to and began sniffing me.