When The Wolf Ran

Chapter 4 - Not Again

Alexander — POV

“Alpha, your plane will depart at 10:30 from the airstrip. Your bags have been packed, and your driver is already going to pick up Reed and Lena,” Jenn said as she read through my itinerary.

“Then you will land at 13:30. A driver from the Moon Pack will come and pick you guys up from the airport.”

“Thank you, Jenn,” I said as I typed out my last email.

“Jenn, please don't forget to arrange a meeting with Mayor Winchester when I get back.”

“Noted, Alpha,” she said as she wrote it down in her diary.

“Alpha...” She hesitated.

I looked up at her.

“Your mother is insisting on going ring shopping soon. She said that you would be proposing to Lena,when you returned.”

My heart sank immediately, and I instinctively tensed up.

“No... that won't be necessary yet, Jenn. Lena and I are taking things slow,” I said, trying to fake a smile.

Jenn stood at my door and leaned against the frame.

“Alpha... I don't mean to overstep, but...” She stopped herself. “Never mind. I'm sorry.”

“No, Jenn. Go ahead. What did you want to say?”

She took a deep breath.

“Alpha, you're young. Don't rob yourself of a fated mate.”

I stared at her.

“I mean... I'm human and I got a fated mate out of nowhere, and my life has been nothing but pure bliss. Joy. Love.” Her eyes softened as she spoke about him. “If Roger had rushed and gotten married to a wolf, we might have both missed out on this type of love.”

She had a little twinkle in her eye as she spoke about him.

I sighed.

“I know, Jen. I'm just so confused... I - ”

Before she could say anything else, Reed burst into the office.

“Are you ready? My sister is in the car,” he said loudly.

Jenn nodded and retreated back to her desk.

“Yeah. Let's go.”

We headed outside and got into the car.

Lena immediately leaned over and kissed me.

“Hi, honey! I'm so excited!” she said cheerfully.

I smiled at her.

“Me too.”

The truth was, I wasn't sure if I was excited.

But I was going to try.

Lena had wanted this for a long time, and I had finally decided to give us a chance. The least I could do was give her my full attention and see where this could take us.

We spent the entire ride to the airport chatting about the trip, the ball, and everything we wanted to do while we were there.

The flight was no different.

Lena talked about the dress she had chosen for the evening and how excited she was to meet people from another pack. Reed kept teasing her, and she kept threatening to throw things at him.

I laughed along with them.

But I couldn't get Jenn's words out of my head.

I was trying to do what was best for my pack.

But a small part of me felt like I was betraying myself.

What if I waited for my fated mate and she never came?

What if she never existed?

My bloodline could end.

My lineage could end.

And as Alpha, that wasn't a risk I could afford to take.

I sighed and looked over at Lena, who was fast asleep against the window.

She looked peaceful.

Maybe this could work.

Maybe I could learn to love her.

---

After a few hours in the air, we finally touched down in Booneville, West Virginia.

“Alpha... we've arrived,” the flight attendant said softly.

“Hey, Lena...” I shook her gently. “We're here.”

She stretched lazily and gave me a sweet smile.

We disembarked and were met by a small group of warriors on the tarmac.

One of them held a sign that said, Blackwood Pack.

“Hi, Alpha. My name is Gamma Riley.”

The tall man held out his hand to me.

We shook hands before he gestured towards the waiting cars.

“We'll take you to the pack house.”

“Thank you.”

We climbed into the cars, and the journey to the Moon Pack began.

The drive took us deeper into the forest.

I looked out the window.

The further we travelled, the quieter everything became.

“We're here,” Reed said from beside me.

I looked up.

We had finally arrived at the gates of the Moon Pack.

The pack lands were majestic.

Lush forests surrounded the property, with tall trees stretching as far as the eye could see. Everything was incredibly green and peaceful.

Almost too peaceful.

We came to a stop in front of a beautiful pack house.

It was Mediterranean-style, with large windows, stone walls, and beautifully manicured gardens surrounding the property.

Two young men were standing outside waiting for us.

I opened my door, stepped out, and shook their hands.

“Alpha Alexander Blackwood. Welcome to the Moon Pack.”

The man in front of me smiled.

“Alpha Sean.”

He gestured towards the man beside him.

“Beta Luka.”

I shook both their hands.

I couldn't explain it, but I already didn't like them.

There was something about the way they looked at us that made my wolf uneasy.

Chase growled softly inside my head.

I glanced around the grounds.

Everything looked perfect.

After some greetings and small talk, we were led inside to our rooms.

Reed's room was directly across from mine and Lena's.

The room was spacious and luxurious and came with all the bells and whistles. Everything looked expensive, from the furniture to the decorations.

We had some time to relax before dinner.

Lena went down for a nap, while Reed and I decided to take a walk around the pack grounds with Beta Luka.

He had light brown hair and light eyes, and he had a real fuckboy vibe going on.

I couldn't put my finger on it, but something about him rubbed me the wrong way.

The grounds, however, were immaculate.

“Beta, your grounds are excellently kept. Must be some hard work,” I said.

“Yes. These are landscaped by our omega team. They've had extensive training.”

I nodded.

Omega team?

That was interesting.

I looked around again.

The pack grounds were buzzing with people. There were warriors everywhere, families walking around, and groups of wolves arriving for the ball.

It was certainly going to be a ball to remember.

“Alpha Blackwood, I think it's best if we retreat and get back to our rooms to prepare for the ball tonight,” Beta Luka said.

We all headed back to the pack house.

Once we were back in our rooms, we started getting ready.

I helped Lena with the back of her dress.

She was wearing a beautiful burgundy dress, and her hair was styled in an elegant updo.

I wore a black tuxedo.

When we walked outside, we met Reed, who was also wearing a black tuxedo.

He looked at the two of us and smiled.

“You two clean up well.”

“You not so much,” Lena replied jokingly.

Reed rolled his eyes.

“Nice, Lena.”

We all laughed before heading towards the ballroom.

We entered a grand hall that had been decorated extravagantly.

Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, music filled the room, and hundreds of wolves moved around the dance floor.

“Oh wow,” Lena whispered as she looked around.

Bodies swayed to the rhythmic music as people danced and laughed.

For a while, everything felt normal.

We danced.

We ate.

We drank.

Lena found a small group of girlfriends and disappeared with them, while Reed was making out with some she-wolf he had met only an hour earlier.

I shook my head at him.

Typical Reed.

I smiled to myself before heading out onto the balcony.

I needed some air.

I stood there with my drink in my hand, looking out at the dark forest.

The moon was high in the sky, casting a faint glow over the trees.

Everything was quiet.

Then I smelled it.

The most intoxicating scent I had ever experienced.

My entire body froze.

Chase suddenly went wild.

He started pacing inside my head, growling and pushing against our bond.

Mate.

I stopped breathing.

No.

It couldn't be.

My heart started pounding.

I had no control over my body anymore.

My feet started moving before I even realised what I was doing.

I followed the scent into the darkness.