Chapter 3 Three
Alpha Aiden's POV
'We got trespassers.'
My Beta, Nick, informed me through our mind link. Disturbing me from doing my thing.
I growled as I pushed the female who was grinding above me while kissing me hungrily.
My wolf was so thirsty for sex these days...
This girl on top of me was just one of many that I had today. Just as a playtime. A way to ease my raging libido, which was too eager to be pleased.
The girl looked at me with a shocked face. Probably puzzled that I pushed her. We already fucked a couple of times and I can't feel any exhaustion.
I want more.
No, it's not the girl I want but... just sex.
Still, Nick's news can't be ignored. I am the Alpha of the strongest pack in this region. It's against my rules to prioritize pleasure over my responsibilities.
And whoever trespassed on my territory was brave enough to do so. No one dared to set foot on my land unannounced or without my consent—unless they wished to be dead.
Lately, Rogue's having death wishes. They won’t stop coming.
I growled once again when I noticed the girl was still atop me. Her face went pale when I stared at her and got off my lap.
I sat down and reached for Nick.
'Rogues?' my inward growls were heard. My wolf was angry. My heat session was interrupted and my wolf's thirst was not sated.
'Yes. What do you like me to do to them?'
I grabbed my clothes and headed out of my room.
'Bring them to the prison. I will kill them.'
Getting in my car, I can still feel the libido of my wolf, which made my mood worse than it already is.
And the thought that I would lose some steam by killing some interrupting dogs? Huh. My wolf was pleased and so am I.
I drove to the pack building where the prison was located underground.
'Don't you think killing them is a little harsh, Aiden?' My Beta, being the balancer that he was, made me annoyed by his question.
Beta was supposed to balance the Alpha's decision. They always need to say what's against the Alpha's resolve to balance the outcome.
Still, it was the Alpha's settlement. Beta's are just to balance but not to rule.
And I am the rule.
'I'm your Alpha and I'll do what I want.'
My wolf even growled at Nick in our mind link. For packs, the way my wolf growls will bend any member's knees
'Yes, Alpha.'
I parked in my spot in the building and headed inside. I smelled Nick's scent underground. He must have arrived.
I headed to the prison. Two Rogue male wolves were lying on the floor of the cell. Both of them were conscious but too weak to move.
"Alpha," the guards greeted me but I gave no attention to them. My wolf and I were just furious that we were too focused on killing the two Rogues.
I went inside the cell and my figure hovered over them.
"You weak bastards!" I spat at them. "How dare you enter my territory!?" I growled at them. I felt my guards take a step away from me. Probably scared of me.
They should, as right now was my worst mood.
"Just k-kill us," one of the rogues said.
I gritted my teeth. My wolf was ready to do so.
"They wished to be dead," said Nick. Trying to reach out in the back of my mind. Hoping I would recalculate my decisions.
Too bad. I won't.
I growled again. These idiot rogues! Every fucking time, they all have the same reason for trespassing on my territory. Why do they run to my pack whenever they want to end their miserable, pointless lives?
I snarled at them. My canines wanted to come out.
One of the rogues closed his eyes. Preparing himself for my attack. The other one was just shaking and holding on to dear life.
If they were gonna act like this after asking me to kill them, then they are just weak assholes.
And I exist to eliminate the weak.
Just when my claws were out, I slashed through their throats, making their heads almost fall off.
Their blood splashed on the ground and some on my pants. Two guards came in to dispose of the bodies.
My wolf was cheering with pleasure; I can feel him.
"Ugh," Nick said in disgust. I snapped at him and he stood straight, clearing his throat.
I walked out of the cell. Now my wolf had taken its revenge for disturbing our heat.
"You seem grumpy these days, Alpha Aiden." Nick, who's walking behind me, said. Almost mocking me.
Nick never called me Alpha unless we were somewhere formal or in the presence of other packs.
And now, his calling me Alpha just means he was mocking me.
I let out a heavy sigh. Letting his mockery slide.
"My wolf is not in his usual place these days."
I reached my office in the packed building, Nick still with me.
"The sexual extra activeness?"
I sat on my chair. Giving my temple a massage.
"I'm abnormally thirsty. It's my wolf. I can't control it that well when it comes to sex."
Nick paused for thought. "Maybe you're near to meeting your mate?" he concluded.
I growled more. It never occurred to me that having a mate was helpful for the pack. For me, it's just self-gratitude that Alpha can have an heir. Though I can't see the aid of having a Luna in my pack.
"The annual mapping ball is in two days. Maybe you'll meet your mate then." Nick concludes more.
I growled at him. "You're not helping. Get out."
Nick walked away without any more words.
Commonly, the wolf can feel the upcoming of its mate but I haven't thought of that before Nick shoved it to my face.
And if Nick was right, then I won't participate in the party this year. I'm not interested in having a mate.
Yet.
Ashira's POV
The day all She-Wolves have been waiting for will be tomorrow.
Since the Prime pack was six hours away from our pack, I needed to get off today to head there.
We were six in total. I and the five other girls from our pack have our mates in the Prime pack as per the mapping.
We'll depart at noon, riding in a van. The rest of the She-Wolves will do the same but at different times. Some have already left days ago, since the pack they needed to settle in will take a day or more.
Some She-Wolves from another pack also came to our days before and until now. They already settled themselves here with the pack accommodating their stay.
We'll arrive at Prime Pack a day early but that's alright since we'll need to be familiar with the place first.
Once done packing, I went to Ophelia, who was in the kitchen and sat down in a chair, facing her.
I watched her cook, though I was not sure what she was making.
"Regretting that you never attend my cooking lessons?" she grinned at me, mocking me.
She always invites me to join her cooking, but it's not my style. I would rather learn everything about the pack system, but I never did like burning the kitchen.
Partly, I have no gifts for cooking.
I snorted and Ophelia laughed hard.
These past few days, after the mapping, I never went out of the house. I took Eric's advice seriously. Not blending in with the crowd.
A grieving wolf for its dead mate was the last thing I'd like to come across.
"Did you pack the dress I bought you?" she asked. I rolled my eyes. I'm not really into a dress. If it were not a tradition for the mapping to wear that white dress, I wouldn't have.
"I did."
"Be sure to wear them at the ball, Ashi. It's a pack tradition. I'm already scared you'll wear jeans tomorrow when I'm not in sight." Her voice sounds joking but I know she was sad somehow. I am too. When she spoke the last words, it daggers in my chest.
"It dawned on me that this may be the last day I'll be here," I said, changing the topic as I watched her cook. Giving her a small smile.
I could feel my eyes burning. It saddened me that I did not gave them goodbye talks. I was so close to tears now.
If ever I find my mate tomorrow at the ball, then there is no coming back here.
She mirrored my smile which made me feel dejected more.
"I'll miss you, too," she said, responding to the meaning of my words exactly. Her voice almost cracked. I know she was about to burst into tears but she was holding it in. I am too.
I cleared my throat as I felt a lump stuck in it. I'm on the edge of crying.
"I.. uh, thank you so much for taking me in. I..." I cleared my throat once again. Saying these things was so hard. "I felt how you treat me like a family."
"Aw. You are family. We loved you and will always will. Don't forget that, chicken," she tapped my nose with her finger and I chuckled.
She loved calling me chicken since I always backed out of a fight when I first came here and they first had me. Ophelia helped me, though. Her teasing made me want to be strong. And now, I do. But her teasing was still there.
I have no chance to say goodbye to Eric since he was off with the Alpha doing pack work. Cruz, on the other hand, purposely left the house to avoid seeing me leave. Ophelia told me. Quoted "He loves you so much it hurts him"
I decided to leave a note. One for each of them. We can communicate through phone, though I'm being more sentimental and still write to them the old way.
Eric told the Alpha about my case. Alpha David immediately agreed to Ophelia's plan that I should find my mate first.
Upon little research and I found that a Stealer was rare to exist. Sometimes it's decades before you spot one.
And some wolves kept looking for someone like. Some who lost their mate that wanted themselves to feel complete again kept searching for a stealer.
Some Alphas lost their mates, who desire my kind. It's understandable since an Alpha cannot continue its legacy once the bloodline is cut. The position will be handed over to the strongest in the pack, which often was the Beta.
For me, it doesn't matter who I'll be with. I can start making my own family with whoever I choose, and I was not interested in having a family of my own.
But a part of me was feeling the guilt and pain when someone finds their true mate. And I'll be left behind.
A war between wolves fighting to have me was also far from my objectives. I might end up dead from it.
And accepting a mateless wolf was also fine, but thinking that I was a rebound makes me feel meh. Nope. Not interested.
So technically, I was just giving my wolf the chance to find its own. A way to be in much less trouble.
On my way to where the Van was parked, I waited for the rest of the passengers. A mini suitcase in my hand, and the other hand was what I used to slide the door open.
I saw the five other girls who would be with me on my journey to the Prime pack.
Three of them gave me the 'look' that I've been having ever since I set foot in this pack.
For some, I will never belong. I came from nowhere. I may have the blood of a traitor for all we know.
Only one girl from the group smiled at me. The seat beside her was vacant and I decided to sit next to her.
"Hi!" she beamingly greeted me. I smiled back and said hi.
"My name's Ava. What's yours?"
"Ashira," I said, settling in as I sat.
The Van started moving while Ava and I talked. All I heard from her was how excited she was about meeting her mate. Mostly what I have been hearing from Lucy.
For the rest of the drive, I was sleeping.
It was dark when we reached the pack. I was woken up by a loud gasp of amusement from the girls with me.
The Van dropped us off in a clearing in front of what I think was the pack building. A guy was standing there, waiting for our arrival.
He was tall and lean with a huge smile on his face. Almost welcoming.
Some would think that he was just being nice and warm to us as their guests but since I knew how the pack works, I know he was being cautious with outsiders of their pack. Which was us.
"Welcome, ladies!" his voice was even cheerful. "I'm Anton, the one in charge of your group. If you'll follow me, please?"
He turned his back on us and took a step before facing us again. Caught us off guard.
We all looked confused, questioning his behavior.
"Just checking if one of you is mine," he smiled sheepishly. He was a joker.
The girls from my pack laughed at his remorse. He did, too before leading us the way again.
We walked away from their pack building and led us to another building. Not too far from where we're dropped off.
"This is the guesthouse. Prime pack prepared a room for each of you, ladies."
Ava, the girl with us, put her hands up.
"Yes?" said Anton. Smiling at her.
"I'm just curious. How do you know how many ladies you'll have as guests?"
I shrugged off her question. That makes sense. Since I never took an interest in this mate topic, I have no clue about it.
"Oh. The pack reaches out to each other for that. We'll inform you how many of ours will come to yours after the mapping, and they will do the same. Every pack does," he humbly explained and continued once no one had any follow-up questions.
We reached the lobby of the guesthouse. Our pack has a guesthouse as well for events like this or if other Alphas need a meeting visit. But Prime Pack's guesthouse was way bigger. It's triple the size of ours.
"Everyone is to fill out these forms." He handed a piece of paper to us. "We'll pass that information you'll provide to the pack office once you've met your mate. For official purposes only."
"And if we won't meet our mate at the ball?" It was Ava again.
Her questions were informative to me. I knew less about mates than I should but I don't think I have the guts to ask like that. I'm quite thankful for her curiosity, feeding mine as well.
"That's rare to happen here at Prime Pack but IF that happens, we'll send you home the same way you arrived."
"Does that mean we won't meet our mates forever?" I'm surprised I asked. I was bothered by what he said, considering that in my case, it was almost a mission to find my mate. And his answer just disturbed what I was aiming for.
"It depends. If you ladies missed your chance this year, you'll participate in the mapping again next year and repeat the process."
"What part of that applies to the 'depends' part?"
"Well, if the mapping shows your mate had died, it's entirely different then, wouldn't it?" Anton smirks. Now I have the feeling that those warm smiles are for a show.
He had a point. A year-wait was long. Anything can happen within a year and if we miss this chance, then it will be like risking our fate.
We finished filling out the forms and handed them over to our guide. He gave each of us a card with the number of rooms assigned to us. Mine was 512. Which was the top floor of the building. As I said, the guesthouse was extravagantly huge.
"You can roam around the pack tonight and tomorrow before the ball. There were shops within the pack temporarily available only for the event. No one is to leave the pack land or even set foot outside our territory. That's an ultimate rule so it's best to remember it. Once you're with a mate, that rule will not apply. Good luck, ladies!" He waved us goodbye and left.
Since I don't belong to our group, I decided to find my room alone. The rest of them were still talking, complimenting everything their eyes saw.
After settling in my room, I took a bath. The warm water calmed my nerves and I already felt sleepy. I slip on my tank top and shorts and lie down on the bed, tucking myself into the blankets.
I was ready to be drowned in my deep sleep when I felt someone was looking at me.
I opened my eyes and looked around. I steadied my eyes on the window.
No one was there.
What should I expect? I'm five floors above the ground. No one can sneak a peek at this height.
But my wolf was calling to me. She was asking me to look outside the window. She wanted me to go to the window.
I tried shutting her down. I badly needed sleep from the exhaustion of the ride but my wolf was resisting. And it was persistent. She wants me to open the window. And let it stay open.
I was growling as I stood and walked towards the window. I clicked open the locks and pulled up the window. I saw no one outside. Practically, nothing.
My window faced the forest and it was dark out. I growled when I couldn’t hear my wolf now. A minute and she wanted me to open the damned window and when I did, she hung up on me?
I closed it again, not liking the idea that some mateless wolf would come barging in on my sleep. I sighed in relief when my wolf didn't argue when I closed it.
As I went to bed, a loud howl was heard all over the pack.
I was stunned. The howl seemed frustrated, irritated, and longing.
The thought of some mateless wolf finding my scent made me pale.
I forgot that the pack guesthouses were soundproof and, in our case, smell-proof.
It was made that way to prevent our mates from smelling us and breaking the purpose of the pack tradition. Also, if another Alpha came for a meeting visit, overall privacy should apply to them. That was why guesthouses were made that way.
Someone must have caught my scent as I open the window. Probably lost me when I closed it again.
Was it my mate? Was it a mateless wolf? I cringed at the last part.
'What have you done!' I angrily said to my wolf.
'Just a tease, that's all.' My wolf playfully said. I growl at her and shut her up. She does not seem aware of the danger her abnormality can cause!
That loud howl from a wolf was scary. It made my knees weak and jelly. Whoever it was, I needed to be careful before the ball.