: Five Years Later

Jaxon POV

“Yes! Harder Jaxon!”

“You like that, don’t you, you little wench?” I say pounding into her harder.

“Yes! Goddess, Yes! More Alpha! More!” Diane screams out.

I feel her legs shaking and I know she is close. She’s a good fuck. The only thing a woman is good for now. At least for me.

I roll my hips and hear her scream as she comes. She is milking my cock with her pussy. I thrust into her two more times before I cum. After the aftershocks of our orgasms, I pull out of her and get up to clean myself off in the bathroom. I pull off my condom and tie it off and throw it in the trash. I won’t be siring any heirs with Diane or any other she-wolf. I don’t want to be tied down to another woman ever again in my life.

‘Hey, you done fucking Diane yet, alpha?’ Matt asks through the mind link.

‘Fuck off.’ I start, ‘what do you want?’

I appointed Matt as my beta after I got to Winter Moon over five years ago. He is as solid as a beta as they come. Loyal and always getting under my skin. He is smart, brave and a kick ass warrior.

‘Elder Crane is coming in the next thirty. I suggest you clean the sex off and get dressed.’ He says as I groan internally.

‘What does Crane want now?’

‘Who knows. He is making it a habit to do house calls lately.’

‘Meet me in my office in twenty.’

‘Yes, sir.’ He says sarcastically as I cut off the mind link.

I finish showering and as I’m drying off, I walk into my bedroom and see that Diane is still on my bed. “Why are you still in here?” I ask coldly as I get dressed.

“My Alpha,” she purrs, “I know you said you never wanted to be in a relationship again, but you and I feel so good together. I like to think we get along too. I always accompany you to important pack events. I could be your Luna, if you would just give me a chance.”

“No.” I cut her off quickly, “You knew what you signed up for when you agreed to be my personal tool for release. That is your station with me in this pack. In return, you are afforded certain, privileges. I will not take on another Luna and as I have told you many times, I will not take on a chosen mate either. Stop fantasizing on something you have always known was never going to happen.” I say curtly. “Now grab your shit and get out of my bed chambers.”

I walk over to the door and open it. I look at her coldly and expectantly. She huffs and throws her dress on before grabbing everything else. Just before she walks out, I tell her, “Diane, if we have this discussion one more time, then I will dissolve this arrangement. I’m tired of repeating myself, understood?”

She looks down and quietly says, “Yes, Alpha” and leaves the room and makes her way down to her floor.

I shake my head and sigh. I’ve kept Diane around the longest because she is a good fuck and knows how to behave in front of important people. She is pretty enough and has a nice body. I have no need for her past the physical.

In the five years following the rejection with Giselle, I have taken Winter Moon to heights never before seen in this region. It is the largest and wealthiest pack not only in the South Region but in the North Region too. I’m about to surpass the Eastern Region and a part of me feels vindicated at knowing that I will be larger and more powerful than the Alpha she left me for in the East.

Drax took almost a year to reappear. He hasn’t been the same since the rejection. He, like me, doesn’t trust mate bonds or women or the Moon Goddess. It’s hard when you know you did everything right the first time, only to be betrayed at the end. And why? Because of greed. Even Diane wants to be Luna for the power and status. Some of the warriors have told me about what she says to the omegas. Trying to treat them like they are less, simply because she is fucking the Alpha. If there was another, she-wolf around here that could fuck better than Diane, I would toss her aside. That’s why I treat her coldly about being a chosen mate. She isn’t Luna material for me or any other Alpha.

Matt enters my office, “Alpha.”

“Hey Matt. Close the door.” I say as I sigh.

“What? Trouble in paradise with Diane?” He smirks.

“She was trying to get me to agree to making her a chosen mate again.” I sigh.

“She’s not happy with her current role? Hoe with benefits?” Matt chuckles. “You know you are not the only one she fucks, right?”

I look up at Matt, “Do I look like I give a fuck?”

“I didn’t think so, I would just make sure that you DNA check any baby she is claiming is yours, should she turn up, well, knocked up.”

“Do you know anything about Crane’s visit?” I say, changing the subject. Honestly, more than five minutes thinking about any woman is a waste of my time.

“Nah. Only that he was coming on official business.” He says rolling his eyes, “I mean, what other business would he have here other than, ‘official’?”

“Well, let’s try to make it a quick visit. I have things to do today. I’ve also heard that Dark Flame is starting to stir trouble with some of the packs. Keep an eye out that there are no scouts from his pack around. If you find any, kill them on the spot.”

I see Matt’s eyes glaze over and I know he is being mind linked. “Alpha, Crane has arrived.”

“Have him brought to my office.” I say.

I get up and go to my liquor stash in my office and pull out a bottle of ‘Blanton’s Bourbon’ and some bourbon glasses and put them on my desk. Crane always enjoys sharing a glass of bourbon when he is here. He knows I don’t skimp on the good liquor.

The door opens and I stand up. Crane appears through the door with Matt as he closes the door behind him. Crane seems to be frozen in time. He looks old and wrinkled and well past his prime but is still as active as a young wolf. His eyebrows stand up like they were electrocuted and his nose is slightly crooked. I’m sure in his prime he was better looking. Now, he looks like life has fucked him every day and he can’t remember the safe word.

“Alpha Jaxon, I’m sorry for coming with such a short notice, but it is official pack business, you know.”

“Elder Crane, no worries. Luckily, I don’t have any other appointments for the next hour. Bourbon?” I offer.

“Blanton’s? You always have a good selection. Yes, please.” He answers.

As I pour two finger widths for him, I ask, “So, what is this official business you needed to discuss?”

As he takes the glass from my hand, he sighs, “The Elders have been discussing your position as Alpha of Winter Moon.”

The glass of bourbon is about to reach my mouth when I stop. Putting the glass down, I look Crane in the eye, “What about my position?”

“Well, you have grown this pack very well on your own Alpha Jaxon. No one can deny it, however, you have no heir to leave it to should you pass away. You have no Luna either.”

I can feel my temperature rising. I try to tamper it down but Drax is also growling in my head, and it’s making it hard for me to reel in the anger that I feel bubbling to the surface.

“Elder Crane, I had a Luna. Remember? She cheated on me with another Alpha who wanted to feed her his dick. I have no desire to have another Luna, nor do I wish to sire an heir. Women are a poison that seeps into your very fiber and tries to stomp on your soul.”

The shocked expression on Crane’s face from my answer is exactly what I am looking for, so I continue, “My ability as the Alpha of this pack has surpassed the power and wealth of the Northern region and it has almost surpassed the Eastern Region. I have done it all without a mate, fated, chosen or otherwise. Should I die, then Matt would be next in line to be Alpha. I see no reason to continue with this ridiculous conversation.”

Crane’s expression hardened and his eyes turned cold, I have to admit, it looks intimidating, "Unfortunately, it's not up to you alone. This decision is being made for the future of the pack. It will help to solidify the stability of the Southern Region.”

“Decision? What decision?” I ask. I really do not like the sound of where this is leading.

“The Elders have decided that Alpha Jaxon of Winter Moon will pick a suitable Luna in the next thirty days, or we will do it for you, if you refuse, then we will strip you of your title.”

“WHAT?!” I roar. I’m going to be stripped of my title. I have done it all by myself and now I have to bend to the will of five old fuckers or I can’t be the Alpha anymore? What kind of archaic bullshit is this!?

“This decision is final Alpha Jaxon. I suggest you start reviewing candidates since your fated mate rejected you and second chance mates are rare.” Crane finishes his drinks, sets the glass on my desk firmly and makes to leave. “Remember, thirty days, Alpha Jaxon.”

: Not Happening

Sable POV

“Come on Sable, join me for dinner tonight.” Alpha Darius said.

Usually, any she-wolf would want to have the attention of their Alpha. Especially, one as handsome as Darius Steel. Not me though. I have never thought of entertaining a man that wasn’t my fated mate.

Alpha Darius knows this, but it has never stopped him from pursuing me. “Alpha, that would be inappropriate. Besides, we are not fated mates and you know how I feel about being with any man that isn’t my mate.” I told him, letting him down again for the umpteenth time.

“It’s not a date. It’s two people having a meal together. Come on, what do you say?” He persists.

"Alpha, I appreciate the offer, but I really just want to get home and rest for the night. Training was hard enough today and I feel zapped.” I say, once again letting him down.

He looks at me with his grayish blue eyes and feigns a frown. “Fine. How about tomorrow then?”

“I’m not thinking about tomorrow until it is here.” I say and wave goodbye as I start to walk away towards my small cottage. It’s a small two bedroom and one bathroom. The feel of the cottage is cozy and I have herbs growing in the flower baskets in the windows. I have an old but sturdy rocking chair on the small front porch. It looks worn and the arm rests are smooth from the years of rubbing my hands on the edges as I rock in the evenings with a blanket over me.

I go inside and strip my sweaty clothes from warrior training and let the shower in the bathroom start to steam. As I look in the mirror and see the steam circling around me, I notice the dullness in my eyes. My life is not bad. I am a warrior in the Dark Flame pack. Alpha Darius Steel is a good alpha to his pack, although I am not sure how this pack is funded so well with the only business being agriculture. I understand agriculture pays the pack well, but not for the pack to have several Cadillac Escalades all while remodeling the pack house and pack hospital, at the same time. Either way, he treats everyone respectfully. I only wish he would stop trying to pursue me.

He is good looking with brown hair and grayish blue eyes. He is probably six foot two and has broad shoulders. He is muscular but not overly. He has more of a slender athletic build. I guess I could do worse than him but I still don’t want to compromise myself with someone who isn’t my fated mate.

My parents were fated. They loved each other. They used to talk to me and told me that no matter what, wait. Wait to meet the one the Moon Goddess has for me. They told me that when we meet, it will be when we need each other the most.

As the hot water hits my body, I can feel the tightness of the day unwind. I wash my hair of the sweat and oil and my body of the grime. Then I turn around and let the hot water beat on my back. It gives me the relief to my body that I need.

Once I’m done, I dry off and change in my bedroom. I wear some Capri leggings and an oversized shirt that hangs off one shoulder. After I towel dry my hair as best as I can, I brush it through and tie a lose braid. I go to the kitchen and heat up one of my pre-cooked meals I prepared over the weekend.

I sit at the small table and start eating. My mind drifts back to my parents. When they were alive, we all lived together in this little cottage happily. My mother and I use to cook in the kitchen and my father would help clean the dishes after every meal. They moved in unison with everything they did together. If perfection were two people, they were those two people. Everything with them looked effortless. I remember when I was around sixteen years old, I asked them if they ever argued.

They looked at me and laughed. “Sweet child, no relationship is perfect. It takes work, patience, love and understanding.” My mother said while looking lovingly at my dad, “When you meet your fated mate, he may be going through something you don’t know how to navigate and that’s okay. You just need to remember that the Moon Goddess doesn’t make mistakes. Everyone is paired with their mates for a reason, even if you don’t understand in the beginning.”

My father chimes in, “When I met your mom, little bug, I didn’t want to take the mate bond seriously. I almost lost your mother. Thank the Goddess I realized it before it was too late or who knows what would have become of me, without your mother. He finishes and smiles at my mother with the most sincere and full love in his eyes.

“Above all,” my mother said, “wait for who the Moon Goddess has for you. You will need him as much as he will need you and the love will only grow from there.”

I brew me some chai tea with cream and go outside to rock in my chair. When I was younger, I swore my best friend, Ethan was going to be my mate. We both were crazy about each other. He turned eighteen first but didn’t find his mate. We both thought for sure we would be mated to each other once I turned eighteen. When I turned eighteen, we realized we were not fated mates, but he was however, fated to Rosalie. The same Rosalie who always made fun of me and bullied me. Just like that, my best friend was gone. I was devastated.

Then two months after I turned eighteen, my mother passes away unexpectedly. My father was inconsolable and fell into a deep depression. Three months later, he died of a broken heart. I was alone after it was all said and done. That’s when I decided to become a warrior. I was strong and athletic and being a warrior seemed like the next logical step since my parents were no longer around.

My wolf Nia was in need of interaction with other wolves. My parents had left me my little cottage and everything there are the memories I have of my parents. It’s been five years. Now, I’m twenty-three and I have worked hard to be the best lead warrior in the Dark Flame pack. While I’m proud of what I have accomplished, I feel incomplete. I would love to find my mate, but one thing is for sure, he isn’t in this pack. It makes me wonder two things. First, which pack has my mate? Second, what has happened to him?

: Selecting a Luna

Jaxon POV

It’s been one week since Crane came here and told me that the elders are deciding my future. Bastards. I have been reviewing information on the she-wolves in the pack. None of them have the ability to be a Luna. I was considering picking a woman that was unattractive, so I wouldn’t be tempted to catch feelings for her, but then I would have to be seen with her at special events and I don’t feel like being ridiculed later on being a powerful Alpha with an ugly Luna.

With unattractive out of the question, I went for plain. Neither attractive or unattractive. Someone that could clean up well enough to be presentable for special events but unattractive enough to not tempt me. I had the omegas set up a room at the other end of the Alpha floor so the chosen Luna wouldn’t be near me. A weak connection is best.

The problem is, I don’t like any of the candidates. None of them inspire even the slightest trust. Trust that they can do the job, hold themselves to the standards of a Luna, trust that they will not expect more than being a Luna in title only. I am doing this out of necessity. I’m quite literally being forced into being mated.

“Alpha?” Matt knocks before he enters my office.

“Yes, Matt?”

“Still looking for a mail-order Luna?” He says.

I cut him a look that clearly says, ‘don’t start.’

“None of these women will do, Matt.” I say in exasperation, “Crane and the elders really screwed me here.”

“You know Alpha, not all women are the same. Perhaps, you should think about trying to make something work. It’s been five years after all.” Matt suggests.

“Matt, not even Drax wants a mate. Do you understand? We do not trust women. This is a disaster waiting to happen. Not only will this be bad for me, but it’s also bad for whoever signs up for this shit detail.” I sigh.

“Well, perhaps you can find someone who isn’t interested in being in a relationship with you but is only looking to gain some kind of status.” He says trying to come up with a solution.

“Yeah, but that isn’t exactly a question on the application, is it?” I say.

“No, but perhaps if you take the time to meet some of them, you could have these discussions. Just pick the top three and start with them.” He says trying to help me make sense of this insanity.

“Fine, I’ll go through everyone again and see which ones I think would be suitable. Let’s make a decision next week. Then I can meet with them and make a decision. I am going to drag this out to the last minute and keep my freedom for as long as possible.” I said.

Matt laughed, “I’m sorry to laugh, but as powerful as you have become, you still act like an errant child. I’m sure whoever you choose will not have cooties.”

Just then, his eyes glaze over and I hear him snarl. “What is it?” I said alerted to his reaction.

“Dark Flame scout. I know you said that you wanted them killed on the spot, but before we do, we should question the first one to see what exactly Alpha Darius is looking for from Winter Moon.” Matt says. His logic is sound.

“Have him taken to the cells and we will go down and start questioning him.” I said. I’m glad to get a break from looking at women’s pictures and applications.

We make our way to the cells. I see a young kid. Not more than nineteen. How is he a scout? Most scouts are trained for years before they get that kind of position. This doesn’t seem right?

“How old are you?” I ask.

He is shaking. Shit. “I am eighteen. Nineteen next week, Alpha.”

“How are you a scout? Most scouts are in their mid-twenties and train for years.” I tell him.

His eyes widen, “Alpha Darius said he wanted to test my scouting abilities and see if I would be ready for scout training.”

What the actual fuck? Test him in a role he hasn’t trained for and you are testing him on the most powerful pack in the south. This alpha is a bigger dick than I originally thought.

“Well, you failed.” I started, “Why did he want you scouting Winter Moon? What is he looking to find out?”

“Alpha, I didn’t want to be a scout. I don’t even want to be part of Dark Flame. I was brought in against my will. I will tell you what I know, but in exchange, will you please help me get back to my family?” The scout says.

His pleading surprises me. What surprises me even more is that he is asking for help. “What do you mean you were brought to Dark Flame against your will?”

“My pack was a small pack. Alpha Darius has been going to small packs and taking the young men and women. He forces us to come to his pack and accept him as our Alpha. This usually happens during our full moon runs. He grabs whoever he can. We never see the women again, but the men are forced to join his pack and become warriors. I’m trying to survive, but I didn’t ask for this, nor do I want it.” He says, with his lips trembling and tears glazing over his eyes.

FUCK. ME. He is kidnapping young men and women. What is happening to the women? Where are they going?

“Why did he send you to scout my pack?”

“He wanted me to report back to him the path you take for the full moon run.” The scout said.

“What’s your name scout?” I asked

“Jake Woods, Alpha. Will you help me? Please?” He’s practically begging.

“Jake, I will help you, but you need to help me. For now, I want you to go back to Dark Flame. Provide Alpha Darius with the route I provide you. When he gets here, we will take care of him and then I will help you and everyone else that was forced against their will, get back to your packs.” I said.

I see his lip trembling and relief in his eyes. “Thank you Alpha. I will do exactly as you say.”

“Release him” I say to the guards before looking back at Jake. As soon as they release him I tell him to follow me to my office.

Matt is following behind him, in case he is putting on a show. When we get to my office, I go over the plan I have been formulating in my head. “Jake, tell me, to the rest of the men being brought in want to stay in Dark Flame or do they want to return home?”

“Some want to stay, Alpha. It’s not because they like it at Dark Flame though. It’s because their original packs were more poor than Dark Flame. With barely enough to eat, they thought being in a wealthier pack would help them survive.” He says sadly.

“Was your pack poor?”

“Moon Ring is not wealthy but it isn’t desolate either. Everyone contributes and we don’t start trouble with anyone. We live peacefully.”

“Tell me about Alpha Darius.” I say.

“Well, once you accept him as your Alpha, he treats you with respect. But if you flat out refused, you are either killed or you are taking with the women. I don’t know where he takes them. There is a special group of warriors that know and they are tight lipped about the location.”

“Do those warriors come during the full moon run too?”

“I don’t know, Alpha. I’ve only been in the pack for a couple of weeks. This is my first time leaving the pack to scout.” He says as if he has disappointed me.

So this bastard sent a new member with no training or warrior skills into my pack. Something seems very off about this situation. ‘Does this seem weird to you, Matt?”

‘Why did they send this kid? Unless there is another scout on the pack lands we haven’t located yet. Fuck.’

“Did anyone else come with you?” I ask Jake.

“No. I was told I was to come alone. I asked for another scout to come with me, but Alpha Darius said no. He said this is a test and I am not to fail him or I would die. Either by your hands or his.”

‘Have the patrol search for another scout. Leave no stone unturned.’

‘I already gave the order. They are currently searching.’

‘Good.’

“We are looking to see if another scout or warrior followed you after you left Dark Flame.” I tell Jake.

His eyes widen and he looks visibly shaken, “Were they using me as the fall guy?”

“I think if we find another scout, then it’s highly likely.”

“Alpha.” Matt interrupts, “They found him.”

“Good. Kill him.” I said without another thought. “Now then, your threat is eliminated Jake. You can deliver a route to Alpha Darius and since you didn’t know about someone following you, you have nothing to worry about, agreed?”

Jake is staring at me with his mouth open and then starts stuttering, “Uh, um, yeah, I mean, yes, Alpha.”

“Good, take this pen and pad and start jotting notes. When the full moon gets here, Dark Flame should follow the path I’m going to give you. We will be waiting for him.”