: Sparring for a date

Darius POV

I’ve been trying to get Sable in my bed for over two years. I am a respectful Alpha to my pack members, so I never would try to force her, but damn it, I want to conquer her. She is beautiful. She is a natural beauty. All the warriors in the pack and even those who aren’t, notice her.

Her dark brown hair comes down in soft waves, even though it’s rarely seen because she has it in a damn bun when training. Everything she wears accentuates her curves. She has an athletic build and you can see the definition in her arms and legs. One time I saw her lift the hem of her shirt to wipe sweat from her neck and she exposed her abs and my cock got rock hard at the sight. Since then, I have wondered what she looks like naked. I bet she looks like a sculpted goddess. Her eyes are a hazel green and she has the most natural full, kissable lips I’ve even seen on a woman. I would love to see those lips wrapped around my dick.

Do I love her? Yes. Do I want her? Yes. I just need to wear her down. She is one hell of a fighter and is capable of taking down any of the warriors. However, she has never sparred with me. I figure I can make it interesting for her and still get what I want.

I’m seeing her stretch and her cleavage is peeking through her shirt. Fuck her breasts look perfectly round and full. Because she works out so much and trains so hard, her ass looks like two full globes. Her thighs and hamstrings are muscular and damn it if I don’t want to have my head between them.

‘I like her wolf, Nia too. Under her classy exterior is a fire waiting for me. I want to claim her.’ Brock, my wolf says.

‘Me too, Brock. We want to taste her. She and her wolf like playing hard to get.’

After everyone is done warming up, I gather the warriors around. “Today, we are rotating our sparring partners. Sable, you’re with me. Everyone else, Beta Anton will be let you know who your sparring partner is,” I look over at Sable, she is just standing there but her eyes tell me she is annoyed. I am going to enjoy sparring with her, especially with what I have in mind, “Sable let’s go into the first ring.”

She raises an eyebrow and follows me to the first ring. I turn to her, “Why don’t we make this interesting?”

She sighs, “Interesting, how?”

“Let’s make a bet. If I beat you in sparring, you agree to go to dinner with me tonight.”

She ponders for a moment, “Okay. If I win, you stop asking me out altogether.”

“Confident in your ability to beat an Alpha, Sable?”

“Yes. Do you agree with my reward Alpha Darius?”

I smirk. I have no intention of letting her win. “Agreed. If you can either kick me in the chest or get me to tap out, then you win. Same for me.”

“I agree to those terms.” She says. She looks bored. I’m almost offended, but I will soon get this woman in her place.

Well then, I suggest we get into place,” I say to her, “Anton, call our match for us please.”

“Terms?” He asks as he jogs over.

“Tap out or kick to the chest.” I say.

“Understood.”

I get in position and so does Sable. Once I take her down, she will go to dinner with me and I will seduce her and get my fix of her. I want to mark and claim her as mine, but I can’t force my mark on her. If I do, she could go to the Elders and I lose my position as Alpha. I need her to willingly submit to me. This is just step one.

“Spar!” Anton calls out.

Sable starts walking around me lazily. I’ve seen her do this before. She is sizing me up. I decide to tease her. “Like what you see?”

“Nope. You’re not my type Alpha Darius.”

I stop what I’m doing, “Really?”

She lunges at me and swipes my leg. FUCK! I let my guard down and she capitalized on it to get me on my back. She is moving to kick me in the chest while I’m down, so I roll out from under her and get back on my feet before she could stomp on my chest and I lose the bet.

She pulls back again and continues sizing me up. “You know, even if you did win this bet, dinner would be all you ever get. You know I have no interest in pursuing anything with any man who isn’t my fated mate. So why are you so persistent, Alpha?”

“I find you to be the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met, inside and out.” I said honestly.

“You only say that because you haven’t met your fated mate, Alpha.” She says smirking, “I will be nothing compared to her or him.”

The fuck did she just say? Did she try to say I swing both ways? “If I were paired with a ‘him’, the rejection would be swift, Sable.”

“Then you should wait for ‘her’ and stop pursuing me.” She said.

I lunge for her but she side steps me and then with a force I didn’t realize she possessed, she pins me the floor, face down. “I’m not the one for your Alpha Darius. I just want to be left alone until I find my fated mate. Why can you not respect that for me?” She says gripping my wrists behind my back harder.

“Because you are the one I want, Sable. Many women would love the attention of an Alpha. You seem to be the only one that doesn’t. It drives me insane. You drive me insane.” I say, trying and failing to break her grip. Why can’t I break out of her grip?

“I’m holding you here until you tap out, Alpha.” She said after a long pause.

“You’ll be waiting a long time then, little wolf. I’m not one to give in.” I said.

“Suit yourself.” She said and she leaned her body weight on me twisting my arm tighter. Fuck, she is going to break my fucking arm. Where the hell did she get this strength? No wonder the other warriors can’t beat her.

“How the fuck are you stronger than an Alpha?” I grit. I feel sweat coming down the side of my head. The position she has me in does not feel great.

“I train hard, Alpha.” Is the only response she gives me. I knew I was right to want this woman. I try hard to flip her, but the only way I can do that is by dislocating my shoulder. It's a painful and calculated move, but I'm going to make it to get out of her hold. I do not want to lose this bet.

As my shoulder pops I flip her off my back and get up quickly. I need to get my shoulder back but she is lunging at me again. This time I block and swipe her under her knee. She falls on her back and I move quickly to stomp her chest and end this match, but she grabs my foot and trips me up. If I wasn’t so focused on winning this, I would have a major hard on right now. I really want to bend her over and take her hard. It’s a heady thought.

As I’m lost in my thoughts, I feel a hit to my chest. “Score. Sable wins.” Anton announces.

FUCK ME! I got distracted about fucking her and she got the upper hand.

“Thank you for a good match, Alpha. Since I win, you agreed to my reward. Please don’t ask me out anymore.” She turns away and leaves the training grounds.

‘Idiot! You let her win because you let your dick take over!’ Brock growled in my head.

‘It’s okay. There are more than one way to skin a cat.’ I tell my wolf.

: Secrets

Sable POV

Alpha Darius has a lot of nerve to try to set up a way to force me to accept dinner with him. What no one in this pack knows, well except my parents, but they are gone, and no one else knows, is that I have a telekinetic gift. I can control the muscles and actions of other people. It is handy when you are a warrior and why I ended up becoming lead warrior.

I made sure to use it this time with Darius. I was taking a gamble but I really don’t want him bothering me about dinner or any other kind of date. I would rather spend the rest of my life alone than to choose a chosen mate.

I’m not trying to be a bitch, but I hate having to repeat myself over and over again to Alpha Darius and other warriors in the pack. I get back to my cottage and start working on my little garden of herbs. I find it therapeutic and calming. Especially, when I’m upset like right now.

I continue working on the garden quietly. All of sudden I hear soft footsteps approaching. I look up and for the first time in a few days, I see Jake. He’s back from scouting. “Hey Jake!” I say, standing up and wiping my hands on my pants. “You’re back! That’s great!”

He smiles at me, “Hey Sable. Yeah, I’m back. I even got what Alpha Darius was asking for, and you can see I’m back safe and sound.”

“That’s awesome! Well, of course, I won’t hold you up, but how was your first experience as a scout?”

“I won’t lie, I was very scared. But it was easier than I thought.”

I was surprised when Alpha Darius sent Jake to the Winter Moon pack. I heard the alpha there has a reputation for killing intruders on the spot. Scouts tend to go on their first mission after they have trained for a couple years, at least. Then the first mission is always something easy, not something as intense and dangerous as scouting the most notorious pack in the region.

It didn’t set right with me when Alpha Darius sent Jake on this mission. But I am impressed with Jake and proud of him for accomplishing his mission. “Well, I’m glad you are back. Alpha Darius was in the training facility when I left a little while ago. Why don’t you go and see if he is still there.” I say smiling.

“Thanks Sable. See you around.”

I return to gardening and let myself get lost in thought until it starts to dark.

***

Darius POV

I didn’t expect Jake to come back. I sent him as a decoy so Marcus, the other scout I sent behind him, could look at the Winter Moon defenses. They are the biggest threat to my operations, and I want to eliminate the Alpha. He has no Luna or heir. If I can eliminate him, then I can take over Winter Moon and I can expand my trafficking circle with the resources from his pack. He has grown Winter Moon substantially in the last five years and if I can infiltrate the pack in the most vulnerable spot, then I can conquer the pack.

I sent Jake because he is expendable. He is of no use to me. He comes from a weak pack and has no fighting ability. If he dies, it means nothing to me. Sure, he accepted me as his Alpha and I respected him, but he complains like a little bitch all the time. I need men for warriors. There are others that have come from different packs, and they don’t cry about missing home. They adapt to Dark Flame and to me as their new Alpha. He didn’t want to fall in line with that mentality, but he also never defied me. So, I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. I don’t want other pack members to think I’m unjust. I need them to see me as a kind and respectful Alpha. It’s part of my cover. If the Elders were to catch on to what I am doing outside of agriculture, they could have me arrested, stripped of my title or killed. The pack members being happy with me and the pack is part of my cover. It would be nice to make Sable my Luna to complete the circle, but I’m still working her down.

“Jake, well done on completing your mission. What did you find?” I asked him.

“Well, Alpha Darius, I overheard patrol talking about securing the full moon route for next week. I followed behind in the shadows and mapped out the points of the route as you ordered." Jake said.

“Why were they interested in securing the full moon route, Jake?”

“Apparently, they are hearing news about pack members missing after full moon runs. They don’t know why pack members are going missing or if there is someone involved. Nor do they suspect that you have any involvement. At least, I didn’t hear either of the patrol guards mention it, sir.”

Hmm, this is new. The smaller packs are starting to report the disappearances of their pack members. I will need to be more mindful or find another way to get other pack members for the East Region. Alpha Jasper likes his harem of women, but so do his warriors. Bloodlust pack is an apt name for his pack. He pays me handsomely for the women I supply him with too.

If there are men that don’t want to acknowledge me as their Alpha but look like they could be good slaves for Alpha Jasper, I send them too. He pays me for them so far, and he hasn’t told me to stop sending them, so I will continue with how I am running things. Either way, this is supporting my pack and pack members and helping me gain the resources I need to take down Winter Moon. It’s only a matter of time before Alpha Jaxon falls, and I rise to power.

: Meeting Candidates

Jaxon POV

Candidates number one and two were a bust. They both acted like they neither wanted nor cared about having a serious mate bond with me. I entertained both women until I saw the look of lust in their eyes. I’m not interested in fucking these women. I’ll keep Diane around for that need. They just need to play the part of Luna. I immediately declined the first two as an option. This last one, I’m not holding my breath.

Cherise shows up and I immediately do not like her. She is bubbly and looks like she has stars in her eyes. But worse than all of that, her current appearance doesn’t look like her photo. I am avoiding all blondes because I don’t want to feel like I’m looking at Giselle. In Cherise’s picture, she had dark brown hair and brown eyes. The woman in front of me has blonde hair and blue eyes. It must be contacts. There are many problems I have with this one already. First, she changed her appearance drastically. I understand women like getting the hair done and all that nauseating female shit. But I like women that embrace their natural beauty. Second, she’s blonde. No. Not just no, but HELL no.

“Alpha Jaxon, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” She says batting her eyelashes. Then one of the damn things pops off. I close my eyes and take a deep breath.

“Cherise, good afternoon.” I can’t say it’s a pleasure because it’s not, “I think you dropped something.” Pointing at the eyelash on the floor.

“Oh, goodness!” She said. Cheeks turning wine red. “I’m so sorry. How embarrassing.” She says as she bent down to pick up the fake facial hair. If that’s what you even call it, I’m not sure.

“Hmm.” I mumbled. I’m not impressed. “Cherise, before going any further, I don’t believe you are a match. Perhaps for the sake of our sanity and while I still have patience, you should leave.”

Her mouth drops open and her eyes water. I turned to the guards and asked them to escort her out and arrange for a ride to take her back to her pack.

“That was the third candidate, Alpha.” Matt says to me.

“Thanks, Captain Obvious.”

“What was wrong with her?”

“Seriously? One of her fake eyelashes popped out. Her picture is totally different from how she presented. Even her eyes were a different color. HARD pass.”

“Damn, she cat fished you.” He said laughing.

I cut him a look to shut the fuck up. “This is pointless. I have one week left. I am no closer to finding a suitable Luna. Goddess only knows what the Elders and their geriatric asses will choose for me, if I don’t find someone.”

“I keep saying, maybe you should choose someone and try to be in an actual relationship again. Not all women are like your ex-mate, Alpha.” Matt says again.

Lately, he’s been persistent in trying to convince me to find a chosen mate based on an actual relationship. Drax and I have talked about it, and we don’t want a mate. Even if we considered one, she would have to be exceptional. Based on the applicants I saw of the ‘best of the best’ females in this region, I don’t there is anyone exceptional in existence.

“Have you heard anything from Dark Flame, since we sent back the dead scout?” I said, changing the subject.

“Not yet. Jake called though. He said that Alpha Darius went ballistic when he saw the dead body. We did fuck it up pretty bad before sending it back.” Matt continued, “Anyway, Jake said that Alpha Darius would have his revenge on Winter Moon. So, I doubled the patrols and hopefully, they come to our doorstep, and we can end that asshole.”

“Okay. Have you heard anything more about the missing pack members?” I asked him. I want to report it to the elders, but I need proof. I reached out to small neighboring packs and asked them if they have missing pack members. Almost all of them said they are missing between ten to fifteen pack members per pack. Mainly women go missing. It’s leaving an uneasy feeling in my stomach the more I try to find out.

“Unfortunately, no, Alpha.” He responds, “But I am still searching. I’m trying to see if there are any unusual transports or anomalies in the logs, but so far, nothing has come up.”

“Let me know if you find anything or need me to intervene. Good work.” I said to him.

“Thank you, Alph - ”, He stops and his eyes glaze over. At the same time, howls can be heard. There is an attack on our lands.

“I guess his ears were burning. Dark Flame is here and they are attacking.” Matt says.

I let out a snarl, “Let’s go.”