Chapter 2

Alpha Axel’s POV     

I was goofing off in town with Jaxon and Garth. When Gunner caught her scent. I’ll never forget how focused Gunner was. He forced himself forward and tracked the scent to find his soulmate. The entire time, I couldn’t figure out who had just had their eighteenth birthday.   

I was less than thrilled to find out it was ‘sensible Samantha.’ She was a few years younger than me, but from what I remembered about her, she always had her nose in a book and was at the top of the class in most subjects. Her parents were killed a few years ago in a rogue attack, and she has lived independently since then. I don’t think I had ever spoken to her until she became Gunner’s mate. We socialized in different circles, otherwise, I would have known a lot more about her.   

It’s not that I have a problem with her, she’s just so boring and plain. She’s not engaging or attractive, nor is she visually the kind of woman I am attracted to. To me, nothing was appealing about her other than her scent. I also didn’t believe she would be a good enough Luna for the Shadow Pack as she lacks confidence. A Luna needs to help lead the pack, and Sensible Samantha is not exactly a natural-born leader. More of a follower.

When I shared my concerns with my dad, he was not pleased with my attitude. He highlighted that “Samantha had never been given any formal training, and that with sufficient guidance and support, she could make a decent Luna who would get better with time. Zola is, after all, Gunner’s fated mate. That I would be wise to remember that the goddess doesn’t make mistakes.” At least my dad took my concerns into account and suggested I wait a while to become Alpha. This would also allow me time to get to know Samantha better. It would also give Samantha time to learn the responsibilities of being a Luna.     

What I found frustrating about the whole situation was that, as a wolf shifter, I have two souls living within my body. All anyone cared about was Gunner’s happiness. He was the Alpha Wolf and had a mate bond with his mate. Everyone was forgetting about me, the man. I was the one who was expected to compromise. That I would grow to love Samantha because of the mate bond. But right then, I felt nothing for her.

Sure, I could reject Samantha and take a chosen mate. I once suggested this to Gunner. He threatened to ruin my life if I ever thought about treating his mate with such disrespect. I was so frustrated with the situation that I started blocking Gunner out for periods just so I could have some time to deal with my emotions.  

When Dad suggested we postpone my Alpha ceremony while Samantha received some training, she was thrilled. Later, she told me she had never had sex with anyone and that she wanted to save herself for the day she was marked. Save her purity for her one true mate.   

Gunner was annoyed by the delay, but he agreed it was for the best. He wouldn’t want his mate to feel uncomfortable. He was secretly happy that Samantha was ‘pure’. I was secretly happy that there were no sexual expectations, as I was not sure that it would be a pleasurable experience for me.   

As a man, I had needs, though. With alpha blood running through my veins, my needs are stronger than most. Thankfully, the one thing that came from having Samantha move into the packhouse was that her best friend Lily would visit frequently. Now that is a woman who was pleasing to the eye, and I am sure her outfits got more revealing with every visit.  

I would catch her frequently staring at me and positioning herself provocatively. Gunner was furious about it and demanded I squish her childish crush. “We have a fated mate,” he would snarl after catching her for a fourth time. Doing as he asked, I took Lily to my soundproof office to scold her. I blocked Gunner, who was too angry to control himself and might injure Lily. She was still a pack member, and I was her superior. It would be inappropriate to attack her.  

“Ladies first,” I said as I opened the door for her. As soon as the door shut behind me, Lily ripped open her shirt, exposing her skimpy bra, which she pulled down. I could hear her heart pounding as she guided my hands to the soft skin of her breasts. I was so turned on by her impulsive act. She moaned as my thumb flicked her nipples. “I want you, Alpha. Take me,” were her words, and that is what I did. I fucked her until I was satisfied. Which took a while as I hadn’t had any for months.     

That was the first time I had been unfaithful to Samantha. But I could not get enough of Lily’s body. She was enthusiastic and daring, never turning down anything I wanted to do with her. She loved having me inside her as much as I loved being there.   

Gunner got suspicious because I always blocked him out when Lily was around. But I told Gunner that with him threatening Lily in the past, I felt it was my duty to keep her safe, blocking him out was the safest way. “Just ban her from the packhouse. That would be the easiest way to deal with her.” He demanded.

Which was when I reminded him Lily was Samantha’s best friend. Samantha would be upset if Lily couldn’t visit her, and it would all be Gunner’s fault. He didn’t like the idea of making Samantha sad.

To cover our tracks further, Lily suggested we only have sex in places where Samantha’s scent would be strongest. Lily effortlessly managed that task, as Samantha was gullible and wanted to spend quality time with her friend. Our affair went on for nearly a year before my dad announced I was to become Alpha. No woman has ever satisfied me like Lily did. I convinced myself Lily was the one for me. I just had to convince Gunner that Lily should be our chosen mate. “What if Samantha was an inadequate Luna?” Lily once suggested after I fucked her stupid in the laundry room surrounded by Samantha’s dirty clothes.     

“That wouldn’t work. Gunner has complete faith in her. He also wants her to be the one to carry our pups. As they will be stronger as they are fated mates,” I admitted to her. I didn’t know what the solution would be. But it would have to be something serious for Gunner to reject Zola.      

My parents arranged my Alpha ceremony. It was a grand event, and they were so proud of the man I had become. The only thing wrong with the ceremony was the woman by my side. Whereas the woman I wanted was in the crowd somewhere. Sadly, on the wolf run that night, Gunner was ecstatic to have his mate by his side. Whereas I was devastated, her wolf took pride of place next to him. I didn’t want her there, but what could I do?