II

~Kemarion~

I step back into the darkness of the night, fully covered by the tree branches. This is good; this is what I wanted. This will make things easier for me to move forward in my life. 

To think that the Moon Goddess paired me with such an unsuitable girl as a mate. I’m the future Beta of this pack, and that comes with some prestige. She’s nothing, a nobody. There’s no way our union would be accepted or beneficial. Hell, what kind of kids would I end up having? I still remember when I first saw her last week. 

*Flashback*

I step out of the car, eager to see everyone. I haven’t been home in a while, and I’ve missed it. D slaps me on the back and runs into the packhouse. I shake my head and follow after him. 

We’ve been away at Alpha/Beta training since we were 18. We’ve been gone for about two years, and it’s been tough. The phone calls and video messages were decent, but I needed more. We are home for a month before going back. This is our last year, so we are just wrapping things up. 

I wanted my girlfriend to come with me, but she was needed at home. I’m dating an Alpha’s daughter, someone I met at the training. Her name is Destini Armstrong, and she might be taking over for her father, the Alpha of the Ambermoon Pack. 

She and I have talked about this at length and have come up with a good plan. She doesn’t want to be an Alpha. She’s fine with being a Luna only. I’ve always wanted to do more than my title entails. Don’t get me wrong… I’m loyal to this pack, and I’m loyal to D as the future Alpha. I just always felt that I could do more. 

Destini has always encouraged me and helped me learn on an Alpha level. I’ve talked to her dad many times, and I’m sure he would accept me as his successor. I have no idea who my mate is; I've never met her. I just hope that she’s on par with Destini. It will be a hard choice, but either way, I’ll make out well. 

Arms wrap around me, breaking me out of my thoughts. “I’ve missed you so much, son.” I tighten my hold, breathing in my mother’s lavender scent. My mom, Kiara Powell, is the Beta female of the pack, and she works alongside my dad, Lee Baker. 

My dad walks into the room and crosses his arms over his chest. “Let him go, Ki. He’s not a little boy anymore; he’s a man, the future Beta of the pack.” She scoffs in my ear, since I’m taller than her. 

“I don’t care how old he gets. He will always be my baby.” I squeeze her and kiss her on the top of her head. 

“I’ve missed you too, Mom.” She finally lets me go and steps back, wiping under her eyes. My dad steps up and places a hand on my shoulder. 

“I’m really proud of you.” I nod, and we catch up. 

After about an hour, I decide to walk around the pack. I feel like I’ve been gone forever, though it’s only been two years. One can argue that two years is practically forever when you leave the only place you’ve ever known. 

The Brutalmaw Pack is pretty big, one of the biggest in the area. We are pretty self-sufficient with a town set up on packlands. We have a ton of shops, like any city would have. We have restaurants, grocery stores, clothes stores, basically anything a human town would have. Some of the smaller packs around us utilize our businesses since most of them are right outside of packlands. This way, not too many people are privy to private areas.

I see people I know as I walk through the square, letting the memories of childhood wash over me. I catch a whiff of something, making my wolf, Sid, stand up in my mind. His attention is on the area around us. I close my eyes and pull in as much air as I can. The scent fuses to my insides: mint and orange. It isn't a combination that you'd think would work, but it's doing a number on me right now. 

I look around, knowing what this scent means. On the sidewalk, ahead of me, I notice a little scuffle. A girl walks out of a shop and stumbles into some kids. I know their faces, being about a year or two under me in school. 

When she rights herself, she immediately backs up, having seen their faces. “I swear if Omegas didn't do so much around here, I would advocate for them to be kicked out.”

“I know, right. They really are useless.” The girl whimpers and moves back even more before turning and hurrying away. She moves right past me, and that's when I notice who she is. 

Mate!

No, Sid. Absolutely not! I shut him out before he could say anything else.

*End of Flashback*

In that moment, I remember being furious with the Moon Goddess. She finally blesses me with my fated mate, but it's a mess. She's a lowly Omega. I'm the future Beta of the pack. I need someone strong at my side. Someone like my girlfriend, Destini. She's the Alpha’s daughter of the Ambermoon pack. 

We've been together for about a year, and we're pretty serious about each other. Many have said that we should wait for our fated mates, but neither of us agrees. Destini won't be taking over her pack because she has a younger brother who's next in line. However, she has wondered aloud if her dad would let her take over with a mate. She voiced it to him, and he didn't disagree. 

Even if her father doesn't give her the pack, she'd be a ranked member here with me. Her strength is the most appealing part to her, and her connections come second. There's no way I can let Destini go for a useless Omega. 

 Once I realized what was going on, I made a plan. I didn't tell anyone that I found my fated mate or who she is. I just decided to make a plan to remove her from my path. I got with some pack members loyal to me, and they agreed to help me.

I got help bringing charges against her and her mother. I brought the information to my dad, and he didn't question it. I watched them get taken away, keeping my wolf locked down. 

Sid agrees with me when it comes to having a strong mate, but he is an animal by nature. He felt the pull to her, and it was a struggle to keep him at bay. What helped is the fact that this bond is one-sided. She's not 18 yet, so she has no idea that we are mated. I had to move fast because she will turn 18 in a few months. The sooner I send her away, the better. 

I discreetly follow the guards to the cells and watch her and her mother being put inside. Some warriors come out and go about their business. My Mom and Dad leave the area, leaving me alone, hiding behind a nearby tree. 

I have to be honest and say that I can feel the strain of the bond. She’s being locked away, and the pain is almost unbearable. I can’t function like this; I can’t let this bond take over my life. I step from behind the tree and square my shoulders. “I, Kemarion Baker, future Beta of the Brutalmaw Pack, reject you, Samiah Hicks, as my mate for now and forever.” There’s a heaviness in my chest, but it isn’t enough to be bothersome.  

I turn on my heel and walk back toward the packhouse. My phone rings, and I dig it out of my pocket. “Yeah?” 

“Hey baby. I miss you.”