1-The Talker

James’s POV

Being Alpha is not all fun and games. Not that most werewolves think it is. I took over the Silver Creek Pack a year ago from my father Robert, and it has not been an easy year.

First, the girl everyone hoped would be my Luna is not fated to me. Kassandra Byatt is the daughter of a warrior, an excellent fighter in both human and wolf form, she is the most beautiful she-wolf anyone has ever seen, and she is the nicest person. Literally, she is perfect. But she is fated to someone else. We talked about being chosen mates but we both want our fated mates. We want the ones who were made for us. So now at 20 we are both still unmated. Normally, she would be by my side. We don’t separate too often, it’s weird we know, but we are close. She stayed home this time something told me it would be okay.

Second, I was challenged for my pack by my childhood rival Joshua. That was a fun episode in my life. Joshua was the Alpha to my neighboring pack, Blood Creek. He wanted to expand his territory, so he challenged me and Alpha Christopher of Blue Moon. I went first and I told Chris we could split the Blood Creek pack down middle. Which we did. Being allied with your neighbors makes sense. And the way we split the territory meant none of Blood Creek’s members had to move. Pack members always prefer to stay in their established homes.

Other challenges followed until now I am respected almost feared. Almost. I have a great PR person. PR is everything in this realm.

Third, war seems to be brewing between the Eastern Packs and the Western Packs. That is why Chris and I are on my plane heading to a meeting with the other Eastern Alphas.

My pack, Silver Creek has always preferred peace but we are ready for War. All of our members began training at 12, male and female. When our wolves start surfacing at 18, we start training in wolf form as well. Kassandra’s father was our head trainer. Kass will most likely take the rank Gamma. Her twin brother, Taylor, became Chris’s Beta not too long ago.

Chris’s pack is smaller than mine even with the new territory, he doesn’t prepare his members the same as we do. Training is voluntary. Which is fine but when the battles come and they eventually will, he is going to have a lot of members in bunkers.

The Western Packs beef is simple, we don’t do enough business with them and they feel cheated. Nevermind that they have gold, silver, and copper deposits which, hello, are very profitable. They want more. Greed is the worst.

Chris and I land with two hours to spare. I have a car waiting for us.

“Dang James,” Chris said smiling. “You haven’t spoken in 3 hours. What is going on Alpha?”

“My wolf and I were going over the past year. From Kass to this looming war,” I say.

“Yeah I’m sore Kass wasn’t my mate either. That kind of disappointment sticks with you. Don’t sweat this war, between Blood Moon and you the rest of us feel safe,” Chris clapped me on the back.

Blood Moon, large ruthless rich and scary! Alpha Edward is only a year older than me, but his reputation as cold cruel and bloodthirsty is well known. I killed when I had to, Edward killed because he could. He takes out weaker Alphas just to expand his land. Is Territory that important?

We pull up to the hotel where the meeting is taking place and as soon as I get my key from get my key from the desk I smell her. Rain and fresh grass, she is waking up to be with no fear, no hesitation.

“MINE,” we both say and we grab each other in a deep needy kiss.

“Erin,” a growl comes from behind her. It’s Alpha Edward. “What the hell?”

“Mate,” My mate whose name is Erin apparently saids to the hulking Alpha Edward.

“Edward,” I say holding my mate close to me. “Who is she to you?”

“My sister, treat her well,” Edward snarled at me.

“I have every intention of treating her like the Queen she is,” Edward and I are the same height, similar build, except he is a Ginger. I’ve spared with him a few times. We always ended in a draw.

“You better,” Edward bore his eyes into me. “She more important to me than my own life.”

My mate was smiling and bouncing on her toes.

“Go away you jerk, I need to get to know my mate,” she pushes him away.

“It’s James Lopez,” Edward says almost grinning. “Be good.”

Edward stalked away.

I look at my mate and I see the family look. Dark Red hair, pale clear skin, gray eyes. She is shorter than me but not by much maybe 5’ 11” or 6’ even. I always wanted a tall mate. She is built like a female warrior, he arms are tone and the way she is hanging on to me, strong.

“I’m James Alpha of Sliver Creek,” I say running my finger through her hair.

“Erin. You are mighty good looking,” she raises her eyebrows.

I guess I’m not unpleasing to look at. I’m 6’ 5” broad shouldered, my black waving hair is long down my back but I keep it tied back in a neat ponytail or bun, I have opal colored eyes and dark brown skin. Like most Alphas my body is covered in muscles I maintain with daily training.

“You as the most beautiful creature I have ever seen,” I smile at her.

“Great, let’s go upstairs,” she kisses me again.

“I want to very badly, but I must attend this meeting.” I tell her.

“Right, my brother will be there. Best if we wait until tonight after dinner.” She is clearly accepting me.

“Yes. So if you want to accompany me to my room, I would love to get to know you.” I say taking her hand.

“Absolutely,” we start to walk she starts to talk. WOW can she talk!

“I’m eighteen as of two weeks ago which makes me a Gemini and I totally am. I’m Alpha female from Blood Moon. I’ve been training since I was 14. I can take down my brother if he is distracted. I’m really proud I did it that one time about three months ago at training. I think your pack was there, he got distracted for like a second and bam I slammed him! I can’t believe we didn’t meet, not that it would have mattered I was seventeen, but anyway. My parents were killed two years ago in a fire set by my uncle, long long story, but anyway my brother broke his neck like ten seconds after we discovered it. Apparently my uncle thought losing our parents would weaken my brother, but it only enraged him. So Edward has been my only family for two years. I’m like the only wolf on the planet not terrified of him. I hope you will get comfortable with him too, because he’s all I have and vise versa so we will be visiting each other as often as possible. I mean I get it it’s like a 3 hr plane ride but it will be totally worth it. I mean soon you and I will have pups and he will want to see them. I really hope he finds his mate soon, then he’ll have pups and I want to see them. Oh and yeah I totally want pups like right away. I want at least two, but I’m cool with 12! I love babies and little kids I want the packhouse full of them. Here is what I know about you! Wanna hear?” I nod completely enchanted. “Your pack is the third largest in the world, Blood Moon and Lac De Sang in the west being the two larger. Your soon to be head trainer is a female. She is the one who gave me the tips on taking down my brother. You killed another Alpha in a challenge and were super gracious to your neighbor. So you have a good heart, but you are a great fighter. Your pack is super rich but you don’t like to spend money if you don’t need too. We share that by the way I only shop when I absolutely must. You and lead trainer talked about being chosen mates once but you both feel the mate bond is best! I can’t wait to see Kass again, she is totally the best! I am totally excited to be your mate. I mean I loved meeting Kass and training with her and now we get to be best friends! Oh please tell me she can be my bodyguard! Like my personal guard. Please please!”

“Whoa, Okay! Kass will be thrilled to be the personal guard for her Luna. Since you already know about the pack wanting us to chose each other I guess you are fine with it?”

“I mean totally. She has such great respect for the mate bond no way she would like hurt me or try to steal you. In fact I think she is an amazing she-wolf I want to be as tough and strong as she is. Not to mention how totally nice she is! I mean seriously, she didn’t care about my packs rep she was completely respectful and kind to all of us at training. When one of the Alpha’s daughters got all ‘I have guards to protect me,’ Kass was like ‘that’s totally fine you do you.’ I would have been like ‘B*tch you best get you a** to this mat and learn this Sh*t I’m not here talking to myself’ but Kass was so nice and unaffected by that who*e. I think you slept with her, Nancy from Cold Creek?”

I was stunned my mate really didn’t have a filter, “uh no I didn’t sleep with Nancy, I slept with her sister Carol but Carol found her mate so that ended.”

“Oh okay, I’m still a virgin. I mean for the next few hours anyway,” I am glad we were in my room at that point because I felt my cheeks go red. My mate threw her arms around my neck and kissed me again. She broke away and squealed “I am mated to James freakin Lopez, the hottest Alpha in the world.”

I started laughing, before resuming kissing my mate. It took all I had in me not to mate and mark her right then.

I gave her a key to my suite so she could move her things in while I went to the meeting.

Thank you moon goddess for this precious gift of this she-wolf. You must think a lot of me to give me such a handful.

Time to meet with the other Eastern Alphas and come up with a plan.