Jason

Jason

This morning we finished moving the last of our things into our new residence—a massive mansion on the hill overlooking the city. Annabelle and Samuel were already settled into their new rooms. Luckily, the house was the only thing new to them. Eight months ago, they had already started at their new private school in this city.

From the moment we knew there was a good chance I would become the new Head of the Council, I sent my Beta Hunter, and my Gamma Erik, to the city to get everything arranged. Hunter and Erik are my cousins, and also my best friends—the two of the few I trust with my life and with the lives of Sam and Ann.

Once we got the school to sign a confidentiality agreement, I immediately transferred Annabelle and Samuel. This gave them time to adjust to their new environment and make friends with peers who had no idea they were related to the future Head of the Council. That would maybe change this afternoon, when my appointment would be officially announced. The students only needed to pay attention to our last name. 

The Council—once established to unite all the packs. That way, there would no longer be rival packs or violent internal conflicts. The risk of humans discovering our existence was nearly eliminated. Alphas are now titles that can be granted by the Head of the Council to someone with Alpha bloodlines. No more fights to the death—just a political hierarchy.

These Alphas are each given responsibility over a pack, but as Head of the Council, I hold the ultimate responsibility for all packs. I am also temporarily the Alpha of the New Moon Pack—the pack of this city. An added responsibility I’ve taken on until I find a suitable candidate to fill the final vacant seat on the council and take over the Alpha role.

I sighed deeply, and at that moment, there was a knock on the door.

“Come in,” I growled—perhaps a little too irritated.

My butler, Charles, entered.

“Alpha? Are you ready? It’s time to go to the Council House for the official announcement,” Charles said with a bow of his head. “Charles, how many times must I tell you not to call me Alpha in this house? In this house, I’m Jason,” I said with a deep sigh as I stood up. “But sir, calling you by your first name is... improper.”

Charles didn’t even dare look at me. He knew that contradicting an Alpha was a request for punishment, but he had no other option—he didn’t want to tell me no, but also couldn’t bring himself to say Jason.

“It’s clear I can’t ask that of you. From now on, you’ll call me Mr. Moon.”

Charles hesitated but gave a small smile. “Of course, Mr. Moon. Your Beta is waiting in the entry hall. I believe your Gamma is bringing the SUV around.”

I nodded at Charles, who disappeared through the door. I took one last look outside before straightened my shoulders and heading down the grand marble staircase.

“Well, Jason—looking sharp in that suit,” my Beta, Hunter, called up as I descended.

I grinned from ear to ear. “You’re not looking too bad yourself. Headed to a gala?”

We both laughed. We’d been used to wearing suits for years. Ever since I had to take over my father’s business, we didn’t wear anything else outside the house. Still, we always joked with each other like we did on that very first day we stepped into my father’s company in suits.

As Hunter and I walked outside, a blood-red Carrera pulled up.

“Oh goddess, what’s she doing here,” Hunter and my wolf, Helios, groaned in unison.

The car stopped right in front of us, and Jessica Delacourt stepped out, wearing a long dress as red as her hair. She wore her hair loose as usual, but it was clipped to one side with a golden pin—probably to keep it from falling into her face.

“Jessica, to what do we owe the pleasure?” I asked, trying hard not to sound annoyed.

Jessica was the daughter of Lupus Delacourt, my father’s former business partner, who had sold his shares to start his own company. Despite that, they remained close friends. When my parents died in a tragic accident, he offered to run my father’s companies until I was ready. What he didn’t know was that my father had already taught me everything I needed to know. From my very first day at school, he would have me picked up afterward and brought to his office to shadow him. I hated it at the time—but I’m incredibly grateful now.

Taking over after his death wasn’t a big leap. Lupus didn’t seem happy that I took over immediately, though he didn’t say it aloud—his sharp glare when I declined his offer said enough. Since then, I’ve had no issues with Lupus.

Jessica, his daughter, was another story. Since the day I met her, she hasn’t left my side. We were friends at first, and I saw her as a good friend too. But lately, it seems she wants more. I know she met her true mate, but she rejected him. She’s never been open about the reasons why, but ever since, her behavior toward me has changed. My wolf gets more annoyed by how she clings to us, especially in public—parading around as if she’s my mate. Which she absolutely isn’t, and never will be.

I’ve never met my true mate, and to be honest, I never really tried. From a young age, I had to take care of Ann and Sam. Searching for my mate never felt urgent—I had plenty of years left.

The week before my thirtieth birthday, I made an effort to attend a few social events, hoping I might meet her. But every time, the first woman I encountered was Jessica. After three events, I gave up. I had no desire to be stuck with her all night, trying to ignore her politely.

My thirtieth birthday came and went, and only on the day itself did I realize how foolish I had been not to try harder all those years.

But on the other hand, I was grateful. I’d been there for Ann and Sam. I’d been their father figure—and I carried that role with pride.

“Jason? Ja-son? JASON!?” Jessica shouted.

That snapped me out of my thoughts.

“Yes?”

“I said I’m very disappointed I had to hear from the maids that you’re going to be the new Head of the Council,” she pouted. “Why didn’t you tell me yourself?”

I stared at her for a moment.

“Because it’s none of her damn business,” Helios growled. I ignored him and gave Jessica a polite smile.

“You know the rules, Jessica. Only immediate family can be informed of such things before the official public announcement.”

Jessica pressed her lips together. It was clear she had hoped for a different answer.

“Well, that explains why you didn’t ask me to be your date for this important afternoon. Luckily, I’m here now. Of course, you can’t be presented without a beautiful partner at your side.”

She batted her lashes and pushed up her chest as she said it.

Helios growled with irritation.

I glanced at Hunter, hoping he had a ready response, but he just shook his head slowly.

I sighed deeply—and just then, Erik pulled up in the black SUV with tinted windows.

“Feel free to come along, Jessica. But only as a family friend—nothing more,” I said, this time without a polite smile. I kept my expression neutral and let a small wave of Alpha energy radiate from me, just enough to make the message clear.

Jessica gave me a sultry look, tossed her hair over her shoulder, and walked toward the SUV without a word. “Why are you letting her come? We both know she won’t stop here,” Helios growled.

“I know,” I replied. “But part of me still hopes that the girl she used to be is still in there somewhere—the one who treated me like an equal, without ulterior motives.”

Helios growled deeply in response. He missed the days when Jessica and Eris didn’t see us as an object of lust and power either, but he had accepted that those times were gone. Wolves are better at letting go of bonds—unless it’s their true mate or blood family.

On the way to the ceremony, Hunter and Erik seemed to make it their personal mission to annoy Jessica.

One story after another about our nights at local pubs came pouring out of their mouths—nights where women threw themselves at me. Jessica didn’t say a word, but her face clearly showed her irritation.

They didn’t even have to make those stories up—we’d developed a habit over the past few months of going out for drinks after work at local pubs. We’d always change into casual clothes and mess up our hair a bit.

We kept our Alpha energy as low as possible, yet wolves still noticed us. Thankfully, no one in this city knew who I was. And they would never find out who the man was they had tried to flirt with. On those nights, I used the name Josh—the name my mother used to call me.

My Beta and Gamma knew all too well that they must always call me Josh in public when off duty, never mentioning my last name or status.

I already got more attention than I wanted—if people knew who I really was, they wouldn’t show genuine interest.

That was the biggest downside of my family name: the fame and status it carried.

Growing up, I never had real friends because of it. Fortunately, things were different for Ann and Sam at their school. I hoped it would stay that way.

“Why are we driving into an alley?” Jessica snapped, looking at me sharply.

Erik burst out laughing.

“Didn’t our famous Alpha tell you? The ceremony is being held without his physical presence. Only his name is being announced,” he managed to say through chuckles. Jessica turned to me, she was offended and confused.

Hunter caught my glance and took the cue. He cleared his throat.

“Jessica, you know Annabelle and Samuel come first. Always, right?”

Jessica shot Hunter a furious look.

“Yes, of course I know that! But what does that have to do with today’s ceremony?”

I knew it was time I explained it myself.

“Jess, my name will be announced publicly, but the public won’t see us on stage. We want to delay the moment people find out who Jason Moon really is—for as long as possible. Even the headmistress at Ann and Sam’s school only knows me as Josh Moon, a distant relative. We want to keep it that way for their sake. You remember what happened at their last school, don’t you? Everyone only wanted to be their friend because they were connected to me.”

Jessica stared at me sternly, but after a few seconds, her expression softened.

“But then why are you even at the council building if you’re not going to appear at the ceremony?”

I couldn’t help but smile at that.

“It’s my first day on the job, Jess. I’m getting straight to work.”

That seemed to catch her off guard.

“So what am I supposed to do—just sit in your office looking pretty all day?”

Hunter snorted.

“Then you’d better get to work on being pretty, lady.”

I shot Hunter a warning look. Normally, I would’ve laughed too, but I needed to get used to being the Head of the Council and Alpha of this pack. Those kinds of jokes weren’t appropriate anymore.

Hunter immediately lowered his head when he saw my expression.

“Sorry, Alpha,” he mumbled quickly.

At the council building, we were warmly welcomed.

We were given a brief tour before being led to the council chamber, where the entire council was already seated, surrounded by paperwork.

I was briefed on the contract in front of me before signing it.

I already knew what it said, but for formality’s sake, I pretended to listen attentively.

The council consisted of Alphas—the kind of Alphas who, in the old days, would’ve fought each other to the death to take over one another’s pack. They seemed to run on testosterone instead of actual wisdom.

Most of them weren’t even trained Lycans.

Every wolf is born a werewolf, but an Alpha is expected to have greater control over their wolf than anyone else. That’s what Lycan training is for—a Lycan is simply a werewolf who has mastered control over their inner wolf. For me, that training was basically unnecessary. My wolf and I have never truly disagreed. He’s never tried to take over because he knows I make the right decisions. But my parents wanted official proof, so I completed the training anyway.

I recognized a few of the Alphas as students from that time, but most of them had never been trained. That could be a problem. The previous Head apparently didn’t see it that way, so maybe I should give them the benefit of the doubt.

After the usual formalities and signing the contract—which essentially stated, in legal language, that I was accepting full responsibility for all packs in our region—there was one small addition: that the New Moon Pack would temporarily remain under my direct command until I appointed a suitable Alpha.

After signing, my men and I were led to the elevator.

Jessica had been asked to speak at the ceremony. The interim chairman couldn’t take his eyes off her and decided she’d be a better choice to announce the new Head of the Council than the hired presenter. Jessica eagerly seized the opportunity to be in the spotlight, and I was relieved she wouldn’t get to see where my office was.

My Beta and Gamma settled onto the couch in my office, watching the ceremony on TV, while I dove straight into the mountain of paperwork waiting for me.

With great responsibility comes a whole lot of reading and signing.

By six o’clock, I had gotten through most of it, and we decided to head into the city.

Unfortunately, this time, we hadn’t brought any casual clothes to change into. I quickly ran my hands through my hair to make it look a bit messier—maybe then we’d pass as guests from the ceremony.

Just as we were waiting for the elevator doors to open, Jessica strolled out with a glass of champagne in her hand.

“Are you leaving Jason? I was hoping you'd offer me a drink,” she said with a pout.

“Isn’t there an open bar at the ceremony?” Erik asked, confused.

Jessica immediately shot him a death glare. Helios chuckled—Jessica seemed to grow more desperate for our attention by the minute. “We were just wrapping up and heading into the city,” I said. I instantly regretted those words. Jessica’s face lit up and she grabbed my arm. “Then shall we go now, Jason?”

Damn. I’d given her an opening—and she took it with both hands.

“Jess, in public, it’s not Jason. It’s Josh,” I growled. Jess nodded, trying to look seductive.

“Josh, darling, of course I know that.” And before I could respond, she pulled me along with her.

Hunter and Erik followed us, laughing.

“Yeah, laugh it up,” I said through mind link. “You’re stuck with her all evening too.”

They immediately stopped laughing.

Jessica had voiced her discontent enough times in the car. She hadn’t expected us to go to a local pub. She was probably hoping for a fancy restaurant or exclusive club—places where status mattered.

She didn’t stop complaining until I offered to call her a cab to take her home.

The pub was relatively quiet—most of the locals were out enjoying the festivities at the city square, probably hoping to catch a glimpse of Jason Moon.

Jessica turned up her nose in disdain

“This place is such a filthy dump,” she said as she sat at a table in the back corner. She sat with her back to the bar and the door. She patted the bench next to her, the signal she always gave when she wanted me to sit beside her. I couldn’t subject Erik or Hunter to sitting next to her, so I took the seat.

Not long after, a girl came by to take our order. Of course, Hunter immediately ordered three pints of beer for us, then awkwardly gestured to Jessica.

“And for the lady...” “Champagne! Of course. We still have something to celebrate,” Jessica interrupted, placing her hand on my leg.

I brushed her hand off and gave the waitress an apologetic smile.

“Uhmm... I’m not sure we still have any champagne,” she said, lowering her head.

Shit. Was she reacting to my Alpha energy, or was it Jessica who made her feel so submissive?

I wasn’t sure, so I tried to focus on my energy. Helios gave me a puzzled look—it seemed we were barely radiating any Alpha energy.

Then she must’ve just found Jessica intimidating.

Before I could suggest Jessica order wine instead, the waitress had already walked off.

I looked around and spotted her at the bar. The bartender said something to her while gesturing to the cooler beneath the counter. The waitress laughed and playfully nudged him, then stepped behind the bar.

The bartender turned toward her, and instead of nudging her back, he kissed her forehead and stroked her arm with the back of his hand.

It was obvious—they were true mates. The way they moved together and responded to each other said it all. I turned my gaze away from the couple and scanned the rest of the pub. A few tables were taken by small groups of wolves. The bar was mostly empty, except for a few lonely wolfs and one girl resting her forehead on the counter, groaning softly.

It looked strange, but when she sat back up, a shock went through me.

She was the most beautiful little lady I had ever seen.

I guessed she was in her mid-twenties—so I should say woman—but somehow “little lady” felt more fitting, like a perfect nickname for her.

Helios’ senses sharpened instantly. He was taking her in.

At that moment, my chin was grabbed, and my head was turned back toward the table.

“Jas—I mean, Josh—I’m talking to you. It would be polite to listen,” Jessica whined.

I sighed and returned my attention to the table.

The waitress came back with three pints and a glass of champagne.

She explained that it was the last bottle they had, and that it probably wasn’t the kind Jessica was used to, but it was the best she could offer.

I smiled kindly and thanked her.

Before Jessica could launch into another monologue about status and how my family should handle our name, I changed the subject and continued the conversation with Erik and Hunter.

Jessica still managed to be rude to the waitress, demanding another glass of champagne.

I scolded Jessica and announced that this would be our last round—not because I wanted to leave, but because it would be better for the staff if Jessica went home.

As we enjoyed our final drinks, a sudden scream rang out.

I looked around, my wolf surging forward, ready to defend—which was strange. I’m a Lycan, trained to control my wolf better than the average werewolf. I pushed Helios back as I searched for the source of the scream—and then I saw her.

The girl at the bar was doubled over on her stool, gripping the counter. The look on her face showed she was in immense pain.

The bartender just stood there, pale as a ghost. Why wasn’t he helping her?

As I got ready to stand, her expression suddenly relaxed, and she sat up again.

She looked confused, glancing at the bartender and then at the waitress who had run over to her.

Clearly, they were friends.

Helios was still restless as I turned back to the table. He was worried about the girl. But wjen I looked again I saw a man placing a bracelet around her wrist. Helios shook his head and growled quietly—then calmed down. He had never shown such concern for a stranger.

As we finished our drinks, Hunter got up to go pay at the bar.

“Hunter,” I said with a low growl.

He looked at me once and understood immediately—I didn’t want him going to the bar.

He shrugged. “Be my guest, Joshhhh,” he said, gesturing toward the counter and heading for the exit.

When i walked to the bar i was just in time to catch a glimpse of the man who'd been with the little lady before he ran outside. When i arrived at the bar I stood beside her, holding my credit card between my fingers—a black card, a gift from the bank after my company’s profit jumped from hundreds of thousands to millions per year.

I only used it in pubs and shops where my spending stayed low. The only reason a bank gives you a card like that is to tempt you into spending a lot—so they can earn interest.

The bartender nodded to let me know he’d be right with me.

Suddenly, I felt eyes on me—two big ones—and had to fight the grin that crept onto my face.

I heard Jess call out something behind me, thankfully using the name “Josh” without slipping up.

“Helios, remind me never to let Jess invite herself to anything again,” I told my wolf. Helios rolled his eyes, all his attention still on the girl.

After the bartender helped me, I slowly turned and looked at her.

I leaned against the bar, arms crossed, and met her eyes.

She flinched, her cheeks turning red as she stammered an apology.

“And what is this beautiful lady apologizing for?” I heard myself say, grinning.

She squeaked a reply about being rude.

I chuckled.“There’s no need to apologize, little lady” I said, pushing away from the bar with my hip.

I intended to walk away—but Helios stopped me in my tracks.

“Look at the bracelet,” he growled.

I took her wrist gently, lifting it so I could read the engraving: Property of Mike T., in elegant script.

Who gives a gift like that to their girlfriend?

When you’ve found your mate, you mark each other—that's how you show you belong together.

Calling someone “property” felt so outdated.

“Subtle,” I said with a deep growl, pressing my lips into a tight line.

Still holding her wrist, I fought to control my emotions. Why was I so angry? And why was my hand suddenly warm?

I looked down—her wrist in my hand—it felt warm, lightly tingling.

I looked into her eyes again. We stared at each other.

Suddenly, she looked away. Was she afraid of me?

No. She mustn’t be afraid of me.

I shoved my wolf further down and tried to suppress my Alpha energy—just minutes ago it had been minimal, but it had expanded after reading that bracelet.

Even as I toned it down, I couldn’t stop the growl Helios let slip. He was offended that she looked away.

I gently took her chin and lifted her face so she would look at me again. A lock of hair had fallen in front of her face—I brushed it back behind her ear with my knuckles, softly stroking her chin with my thumb.

I didn’t understand why I was doing this—but I knew I had to let go. She had a mate.

I gave her one last wink and forced myself to walk away toward Jessica. Jessica glared furiously past me at the little lady. Immediately, my Alpha energy flared again—this time directed at Jessica. She looked startled and quickly lowered her head in submission.

Good. That girl didn’t deserve that look.

Before I reached the door, a blood-curdling scream filled the room.  I spun around and saw my little lady collapse, falling off her stool.

I ran to her, catching her just before she hit the ground. Her whole body was tense. As I carefully lifted her up, I felt her slowly relax. She curled against my chest, trying to look up at me—then passed out.

I held her unconscious body tightly against me, shouting for the bartender to call an ambulance. It was chaos—My wolf was panicking, desperate to care for this girl.

The waitress pulled on my arm, calling out for “Lizzy.”

Jessica was complaining that this wasn’t our business. Hunter and Erik had run inside, waiting for orders.

And me? I just stood there holding this little lady, not understanding where this warmth and tingling feeling came from, or why my wolf cared so much—why I cared so much.

I didn’t even know her. She clearly had a mate. But why did it feel like I should know her?

At that moment, someone tried to take her from my arms. I held her protectively until I saw it was a paramedic. I finally let go, watching as they placed her on a stretcher.

His colleague asked the waitress what had happened, but she just kept repeating that she didn’t know.

I rushed over and told the paramedic everything I could—that she’d been in pain earlier, but it seemed to pass quickly, only to return more intensely—and then she lost consciousness.

The paramedic nodded, getting ready to take her to the hospital. Just before climbing into the ambulance, he turned back.

“What’s her name?”

“Her name is Elizabeth Duchesse,” the waitress said.

Elizabeth Duchesse. Duchesse. Why does her name sound so familiar?