I FOUGHT THE BOND: He Fought For Me

Raine Ashford

First day back at Darkshade Academy… and the last semester for me. And, oh yeah, today is my 18th birthday.

I drag my suitcase along the crowded hallway as I walk with my two best friends who are from the same pack with me. The academy is where werewolves from all over come to train, learn, and become badasses. Future alphas, betas, lunas, gammas, and warriors get made here. It’s the big leagues.

I come from a long line of Beta families, my father is the current Beta of the Night Thorn Pack. All my life, my parents have drilled into my ears that I should always be loyal to my Alpha, serve him, and be ready to give my life for him if need be.

“Are you ready for graduation, future Beta of the Nightthorn Pack?” Lana, my bestie...she is an Omega...blinked her eyes at me. “Or you're ready to mate someone?”

When the werewolf's mate appears, our Moon Goddess will send down special signals to guide them to find each other. The most common is the smell of pheromones.

My parents met and fell in love in this academy, so they have always hoped that I would find a mate here, too, who would love and cherish me. But honestly, I don't think I'm ready for it. I just want to graduate at the top of the academy and take the Beta title from my father.

I roll my eyes. “No, really, not yet for the mate thing.”

My other bestie, Matt...an Omega like Lana....doesn't look too thrilled.

“This may be the day that changes your destiny.” Lana raises her brows slightly.

“Exactly,” Matt agrees. “If you find an Alpha mate, your life will be better.”

Shewolves are always vulnerable and need protection. Most shewolves do not take important management positions in the pack. Even female Alphas either became doctors or teachers, or got married.

From ancient times to the present, there was only one exception. The Luna Sarah of the Stone Valley Pack. She is the most powerful female Alpha in werewolf history and also the first female member of the Darkshade Council, which had only taken hewolves.

I am neither an Alpha nor a male, and I don't want to change my life by getting married. Becoming a Beta is something I must do.

I pull out a textbook and wave it in front of them.

“What is that?” Matt raises an eyebrow.

“Wolfpack Operation and Management. Alpha Jason left it behind,” I say flatly. “And Alpha Ken asked me to bring it to him.”

“I can't believe you've never talked to your Alpha's son. You go to the same school.” Matt scoffs.

“Where can I talk to him?” I frowned and tucked the book under my arm. It was a really thick book.

The school provides a special area for Alphas to eat and sleep in. They share the same teaching building with us, but they have classes on different floors.

Even during holidays, Alpha Jason and I led completely different lives. In addition to helping with cooking and housework, I was also working hard to learn all the skills a Beta should have. I can only hear about Jason in my father’s words.

“Where are you gonna go to deliver it?” Lana adds with a scowl.

“I don't know, Alpha Ken told me that Jason would prepare training at this time, so I might be able to find him near the locker room.” I pull off my hoodie and run my fingers through my red hair.

This will be my first meeting with my future Alpha. Delivering the book makes me feel like I am one step closer to my dream, and even though it cannot be called a real beta job, it still made me excited.

Matt grabs the suitcase, still grumbling. “Fine, fine. Whatever you say, Future Beta.”

"Before you go... I have to remind you, today is the last day for submitting your job application as the future Beta," Lana says.

"I have submitted my application form.”

"Good luck, Raine... I hope you can become a true Beta, we all know you can do a great job. But I heard that Alpha Ken is selecting Beta candidates from the males." Matt sighs, giving me a pitiful look.

"I’m still going to try. I know I can convince them to pick me. Let me just give this to Alpha Jason. See you guys later." I wave at them and head toward the men's dressing room. Alpha Jason will be there, getting ready for combat training.

The hallway is vast, just like the rest of Darkshade Academy. This place is massive, a real beast of a boarding school, located deep in the woods, far from human civilization, giving us werewolves the privacy we need.

I reach the men's dressing room and take a deep breath. I try to calm myself, but the air is thick with Alphas’ aura. The room’s packed, sweaty, muscular guys everywhere, all looking like they could crush me under their sheer bulk. I keep my eyes straight ahead and my chin up, trying to find Alpha Jason.

I could sense my wolf, Raven, pacing anxiously.

Raven’s my wolf. She’s small, with brown fur, not exactly the strongest even for a beta...but she’s feisty as hell and has a knack for getting into trouble.

But right now, it’s not trouble. She's jumping around in my head, howling, full of energy.

‘What’s going on, Raven?’

That’s when I catch it. A sweet-as-fuck scent hits me… not the sweaty dudes, thank you very much. No, this is fresh pine, like rain-soaked earth, with a deep, masculine musk and a hint of spice. It wraps around me like a cozy blanket, making me feel warm and... all sorts of things I don’t want to feel.

My heart kicks up a notch, and I start looking around, my senses on high alert. I walk faster, following the scent until I stop dead in my tracks.

First, my eyes catch the sneakers of someone, then slowly, I let my gaze move up until it lands on his face.

Handsome, blond hair, green eyes… my eyes move down to the nameplate on his left chest, and then I’m frozen.

‘Jason Royce’

Raven howls, and at the exact same moment, Alpha Jason’s voice cuts through the air. His eyes widen in shock.

“Mate!”

No... no... this can’t be happening. Alpha Jason can’t be my mate. This has to be some twisted joke or something.

Around me, the room falls silent, all eyes snapping to me.

‘Mate! Mate!’ Raven’s already losing it in my mind.

Jason shakes his head, like even the sight of me offends him.

“Ashford… you are the beta! You can’t be my mate and Luna. Hell, you’re barely fit to be my fucking Beta.”

Laughter erupts around us, sharp and cutting, but I stand there, jaw clenched, nails digging into my palms to stop my hands from shaking.

“Like I had a choice,” I manage to get the words out, even as my chest feels like it’s caving in. “The Moon Goddess decided this. Not me.”

The laughter around me gets louder and louder. Jason stands in front of me with a red face. He’s the heir of the Night Thorn Pack and the proudest son of Alpha Ken. He would officially inherit the Alpha title after graduation, but his mate was me—a beta who could not bring him any pride as an Alpha.

“The Goddess must think I’m a joke,” he shakes his head slowly. “I will never ever take someone like you to be my future Luna! I, Jason Royce, future Alpha of Night Thorn Pack, reject you, Raine Ashford, as my future Luna.”

The book slips from my fingers, crashing to the floor. The pain is instant, like someone is tearing my chest apart. I stumble back, clutching my chest, trying to breathe, but it’s like the air is being sucked out of me.

My wolf is a mess in my head, panicking, howling, but I bite down hard, refusing to fall apart in front of him. I can’t breathe, can’t think. With the last bit of strength I have, I lift my chin and swallow back the sob threatening to come out.

He is killing me.

“Accept it!”