I have spent the last six months in Alpha Academy, where Alphas from all over the country come and train for their roles. which I can only describe as pure hell. After graduating high school a year early, I pleaded with my father for the opportunity to prove myself worthy of the Alpha title, and with Mom’s persuasion, he sent both me and Jaxon.
Jaxon, golden boy groomed from childhood to become the next Alpha, had always been Dad’s favorite choice. And no matter how hard I worked or begged for recognition, it was obvious that his decision was made long before I ever stepped foot in the academy.
My fist smashes through the wooden dummy, sending pieces flying in all directions.
“Fuck you, Jaxon!” I growl.
“Who’s fucking Jaxon?” a cheerful voice asks from behind me.
“Hey Bliss,” I mutter, walking over to pick out another dummy to obliterate.
Bliss is my one and only best friend. We’ve known each other since we were in diapers. She has long black hair, hazel-green eyes, and the figure of an hourglass. I only hope to one day be as gorgeous as she is.
“What’s wrong with my bestie?” she inquiries from behind me.
“Ask our new Alpha.” I throw the dummy on the ground, punching it repeatedly until it’s just a pile of wood.
“Oh, damn, I’m sorry-” she trails off, keeping her distance to avoid flying splinters.
I destroy three more dummies before I feel even a tiny bit better. By the time I’m done, I’m covered in sweat and panting, trying to catch my breath as I lay sprawled on the ground.
Bliss walks closer, now that there isn’t a chance she’ll be hit by a stray piece of wood. She looks down at me with a sympathetic smile. “Want to grab breakfast at the diner?” she asks.
“Sure, whatever,” I mutter, getting up, throwing a towel over my shoulder, and heading to the showers. After washing off some of my anger and disappointment, I find Bliss in her car, waiting for me. I stare out the window as she drives, watching the buildings blur past us. “You think he would’ve ever picked me?” I ask, my voice tight with emotion.
She sighs loudly. “Honestly, no. Your dad is a huge dick, and he probably chose Jaxon just because he’s an even bigger dick than he is.”
“Probably,” I chuckle. Her answer actually makes me feel a little better.
We quickly arrive, thanks to her reckless and illegal driving, and find a parking spot in front of the building. Donna, our favorite server, seats us at a booth. I order avocado toast and orange juice, while Bliss gets three orders of short stacks and two coffees.
I eye her suspiciously. “Let me guess, Patrick will be joining us?”
She averts her gaze to the table, her face blossoming with warmth. “Ugh, I’m sorry, Mel. I can’t stay away from him for too long.”
“I know, a slave to the mate bond,” I mumble, disdain coloring my words. “I hope I never find my mate. That shit looks miserable.”
“Here you go girls!” Donna exclaims, placing our orders on the table.
“Thanks, Donna,” we say in unison. After she walks away, I dive into my food. I deserve it after the shitty morning I’ve had so far.
Bliss shoves a forkful of pancakes into her mouth. “Don’t you think you’ll find your mate at the Mate Ball?” she asks, curiously.
I scoff. “I’m not going. It will be on my birthday too. You think I’m falling for that trap?”
She scowls at me like a stern parent. “Now Mel, you know it is mandatory for all werewolves to attend the Mate Ball every year after turning eighteen until you find your mate. Your dad is going to force you to.”
“It’s my birthday. He’ll understand,” I insist.
No, he won’t.
“You know that’s a lie,” she mumbles, taking another bite.
Her head suddenly snaps in the direction behind us. “Baby!” she exclaims, getting up and jumping into Patrick’s arms as he walks through the diner door. They sit back down across from me.
“Hey, Mel,” Patrick greets cheerfully.
“Pat,” I mumble, trying to conceal the irritation in my voice. By the glare Bliss sends me, I didn’t do a very good job.
“Baby, I’ve missed you so much,” she whispers. She kisses the mark on his neck, and Patrick damn near starts sucking her face off.
I pretend to gag as I quickly look away. There is no way I would ever act like some lovesick puppy over a guy. Even if I find my mate, I vow to reject him on the spot. Because of my bloodline, my mate can only be an Alpha, and that means I’ll become a stupid Luna. I’ll just be a housewife washing dishes and raising pups. I would rather die alone than do that.
Mating with an Alpha also means I will have to join his pack instead of ruling the pack that is rightfully mine as Alpha Damon’s only child. Instead, my heritage is being handed to some cocky asshole just because he has a penis.
Speaking of cocky assholes, here he is.
Mel's POV"He's beautiful, Luna.""He's going to grow up to be such a powerful Alpha."I force a smile, responding almost robotically to their comments and congratulations. I can't shake the feeling that someone's here that shouldn't be, but I'm not picking up any dark energy.When the line finally ends, Jaxon goes to mingle with the other Alphas. Since Zion is safely sleeping in the bassinet, I decide to walk around the building searching for the source of my anxiety. As I grab a flask of sparkling cider from one of the Omegas, I hear a familiar voice behind me. "Luna Melanie, it's nice to see you again," he rumbles, snapping me from my thoughts. It's Alpha Raeden with his mate at his side. "This is my Luna, Caroline."I smile warmly at her. "It's a pleasure to meet you.""Likewise. Your son is so beautiful, I'm still hoping that one day we'll be able to have a baby.""Thank you, and I hope you can too!"Raeden's eyes hold a quiet sadness, a reflection of the pain he must have felt w
Mel’s POVToday is Zion's grand debut with the pack. I dress him up in the most adorable little black suit and hand him over to Jaxon so I can get myself ready.The first few weeks of his life have been hectic, but I have enjoyed every second of it. When Jaxon and Ameer are busy with pack business, Bliss comes with us every time we leave the house. I don't mind the extra protection, plus I get to hang out with my best friend all the time.As I put on my dress and minimal makeup, my eyes are fixed on Jaxon cradling our son. The look of pride on his face is undeniable as he lovingly bounces him up and down, creating a gentle rhythm.I wish Damon would have ever looked at me that way, but I'm so grateful that Zion has a daddy that loves him unconditionally.Our son's adorable coos echo in the air and he has his tiny hand wrapped around Jaxon's finger. His smile widens, "that's right, Son. You're going to meet your pack and a few of our allies today," he says softly, "well, right after we
Mel's POVJudging by his erection, I assume he's excited about this confrontation. Maybe this was intentional, like he wanted to lure us out.There's a smug grin on his face as he gets closer, his yellow eyes twinkling with amusement."Take one more step and I won't hesitate to kill you," I warn callously. Nina flashes in my eyes, but that doesn't seem to deter him.He roars with laughter. "Aww, what are you going to do? I bet you can't even fight your own battles, huh Princess? Got those two men to be your body guards while you pretend to be the big bitch in charge?" he taunts.He couldn't be more wrong. Unlike Ayla, I can fight my own battles. They're just here for backup. But I don't need to prove shit to him.The other rogues are all gathered silently watching the show. They obviously don't want to get involved, or simply not stupid enough to do so.The rogues' leader narrows his brown eyes in recognition."Wait, aren't you that bitch that killed Alpha Kellan? When Alpha Magnus to
Mel’s POV"Jaxon, no fair! You know I'm carrying around a big-ass watermelon!" I growl, missing the volleyball for the twentieth time as he spikes it with all his strength.Ava bursts out laughing. "We win again!" She gives her brother a high five before running over to the ice chest and grabbing a juice box.Jaxon has a huge, cocky grin on his face as he makes his way over to me. "Sorry baby girl, you told not to take it easy on you unless I don't want to touch you for the rest of your pregnancy." He leans down to my ear. "Two months without that beautiful, tight pussy would kill me."I shudder at his words, pleasurable shivers going up my spine. His grin widens at the smell of my arousal. "Although, I'm sure you would've given in before the day was over."I scoff. "No, I wouldn't have."He raises his hands in surrender and takes a step back. "I won't be stupid enough to argue with my gorgeous, pregnant Luna."I shoot him a scowl but can't resist taking his hand as we walk along the
Jaxon's POVI shift and take off into the woods, ensuring that she's right behind me. Once we reach the packhouse, we quickly change into our evening attire and head to the dining hall to join our pack. It Looks like everyone is having a great time!Melanie kisses me passionately before heading off to find her sister and socialize with the rest of the pack. I grab a beer from the bar and sit at our table, watching my amazing mate surrounded by our pack with admiration.I can sense the incredible joy and pride radiating from her. Being embraced by a pack that used to treat her poorly means the world to her. They now accept her as the fierce, determined firecracker she is.Our Luna is perfect, Shadow purrs.She always has been and always will be.Ameer sits down beside me. "Y'all were gone for a while. I was about to send a search party out," he teases, throwing back a shot of whisky."I'd prefer my warriors not be traumatized like that," I chuckle lightly. Although, I'm sure everyone w
Jaxon's POVMy tongue plunges into her mouth, swallowing every whimper, moan, and cry as I pound into her mercilessly. The sound of our bodies clashing together echoes throughout the cave and it's hot as fuck. With one hand tightly gripping her waist, I close my other around her throat. I pull away from her mouth and slow down my pace to look at her. "I'm so proud of you," I breathe, "you're so amazing in every way and I'm grateful for every day that I get to call you mine."I can see the emotion in her eyes, and I know my words have touched her deeply. After what happened with Ayla, I know her heart was bruised from being used by someone she cared about and looked up to. But she knows my praise is genuine and out of love. She's everything to me, and I'll forever prove to her just how much she means to me.I don't know if she realizes it or not, but she's my saving Grace. She saved me from being a monster like her father. She saved me from the letting the darkness of losing both him a