Chapter 3: Coronation

CARTER

No matter how much I tried, I couldn’t get Willow's words out of my head. With every passing second, her voice grew louder and louder in my head, her facial expression taunting me all the more.

“I never asked you to marry me.”

“I didn’t mean it. I was drunk as hell, and I didn’t know what I was saying.”

“Why would you even want to marry a weak omega like me?”

Really? Was I supposed to believe that? Was that really the truth?

A hand ran through my hair, and I sighed. I flopped back to the bed, the bottle of alcohol almost falling from my hand. The drink hadn’t dulled the pain of her… rejection, only made it worse.

The memories of last night tried to take over, and I took another gulp from the bottle to prevent that from happening. I refuse to remember how perfectly her boobs fit in my hands. How much she giggled when she palmed me from the front and asked if it would fit inside her. It fitted quite alright, as we later got to find out. Too well, and just the reminder of how her tight walls clenched around my member made a pitiful moan rush out of my lips.

Willow had always been beautiful, but last night she was stunning. A goddess with her pink scarf locked around her neck, and the tight black dress and sights. Last night, all we did was fuck and talk. Talk between fucks. Talk after fucking. Talk before another round of fucking.

Thinking about it now, she used me. But I couldn’t say I felt used. The only thing that hurt was watching her face fall with regret when she realized what happened between us. Last night wasn’t about me. It was about her boyfriend of four years, who rejected her after making her plan his party. She wasn’t a weak omega. Far from it. She was strong, sexy, and smart.

Underneath the hurt of knowing she wasn’t as ecstatic about the sex and proposal as I was, something else lurked under. Hope? Or dare I say happiness? I wasn’t sure what I was feeling, and I wasn’t going to think about it until…

“Marry me.”

Her voice filtered into my ear like she was right here. But she wasn’t. It was the same seductive whisper she used to make the proposal. I thought I was imagining it until she repeated it, following the statement with a kiss to solidify the deal before I even agreed.

This morning, I lied to her. I told her I accepted her proposal, but it was a lie. I had been too stunned to speak, and her kiss messed with my head. Her question had stoked something in me that burned for more nights with her. But as she said, she was drunk and nothing more.

“Argh,” I screamed in rage.

Without thinking, I flung the nearest object on the bedside drawer to the floor. A loud noise pierced my ears, and I realized I just shattered my favorite mug. Great, just frickin great

A quick series of knocks on the door made me stand. I wobbled on my feet and dropped the alcohol bottle on my table. Stars dotted my viison. I needed a cold bath and some sleep.

“Who is it?” I asked. The person grumbled a reply I didn’t hear. So, I said, “Come in.”

“Good evening, sir,” one of our butlers greeted as he walked in. He shut the door, and his head lowered in a bow. I didn’t care for formalities now. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I bring news.”

“What is it?” I chimed. “Is something wrong?”

“I don’t know.” The man shook his head. I frowned, and he added, “Or, more precisely, I’m not sure I’m in any position to speak. The Alpha wants to see you.”

“Dad?” I said. For some strange reason, that didn’t sit right with me. I loved the old man, but he could be a handful sometimes. “Why would he want to see me?”

“He didn’t say. He’s waiting for you in the lounge.”

The butler excused himself after that. I made my way to the bathroom and brushed to get the stench of the alcohol. After a cold bath, I was on my way to the lounge. It must be a big news, probably bad news, if Dad had to send a butler. He could have texted me. The lounge wasn’t far from my room, but I quickened my steps. I wanted to get the conversation over with fast.

In front of the door, I knocked once. “Dad?” I knocked again. “Can you hear me?”

“Come in.” Father’s gruff voice came from the other side of the door. I pushed the mahogany door open and entered.

“Good evening, Dad,” I greeted my old man sprawled on one of the lounge chairs in the room. “You called for me?”

“Yes.” He set his newspaper down on the stool beside his chair, a ghost of a smile on his lips. “I wasn’t expecting you to be here so soon. You’ve always been known to take your sweet time.”

“Dad…” I trailed off while mirroring his position on the opposite chair. “You know it’s not like that.”

“What I do know is I have no idea how you’re faring in the family business,” Dad said. I sat up, my face losing its laughter. “How’s that going?”

“Great, very great,” I told him. And it was true.

Ever since Dad handed me a portion of the family business, I’d made it my goal to avoid old mistakes. From the looks of things, I was doing a pretty neat job, but that wasn’t all. Aside from being the owner of a chain of industries, Dad was also the Alpha. For years, he’d led a whole pack of werewolves, and very soon, it would be my turn to ascend the throne.

“That’s nice. I’m proud of you.” His smile faded the moment the words were past his lips. “But that’s not all.”

“It isn’t? What else is there?”

“Your coronation is a couple of days away, and you still aren’t ready,” he said.

The Beta’s coronation would happen first, then the Alpha’s. I had waited for that moment.

“I am, Dad. I’m ready.”

“You’re not,” he interjected, a stern look overshadowing his face. I didn’t understand. I had done everything required of an Alpha’s son. I was ready. “You’re not, and you know this.”

“What-t-t?” I stuttered. “What else could be missing?”

“Your Luna.” I fought the urge to roll my eyes. It would always come down to this. For some reason, he believed I needed a Luna to rule. “You’re forgetting your Luna, Carter.”

“Dad, I don’t think—”

“Exactly,” he snapped. “You don’t think. That’s why you haven’t found your Luna yet.”

My jaw clenched. I took a few minutes to collect myself. “I don’t need one, Dad. I can rule the members of the pack without one.”

“Not under my watch, you won’t.” His eyes cut to mine, and he stood. “I won’t let you.”

“But Dad.”

“No buts. This has gone on for too long. If you don’t get a Luna before your coronation, then the ceremony will not hold,” he said. I tried to speak, but he wasn’t done. “I will not step down.”

“You can’t be serious about that.”

“Oh, I am.” His face was stoic. He meant every word of it. “No Luna, no coronation. Now leave.”

Without so much as another word, I marched out of the lounge. Where was I supposed to find a Luna within a few days? A Luna had so much power. I couldn’t give the position to a random person. I ran a frustrated hand through my hair, hoping it would calm my nerves, but it didn’t. If anything, I grew more anxious. Dad was a cool man, but whenever he stood on something, he usually never budged, and unfortunately, this was one of those situations.

I made for the door and stopped. Familiar words rushed back to me.

“If it’s not a bother, could you escort me to the function tomorrow? I was supposed to go with Asher, but…”

A smile took over my lips. I might have just found a solution to my problem.