3

Pov Jason

The borders of the territory were visible from the windows of our car. Guards armed with shotguns monitored the entrance, making me sigh in exasperation. I hated human weapons, they could do great damage if you knew it without using them. Nothing better than a real fight with claws and fangs to determine the winner of a duel.

Trying to contain my inner rage, I relax against the back seat of the car. I was going to have to behave cordially with this bunch of idiots for the peace of the packs. Yet I didn't want to, my wolf was on edge, even more than usual. Something was wrong here, I could feel it. But who was I to judge? Me, the dark, scary being that no one wants to cross paths with, not even the members of his pack.

I was called the coldest alpha, the one everyone envies but fears. I only accepted the strongest into my pack, I had to protect her at all costs. No further deaths will be accepted. Not since my sister disappeared. My wolf was nothing but anger, vengeance, and resentment. He felt nothing else. Any emotion of empathy had long since disappeared from my vocabulary. If anyone got in my way, they would meet an untimely end.

So why am I here right now, surrounded by my two betas, when I could be on the training ground, perfecting my combat techniques?

I hate politics, very little for me. All these alphas think they are the best when all I need to do is deploy my aura to bring them to their knees. In life, only one thing mattered: being the strongest. Unfortunately, the packs in this region of America had all asked me to come here, to speak with this alpha. Wolves were disappearing nearby, so I had to use a little of my power to scare him and make him stop taking things that didn't belong to him. The goal was not to decimate the pack, it was too important for regional trade for that. Humans should not realize that the big bad wolf exists. Deep down, I didn't care, they just have to find out, then they will fear and respect us.

I let out a groan of frustration, hating all the noise of the next few minutes. My betas, and best friends, probably the only ones in fact, were sitting in the front. Damian drove the car, while Tyler stared at a fixed point through the window. Impossible to read their thoughts, they were like me: Hard, strong, and terrifying. Besides, the more combative of the two, Damian, gives me a look through the rearview mirror:

- Alpha, we have arrived. How are we going to proceed today?

Still, as little causing this beta. With his American football player build, he scared any wolf, he was by far the best fighter in the pack, in human and wolf form. He could almost compete with me if he let his wolf take the reins enough, something he didn't need in any other fight. The reason why I took him as second. This is the fact that he had an equally talented twin. Tyler was just as muscular as his brother, but his build was more useful to him in his primary function: Stalking. He could smell and hunt prey for miles. No one had ever escaped him. He brought terror to our enemies, for he was a shadow in the forest, a nightmare in our supernatural world.

My eyes rest on the houses that I see taking shape in the distance. My strategic side analyzes their dispositions, finding the bankrupts to use to my advantage. I noticed that they were a good distance from each other, probably too much given that the pack is relatively small. The reason why this alpha kidnaps wolves throughout the region is if this information turns out to be correct. The pack had to find new members. My wolf growls in displeasure. A leader was not to use physical force to subdue these members. Making them learn respect through fear is one thing, but you should never use your status as a leader to physically attack a weaker being, without valid reason.

- We'll try the gentle way first. Let's talk. If this alpha won't listen to reason, then I will fight him in a duel to bring him to my feet.

My wolf growls in approval in my mind, he wanted blood, to bite into the flesh, to kill. This feeling was even worse than usual, adding to my usual bad temper. I tried as best I could to calm him down, but I felt that my eyes had changed color. Nothing beats a good hunt to end the day. I could already smell the fear wafting through these woods, they feared me, so much the better.

A few more minutes and we would have arrived in front of their pack's main building, the alpha's house. In each pack, she was the heart of life. We generally spent a lot of time there, because everyone knew that under his roof, the alpha would protect the innocent. The alpha, and normally his Luna, if he had one... Which was not my case. Each Wolf in this world has a soul mate assigned by our legendary goddess. It is said that with each birth, she removes part of the wolf's soul to bind it to another soul. When these two people find each other, they are linked for eternity, feeling a powerful attraction for each other, and making each other stronger. Did I want such a connection? Never! It would only make me weaker.

I would then have to protect my other half, she would slow me down. That's why I tried hard not to find it. My wolf made me pay for it, he was already very labile since the death of our sister, but not finding this link almost made him mad, enraged. This made me even stronger because when my wolf was in charge, no one could stop him. This bond would destroy the ferocity of my wolf, and make him weak. I didn't want that in any way. I would forever remain the most feared alpha, the one no one would challenge.

However, a little voice in my mind tells me that this cannot continue like this, soon I will lose the already shaky understanding with my wolf if I cannot stabilize him. A wolf who goes crazy no longer leaves room for humans and begins to destroy everything. Very dangerous for the members of his pack...

I sigh in frustration. Maybe one day my soulmate will find me, maybe I can break this bond between us, or she will never come and my wolf will eventually calm down. In any case, if she comes into my life, she will have to be powerful and make me stronger. A foreign lump pinches my chest as I think of the woman destined for me. A possessive instinct at the idea of ​​having him all to myself twists my stomach. Hm... No, I could never cut this link, I knew it. If one day I meet her, I will undoubtedly become even more dangerous than I am now, my wolf would have something to protect, to defend against every enemy. This link would be either my downfall or my salvation...

A shake calls me to order. I push my doubts and desires to the back of my mind, masking my emotions behind a cold facade. A stranger wouldn't be able to read anything on my face, except perhaps the animal lurking there.

We arrived in front of the main house. A tall man, thin enough for my standards, stands in front of the door. His black gaze inspires no confidence in me. His posture, hands crossed on his chest and legs slightly apart, tells me that I am not welcome. So I voluntarily let a small part of my aura escape from me. Not want to lay him at my feet yet, but to make him understand who was the stronger of the two of us.

Tyler and I get out of the car first, leaving Damian behind the wheel in case a trap looms. Once outside, I let my senses take over. My eyes see every detail, the sounds of the leaves in the wind remind me of home. Yet a kind of presentiment pushes my wolf against the cage of my mind. Something was seriously wrong here. Breathing in the air to soak up the place, I feel a subtle scent tickle my nostrils. My wolf is going crazy, almost unmanageable, he pushes me to follow the scent and take control. Only my many years of discipline allow me to push him away by locking him in his inner cage. I tried to make him understand that this was not the time to follow a trail, we first had to deal with the man in front of us, the main threat. But my wolf doesn't want to leave me in peace, so I cut myself off from him as much as possible, further breaking our harmony.

Taking a few steps forward, followed closely by Tyler, I quickly inspect the people exiting the main door of the foyer, before redirecting my attention to their leader. None of them are a danger in my eyes. The alpha ends up giving me a fake welcome smile, without changing position:

- Alpha Jason, what a pleasure to see you. His voice sounds so fake, making me want to rip his throat out right then and there. What can I do for you?

- Alpha Gideon, no need to pretend between us. You know very well why I am here. The packs have been hearing about some of their members being kidnapped lately, and they're all blaming you for it. What do you have to say in your defense?

The man in front of me uncrosses his arms, his fists clenching at his sides. He was on the verge of implosion, and I was particularly craving a good fight. It might relax my muscles a little. But given its power, it won't last 5 minutes against my wolf, too bad...

“Would you like to come inside so we can talk, alpha Jason?” I'm sure we can find common ground over a good meal.