Chapter 4

Louis’s POV

I never thought that leaving the pack territory today would make me cross paths with the exact thing keeping me from taking over the title of Alpha from my father. Normal wolves called them mates—soulmates. The one specifically crafted by the Moon Goddess to match every single part of you.

To me, all of that was absolute bullshit.

A fated mate was the sole reason half of the Pack Council currently stood against me taking over my rightful position as the ruler of Stone Ray pack.

"You need a Luna by your side to rule properly." "You are still too inexperienced."

"How would you love the members of the pack when you have never shown love to anyone?"

What do those old bastards even know about love, anyways? They think keeping mates whom they treat no better than dirt is a valid criterion for being a good leader. And who the hell said I had to love anyone to rule over them? Power was what made a good Alpha. The ability to be as ruthless as possible, for as long as it took to get the job done.

So, when I had walked into that neighboring pack's territory and felt a sudden, undeniable pull, I was actually a tad bit grateful that a major part of my succession problem was finally taken care of.

Until I saw the lady.

"Why is she like this?" I breathed calmly, eyeing her limp, unmoving form on the small bed inside the run-down hut.

"Who are you?" a middle-aged woman inside asked, her eyes darting to me in fear.

"Who I am doesn’t matter. All I asked was why she is like this," I repeated, intentionally lowering my pitch and stressing every single word.

"She has been like this for weeks now. No one knows why," the woman muttered helplessly.

I exhaled a low, frustrated breath. They had got to be kidding me. I finally found my fated mate, and what? Only for her to be in a complete vegetative state? Was this the Moon Goddess's twisted way of saying I wasn’t supposed to be Alpha? If that was the case, then I guess I would just have to rewrite my fate with my own hands.

I bent down slightly, sliding my arms under her limp form and lifting the girl against my chest.

"What do you think you're doing?!" the woman yelled making me roll my eyes. "I’m taking her to get treated. Looking around, you don’t look like you have enough facilities to keep her alive for another week," I breathed, my face scrunching in disgust as my eyes scanned the dilapidated hut. Alphas of such weak packs existed without a single complaint from the Council, and yet my own pack leaders didn't see me as fit to rule. At the very least, I wouldn’t let my people suffer like this.

"Look for me at the Stone Ray Pack if you’re curious about her well-being," I called out over my shoulder as I walked out of the hut. "Ask for Louis Greenwood, and anyone will direct you to my presence."

I completely ignored the lady's frantic questions as I crossed the pack boundary, heading straight back to my own territory. The distance was nothing major, so I covered it with large strides, keeping my focus entirely on our medical wing.

I didn’t even spare the unconscious girl in my arms a single look as I slipped into our pack lands, making sure to take a secluded path not frequently traveled by the others. It was extremely early, but I knew someone would have to be on duty by now, so I headed straight for the building.

I was just about to burst through the laboratory door when the sudden exchange of voices inside held me in place.

Just the few fragments of the conversation I overheard were enough to completely cement my cynical thoughts about the mate bond. Getting rejected for such a pathetic, shallow reason. A bitter, dark scoff escaped me as I watched the girl through the glass window, collapsing onto the floor in sheer agony. Why would anyone waste tears over a bond they never asked for in the first place?

The moment the brainless male walked out, I made my move inside, my eyes landing on the crying girl on the floor.

I knew her. I was pretty sure everyone in the pack knew the quiet, fragile daughter of our head doctors. But I was never one to pry into other people’s business, and I had a much more pressing issue at hand. My position was at stake here, so nothing else mattered—not even her heartbreak. I needed a competent doctor, and she was the closest thing to one right now.

I wasn’t the reigning Alpha yet, but my Alpha voice could easily be used on ordinary pack members, and I did just that. I used it without hesitation. Anything to force her body past the pain and get her to work.

Her medical feedback was vague, but hearing that my comatose mate was at least stable and alive was something. That was enough for me to release my suffocating hold on her, letting her go right back to mourning the loss of her bond after commanding her to pass the patient over to her parents the moment they arrived.

"Wipe those tears off your face, too," I muttered, taking one last look at her trembling form. "You lost absolutely nothing by letting go of a pathetic man like that."

And with that, I walked out of the room, leaving her to her pain. That kind of agony wasn’t one that could be shared, and no amount of comfort would dull it anyway—not that I was planning on offering any. I meant every single word I said about her fated mate being nothing more than a pathetic shell of a man.

The mate bond kept failing every single time I witnessed it, and what? *This* shambles of a system was their grand criteria for picking an Alpha?

"Uncle Lesley," I called out loudly, my voice echoing through the pack house corridor as I strolled inside, my features locked in their usual stoic scowl.

"I think we have an Alpha ceremony to plan," I breathed, stopping as he walked toward me, my father trailing closely behind him. "I finally found my fated mate, just like you all have been hounding me to do."

I watched Lesley's eyes instantly drop, his posture stiffening even as he forced a sharp, heavily strained smile onto his face. "Oh... wow. That’s... so great, Louis," he chirped, approaching me slowly.

"Congratulations, son," my dad called out proudly from behind him. "I’ll inform the Council to start making the official preparations immediately."

I nodded in short agreement.

Now, let’s see what other pathetic excuses the Council would try to come up with to keep me away from the Alpha seat this time. My physical health had been checked and thoroughly vouched for. I had spent months outside the pack to 'learn the struggles of the common wolf' just like they wanted, even if I didn’t see a damn reason for it. And now, the final obstacle—the lack of a mate—had been crossed. Nothing could stand in my way now.

"Where is the said mate, nephew?" Uncle Lesley muttered, placing a hand on my shoulder a bit too casually for my liking.

"You’ll meet her at the Alpha ceremony," I called out coldly, physically lifting his hand off my shoulder. I leaned in, narrowing my eyes until I was inches from his face. "We were never this close, Uncle. Keep your hands to yourself next time. It's better to start practicing now, so you won’t make the same mistake when I finally take that Alpha seat."

I stepped past his frozen form without another word, walking straight up the stairs.

All that was left was for my supposed mate to wake up from her coma and stand submissively beside me as the Luna on the day of the ceremony. At the very least, the mate bond was finally going to be useful for something.