THIRTY

DECLAN

Alice was mad. If I had a choice in the matter, she would probably be six feet under. But she was given to me. The whole pack was expecting that we consummate whatever we had going on all because history had shown again and again that an Alpha was stronger with a mate. It was one of the reasons my parents had forced this arrangement on us. Apart from the fact, that it would align our separate packs to become a single body, it would set their minds at rest that I was not waiting for my fated mate to arrive. I wish I got it honestly. For most of my life, the fated mate concept was what I had used to keep my parents in check but as time went on, they got impatient and wanted things their way. I couldn't say no of course because then they would ask questions. Questions that had answers I knew they wouldn't like. The Moon goddess did not make me wrong. No. I wasn't the first and no one could call me unnatural because if I did find my fated like others like me, my parents' fears woul