Chapter 3

Alpha Richard Brown’s stance

Rage and betrayal consume me as I stare at her, my supposed mate. How could the Moon Goddess make such an egregious mistake? My heart pounds with fury, and I struggle to contain the violent urge surging within me.

“You’re the cause of all this shit, Ray. You’re the one who forced me to be here!” I seethe, venting on my Beta and best friend, Raymond. I’m back at our table, away from all the drama.

“How is this my fault? All I did was accept the invitation to be here,” he responds. “I didn’t set her up as your mate.”

“The moon goddess was certainly behind herself when she did this pair up. Did you get a good look at the girl?”

“I did.”

“And would it make any sense that a weak, useless, and disgusting girl like her would be my mate? My ride or die?”

“Uh, I don’t know, man. I can’t say the moon goddess made a mistake. That would be blasphemy,” Raymond winces. “However, she has the body and what it takes to be your Luna.”

“Blasphemy or not, I don’t care. The moon goddess pulled a fast one on me tonight, and I’m calling her out for it. Pairing me up with a girl like that is madness,” I say. “I rule a fucking empire, man. What help will she give me as my Luna when she can’t even meet my gaze? The way she trembles in fear makes her seem like an Omega. I still can’t believe her father is the Beta of this pack.”

“You’ve said enough, man. Come on, give the girl a break," Ray states. “And if you look at it from a less judgmental perspective, she wouldn’t be a bad Luna for you.”

“What did you just say?”

“For real, man. So what if she’s without a wolf? There must be other good traits about her, and you’ll only know if you try to find them out. The moon goddess is never wrong in her pairings. We must take that leap of faith and trust it will be worth it."

“A leap of faith, my ass. I’ll break my neck if I take a leap of faith with that girl. There’s no way I could have endured a day without rejecting her.”

“Without even trying to get to know her? Wow! OK, I understand. But do you have to humiliate her the way you did?” he asks. “It would have been better if you had rejected her secretly and saved her some face. Now she’s gonna be a laughing stock among her peers.”

“I couldn’t give a flying fuck if the whole world blasted her for the humiliation I put her through,” I say coldly.

“Now that makes you obnoxious, rude, brutal, and proud,” Ray snorts.

“All that?” I reply in surprise. “Dude, what’s wrong with you? Why are you taking that girl’s side instead of mine?”

“I’m not taking sides here, Richard,” he denies with both hands in the air.

“It seems to me like you are.”

“I’m not responsible for how you choose to see things. I’m just saying it as it is. Humiliating her and her family like that was wrong. And you know the truth hurts, so deal with it. But don’t forget, you were wrong,” Ray states flatly and walks out on me.

“Ray!” I call out, but he doesn’t turn around. He disappears into the crowd and chats with other Betas from different packs.

The party is over in an hour, and we have to leave. Our drive back to the pack is dreadful, as we ignore each other. We refuse to acknowledge each other’s presence. He wants me to admit that I was wrong, but I’m not going to admit shit. Because I wasn’t, and Raymond’s got to understand that.

Raymond is my childhood friend and my best friend. After the deaths of my father, the former Alpha of the Black Claw Pack, and his Beta, Ray’s father, I became the Alpha of the pack, and Ray automatically became my Beta. We have our disagreements and sometimes annoy each other. However, I know he always has my back, and I have his.

“Hey, are you sure you’re not going to talk to me?" I demand, breaking the silence between us. Ray ignores me and pretends to sleep. “Aren’t you the one I’m talking to?”

“What do you want?” he asks.

“I want you to talk to me,” I respond. “Why are you acting cold towards me?”

“Why won’t I, Richard? When you refuse to listen to me.”

“Is it because of that she wolf?”

“That she-wolf is your mate, man. Your Luna!" he shouts. He looks at me with a mix of anger. How can he address her as my mate? I should have killed her right there to end my suffering. The moon goddess humiliates me by mating me with a lowly she-wolf like her.

I glance at Ray, who is staring at me as if I’m his enemy. “What the heck!”

“Enough,” he mutters. “We should stop talking about this.”

“You’re my beta and my best friend. You should have the pack and people in mind. How can I accept a girl who won’t contribute anything to my kingdom? She can only be a burden, and I won’t accept that."

“This is insane, Rich. Absolutely insane," he growls. “The goddess is never wrong.”

“Not this time, Ray. She is completely wrong to pair a strong wolf like me with her. I am the king. You freaking forced me to attend this ridiculous gathering."

He hisses. “You should not have come.”

“You know I don’t want to come,” I hiss. If not because he is eager to meet his mate. He thinks he is gonna find his mate here, which is why I follow him, not knowing that I will be faced with humiliation. I will never forgive her. I will kill her the next time I meet her. "You make me."