The Pack's Alpha (by Cooper) novel Chapter 2

Cyra

“What do you mean you’ve been accepted to the Warrior Academy?” my father, Alpha Arden, demands.

Behind him, leaning against the wall, his face set in an unemotional mask, is my intended mate, Alpha Stellan. I found out a year ago that my father created what is called an Alliance Bond with Alpha Stellan’s father. In order to solidify the alliance between our two packs, they wrote up an agreement dictating that I would be mated to Alpha Stellan and become his Luna.

Because our packs have been in an alliance, I’ve known Alpha Stellan for years. It’s not that he’s not a nice man or a good man, I’m sure he is. But when I turned eighteen last week, I realized that he also isn’t my fated mate. That would have made things simpler. But I wasn’t surprised. Stellan is nice enough, I’ve just never been enamored with him the way other women are. I don’t care that he’s an Alpha, probably because I’m one too. What I do care about is that my choice to find my fated mate has been taken away from me by my own father, no less.

So, in an act of rebellion, I applied to the Warrior Academy six months ago. I didn’t expect to be accepted. Only twenty wolves are accepted each year, and this year, I am one of them.

“It’s simple, father. I applied to the Academy, and I was accepted,” I say patiently.

“You don’t need to be a strong warrior. You have Stellan for that. You just need to be a good Luna and give him heirs.”

“Yes, because that’s all a mate bond is to you, isn’t it father? Having an obedient Luna who pushes out babies!” I say getting angry.

“Having the right Luna is the most important thing for an Alpha,” he growls.

“Then perhaps, Stellan should look for his fated mate since we all know I’m not her!” I say, getting to my feet and shouting back at my father.

“Let her go,” Stellan says quietly.

“What?” I say, turning toward him. He pushes off the wall with the elegance of an Alpha. There’s really nothing wrong with him. He’s attractive, as all Alphas are, with blond hair and green eyes. He’s just ... bland. He’s boring. I need excitement in my life and I expect that, like my father, Stellan will want a quiet Luna who gives him an heir. After that, I’m pretty sure that he’ll just ignore me.

I’m confident that’s what my father would have done with my mother if she hadn’t died in childbirth.

“Everyone knows that the Warrior Academy is elite simply because they only let a handful of students in every year. You have to have the right credentials, the right background, the ability to show that you can maintain among the other elites in the packs, and they also have to show that you’re an intelligent thinker. The few warriors I know that have come out of the Academy are some of the strongest, smartest fighters I’ve ever met. Even the ones who aren’t Alphas fight like they are. You going to the Academy will only make our pack stronger when you return. I had hoped that we could complete our marking and mating ceremony this weekend, but if you’re leaving, our wolves would struggle to be apart for so long,” Stellan says.

‘I wouldn’t struggle,’ Rina, my wolf, says. She’s not any happier about this arranged mate bond than I am. She, like me, has always wanted her fated mate. My parents weren’t fated mates and from everything I’ve heard about them, there was no love between them. I sometimes wonder if my mother died just so she could just get out of her crummy life.

Stellan walks over and strokes his fingers down my cheek. I force myself to hold still and not yank away from his touch.

“Thank you, Stellan. I know you didn’t ask for this mate bond any more than I did, but I also know that taking your place as Alpha is important to you. It’s only one year. Many Alphas wait longer than that to find their fated mate. I’m sure one year will only make our bond stronger,” I say.

‘Or at least give us time to figure out what we can do to get out of this mess,’ Rina says in our mind space.

‘Maybe he’ll find his fated mate while we’re away,’ I tell her.

‘Do you think he’d accept her?’ she says, doubtfully.

‘Probably not,’ I sigh, fighting to hold still as Stellan leans in for a kiss. He presses his lips to mine but there’s nothing - no spark, no excitement, no love ... just dewy lips pressing against mine.

“When do you leave?” he asks when he pulls back.

“Two weeks.”

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