I take a deep breath to reinstate my sturdiness, my determination to show up as a capable alpha, removing all other thoughts from my mind.
That's what I set out to do from the very beginning. That's all that matters, and it's why I hurt her in the first place. It was todo just this—be the alpha of this pack and ensure that everyone is safe.
Even if she's somewhere out there where I can't protect her anymore.
It's not my concern anymore. She made her choices, and now I'm left to make mine, like fulfilling my duties as the alpha of this pack by meeting with my border patrol wolves and checking that our borders are secure and free of any outside threats.
Lord knows I've seen enough horrors out there during my black ops missions to keep me restless at night, worrying that we're never truly safe from the likes of other supernatural creatures that pose a threat to our kind.
It's imperative to keep the Moonshine Pack safe, so I leave my study in my rather bleak-feeling house and head to the pack den, passing by the graveyard on my way there. Retreating into my cold, stoic demeanor will allow me to go through this meeting like the capable leader I’ve become, the chill icing over the piece of me that feels like it's missing.
***
Returning home for the night after the meeting, I'm grateful for the sound of the door slamming behind me.
But my relief is short-lived when the bell rings to signal that I can't catch a break just yet. Rolling my eyes, I throw open the front door again, freezing when I see both my parents standing on my front porch.
“Tyler, my boy!” Father chirps as he steps up and pats my shoulder. The ex-alpha of Moonshine is still a strong man whose friendly touch makes me flinch.
I chuckle to hide my displeasure, but smile warmly when my mother steps forward and hugs me.
“I didn't know you were back from Dominic's wedding so soon,” Mother says as she steps back.
“I had to come back, Mother,” I reply as I offer to take the basket from her hands. “I'd scheduled a meeting with the border patrol earlier this evening. We had to move around some rotations.”
“Ah, so you're taking your duties very seriously, I see,” Father remarks as he goes to my liquor cabinet in the dining room. He helps himself to a glass of rum and offers to pour me one.
“Sure,” I relent with a sigh as Mother proceeds to the kitchen. It isn't unusual for my parents to visit for dinner and make themselves at home in my house, and I wouldn't mind if I weren't so exhausted.
Perhaps sharing a drink with the ex-alpha is exactly what I need to loosen up a bit, so he can remind me how he tirelessly ruled over the pack and valued perfection. I tell him how the meeting with the border patrol went, and he tells me how those types of meetings are meant to be the easiest when there aren't any real threats on the border.
“So, tell me…” Father continues to sip his drink, glancing over my shoulder at my mother, who uses the microwave to warm the food. “How was this mating ritual between your friend and his mate? I don't suppose it went well with his pack, considering that she's the lowest in the Lunaris hierarchy.”
I gulp down the rest of my drink, willing myself to remain neutral.
Here we go again, my inner wolf laments with a snide, sarcastic grimace in my head.
“The Lunaris Pack seemed to take it well, even though Dominic's mate is half human,” I remind my father as I straighten up. “She proved herself to be a capable werewolf despite her predetermined disadvantages, and all that matters is that Dominic is happy. His pack rejoiced in that news.”
Father nods thoughtfully as he refills my glass before doing the same with his. “Perhaps Lunaris might take something like this lightly, but it's different for Moonshine.” He turns to face me, and I know where he's going with this. “Your mother was a beta's daughter, high up in the Moonshine hierarchy. Her status made her a fitting candidate for the luna of this pack, and it's why I chose her.”
Frowning, I feel the sudden urge to press him about something that's been bothering me. “Was Mother your true mate, Father?”
Father pauses from taking a sip of his drink, meeting my eyes with a pained expression that leaves me confused.
“No such thing exists, son,” he scoffs and shakes his head, taking a bitter sip of his rum. “It's a myth, and Moonshine doesn't experience such things.”
I frown as I stare at my father, wondering why he's so dismissive of the true mate bond.
“But—”
Father cuts me off by setting his empty glass down with a deliberate clink.
“There are no ‘buts’ when it comes to something as important as picking a mate fit to be this pack's luna,” hegrouches as he turns to me fully. Just then, Mother appears behind him, her eyes twinkling with agreement.
“You will have to pick a mate from the high-ranking she-wolves,” Mother adds. “The pack awaits your decision.”
“I onlyjuststepped into my position, Mother. I need some time.”
