Friends old & new

Chapter 3.

—Nathan’s Pov—

It’s been four years since I left home to attend Beta training at the Shadow pack. Leaving the person dearest to me was the hardest thing I ever had to do. Tatiana was only thirteen years old, and I was sixteen myself.

I could have stayed back Like Liam did when he took over as the gama for the Red River pack, but I was dead set on having the best training for my beta position. And I could only receive the best from the best, and that was only in the shadow pack. The Alpha was the scariest mother fucker out there. No living soul was dumb enough to cross him because the end result always ended in their death.

When I had first arrived here at this pack, Alpha Santiago Salgado took notice of me right away. He offered to train me personally with the help of his beta. Santiago felt I had a lot of potential. Fuck, was I ecstatic! And more than eager to train with him.

Tati had only been eight years old when her and Alexzander’s parents were killed by the rogues. He was never the same after that and he went from being her number one protector to being her worst nightmare over night. Somehow, in his idiotic mind, he felt their deaths were her mother’s fault since they had been out at the hills for her mother’s birthday.

It killed me when he kicked her out of the pack house and made her live in the outdoor shack like she was a damn dog and not a betas daughter. I’ve always known how strong she was because I used to sneak to her dad’s secret training spot. “It was where he had begun to train her when she was just five years old.”

I miss the kid like crazy and maybe it was wrong of me, but I had a small crush on her. Tatiana’s mother was the most beautiful shewolf of our pack and I knew she would grow to outdo her mom. And there’s not a day that goes by that I think of how much Alexzander is going to regret treating her so badly when she wasn’t even at fault.

After he kicked her out, I started to look after her. I did my best to make sure he didn’t mistreat her, but then there were times where I was not able to protect Tatiana. And those times I had always been dealing with some pack matter that Zander sent me to deal with. At first I would not go because I knew it was his way of making sure I wouldn’t interfere with his punishments for her.

Zander had enough of my disobedience and so he had used his alpha command on me and there was nothing I could do about it. He was my best friend, and it was getting harder and harder to have respect for him. And when I came to the shadow pack, everything had changed for me. “Being witness to Alpha Santiago rule his pack as an honest man has been life changing for me.” 

It did not take long for me to build a rock solid friendship with him and it was the same with his beta and gamma as well. Four years later and we’re all so close that we love each other as brothers. I have never been so close to friends before where I consider them my family. “I once thought that I had an unbreakable bond with Zander, but his actions taught me that not all things last forever.”

I can admit that I miss the guy, but I must say that we’ve had a lack of communication since I have been in the shadow pack. At first I thought it was me being so busy, but then I noticed he hardly ever called me. And when I had tried calling him, it went to voicemail more often than him answering my calls.

We’re having a mating ball soon after I return home and I have decided to invite the guys. None of us have found our mates yet, and I sure as hell would be happy if Alpha Santiago found his mate. If anyone deserves to be happy, it’s him. He is the most ruthless Alpha to exist right now, but he never takes a life unless the wolf has threatened him or his pack. Santiago never kills or punishes just for the hell of it.

There’s been times when I seen him cry for a wolf right before he took their life. He taught me what it is to love your mate even if you haven’t met him or her yet. I’ve never known a man like him could be faithful as fuck to a wolf he hasn’t even met yet. Santiago never pays attention to any shewolf he’s saving himself for his mate in every way. “I mean fuck, the big guy has never even kissed anyone before.”

I admire him for that. I have decided I would wait for my mate to, though I have not laid with any wolf yet. I have kissed a few she-wolves here and there. There’s a part of me that hopes Tatiana is my mate. I mean, she is a true beta, just as I am. But then I have this feeling she will be mated to an alpha. “A girl like that deserves the very best.”

Fuck, I cannot wait to get back home. I miss my family just as much as I miss my pack members. The guys plan on taking me out for my last night here in the shadow pack, so we’re going to our favorite bar in town. It’s called the Blue Claw, and the owner is beta, Lucas’s father. He opened it after he retired from his beta position. He always has a live band playing. I heard tonight’s band is new and it will be their first time playing at the Blue Claw. It’s the perfect way to say goodbye. “Fuck, I’m going to miss this place.”