Chapter 3 A Transfer of Power

Reid's POV

The party is going great. This place is packed, there's so many people here it's ridiculous.

I can tell my father is really trying to help me find my mate, judging by how many people are here. We have a good portion of Alpha Michaels's pack here, along with Alpha Asher's pack. And a good portion of those pack members here today, are all the unmated members. 

Alpha Michael and Alpha Asher are good friends of my father. Their territory also borders ours.

And to increase the chances that I'd find my mate, there's also a couple of Alphas from different packs here too. And of course, they brought several of their unmated members, in hopes to find their mate.

I walk around, trying to see if I can smell, or sense my mate throughout the large group of people. I could see people trying to get close to me, hoping I was their mate. 

I can see their noses flaring, trying to smell me, hoping to smell that wonderful scent, the same scent I'm hoping to smell, the scent of a mate. 

But just like I expected, I don't smell my mate anywhere. Out of all these people here today, not a single one of them is my mate.

I let out a sigh of disappointment, and feel the sadness wash over me. Deciding it's time for a drink, I head over toward the drink stand, hoping to find a nice stiff drink.

As I was waiting for my drink, I felt a hand lightly rake across my neck. Goosebumps instantly spread across my body and not the good kind. I growled without looking back. 

"Is that the way you greet all your guests?" I hear the asshole say in a seductive voice. His mouth was so close to my ear, I could feel his hot breath fan my neck.

"I suggest backing the fucking up if you don't want me to rip your head off!" I said through gritted teeth, to the disgusting piece of shit behind me.

"Oh come on now." He said as he slid his hand down my back. I reached back, grabbing his hand just before it reached my ass.

I squeeze his wrist as I turn to face him and roughly push his hand away.

"Touch me again...I fucking dare you!" I said, my voice low, feeling the anger raging in me. I push my Alpha Aura out, but unfortunately, it doesn't work on this piece of shit.

He's not only a hybrid, but I'm not officially an Alpha yet. My Alpha command isn't strong enough to work on him until I take the Alpha title tonight.

Alex smirks at me, knowing what I just tried to do. 

"Tisk tisk." He said, shaking his finger at me. 

"Now you know that won't work on me yet. Why even try?" He said with a disgusting grin on his face.

I grabbed my drink and walked around the asshole, trying to get as far away from this disgusting thing as fast as possible, before I do something that will piss off my father.

I sat down on one of the logs near the fire pit and chugged my drink. I tossed the paper cup into the fire and was ready for another.

"Doesn't seem like you like hybrids too much." I hear an unfamiliar voice say as he sits down next to me. I instantly recognize he's an Alpha, by the aura coming off of him.

"Not one bit!" I said.

"Oh really." He said, raising an eyebrow. 

"Well, what's one doing here then if you don't like them?"

"It's one of my brother's stupid friends. I can't stand the disgusting bastard! 

If my dad wouldn't get angry, I'd rip his head off along with every other hybrid." I said. 

"My name is Ace." He said, extending his hand towards me.

"Reid," I said, shaking his hand.

"Ah, the soon-to-be Alpha, tonight huh?" He said with a smile. 

"Well Reid, I have a feeling you and I are going to be good friends." He said.

"Yeah, and why is that?"

"Well, you see, it sounds like we both have something in common... We both don't like hybrids."

"Really?" I said, raising an eyebrow.

"I've been catching them for years now." He goes on to say. "I have cells full of them down in a dungeon back at my place."

My interest peaks hearing this, and I think he notices and smiles.

"Any chance you'd let me see them?" I asked, surprised he had so many rogue hybrids coming onto his property, but shit, what do I care! If the bastard that killed my best friend is down there, that's all I care about.

"Why would you like to see them?"

"I've been trying to find the one who killed my best friend 4 years ago. I'd like to see if the hybrid responsible for killing my best friend is down there.

"And let's just say one of them turns out to be the one... What then?" He asked.

"Well, I'm hoping you'd let me kill it."

I said, looking Ace in the eyes, showing him I'm serious.

A smile spreads across his face. 

"Well, in that case, yes. You can come to take a look, see if the one you're looking for is down there. If it turns out you find the one you're looking for, I'll let you kill it."

I feel a smile spread across my face as the excitement fills me.

I've been waiting for the day I can find the hybrid responsible for the death of my best friend. I want to rip the hybrid apart piece by piece.

"How about tomorrow?" Ace asked as he stood up.

"Tomorrow will be great!" I said, standing up as well. 

"Well then, I'll send my Beta over to give you the information you'll need to find me. It was a pleasure meeting you." He said, shaking my hand again.

"It was a pleasure meeting you too."

I smiled as I headed over to my cousin Damien. He's a year younger than me. My aunt Abigail, and Uncle Xander had him a year after I was born. Unlike my Dad, Abigail didn't pass on her powers to her son. No one's really sure why, it just is.

Not only is he my cousin, but he's also my best friend. And tonight as I take the title as Alpha, my best friend will be taking the title beside me as my Beta. I can't think of a better person to go with me tomorrow and see if that bastard is down in one of those cells. 

A large goofy smile spreads across Damien's face when he sees me approaching him. I chuckle, finding it funny that he has the same goofy grin as his dad. I swear, both his dad and his mom passed down their silly personality to Damien. 

He has his father's sense of humor with his lame dad jokes, and a prankster like his mother, who also rubbed off on Maddox. But I love this guy, lame dad jokes and all! I thought to myself as I laughed while shaking my head.

"Hey man, just the person I'm looking for." He said, slapping a hand on my shoulder and squeezing it as I pat his back.

"Your father said it's time to get ready for the big transfer of power!" He said with a big cheesy smile.

"Ready to become Alpha?" He said as we walked towards the stage.

"I was born ready!" I said smiling.

As I approached the stage I saw Xander grab the mic. He gets everyone's attention and then pauses for a moment. I give Damien a sideward glance and he smiles at me before we hear his father speak,

"Hey guys, did you hear about the restaurant on the moon?... 

Great food, but no atmosphere! Xander said then laughed.

"Get it? No atmosphere!" Xander said, laughing at his own joke. I look over at Damien and he's laughing. Oh, my Goddess, these two are definitely father and son I think to myself as I shake my head. 

"Hey, how does Moses Brew his coffee?... 

Hebrew it!" Xander said before he laughed even harder, and I looked at him like he's crazy.

"Why did th-... Hey! 

Xander yells as my father yanks the microphone out of his hand and glares at him. 

"I wasn't done!... I was just getting to the good ones!" Xander said, pouting as he walked away.

I shook my head, chuckling as I continued walking to the stage. You would think my father would have learned by now not to let Xander take control of a microphone... Like ever!

"Good evening Midnight Moon pack!" My father yells. 

"Thank you to everyone who came here to the Midnight Moon pack to help us celebrate a very proud moment for me, as my son becomes Alpha today." My father said as he began his speech.

"It's been a long journey for me. I've been an Alpha now for 31 years. I took over when I was 17 years old after my father died. And today my son turns 21. I'm very proud of the man he's become.

Everyone, I give you my oldest son, Reid Anderson!" My father said, turning to me and waving me forward.

I looked at my father on stage and for the first time, I realized how young he still looks. The man is 48, and he still looks 27. I have to say, I sure do love werewolf genes! 

My heart hammers in my chest as I walk across the stage and approach my father. I smile at him as he stands there with a smile spread clear across his face. His eyes twinkle as he looks at me. I can see how proud he is, I can see how happy he is to be passing on the title to me.

I glance at my dad, who's sitting down at the back of the stage, with my brother and sister on each side of him. I can see the tears in my dad's eyes, as he looks at me smiling. 

I've waited for this moment all my life, and for some reason, I'm nervous as hell now. I stopped just in front of my father and kneel. He held his hand out, and I placed mine on top of his, with my palm up.

I look up at my father as I kneel before him for the last time. The last time I'll ever kneel before anyone, and he smiles down at me as I swallow the lump in my throat. 

"Reid Anderson, son of I, Thaddeus Anderson, Alpha of the Midnight Moon Pack." My father said as he began the ceremony. I can see his eyes glistening, as he fights to keep the tears away.

"Do you, Reid Anderson, pledge yourself to the Midnight Moon Pack as its new Alpha?

"Yes. I, Reid Anderson, pledge myself to the Midnight Moon Pack, as its new Alpha."

"Do you pledge your loyalty to the midnight moon pack?"

"Yes, I pledge my loyalty to the midnight moon pack."

"Do you, accept all of the responsibilities that come with being the Alpha of the Midnight Moon pack?"

"Yes, I accept all of the responsibilities that come with being the Alpha to the Midnight Moon pack." 

"Do you pledge to take care of the people of the Midnight Moon pack? Do you pledge to be kind and fair to the people, no matter gender, or rank? To treat everyone equally, and do everything you can to keep them safe, even if that means giving your own life for them?

"Yes, I pledged to take care of the people of the midnight moon pack. I pledged to be kind and fair to the people, no matter their gender or rank. I pledge to treat everyone equally, and do everything I can to keep them safe, even if that means giving my own life for them."

I watch my father extend his claw before reaching forward and making a small cut on my hand. I removed my hand from his and watched as he did the same to himself. 

I watched my father take my hand into his, and place both of our cuts together, so his blood can flow into me.

"I, Thaddeus Anderson, now transfer the power of Alpha of the midnight moon pack, over to my son, Alpha Reid Anderson."

I feel the wind flow around us as I take a sharp breath in, and close my eyes. My body tenses and my teeth clench. I feel the transfer of power flowing through me from my father's blood. I felt the Alpha wolf in me, rising and growing. I feel my body burn as I become stronger. I feel an energy surging through my body and I grunt and clench my teeth harder as my father squeezes my hand tighter, while his body weakens slightly. I feel the large snap in my chest, as my link to my pack snaps firmly into place. Making me officially their Alpha, and giving me a link to each and every soul connected to this pack.

I feel the pain fade and I open my eyes, and look up into my father's eyes. I see the golden eyes of my father's wolf Zeus, and know mine are gold too as I feel Titan forward with me.

I hear gasps throughout the pack as they feel the transfer too. They felt the link fade from my father, and transfer to me. 

I let out a shaky breath, as tears fell from my father's eyes.

My father smiles as he pulls me up, off my knees, and pulls me into a hug. He wraps his arms around me, squeezing me tight as he buries his face in my neck. I close my eyes and slowly drop my face into my father's neck, hugging him tight. 

"I'm so proud of you son!" My father said, lifting his face from my neck, and pressing a kiss to the side of my head.

"Thank you, Father!" I said, holding my father's arms as I smiled at him, then reached up and wiped my face, that was wet with tears.

My father takes my hand as we turn toward the crowd, raising my hand into the air between us.

"Midnight Moon pack, I give you your new Alpha, Alpha Reid Anderson!" My father's voice booms and the crowd erupts. The sound is so loud as everyone cheers, yells, and whistles.

My father leans his head back and howls to the sky and I do the same. Titan pushes forward harder, and howls to the sky. The loud sound of the crowd can be heard as they follow my lead, and howl in honor of me as their new Alpha, and none members congratulate me.

After my ceremony, Damien had his. I watched my uncle, who took the title along with my father on the same day just like this, step down and pass his title to his son, Damien. 

Unlike other events, everyone who wasn't a member of the Midnight Moon Pack, left no later than 11:30 pm. And at midnight, I led my first-ever pack run as Alpha, with my entire pack. 

Titan's paws thundered against the ground as we ran through the woods, with our pack running behind us.

It was the most amazing thing I've ever experienced. Now I knew why my father looked so happy, and so proud every time he led a pack run. 

The only thing that could make this better than it already is, was is if my mate was running beside me as my Luna.