“Wow! Look at that mountain of breakfast. I don’t recall today being your birthday.” Dylan, who was just returning from training their pack warriors in place of Daniel joked, ruffling their youngest brother, David’s hair.
David, who was concentrating on finishing his strawberry waffles smiled in return with a polite greeting.
“Good morning to you too, superman. Where is mom and dad?” Dylan asked, pouring himself a glass of water as he noticed that his younger brother was the only one having breakfast in the dining room, which was unusual.
“Dad’s study.” David simply replied, pointing upstairs where their dad’s study was located.
If their parents are in the study, that means whatever they are discussing is really important and it has to do with the pack.
“Did something come up?” He asked his younger brother just to be certain.
Although David was only eight, he was a smart kid so Dylan was sure to get even the tiniest bit of information from him.
“I don’t know, but I think it’s important since Daniel is also with them.” David replied, shrugging his shoulders.
Why was Daniel with them? Dylan wondered.
Daniel had left him earlier on their way to the training camp because he got a call from Benjamin, their dad’s beta regarding some border issue, so why was he suddenly here? Oh no! He hopes Daniel doesn’t plan on telling their dad that he wasn’t ready to become an alpha? He has to prevent that from happening.
“Thanks kiddo.” He said and rushed upstairs.
When Dylan was in front of the door to his dad’s study, he slowed down to take a deep breath. He could already recognize the scent of his parents, as well as that of Daniel and Ben. Without any further waste of time, he reached for the door knob.
“… They killed every member of the alpha’s household except his six year old son… Roberto, Rodrigo’s younger brother is currently in charge of the pack.” Benjamin just concluded making a report to his alpha.
“Outrageous! Why would they do something as despicable as that? I’ve had enough of their excesses!” Desmond, the Alpha of Greenwood pack and the father of Daniel, Dylan and David angrily exclaimed, slamming his fist on his study desk.
“Honey, please calm down.” Jane hurried to her mate’s side to soothe him.
“What are the council of elders saying about the turnout of events?” Daniel then asked.
“They have no choice but to submit to the new authority.” Ben replied.
“We have to help them. I can’t just sit here and watch this injustice continue.” Desmond suddenly said.
“Dad, I don’t think now is the right time. The Pride pack isn’t just any pack, they are the strongest pack in the world.”
“So, you’re suggesting that we fold our arms and do nothing until it gets to our turn?”
“I didn’t say that, dad. I-“
“What kind of an alpha do you intend to be if you don’t have faith in your own people?”
“I do have faith in my people. I just don’t think risking the lived of my warriors for a fight that has nothing to do with us is necessary.” Daniel countered.
“Watch your tone of voice when speaking to me, I’m still your alpha.” Desmond warned in his alpha voice, as he took threatening steps towards his son.
“Let us all take a deep breath, then we can go over this again.” Jane stepped in between the enraged six foot four werewolves, placing her hands on her mate’s chest.
“It’s okay. He isn’t challenging your authority. He is your son.” She assured her mate in a soft voice.
Desmond let out a deep sigh. His eyes then changed from yellow to its original color, blue.
“What do you suggest we do then?” His question was directed to his son, Daniel.
“I suggest we don’t make them divert their attention towards us… We need to tighten the security on our borders, recruit more warriors if necessary, and if possible try not to interfere in external matters unless our help is needed.”
“Son, what you’re trying to say is, as the second strongest pack we should turn a blind eye to everything that is going on around us. Is that it?”
“Dad, you’re misunder-“
“I don’t think any of this is necessary.” Dylan, who was quiet the whole time since he entered the study said for the very first time, causing everyone’s attention to be on him.
The entire room was silent, as they all stared at Dylan. Daniel was relieved to see him, but he couldn’t say the same for his dad, who was wearing a poker face. Dylan had a fallout with his dad after he turned twenty and still wasn’t able to find his mate. For a male werewolf in the Greenwood pack, having a mate was something of great pride as it boosted their ego. Not being able to find his mate even at twenty one has made his dad extremely disappointed in his one time favorite son.“Go on, I’m listening.” Desmond said in a dry voice as he made himself comfortable on his study chair so he could stare directly at Dylan, who was leaning on the door.“I mean, there is no need to be overly sensitive about this whole issue… We all know that for generations, the Pride pack doesn’t make any careless move unless you’re considered an enemy. And to be counted as an enemy, you have to make one wrong move against them, which if I’m correct we haven’t done.”“In essence, you are in agreement wit
Dylan was taking a shower when his thoughts suddenly traveled back to his eighteenth birthday. That day was the most anticipated day of his entire life because he would finally get to know who his mate was. FLASHBACKFrom childhood, everyone had thought that Dylan’s best friend, Charlotte, Benjamin’s daughter would be his mate since they did practically everything together, but the moon goddess had some other plans.Charlotte, whose birthday was a month earlier, found her mate two days after her birthday party when the entire pack had concluded that it was going to be him. To everyone’s surprise, it wasn’t Dylan but their pack’s youngest doctor that was mated to Charlotte. Benjamin wasn’t too happy about it but there was nothing anyone could do about it.On Dylan’s eighteenth birthday, his mom organized a grand party and invited every eligible female werewolf in the pack, just so he would find his mate that day. Hours passed and nothi
After Dylan’s conversation with his mom, he came to the conclusion that he would move into the pack house. He can’t continue living with his family because at this rate, he’ll probably not make it out alive if he gets into another fight with his dad. While heading to the pack house to clean up a room for himself, Dylan’s phone started to ring. He decided to ignore it since he wasn’t in the mood to talk to anyone, but the caller didn’t seem like he was going to give up anytime soon, so he reached for his phone inside his pocket. Just as he was he was about to answer the call, a black armored Chevrolet Suburban SUV pulled up beside him and two buff guys on shades climbed out of the car. One stood in front of him, blocking his path while the other stood behind him.“What is this about?” Dylan irritatedly asked, thinking this was his dad’s doing.Neither of the men responded to his question, but rather the one in front nodded in signal to the other, who immediately covered Dylan’s nose w
‘Martinez, Martinez, Martinez.’ The name wouldn’t stop ringing in Dylan’s ears. That was a name every werewolf dreaded. The mere thought of the name ‘Martinez’ terrified both young and old werewolves to their bones.What in the world did he do to offend the moon goddess, to make her give him such a mate? Why of all the packs in the world did the moon goddess decide that his mate should come from Greenwood’s rival pack, the most feared pack in the world, the Pride pack.Dylan slumped on the couch, too perplexed to even think. His life was far worse than hell.Isabel leaned against the door with a heavy sigh. She finally has her mate, her companion, the missing piece that completes her, the love of her life in her pack, in her life. This was undoubtedly the most fulfilling day in her entire life. For three years she felt empty and incomplete, always looking forward to the right moment when she was prepared enough to meet her mate. She worked so hard all these years to be a better alpha
A loud knock on the door woke Dylan up the next morning. Surprisingly he slept like a baby all through the night. He grumbled at whoever was interrupting his sound sleep and dragged himself out of bed. He wasn’t completely awake until he opened the door and a well built six foot guy with brown hair and eyes walked into the bedroom with a pile of clothes in his hands. He carefully placed them on the bed and turned around to face a fully awake Dylan.“Good morning alpha. Alpha Martinez asked me to bring these to you –““Hold on. I think you’re making a mistake… I’m not your alpha.” Dylan interrupted, thinking the stranger in front of him was referring to Isabel and her dad.“Where is Isabel?” He didn’t wait for a reply and was already making his way outside the bedroom.“She’s on her usual morning run.” The stranger who was behind Dylan replied.‘At least we have something in common.’ He thought to himself.“And you are?..”“Fernando. I’m a delta in the pack but currently, I’m at your s
Dylan kept receiving stares from the pack members. Fernando was currently taking him on a tour around the pack as instructed by Isabel. In comparison with Greenwood pack, Pride pack was also a very large pack with vast green area and mountains. The pack consisted of separate pack houses probably due to their large population. Unlike other packs, the Pride pack was quite populated. Surprisingly, its population didn’t just comprise of werewolves, but also humans.‘How could a pack considered to be selfish and brutal to outsiders have so many humans in it?’ Dylan couldn’t help but wonder.“We’re here.” Fernando’s voice interrupted Dylan’s thoughts. He was referring to the pack’s training camp which Dylan insisted on seeing.He couldn’t conceal the surprise on his face as he stared at the vast training ground. Any werewolf would be eager to train in such an environment.No wonder they had the largest number of warriors.“Let me show you around.” Fernando said, guiding Dylan around the cam
The alarm went off at 5:30am. Isabel threw her arms on the nightstand, lazily reaching for the alarm and turning it off. She stretched herself out on the bed and stared at the ceiling, to keep herself fully awake. Her thoughts couldn’t help but wander back to her mate. He was everything she desired in a mate. From his gorgeous dirty blonde hair that she felt tempted to run her fingers through, to his perfectly defined facial features. She could already imagine his sexy stubbles tickling her cheeks while they share a steamy kiss, with his strong arms around her waist. Isabel started feeling hot from these careless and filthy thoughts. She threw the duvet on the floor and jumped out of bed to distract herself from the thought of her mate. The heat wasn’t going away, much to her displeasure. “What’s going on?” She mumbled, rushing into the bathroom to have a quick shower. This isn’t right. She wasn’t supposed to go into heat until next week, that was why she gave her mate only a wee
Dylan pondered over the words he just heard. Did he hear correctly or was his ear playing tricks on him? His mate was in a relationship with another werewolf, not just any werewolf but her beta. Why does his life have to be this way? Why does everyone he’s connected to always make him feel like the second best in everything? Even his own mate who was well aware of his existence, who was supposed to desire only him found comfort in the arms of another werewolf. Why was he here, then? What is the point of being with someone whose desire won’t be for him alone? Dylan slowly pulled his fingers away from hers. For a moment, he saw the look of hurt on her face, but it vanished almost immediately and was replaced by a straight face. “Get my car ready.” She said to Fernando, who was the only person still present. “Why didn’t you put him in his place?” She asked Dylan as soon as her cousin left their presence. She was referring to Carlos. “I don’t wanna talk about it.” A disappointed Dyl
Isabel’s family refused to bury her body in the Pride pack because they feared that some unknown enemies could use the fragile humans and obtain information about the pack, making the pack vulnerable. So they contacted Daniel, the alpha of the Greenwood pack and asked if Isabel’s body could be taken to the Greenwood pack. Daniel was eager to help, and Dylan was allowed to look at Isabel’s body for the last time before she was flown to the Greenwood pack, because he wasn’t going to be part of the burial ceremony. It was just going to be Paulina and Rodrigo present, in order to avoid raising suspicion. Even the members of the Pride pack were unaware of their alpha’s demise. They were only informed about her injuries, and that she was slowly recuperating, so her mate was going to be in charge of the pack for as long as she desired. This was to enable Dylan gain a strong foothold in the pack and keep the other packs at bay. Dylan, on his part, did an awesome job by showing the entire pa
There was a sudden sinking feeling in the pit of Rodrigo’s stomach as they waited for Isabel and Dylan’s return. He couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was wrong no matter how hard he tried. This wasn’t a good sign. Rodrigo stood up from the couch, where he was previously seated and headed for the front door. “Where are you going?” His mate’s soft yet worried voice made him halt in his tracks. How does he tell her that something bad could be happening to their daughter? Her heart won’t be able to take the news and he doesn’t want to raise any false alarm yet. “I need to check on the warriors.” He lied. “Don’t lie to me, Rodrigo. I know you can feel it too.” Paulina replied. Her wolf has been feeling uneasy for the past two hours, but she was scared to mention anything to her mate because she didn’t want him interfering in their daughter’s fight and suffer a terrible fate. He acted on impulse most times, and since it involves his daughter, this time wouldn’t be an excep
Isabel kept breaking any and everything she laid her hands on, screaming in rage. She blamed herself for her mate’s misfortune. If only she had pressed harder, he wouldn’t have fallen into the hands of her enemy. Why didn’t she stop him? Why did she let him have his way? Why did she disobey her instinct? Why? Thirty minutes earlier, Xavi had reported to Isabel that Dylan was nowhere in the pack, but his car was found parked by the side of the road on the way to the border and Ignacio’s scent was in the car. She was infuriated by the news and vented her anger on the house furniture. Her cousin did nothing but watch his alpha express her emotions, making him feel incompetent and unreliable, because if he had paid utmost attention to the task he was given, Isabel’s mate wouldn’t be missing. Fernando had taken the kids upstairs when Xavi arrived to give the older werewolves privacy, so it was just Isabel, her parents and Xavi in the living room. Rodrigo was holding his sobbing mate t
Isabel woke up the next morning to the feeling of feather like kisses on her back. She smiled to herself, enjoying her mate’s gentle ministration on her skin. “Happy birthday, gorgeous.” Dylan’s husky voice said through mind link, causing memories of the previous night’s love making session in the woods to fill her thoughts. Dylan was quite wild last night, probably because his wolf was at its peak, as a result of the full moon, and she loved every bit of his roughness. Her legs could still feel the impact, but she wanted more. “Happy birthday to you too, hunk.” She turned around to face her mate, kissing him deeply. Dylan moaned into the kiss. He was tempted to take the kiss further since that was what his mate was asking for, but he refrained himself because he wanted Isabel to have a good rest after several weeks of barely sleeping, so he reluctantly ended the kiss. “Why are you dressed?” Isabel asked with a frown when she noticed her mate was casually dressed in jeans and a g
Two weeks has gone by with no sign of Rodrigo’s illegitimate son or his minions around the Pride pack border. This bothered Isabel a lot because she has never met her adversary face to face, so she couldn’t predict what his next actions would be. The fact that the future looked bleak no matter how hard she tried to deny it, didn’t sit well with her, but she couldn’t tell anyone, not even her father. Showing even the tiniest sign of uncertainty would throw the pack into disarray and she couldn’t risk that happening because of her anxiety. To divert her thoughts from thinking about the worst case scenario, Isabel took up training David. Since he was under her roof for the time being, it would be improper of her to still expect her dad to be the one training him. Strangely enough, David hardly ever complained or made a fuss during training, as he took it as a fun activity, unlike her nephew, Fernando. This made her work easier, and was in fact a good distraction. In the course of trainin
“How could you?!” Paulina screamed at her mate, taking backward steps as she didn’t want to be anywhere near him. They were currently at the backyard of their house, arguing. “How could you do this to me?!” “Honey, I’m sorry… I was trying to protect you.” “Protect me? Protect me, you say… You made a complete fool out of me, Rodrigo!” Hearing his mate say those words hurt Rodrigo and his wolf deeply. He never intended to hurt Paulina. He just didn’t want her finding out about the result of his mistake because that would’ve hurt her even more than the fact that he had a relationship with another female werewolf before her, and he sure would’ve lost her forever. “You were hurting at the time, and I didn’t want to cause you more pain.” He tried to explain. “It doesn’t matter!” No excuse can make up for the secret he kept from her. All these years, her mate had been deceiving her and she was gullible enough to believe him. How stupid he must’ve thought she was. “Aarghhh!” She scr
After dinner that night, Rodrigo and his mate watched cartoon with the kids until it was time for bed. Paulina went into the kitchen to tidy up, after kissing Teresa and David goodnight, while Rodrigo put the kids to bed. While wiping her wet hands with a clean towel, Paulina felt a swift movement outside. She looked out the window to see who it was, but there was no one there. To make certain, she went out of the house through the back door and still there wasn’t a soul in sight. Concluding within herself that she was probably having a paranoia, Paulina went back inside the house, only to be met with a set of sharp claws around her neck. She gasped at the cold feeling of the tip of her attacker’s claws on her skin and tried to crane her neck backwards to get a glance of the werewolf holding her captive in her own house, but that was a big mistake on her part, as her attacker’s claws sank into her neck, causing blood to ooze out of the wound. “Tsk tsk… Make one wrong move and you’r
“Are you gonna visit me everyday?” A sobbing David asked Isabel, as he clung on to her tightly, preventing her from leaving him with Rodrigo and Paulina. “I can’t promise you that.” She honestly replied, but regretted it the minute David’s sobs got louder. “Okay. I promise I’ll come check up on you every other day, to see how much you’ve improved.” This time her reply worked like magic, as David’s sobs turned to light sniffles. “Really?” “Yes, really.” “What if you break your promise?” He asked, pulling away from the hug to look into Isabel’s eyes. The teary eyes and tear stained face of the pup standing in front of her and staring right into her soul, waiting expectantly for her reply made her think of ways to keep her word. It wasn’t going to be easy to check up on David since she now has a new task on her hands, but she also didn’t want to go back on her word and betray the young werewolf, who had so much faith in her. “If I can’t make it, I’ll have Dylan come check up on y
“Xavi told me you handled the situation all by yourself.” Rodrigo began, as soon as he sat on his study chair. “I had to… There was no other way to prevent a disaster from happening.” “And are you aware of the consequences of your actions if something had gone wrong?” Isabel was expecting such a reaction from her dad, but he would’ve done the same had he been in her shoes. “I’m the alpha now, let me be the one to worry about my pack.” She gritted her teeth as she spoke because she didn’t want to get into a fight with the former alpha. “That doesn’t answer my question, Isabel. You made a reckless move out there. What if you didn’t make it back?” Rodrigo was equally trying to control his fury. He was consumed with fear when Xavi informed him that his daughter fought against the rogues all by herself. Why would she make such a rash decision without putting her pack first? And although he was told that her beast was in control, and they are unbeatable in that state, he couldn’t he