Finding my mate

Lionel

"Come on, man, let's go to the party. You know it will be fun," Ryker, my beta, urged as he tried to convince me into attending a party I had no interest in.

"I don't want to," I replied flatly.

"Come on, Lionel, you need to mingle with other ladies before you are officially taken," he insisted, wiggling his eyebrows at me. I glanced at him, resisting the urge to smack that smirk off his face.

Yes, I was getting married to the daughter of the Alpha of the Moon Jade Pack, a pack I deeply hated. Our packs had been rivals for more than ten years after an incident, caused by them, that led to my parents' deaths, and the bitterness from that loss had never left me.

But I was being forced to bend to the whims of my grandfather, the only family I had left. He'd proposed an alliance with that pack behind my back, and it didn't stop there—he even arranged a marriage.

Ralphael Donovan, the Alpha of the Moon Jade Pack, had to be the most shameless man I had ever met. He agreed to marry his daughter off to me without a second thought, not caring about the consequences. If he thought I'd support or back up his pack as allies, he was mistaken.

"If you don't want to go, at least accompany me. You owe me for helping you get Alpha Maxwell to invest in our company," Ryker pressed, trying so hard to convince me.

"I have other pressing things to attend to. Attending a party isn't on my schedule.”

"You should go, Son. Ever since you heard about this alliance, you’ve been locked up in this house," my Grandfather, Leonard Williams, suddenly interjected as he stepped into the balcony where me and Ryker were having a drink.

Despite his old age, he was still a strong and agile werewolf. His hair was mostly gray, though some darker strands remained, and his chin was covered in a rough stubble. The lines on his face showed his years of experience, but it was his sharp, piercing eyes that stood out the most—eyes that could make anyone stop and listen.

"Not now, Grandfather. I think I’ve already yielded enough for you," I said wearily. My grandfather knew I rarely denied him anything, and recently, he had been taking full advantage of that.

"Just go, Lionel. You're making the whole house grumpy, and I don't want to see your grumpy face," he added, a slight smile playing on his lips.

Ryker burst into laughter at the joke, but I stared at him hard, making him stop abruptly, though I could see him trying to hide his amusement.

With a sigh, as usual, just to please him, I finally conceded. "Fine, let's go. I’m not ready to keep arguing with either of you."

"Great! Thanks, Grandpa. You really know how to get him to do your bidding," Ryker said, grinning widely like a clown. An ugly clown.

Later that night, Ryker and I were dressed in our tuxedos and on our way to the party. Ryker kept talking about the beautiful women that would be there, but I wasn’t interested. My mind was elsewhere, occupied with the growth and development of my pack, which was my top priority.

When we arrived, the paparazzi went wild. Our arrival caused a sensation, as usual. Being one of the most successful and eligible bachelors in the country, as well as having the biggest pack in the country certainly brought such attention.

Women practically threw themselves at us, trying to grab our attention. I hated this kind of drama. The attention, the fake smiles, the giggling—it was all so exhausting.

Ignoring them, I went to speak with some of my friends from other packs. The Lunas were practically shoving their daughters at me, while the Alphas tried to corner me into business deals. This was one of the reasons I hated parties!

Ryker, on the other hand, was thoroughly enjoying himself. He thrived on this kind of attention, flirting and chatting with every woman who approached him. But for me, it was nothing but a headache.

Finally, unable to take any more of the fake pleasantries, I excused myself and stepped outside. The party venue was located in a peculiar spot—far from the bustling city but close to the forest.

I went into the forest and shifted into my wolf, Lucius. I felt free, more powerful and at peace as I felt the earth beneath my paws as we ran through the trees. At this point, I momentarily forget about everything—my responsibilities, the unwanted marriage, all of it.

After spending some time alone, I decided it was time to head back to the party. But as I was making my way back, I heard a shriek and a group of people laughing. Lucius stirred within me, growing agitated, urging me toward the sound.

I hesitated, not wanting to get involved, but Lucius was insistent, his concern pushing me forward. I moved closer and saw a scene of a girl surrounded by some guys. It seemed she was being bullied.

"We have no business here, Lucius. I am no hero, sweeping in to save the lady in distress," I flatly told him, intending to leave, but he refused to back down.

"We need to save her, Lionel. She's ours! She belongs to us! she's our mate!"

Lucius’s voice echoed in my mind as he declared excitedly. I instantly stopped on my tracks, not believing what I'd just heard. My mate was there! Or rather, she was the one being bullied.

Oh no! Not on my watch!