Chapter 4

STIX

I headed down to the arena to meet up with other pack members who were trained fighters. We were one of the few packs that allowed females to train.

My mother, bless her soul, believed a she-wolf could defend her pack just as well as any male. My father always said that was one of many reasons he fell in love with her. For her strength, beauty, and kindness but above all for her quick-witted tongue, which, he reminded me every day that I got from her. That and my sassy attitude.

Unfortunately, it was that fearlessness and her mouth that got her killed, probably. I was fourteen when she was attacked. One of the rare days she ventured out by herself to the market. On her way home she was murdered. Nobody saw, nobody knows what happened. They heard shouting, then the growl of wolves, by the time anyone could come to her aid it was all over. The assailants had fled. Leaving her body limp and bleeding out. They had clawed her throat open.

My father took it hard, any mate would. Losing the person, you bonded your soul to is like losing a part of yourself. If they had been fated mates, he may not have survived her death. In a sordid depressing way, I was thankful they were chosen mates.

That was when I began to rebel against the norm, at least what the majority of the pack considered the norm. And now I fought against it as best as I could. I always had my father to back me up, but this time? This time was different. I was putting the whole pack in danger.

I just couldn’t be with that man. It made my stomach turn just thinking of it. Never mind not being in love, I couldn’t stand to breathe the same air as that nasty creep.

I reached the training grounds, other fighters were already there, split into groups. Some sparing, some training, and a few, like me, had just turned up.

Branston, my father’s Beta, was yelling out commands to men. Encouraging them to push themselves. He was a handsome man, tall like most wolves around six feet, with wide shoulders, and a strong chin. As a little girl, I used to have a crush on him, and he has never let me forget it.

“Hope! Glad you could make an appearance at training.” He cheerily called out to me, then turned the smile into a frown. “Unlike Ruby who I haven’t seen as of yet today,” he said of my best friend and his daughter.

I giggled. Knowing Ruby, she was still tucked into bed with some guy, Her flavor of the week. One of the many reasons I had stayed single after Jason died. I was sure Ruby had gone through all our warriors, if not, then a large portion of the single wolves.

“I’m sure she has her hands full, sir,” I say trying to keep a straight face.

He groaned and tipped his head back, his throat bobbing, “That girl will be the death of me and her mother.” He sighed. “Alright Stixs, give me twenty laps then join up for some one on one.” He instructed.

“Yes sir!” I saluted and jogged to the track, ready to run my twenty laps.

Once finished with my laps, I grab a water bottle from the cooler and sip some down before heading to the sparing arena and taking my place at the side, waiting for an opponent to become available.

We were doing switch-ups. Two people fight, the loser moves on, and the winner stays to fight the next challenger.

Joshua, The Delta’s son, came and stood next to me. He was two years older than Ruby and me, and in some ways was like a big brother. Growing up he always protected us from the other males. Letting them know we were off-limits. That lasted until we were about seventeen and Ruby acted on her crush. They dated for a while, but it didn’t work out, Joshua then met Crystal and they became chosen mates.

“I saw Alpha Crane leaving the pack earlier. What did he want? Let me guess, he is asking to claim you again?” He said with disgust, one side of his mouth curling into a sneer. No one from this pack like Alpha Crane or the Crimson moon pack.

Joshua was definitely a handsome man at twenty-three. His green eyes were smoldering, enough to make any girl drop her pants at his command. His blond hair only extenuated his tanned skin.

Seeing as the Alpha and the Beta both only had one child each and both were girls, Joshua was next in line for the Alpha position. Providing he wasn’t challenged for it and lost, he would be our next Alpha.

It would have been my mate if he had not died. And now Alpha Crane wanted to claim me to be his Luna. So, it fell to Joshua. Who, in all honesty, I don’t think wanted the position of Alpha, was happy to follow in his father’s footsteps as Delta. Or even become Beta.

I pinched my lips together in a tight line “Yep” I replied popping the P at the end.

“You’re not going to let him claim you, are you Stixs?” His words were full of worry “Your father wouldn’t let him, right?”

I huffed out “I may not have a choice; he threatened my dad with war if he didn’t hand me over.” I turned to look at him. Joshua had an expression of pity on his face.

“I’m sorry Stixs.” He mumbled, knowing there was not much else he could say or do to make the situation any better.

“Not your fault Josh, I just don’t know what to do!” I threw my hands up in exasperation.

“Come on, let’s work it out in the ring” He nudged me, standing up.

Yeah, let's work it out in the ring, I thought. Because no matter how hard I train, it won’t make the problem go away.

So, for the next two hours, I took my frustrations out by sparing and finding myself eating more dirt than I intended. My focus was distracted by the gloom and doom that hung over my head. And the impending thoughts of Alpha Crane coming for me. Those thoughts transformed into images of him touching me, making me gag and misstep as Josh got the better of me over and over.

“Where’s my father?” I ask Delta Elijah as I sit down at the dinner table later that evening. Josh and his mate, Crystal, are also present.

Elijah clears his throat as Ruby comes bouncing in all smiles and smelling heavily of a male.

“He and Beta Branston had some business to deal with outside the pack. They will be back in three days.” He says watching Ruby converse with Crystal.

“Grab a plate children dinner is ready!” Mary, Josh’s mom, calls as she comes out of the kitchen, followed by the Beta’s wife, Anna. Both carry large dishes of food.

“Oh,” I reply to the Delta, a little perplexed that my father had neglected to tell me he was leaving the pack on business for a few days.

I wondered exactly what kind of business he had to tend to, usually my father would forewarn me and include me in any of his business dealings. At the least, he would tell me he would be gone for a couple of days so that I didn’t worry about him.

I hazard a guess that it must have something to do with Alpha Crane's demand for me. I just hoped he wasn’t doing anything ridiculous. I wasn’t worth it. Not if comes between my life and the packs.

Pack always comes first. And we can't bend the rules and expectations just for me. That wouldn’t be right or fair to the rest of our community.

I ate in silence. The chatter around the table background noise to my thoughts. I was grateful no one tried to include me in the conversation. I wasn’t in a talking mood. Nor could I pretend everything was okay. Because it just wasn’t right now.

Two weeks Alpha Crane had said. I have even thought of running away but that was stupid. The Crimson Moon Pack would still destroy us. When Charlie Crane wanted something there weren’t any lengths he wouldn’t go to, to get it. And this time the object of his desire was me.

My eyes sarcastically rolled at the thought of how lucky I was. Unlucky was more like it.

Whatever my father was up to he should know better. He should know there was no getting out of this. He would have to hand me over to the Crimson Moon Pack. Whether he liked it or not.

I was in half a mind to just pack my bag and head over there myself. No matter how much the thought of being near that foul piece of shit made me want to vomit. It would save so much hassle in the long run. And lives.