Prologue

Ronin

    I heard the alarm clock blaring as I rolled over and slapped it off. Before opening my eyes, I took a deep breath and realized there was someone with me in bed. I threw off my covers and sat up rubbing my face. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw a lump in the covers that was last night's conquest. Remembering the activities from the evening, a small smile came across my lips. I nodded to myself, proud of the she-wolf I was finally able to get into my bed. Too bad for her, it ends here. Game over. Onto the next conquest.

I stood up and made my way to the bathroom to get ready for the day. I had an early meeting with my dad, his beta, my beta, and the elders of the pack regarding the influx of recent rogue attacks. They seem to be increasing every week for the last six months and we can't figure out why. 

After showering, I step out and dry off. I wrap the towel around my waist and go to brush my teeth and style my messy hair. After splashing a bit of cologne on my face and neck, I headed out of the bathroom to my closet to get dressed. 

    "Good morning". I hear a soft greeting when I enter the room slowly. I look over and see her in bed as she slowly sits up and lets the covers fall. Well. She does have a nice rack, I'll give her that, but the night is over and time to move on.

    "You'll be leaving before I get dressed and exit my closet. Last night was great, but we're done here." I said coldly and walked into my closet. She gasped and started to speak but stopped. I looked through my wardrobe and found a pair of black jeans, a white T-shirt, and my leather jacket. I heard the shuffling of sheets and clothing, then a slam of the bedroom door. I guess she left. I shook my head and grabbed my combat boots and headed out to the bedroom. Sitting on the messy bed, I laced up my boots and stood up. I turned around and stared at the bed. Visions of last night came to mind and I sighed. 

    'Stop it', my wolf ordered. 

'What?' I asked Thorn, my wolf.

'You should be waiting for our mate!' He spat through the link.

    'Yeah, but we're done with her.'

    'You are disgusting! Using them like that! We should be looking for our mate. We are meant for only one and you are ruining it!'

    'Shut up you stupid wolf', Thorn grumbled and shut the link. I smirked and left my room.

    I walked down the long hallway and down the four flights of stairs to the kitchen. I see Clara flitting around the stove cooking eggs, bacon, pancakes, and sausage, and homemade grits. She's been taking care of me since I was in diapers. I loved this woman like she was my own mother.

    "Good morning young alpha. How are you this morning?" I gave her a big smile and leaned over to kiss her cheek with a side hug.

    "I am quite well today. You?" I reached around her and stole a sausage link and plopped it in my mouth.

    "Fine. Fine. I saw your father and beta head up to the office. Here, have some breakfast before you go. I have a feeling it will be a busy day". She handed me a plate full of food. I smiled and nodded as I sat at the counter and began eating. 

    "Hey man, where you been?" I grunted without looking up at my beta, Jax, and continued eating. "Thought you were coming to training this morning?" He sat down next to me as Clara slid a plate towards him as well. He nodded in thanks and began eating.

    "Busy" I answered, swallowing some pancakes and taking a drink of juice. 

    "Yeah, I bet. Blonde, brunette, or red head?" He asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

    I just shook my head and took another bite of my eggs as Clara smirked and side-glanced at me. 

    "No way, you got the red head?!" He asked, turning to me. I shoved him away from me and finished my plate. 

    "Mind your own business" I answered, getting up and putting the plate in the sink. 

    "Lucky, but I wouldn't want to be your mate. Hell is coming for you!" I furrowed my brow and stared at him.

    "What are you talking about?" 

    "What happens when you meet your mate, and she finds out about all your conquests before her? She's gonna be pissed!!" I rolled my eyes at him and started to walk out of the kitchen towards my father's office for the meeting. 

"You're supposed to wait for your mate dude." Jax called out to me, but I just ignored him and continued to the office.

I walked in and saw my dad sitting at his desk with his Beta sitting across from him.

    "Son" he greeted me, and I nodded.

    "Where's Jax?" He asked.

    "He's on his way." I sat on a chair next to the desk and checked my phone. I swiped through all the texts from various girls that wanted to hook up. My latest one was from Gina, the red head from last night. I was hesitant about opening it. As much as I'm not looking for a commitment, she would be in the running if I were. Smart, soft, agile, and open-minded. Someone who could stand beside me and run the pack. Only my true mate can be my Luna, but I'm not really looking for her at the moment.

Just then, Jax walks into the office.

    "About time, Beta Jax" my dad said sternly, with a hint of amusement.

    "My apologies, Alpha Damon" he responded, giving him a bow in respect. My father nodded in return and Jax took a seat next to his father, Beta Raymond.

    "Okay, let's get started", Alpha began and pulled out some maps and a book of notes. 

Yup. This is going to be a long one. I gave a deep sigh and looked at my father and gave him my full attention.

    It was just after 3pm in the afternoon when we started wrapping things up. Five hours of going over new patrol routes due to increased rogue activity. New plans on strengthening the alarm systems and training. Jax will oversee building a new training schedule that will be stronger, longer, and more intense.

I will be doing more patrols with the warriors and the Beta and Alpha. I will be taking over Alpha of the pack soon, so I will need to be a part of every detail involving the pack. Unfortunately, I still have a lot to learn, but I have a good handle on things so far.

    I walked out of the office with Jax, and we headed down to the kitchen to get something to drink. As I open the fridge to grab a bottle of water, I feel a pair of soft hands wrap around my waist.

    "Hey Ronin”, I smiled at the sultry voice and slowly spun to find Missy, a small blond-headed she wolf that I spend time with occasionally. Actually, she's one of my favorites, but that's my secret.

    "Hey Missy", I wrap my arms around her waist and lean down to give her a kiss when Gina walks into the room.

    "You are such a fucking pig!" I rolled my eyes and released my arms from around Missy and pushed her behind me. 

    "What do you want, Gina?" I squared off and stared at her.

    "I can't believe I trusted you, believed you. You're such a f**king man whore!" She screamed and turned to leave. 

I wasted no time in grabbing her arm with anger and authority.

    "You wanna try that again? You have no right to speak to me that way!" I gruffly said as she whipped her head around and stared right at me.

    "Let me slow it down for you.... Alpha" She spat out the last word. "You. Are. A. Man. Whore! You disgust me!" She yanked her arm free and spat at my feet. My eyes went wide in surprise that she had the audacity to speak to me like that. My wolf was on edge at her disrespect, pushing to come through. My eyes went black with my wolf and my anger.

    "You know that is no way to speak to your Alpha!" I yelled with my Alpha tone, but she stood still seething in her own anger.  This confuses me, but I hide my expression. 

    "You are not my Alpha!" She annunciated each word through gritted teeth. Her face flushed red with anger and humiliation. "You used me and threw me away like trash. Then I find you here with another woman." She turned to Missy, who now had stepped to the side to watch the exchange. "Do you know he spent last night with me? In his bed?" Missy covered her own expression of shock and anger but kept quiet.

    "What's going on here?" Alpha Damon demanded as he appeared in the doorway.

    Missy bowed and kept her eyes down as I stared at my father while Gina glared.

    "Just a misunderstanding, Alpha" I explained as I stared at Gina, giving her a silent order to keep quiet. She glared at me and then turned away.

    "I was just leaving", Gina answered, and left the kitchen. My dad looked at Missy, then me and then at the doorway where Gina had just left.

    "Ronin", I shifted my eyes to him and waited for the lecture to begin. "My office now", I angrily sighed and ran my hand through my hair. Jax snuck out the back of the kitchen and was gone. Missy gave me a pathetic smile and bowed before leaving. 

    I followed my dad up the stairs to his office and sat back down on the seat I had just spent 5 hours on before.

    "Dad..." I started, but he cut me off.

    "Right now, it's Alpha to you". Wow, he was pissed. He never gets like this unless I majorly screw up or piss him off. I shut my eyes to try and calm myself and my wolf down before speaking. And saying something I regret.

"Alpha, it was all a misunderstanding. Gina was under the impression that we were...."

"I know exactly what kind of misunderstanding you seem to have with the female pack members. This is unacceptable behavior for a future Alpha! What happens when you meet your mate? Huh? What are you going to say to her? How are you going to explain your behavior, especially when every female in this pack knows you....intimately!?" He was so angry that he had to stand and pace the room to quell some of his angry energy. I've never seen him this mad at me before. He wouldn't even look me in the eye.

"Dad, it's no big deal..." At this comment, he stopped and spun around to stare at me. His eyes were dark green, meaning Brutus, his wolf was on the surface. "Alpha Brutus...." I bowed slightly to acknowledge that he was present, just to calm him a little. Rarely did Brutus come out, but when he did, it was not good.

"Quiet pup!" He growled. "I am very disappointed in you. This is no way for an Alpha to act. Your mother and I did not raise you to be like this! When you find your mate..." Brutus glared at his pup at Ronin's interruption.

"I don't want to find my mate....at least not yet" I argued, but that was a mistake. He was before me in the blink of an eye with his hand gripped tightly around my throat.

"Your mate and your pack and your children are the most important things in your life. You will not forsake any of them!" He loosened his grip and pushed me away. Long ago, when my mother was pregnant with me, there was a rogue attack where she was injured so badly that she almost lost her life and mine. My dad never fully recovered from that and after finding out that they were unable to have anymore pups, he became even more protective over us. My entire life, he has been guiding me and teaching me how to be a good Alpha. Somewhere along the way, I lost interest in the good part of it and only saw the power and title that came with it. Especially all the attention I received from the she-wolves of the pack.

My father closed his eyes and sighed heavily. I leaned back in my chair and stared at him, hoping this lecture was coming to an end.

"Son, I will be handing over the Alpha title to you as soon as you come of age.... But.." He said the last bit with a bit of anger."...Only if you find your mate." My eyes went wide, and I shot out of my chair.

"What!?" I shouted. "You can't do that!"

"I am the Alpha! I can do whatever I deem necessary and appropriate for MY pack! If you are not ready to step up, I will not be handing it over!" My father walked over to the large floor to ceiling windows that lined the office wall. Staring out at the training grounds, he sighed heavily.

"You will be Alpha one day and I need to know that the pack is in good hands. I need to know that you will sacrifice everything you are to keep them safe. I need to know that you will have your fated Luna by your side to help run the pack. I will not compromise on this, Ronin. Your mother and I have done everything for this pack. It is our blood, sweat and tears, we gave up any future children for this pack so that they are safe and free." He finished quietly with a slight crack i his voice.

Damnit! I hate when he pulls the 'gave up future children" card on me. Of all things, that's one of the few things that pulls at my heart strings. I feel incredibly guilty that I was their only child and heir, even though it was out of my control to do anything about it. Because of what they gave up, I'm an only child, knowing they wanted a large family. That's when the pack became the most important thing in their life. They were not blood, but they were all family.

I dropped my head and sighed. "Yes, Alpha. I understand". He turned to look at me, his face softened and eyes full of sorrow.

"Dad" he quietly said after a few moments, trying not to get choked up on his words. I looked him in the eyes and saw all the pain and suffering he and mom went through to get where we are now. A full, healthy, thriving pack. One of the largest in the southern US. I smiled and nodded at him.

     "Dad....I'm..." Before I could finish my thought, the loud blaring sounds of the air horn rained across the packland. We stared at each other for a moment, then turned and ran out of the office. Flying down the staircase, we bust out of the front door to see pack members running wild through the streets.

"What is going on?" I yelled to a passing warrior.

"Alpha..There is a fire in the rec center" he answered quickly, bowing before running off.

     I turned in the direction of the rec center to see clouds of dark gray smoke billowing into the sky. I looked around frantically trying to form a plan.

     'Ronin! Call the fire department to the center. I'm going ahead to get the teens out while we still can!" My father mind linked me as I saw him run off.

     'All firefighters to the rec center now! We have an unknown number of occupants inside.' I called out in pack mind link and ran to the center. As I arrived, I saw the building engulfed in flames and a couple of teens running out of the front door.

     "How many inside!" I yelled to them. They stumbled up to me coughing and gasping for breath.

     "Alpha, Jackie and Tommy got out, but we haven't seen Katy or Brent yet!" I nodded to them and sent them off to the medical tent set up just across the street. Just then, I saw my dad run out carrying a young female in his arms and drop her off to the side.

"Dad! There's one more inside missing! I'll go..." He handed her to me and started to run back inside.

"Take her to the medical tent. I'm going back in for the other boy!"

     "Nooo! Dad, don't go in! Wait for the firefighters to come!" but he ignored me and disappeared back inside. Just then, I heard a loud cracking sound and a deafening roar as the front door exploded, setting the front of the building on fire. I stood there horrified as I watched half of the structure collapse into a pile of burning rubble.

     "Daaaaad! Nooooo!" I ran towards the building, but the intensity of the heat pushed me back. I had to get to my father. I had to find a way in, but the entire exterior was set in flames. As the fire department arrived and set out with hoses and ladders searching for the two known victims inside. With half the building in flames, nobody thought they would come out alive.

     I stood there in shock, wondering what to do. My father just ran back into a burning building to save a young boy, a boy. One young boy, in his father's eyes, was worth his own life to save, so that he could grow up and have a life of his own. So that he could go to school, train, become a warrior, find his mate and have a family of his own. That was worth the life of the Alpha. At that moment, I understood what it meant to be in charge of the pack, to care for and protect the members of the pack. Not just a pack, but a family. The Alpha's family.

     I realize what I must do and run towards the fire as the members of the fire department bring in the fire hoses and start dousing it with water. They tried to hold me back from entering the burning structure, but I wretched myself free and continued to find my father. Instead, they followed me as I fumbled through the side window, covering me with water. I broke out the remaining glass and crawled through the opening and fell on the floor. Looking around, all I could see was smoke and flames. It was hot as hell and hard to breathe, but I needed to find my father and the young boy, Brent. Staying low on the ground, I pulled my shirt up over my nose and army crawled across the floor to where the door should be. Unfortunately, I couldn't see anything and hit the wall inside. Following the wall until I found the door frame, I felt the wood with my wrist and finding it hot to touch, I pushed it open anyway. There on the floor of the main room, I saw my father trying to drag the young boy towards the only available egress. I realized that by the time he made it to the window, they would both succumb to the deadly smoke. I asked my wolf for a burst of energy so I could crawl over and grab the boy.

     "Get out dad! Now!" I tried yelling in between gasping and gagging from the smoke. Just as we were within a few feet of the window, it got dead silent. Not a sound to be heard. I wasn't sure if I succumbed to the smoke or what was happening. I did not feel any movement from Brent, who I assumed had gone unconscious on the floor. Suddenly, I heard a loud crack and a whoosh of burning hot air came crashing into me, knocking me down. I instantly curled myself around the boy and at that moment, I felt the second floor come barreling down on top of us. A searing pain was felt along my left side and onto my face and neck. I screamed in agony and tried to mind link for help, but I did not have enough energy for that. I saw a bright white light flash in my eyes and a wave of refreshing coolness came over my body and I could hear voices calling out to me and the Alpha. I had a slight urge of hope as I felt someone grabbing me and the boy next to me and then all sight and sound was gone. My last thoughts were of my father and if he made it out alive before, I slipped into total darkness and felt nothing.