Chapter Three

“WHAT!” I yell, panicked I look for my dad who has now vanished from the room. How could he let me be sacrificed?!

“Don’t be alarmed, it’s for a good cause. We have decided to start a new tradition, honouring the Moon Goddess and the other spirits of the land and sky. It’s a great honour.” Alpha explains in a calm voice sounding very sure of himself.

“What will the sacrifice achieve Alpha?” Beta Samuels asks pulling out a very large knife. I gulp as I stare at the knife. My panic evident on my face.

“We hope the sacrifice will please the Moon Goddess and in return she will bless our pack with protection.”

“Are we not already well protected Alpha?” Another woman’s voice speaks from behind me. I turn to see it’s one of the pack trainers.  

“We are. However, one can never be TOO well protected.” His voice lifting at the end. Suddenly I hear laughter from behind me, spinning back around I see Jordan and his dad buckled over laughing and they give each other a high five.

“I knew that would be funny,” Jordan says through his laughter. I look at them confused as the rest of the room joins in their laughter, clearly all in on the joke.

“No, I’m kidding Cassidy. We aren’t sacrificing you. We called you here because you have been chosen to be my son’s mate, until he finds his true mate that is.”

“I’m sorry?” I blink stunned. My mind still processing the sacrifice was a joke. “Why me?”

“Because you’re the only one with the genes close enough in rank to match my son. I thought you would be thrilled to join the ranks like your father.” Alpha motions me to sit back on my chair and I do. “Is there something wrong with my son?” He asks, curious about my lack of enthusiasm.

“It’s just, I don’t have a wolf…” I trail off. Whispers begin amongst the pack. I thought that was common knowledge.

“I know. It’s not an issue, she will come when she’s ready. Reign’s wolf waited until her sixteenth birthday before she decided to grace the family.” Reign is Alpha’s daughter, she’s nineteen. The pack hasn’t seen her since she was seventeen when she went rogue. It was hot gossip for months around the pack. I just thought she couldn’t take the pressure anymore. Now knowing she didn’t have her wolf until she turned sixteen, I can understand the need to run away. So much pressure so late in the game. Jordan has been prepped for Alpha since he was thirteen. The first our age to get his wolf.

“I don’t mean to be rude, but why not Vanessa? I mean she’s already his girlfriend.” Lani chimes in from across the room. I smile, I forgot she was here.

“EX girlfriend” Jordan chimes in.

“Well, honestly, I hate Vanessa.” Alpha retorts and I snort. Nobody openly hated Vanessa. I guess you can when you’re the Alpha. “And like I stated earlier, the genes aren’t there. I need a strong genetic leader to hold the place and she has no high rank genes. Unlike your friend Cassidy here who is the only female in Jordan’s age range to have high ranking genetics.” He states with confidence, having clearly looked for alternatives before settling for me. Although it did make me feel good about myself knowing I was genetically superior to her highness Vanessa.

After the meeting I tried to look for my dad. Unable to find him I got a ride to the announcement meeting with Jordan and his dad. We wait in the car as his dad talks to Beta Samuels outside the hall. I watch them nervously through the back window.  

“Are you okay?” Jordan asks me as he taps my arm with his finger.

“Nervous.” I admit sitting in my seat properly. He was surprisingly easy to talk to. “I’m about to go from being an outcast with 2 friends to everyone knowing my name and looking to me as their interim future Luna. Plus, everyone knows I don’t have a wolf. How are they going to accept me when I don’t even have my wolf.” I exhale heavily.

“That’s… a lot,” he sits back into his seat processing my word vomit. “I mean dad will just make them accept you. As for the other stuff, you just need to suck it up. Who cares what other people think of you. Besides, do you think I’m happy in this situation. Sure, I’m glad I had to break up with Vanessa, she was insufferable. But I don’t want an interim girlfriend. I want to find my mate.” He sighs. I had been so concerned about myself I didn’t even think to ask Jordan how he felt about it.

“I’m sorry” I reply, reaching over to squeeze his hand. He turned his hand over, holding my hand.

“Don’t be, we are two people in a f**ked up situation. BUT we have to accept it for what it is and get tonight over with.” I agree and we sit in silence holding hands. It was weird. This morning I wouldn’t dream of going near Jordan but now I was holding his hand in the back of his dad’s GT-R. 

“Alright kids, showtime!” Alpha Issac says as he opens my door. I take a deep breath as I exit the car, Jordan following behind me. He takes my hand as we talk toward the hall through the packed carpark. The whole pack must be here I think to myself. I start to freak out again internally before Jordan squeezes my hand, calming me instantly. How did he have this affect on me? The doors open to the halls and the noise from everyone talking comes rushing out. The light from inside stretching out into the carpark through the open doors, blinding me as we walk through. My eyes take a second to adjust before I notice the voices getting quieter. Everyone stopping and staring at me.

Jordan leads me through the hallway, following his dad to the stage where 2 seats await us front and centre. Great. As we take our seats, I can feel the whole pack watching me and Jordan. Beta Samuels hands Alpha a microphone and he taps it checking it’s on.  

“Good Evening, thankyou all for coming on such short notice.” He begins. “I bet many of you are wondering why we are here tonight and it’s because I have a couple of things, I’d like to discuss with you all. The first being the new alliance we have with the neighbouring pack to the north. Alpha Dimitri and I have come to an agreement and we will be happy boarder buddies. We will follow them to war if they shall need and vice versa. This alliance strengthens our numbers during a battle if one shall arise and it also means more protection from rogues and hunters.” He was so confident in front of people.

“I’d also like to remind you all that for the time being the southwest corner of our land is off limits. Unless you have been specifically assigned to that area during your patrol then you are not to be there. Hunters have been spotted lurking around and I don’t want to lose any of you because you decided to play dumb.” Hunters?! Why were there hunters lurking around? I look to Jordan concerned. He shrugs clearly also not aware of the hunters nearby. Hunters only hunt rare wolves and myths, unless they were paid to find someone. Did someone in the pack have a bounty on their head?

“Lastly, you all know my son Jordan.” He gestures to Jordan and Jordan stands up walking forward to stand next to his father, leaving me all alone I sink into my chair. “Jordan has been unable to find his mate for some time now and so I have decided, as he is the future of this pack, that he will have an interim mate. So, I have arranged for Miss Cassidy Jacobs to be his mate, until he finds his true mate that is. At which point Miss Jacobs will step down from her role as Luna.” Murmurs spread across the room as the pack discusses my new status.

“BUT SHE DOESN’T EVEN HAVE A WOLF!” Vanessa shouts from the front row as she stands. A disgusted look crosses her face as she looks at me. Jordan comes over to grab my hand and I stand up, walking back over to his dad.

“So what?” Jordan snaps back at her. “She will come eventually. We don’t know what the Moon Goddess has planned for her. Who are we to question the Moon Goddess or the spirits for that matter. Just because Cass doesn’t have her wolf now doesn’t mean she won’t get it at all.” Vanessa looks stunned as she sits back down. Was this the first time anyone has stood up to her?

“Couldn’t have said it better myself,” Alpha states as he pats Jordan on the back. “Proud of you son,” he says into his shoulder. “If anyone has any questions or issues, contact me or Beta Samuels tomorrow. For now, let’s go home.”

I spent the next hour with Lani and Jordan waiting for his dad to finish saying goodbye to the pack. I still hadn’t seen my dad and my mum never turned up to the meeting. I was starting to worry.

“Hey Alpha” I begin, concern creeping into my voice. Alpha Issac walks back over to the edge of the stage where we were seated.

“Please Cassidy, call me Issac.” He interrupts sweetly. I breathe through a faint chuckle as I smile looking down at my legs crossed.

“Thanks,” I tell him before looking up at him. The concern washing over my face again. “Where’s my parents?” Issac looked surprised.

“They aren’t here?” He replies, sharing my concern before signalling to Beta Samuels.

“I haven’t seen dad since he let me in the door at the packhouse and mum since this morning before school.” Beta Samuels and Issac share a look. That’s not good.