4. Impending Battle

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“I honestly don't see why you people are so stressed. What's the big deal?” Greg looked up from his video game and asked Caddie and Gamma Paul Wilkins, who were in the Alpha’s office, going through the formations to defend all the borders. “Just chill, you guys! If worse comes to worst, that asshole dies. Good riddance, as Matilda says.” 

Gwen was out to meet the volunteers and warriors who were in charge of herding the civilians to bunkers in case there was an infiltration. She was sure she wouldn’t let it happen, but Alpha Gwen was not one to take chances.

“Do you not know the relationship between Alpha Gwen and Alpha Lorde?” Paul glared at the pup. 

Caddie gave him a warning look. 

Sure, Greg was an annoying little shit. But he was still her pup and also Alpha bloodline. She was not going to let someone disrespect what he symbolized.

“They were mates. Well, are mates - since the rejection was left incomplete. But so what?” Greg was clueless. “That dude has no respect for her, so she is going to kick his ass.”  

Caddie shook her head. “The mate bond is sacred, Gregory. More sacred than any vow or any blood relation. It's a thread that ties two souls together. It's about to be broken on a battlefield. Your sister might not ever recover from this. Even if she managed to come out of it unscathed physically, we do not know how this is going affect her soul.” 

Greg was taken aback. “That's not fair! So she loses either way?” 

“Nothing has ever been fair to her, has it?” Paul sighed. “This is so fucked up!” He turned to the Beta. “If our Alpha hesitates for even a moment, he will take her life.” 

“No.” It was all Greg could say. He was finally catching up with the complexity of the situation. He did not doubt his sister's strength. He never did.

But he was fast realizing for the first time that this mate bond could prove a weakness because she was not a soulless asshole like her mate. 

“Yes.” Caddie sighed. “If worse comes to worst, we may lose our Alpha.” 

Paul swore as he plopped down on the couch. 

“What do we do?” Greg asked him.

“You stay a child.” 

“I am sixteen years old. I am a shifted wolf. I refuse to sit back and watch my sister get hurt!” The young wolf replied. “I am the brother of the she-wolf who became an independent Alpha at my very age. If I have to uphold the honor of that wolf, I will have to fight alongside her, for her and for the pack that means the world to her.” 

Caddie smiled, tears prickling her eyes. “You take after your father.”

“I take after my sister.” Greg retorted stubbornly. 

“And there is nothing that sister wants for you more than to live your life as a kid, with no care, duties, or responsibilities, as long as you can,” Caddie told him, holding him by his shoulders and slightly shaking him. “Because your sister didn’t get to do that. At all. She became a mother at eight years when you were born and your mother left us, and she became mother and Alpha to all of us at ten years.” 

Greg sniffed. “You saying she is old enough to die now?” 

“I won't die.” 

All three turned to the door. They did not see her come in. 

“Matilda said Lorde and I have long lives. So we won't die. It is the storm that he might bring that I am worried about.” 

“What do you mean?” Paul asked. 

She shrugged and she sat down next to him. “He is still my mate. I am worried he would use it against me.” 

Paul shook his head. That was one thing he was not worried about.

“That’s not possible. That wolf is impulsive and egoistic. He would cut off his tail than be known as your mate.”

Caddie and Greg winced and Paul realized a moment too late how hurtful his words were. 

“Alpha, I am sor-”

“Don’t apologize for saying the truth.” Gwen got up from the couch and walked towards the door, his words cutting through her walls and inflicting just the right amount of pain. But she still managed to say, “Don’t ever apologize for being right.”

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“A week?” Beta Matthias James asked. “Isn't that a little early? We need to prepare, your grace.” 

“Prepare for what?” Reagan sipped on his whiskey as he carelessly signed the documents on his table. “A pack that has such a weak female for Alpha ought to be weaker than her. Why waste precious time and resources on something like that?” 

“Why waste any time at all?” Gamma Davin Ames asked. “Just because that old hermit told you, why would you go over the trouble?” 

“I want land by the sea.” Reagan shrugged. 

Davin rolled his eyes while Matt gave him a firm look. He did not like it when someone disrespected his Alpha, even if the wolf in question was the Alpha’s cousin and best friend. 

“You can have it by taking her as your Luna, you know,” Davin said. “I mean, let's be practical, Alpha. Having Gwendolyn Radcliffe as your Luna won’t be that bad. Some would even suggest that it would be very useful. One, she is hot as hell-” Reagan hated the urge he felt to rip off his best friend's throat for the words he used to describe his mate, but he suppressed it. Gwendolyn Radcliffe did not deserve to be his mate . “-Two, the chick's bloodline has Alphas since time immemorial. Your pups will be strong as hell.” 

“Or weak like their mother.” 

“Oh come on, she isn’t that weak if the so-called Crowning Flame chose her.” Davin countered. 

“Just shut up, Davin,” Matt spoke up. “None of that is important. We can't risk the Alpha line of our pack with a woman like her.” 

Davin opened his mouth to object but then closed his mouth, knowing that his arguments were going to fall on deaf ears. 

“She is an embarrassment to were-kind.” Reagan gritted out, chugging the entire glass of liquor down in one go. “And a disappointment to the great plans I had.” 

Davin had to speak up. “I heard she is cursed.” 

“Shut up, Davin.” Matt rolled his eyes. “That’s what the Crescent Moon pack propagates to hide their chosen Alpha’s shortcomings.” 

“But-” 

“Just think about it, have you ever heard of it before?” Reagan laughed cruelly. “A female Alpha like that? A leader of a wolf pack, but without a wolf. A wolfless Alpha. What a joke!” 

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