007 - A Beta's Fate, An Alpha's Destiny

Author's Note: Chapters 007 - 008 - 009 are FREE Chapters. You will not be charged for them, as they already appeared in the book Through The Eyes Of My Alpha. But I highly suggest reading them, as I added details and conversations. ♡

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LUNA NADIA’S BIRTHDAY PARTY

DOMINIC.

The weeks went by and turned into months.

The season was changing, and after the turmoil the pack went through for the last two months, I was glad the Alpha was getting back on his feet, taking the whole pack with him. Whatever the problem between him and Luna, they were slowly healing, and it was making everyone around them happy.

Tonight we celebrated the Luna’s twenty-second birthday. It was a small dinner, and only close families were invited.

After dinner, the younger crowd separated from the elderly ones. So I prepared the bonfire as requested by Dawson and Ellie, and excused myself from them to go straight to the pack house to help my parents and the others in the receiving room so they could have their own party. 

I also handed over the keys to the bedrooms I assigned to them for tonight. Mom and Dad, and Nicole, together with Benjamin, who had just arrived, decided to spend the night here. And Riley had asked his mother and Leandro to stay as well, which Zahra accepted right away.

Almost everyone here had a mate, except for me and Alpha Darvin. And the three females: Lady Katarina, Belle - Alpha Riley’s half-sister, and Sofia. But then, Sofia was only seventeen.

Not that it bothered me that everyone here was mated, it was just that once in a while, I kept thinking if there was anyone meant for me. Or if the Goddess thought I should be left to choose my own mate.

At twenty-three, I was getting too old already. Soon, my wolf, Pyro, would go feral.

I chuckled at my own thoughts because Caleb was three years older than me, and yet, he had just found his mate tonight. I still have three years left then. Or if I couldn’t wait, I might as well get chosen.

Janna. Do I still want her? Who knows? I needed to see her.

I was threading my way back to the forest where I left the Alpha and Luna with the younger crowd, and I was almost there when I saw a small figure walking through the forest, going in the other direction, away from where the bonfire was.

Sofia.

I debated whether I should follow her or just leave her alone. I knew the grounds were safe, but I remembered the sadness on her face that she had all night. It couldn’t be because she was unmated, she was only seventeen. So I was curious to find out why. So instead of going back to the bonfire, I went after her without making any noise.

The wind was blowing away from her direction to mine, and since she had no wolf yet, I was pretty sure she would not be able to scent me.

I watched as she found a place in between two trees and sat down, raising her knees as she hugged them. 

Was she crying?

I took a deep breath as I slipped off my jacket and walked toward where she was sitting. I placed my jacket over her hunched back, covering her. Her head tilted up, eyes squinting when she saw me while wiping her tears away.

"What do you want?" She asked, in a soft voice.

"Nothing," I answered nonchalantly, as I sat beside her. "Are you okay, kid?"

I drew my knees up and rested my forearms on them, my head tilted toward her.

"Yeah, just sad." She answered as she rested her chin on her knees.

"Why?"

"Well, I really shouldn’t be here in the first place. I was just invited because Kat is Nadia’s best friend and Darvin is the Alpha’s friend. I feel like an outsider."

"But you can make friends there. Bella is there, the Alpha’s sister. She is just one or two years older than you."

"Do you like her?" She snapped her head in my direction, her face showing no emotions at all.

"What do you mean?"

"Are you disappointed she’s not your mate?"

"Why would I even think she’s my mate?"

"Well, most Beta or Gamma ended up with their Alpha’s sisters."

"Where did you get that idea? Besides, are you looking forward to being mated to your brother’s Beta?"

"No way. He annoys me all the time."

"Maybe he likes you."

"I don’t like him. You didn’t answer my question."

"About what?"

"If you like Bella."

"I just met her. And no, I don’t like her that way."

"You like someone else? Janna, right?"

My forehead creased. "How did you know her?"

I saw her swallow before tilting her head away and looking straight ahead. "I think I heard somewhere, maybe with Luna Nadia or Jenny."

I just shrugged my shoulders. Maybe they really talked about Janna and me. 

"Yes, I like her. But I don’t think she likes me back." I chuckled.

I knew I liked Janna, but it had been months since I saw her, and there were days I didn’t even think of her. So maybe what I felt for her was just an infatuation. And that was why I wanted to see her so I could be sure of myself if I still wanted to pursue her or not.

"It’s hard when the one you like doesn’t like you or is clueless about you."

"Talking from experience, huh?" I snickered, but I got curious. "Tell me, who do you fancy?"

"No one."

"Your boyfriend? You’re still together with that jerk who abandoned you in the middle of the highway when I found you?" My brows furrowed upon recalling the state I found her in that night.

"Can I admit something?"

I just squinted my eyes and didn’t say anything, and waited for her to continue.

"I don’t have a boyfriend. I never had one. I just said it, so I won’t look like a loser there in the middle of nowhere."

"What do you mean?"

"I had a fight with Darvin that night, so I stuck off. I know it’s stupid, but you will never understand."

"Try me."

Her hands clutched the jacket I covered her back with. She slipped her arms onto it before crossing them across her chest and leaning her back against the tree behind us. "I still have your hoodie."

"You can keep it. Now start talking…"

"Darvin wanted me to find my mate once I turned eighteen."

"Isn’t that what everyone is supposed to do once they reach the age of eighteen?"

"Yes, except he’s giving me three months and if I can’t find him, he will send me to the Claiming like what he wants to do to Katarina."

"Wow!" I shook my head as my chest constricted. I was hurting for Sofia. "Do you know who he wants to mate you with?"

"No. But I think he was targeting you," she replied back nonchalantly.

My body jolted in shock. I didn’t see that coming. I opened my mouth to say something, but no words came out.

And then she started giggling as my eyes zeroed in on her. I swallowed hard. My ears started to burn. Her words caught me off guard, and the carefree way she was laughing was sucking me in. The way it did at the meadow.

She was giggling heartily. Her laughter was contagious, and before I knew it, I was laughing with her. 

"It’s not that bad to be claimed by me, you know." I chuckled at my own words. "You’ll get the best of both worlds."

Her eyebrows hiked up, a wide smile curled on her lips, and damn it, those lips looked fucking delicious.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"It’s a secret. It’s for you to find out." I winked at her.

"If I don’t get mated with you, then I will never find out."

"Yeah, I feel sorry for you then. But who knows, maybe I will end up claiming you."

"You know, I was just joking when I said Darvin was targeting you?"

"I know. Because who wants to be claimed by a Beta when this world is swarmed by Alphas with big territories and big egos? "

"I surely don’t want to be claimed by Alphas with big egos." She giggled and laid her hand out for me to take. My gaze dropped to her hand and then back to her face.

"Take my hand." She said it like she was bossing me around. "I want to see if I will be comfortable holding yours. Maybe I can make Darvin force you to claim me instead." 

A teasing smile was still on her lips, and I was wondering if she was serious or playing games with me.

I shook my head, a grin plastered on my face as I took her hand, clasping it with mine before resting our entwined hands on my knee. She didn’t say a word but just held on to my hand tightly and I had no fucking idea what I was doing or what I was feeling. But it felt comfortable like I’d been holding her hands forever.

The grin on my face disappeared as my forehead creased. I don’t know why, but all of a sudden, I was entertaining the thought of claiming her instead of Janna. Maybe because I was sure Janna didn’t want me. At least with Sofia, she laughed at my jokes. I could live with that. And her hands were soft. And I wondered if her body felt the same way.

"Is it that bad you were frowning?" Her voice sounded sad.

"No. It’s not. I was wondering, maybe it wasn’t a bad idea." 

"What do you mean?" She tugged her hand away, but I didn’t let go.

"Nothing."

"If the girl you want, her name is Janna, right? If Janna chooses someone else, well, I can be your backup plan. I’m sure I will be a good mate."

"Are you crushing on me, Sofia?"