4. ALPHA AUGUST

ALPHA AUGUST POV

“I apologize, Mr. August, but you’re not on the guest list so we can’t allow you to cross without approval.” The coven guards stated with authority. 

“Great, then get it approved because one way or another I’ll be going to the party,” I growled at the guards dangerously. 

“One moment sir.” The guard swallowed hard.

I could smell his fear. 

The guard’s eyes fluttered back mindlinking to whomever he reported to. 

After a few minutes, the guard’s eyes snapped open and he reluctantly stated. 

“The high priestess will be with you momentarily.”

Before the guard could finish his sentence, I could smell her warm, rich, golden honey scent making its way toward me.

“Mate!” my wolf growled in the back of my mind.

"Chill out Bishop, you don’t want to piss her off, or she will never let us in," I growled back at him. 

“Alpha August, how can I help you this evening?” Athena snapped.

Abruptly ending the conversation in my head.

“High Priestess, how are you this evening?” I bowed my head to her.

“Cut the crap August, what are you doing here?” Athena scowled.

Within a second she regained her composure and released the guards from their posts with a shake of her head.

I sent my men back to the SUVs with a nod so we were able to speak in private. 

“You know exactly why I’m here,” I growled.

Athena instinctively put her head down but immediately corrected the action.

 “Not tonight, August. I haven’t even told her yet.” 

“You knew this day was coming, it’s not my fault you haven’t prepared her properly.” I snarled.

Athena winced at my tone.

Bishop whined and I rubbed my temples, immediately feeling guilty for snapping at her.

“Athena, you know I have been waiting eighteen years for this day, I need my heir.”  I tried to state without using a harsh tone. 

“She is only a child, August. There is no way she is ready to become the leader of your pack,” Athena said, with more sorrow in her eyes than I had ever seen before.

Bishop whimpered.

“At least let me see her. Then I will give you three more days before I come back to take her home.”

“She is home!” Athena shot daggers at me.

“ATHENA.” I snarled.

Immediately she bowed her head but unsuccessfully tried to hide it by standing up straight and squaring her shoulders.

In another lifetime, she was supposed to be my Luna, and even though she isn't any longer, she had still been marked by me and I by her. Making it nearly impossible for her to deny me, her mate. 

Of course, with her being as powerful of a witch as she is, she could shield herself from me with a spell. It seemed more like a curse to me, but I guess it just depends on which one of us you asked. She offered to curse me as well, but my pride wouldn’t allow it, so for eighteen long years my wolf and I have suffered the loss of our soul mate. 

The moon goddess never did gift me with a second chance mate.

As we walked together, back towards the party. I basked in her scent, allowing Bishop and I to calm down just a little. 

She still felt like home. 

Goddess, how I missed this woman. 

She was as beautiful as ever; it didn’t look like she had even aged since the first day I met her. 

She did have more confidence in herself and an aura of authority. 

She had become a great leader to her coven, just as I knew she would have been a great Luna to my pack. 

As we rounded the back of the coven house, I immediately picked up a strange scent, not exactly a wolf’s scent but something very similar. 

The scent seemed to be a mix of multiple hidden species, but before I could figure out exactly which ones, a stunning young girl with the most beautiful emerald eyes came running up to Athena.

Making a shiver run down my spine.

"The little girl we saved in the forest six years ago!" Bishop exclaimed.

“Where have you been mama, we have been looking all over for you,” the girl said as she wrapped her arm around Athena.

“I’m sorry my girl, I was taking care of some things at the border, ” Athena said in a soothing tone.

“Is everything all . . .” 

Before the girl could finish her sentence, she stepped in between me and her mother, taking a protective stance when she finally noticed me standing slightly behind Athena. 

“Melia, this is Alpha August. Alpha August, this is my daughter, Melia.” Athena introduced us as she touched the girl's arm, trying to reassure her that everything was alright.

“Alpha?” Melia looked down at her mother.

“Yes, Alpha August Mangata. The Alpha of the Mangata Wolf pack”, I interrupted.

She looked me up and down, then put her tiny hands on her hips.

“Are you the reason my mother had to do coven business at my party?” She said with a low growl.

“Listen here little gi. .”

“That is enough August!” Athena snapped.

Athena cut me off before I finished my sentence. Grabbing my arm, she snapped her fingers, and before I could blink, we were back at the border of her territory. 

She was on her land and I was just across the border, no longer allowed to cross.

Bishop lets out a low howl that escaped my lips.

“I’ll be back, Athena. You have three days.” I growled between gritted teeth.

ATHENA POV

“I apologize for interrupting you this evening, my high priestess.”

A small voice said inside my head. 

I opened my mind link.

“That’s okay Marty, what can I do for you this evening?”

“I’m the guard at the front gate this evening, ma’am, and a Mr. Alpha August is requesting access to the party even though he is not on the guest list.” 

“I’ll be right there Marty; he isn’t to cross over onto our territory.”

I closed off my mind link.

The girl's birthday isn’t even until after midnight. Why is he here tonight? 

He wasn’t going to ruin this party for them, no matter what he thought. 

Days like this make me wish I still had my wolf. Then I would rip his gosh damn throat out.

Hell, I should have done it eighteen years ago! 

Making my way to the guard house, the smell of fresh strawberry mint, and chocolate engulfed my senses. His scent!

I instinctively whispered. “Mate!”

MELIA POV

While Roxy and I were rummaging through the food tables, Nana made her way over to us.

“Melia, have you seen your mother? It’s almost time for the initiation ceremony and I can’t find her. She has closed off her mindlink from everyone.”

I had a mouthful of Mrs. Wilson’s famous mac n cheese that I was trying hard to swallow.

Nana started tapping her foot at me.

“Sorry Nana, I haven’t seen her since we were upstairs,” I gasped for air.

“Let me know if you see her,” Nana said as she turned and walked towards the coven house.

I turned back to Roxanne.

“Rox stay here, I’m going to locate my sisters so we can find my mom,” I said to her before I opened my mindlink.

“Maisie, Margot, where are you guys?”

I shut off my mindlink before they could answer me, just as my mom rounded the coven house.

“Where have you been mama? We have been looking all over for you,” I wrapped my arm around hers.

“I’m sorry my girl, I was taking care of some things at the border,” Mom said in a soothing tone.

“Is everything all . . .” 

Before I could finish my sentence, I noticed a very handsome but massive stranger standing behind my mother. 

Without thinking, I immediately stepped between them to protect my mom.

When he looked down at me, I got caught off guard by his large icy silver-green eyes that sent small sparks down the base of my spine. 

“Melia this is Alpha August, Alpha August this is Melia.” Mom introduced us as she touched my arm, trying to reassure me that everything was alright.

“Alpha?” I looked down at my mother.

“Yes, Alpha August Mangata. The Alpha of the Mangata Wolf pack” the stranger states, cutting my mother off.

Who does this “Alpha” think he is? Cutting my mother off, the high priestess of the land he had been so graciously invited onto. 

I looked him up and down, then put my hands on my hips.

“Are you the reason my mother has to do coven business during my party?” I said with a low growl.

Where in the hell did that growl come from? 

I had never done that before.

My skin suddenly felt like it was on fire and I could feel my temperature rising from the base of my skull.

I'm pissed, really really really pissed. 

“Listen, here little gi . .” the alpha started to say something, ripping me from my thoughts. 

“That is enough, August!” Mom snapped.

She grabbed his arm and then snapped her fingers.

They disappeared. 

"What in the hell was that?"

A voice was speaking inside my head.

I opened my mindlink.

"Where are you, Maisie?"

"I’m coming up behind you."

As my sister reached me, I shut off my mindlink.

“I could feel you getting upset, really upset. I thought you were going to take someone’s head off,” Maisie grabbed hold of my arm.

“Some Alpha was disrespecting mom and, for some reason, it upset me, even more than it normally would have,” I confessed to her.

“An Alpha? What was an alpha doing here?" Maisie scanned my body with her hands.

“I’m not sure, but mom shimmered them somewhere. Her mindlink is closed off, so I don’t know where.” 

"What are you doing weirdo, why are you feeling me all over?" I looked at her puzzled. 

“Mia, let's go find Nana, she was looking for mom too.” Maisie offered.

Shit, I forgot to mindlink her when I found mom and goddess is she going to be mad.