Chapter 5


    Ezra POV


    "Miles! Emma!"


    I bellowed as Niko and I walked through the warehouse out the back of his adventure shop.


    We had often shown up on delivery days since we were teenagers, helping to carry the heavy


    equipment and hunting supplies through to the shop.


    Normally, this ce ran itself and Miles had employed humans to see that it was all ticking over


    smoothly, but on delivery day, he needed the extra muscle.


    "Ezra? I’m out front," his friendly voice boomed from the shop floor.


    Miles was about the most stand-up bloke you would ever meet.


    He rarely said a bad word about anyone and seemed to breeze through life living off positive vibes and


    a can-do attitude.


    It was admirable and I looked up to him a lot.


    All the men from the inner circle would often go on camping weekends and, over thest few years,


    Niko and I have been tagging along.


    Nothing quite beats waking up to the sound of nature and the sun rising over a mountain top.


    Niko and I strolled through the warehouse and into the front of the shop that was set up for customers


    looking for anything from torches to shooting rifles.


    It was a haven for adrenaline junkies and adventure seekers of this world.


    "Ezra! Niko!"


    Two little munchkins came racing towards us, Immy jumping up at me while Izzy went straight to Niko.


    They never tried to hide who their favorites were.I flung Immy over my shoulder, her hair trailing down


    my back, and spun quickly.


    "Where’d she go? I swear I heard the twins? Niko?" and acting just as clueless as me.


    "How strange...we must have lost them!"


    The girls screamed and giggled as we continued to spin from side to side, pretending to look for them.


    "Happy birthday Ezra! Thanks foring guys.Today’s delivery is a heavy load so I could do with your


    help," Miles said, smiling at his girls as we ced them back on their feet.


    "No problem.Happy to help," Niko said whilst walking over to look at the inventory list.


    "Ezra! Ezra! We made a new friend today! Her name is Lily and she is the most beautiful girl in the


    entire world,"Isabel gushed and put her hands under her chin, fluttering her eyshes.


    I smirked and pinched her nose.


    "I don’t believe you.No one can be more beautiful than you two!"


    "That’s what she said!" Imogen shouted excitedly.


    "But she is! And she was so cool.She had a wicked dress and she was a witch!"


    I raised my eyebrow over to Miles who was smirking behind the counter, checking the cash register.


    He caught my eye and shook his head.


    "No, she was human.But they were right about one thing.She was very pretty although a little odd.I


    would have guessed around your age as well," he replied, giving me a suggestive look.


    "Who was very pretty?"


    Emma interrupted with a teasing tone.She saddled up to him and his whole attention turned to her.


    He only ever had eyes for her.


    "Just a young woman who came into the shop today and befriended our little rascals.But you, my love,


    are out of this world!" he wrapped his arms around her waist, grinning like a cheshire cat.


    Emma rolled her eyes but beamed nheless to y.


    “ I’ll see you tonight," she gave him a kiss on the lips that ended up turning into the longest, most


    inappropriate songfest.


    Honestly, I was used to it by now.


    All our parents were like it.


    It was a mate thing.


    "Urgh.So gross,"


    Imogen stuck out her tongue and pretended to be sick.


    "Look, do you want to see a picture?" Isabel asked me, pulling out her phone.


    "A picture of what?"


    "Of Lily!" she rolled her eyes as if it was the most obvious answer.


    The girl had so much sass, just like her mother.


    "Go on then," I said, only mildly interested as I peered over Niko’s shoulder to check how much we


    would be lugging around teday.


    By the looks of the long list, it would be a few hours until I make it back to meet with my dad.But I’m


    sure, between Miles, Niko and myself, we could get it all done in an hour.


    A phone being forced into my hand, pulled my attention away and I looked down at the picture.


    I froze.My heart stopped beating just for a second before it started to race.


    There on the screen, squashed between the smiling twins, was indeed the most beautiful woman I had


    ever seen.


    Her long ck hair, parted in the middle, cascaded down to her hips in soft waves.


    Her porcin skin looked wless.


    And her lips.


    They were the fullest, most delicious things I had ever seen.I immediately imagined what they might


    taste like and my d*ck twitched.


    She was wearing a strange-looking dress that made her waist seem tiny but revealed such tempting


    cleavage that my mouth was actually watering.


    F*ck she was stunning.


    A strange image shed into my mind of a young Ruby, running through the forest with me as a child.


    Her ck hair blowing in the wind times and stared down at the picture again.


    My mind was ying tricks on me.


    This could so easily have been an older, much more beautiful Ruby except for her eyes.


    This woman had the lightest blue eyes, like the colour of a shallow tide.


    Ruby’s eyes had always been a magical magenta.


    I don’t know how long I had zoned out for, staring at the picture in my hand, but Miles’manding


    tone snapped me out of my trance.


    "Ezra! Come on man, give her back the phone before I have a full blown meltdown on my hands." I


    looked down at Isabel who was close to tears, trying to jump up and grab the phone from my hands.


    I didn’t want to give it back.I never wanted to stop looking at this woman.


    Lily.


    Reluctantly, I bent down and handed the phone back to Isabel.


    "Sorry Izz, I zoned out for a minute then.Thank you for showing me.You were right, she is gorgeous," I


    said quietly and her little face lifted into a small smile.


    "Can you send me that picture please?" I whispered, not wanting Niko or Miles to overhear.


    Luckily, they had already headed out the back to start on the delivery.


    "Okay.But she’s our friend.Not yours," she huffed as she sent the picture to my number.


    I smiled and ruffled her hair before joining the men outside.


    Once we were finally through with the delivery, Niko and I hopped into his car and headed back to the


    pack.


    It was a steep, bumpy ride up the mountain and, with Niko’s reckless driving, a bloody dangerous one


    too.


    I pulled out my phone and opened the picture Isabel had sent me.


    Even during the time I was heaving boxes through the warehouse, the am not even sure what this


    feeling is or why I feel so strongly about this woman when I’ve never even met her, but I knew that no


    other woman would everpare.


    I was drawn to her in a way that I couldn’t describe.


    "Penny for your thoughts, brother?"


    Niko asked, giving me a sideways nce from the driver''s seat as I leaned against the car window,


    staring at my phone like a love sick puppy.


    Niko isn’t my blood brother but he may as well be.He has always been there for me since I was born


    and my parents treat him as one of their own.His father died in some tragic battle between the


    vampires and werewolves years ago, saving his life and my mother''s.His mother, Fiona, is still alive but


    barely.


    She could hardly care for herself and Niko often checked in on her numerous times throughout the day


    to see if she had eaten or to try and make her leave the house.


    I felt bad for him, dealing with it on his own, but he didn’t want to burden anyone else.


    It had also made him hard.


    Not just physically, because he was a huge wall of muscle, but emotionally and mentally.


    He never seemed to let things get to him.


    I knew it was just a coping mechanism and on the few asions he had broken down in front of me, I


    was relieved.


    Relieved that he did feel things even if he didn’t always know how to show it.


    Our bond was strong.I knew I would give my life for him in a heartbeat and vice versa.


    So yes, he was my brother.


    "Do you ever wonder if you will find your mate? That one true soul that makes you feelplete?" I


    asked and saw his jaw clench.


    I knew he hated talking about this stuff but he did ask what was on my mind.


    "No, you know how I feel about that.I hope I never find her.I would rather take a chosen mate," he said


    through gritted teeth.


    I wasn’t surprised by his answer.


    He never wanted to find his mate lose them.


    We all have.


    You seem to go one of two ways.


    Be a shell of your former self, unable to function and feeling your life has no purpose like his


    mother.


    Or you be angry, set on revenge and destruction like Arius.


    Either way, it was a sad life that I wouldn’t wish upon my worst enemies.


    "But don’t you think you would regret never experiencing that feeling? That true happiness and love?"


    He shook his head.


    "No.Just look at Uncle Darius and Chloe.They are chosen mates and they couldn’t be happier."


    I peered out the window and watched the acres of pine trees and rolling mountains zoom past.


    That was true but I swear they were an exception.I turned back to him.I wanted to challenge him on this


    even though I wasn’t sure why.


    "Exactly.They love each other as well.Don’t you think they would be devastated if they lost each other?


    I think love is love, whether it is fated or not."


    He didn’t speak for a moment, as he contemted my words.


    "What is all this anyway? You turn twenty-one and you go all soft on me?" I scoffed and leaned back in


    my chair, looking at the photo again.


    If I was lucky enough to have this woman as a mate, it would be a blessing of a lifetime.But I couldn’t


    get my hopes up.


    Miles said she was human after all, so the likelihood of her being my mate was rather slim.


    Perhaps I will never find her.


    Perhaps I would find her but we would have nothing inmon and it would purely be a physical


    attraction.


    Either way, just seeing her face on the screen was the best birthday present of all.


    "No man, don’t be stupid.Thest thing I need right now is my mate showing up.We have too much


    going on.Talking of which, did you hear about the attacks happening on the vampire ns?" I asked.


    “Look good on Arius’ part, does it?" he gave me a knowing look and I chewed at my lip.


    No.


    It doesn’t look good at all.


    Climbing out of the car, I nodded to Niko, who went to check in on Fiona and made my way into the


    pack house.


    "There you are! Your dad’s waiting for you in his office,"


    Darius'' loud voice boomed through the lobby as he exited the kitchen and headed my way.I smiled at


    my goofy uncle and he greeted me with a sharp jab in the gut.


    It was enough to make me wince but not enough to knock me backwards.I was the same size as him


    now, much to his annoyance.


    "Happy day of birth Pops!"


    I rolled my eyes and gave him a shove.


    Ah yes! The nickname.


    He gave it to me when I was just a boy because he told me that I would only be the strongest and


    fiercest warrior if I ate lots of spinach like Popeye.


    Obviously, I believed him and forced the kitchen chefs to only feed me spinach for an entire week


    before I fainted fromck of protein and carbs and my mother scolded him.


    He just thought it was hrious, the d*ckhead.


    "Has he been waiting long?" I asked, catching the eye of one of the omega girls fromst night.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    She winked at me and twirled a strand of her hair around her finger.


    I gave her a tight smile but focused my attention on Darius.


    "Yeah, but he can wait a bit longer.I want to have a birthday beer with my nephew,"


    He threw his bulky arm around my shoulders and dragged me towards the bar.


    I knew I couldn’t refuse.


    He would think up some hideous prank to get back at me for running to my dad’s beck and call.


    Uncle Darius was the only man I had ever seen stand up to my father.


    And what was even After my pint, I made my way up to my dad’s office and took a seat in front of his


    desk.


    He was typing away on hisptop and nodded at me when he noticed me entering.


    I waited patiently for him to finish whatever he was doing and when he shut theptop, he released a


    long, exhausted breath.


    Our eyes connected and he grinned.


    "Happy birthday son,e here!"


    He stood up and walked towards me, pulling me into a firm embrace.


    "Twenty-one! How did that happen?" he chuckled before walking back around to his chair.


    I didn’t bother answering, as I Knew it was a rhetorical question, and just returned to my seat.


    I wasn’t sure what my new responsibilities would be in the pack, but I knew what I wanted them to be.


    From the moment I gained my wolf, Aero, I knew I would be a warrior.


    His power, strength and natural leadership over the other wolves was obvious from my first shift at


    sixteen.


    It wasn’t a surprise that I quickly became the fiercest warrior in the pack with the baster gene and


    two pure alpha blood running through my veins.


    No one could match my speed or power except my parents.


    They trained with me separately, so they could actually challenge me and soon I was able to dominate


    them as well.


    So, by the age of neen, I took over training the pack from my father.


    Joseph was still his head warrior ofbat and Fredrik still his Beta, but I loved that I had a position


    other than Alpha’s son.


    But now I want more.I knew I was ready.


    "Ezra, I have been trying to avoid giving you too much responsibility in this pack to allow you to enjoy


    your youth.I never got that chance and it was important to me that you did.But now, I must ask more of


    you." He said carefully and I nodded in understanding.


    "Things are bing...their own pack or n...we are not entirely sure.Your mother is having to spend


    a lot of time with the council due to this and I want to support her as well as keep the pack safe from


    any attacks.We have been lucky so far, but I know that it is only a matter of time." I listened intently as


    he spoke, still wondering how I can help or y a part in all of this.


    "So what I am asking of you is to step up.If I need to leave the pack or attend the council meetings with


    your mother, you will step in as acting Alpha." My eyes widened in surprise.


    As his Beta, Fredrik has always stepped into that role when needed.


    Sensing my hesitation, he continued, "Fredrik agrees.He is happy to support you in his position as Beta


    whilst I am away."


    "I would be honored.Really.I won’t let you down," I said confidently.


    I had been training for this my entire life.I loved my pack as much as my father did and I would never let


    any harme to them.


    "I know you won''t," he smiled.


    "But that is not all.I would also like you to take over as head warrior of our army.Joseph has done an


    outstanding job and is happy to pass over the baton to you.He does not think it is right to give orders to


    a fiercer warrior than himself."My face broke into the biggest grin.That was what I had hoped for.To


    lead the wolves inbat.That was what I was naturally good at.


    "Thank you.That is...the second-best birthday present I have received today."


    His thick eyebrows furrowed.


    "What''s the first?"


    I was about to open my mouth and tell him about the girl from Miles'' shop but a knock at the door


    interrupted us.


    "Come in," my father shouted, and Fredrik poked his head round the door.


    "Sorry to interrupt Alpha but I wanted to let you know that we have a visitor."


    "Who?" My dad asked as we both stood up.


    Clearly, our meeting is over.


    "Arius."


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