《Orphan Alpha》


 Chapter 1

    Chapter 1


    ¡°Hannah, can you step into my office please?¡± Called Barb.


    I sighed and turned around to walk back to her office. She gave me a gentle squeeze on the shoulder


    as I entered and sat down. Barb was a sweet woman; she had run the orphanage since before I had


    arrived. My eyes followed her as she took her own seat behind her desk, her sses swaying on their


    chain around her neck. I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle to myself at her appearance. She looked not a day


    over thirty, but she chose to dress like an elderly librarian from the fifties.


    ¡°As you are aware, Hannah, you age out in a month.¡± Her words wiped theughter from my face.


    ¡°How is the search for a job and apartment going? Have you found anything yet?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± my shoulders slumped heavily, ¡°Nobody wants to take a chance on an orphan with no work


    history.¡±


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    ¡°Well. I have great new than!¡± Barb chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ve recently been authorized to add another caregiver to


    the orphanage. The positiones with room and board as you will be responsible for the younger


    children and their needs round the clock.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I shrieked in excitement. Barb had just told me I wasn¡¯t going to be homeless and on the


    streets in a month.


    ¡°Hannah,¡± Barb cautioned. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t offer this position to any of the others. Your circumstances are


    unique.¡±


    Barb was right. Beforeing to the orphanage, I had belonged to a pack. The rest of the orphans that


    hade through here in my time had all been human. The only other wolf in the entire ce was


    Barb herself. She was offering me the position not just so that I wouldn¡¯t end up on the street, but also


    so that I wouldn¡¯t be considered a rogue threat by other wolves in the area. I was an alpha by birth,


    which made me an even bigger threat as a rogue.


    I hade to the orphanage when I was eight, before my wolf had ever made an appearance. My


    parent¡¯s and entire pack had been wiped out while I was at a sleepover in the neighboring human


    policeman uniform with a grim look on his face. He had received a call from my parents, alerting him


    that something was wrong, but by the time he arrived, our packspound was a grizzly murder


    scene. The locals had written it off as some kind of religious massacre. They all assumed we were a


    religious group of some sort. None of them had been aware that we were a pack of werewolves.


    The only thing that saved me that night had been our packs penchant for sending the pups to the local


    schools until we reached our freshman year. I had been the only member of the pack, including the


    other pups, not on thepound that night. All because I had been at a sleepover with my human best


    friend E. I hadn¡¯t seen E outside of school since that night. At first, it just hurt too much seeing her


    with her family, but we slowly drifted further apart as time passed.


    ¡°I¡¯ve arranged for you to have a run tonight.¡± Barb said, pulling me from my thoughts of the past. ¡°There


    shouldn¡¯t be any other packs running in the area, but I will be out tonight just in case.¡±


    I thanked her and left the office, excited for both my run and not having to stress about where I¡¯d be in


    a month. Now I could focus on finding a pack. I had hoped that I could join Barb¡¯s pack, but me being in


    the system had thrown a wrench in things. I couldn¡¯t be taken in without approval of the state and they


    weren¡¯t willing to give it. With the worry of being on the streets off my shoulders, I could focus my


    attention on studying packw and stand a chance of being admitted once I turned eighteen.


    When I got back to my room, I quickly located the book with packw and plopped onto my bed. I read


    and reread the pages until the words began to blur together. I hadn¡¯t realized it had gotten dark out until


    I saw the time on my clock read ¡°11:03¡±. Time for my run! I threw on a pair of sweats and a baggy shirt


    and made my way out of the orphanage. As soon as I was out of sight of the building, I stripped, folding


    my clothing neatly, before shifting and letting my wolf have free reign.


    It had been months since thest time Barb had been able to arrange a run for me. The feeling of the


    leaves and dirt under my paws was exhrating. I sent up a silent pray that I wasn¡¯t in somerge city


    and there were actual woods for me to run through. I pumped my legs harder, flexing the muscles that


    hadn¡¯t been used in this form in months. I wanted to enjoy this run and push myself to the limits. I


    wasn¡¯t sure what would happen with my attempts to join the pack, so this could be myst run for a


    long while.


    I ran aimlessly, enjoying the feeling, until I was struck by the overpowering scent of cedar and rain. My


    legs carried me towards the scent, stopping to allow me to sniff ever so often and ensure they were on


    the right path. I found myself in a clearing by the stream that ran through the woods. The scent seemed


    to surround me here as if I were at its center, but I didn¡¯t see anything except the trees and stream.


    Slowly, I began to circle the clearing, hoping to pick up where the scent wasing from. Movement at


    the corner of my eye caught my attention and I froze when I turned to see arge ck wolf slowly


    entering the clearing. His size gave him away as an Alpha. I eyed him warily. When Barb had told me


    she arranged for me to run, that was supposed to mean no other wolves would be in the area. I knew I


    smelled like a rogue. I was pack-less after all, the fact that it wasn¡¯t by choice didn¡¯t matter.


    He moved towards me, pausing in the center of the clearing, confusion clear in his wolf eyes. I could


    feel my wolf form wanting to close the distance between us. She was yipping in joy inside our shared


    mind. Mate! Mate! Mate! I was struggling against her for control, she didn¡¯t seem to understand the


    danger we were in.


    A howl cut through the night, causing therge ck wolf to tear his gaze from me. This was my


    chance! I pounced on the momentary fear my wolf had felt at the howl and took control. I pushed my


    body as hard as I could, feeling my muscles and lungs burning, as I raced back to the orphanage. I


    shifted quickly as the edge of the trees meaning safety appeared, closing the distance in my human


    form. For the second time that night, I sent up a silent prayer of thanks, I had been smart enough to


    wear an oversized shirt out and wouldn¡¯t need to stop to pull on my sweats. The shirt would hide my


    nakedness enough for me to get inside without any questions about my missing pants from anyone I


    might run into inside.


    I didn¡¯t bother to stop as I scooped up my clothing, just tossed the shirt on and closed the distance


    between me and safety. Luckily, the orphanage was dark and quiet. Nobody would have questioned my


    clothing, but they might ask why I had been out sote. Before closing the door, I paused, the scent of


    cedar and rain was almost as strong as it had been in the clearing. ncing quickly over my shoulder, I


    saw that the wolf had indeed followed me home. I almost mmed the door in fright when I realized his


    eyes were watching me.

 Chapter 2

    Chapter 2


    Eighteen Years Earlier


    ¡°Craig, Jordan, it¡¯s good to see you. I wish it were under better circumstances though.¡± Alpha Bruce


    said.


    ¡°You too Bruce. We can¡¯t tell you how much we appreciate your help.¡± I replied.


    ¡°Nonsense. You¡¯re family Craig. I thought I made that clear when I mated with your sister. Now why


    don¡¯t you fill me in on what¡¯s been happening since you joined Jordan at the Castle?¡±


    I took a deep breath to steady myself. It had been two years since the royals made it clear that I would


    have to leave my position as Alpha of my own pack to join my mate at the castle. She was second in


    line for the throne, until her brother assumed the role, she wasn¡¯t free to live her life as Luna to my


    pack. Bruce had been kind enough to offer my pack shelter, many of them opting to join rather than


    remain in limbo waiting for our return, which could take decades.


    Things at the castle has seemed fairly boring. Jordan had to sit in on meetings asionally, it was


    required of her that she learn the ins and outs of running the entire Lycan kingdom. I spent most of my


    time training with the royal guard or finding various things to keep me busy. I had decided to look at the


    royal family lineage to keep me busy one day when I noticed something odd.


    There had been a string of deaths among the royals, but nobody had thought too much of it. Maybe the


    king did, but he never told anyone. It wasn¡¯t until I was looking at Jordan¡¯s family tree that I realized


    every death was of someone in line to the throne. I wasn¡¯t too sure what would happen once all of the


    blood heirs were wiped out; it was something that had never happened in the history of our kind.


    Unless you count bloody coups that reced one dynasty with another, but this seemed like something


    else was afoot.


    I didn¡¯t want to rm Jordan. All of the deaths had appeared to be of natural causes on the surface,


    though it was highly unusual for illness or disease to take out a wolf. Our species was generally


    healthier than humans, untouched by things that would take them out easily, but it did happen on


    asion. I decided to investigate deeper into the deaths. I wanted to know if my mind was creating


    suspicion out of boredom or if there was actually a plot unfolding under our noses.


    I spent the next few weeks sneaking around, gathering information. I had tried to go directly to the royal


    physicians, but they had refused to give me any information. My status as an Alpha held no bearing in


    the royal court. Here I was simply Jordan¡¯s mate. I tried to use her own Alpha status as leverage, she


    was after all the oldest, but since the crown passed first through the male line, that hadn¡¯t helped either.


    Without assistance in gaining ess to the deceased royal¡¯s medical records and autopsy reports, I


    had been delegated to sneaking into offices after hours. In order to avoid my activities being detected, I


    had stolen the files one at a time, making note of anything that seemed important. By the time I had


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    sorted through all of the records, there was one thing that stood out to me in my notes. All of the dead


    royals had been the picture of health prior to their deaths.


    With the exception of a handful of the deaths, all of them had beenbelled idental. They had


    consumed a deadly amount of wolfsbane. The royals were known to consume small amounts of


    wolfsbane in an attempt to inocte themselves against being poisoned with the stuff, some of them


    taking it in small doses with their evening meal. Even so, the amounts detected by their toxicology


    reports was well over what they would have consumed. They had been intentionally poisoned. I would


    need to talk to their omega, if any where still working at the castle after the demise of their masters.


    Making a note to look into the location of the omegas, I turned my attention to the few deaths that


    weren¡¯t from wolfsbane poisoning. They seemed straightforward, a training ident, a run in with a


    vamp, a heart attack. All fairly mundane and not so unusual in the general wolf poption. These were,


    however, royal wolves, all in line for the throne should anything happen to Jordan or her brother. They


    should have been heavily guarded and undergoing regr physicals to detect and treat any ailments. I


    knew I wouldn¡¯t get anything from the physicians, I had needed to steal the records to learn anything in


    the first ce, but I might have some luck with their personal guards, if I could track them down. Before


    I could decide how to proceed with getting information on them, Jordan burst into the room, panic


    written across her face.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong love?¡± I asked, rushing to her side.


    ¡°Ezekiel.¡± She sobbed. ¡°Ezekiel is dead. He was found in the gardens with his throat slit.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t certain what that meant for my suspicions, but I wasn¡¯t about to have us stick around the castle


    and find out. I hurriedly packed our belongings, exining what I had found and what I thought it meant


    to Jordan as we raced along the highway toward Silver Moon packnds. Jordan agreed that it looked


    like someone was trying to kill off the royal line, but her grief was so fresh that she couldn¡¯t think deeper


    into it to offer any insights. I had called Bruce on the way and we found ourselves in his office a few


    dayster.


    ¡°We need somewhere safe to hide out while we figure out what all of this means.¡± I told him as I


    finished exining the things I had found.


    ¡°Well, we have an emptypound on the edge of packnds. It¡¯s registered under the Silver Moon


    pack, of course. I expect your pack members that haven¡¯t joined here will be more than happy to move


    there under their Alpha. None of your soldiers have joined us officially so you will have plenty of


    protection.¡±


    ¡°My royal guard will join us as well.¡± Jordan interjected. ¡°Even if this is some plot and not a coincidence,


    they are loyal to me and me alone.¡±


    I nodded in agreement. Jordan was right, her guard was extremely loyal to her and they would relocate


    in secret with just a word from her. With the existing warriors from my pack and her guard, we would be


    well protected. We could remain hidden under the guise of being an extension of the Silver Moon pack


    as far as anyone in the royal court was concerned. It would help conceal us further as we tried to find


    out just what had been happening. We could deal with Jordan being the sole remaining heir to the


    lycan throne once this mystery was solved.

 Chapter 3

    Chapter 3


    Tree branches tore through my hair as I ran, my wolf refusing toe forward. I was in danger. The


    sound of paws thundered behind me and I pushed myself to run faster. I found myself suddenly in the


    clearing with nothing to provide cover. Not that it would have helped anyway, the wolf would sniff me


    out. My only chance was to reach the water. I tripped over a protruding root as I moved towards the


    stream. Before I could stand, the wolf was flying through the sky at me, shifting into human form as he


    sliced through the air.


    ¡°HANNAH! COME ON, WE¡¯RE GOING TO MISS BREAKFAST.¡± An irritated voice yelled through the


    door, waking me from my nightmare.


    ¡°I¡¯ming!¡± I called back, untangling myself from my sweat filled sheets.


    The previous nights encounter had rattled me. My wolf was on edge, angry that I had ran from our


    mate. I was more concerned that he had wanted to rip our throat out. We were pack-less after all, and


    that made us a rogue threat. I would have to find Barb after school today and let her know about the


    incident. I dressed quickly and after brushing my teeth and tossing my hair in a messy bun, I headed to


    the orphanages cafeteria with my backpack slung across my shoulder.


    ¡°Hey Hannah! Saved you a seat.¡± Called Toby. He had been here longer than me and aged out in a


    week. We had be close friends during our time here.


    I grabbed my breakfast and sat beside him, eating quietly. The nightmare was still reying in my


    mind. Part of me wondered if I would have seen my mates human form if I hadn¡¯t been woken up. I


    listened to Toby rattle on about a job he had found at the local movie theater and his small studio


    apartment. He couldn¡¯t sign the lease on his own until he was eighteen, but Barb had made


    arrangements so that he would be able to move in the same day, preventing him from being homeless


    for a few days.


    I was excited for him. It was difficult for orphans to find a ce of their own in our area once they aged


    out. Most of them left the area in search of other rtive to help them out. A handful ended up in the


    local homeless shelter. None of them had the addedplication of being a werewolf with Alpha blood


    though.


    The school day flew by in a blur. We were in finals week so there wasn¡¯t much happening other than


    test and graduation prep. I was exhausted from the run and my nightmare and spent most of the time


    napping in my sses. I knew the material like the back of my hand so there wasn¡¯t much point in


    prepping. The counselor had called me to her office to discuss my college applications. She had given


    me a lecture on wasting my potential by not applying anywhere. I couldn¡¯t exactly tell her that it was


    dangerous for me to go anywhere since I wasn¡¯t a member of any pack.


    I was relieved to get back to the orphanage. Tossing my bag in my room, I went to find Barb. I found


    her in her office on the phone, a concerned look on her face. She waved me in and signaled for me to


    sit and be quiet while she wrapped up the conversation. Finally, she sighed and hung up the phone.


    ¡®Alpha Tristan¡¯ disyed on the screen before her phone went to sleep.


    ¡°So, you had quite the adventurest night.¡± She said, folding her fingers together under her chin.


    I raised my eyebrow in confusion. There was no way that she already knew I ran into another wolfst


    night.


    ¡°That was Alpha Tristan. He apparently scented a wolf in the woodsst night and followed it her.¡±


    ¡°Alpha Tristan?¡± I stammered.


    ¡°Yes dear. Now, would you like to tell me what happened? You¡¯re the only wolf in this orphanage aside


    from myself, and I didn¡¯te back here. I returned to my pack after my run.¡± She chuckled.


    I didn¡¯t know where to start. I knew Alpha Tristan wasn¡¯t her packs alpha. Her pack¡¯s alpha was named


    Bruce. I had met him once before when I expressed interest in joining their pack. I wasn¡¯t sure which of


    the other packs in the area belonged to the alpha she had been speaking to on the phone. I sighed and


    decided I would just start with leaving for my run.


    ¡°I knew it!¡± She squealed after I finished telling her the whole story. ¡°I knew he was hiding something.


    He wouldn¡¯t have called me over just any wolf.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m still technically a rogue.¡± I stammered, my face flushing at her reaction.


    ¡°Oh, sweet girl, you¡¯re his mate.¡± She chided. ¡°If it were just because of a rogue wolf he would have


    contacted Alpha Bruce from my pack. Besides, you¡¯re only rogue for another month when the state


    finally gets out of your business and you can join the pack.¡±


    Her excitement was making me giddy. I had been terrified to face himst night, afraid that my rogue


    status marked me as a threat no matter how loud my wolf screamed mate. I tried to calm myself as she


    prattled on about wolves usually finding their mate much earlier than seventeen. I probably would have


    found him when my wolf first emerged if my pack hadn¡¯t been wiped out, leaving me in a human


    orphanage.


    ¡°Wait, isn¡¯t he kind of old to be my mate?¡± I blurted out as the thought crossed my mind. ¡°I mean aren¡¯t


    all alpha¡¯s old like Bruce?¡±


    Barb chuckled. ¡°Oh, sweetie, Tristan is only neen. Not all alphas are as old as Bruce, who is only


    fifty-two by the way. Each pack has its own guidelines on when and how to pass the mantle to the next


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    alpha. Bruce¡¯s son, maybe even his grandson will take over when he¡¯s ready to retire. If I¡¯m not


    mistaken, the Iron Hide pack passes their mantle as soon as their new Alpha turns eighteen.¡±


    I felt the heat rising in my face as she corrected my assumptions. I was starting to realize just how little


    I knew about being in a pack. Barb mistook my embarrassment over not knowing about thews


    governing different packs as excitement that my newly discovered mate wasn¡¯t inappropriately older


    than me. Her assertion that it was perfectly natural to have naughty thoughts about one¡¯s mate only


    deepening my blush. I excused myself and left her giggling at my predicament.


    ¡°Woah! Watch it Han.¡± Toby grunted as I ran into him in the hall.


    Great, now I would have a second person to exin my blushing face too, except Toby was human and


    I couldn¡¯t tell him about mates. Before I could say anything, I caught sight of a bag slung over his


    shoulder.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± I inquired.


    ¡°Barb got everything greenlit for me to go ahead and move into my apartment. I¡¯m taking my stuff over


    there now. Wanna help? There¡¯s more bags in my room.¡±


    I nodded and quickly grabbed a trash bag full of more of his belongings. I couldn¡¯t tell him what was up


    but getting away from Barb for awhile would bring some relief. Thest thing I wanted was more of her


    teasing me, no matter how well intended. I couldn¡¯t flex my wolf muscles again, but I could at least


    wear out my human body enough helping Toby move that I wouldn¡¯t have to think about anything that


    had happened sincest night.

 Chapter 4

    Chapter 4


    I was waiting for Toby in the quad after finishing myst final exam when the scent of cedar and rain


    reached me. Our mate is near! My wolf yipped in my mind. Panic and desire began to war within me as


    my eyes scanned the empty quad. I knew Barb had spoken to Alpha Tristan yesterday, but that didn¡¯t


    change the fact that I was still a rogue with Alpha blood. I screamed when a hand grabbed my


    shoulder.


    ¡°Shit Hannah, I think you burst my eardrums!¡± Toby eximed.


    ¡°You scared me, Toby!¡± I scolded, my heart still hammering in my chest.


    Toby moved to put his arm around me and was suddenly mmed against the building.


    ¡°MINE!¡± snarled the man holding Toby with his elbow pressed against his throat.


    Even with a murderous look on his face, he was gorgeous. I couldn¡¯t help but rake my eyes over him,


    taking in his muscr form and shaggy, jet ck hair. His scent was intoxicating. I wanted to mark him


    right there in the open. Get a grip Hannah! I scolded myself, shaking my head to try and clear my


    thoughts. Toby¡¯s face was turning purple from theck of oxygen.


    ¡°Let him go asshole!¡± I heard myself say.


    I watched the muscles in his back tense momentarily before he released Toby. He looked at me, his


    eyes a mixture of confusion, anger, and hurt, before leaving as quickly as he hade.


    ¡°What the fuck was that about?¡± Toby choked out, rubbing his throat.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know Tob.¡± I lied. ¡°We should get back to the orphanage. We have a graduation party to n


    and we should probably see if Barb has a line on any furniture for your new apartment.¡±


    Toby and I walked home in silence. Neither of us wanted to talk about anything other than the incident


    at school, but I couldn¡¯t give Toby any answers. We weren¡¯t supposed to tell humans about us, unless


    we mated to them, and Toby wasn¡¯t my mate. When we walked in, the receptionist called for Toby to


    sign in, he had technically moved out the day before and didn¡¯t live in the orphanage anymore. I was


    waiting for him to retrieve his visitor pass when Barb grabbed my arm and led me to her office.


    ¡°I¡¯ve received a call from Alpha Bruce today.¡± She said, closing the door behind her. ¡°Alpha Tristan


    wants a meeting with my pack, about you.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m not a member of Silver Moon pack yet. I still have almost a month until I¡¯m not a ward of the


    state and can join!¡± I eximed.


    ¡°I know.¡± She shushed me. ¡°When Alpha Tristan called yesterday, I told him as much. Since you intend


    to join our pack when you age out of the system, he has decided to approach our Alpha as if you were


    already a member.¡±


    I sat in stunned silence. I would have expected Alpha Tristan to want to reject me since I was a rogue.


    The incident at schoolbined with him reaching out to the Alpha of my intended pack was beginning


    to suggest otherwise. My heart sped up as I let myself hope that I wasn¡¯t jumping to the wrong


    conclusion.


    ¡°Alpha Bruce didn¡¯t divulge Alpha Tristan¡¯s intentions.¡± Barb cautioned, answering my unspoken


    question. ¡°All he would say is that I am to take you to the pack house this evening.¡±


    I nodded as Barb led me to the door, advising me to dress nicely before I left. I headed to my room,


    hoping that Toby would be there to distract me until visiting hours were over. I was relieved to find him


    lounging on my bed, skimming through a magazine.


    ¡°What did Barb want?¡± He asked when I entered the room.


    ¡°Oh! I forgot to tell you yesterday, she offered me a position here as caregiver once I turn eighteen. She


    wanted to go over a few details with me.¡± It wasn¡¯t totally a lie, she had offered me the job, but I


    couldn¡¯t tell Toby what today¡¯s conversation had really been about.


    Toby jumped off the bed and grabbed me in a congrattory hug. He knew I had been stressing about


    what would happen to me after my birthday. I gently pulled away and picked up the magazine he had


    been reading when I came in. I chuckled when I realized he had been looking through a furniture


    catalogue.


    We spent the next few hours figuring out how to create a budget online and picking out his dream


    pieces of furniture. He couldn¡¯t afford most of them, but it still felt good to fantasize about owning them.


    I felt a twinge of jealousy. I didn¡¯t have to worry about a job or ce to live anymore, but I also wasn¡¯t


    going to be decorating my own ce any time soon.


    When the announcement ending visiting hours came across the pa system, Toby gathered up his newly


    printed budget and a few print offs of furniture he could actually afford before heading out. As soon as


    he shut the door behind him, I flew to my closet. I had a meeting with two Alphas, and I had to find


    something to wear. I tore threw my clothing, tossing things on the floor as I searched for the perfect


    outfit. Nothing I had seemed appropriate and I was about to have a break down when Barb entered the


    room.


    ¡°I thought you might have this problem.¡± She chuckled, looking at the clothes tossed everywhere. ¡°I


    brought you something to wear.¡±


    She handed me a light floral print dress. It wasn¡¯t fancy by any means, it looked more like something


    someone would wear to work at an office. I gave her a quick hug and ran to my bathroom to change.


    The dress entuated all of my curves without making me look overly sexy. I looked like an attractive


    young intern as I threw my hair into a high pony and applied light makeup. I wasn¡¯t sure how I was


    supposed to look for a meeting with alphas, but if this was what Barb felt was appropriate, it would do.


    ¡°ts!¡± Barb said, handing me my shoes as I exited the bathroom. ¡°You look lovely.¡±


    I sped my hands tightly in myp as Barb pulled up to the pack house. The ce was huge. It


    looked like an upscale, rustic hotel from the outside, which wasn¡¯t helping my nerves. Some of the pack


    new me from my previous meetings with Alpha Bruce while trying to find a way for me to join before I


    was eighteen. This evening was different though, I knew Alphas didn¡¯t travel alone, so there would be


    wolves who didn¡¯t know me aside from my scent as a rogue.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be fine.¡± Barb soothed, squeezing my hand gently as she pulled into a parking space.


    I was grateful for herfort, but it did little to calm my nerves. My stomach was in knots and my


    hands trembled as I exited the car. The few yards to the pack house entrance felt like a death march. I


    took a deep breath to steady myself as Barb led me through the crowded house to Bruce¡¯s office. While


    the wolves who knew me smiled as I passed, the few I saw that were clearly Iron Hide pack eyed me


    suspiciously.


    ¡°Ah, there you are! Come in,e in. You too Barb, after all you¡¯re Hannah¡¯s guardian at the


    orphanage. You will be acting in the stead of her parents.¡± Bruce called as we neared his office.


    My senses were overwhelmed as we took our seats. I had smelled him when we entered the pack


    house, but in the close confines of the office, cedar and rain were all I could scent. Not even Barb¡¯s


    usual perfume could break through the smell of him. I risk a nce at him and saw his jaw tighten


    when I took the seat furthest away from him. I was struggling to keep my wits about me already, I


    needed Barb as a buffer.


    Bruce cleared his throat, pulling Alpha Tristan¡¯s eyes from me. I felt myself blush, knowing I was the


    cause of the awkwardness, even if nobody else seemed to notice. The other wolves in the room were


    acting like an alpha staring down some girl like he could eat her was business as usual. It made me


    realize just how little I really knew about being a wolf and it made me miss my parents. Caught up in a


    sudden wave of grief, I didn¡¯t notice I was being spoken too until I Barb gave me a gentle nudge.


    ¡°Sorry, can you repeat that?¡± I asked shyly.


    ¡°Have you been experiencing any symptoms of heat?¡± Bruce asked matter-of-factly.


    My face turned red. I knew that female wolves went into heat a short time after finding their mates, but I


    had no idea what the symptoms were. Even if I did, it seemed personal and not something to discuss


    as a point of business in front of anyone else.


    ¡°She hasn¡¯t.¡± Barb spoke up.


    ¡°Good. That means we won¡¯t have that to contend with should you choose to reject her Tristan.¡±


    My heart dropped. Maybe I had gotten my hopes up for nothing and this meeting really was about


    officially rejecting me. Though, I still didn¡¯t understand why a rejection would require a meeting. As far


    as I knew, it only had to be spoken aloud between mates.


    ¡°I came for answers about her rogue status.¡± Tristan snarled. ¡°I know from my previous phone call with


    your Delta Female that she is an orphan. What I want to know is why and why she hasn¡¯t been


    epted into your pack if she is intended to join.¡±


    I sat in silence as Bruce and Barb retold the story of how I hade to be in an orphanage. My story


    was an unusual one and Tristan listened without interruption. My parents had both been alphas of


    smaller packs, which they merged when they found each other as mates. Even with both packs as one,


    our pack was smallpared to Iron Hide or Silver Moon. They told him that if I hadn¡¯t been in the care


    of humans when my pack was wiped out that I wouldn¡¯t have been in the human system at all. They


    had pulled enough strings in the government to ensure that I was ced in the orphanage under Barb¡¯s


    care, so that I would grow up with another wolf.


    I snapped my head up hearing that. I hadn¡¯t known that it was intentional me ending up with Barb.


    Apparently, that was where Silver Moon pack¡¯s power and influence ran out. They hadn¡¯t been able to


    get the state to let anyone from the pack to take me in or adopt me, which would have allowed me to


    be initiated in as a child.


    ¡°We¡¯ve done everything we can to keep her under our care and protection until she ages out of the


    system.¡± Barb concluded.


    ¡°How old are you?¡± Tristan asked me gently.


    ¡°Seventeen. I¡¯ll be eighteen next month, Alpha.¡±


    ¡°You can call me Tristan, Hannah. You are my mate. You will be my Luna.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not rejecting me? I mean, you¡¯re ok with me being a rogue?¡± I stammered.


    ¡°The Moon Goddess made you for me, and me for you. You are mine to protect.¡± He responded,


    speaking as if no one else was in the room.


    My wolf yipped with joy in my mind and my heart felt like it would burst from happiness. My mate


    epted me. He wanted me.


    ¡°I will have Iron Hide packwyers draw up the paperwork for emancipation on Hannah¡¯s behalf.¡±


    Tristan informed Bruce. ¡°I expect your Delta Female will cover for her at the orphanage until the


    legalities are done.¡±


    ¡°Of course, as long as that it was Hannah desires. I expect your packwyers will be able to get the


    emancipation through where we could not.¡± Bruce looked at me to confirm whether I wanted to go with


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    Tristan or not.


    Before I could even consider what going with him meant, I found myself nodding my head. I had no


    idea what being a mate, let alone a mate to an Alpha, would entail, but I knew I didn¡¯t want to be away


    from him. The longer I sat in the office surrounded by his scent, the harder it was bing for me to


    keep from throwing myself on him in front of everyone.


    ¡°It¡¯s settled than.¡± Tristan stated, grabbing my hand. ¡°I will be taking leave with my mate now. Thank


    you for humoring me with this meeting.¡±


    Tristan led me by the hand, out of the room. I barely had a chance to wave goodbye to Barb before we


    were out of the room. Feeling me tense as we walked into the main room of the pack house, Tristan


    pulled me closer to him. The handful of wolves that had eyed me suspiciously when I first entered the


    house fell in step behind us. Tristan¡¯s eyes had zed over as he continued to lead me to the car. I


    wondered if that meant he was linking his pack. I had never seen Barb do it to know what it looked like.


    He smiled down at me as he helped me into the passenger seat of an expensive looking sports car and


    in moments, we were off to start my new life with the Iron Hide pack.

 Chapter 5

    Chapter 5


    ¡°We¡¯re going to have toe clean, sooner rather thanter, Alpha.¡± I said. ¡°From what I know of the


    young Alpha Tristan, he¡¯s going to want to push her emancipation instead of wait for her birthday.¡±


    ¡°Barb, you worry too much.¡± Alpha Bruce chided. ¡°She turns eighteen in a month, and with you


    covering at the orphanage, he has no reason to push for it.¡±


    Shouldn¡¯t the Luna be involved in this conversation? Hannah is her niece after all.¡± I demanded,


    breaking protocol by challenging my alpha.


    ¡°We agreed to do whatever it takes to protect her already. Judencia would agree with me on


    this. Leave it alone, Barb.¡± He growled.


    I sighed. There was no arguing when he used his Alpha tone. Even if I wanted to, I couldn¡¯t


    broach the topic with my Luna. I bowed my head and made my way out of the packhouse. Whoever


    had murdered Craig and Jordan was still out there, and it infuriated me that Alpha Bruce couldn¡¯t see


    that keeping Hannah in the dark about her im to the throne was putting her in danger.


    I hade to love her as my own pup in the time I had cared for her at the orphanage. If I had


    had my way, she would have been under the protection of the Silver Moon pack from the start. The


    only thing that had stopped me from pushing the issue was knowing that her parents had been


    surrounded by warriors and still died. Silver Moon was a strong pack but couldn¡¯t hold a candle to the


    wolves Hannah¡¯s parents hadmanded. They had all died when thepound had been attacked.


    Nobody outside of myself, Alpha Bruce, and Luna Judencia knew Hannah was thest blood


    line heir to the throne. We had managed to use what influence the pack had to keep her true parentage


    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    out of court documents when we had her ced in my orphanage. Hannah herself waspletely


    unaware that she was a royal. The girl deserved a chance at a normal pack life, without the danger and


    intrigue that came with being royalty.


    I sighed and turned down the road towards thepound. Nobody from Silver Moon pack had


    visited since the police had closed it down for evidence processing. I still didn¡¯t know how they had beat


    us to the scene, but once they were involved our hands were tied. I wasn¡¯t sure what made me want to


    When the iron gates came into view of my headlights, I slowed to a stop. The crime scene tap


    was still up, though beaten by years of weather, and the gate had long rusted shut. I made quick work


    of scaling over it into thepound, before stripping down and shifting. I had suspicions when the


    attack first urred that the police would miss something vital though I could never bring myself to


    enter thepound before. Most of the evidence would be long gone by now, but something urged me


    forward.


    There were no scents to follow, even the humans had avoided the ce for thest ten years.


    The authorities had passed it off as a wild pack of wolves, thanks in part to the few who had died in


    their wolf form. Those who didn¡¯t believe the official story were convinced it was some religious murder


    cult, either way they avoided the area. I forced back the images of the murdered wolves from my mind


    and made my way to Hannah¡¯s childhood home.


    The house hadn¡¯t held up well without maintenance, the door was warped and barely set on the


    hinges. I carefully made my way inside, not sure what I was looking for. Aside from the damage of


    unchecked time, the ce looked as it had when Craig and Jordan moved in. The family photos were


    still along the walls, dinner tes were left on the coffee table where their meal was interrupted by the


    attack. If nothing else, I could gather some photos to give to Hannah, she would appreciate them.


    If I were a clue, where would I be? I thought to myself before making my way to the master


    bedroom. I shifted back to human form the moment I saw the room. Unlike the others, it was trashed.


    Someone had torn through it as if they were looking for something. I could tell by theck of scent that


    it hadn¡¯t been ransacked recently, I only hoped it had been curious kids looking for something to steal


    and not whoever had killed them.


    Footsteps caught my attention, and I lifted my nose in the air to catch the scent. I¡¯m imagining


    things. I scolded myself. There wasn¡¯t any detectible scent which meant that I was alone. I gingerly


    made my way deeper into the room, scanning for anything that stood out in the mess. My eyesnded


    on a torn piece of cloth; it was caught on the edge of an open drawer. It looked remarkably simr to


    the material the royal guard¡¯s uniforms were made from. It was the same type and color. Something


    was definitely off about it being in this room.


    The sound of footsteps reached my ears again and I crouched down. I still couldn¡¯t smell


    anything, but every sense in my body was screaming that I was not alone. I shifted quickly into my wolf


    form and hid myself beside the bed as best I could. I had barely concealed myself when a man dressed


    like the royal guard entered the room. I froze, praying to the goddess he wouldn¡¯t see me.


    ¡°Owen.¡± Called a woman¡¯s voice. ¡°We¡¯ve already checked that room. There was nothing that


    would lead us to the girl.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t control the growl that escaped me, the drive for self-preservation was overruled by the


    need to protect my pup. I lunged at the man, knocking him over, and raced out of the house. A quick


    nce over my shoulder as I pushed myself towards the gate revealed a tall, blond woman, watching


    me. Whoever she was knew about Hannah and she was looking for her. I needed to get back to the


    pack house and warn Alpha Bruce.

 Chapter 6

    Chapter 6


    The Iron Hide pack house was muchrger than the rustic pack house of Silver Moon pack. It was


    obvious from the size of the ce that the pack was both extremelyrge and extremely wealthy. I felt


    ridiculously out of ce as Tristan led me inside.


    He led me by the hand to his office, not bothering to stop for introductions to any of the wolves we met


    as we passed by. Their stares made me more nervous than I had been since the night I met him in the


    woods. I didn¡¯t know anything about pack life, but it seemed odd that an Alpha wouldn¡¯t stop to


    introduce his mate to the pack.


    Once inside his office, he gestured for me to sit before making his way to his own seat behind his


    oversized desk. I felt my face drop at the loss of physical contact. Simply holding his hand had me


    running on a high I had never experienced before. I was afraid that he was changing his mind about


    epting me as his mate.


    ¡°When is your birthday?¡± he asked quietly.


    ¡°July second.¡± I responded quietly, looking at my hands as I sped them in myp.


    ¡°Hey, look at me.¡± He encouraged. ¡°You¡¯re underage until July second. Until then, I think it would be


    best if we took things slow. Get you settled in as part of the pack and get to know each other before we


    ¡°I.. Well, I don¡¯t really know what any of that means. I was studying the packw information from Barb,


    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    but that¡¯s all I know about packs.¡± I blurted out.


    To my surprise, Tristan burst outughing beforeing around the desk and kneeling in front of me. I


    wasn¡¯t sure what he had found so funny, myck of knowledge about my own species was making me


    ufortable.


    ¡°I promise I will teach you everything you need to know.¡± He whispered, taking my face in his hands.


    ¡°First, I think we make you part of the pack. You won¡¯t scent like a rogue anymore and it will make it


    easier for me to keep you safe.¡±


    The sincerity in his honey colored eyes was all it took for me to nod my head in agreement. He rose


    and grabbed a letter opener from his desk. I gasped as he drew it across his hand, slicing open his


    palm. Instinctively, I withdrew when he reached to do the same to mine.


    ¡°Hannah, I promise it¡¯s ok. In order to make you a part of the pack, I have to mix my blood with yours,


    ok?¡±


    I nodded and he quickly cut my hand with the letter opener.


    ¡°Ok, now repeat after me. I swear to protect the happiness and wellbeing of the pack and my alpha, to


    the best of my abilities, for the rest of my days.¡±


    I repeated the words as Tristan pressed our bleeding palms together. As soon as the final word passed


    my lips, my mind was filled with voices of the pack, weing me. Sensing it was overwhelming me, I


    heard Tristan¡¯s voice in my mind telling them to calm down. I looked at him in awe as the roar of voices


    subsided.


    ¡°What was that? I whispered.


    ¡°That was our pack weing their Luna through our mind link, though you won¡¯t officially be made


    Luna until after your birthday.¡± He grinned at me, obviously pleased with the reaction from the pack.


    I threw my arms around him and felt him stiffen causing me to pull back, my hurt evident on my face.


    He sighed and grabbed a cloth from his desk to clean the blood from our hands, the cuts having


    already healed. I sat silently, feeling rejected, and watched him return to his seat on the opposite side


    of the desk once he was done cleaning our palms.


    ¡°Hannah. I need you to understand. I¡¯m almost twenty, you aren¡¯t of age yet. As much as I want to feel


    you close to me, it makes it difficult not to give in andplete our mate bond. It wouldn¡¯t be right for


    me to do that before you¡¯re eighteen.¡± He pled.


    I wanted to understand, but the age gap seemed trivialpared to the need to touch him that was


    currently raging in my body. Logically, I knew I was still a minor and a ward of the state at that. He


    couldn¡¯t do anything that could risk the emancipation suit he had mentioned in Bruce¡¯s office. Sexing


    me up, no matter how badly I wanted it, wouldn¡¯t look that great in court. Being mates would have been


    much simpler if my parents were still alive.


    I was still stuck in my mental tantrum when there was a knock on the office door. A in looking girl


    entered and informed Tristan that my belongings had arrived. He took that as his cue to lead me to a


    room, where my things from the orphanage had been stashed.


    ¡°This is your room, until weplete our mate bond. You can decorate it however you want. My room


    is just next door.¡± He told me.


    I looked around in awe. The room was at least twice the size of my room in the orphanage without the


    en suite bathroom. My few belongings looked out of ce in the massive room. I squealed in delight at


    the thought of decorating the ce, flinging myself onto the queen-sized bed as I did. Tristan plopped


    down beside me chuckling.


    ¡°If a bedroom gets you this excited, I am sorry that I have to miss your first run of packnds.¡±


    ¡°You want me to run alone?¡± I gaped, his words recing my excitement with fear.


    ¡°No. Jaxon, that¡¯s my beta, and his mate are going to take you on a run around packnds.¡± He replied,


    lowering his voice before continuing. ¡°I can barely control myself around you as it is, I can¡¯t risk letting


    my wolf take over with you around.¡±


    My mouth formed a silent O as heid down on the bed beside me. I found myself moving closer to


    him, his scent enticing me to get as close to him as I possibly could. Heid there for a moment, his


    body stiff, as I pressed my face into his side an inhaled his scent.


    ¡°Hannah.¡± He said, his voice as tense as his body. ¡°I¡¯m going to go now. Jaxon and his mate will be


    here shortly to take you on your run. If you need anything at all, let them know and we will get it taken


    care of for you.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel saddened as he left the room, the pain of his absence greatly outweighing my


    excitement at being a member of the pack and about to take my first run in packnds. I sighed and


    forced myself to get up from the bed to find something appropriate to wear on a run. I didn¡¯t have much,


    so I quickly unpacked as I looked for my oversized sweatshirt and basketball shorts.

 Chapter 7

    Chapter 7


    I had managed to unpack all my belongings and change before Jaxon and his mate arrived. I opened


    the door to my room to find a small brte grinning at me as she stood beside an oversized blonde


    male. I knew it was the beta and his mate, but his size was terrifying.


    ¡°Hannah! I¡¯m so excited that you¡¯re finally here! I can¡¯t tell you how happy I am that Tristan has found


    our luna!¡± The woman squealed, pulling me into a hug.


    ¡°Cam, let her go before you scare the poor girl. I¡¯m Jaxon by the way, everyone calls me Jax and this is


    my mate Cam.¡± He said, pointing his thumb in the direction of the woman who had been squeezing the


    air out of me.


    I didn¡¯t bother to introduce myself as it was apparent, they already knew my name. Instead I allowed


    Cam to take my hand and pull me behind her through the pack house to the wooded area outside.


    There was a building just before the woods that looked simr to a campground bathroom that I had


    visited once as a child. Cam led me inside, telling me that when we were near the pack house, most of


    the pack would shift inside so they had privacy. Nudity wasn¡¯t necessarily taboo in a pack, but there


    had been an issue over a mated female in the past so Tristan had established the changing rooms to


    prevent further disagreements among pack members.


    I hung my clothes on the hook inside the female side of the changing rooms and shifted. My wolf


    howled as soon as she had taken over, her joy at finally being mated and a member of a pack too


    much to contain. I noticed Cam¡¯s wolf was just as tiny as her human form, but it was an attractive blend


    of brown and silver fur. She nuzzled me with her snout, her wolf as affectionate as her person, before


    leading me outside to meet Jax. His wolf wasn¡¯t asrge as I had expected, though still muchrger


    than his mate.


    Ready? I heard Cam¡¯s voice through the mind link. I jumped, the whole mind link thing still being new to


    me, and then lowered my head as if I were nodding. We took off into the woods, following Jax¡¯s silver


    fur as we weaved in and out of the trees. The packnds were expansive, further confirming that Iron


    Hide pack wasrge and wealthy. The run through them was exhrating. It was the first time since I


    had met my wolf that I could run without worrying about being mistaken for a rogue threat.


    My heart was filled with joy. My wolf wanted to run until she copsed enjoying the ability to run


    carefree as much as I was. Sensing my excitement, Cam sprinted past Jax, forcing us to increase our


    speed. I wasn¡¯t sure how much of my history either of them had been told through the mind link, but


    she seemed to understand that this was the first time I had been able to let go and run.


    We raced around the packnds, makingps around the perimeter so that I could learn the boarder.


    Once I felt confident that I had they of thend, I pushed ahead of Cam and Jax, asionally turning


    back to push them to move faster. Cam yipped with excitement; she was enjoying the y. Jax


    humored me but seemed more content to watch his mate enjoy ying with their new luna.


    I had pushed ahead again, leaving them to catch up when a howl cut through the night air, stopping me


    in my tracks. I froze in fear as I heard Jax call my name through the mind link. I turned to make my way


    back to them when I scented an unfamiliar wolf. It didn¡¯t smell like a rogue, but it wasn¡¯t Jax or Cam


    either. I tried not to panic as a jet-ck wolf stepped into my path, preventing me from running back


    towards my friends.


    The low growl that rumbled in the wolf¡¯s chest was enough to tell me that this was not a member of my


    new pack. While my scent would be unfamiliar to them, I knew instinctively that they would have


    recognized it as one of their own. I began backing away, hoping to put some distance between myself


    and the unknown wolf when another growl erupted from his throat. In my panic I hadn¡¯t realized that I


    was screaming for help through the pack mind link. I didn¡¯t know exactly where I was on packnds,


    but I knew that the entire pack had heard my call.


    ¡°SHIFT NOW!¡± I heard Jaxmand. The ck wolf before me turned to look at him. ¡°I said shift. You


    are on Iron Hidends Gamma, shift now and exin why you are threatening our luna!¡±


    Cam¡¯s wolf moved to my side and leaned into me, offeringfort, as the wolf in front of me shifted


    into human form. Before us stood a six foot something, muscr male, with jet ck hair that matched


    the color of his wolf¡¯s fur. He nced over his shoulder at us and smirked, before returning his focus to


    Jax. I couldn¡¯t help but notice that both men were stark naked and felt myself inwardly blush at my first


    look at a naked man.


    ¡°Beta Jaxon. I thought the female was a rogue. With her being so close to our boarder, I decided to


    investigate.¡± The man spoke in a smooth voice.


    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Bullshit Mack, she is a part of our pack and doesn¡¯t scent like a rogue. What the hell were you doing?¡±


    Jaxon scowled, not epting the man¡¯s exnation.


    ¡°You got me.¡± The man called Mack chuckled. ¡°I scented a female and wanted to have a little fun. She


    doesn¡¯t smell like anyone I know from your pack so I thought she must be a visitor from another pack.¡±


    Jax remained silent, as if waiting for Mack to continue exining why he had scared me so badly I had


    screamed for help for the whole pack to hear.


    ¡°It was all in good fun, wasn¡¯t it sweetheart?¡± Mack said, shing me a smile over his shoulder.


    ¡°She is our luna. Hold your fucking tongue!¡± Jax roared, grabbing Mack by the throat. ¡°Cam, take the


    luna back to the pack house. I¡¯m going to make sure Mack makes his way back to his own packnds


    and then fill Alpha Tristan in on the need to hold a meeting with the Alpha of the Blood Rose pack.¡±

 Chapter 8

    Chapter 8


    My hands shook violently as I pulled on my clothes in the pack changing room. I wanted to run back to


    the safety of my room in the orphanage, but I knew that wasn¡¯t possible. Cam watched me, the concern


    on her face in to see. I felt guilty for screaming my fear into the minds of the entire pack, though


    Cam assured me that they understood. I was new to the area and had been threatened by a wolf I


    didn¡¯t know. More than that, I was hurt that my mate had note when my fear had been broadcast


    to the entire pack. I understood logically that he was keeping his distance until I was of age, but even I


    knew that a mate¡¯s primary drive was to protect their other half. I didn¡¯t need extensive knowledge of


    my species or experience as a pack member to know that.


    I followed Cam back into the pack house in silence. I could tell she wanted to say something but


    thought better of it as she led me back to my room. Seeing my backpack on the floor, I remembered


    that I had onest final the next day. I turned to ask Cam about getting to school in the morning only to


    find she had left me alone without making a sound. I sighed and flung myself onto the soft bed, to


    emotionally exhausted to care about changing for bed. I sobbed into my pillow, hoping the sound was


    muffled, until I fell asleep.


    I woke to knocking on the door. I didn¡¯t have a clock in my room, but I could tell by theck of light


    whoever was at the door, but the knocking came again. With a huff, I flung the nkets off of me and


    made my way to the door.


    ¡°What?¡± I grumbled, yanking the door open.


    ¡°Hey sleepy head! Tristan said you have school and asked me to take you!¡± Cam responded, her voice


    annoyingly cheery for the early hour.


    ¡°What time is it?¡± I asked, rubbing sleep from my eyes.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s five!¡±


    ¡°Five? You woke me up at Five in the morning? I don¡¯t have to be at school until seven!¡± I screeched.


    ¡°Hannah, it¡¯s like an hour drive to your school from here. I figured you need at least an hour to get


    ready and eat breakfast, so five is exactly the right time to get you up. Today is yourst required day,


    anyway, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    I growled in response. Cam was a super chipper person in general, the early hour only made it worse.


    I, on the other hand, was not even close to a morning person. I liked my sleep and being woken up two


    hours before I needed to be in school fouled my mood before the day even started. Cam plopped down


    on the bed and continued to chatter away as I went into the bathroom to shower and get ready for the


    day.


    I hated to admit that she was right about waking me up at five, but by the time I had finished breakfast


    and we were on our way, it was already ten til six. She prattled on about the pack as she drove me to


    school, ignoring myck of response. I hopped out of the car as soon as we pulled up, not stopping to


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ask her how I would get back after school let out. I suspected Tristan had already made arrangements


    for me to get home.


    ¡°Hey Han!¡± Called toby from across the quad. ¡°I went to the orphanagest night for some more


    decorating advice and Barb said you moved out. How did you manage that before your birthday?¡±


    ¡°Oh, uh, I just kind of left. Barb is covering for me with the state, so I don¡¯t get in trouble.¡± I lied.


    ¡°Oh cool. So you already got a ce? I know your were stressing about where you were going to go


    until Barb offered you the caregiver job.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m staying with, uh, a cousin. She dropped me off this morning.¡± I hated lying to Toby, but what could I


    say? Hey man, I¡¯m a werewolf, I found my mate and moved into his packhouse? Toby would think I was


    nuts.


    The warning bell rang, signaling we needed to get to ss and saving me from any further questioning.


    I wouldn¡¯t see Toby until lunch, so I had time to get my story straight. I gave him a quick hug before


    taking off to homeroom. I didn¡¯t have a final until after lunch, so the bulk of my sses were giving us


    free time to prep for other finals. I felt confident that I could pass myst one easily so I spent my time


    reading and trying toe up with a suitable story that wouldn¡¯t lead to Toby wanting toe see the


    new ce.


    The day went by fairly quickly. I was relieved when I hadn¡¯t seen Toby at lunch. I hadn¡¯te up with


    an eptable story that he wouldn¡¯t poke holes in right away. I had finished my final before the allotted


    time and my teacher had let me leave the room, rather than sit and wait for the bell. I was reading in


    the quad when I noticed a familiar face walking towards me. It was Mack, the Gamma that had scared


    me half to death the night before. I frantically looked around for an escape route that would allow me to


    leave unnoticed, but he had already spotted me.


    ¡°Hello beautiful.¡± He grinned, looking me over like I was a piece of meat. ¡°I¡¯m surprised your mate let


    you leave the house.¡±


    ¡°What do you want, Mack?¡± I asked, keeping my voice level.


    ¡°I was looking for you, sweetheart. I came to find out if you¡¯ve actually been mated yet. I want you for


    my own and if that Alpha of yours isn¡¯t going to im you, I will.¡±


    I was shocked at how blunt he was with his intentions. I didn¡¯t know what I had expected him to say but


    threatening to take me from my mate wasn¡¯t it. I sat in stunned silence not knowing what to say as he


    continued to look me over. I was nearly in a panic when Cam walked up.


    ¡°Hey Hannah.¡± She said, shooting Mack a dirty look. ¡°You ready to head home?¡±


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