Page 14 of Alpha Mates

Over time, much about werewolves and their way of life has changed, but one thing remains: no new alpha can come to be without the blessing of Goddess herself. Not a true one. It was the final test, the last bridge a wolf had to cross to see if the Moon Goddess believed them worthy.

I find myself wondering not for the first time if I am worthy; if I’d be given her trust or if I’d be left forever scorned.

Would I disappoint her here, and him as well, or would I finally excel?

The question haunts me as the elders pray, and I fear it always will—but then I feel it. The power of somethingmorethat fills the air. It’s as if a thread of Goddess’s spirit has descended into this realm to see her will is done. And it is.

In my father’s widening eyes, I witness a surreal glimpse of his amber irises glowing brighter than I’ve ever seen, until the light sputters, leaving them a muted version of themselves. My next breath locks in my chest as a warmth unlike anything I’ve known crashes through my lungs to breach my veins. It surges through my bones like electricity, passing through with a power that demands something more of me.

My canines extend first, growing wider and longer within my gums. My claws are next, growing too, before the weight of my pack redefines itself. The once-faint mental link strengthens, weaving fine threads that let me connect with every pack member in turn.

No one can question it now, not even my guilt or doubts—the Moon Goddess had chosen me to be alpha.

A chorus of howls erupts as the connection solidifies across my pack. The cheers from earlier are nothing compared to the explosion that follows as I rise to my feet as their new alpha.

My father stands so quickly it nearly takes him back down. He lunges at me and pulls me into his arms, trembling fingers clutching me as if I were pure gold, and I find my arms coming around him too, my shirt dampening with the evidence of his relief.

“Well done,” he rasps against me.

I cling to the words and try to savour them and his touch, because he draws away from me too soon. He takes my hand, drags me forward, andraises it high for the masses to see.

They erupt once more, and it’s deafening.

I don’t bother to hide my smile as I look over the restless wolves that make the crowd. While everyone is undoubtedly happy with the events, those of the Dark Woods Pack are almost frenzied as their new alpha paces the stage, amping them up before he releases a deafening howl that bounces off the walls.

The word “manic” comes to mind at the outpour that follows.

Goddess chose Aiden too.

Feeling my eyes on him, Aiden twists towards me and staggers when our eyes meet. I wait for the scorning glare or his usual smartass smirk, but neither comes. His smile doesn’t shrink or waver. It remains as is, a genuine thing he’s never aimed at me.

Despite myself, I return it with a slight nod. Aiden’s eyes widen for a split second before he mirrors the gesture. Then he’s back to playing mascot as if it’d never happened.

It’s far too early for celebrations, seeing as our betas and deltas still wait for their role exchanges. But there’s no settling the packs now, which in hindsight is something we should’ve expected with the sheer number of wolves jammed together on a full moon. But I’m not inclined to ruin the fun as my first act as alpha, even if midnight is probably only a minute away. This is a big day for us all.

I tip my head back instead, eyes settling on Goddess’s full glow. For a moment, I let myself imagine Oli is up there with her, smiling as he looks down at me.

I did it,I tell him.I did it.

Somewhere distant, perhaps in one of the back rooms or some hidden corner of the pack, I hear the faint tick of a clock’s hand. The chime of midnight strikes, and brings with it an entirely foreign wave of pleasure. It courses through me, into every crevice of my being, until my entire soulhums.

Alex rises inside me with a newfound focus to hunt. Not for a kill or sport, but for something—no,someone—else.

I find their scent like a thread in the wind. It’s a heady mix of pine and something sweet I can’t quite name, but it makes my body thrum. I hone in on it. The source is close, sovery close.

I scour the crowded room, frantic to find the source of the scent I’ve already become a slave to, but they remain maddeningly out of reach. Row after row yields nothing, yet in my soul, it feels as if they’re right beside me.

Agitation curdles Alex’s mood as he urges me to shift so I can track them better, but there are far too many eyes on me to act out of turn. A hand onmy shoulder forces my attention to my concerned father, but it lingers on him for only a heartbeat before slipping past to the pair behind him. To Samson, and then … Aiden.

The call is undeniable. A snap of two halves of a fractured soul realigning and drawing near from within their vessels, desperate to be whole.

Mates.

No.

No, no, no, no, no.

Aiden Calderon couldn’t be—couldneverbe my—