Page 18 of The Careless Alpha

"I'll keep that in mind," I said carefully.

"Great! Oh, and Marshall?" Tiffany moved closer, lowering her voice conspiratorially. "I heard the most interesting thing about those new trade agreements with the mountain packs. If you want to discuss it over drinks sometime..."

"I'm sure Beta Jackson can fill me in on any developments," I replied, but she just smiled and bounced away, calling over her shoulder that she'd see me at dinner.

Veronica watched her go with barely concealed annoyance. "She's very... enthusiastic."

"She always has been," I said diplomatically.

"At least she's closer to an appropriate age," Veronica observed, and there was something sharp in her voice."Speaking of whom, I haven't seen much of Annalise lately. How is her Luna training progressing?"

The question felt like a test, and I wasn't sure what answer she was looking for. "Mom says she's doing well. Very dedicated to learning her responsibilities."

"I'm sure she is. Though it must be difficult for her to watch all of us interacting with you. I sometimes wonder if she understands that these next few months are crucial for everyone involved."

I stopped walking and turned to face her fully. "What do you mean by that?"

Veronica's smile was carefully innocent. "Oh, nothing dramatic. Just that once she turns eighteen, everything becomes more... official. Permanent. Right now, technically, you're still unmated. Still have choices to make."

The implication hung in the air between us like smoke. She wasn't wrong, exactly. Until Annalise turned eighteen and we completed the mating bond, I was technically free to choose another path. It wasn't something I'd considered—mate bonds weren't suggestions from the Moon Goddess—but lately, I'd been hearing variations of this conversation more and more often.

The timeline that had once felt endless now seemed to be racing toward me like a freight train.Mate, mate, mate,Ranger chanted in my head, making me smile.

"The Moon Goddess chose my mate," I said firmly. "That's not something I can or want to change."

"Of course not," Veronica agreed quickly. "I would never suggest otherwise. I just think it's important that you're sure. That you're choosing your future Luna based on what's best for the pack, not just on... convenience."

Convenience. The word stung more than it should have. Was that what everyone thought? That I was settling for Annalisebecause she was already there, already claimed, already expected? Ranger snarled at the insult to our mate, but I pushed him down. The uncomfortable truth was, from the outside, it probably looked exactly like that.

"I should get to training," I said, ending the conversation.

"Of course. Don't forget about tonight, though. I really would love to show you those garden plans."

She walked away with a practiced sway to her hips, and I watched her go, not with temptation, but with a growing sense of irritation. This was the last thing I needed—another she-wolf making a play, complicating a situation I considered handled.

The next four months were simple, in my mind. Scarlett understood the arrangement. She was an adult; she knew the score, knew my future was with Annalise. Our time together was a practical necessity, an outlet for my Alpha needs until my mate was of age. It was clean, uncomplicated. But lately, it felt like every unmated she-wolf in the territory saw the impending deadline as an open invitation. Veronica, Tiffany... they were turning my life into a constant political game I had no patience for, stirring up drama where there didn't need to be any.

Four months. I just had to get through the next four months, and all of this would be over.

The training grounds were busy when I arrived, with warriors sparring in pairs and the younger wolves practicing basic combat forms under Jackson's supervision. My Beta looked up as I approached, his dark eyes taking in my expression with the sharp attention of someone who'd known me since childhood.

"Rough morning?" he asked.

"Veronica wants to show me her herb garden plans," I said dryly.

Jackson snorted. "I'm sure she does. Let me guess—private tour, just the two of you, probably after dinner when the lighting is all romantic?"

"Something like that."

"And Tiffany?"

"Offered to help with border patrol. Very enthusiastically."

"Of course she did." Jackson called out a correction to one of the younger wolves, then turned back to me. "You know this is only going to get worse as we get closer to Annalise's birthday, right?"

I did know that. The pack gossip had been increasing steadily over the past few months, with everyone speculating about whether I'd go through with the mating or choose someone else. The fact that I'd been seen around the pack with various she-wolves over the years hadn't helped matters.

I needed to get on top of the gossip so it didn’t get back to Annalise.