~Theo~

I was in my father’s office, half listening to him drone on about pack duties and what was expected of me when I took over the Alpha position. I had heard it all before, a thousand times it seemed like, but I feigned interest, nodding my head when appropriate and answering his questions absentmindedly.

“Theo, are you even listening to me?” I heard my father ask while giving me a pointedly annoyed look.

“Of course I am, but how many times are we going to have the same conversation?” I sighed, rubbing my temples as I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees.

“It’s an important one, son. It’s my job, my responsibility to make sure you’re prepared to take over once you’ve found your Luna. Speaking of Lunas, when are you going to decide on one?”

I groaned internally, “Here we go again,” I thought to myself. I had been of age to find my mate for two years, but still had not found her. I didn’t want a chosen mate. I wanted to wait for my true mate, but my father was getting impatient.

He refused to hand the pack over to me until I had a Luna, “Father, I do not want a chosen mate and I do not need a Luna to run this pack successfully. I’m only 19. I still have plenty of time to find my true mate, and I do everything I can to find her. I go to every gathering, regardless of the intended purpose, where I have even the slightest chance of meeting her.”

“You do need a Luna to run the pack son. It’s not an option. The Luna is the mother of the pack. She is the balance. Your strength and your weakness, the heart of the pack and the keeper of your sanity.”

My father sighed as he looked down at me, “Not everyone is lucky enough to find their true mate. There are wolves all over the world, and then there are the rogues. I am not having this argument again. If you have not found her by the time you are 20, you will take a chosen mate, if I have to pick her myself!”

I glared at my father as I shot to my feet with an annoyed growl, “No one, not even you, can force someone on me father. Alpha or not I will find my Luna on my own!” I didn’t wait for a response and made my way towards the door, fighting the urge to rip it off the hinges as I opened it and stormed out, slamming it behind me.

I made my way out of the manor and headed straight for the training grounds. I needed to let off some steam before I snapped at some undeserving pack member.

*I know he’s your father, but what an arrogant prick.* Fjord, my wolf, growled.

*It’s getting really old. He’s so stuck in his ‘traditional’ ways. It’s going to drag the whole pack down.* I grumbled.

*He’s right that we do need our Luna, but we don’t need her to take over the pack. Taking a Luna would make us stronger, but our true mate would put us at our strongest.*

*I know, and maybe if it came to it I would take a chosen mate, but we’re not at that point yet.*

*Agreed, now let’s smash some stuff.*

I chuckled a bit and made my way across the training grounds to where the dummies were. After arranging them where I wanted them I went to town. I watched members of my pack go about their daily lives. Some keeping an eye on the pups playing, others training, either with the equipment, some with each other.

A couple hours into it and I was starting to feel a bit better, my body soaked in sweat. I stripped my shirt off and tossed it aside. Some of the unmated females had gathered around to watch the guys that were training. Some were training themselves.

Our pack was at least advanced enough that we didn’t keep anyone from training. Everyone was required to learn basic self defense at the very least. They were welcome to continue into advanced training if they so desired.

I sighed internally as I saw Jewel join the group of girls. She had become a headache recently. I had made the mistake of sleeping with her once at a party, and ever since then she has gotten it into her head that there was something between us and that she would be Luna. It will never happen, I have told her this. She would make a horrible Luna. If I had ever doubted that, it was confirmed after the incident with Alyce a few weeks ago.

A Luna doesn’t attack people without cause, especially her own people. Alyce on the other hand… She displayed the traits that were perfect for a Luna. She was strong and determined but also kind and gracious. I had seen the way she took whatever the pack threw at her, rather than risk having it fall on someone else.

I’d also seen her interactions with Matheau, which showed an entirely different side of her. I remember playing with her as a child, before Father basically turned the pack on her and started treating her like the pack’s personal whipping girl. He banned me from being around her, and I couldn’t very well defend her to my father without risking my father turning on me as well. So I treated her with indifference and did what I could to keep the others from being to awful to her whenever I could without it being obvious.

I spent the rest of the afternoon training, calling it quits as it got close to dinner time. I grabbed my shirt up and headed towards the Manor for a shower. Unfortunately Jewel was waiting in the crowd for me.

“Theo,” she purred at me, “You’re going to be an amazing Alpha.” I felt her arm slip into mine and tried to politely distance her from me, slipping my arm out of hers.

“Thank you Jewel, but I really need to get a move on. I have some things to attend to before dinner.” I lied. I just didn’t want to deal with her.

“Oh, well, let me help you! We can discuss our plans to attend the banquet together.” Was her retort.

I stopped in my tracks and looked at her, “We don’t have any plans Jewel. I do not plan to attend the banquet with anyone. I will be there, but alone, as the next in line for Alpha.”

“But.. I’m your future Luna! We should be attending together!”

“NO.” I growled, calming myself quickly when I saw her shrink back a little, “No you are not. I will not be taking a chosen mate. I will be waiting for my true mate.”

“But my father… Your father... “ She stammered.

“Look, I don’t know what those two have told you, or led you to believe, but I’m not interested. Go find someone else to take you.” I walked away, leaving here there a bit dumb founded and teary eyed, though I was pretty certain they were fake tears.

I jogged into the manor, starting to head for the stairs. I needed a shower desperately. Heading up to my room I stripped naked as I crossed my room, tossing the clothing in the hamper in my bathroom. I made quick work of cleaning up and threw on a pair of basketball shorts and a tank top. I was heading down stairs to go to the pack house for dinner, since Alyce was not cooking in the pack manor anymore until after the banquet, but I stopped in my tracks.

I caught the most amazing scent I had ever smelt in my life. It was mint and honey, with a hint of kiwi. I’d never smelled anything like it.

“MATE! MATE! We must find her!” Fjord exclaimed, bouncing around in my head.

I couldn’t argue with him and I followed the scent, crossing through the living room, heading for the kitchen. The scent was stronger there, but still fading. Whoever it belonged to had been here recently. Within the last fifteen minutes. I must have just missed her. I continued to follow the scent, following the strongest occurrences of it. It took me out the back door and along the edge of the tree line. Then I saw her, my eyes going wide in realization. No way. It couldn’t be…