Chapter 2

• Alpha Julian
• I sent my wooden sword flying in the air, breaking into the sword of my best friend and beta, Robert. He already knew something was bothering me but knew better than asking anything at this moment.
• He understood that all I wanted to do right now was vent out all my frustration through sparring.
• This was my own way of releasing pent-up anger, and I hated how it felt like I had zero control over my emotions. I was trained to do better than this, but I guess desperate situations made you forget your training.
• We fought intensely till I dropped the wooden sword on the floor and sat down. Robert handed me a water bottle, sitting beside me on the smooth floor of our private sparring room. He opened his mouth a few times before closing it back. I knew he had a lot to say to me. He didn’t know what way to put it without pissing me off. I hate that we were reduced to this; I hate that the moon goddess won't save me all of these emotional troubles and just send me a mate instead.
• If I had a mate, The council of elders wouldn't put me through all of these troubles, but the goddess knew better, I guess.
• “You have to take it easy on yourself, Alpha, please; worrying and stressing will solve nothing,” My beta said after a while before taking the water bottle from me and we both sat there in silence.
• Different thoughts go through our heads, and silence was our only companion. Robert was mateless too, and I know he can heavily relate to whatever I was going through, but in all honesty, he wasn't under so much pressure like me because he wasn't an Alpha King.
• “I can’t help it; Robert, my father, and the elders are threatening to pull me out from my position, although I worked hard for it simply because I didn’t have a mate,” I said after a while, and I took another deep breath.
• I had no idea the pressure would run this deep after a while. I hated that I didn’t have a mate, too; I hated how everything was panning out. If at all, I desire to experience the true love that having a mate brings to you. I want to enjoy what having a mate feels like, having your person and the person being your home.
• “You know James would do anything to take the title of Alpha King from me, especially now that he has a Luna. Why can’t the Moon Goddess look at my heart and grant me a mate?”
• I asked Robert rhetorically, raking my hands through my hair.
• This whole thing was tiring, and the fact that everything I worked for in the past years was starting to go down the drain. The elders weren't considering how good I ruled the realm these years, and the attacks from other supernatural have reduced because of the treaty we have agreed to. It is I who made the treaty happen.
• I was the most powerful Alpha in the whole realm, even more, ruthless than my father, the previous Alpha king. All other Alphas from more miniature packs feared and revered me because I have protected our group and my people. Nobody dared go against the rule I have laid down, and they knew my word would always be my world. I would never go against it.
• The Werewolf realm has seven packs; the other six more miniature packs had Alphas controlling them, while I, Julian Michaelson ruled the seventh and largest pack and the whole kingdom, including the six-packs.
• After my mother’s death, my half-brother, James, whom my dad had when he cheated on mom, was Alpha in one of the more miniature packs but was greedy, trying to use every means to get the Alpha King title to himself.
• Talk about people not respecting their boundaries; the only reason I've not dealt with James is that he's very dear to father. He would have gotten it if this throne were to be given out based on preference.
• And now, he was trying to use my mateless situation against me at this point.
• I remember the last battle we had with the witches' realm, we later came to a treaty, and their plans to give me a witch as their luna, I turned it down.
• Maybe I should have taken it, because I wonder if I had a mate somewhere.
• “You’ll find a mate; I’m sure you will; you deserve that much from the Goddess.”
• My best friend encouraged me, get up from the floor. He stretched his hands to me.
• “We’ll be late for the meeting with the elders if we don’t start getting ready right now.”
• *********
• We walked back to the Alpha’s quarters to get ready for the meeting when Robert spoke up, “Your brother will be coming today so that the pressure will be more on you. You have to be ready for anything,” he advised.
• I nodded, already aware of what to expect at the meeting. They were trying to undermine my effort as the Alpha King, and they were trying to make me look like a fool. It was a repetitive circle, and I wonder who made the Council of Elders be my power check to start with. They were just older adults with plenty of problems.
• I dressed up and went to the throne room; as soon as I got there, all the elders, my father, James, my half-brother stood up as I walked into the Packhouse meeting hall. Looking at all of them, I fought the urge to hiss or roll my eyes in irritation. I can handpick a number of elders who wanted me on the throne, and they won' be up to three.
• I sat down on the throne while the rest bowed before taking their seats. “I would like this meeting to be as quick as possible as I have other pack issues to take care of,” I announced to them.
• The chief speaker of the elders stood up and bowed before speaking. I mentally prepared myself for whatever rubbish he would spew out of his mouth. I always give it up for the council of elders to always spill rubbish every time; they were simply undefeated.
• “Your grace, your mate situation is a serious concern for every one of us in this council, including your family. It’s against the law of our pack to rule without a Luna Queen. It has been over five years since you became Alpha king, still, we haven’t seen a female beside you.”
• “It seems you have forgotten that it’s not in my power to find a mate. The power to do that belongs to the moon goddess, and I cannot question her decision.”
• I spoke to them, trying to hold myself from losing my patience.
• “Yes, we all know that, but since the moon goddess chose to be silent in your case, we have decided to carry the responsibilities of finding you a mate. You have two options, your grace.” He continued, and I clenched my hand. I wasn't going to let him make me lose it today.
• “What exactly are you indicating?” I questioned in a surprisingly calm tone that I doubted belonged to me. I don't need a soothsayer to tell me the condition would be outrageous, and it would favor James more.
• “Step down from your throne and allow your younger brother to rule, or take the chosen mate we have prepared for you.”
• The old chief said to me with his head bowed. He refused to raise his head to look at me, and I wanted him to. I wanted him to see the fury blazing in my eyes.
• “How can you think of giving a total stranger to me? I still have faith that I’ll find my mate; I need more time!” I growled at them. I couldn't hold back the anger I was feeling anymore; I wanted them to feel it too.
• I turned to see a scowl on James’s lips. He came all the way here to see me stripped of my title?
• My chest rumbled; my wolf was also seething; how dare these elders try to force someone of their choice on us? We wanted nothing but our mate! They were all with their chosen mates, and they had the nerves to offer me an artificial mate.
• “You have to make a choice, son. Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.” My father mind-linked at me, and when I turned to stare at him, he had an encouraging look in his eyes. This wasn’t what I wanted him to do. I wanted him to defend me for once before this set of manipulative sick old men. I wanted him to help me fight this battle with them because it seemed like I was losing already.
• He stepped down without regret from the Alpha King position when I turned 20 because he believed in me; I wish he would do that now.
• “It is for your good and the good of the pack as well, you need a Luna to rule better, or you have to step down. The council selected Beta Powers's strong and beautiful daughter, Maria Powers, to be your chosen mate. You have to give us the date for the mating ritual before sundown tomorrow, or we’ll assume you have decided to step down from your position.”
• He concluded, bowed, and took his seat. I clenched my fist, turning to my father, who looked entirely indifferent to the council’s decision. I knew he wasn't going to support me, and I could tell by his expressions alone.
• Maria was Robert’s younger sister, an innocent girl I saw as a sister; how could they do that to me? I turned to face my beta, but he shook his head, telling me that he had no idea about this with our mind-link. He better not, or else. Robert won’t even dare sell me out like that.
• I strode out of the meeting with raging thoughts. I have till tomorrow to find my fated mate or take a chosen mate, thereby losing the opportunity of ever seeing my mate or giving up on a position I have protected for over five years.
• It might seem easy to others, but to me, it was the most challenging choice I would ever make.