Chapter 2

Eight Years Later

“We demand you make your decision before us in a week,” Elder Richmond Amato told Kian.

Alpha Kian Tara’s eyes flashed at the demand. The wild side of him spurred to life, demanding him to bite back and demand submission, but he had to stomp down the fire and the need to remove Richmond’s head from his body. The old wolf had been a thorn in his side even before he was officially Alpha of their pack.

Richmond used to be a stronger supporter of his. He would give him grandfatherly advice, but ever since, Kian and Mia, Richmond’s granddaughter, broke up, the old wolf had been bitter about it. Mia also hadn’t been particularly happy about the break up either, but she wasn’t making his life a living hell.

He rose to his feet and gave them a curt nod before he spun on his heel. He didn’t even need to look at either of his Betas to let them know they were done with these old fools. He stormed out of the room and down the hallway to get away from all this bullshit. When he made it down to the training grounds, he immediately walked over to the new punching bag that was freshly installed yesterday. With one vicious punch, the punching bag tore off its metal holdings and went flying across the gym area of the training grounds to explode against the farthest wall.

It wasn’t a surprise when everyone seemed to vanish, but he didn’t care. He was too worked up to fucking care. The Elder Council was meant to be more of a counsel not law, but for some reason, each succession had allowed the Elder Council to have more power taken from the Alpha. He planned to change that.

“Kian--”

He growled at his chosen Beta male and best friend since childhood, Sebastian Valor, who only chuckled and put up his hands in mock surrender.

“I’m not the enemy,” Sebastian reminded him.

Kian’s eyes snapped to Sebastian then to his Beta female, Raina Winters. Most women would’ve flinched at the anger in his eyes, but Raina raised an eyebrow as she crossed her arms over her chest. She glanced across at the room and whistled, shaking her head at what Kian assumed was the remnants of the punching bag.

“What do you have against punching bags?” she chuckled. And that was why she was his female Beta. “That’s what… the second punching bag this week? Are you developing some anger issues, Alpha? Should I sign you up for anger management classes?”

No matter the amount of aggression or violence he showed, she didn’t flinch. Weirdly enough, she was also the one that helped him calm down. He couldn’t explain it, but her presence made him feel like everything would work out as it should. Even though, she was only two years younger than him, he never really took notice of her until she started her warrior training at the age of eighteen instead of opting to going to college.

She excelled and became the most powerful and strongest female in the pack, far superior over any gender. Sebastian had trained her and he had told him more than once that he was glad she was in their pack, because the thought of going up against her was a losing battle. Nobody questioned his judgment when she was given the female Beta title that was for sure.

He sighed, flexing his shoulders and shifting his head to the side to crack his neck. “They’re really pushing it.”

“They’re just concerned,” Sebastian told him. “You are twenty eight, Kian with no Luna.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m actually surprised they didn’t put their foot down sooner.”

“You know why they didn’t,” Kian told him.

Sebastian looked him straight in the eyes and grimaced. “I know.”

“If it wasn’t for Diego passing through when he did, my mom be dead,” he told Sebastian. “I swore I wouldn’t repeat the same mistakes my parents did. I intend to keep that promise.” His eyes slid over to Raina, who was watching him closely and observing his expressions. “What would you do if you were in my position?”

“They’re going to push you into choosing a mate, Kian,” she told him honestly, without softening the blow. This was also why she was his Beta. She told it to him like it was and he respected her for that. It didn’t mean that he had to like what she had to say though even if it was what he needed to hear. “Then they’re going to force you or they’ll chose one for you. Do you really want lose all control of at least deciding for yourself?”

He looked straight into her cognac eyes. She didn’t look away, just stared into his. It was a battle of wills until he once again sighed in both defeat and exhaustion. It was true. The Elder Council would demand his loyalty to the pack and the pack would require him to take a Luna. It was his responsibility to ensure the pack had an heir.

He also had seen what happens firsthand what can happen to a chosen union when a fated mate comes into the picture. He saw what was once an incredibly compatible and loving couple turn into tragedy. When Deidre came into their lives, he hated her. He hated the woman with the passion, but he slowly started to see the goodness and beauty in her. She wasn’t trying to be malicious. Her heart was breaking too and his father refused to let her go from their bond. In the end, he was destined to be with his fated mate and it left his mother in a world of pain.

He was the one that found her that night when she tried to take her life. It was that night he hated his father and his fated mate, refusing them any kind of relationship with them. They weren’t exiled from the pack, but they were forced to live on the outskirts of the pack territory. It wasn’t until years later that forgiveness gradually thawed his heart when Diego came into his mother’s life. He saw how much his mother returned to life at the presence of her fated mate.

It was when her mother embraced her father and Deidre out of both gratitude and forgiveness that Kian understood the impact of a fated mate. It wasn’t something to be taken lately. He certainly wouldn’t. For that reason, he broke up with Mia.

“What happened…” Raina trailed off, breaking him out of his thoughts. His eyes flicked to hers. For the first time, he saw her hesitation. He frowned. It was very rare that this woman hesitated. He didn’t like it. Her eyes wavered, drifting away from his and he hated it. No, he didn’t like this one bit — this uncertainty and vulnerability. “What exactly happened between you and Mia?”

“Mia…” He paused. Her eyes looked at her hands. He growled, wanting to see her eyes. If they were going to discuss this, she would look into his damn eyes. “You asked me a question, Raina. If you want me to answer you, look me in the eyes.”

Raina’s eyes immediately snapped to his. Sebastian even stiffened at the direct command. Fire sparked in her eyes and her spirit warmed him. Good, that was what he wanted to see. She was fire not ice, contrary of her namesake. She was his fire and he needed it.

“You two were perfect together,” she told him.

“Perfect together doesn’t mean we were perfect for each other,” he warned her. “Tell me, what do you think of fated mates?”

Raina swallowed for a moment. Fear flickered in her eyes for a moment before she closed herself off and anger flared to life. “You’re waiting on your fated mate?”

He didn’t like the incredulous, snarky tone in her voice. He growled at her, but she only smirked. He normally wouldn’t allow anyone to talk to him like that, but he’d allow her disrespect this once.

“She’s worth waiting for--”

“You’re an Alpha, Kian,” she snapped back. “It’s your responsibility to put the pack first before your own selfish desires. Don’t you understand that?”

Her words pierced his heart. He didn’t understand why it burned him. His anger sparked and ignited instead. “I’m selfish for wanting my fated mate?!”

“Yes!” she shouted at him. Her eyes flashed dangerously. “You are being selfish--”

“My parents almost destroyed this pack, because they didn’t wait for their fated mates,” he shot back.

“No! They didn’t destroy the pack because their fated mates showed up!” she roared at him. For a moment, he thought she looked beautiful, a warrior goddess prepared to die in battle. “They did what was best for their pack. They put the pack first. Their only mistake was allowing their emotions to get the best of them.”

He shook his head at her words. She made it seem like it was the easiest and simplest thing to ignore something as powerful as a fated mate bond. He saw firsthand how strong it was. He saw how his father struggled to stay away. Deidre, out of respect for his mother, had tried equally as hard to stay away. She was a good woman. He could admit that now after years of reflection.

“It’s not that easy,” he growled at her.

She paused. He swore he saw tears in her eyes as she blinked them away. It was only for a split second and it made him wonder if he had seen them at all. This woman was a fortress with walls so high that she seemed unbreakable, but for a moment, he saw her cracks in the right angle of light.

“It’s not,” she agreed. “But you do what is necessary to ensure the pack thrives. The pack comes first always.”

He frowned. She was right. He couldn’t deny her that. An Alpha did do what was necessary to ensure the packs thrives. His eyes held hers and she refused to back down. As much as he wanted to rally against her, he knew he couldn’t. She was logic and reason. There was a reason she had risen above the ranks to become his most powerful warrior. She had honed herself to be a powerful weapon, but she was also smart and clever.

He also felt like he could trust her with anything and everything. He wouldn’t have put her at such a position if he didn’t trust her judgment. A strange revelation dawned, washing over him like water on dry sand. She spoke like she understood more than he did. Pain exploded inside of him at the realization she may have rejected her own fated mate for the good of the pack.

What if he couldn’t be as good as her? What if his intentions weren’t as pure as her? He hadn’t even realized he had said it aloud until she tensed at his questions.

“Because this pack is bigger than you and me,” she reminded him. “Our decisions impact this pack. Every single one. Your blood demands it of you. Your legacy demands it. You were born for greatness and glory. What holds you back is fear of the unknown. There is a chance your mate may never come.”

“And if she does?” he asked her.

A small sad smile graced her lips. Her eyes betrayed her pain that she hid so well for years. It bothered him she hid it so well even from him. “What doesn’t kill you will make your stronger.”