The Forsaken Mate

Chapter Twenty.

I watched from my apartment in the new pack house as stragglers from the Ookawa and Druidas Carmesim pack pulled up.  I and my original pack had moved in just under a fortnight ago and we were all settled; while two of the three packs I’d taken were now in their rooms only a few families from each pack remained as well as the Septem Gravissima Peccata clan. I wanted the other packs meet and settle in before I introduced the Septem’s as they were not known for their kindness.

Moving in was fairly straight forward as each room had a number and each wolf would have a map, room number and key; making it easier for people to get settled. I had all my enforcers patrolling the borders right now and breaking up any fights that could occur. I knew that many wolves would find their mates I knew that in the coming years there would be many pups born; good thing there were many extra rooms.

I turned from the window and walked to my office where I needed to set up new patrols as I knew that some packs and dozens of rouges would begin to encroach on my territory. After all, I did own almost all of Europe and Africa; slowly branching out into Russia. It was a huge expense of land and I knew that I wouldn’t use half of it but it was better to have too much than too little.

There was a knock on my door and Matthias entered. “The Septem Gravissima Peccata has arrived.” He left without a word and I stood, running my hands down the side of my black shirt and skinny jeans, making sure I actually wore shoes; a worn pair of combat boots.

As I strode down the steps my pack bowed their head and I gave them all tight smiles. The main door was wide open and as I walked through it I was greeted by the sight of roughly seventy men standing in seven rows of ten. They were all clad in black wife beaters, black cargo pants and had black combat boots, much like my own, adorning their feet. They stood with their feet shoulder width apart, hands behind their backs, with blank expressions as they all just stared at me. I stepped forward to greet their three commanding officers with Ivan standing off to the side with Matthias, Yiannis, Hunter, Hansel and Ace.

Before I could open my mouth to speak all three had shifted and growled at me before lunging. I knocked one away from me and ducked the other two as I shifted and ripped into them. Fur flew everywhere as I sidestepped one wolf, biting the next. They kept coming and I kept resisting them until one bowed out, bleeding everywhere. The other two were slowing down slowly so I used it to my advantage and kicked the head enforcing, sending him flying before wrapping my jaws around the beta and squeezing until he stopped moving and fell unconscious.

I growled angrily at the third who cam limping back and raised my hackles, daring him to challenge me again. He bowed out and he shifted along with the other man, the beta remained unconscious. Ace handed me his shirt as I shifted and I slipped it on, avoiding his gaze as I glared at the men who’d attacked me. “What was the meaning of that? I could have you hung, drawn and quartered, exiled or whipped. Care to explain?”

The third nodded and smiled as he was seized by two member of my pack who looked pissed they’d attacked me. “That was a test; one you passed with flying colours Alpha Knight.” He bowed his head and kept his gaze on the ground as the men of his pack fell to the ground on their knees, heads bowed.

I narrowed my eyes on him and looked at Matthias who smiled. ‘He speaks the truth; it is customary for their pack to test the new alpha, see if he, or she in your case, is strong enough to lead them.’

“Get up; get settled.” I ordered the third as two men picked up the beta and took him to the infirmary.  He nodded and stood, grabbing his bags and walking into the house. The remained of his pack mates stayed kneeling and I walked closer to them. “Do any of you have mates; mated or otherwise?”

There was silence for a few minutes before one man shook his head. “Many of us do not; only ten of us are mated.”

I nodded and looked over the men. “You may all stand, those of you who are mated, bring your mates forward so that you are assigned a room together.” Twenty men and women walked up to where I pointed to Yiannis and I looked at the remaining sixty men. “If you find your mates here, come to me or my betas and we’ll make sure to arrange a room for both of you; for the meantime, please don’t start too many fights.”