ALPHA

Chapter 1 - By Decree of the Elder

Chapter 1

"Alpha, we need to check the perimeters of the territory. It's the only way to eliminate any possibility of rogues."

Glaring at Keith, I shook my head 'no'. Although he was trying to offer advice, he knew very well that sending small groups of wolves out there would be very dangerous, and sending large groups would leave the main bases more vulnerable.

"You're very impatient," I chide. "You know the dangers of the strategy you are presenting me."

Keith squirmed a bit before changing into his wolf form and running away.

"You shouldn't best hard on him," my best friend's voice echoed off the office wall. She was stretched out over a lounge chair, playing with her mahogany curls. Garnet irises flashing mischievously, she looked back over at me.

"Just because he's 'so adorable' does not mean I have to go easy on him Erin."

"But he is adorable! His face is just the sweetest most innocent looking face ever! By the way, Elder Scythe is here, he needs to talk about your future as alpha of this pack."

"Thanks Erin." She was always watching out for me.

Someone outside knocked twice.

"Come in!"

Elder Scythe opened the door and sat down in the chair across from me. His wrinkled face and downcast expression contrasted with his youthful electric blue eyes. "Alpha," he said the word as if it were gum stuck to the bottom of his shoe. "How is your search for a suitable mate coming along?"

"I have no interest in finding my mate. The only interest I have right now is running this pack smoothly and efficiently."

Elder Scythe's face twisted into a grimace. "You are a young Alpha since your father retired early. You need to find someone to help you lead this pack!"

"I assure you sir, I will find my mate when the time is right."

"But a female can't lead a pack on her own!" he shouted. His face turned red and he bowed his head a little. "My apologies Alpha."

"You are excused, Elder Scythe. Maybe come back and discuss when you are ready to accept a female alpha."

Elder Scythe nodded, stood up, and silently exited the office.

Erin reappeared as soon as he left. "Dang Nolana, that was kind of intense."

"I know," I sighed.

"So I was looking at the ancient files we have in the library..."

"And?"

"And if you find a mate, since you're a female, he will become the Alpha and you'll be demoted to being a Luna."

"Are you kidding me?!"

"Nope."

"If I find my mate I'm going to stay away from him as much as possible," I resolved, looking at Erin for some words of wisdom. She just looked sideways at me.

"That's going to be hard, Lana. The F7-13 gene in your DNA is going to cause porologen to be produced so you'll feel crazily attracted to your mate until you two mark each other."

"Mark each other?"

"Didn't you pay attention at all in Werewolf Biology?" she laughed. "You should know this, even outside of school! Marking is where one partner bites this spot-" she pointed to her neck. "-on their partner's neck. A unique pattern often appears there, and it's permanent. Some mates, after marking, develop unique connections such as telepathy with each other, feeling when the other is hurt, et cetera."

"Um, that's weird."

Erin shrugged. "It's part of the mating process. Hey, stop making that face! You're such a 6 year old sometimes."

I couldn't help but grin. I had always ignored the mate lessons of Werewolf Biology because I knew I didn't want a mate. Mates meant drama. There was always some ex girlfriend or ex boyfriend being scorned because they were left once their lover found a mate. Mates meant developing weaknesses.

When you're an alpha, you can't have such dire weaknesses. Sure, maybe when you're older and more experienced. However, since I'm only 17 and a half and this is my first year as alpha, I definitely do not fit the requirements.

And I'd be damned if I stepped down as alpha when I just started.