"Who you are tomorrow begins with what you do today." - Tim Fargo
{RECAP: Ethan and Vivian had their first date after coming back from the trip at Lycan's. Kal (Zack's best friend) tells Vivian that he wants to hold a pack celebration on Zack's birthday to honour him and she agrees}
38.
As planned, all the Alphas and their Betas gathered at the Academy the next morning to discuss what went down at the Lycans.
"But don't you think it is even more suspicious how they did absolutely nothing at all?"
"We don't know for sure, Tyler. It could either be a clever tactic or we could just be overthinking everything." Alpha Lennon answered back his son.
"Whatever it may be," Josh interjected, "I don't trust them one bit, especially considering their past history with our type."
Alpha Carlos straightened himself, "Did anyone else notice the tension between Alpha Braden and Randy?"
I nodded, "You weren't the only one; there is definitely something there. I asked him about it but he successfully managed to dismiss the subject."
"Um guys," Josh muttered, all eyes falling on him, "Didn't Braden say that he had a sister?"
We all nodded, confused as to where he was heading with that information.
"Considering the fact he is an Alpha, does that not mean she is also an Alpha-blooded female wolf... just like Vivian?"
Fuck.
How did we miss that?
Does that mean-
"Technically, she is not an Alpha blooded wolf," another voice interrupted our talks. Turning around, this time our gaze fell on Aiden. "She is Alpha Braden's second cousin. After losing her parents, Braden adopted her as his sister,"
"How do you know this?" Alpha Lennon inquired.
"I managed to befriend his Beta during the event. When Braden mentioned his sister, I was lucky enough to be standing next to him. I asked about her and he was more than happy to indulge me with the information."
"Good work, Aiden." I praised, and the others nodded in acknowledgement.
He smiled, a faint blush spreading on his cheek. The smile turned into a full blown grin when he noticed that Ethan had also nodded in praise.
"Is there any other issue that needs to be discussed?" Alpha Carlos questioned.
"There is," Alpha Lennon hesitated, his eyes connecting with Tyler's briefly, "My son found his mate."
"That's great news!"
Happy cheers and congratulations filled the room.
Alpha Lennon raised his hand to stop the commotion, "It is Leia."
The said cheers died down.
"Leia as in Randy's neice? Are you sure?"
"What sort of a question is that, Dad?" Josh rolled his eyes.
"Sorry, you're right. Uh - I am just shocked." He glanced at Tyler, "Did you both get a chance to talk? Does Randy know?"
"Well... that's the problem," Tyler scratched the back of his head, "She doesn't know about us. Apparently, Lycans recognize their mates through touch."
Empty silence filled the room, nobody knew what to say or do next.
"What should we do then?" Alpha Carlos crossed his arms and leaned forward.
"I think she has the right to know," I put in my two cents, "We already know the consequences of what happens when two mates are kept apart."
"I agree," Ethan seconded. "The quicker she finds out, the better."
"Is that why you invited Leia to our pack?" He questioned back and I nodded.
"Yes. We don't know when or if we'll ever meet her, and I couldn't bear to see Tyler like that."
From across the table, my eyes connected with Tyler who gave me a single nod of appreciation.
"Then I guess all we can do is to wait until she responds or visits because we don't even know where they live."
When Tyler and Leia's issue was talked over thoroughly, we moved towards Zack's murder investigation which still had no leads at all. The trackers were unable to find anything that could lead us closer to the culprits.
We were at a dead end, but it didn't matter. I made a promise that I won't rest until I catch the culprits and punish them for their crimes.
After the meeting was over and everyone made their way out of the room, I walked towards Tyler and Josh to invite them to the birthday celebration.
"We're holding a pack celebration in honor of Zack's birthday tomorrow afternoon and I would love it if you guys could come."
Josh crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, "Even if you hadn't invited me, I would've found a way to come anyway so you can count me in."
"Me too," Tyler seconded.
"That's great; I'll see you guys then." After greeting them good-bye, I turned around to walk towards Ethan who was waiting for me near his chair but stopped when Tyler called my name out.
"Thanks for your help with Leia, Vivian. It means a lot to me. And I am also sorry for being such an asshole to you."
The corners of my mouth turned up; the old Tyler was returning, "There is no need to apologize or thank me, Tyler. I only did what you both always did for me."
After giving both of them quick hugs, I headed towards Ethan. Upon seeing me walk towards him, he immediately dismissed Aiden who raised his eyebrows suggestively at me and then left us alone inside.
Before I could even speak, Ethan firmly grabbed the back of my neck with one of his hands and pulled me towards himself to kiss me.
"I've been waiting to do this since you entered the room." His lips connected with mine once again, "Everything okay?"
Still a little dazed after the unexpected kiss, I pulled myself together and answered him back, "Uh- um yeah; just wanted to... um invite you to a celebration we are holding in lieu of Zack's birthday party tomorrow afternoon."
The corner of his lips lifted, "Couldn't even last a day without me, could you?"
"Ha-ha, very funny," I crossed my arms defensively, "I don't recall myself inviting you to a date."
His eyebrows furrowed, "To a what?"
"A date," I clarified.
"I mean, if you want," An unbothered shrug, "Sure, it's a date."
Oh, this infuriating bastard!
"You've got something on your shirt," I put my index finger on his shirt. Confused, he looked down to where my finger was and I used the opportunity to flick his nose - with as much strength as I could muster.
"Ow!" He massaged his nose, causing me to laugh.
Hah! Serves you right.
"See you tomorrow, Alpha Ethan."
---
The rest of the day passed in my office where Beta Jonathan and I looked for solutions regarding some minor pack problems. We were so busy in our work that we didn't hear the door knock the first time.
"Come in," I called out.
Ashlee walked in, her hands holding a beautiful bouquet of black roses, "Delivery for an 'Alpha Freddie Mercury'. Unless he has risen from the grave, I think these are meant for you."
Ethan.
I felt the corners of my mouth twitching.
She moved forwards and placed the bouquet on my desk. On closer inspection, I noticed there was another card placed between the roses.
If I could have a rose for every time I thought of you, the world would be empty of them. So here are 24 roses for every hour that passed since we had our first date.
E.S.
I could feel two pairs of eyes staring at me with piqued interest. As soon as I looked up, Beta Jonathan busied himself with the paperwork and Ashlee began to whistle and look around the room to avoid my gaze.
"If that's all, Ashlee, you can go." I answered and saw her frown, clearly upset that I didn't share the contents of the note with her. When she left, Beta Jonathan and I continued with our pack work.
I finished my work earlier than Beta Jonathan so I used the time to write out two notes.
The first one was for Ethan.
Cute. Got the line off of Pinterest or what? And roses? If you want to guess my favourite flower, you have to try a little bit harder than that, Ethan.
Vivian
The second one was for Chris. Ever since I came back, I completely forget to communicate with the family which took care of me during a time I had no one to turn towards.
The letter was brief, addressing how my brother passed away and I had to move back to take over the family business and that I'd try my best to visit them whenever I get the time.
I tried to keep the letter as close to the truth and as acceptable for a human as possible. However, there was one problem at hand - how to deliver it?
"Beta Jonathan?" He raised his head, 'Can we deliver a letter to the human territory?"
He looked at me with concerned eyes, "Are you sure you want to take the risk, Alpha?"
"It is for the family who took care of me. I told them I'd contact them once everything settles down," I toyed with the corner of the note, "It has been too long now, they must be worried."
"Alright Alpha, if you say so. Give me the letter; I'll make sure it is delivered safely."
"Thanks, Uncle Jon. It means a lot." He gave me a warm smile in return.
---
The next morning, the first thing I did was to go and get my mother. Last night before going to sleep, I told her about the celebration and she decided that she wanted to join me in helping our pack members prepare for it.
When the bulk of the decorations were done, mother went back to father. After finishing my duties, I rushed towards my house to whip up a quick breakfast for myself and then headed back outside again to visit Zack.
"You thought I'd forget, huh?" Placing the breakfast tray down, I sat on the grass next to his grave.
A smile took over my face when I saw a plethora of fresh, colourful flowers sitting there which meant that the pack members visited him as well.
"As per tradition - a very happy birthday to you, loser." Taking the knife, I cut his favourite blueberry pancakes and slowly hummed the birthday song under my breath.
For a while, I just sat there silently, eating my breakfast and enjoying the weather and sweet sound of the nature. The birds chirping, lush green leaves swaying in the wind, the grass wet beneath my fingertips - it was a beautiful day.
"We're celebrating you tonight; it was Kal's idea. You would've liked it, Zack. And guess what? Ethan and I had our very first date. Surprisingly, we had a lot of fun." I laid down on the ground and placed my hand over the hard, stone slab under which he was resting, "I miss you, Zack... I know you're out there, looking out for us but still... I wish you were here."
Feeling someone mind-link me, I opened up the barrier I had put on, "Alpha, I need your signature on some papers."
It was Beta Jonathan.
"Duty calls, brother." Grabbing the tray, I got up into a standing position, "Happy birthday, Zack. Wherever you are, know that I love and miss you."
After returning to the office and signing the forms, I set out for my room to get ready. Super casual was going to be the dress code for today so I opted for light, washed, ripped denim jeans, an orange, cropped fit cardigan and paired it with white converse.
The pack had done an incredible job at converting the grassy fields of our pack to a carnival in a span of one day. There were food and small ride stalls lined up as far as the eye could see. I stood nearby; watching the ones where most of the screams and laughter came from. The smells of the delicious fare wafted throughout the area, prompting my stomach to rumble with hunger.
"Alpha, come play with us!" I felt tiny, little hands grabbing my arms and pulling me towards the center to play a game of Blind man's Buff.
"Guess the pups found their next victim." Ron tilted his head in greeting and passed me a small tube. "You know what to do, Alpha."
The tube contained an ointment which the wolves could use to weaken their ability to smell temporarily. Since I was an Alpha, I could easily win the game with the help of my strong sense of smell. Therefore, the application of the ointment was essential to keep the game fair.
Opening the cap, I applied a generous amount under my nose. It only took a few seconds for it to work its wonder, the strong stench making it difficult for me to smell anything at all.
Turning around, I let Ron wrap a blindfold around my eyes, "Good luck, Alpha." He spun me around several times causing me to lose my sense of direction.
Thank Goddess, my sense of hearing was still strong, allowing me to hear the tiny giggles from all around me.
With my hands outstretched, I carefully moved towards the noises. I could've finished the game instantly by fully concentrating on the noises their tiny feet were making but I decided to give them a fair chance and not use my other Alpha senses.
Feeling a small push from behind me, I turned around quickly and pulled my arms together but managed to only grab thin air. Loud noises of the children laughing filled the area.
"Oh, I'm going to get you all!" Bending down, I tried my best to catch one of the kids but failed miserably when I found out that some of the pups had disguised their voices to distract and mislead me.
"You guys think you're clever, huh?" I pretended to walk forward but at the last minute turned around to grab the kid walking behind me. As my hands grazed his shoulders, a scream left his body but he quickly managed to get out of my grasp.
Damn it, I almost had him.
I could now hear the pack members cheering for the children, fueling their excitement.
"I am here, Alpha!"
"No, here!"
Excited voices called out to me.
"Just wait till I get my hands on you!"
I felt a tiny crunch from besides me and immediately jumped to grab the victim, "Got youuu!" But in a hurry to not lose grip of the pup this time, I almost fell if not for their hands that wrapped around my waist.
But how could someone that tiny hold someone as big as me?
Taking my blindfold off, my brown eyes connected with his grey ones.
"Didn't think you'd fall into my arms so soon." With the back of his hand, Ethan brushed the hair on my face aside, a playful smirk etched on his face.
I could feel everyone's curious gaze upon us causing heat to sear through my skin. His gaze also raked over me, those full lips quirking on one side.
His wide palm spread against the small of my back, the solid tips of his fingers settling into the dip along my spine. I could see the hard lines of his face perfectly, his jaw taut, and those intense eyes boring down into mine.
"We won!" The loud cheering noises of the children brought me back to reality. They were easily distracted by Ron who offered them their winning prizes and made them search for the next 'it'.
I took a step back and allowed some space between us. When I turned around, all of the pack members averted their gaze, pretending as if they weren't staring at us. From my peripheral vision, I saw Josh and Tyler walking towards us.
"Do you guys always come together or what," Ethan muttered loud enough for us to hear, annoyed at their intrusion.
"Friends tend to come together, you'd know if you had one." Tyler responded, narrowing his eyes at him.
"You both need to move on," Josh rolled his eyes, "Vivian is your mate, and Tyler here has found his mate so there is no need to get territorial." Turning towards me, he leaned forward and gave me a kiss on the cheek, "Afternoon, Vivian. You look as radiant as the sun itself."
His compliment made me blush.
"So where is the good stuff you promised me?"
Eager to leave the testosterone filled air, I wrapped my arm around the hand Josh was offering, "I'll take you."
"I'd like to see too," Ethan jumped, grabbing my other arm possessively.
Josh looked down at his hand and then scoffed, "Alphas."
I chuckled. As if he wasn't going to become one.
Tyler followed us close behind as I led them forward and showed them around the area. It took me a while because Josh wanted to stop at every single stall and try out every single thing.
Half-way through, I left them the three to each other so I could meet my pack members and spend some time with them. Maybe some time together would do them good as well.
Twenty minutes later, I was busy chatting with Ashlee and her friends when Josh came over. He greeted, scratch that, flirted with all the girls in pure Josh manner before turning towards me.
"Up for a challenge, Alpha?" Taking me by the arm, he guided me towards the game stalls where Tyler, Ethan and about twelve children stood. "I play for the girls and you for the boys?"
My eyes fell on the little pups who had heard him and were now standing in a circle around us, their eyes lit up.
"Please Alpha!"
"You'll win easily, Alpha!"
How could I say no to them?
"Alright, Josh. Let's do this."
"I call dibs on Team Vivian." Tyler announced which annoyed Ethan because that meant he had to side with Josh to make the teams even.
"You're stuck with me, loverboy," Josh poked Ethan's chest to grab his attention which was fixated on Tyler, "Come here and cheer pretty for Joshy."
Ethan turned his glare towards Josh.
"Alright, fine stay over here and continue brooding."
Grabbing my arm once again, he pulled me towards the stalls.
There will be three rounds played by Josh and I, the first round being the ring toss where both of us will alternative turns to toss rings and try to get them to fall on the bottles. Whoever tosses five rings first, wins.
The second round would be basketball free throw where each of us will be given twenty seconds to score as many baskets as we can. The last round would be dart balloons where each of us will be given five darts to pop as many balloons as we can.
"Rules clear to everybody?" Anthony, a pack member who was behind the stalls, asked.
Josh and I gave each other a competitive look and then nodded at our match referee.
"Round 1 - Ring Toss, Alpha Vivian you go first."
Taking a deep breath, I tossed the first ring which landed right on the bottle. The crowd began to cheer, shouting their approval and encouraging me.
"Nice throw, Alpha." Josh praised, and then threw his ring which also landed on the bottle.
We successfully tossed three rings on their target. When it was time for the fourth toss, I almost got a little heart attack when my ring spun dangerously on the edge of the bottle's mouth. It felt like it would fall right off but thankfully gravity was on my side today and the ring settled right where it belonged.
Josh frowned when he discerned that the ring didn't fall off. Some of his anger translated in his next turn because he ended up throwing his ring a little too aggressively causing it to land a few inches away from its target.
The little boys began to cheer loudly at his miss causing me to grin widely. One right toss and I win this round.
Let's do this, Vivian.
Taking a deep breath to calm my nerves, I adjusted my stance and then tossed the ring... right on the target!
"Let's go, Vivian!" Tyler cheered loudly. All the kids on my team rushed to hug me.
The girls on the other side crossed their arms and pouted at Josh, "Alright, alright. We still have two rounds. Don't you princesses worry," he assured.
The next round went fairly quick. Josh was an absolute beast with the ball, not even missing his target by an inch. His height also gave him an unfair advantage causing him to score every time he shot his ball towards the basket. His total at the end was sixty-five goals in twenty seconds and unfortunately, mine were only fifty-two goals.
This time it was Josh and his team who celebrated their victory whereas my team sulked on the other side.
Damn it.
"The last round decides the winner; whoever manages to pop the most balloons with these five darts, wins. You will take alternative turns," Anthony gave both of us five darts, "Who wants to go first?"
"I'll play. Let's allow dear Vivian some time to catch her breath after the last loss." Josh winked at me and settled in his place to begin.
I knew exactly what he was trying to do, riling me up so I could end up making a mistake while throwing my dart.
Well, that was never going to happen.
In the first three turns, both of us managed to pop a balloon each. When it was time for the fourth one, Josh decided to overestimate himself and aimed at a balloon which was too far from him, causing his dart to miss it.
"Aw, do you need some time to cry over your miss?" I teased, pouting my lips at him.
In response, he stuck his tongue out at me. Much to his dismay, my dart managed to pop a balloon so now the score was 3-4.
"You can save yourself from the embarrassment and quit early, I am sure everyone will understand." Tyler joked, causing my team to howl with laughter.
"Hey Tyler, remember when I asked for your opinion? Yeah, me neither."
As Josh was adjusting his stance for the final throw, Tyler went behind Josh and began to tease him but he easily ignored the distraction and successfully popped a balloon.
"Instead of sulking in the corner, help your team and distract Vivian or we will lose!" Josh fussed, throwing daggers at Ethan who was leaning against a tree, his strong arms crossed against his chest. Instead of answering, Ethan completely ignored him and remained quiet.
When Josh realized Ethan wasn't going to say or do anything, he gave up.
All I had to do was pop one balloon and my team would win.
Grabbing the final dart, I stepped back and began to analyze the board in search for the perfect target to hit. After a while, my eyes landed on the spot and I began to position myself when suddenly, there was a shift in the temperature.
"Spread your legs a little further..."
He pressed a hand to my right hip. His fingers were long; the rough tips a gentle scrape against the softness of my skin.
What?!
"That will help your stance and will ensure you're firm on your feet."
Ethan's hot breath tickled my ear, and my heart began to pound at our close distance. It was difficult to concentrate with him right beside me. The sudden, bizarre desire to lean against his hard chest flashed through my mind but I managed to restrain myself.
"He is trying to distract you by offering his help; what a smart-ass." My wolf disclosed, "Grow a pair, Vivian. We need to win this!"
Yes, right - win.
We have to win. Focus.
Acting oblivious, I took his advice and spread my legs. In response, the hand which remained firmly on my hip began to lightly trace the naked strip of my skin with his thumb.
Concentrate, Vivian.
Raising my hand, I got into position and lined my dart right in the line of my target. But before I threw it, I turned my head towards Ethan. His coppery-grey eyes, an intense, bewitching colour, flitted down to settle on my face, causing a warm tingle to slide across my skin.
Slowly, I brought the dart near my lips and placed a small kiss on it. Ethan's pupil dilated with carnal desire as it followed my movement. Then his eyes moved up and our gazes connected for a hot, brief minute. We blatantly and shamelessly looked at each other and I could clearly see the battle he was fighting with himself.
Without looking back at the target, I threw my dart.
Ethan's eyes widened and looked behind me at the target. From the cheers surrounding me, I knew my dart hit right on its target. But for confirmation, I looked back and found that my dart had landed right at the spot I wanted - in the middle of two balloons causing both of them to pop.
Final score: 4 - 6
I looked back and saw Ethan's shocked expression, his mouth slightly open. Using my index finger, I placed it under his chin and closed his mouth. His dark eyes fell on my face just as a wicked, smoldering grin appeared on my face, "Better luck next time, Alpha Ethan."
Stepping away from him, I walked towards my team who eagerly ran towards to hug me. "How in the world did you do that?" Tyler questioned, the shock in his face mirroring the look on Ethan's.
Leaning down to hug all the little pups hugging my legs, I tilted my head to answer Tyler. "Just one of my many talents."
After the hugging ceased, the boys screamed and headed towards the counter to claim their prize. The girls looked at the sight in front of them with sad eyes. Noticing this, Josh turned towards Anthony, "Give my girls the toys too, it is on me."
The girls' expressions rapidly changed from sadness to one of jubilation. All of them attacked Josh who fell on the ground, his carefree laughter surrounding the area. The girls smothered him with kisses and hugs, and then rushed to collect their toys.
When Josh stood back up, he strode towards me, "Good game, MV." We shook hands like professionals. "As for you," Josh addressed Ethan with an accusatory glance, "You suck, man."
Tyler burst into laughter. Before I could join in, I felt a tap on my shoulder.
"Hey Alpha, up for another challenge?" Hera interuppted, "It isn't a North Pack celebration without a fight, now is it?"
Grinning up at her, I answered, "You know me; I never back down from a good fighting challenge."
We walked towards the training area which had been converted into a fighting arena for the carnival. After quickly changing into our fight gear which consisted of sports bra and gym shorts, we took our positions in the center.
Hera cocked her head to the side, "Ready, Alpha?"
"You bet."
We both circled each other and immediately charged when the familiar sound of the whistle entered our ears. Hera threw up her forearms defensively as I threw a punch, and easily slipped to the side, pushing my elbow down and pulling it behind my back.
Using all my strength, I managed to yank my elbow free from her hold and leaned down to topple her on the ground from over me. Not wanting to finish the fight instantly, I allowed her to catch her breath and get up.
"Is that all you got, Hera?" I teased, blowing away a strand of hair which had escaped my ponytail away from my face.
Hera laughed before jumping up, ready for some more action. Seconds later, we were once again on each other, this time grabbing one other by the shoulders. For a while, both of us just dodged and ducked, a few of our punches and kicks landing their target. From the corner of my eyes, I could see a crowd forming around us.
Deciding to give them a show, I ducked from underneath Hera's arm and hit her right in between the shoulder blades. She grunted before making a surprisingly quick recovery, hitting me straight in the stomach with her left fist.
The fight continued for six more minutes, both of us exhaling and inhaling loudly. Hera was badly bruised; blood drops trickled down her burst lip. She also managed to get a little blood out of me when she hit me square in the face, causing my nose to bleed.
However, the good thing was that these wounds only hurt momentarily before our wolves would heal them up.
Curling my hand into a fist, I delivered a quick punch to the side of her stomach which was left unguarded, then punched her in the shoulder with a hard fist causing her to fall down towards the ground. Not wasting any time, I straddled her and pinned her hands above her body.
Knowing there was no way out now; she moved her head to the side and submitted.
Next up was Kal - he wasn't as good as Hera but where he lacked in skills, he made up in his built and strength. Since he was also a good six inches taller than me, it was quite a task for me to throw him off his feet. Not only that, it also allowed him to easily dodge my punches.
Kal raised his fists to hit me but thankfully my reflexes worked much quicker than my brain. Dodging his punch, I reached up and nailed his right cheekbone with my fist. The pain from the hit shot through my knuckles.
Using his moment of weakness against him, I did a leg sweep to throw him off balance and then delivered one final blow which made him plummet to the ground. Kneeling down, I pushed my elbow against his neck, signifying his defeat. He grinned at me before tilting his head to the side in submission.
Cheers surrounded the area as I stood up and nonchalantly rolled my shoulders to ease off some of the pain.
"And that's two for two for Alpha Vivian!" Chief Warrior Xavier announced proudly, "Does anyone else dare to challenge her?"
My heart was beating loudly - I felt so alive. Adrenaline pumped me up as my gaze assessed the audience, eager to find someone who was up for the challenge.
"I'd like to give it a try." A familiar voice interjected from the side.
The crowd parted and gave way to Ethan who wore his signature smirk. His grey gaze held mine for what felt like ages, and then gave my outfit a slow once-over. When he walked closer to me, my smile grew of its own accord.
I nodded, "As you wish, Alpha Ethan."
Our prolonged eye contact seemed a bit too intense, especially given the company we were around so I decided to break it off. Xavier passed him clothes to change into and a few seconds later, he emerged wearing nothing but shorts.
My breath caught.
He was shirtless.
And by Goddess was that a sight to behold.
In the back of my head, I could feel my wolf's growl of approval.
He was so tall, so strong and so aggressively built. His muscles flexed with every movement, droplets of sweat running down his broad, strong shoulders and down his chest. A shiver of want and need ran down my spine.
My eyes raked his form, his perfectly chiseled and hard chest, the smooth and hard valley and ridges of his abdomen leading towards the light trail of hair which disappeared underneath his shorts - I gulped.
You are in some deep fucking shit, Vivian.
But that was not all. This was the first time I could see the black ink that stretched on his left bicep; the smooth black lines running in different directions.
On closer inspection, I recognized that it was a tattoo of a glorious moon from which a wolf's face was coming out, inked in black and gray. However, the most striking feature of the tattoo was the wolf's eyes - one was deep, chocolate brown and the other was pure black.
Very similar to...
"Yes, yes I know he looks like a Greek God incarnate but we need to ignore it and concentrate on the fight. You best believe I'll make your life hell if you let him win." My wolf warned, "So let's stop fantasizing and get ready to prove everyone why we are their Alpha!"
She was right. We couldn't lose in front of our own pack - that would be a huge blow to our reputation.
With much difficulty, I raised my eyes from his perfect body to his perfect face. Those intense, grey eyes were already fixated on me, a proud smile sitting on his face as he made his way inside the fighting circle.
"Since you're not from our pack, Alpha Ethan, I'll explain the rules to you." As Xavier narrated him the rules, Ethan's grey eyes never left my face.
"All clear?"
He nodded, and then shifted into a fighting stance, his muscles tightening with every move. I mimicked him and readied myself as well.
Goddess, help me.
Xavier blew his whistle, marking the start of the match. Ethan and I just circled each other, studying intently and waiting for the other to make the first move. I took a step forward and his eyes narrowed, trying to make sense of what I was trying to do.
Moving forward with trained speed, I landed a quick blow to the side of his stomach, causing him to bunch over from impact. Immediately, I raised my knee to hit him in the stomach but he recognized the movement and grabbed me before I could land my hit. With all of his strength, he pushed me behind causing me to lose my grip and skid across the ground, my knees grating in the process.
Focus, Vivian.
Rolling over onto my stomach, I pushed myself up, ready to make him pay. A familiar thrill washed over me as I thought of my next move.
This time he moved towards me, bluffing his move and landing a blow to my stomach which he followed with a right cross. I instantly slipped to the left, which threw him off, allowing me to step beside him and get a handful of his soft, black hair. Pulling his body forward with his head, I slammed my knee into his stomach and then pushed him back. He doubled over and coughed loudly, clearly not expecting such strength.
The fight continued as we both dodged and landed punches to each other. However, during one of my punches, he expected and anticipated what I was going to do before I did it. I swung but he caught my fist and spun me around, pinning me to his chest. I twisted and turned in his grasp until my back rested firmly against his front, one of his arms coiled around my waist, the other blocking my move.
"You can save yourself from humiliation and end the fight right now," he teased, his hot breath fluttering my hair. I tried my best to pull my head away from the warmth of his breath, my own coming out heavy from the effort of trying to escape from his hold.
His intoxicating scent was wreaking havoc on my body and driving me wild - he smelled of power, dominance and sex.
"I am sure you wouldn't want your pack to witness their Alpha submitting to me."
"Oh, they're going to see an Alpha submit alright, but... just not me!"
I bent and used my body weight to flip and slam him on the ground. But before I could land my final blow and make him submit, he kicked his leg and knocked me down on him.
I landed on his hard chest, the air escaping from my body. Using one of his hands, he trapped both of my hands behind my back and then using his other hand, he extended it in a claw and cut the hair tie holding my hair in a ponytail.
My black hair cascaded down, falling on his chest and shielding the sides of our faces from the crowd. I tried to remember breathing but the heat coming from his body as it pressed against my curves was absolutely maddening. I just wanted to lean closer to his face and have my way with him.
No, stop it. Right. Now.
He raised his head up, his warm breath which smelled like peppermint, stroked my cheek and ear, causing a shiver to run down my body. A rush of adrenaline rushes through my body and a flash of heat between my legs as I tried to ignore the lean contours of his body pressed firmly against my curves, the rise and fall of our chests with each breath.
Then his lips - oh those lips - grazed my jaw, and moved to the tiny spot behind my ear, his stubble brushing my soft skin.
"I didn't like how you covered my marks from your neck, Vivian."
Hearing how dark and possessive his voice sounded, my own breathing became shallow.
I bit my lip and tilted my head to the side, "Would you like an apology?"
"I'll take anything that you're offering, darling."
"If you insist...," Leaning down, I dragged my lips up to his soft skin and gently nipped his neck, sipping on his soft flesh, right where my mark would go. A smile tugged at the corner of my mouth when I felt his grip on my hands loosen.
It was working.
Not wasting any more time, I used the opportunity to tackle him down and pin his hands firmly against the ground. Flipping my hair to the side, I let the audience finally see what was happening behind my hair.
Realizing I tricked him, Ethan's dark eyes narrowed at me but then transitioned into a strange expression... as if he was impressed.
Knowing there was no way out now; he turned his head to the side and submitted.
"Now we're even Salvador," I winked.
Getting up, I offered him my hand which he gladly took. A glow of warmth spread on the skin when our hands touched, causing a flutter in my chest. I could still feel the brush of his fingers against my skin, the faint wisps of his breath hot against my body, the tip of his nose grazing my ear.
"I am sorry for humiliating you in front of my pack," I teased, "Really wish I could've made the experience more enjoyable for you."
"Mm," he hummed in approval. Leaning down to match my height, he teasingly caressed his lips softly across my cheek and then moved to whisper in my ear, "Who says I didn't enjoy it?"
Heat rushed to my cheeks as my eyes are forced to meet his wicked black gaze; eyes which were burning with an aching and blazing fire. Wordlessly, he stepped back, leaving me to my thoughts.
It was only when I felt myself being lifted up by Josh, who threw me on his shoulders, when I heard the ear-deafening cheers celebrating my victory.
"3 for 3, that's Alpha Vivian for you everyone!" Xavier shouted.
"Hell yeah, it is!" My wolf rejoiced.
Clearly, all she cared about at the moment was winning.
After the fight, the entire day passed away in a flicker of games and delicious food prepared by Uncle Levi and Auntie Carla. The pack members entertained us with a range of bewildering activities. There was a fire performance, a juggling competition in which all three - Tyler, Ethan and Josh participated but surprisingly, the winner turned out to be a little eight-year-old pup called Kyra who successfully managed to burst their Alpha ego bubble.
Later, they tried to convince me that the loss was intentional because they didn't want to hurt her feelings; however, I knew that was not the case - Kyra won purely through her skills and talent. But it was cute to see how for once in their life, all three of them agreed on one thing to save face.
When the night came alive, and the dazzling stars filled the entirety of the sky, the pack shifted and headed towards Zack's grave to pay respects. All of us collectively bowed our heads and then howled in the night.
Once everyone shifted back, we assembled back on the grounds once again to end the night with a fireworks show. But before that, I decided to speak some final words.
"I would like to end this special day by thanking all of you who helped to make it possible. I am sure if Zack was here, he would've probably kissed each and every one of you for throwing such a great birthday party." The pack members laughed in agreement, "Sometimes the memory of him makes me sad... Zack - my fiercely loyal and overprotective brother, someone who was always there for me whenever I needed him.
"At times he was the sole reason for my biggest headaches and on other times he was my only, true best friend. Sometimes, the wish, the constant hope, the desire for him to be here, right here with all of us fills me with such rage and resentfulness because there's a part of me that will never believe he won't come bouncing around some corner, laughing at me, making fun of me for falling for his prank.
"It has been tough. It is tough. Especially when today was supposed to be the night he was waiting all of his life for. But I know Zack would want us to fight, to survive, and to thrive so that is exactly what we will do - together, as the North-Moon Pack.
"He believed that an Alpha wasn't someone who didn't make mistakes but was someone who was willing to change for better - and to become the Alpha which Zack envisioned for the North-Moon Pack, I need you all by my side."
My pack members howled in response and then bowed their heads in respect.
When I finished, the night proceeded onwards with a firework show. It was then I felt a strange yet familiar sensation prodding my mind; a void that was getting filled.
"Alpha," I heard the voice of the pack doctor call out to me in the mind-link.
But I already knew what he was going to say.
A weak, quivering voice rang in my brain, calling me out. "Vivian..."
The dazzling, colourful fireworks shot up in the sky as a sob tore from my throat, "...Dad?"
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A/N: Du-du-duuuuuun. Phew! This was a long update. What do you think will happen next? And what did you think of the chapter?
Any Blackpink fans, or shall I say Blink, out here? Thought the song was very fitting for our bad-ass Viv.
As always, sorry (this has become our tradition now haha) for being late, it was a rough and challenging two months for me, both mentally and physically.
But you guys are the best, thank you for sticking up with me and waiting for the updates. I promise I'm trying my best to work ASAP and update more often.
Leave your questions, feedback, rants whatever your heart wants, in the comments - I love to read every single one of them!
Take care of yourself. Love you guys to the moon and back.
Until then, stay safe. x