Another update! I am at the urgent care in my town for my tooth:( toothaches suck!
Anyways, I want to address something that has been slightly bothering me. I understand some of you really like my story and I am so thankful for that! But when you demand an update or rudely ask 'when are you going to update its been like forever' when in reality it's been a couple days, it makes me not want to update. I don't get payed to write like I've stated before, I do this because I want to. I love reading your comments saying 'update soon', or something along those lines but only when it's nicely put.
I hope you enjoy this chapter! If so, please vote and comment.
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"My hunger grows, and it won't let me go." -Marina Kaye
C h a l l e n g i n g T h e A l p h a
C h a p t e r E i g h t
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Rowan's words comforted me in a sense but as much as I want to believe him, I know deep down something bad is going to happen. It's coming and when it does it will hit us with full force, a force I might not be able to defeat.
"I feel as if something is coming, I feel it in my bones." I whisper to Rowan.
Rowan nods in understanding. "You have to warn the pack members today." Rowan is right. I haven't told many pack members, just a few trusted ones. I needed to do it today, they need to begin to prepare for war.
'Pack meeting now!' I mind-link everyone sharply.
A chorus of 'yes alpha' rung through my head. I rush out of the kitchen with Rowan hot on my trails. I walk trough the long hallway where many of my pack members are scrambling to my meeting hall. I push past them quite easily and make my way into the large room. The meeting hall is a large room that has a ginormous stage toward the back of the room. Numerous of my pack members are already in the room. I can smell the anxiety seep off them. It isn't very often that I call for a pack meeting.
I walk across the white granite tiling and over to the wooden stage that has a microphone propped in the center. The room is empty aside from my pack members and a bar with bar stools around the island, about ten stacks of chairs on the right wall. No paintings, nothing. The room was purely white besides the wooden stage and the microphone.
I walk onto the stage and wait a few minutes until nobody else was rushing through the doors. I walk up to the microphone and the room goes dead silent.
"I understand your confusions and worries as to why I abruptly called a pack meeting," I pause and watch a few pack members nod their heads, "anyways I wanted to inform you that I have found my mate," a few gasps escape from my pack members as they eagerly look around to detect an unknown face, "my mate is alpha Jay Pierce." I say calmly. The room goes dead silent for a moment before they uproar. They shout angry responses and growl in anger and some whimper in fear. I raise my hand up to silence them. "I have no interest in a mate as many of you know, so he is not here nor will he ever lead this pack. This is my pack, and nobody will take it from me. I am informing you that my mate has declared war against us, and we need to be prepared. He hasn't given us a specific time to when he will attack, but I know you all feel something in your bones. Something bigger than us is coming, and we need to prepare for it." I say sternly. Few members of my pack nod whilst others watch me curiously. "We will be attacked when we least expect it, so we need to expect it, every second, every minute, every hour, every day. We need to be alert and if we don't we will be destroyed. Starting after this meeting I will be increasing patrols to the boundaries, I will be increasing guards to the pack house. One rule is all I have, no women who are expecting nor children under fourteen, or the sick and elderly may battle. Everyone else is expected to." I pause to regain my breath. "Let's kick some asś!" I scream. Cheers erupt from my pack members as we grow eager to have the blood of others on our hands.
This is war, and I have every intention of winning.
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My pack and I have been training day and night. We are growing more powerful day by day. Everyone is pushing themselves to their limits. My pack and I have every intention on winning which results in their power increasing from the hunger within.
"Push harder." I bark out to a younger wolf. He's fighting Rowan and is failing to win miserably.
The young wolf growls and lunges on top of Rowan. The pup tears into Rowan's scruff causing tuffs of hair to fly in the air. A thunderous growl emits from Rowan. The pup-surprisingly doesn't flinch or run away, instead he growls back almost as thunderous as Rowan.
I walk away from the two and over to a few females who are battling in human form. I recognize them as sisters; Lilly and Rose. Rose has long red hair that really compliments her pale skin and hazel eyes. Lilly, also a redhead, has shoulder length hair, milky skin and hazel eyes as well.
Rose blocks her face as her sister threw some rough punches at her. Lilly has anger on her face, clearly because she can't get a good shot at her sister.
"Lilly, try other techniques besides punching." I suggest with a wink.
Lilly got what I was saying and used her left leg to power kick her sister in the stomach. Rose goes flying backwards and lands on her bum. Rose glares at her sister and immediately gets off the ground and charges toward her sister. Lilly smirks and dodges her irrational sister who goes flying face first in the dirt. I suppress a snicker as I leave the two sisters to quarrel.
I spend another three hours scanning and helping my pack members as they fight against one another. It truly makes my heart swell at how much effort they are putting in. I know deep down it isn't just for me. Everyone has something to fight for.
A mother fights for her children, a father fights for his mate, a brother for his sister, a sister for her brother, a brother for a brother, a sister for a sister, a friend for a friend, a lover for a lover. Nobody is fighting for the hëll of it. Everyone is fighting for something.
I am fighting for my pack, my family but most of all my freedom and myself.
"Good job today! You all are dismissed." A holler to my pack member as everyone ceases their actions in relief that they are finished for the day.
The pack scatters away from the fighting arena: really is just a large field. The chatter begins as my pack passes by me. Everyone looks exhausted with sweat pouring down their faces and their slumped figures.
"Hey Maddi, wanna go for a run?" A eager voice asks from beside me. I turn to see Rowan giving me puppy dog eyes.
"Sorry Row, I got to find Alana and discuss some things about her unborn pup." I say with a sympathetic smile.
"Awh." Rowan whines like a child.
I roll my eyes and punch his shoulder playfully as I walk past him and into the pack house.
I knock on Alana's wooden door and wait for her voice to allow me to enter. I walk into her room and the smell of roses hits my nostrils. Alana is sitting next to her mate on her bed.
"Hello." I greet them in a curt tone.
"You wanted to talk?" Alana asks in an impatient voice. Hormonal she-wolves, I tell you.
"Yeah, I have come to a conclusion on the beta situation." I say while twirling a strand of my blonde hair around my index finger.
"I never knew that it was a situation. Bryce is my mate, he takes over for me as I am pregnant and a little while after." Alana says with a raised eyebrow.
"Normally but in this case Bryce will be taking Rowan's position and Rowan will be beta." I inform with daring eyes.
Alana's eyes narrow at me but she keeps her mouth shut. I look over to Bryce who's shoulders are slumped in defeat. Guilt over washes me knowing that he is upset.
"It has nothing to do with you, Bryce. I need someone who knows what they're doing due to the war that is erupting. Rowan is more experienced than you, the gamma position is easy enough for you to grasp quickly." I say while offering a small smile.
Bryce looks shocked at my sudden kindness. I turn to Alana who is smiling slightly at me.
"Thank you." She mouths.
"Train him now cousin, we don't have time to waste." I command before exiting her room. I go downstairs to speak to Rowan about my irrational decision. My logic is correct but is Rowan willing to take over the position? Rowan has the knowledge despite him being a knock head some days, but I know he won't disappoint me. It's whether this is something he wants.
I find Rowan in the first place I look; the kitchen.
Rowan smiles when he sees me. He's munching on a slice of sausage pizza. "Hey Maddi cat."
"Hey Row, I don't know how to say this but you're taking over the betas position instead of Bryce." I rush out.
Rowan's slice of pizza drops on his plate. His mouth us open as if he's about to gasp. I nearly burst into laughter at his face.
"A-are you serious?" Rowan asks while looking around as if someone is going to jump out and scream 'just kidding!'.
"Yeah." I say nonchalantly.
Rowan's face lightens up and he squirms excitedly in his seat. Relief floods over me at his reaction.
"So will you accept it?" I ask hesitantly.
"Of course I will be your beta!" Rowan cheers while jumping off his seat and totally abandoning his pizza to hug me.
"Thank you." I giggle while hugging him back.
Rowan pulls away and does some odd happy dance that has me bursting into fits of giggles.
"I'm going to pass out from excitement." Rowan says while taking a deep breath to most likely calm his erratic heartbeat. "Wanna watch a movie with me?" Rowan asks once his breathing is under control.
I nod eagerly before taking his outstretched hand and allowing him to lead me to his room. His room is clean as can be and smells so heavenly: masculine and just simply him.
"I love the smell of your room." I murmur while taking a small inhale.
Rowan chuckles before going to his brown dresser that is in the left side of his room, it's pushed against his musty brown walls that give you a 'manly' vibe. His room is an average room, he has a king sized bed with a black and blue striped comforter, a musty brown dresser that he's had since he was little, two end tables by his headboard on each side, lamps that are placed atop the tables that illuminate the room, he has a few posters of his favorite sports teams and a picture frame of him and I. I stare at the photo, easily allowing myself to go back to that day.
**
"Stand still!" I snap at Rowan as he squirms around.
"Maddi why are you so mean to me." Rowan pouts as he stands in place for a moment before squirming again.
"Shut up and let Alana take the darn picture.@ I hiss while pulling Rowan to my side and plastering a smile on my face. The bright flash hits my eyes as Alana takes the picture.
"Finally!" Alana cheers while doing a happy dance which accidentally causes her to take a picture of herself.
"Ouch." She groans while rubbing her eyes.
I giggle and turn to Rowan who is doing the potty dance.
"Go pee!" I exclaim. Rowan jumps and runs as fast as he can into the pack house. The idiot wanted to take a picture with me to send to his parents who are traveling. Of course, Rowan had to go pee right as we were about to take the picture so I forced him to hold it in and take a picture but he wouldn't stop moving so it was like a dozen pictures.
**
I giggle at the memory causing Rowan to look at me with confusion.
"I remember this day." I say while gesturing toward the picture.
"Me too, you're just as mean to me to this day as you were back then." Rowan jokes.
I roll my eyes and plop down on his bed which literally feels like heaven. It's so soft and comfortable that I could sleep on it forever.
Rowan pulls out some sweatpants and a pair of boxers and a black t-shirt. He tosses them to me and instructs me to go change. I remember doing this a lot when I was younger. I loved wearing his clothes, it smelt of him and made me happy. I won't lie, I had a huge crush on Rowan, I fell in love with him when I was fifteen and I always thought he would be my mate. Sadly it was too good to be true. I remember a time where we would discuss us being mates one day.
"Rowan did you ever think we would be mates when we were younger?" I ask after I walk out of his bathroom.
Rowan looks startled at my question but recovers with a shrug. "Yeah, I did. I always thought I would be your mate ever since we became friends."
My heart skipped a beat at his words. My heart shouldn't be doing this; he isn't my mat. But you wish he was. My conscious says.
"I did too, I wish we were." I mumble lowly.
Rowan looks at me with wide eyes. Yet again, I, Maddison Holt surprises Rowan. "We can be." Rowan blurts.
"What?" I gasp while looking into his emotional eyes to detect a lie or a sense of humor. I find nothing but sincerity.
"Rowan." I trailed off while thinking of it. In all honesty we could, but I couldn't risk his life for the sake of my wants or his. "We can't, you could get hurt-actually you will get hurt. Jay will slaughtered you if he discovers 'us'." I say with sorrow in my voice.
Rowan scoffs and walks over to me before grabbing my small face in his big hands. "Listen to me, we will be fine. I won't be hurt and neither will you, I swear." With that Rowan places his lips upon mine and surprisingly I kiss him back.
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OMG:) Rowan and Maddi moment! They kissed!! Is that too soon? What're your opinions?
Is this a good thing or a bad thing?
Shipname? I kind of like madan, but you guys decide.
Currently obsessing over In the name of love!! It's a good song.
Please vote and comment! I love it when you guys show your support!
I'm thinking of calling you my challengers? Yes? No?
Xxxxxx