Chapter 3 – Choices

Elijah's POV

"She'd be eighteen in a few days. You're still thinking she'll be the best choice?"

I could feel the disapproval in Jack's voice.

I simply nodded while watching the young girl throwing punches in the air.

We were at the gym, supervising people in our pack while they worked out. And Jack was talking about Kyra, the girl I choose to be my mate. I was waiting for her to be the right age, and then I would claim her as mine. She was quite good at sports, she was clever and didn't mind occupying the role as the Luna of the pack. Plus, she did like me.

"She would be just perfect."

"But do you really like her?"

I scoffed. He has always been against this idea of mine.

"Look at her, dude. She is hot and she's not stupid, nor a slut who tried to seduce me for my title. She agreed to my terms and thanked me for the opportunity. She already obliged for the pack's sake and this makes her a good choice as a Luna, a caring one."

I looked again at the girl we were talking about. Her long blonde hair was up in a ponytail, swinging from side to side, her tanned skin was covered in sweat and her muscles were twitching because of the exercise. She was beautiful indeed. Her blue eyes were captivating. I wouldn't mind spending the nights with her.

"You would steal her from her mate. I know that you don't mind the fact that you haven't found your mate, yet, but you're forcing her not to have hers."

I looked at him, feeling the anger rise in my chest.

"Do you think I would do something like this to one of our pack? We talked about it and she told me she didn't mind. That she already liked me. Maybe we are mates, after all, we can still hope for that."

Jack felt that I was growing angry and decided not to push anymore on the argument. I had to do that. I was almost twenty-two and I had still no match. I was supposed to take the role of my father as an Alpha already one year ago. My mother was a great Luna and she never falter in her duties, but the death of my father affected her too. I wanted her to rest. I wanted her to take her time mourning her mate. And I needed one to make that happen. Stupid rules.

I had taken part in countless balls and parties around the globe to find my mate, without luck. Maybe I wasn't destined to have one. I heard Lucius growling painfully in my head.

My wolf longed for his true mate and the idea of mating with some other she-wolf made him disappointed. But he could also understand what we needed to do as rulers of the pack. I looked once again at Kyra, who was smiling across the room in my direction. She was sweet.

I directed Jack towards some pups who were struggling with their exercises and headed toward my place. Home felt empty, it was like one could smell sorrow in every room. My mother decided to go stay at the pack house a week after the incident. She couldn't bear the smell of my father everywhere, it was too overwhelming. I clung to it, instead. I was leaning on the couch, hoping to get some rest, when I heard some footstep approaching. I was onto the intruder in a matter of seconds, snarling at them. I stopped and retired my fangs just when I recognized Lora. The girl was Paul's mate, a new entry of the pack.

"What are you doing here, Lora? Are there some problems?"

I got up, helping her to get on her feet.

"You sure know how to welcome someone, Alpha."

I chuckled nervously. I had been on high alert since the incident. I didn't answer though, waiting for her to talk.

"There's a she-wolf at school. I don't know who she is. I think her name is Elizabeth, she's a senior. I sensed her today at lunch. She doesn't belong to any pack. I thought I had to tell you."

A loner? Why did nobody tell me?

"Her wolf...it was strange. I only felt it for some brief moments. I don't know, it was like it was there and then...puff. I followed her after school and heard her parents talk about some pills to make her wolf weak."

"You sure about it Lora? Is she new?"

When she shook her head, I was surprised. And I knew she wasn't telling me the whole story. But I could understand. Maybe I was going to be her new Alpha, but she needed time to trust all the people in the pack, including me. Still, nobody told me about it, and Paul patrolled the school just yesterday, so who was she? What pills? Was she aware of it? Was she some sick experiment?

I could feel Lucius stirring in my head. We knew about some people who were trying to expel the wolf gene outside our bodies. But to be so close to some of them was concerning.

"Thanks. You may go now."

Lora nodded and as she went she disappeared.

"We need to check a girl. Her name is Elizabeth, Lora told me about it."

I mind-linked Jack almost instantly, the memory of what Lora told me flooding in his head. The answer came sooner than I expected.

"I'm on it boss. I'll go check immediately. You think it is about your father?"

I didn't know. Maybe. And if it were, I would kill those people with my bare hands.

"I don't know. I am coming with you. Not a word with anyone. I'll see you at the school."

Moments later we were subtly sniffing every corner of that damn school, but there was not a hint of any particular scent. Only sweat and hormones, which made our nose wrinkle. Lucius was oddly calm.

"Maybe Lora was dizzy? Maybe she went insane with all these perfumes. Oh my, why have humans the need to use so much perfume?"

Jack grimaced. I started laughing, but I stopped abruptly when Lucius howled in my head.

I felt it seconds later. The most captivating scent of all. It was faint, something was definitely off, but so good I almost got on all four to follow it as fast as I could.

Jack noticed the change in my demeanor and his nostrils flared immediately. I was given a quizzical look. But I was too busy inhaling that sweet, alluring scent to stop and explain. Lucius was going insane in my head, he knew no scent could make us feel that way. The howling soon became a deep growl.

A word boomed in my head.

MATE.

I tried blocking him out. He might felt like she was ours, but I couldn't say the same.

Yet.

Lucius was an odd wolf, he barely spoke. Two words in less than a minute were strange.

We're going to check on her, mate. And if she is ours, we're going to save her and take her home.