C2| Open Road
Luka Lennox
Two Hours Later
I found myself opening the door to my Jeep after spending the last hour of my life greeting every alpha female in attendance. I was right, this whole thing was designed to get me to mate some poor girl with hopes of becoming queen.
Fucking joke all of them the woman with unappealing scents and their vapid power-hungry parents looking to capitalise on Tristan's pain and stupidity.
The only thing I was actually, looking forward to was killing some rouges.
Jumping into my Jeep closing the door, I watch in the rear-view mirror as an old friend of mine made his way around the car before hopping into the seat next to me.
"Long time, Luka." Chase said turning towards me with a massive grin on his stupid happy face. "How come you never visit me when you only live a few miles away."
A few miles away. Dude, lived on the other side of the State.
"Idiot." I scoffed at him as I turned on the engine. Chase Davis, my oldest friend, at one point in our lives he was set to be my Beta, but fate had other plans.
On the hunt two years ago when we'd just turned 17, Chase found his mate Merissa, Alpha Westwood's daughter and when it came time for her father to retire, he challenged him and took his title. The guys and I make fun of him for being named alpha by 'challenging and old man'.
My best friend was now a mated and married man at 21. True mates were hard to find, at some point we just gave up searching for them and marry like humans which is why it surprised me how Chase found his mate and so early too, the guy used to be quite the ladies' man back in the day using his charming smile and handsome face to he's advantage. I guess he used all that experience to win Merissa over, they were after all complete opposites and really cliché, the player, and the bookworm.
The whole thing was sickeningly sweet.
Goddess, it makes me smile how whipped this idiot was back then and watching his eyes light up and the goofy smile spread across half he's face as he waved out the window at his mate like a love drunk lunatic, I'd say he still is.
His happiness was infectious and sore as it makes me to admit something I needed.
"I take it, you missed me then." I smirk pulling away and starting the 3-hour journey to Rouge Mountain, a line of cars following behind us.
We spent majority of the drive just catching up, though Chase did most of the talking but I liked it that way. I could drive in peace and just listen to all his stories of blissful mated life, and how much wiser he was. How he wished I was there with him and how Marissa's mother started talking about wanted grandkids. He was deathly pale when he told me that story, I laughed for the first time in weeks and felt good to just be in the moment and not be thinking about court or my many responsibilities and my useless father.
"And how does Marissa feel about these kids?" I ask.
"She," He smirks, green eyes sparkling with mischief. "is happy to participate in their conception as long as I spend the next nine months carrying them." Of course, she said that. Shaking my head, I turn left and continue down the relatively empty road.
Chase's phone goes off distracting him from the conversation, though I will say that it was highly amusing watching him scramble for his device only to have the smile wiped off his face when he realised it was not his mate texting him.
"Tsk, apparently your father is demanding we stop at the rest station coming up soon." Of course, he was stopping to take a break. I rolled my eyes looking heavenward for patience and strength to deal with this asshole.
"He also seems to have roped in a few of the older Alpha's." Chase read the text with a growl.
"Undermining piece of -" I stop not finishing that sentence. Sighing, I open the windows letting the fresh air calm my rising temper.
Don't react, respond!
If he wishes to challenge my authority, then two can play that game. It will also be an opportunity to find out who still sides with the manic old man.
I slowed the jeep to a crawl, focusing my mind and connecting the many Alphas who had sworn allegiance to my bloodline.
"Don't do anything rash, Luka." Chase said but the sound was too muffled to hear, it sounded like he was underwater.
Mind linking always took a lot of focus and energy especially when linking to this many wolves. With how aggravated I'd been these last few weeks I was half sure it wouldn't work.
'I believe my instructions were clear,' Chase flinched next to me, almost breaking the connection but at least I knew it was working. 'Anyone not at the lodge by sunset, don't bother coming at all. Disobedience will not be tolerated.'
I could feel the submissive responses long before the reply came in. 'Yes, Alpha.'
But there were a few like Tristan who did not answer at all. Probably thinking of me as a boy still too wet behind the ears to give them commands.
But I never go back on my word, if they're not there then the Rouges we hunt will be quite easy to find.
And kill!