Chapter 5: The Liar Alpha

Layla was floored. Her mind was racing. She tried to check in with her inner wolf but was lost. There was nothing but silence, confusion, and emotional pain. Time felt as if it was slowing down and then would ricochet back to the correct time. This was not her mate.

Anthony smiled at Layla as he grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him. Her father’s pack had crowded into the small hall and were celebrating behind her. The noise of the cheering was deafening. How could anyone believe this? This was not her mate.

Anthony pulled her in for a tight hug and swayed back and forth. “Oh my daughter, I am so happy for you. I never thought the day would come. It has been so long since you became of age.” He cried in her ear.

“I’m only 19,” Layla responded, annoyed. “Father, please listen to me, this man is not-”

“Oh Layla, do not be frightened. There is nothing more beautiful than finding your mate,” Anthony interjected.

Layla broke from his embrace. “I am not afraid,” she said sternly. “It would be beautiful but this is not my-”

Anthony walked away from her and wrapped his arm around Alistar’s shoulder who handed him a tankard of ale. Laughing, Anthony proclaimed to the crowd, “enjoy the day for tonight is my daughter’s mating ceremony. We shall not haste in joining our packs. I welcome you, Alistar and your pack, into my home and family!”

“Father!” Layla protested as she pushed her way towards him. “I must speak with you!”

Alistar held up his hand to stop her. “Now, now my pretty little mate, don’t worry yourself with all the plans for tonight.” He hungrily looked her up and down. “Why don’t you go clean yourself up a little bit?”

Layla glared at Alistar. She could not fathom what this man was lying for. She knew deep in her soul that Solomon had not rejected her behind her back and that their connection was still intact. There was no way she could be mated to more than one person, the Goddess would not allow it. What did Alistar gain by this lie? As the Riverwalkers had cruelly pointed out to her earlier that morning, she and her pack brought very little to table. There was no power, no prestige, and very little land. She was not so beautiful as to be so desirable that someone would lie about being mates.

Anthony laughed. “A father will always make time for his child, Alistar. But please make this quick, Layla.”

“I would prefer to do this alone.” She said through gritted teeth.

“So much like her mother, this one!” Anthony chuckled as he patted Layla on the shoulder. Despite his joyful tone, Layla knew that the mention of her mother was a warning from her father. But she didn’t really care to heed it. Anthony walked her away from Alistar and the crowd to an empty corner. “What is it?” He whispered, his eyes scanned the room.

“Father,” she pleaded once more. “Please listen to me. I cannot go through with this.”

“Enough of this Layla.” All joy and celebration left his tone. “This is not your choice to make. He is your mate. And this is what is best for our pack. He will be a solid Alpha.”

“He is not my mate, Father.” Layla protested. “Who is this person? How could you possibly know that he is what’s best? I do not need a husband to be the Luna of this pack. It is my right and mine alone.”

Anthony firmly squeezed her bicep and took a step closer to her. He towered over her small frame. Only once had she ever feared her father and his animalistic posturing reminded her of that moment.

“You will not speak to me about such things. You will never be the Luna of this pack. Alistar will be the Alpha and you are his mate.”

“Father, listen-” she began.

“No, Layla. I have had enough. Do you even know what it takes to lead this pack? Do you even know how we struggle? This is the best thing for our pack. I cannot protect you or them forever. Moonbane inches closer each and every day. Will you fight them off?”

Layla dropped her head. Before this morning Moonbane was a rumor, a ghost, a nightmare she could ignore but after this morning, she clearly understood the reality of it. Her father was right, her pack would be destroyed if they ever invaded. And now that she personally upset the Alpha and his wife, it was only a matter of time before they were on their doorsteps with war.

She shook her head no. “I cannot fight them off by myself and I know we do not have the strength as a pack to do so. But there has to be another way.”

“You do not get to choose who your mate is, Layla.” Her father scolded.

“Someone told me that I did have a choice,” she said sheepishly.

Anthony released her arm. “I don’t know who filled your head with that nonsense. Do you think I chose your mother?” He scoffed.

“But she was your mate,” Layla replied pointedly. She grew frustrated by her father’s willful ignorance. She couldn’t make it any clearer, Alistar was not her mate.

“Aye, that she was.” Anthony’s eyes drifted off to the wall behind her head and she could tell he wasn’t present anymore. His mind floating elsewhere to a place he kept to himself, a place he spent most of his time in.

“Is,”Layla corrected to herself. Her mother wasn’t dead but it was like she was. She often forgot that her mother still lived. It had been ages since she had last seen her, although sometimes when she was alone in the woods she felt her presence. The person who her mother was was gone and only the wolf remained.

In that moment, Layla’s heart softened. She recognized her father as a comrade in arms. “What is it like to live without her?” She asked not as a child earning for closure from her mother but as someone who too must live without their mate. She clung to the hope that her father could give her insight to her own pain.

“Don’t ask me those kinds of silly questions.” His voice quivered as he took a large sip of ale. Anthony failed to see his daughter as the woman she was before him standing in her own pain. He saw the four year child, face gashed and bloodied who watched her mother leave. “Don’t be selfish, Layla. Stop fighting your mate, this is a good thing.”

Layla’s heart sank as she watched her father return to the celebrations. This situation was so complicated and any decision she was to make had been decided for her. She wanted to break down and cry to the Goddess but she knew that this wasn’t the place. She knew that she looked like an obstinate child throwing a fit.

She accepted that she and Solomon could not be together.

But, he was all she wanted at that moment.

She knew that he would understand the conflict she felt. How hypocritical it was to push him into his role in this pack and then to turn around and not do the same. But it wasn’t exactly the same thing. His duty to his pack did not include mating with someone else like her duty did. She wanted to believe that Solomon would understand and be accepting of this outcome. There was something inevitable about her betrothal but she could not have guessed who soon after Solomon it would have happened.

The thought of Solomon being betrothed to someone else destroyed her.

She sighed remorsefully. She watched Alistar make his way around the room. He seemed well liked enough, she thought to herself. He was loud and abrasive to the men and flirted with all the women. She counted five separate cheeks he kissed, three waists he grabbed, and one maid he did not let leave his side. He played with the children, throwing them into the air. Every so often he would glance her way and wink.

It became too much for her to bear. She worked her way across the room to the door. She needed fresh air. She needed some quiet to think. The sun hung high in the sky and hurt her eyes. She could still hear the celebration inside but it was better to be outside, her bare feet in the grass than inside with that cacophony. She found a tree on the edge of the fence and sat beneath its branches. She closed her eyes and her exhaustion hit her like a ton of bricks.

She heard soft footsteps approach her but she did not open her eyes. “That’s a good idea. You won’t get much sleep tonight,” a soft voice similar to hers teased.

“Shut your mouth, Tabitha.” She groaned.

Tabitha was her cousin. Their mothers were pregnant around the same time and they were raised like twins. It didn’t help that most everyone would agree that they looked like twins. They would disagree. Tabitha’s thick dark hair was much longer than hers, she kept it braided down past her waist. She was slightly taller than Layla in spite of being younger.

Tabitha sat next to her. “What are you wearing?” she asked as she began to play with a blade of grass, twirling it between her fingers.

Layla jolted up suddenly, “oh, I forgot to change!” She still had the tunic from Solomon on.

“A mystery!” Tabitha teased. “So where did yours go?” she nudged Layla with her shoulder playfully. “Does this have to do with Alvin in there?”

Layla scrunched her face in disgust. “Absolutely not.” Tabitha laughed. “This is not from Alistar,” she corrected.

“Oh, my bad. He’s not too bad, I guess.” Tabitha tried to be supportive.

“No, I think he is.” Layla pulled on the bottom of her tunic.

“Oh! That’s harsh for a mate.” Tabitha laughed.

“Tab, he is not my mate.” Layla said solemnly.

Tabitha’s jaw dropped. “What do you mean? How do you know?”

Layla scanned the area for any eavesdroppers and pulled Tabitha close to her. “I already have a mate,” she whispered.

Tabitha scoffed, “yeah, Alistar.”

“No, it’s not Alistar. It’s someone else,” she said nervously. “I met him last night.” Tabitha’s large brown eyes grew wide as she leaned towards Layla silently urging her to continue. “As you know, I went hunting last night. And, and while I was out there I met a man,” Layla stumbled.

“Girl, I assumed.” Tabitha grew impatient from her cousin’s delivery.

Layla rolled her eyes. She lowered her voice as much as she could and said, “I met Solomon Riverwalker.”

Tabitha squeaked! She quickly tried to cover it with a cough but it was very obvious. “Are you serious?” Layla nodded her head. “How did that happen? Did he take you to your mate?”

“No. He is my mate. I don’t know what he was doing in the woods but I stumbled upon him. And then you know,” Layla said dreamily.

“No, I do not know. I do not have a mate.” Tabitha said flatly.

“It’s the most amazing thing. All it takes is being in the same space and the second you get their scent, it’s like magic. I can’t really describe it. I knew right away that he was my mate. It was like something awoken in me that had been asleep my whole life. My wolf was more alert and more present. I didn’t know him but I also did. Better than anyone. He felt like home if that makes sense.”

“Not really,” Tabitha replied bluntly but ever the optimist, she added with a bright smile, “but that’s okay!” She gave Layla a small side hug. “So then what in Goddess’s name is going on in there?” She waved her hands towards the Hall.

“I honestly have no idea. I know he’s lying but I don’t understand why my father won’t believe me.”

“Well…” Tabitha injected sarcastically. Layla rolled her eyes. “Okay, so Alistar is lying. But why are you even here? Why aren’t you off with Solomon.”

Layla took a long deep sigh and then quickly recounted the morning’s tragic events. She purposefully left out the choice names Solomon’s parents had called her. She was proud of herself for not breaking down into an emotional mess when she was talking. Maybe this was the first step in moving on. She wasn’t exactly sure.

By the time she finished, Tabitha had covered her mouth with her hands in disbelief. “That’s horrible,” she finally said to Layla. “I sincerely hate that.”

“Yeah, me too.” Layla starred off in the distance.

“I think it’s stupid. He could have been Alpha here.”

“It’s more complicated than that.” Layla sighed.

“So what are you going to do? You can’t go through with it,” Tabitha implored.

Layla took a deep breath. In her heart, she wanted to run but her mind was conflicted. Regardless of how she felt, she and Tabitha both knew she really didn’t have a choice. Her father had already decided.