chapter 4 - the ball

Jaxon's POV

It's 11:30 am and we have an hour's drive up to Waterside Pack. In one car is me and my Beta Charlie who is also my brother. There are 3 years between us, making him the oldest lad but he never wanted to become Alpha he has always preferred to do other duties and feared that he wouldn't be good enough to do the main desk duties and banking or overseeing issues with the pack.

I also have my Gamma, Hunter who is my best friend and has been since we were pups, both of our families have always been close to one another which is a blessing because he's often put me in my place when I've been too mardy and rotten I guess.

We're 10 minutes into the drive and I'm ready to throw out Hunter. His position as Gamma is that he acts as third command of me and Charlie, if we are not here he is in charge and takes care of the major issues and even minor issues.

"I might find some hot girls tonight you know" Hunter says while flicking through some emails on his phone.

"You know you could at least pretend to make a conversation with them instead of just screwing them and leaving them," I say without hiding my irritation.

"Just because you haven't found your mate yet doesn't mean to say I have to have one" he fires back and before I get to say anything he slams me with his plans again.

"Anyway back to my night at this pack, I wonder if there will be at least 2 maybe even..."

"No more or I throw you out and you walk there"

"Your such a party pooper Jaxon"

'Yeah yeah. Course I am. I'll take being a party pooper over being a manwhore any day of the week'

"What's the background of this pack anyway?" Charlie asks. The first time he's spoken all morning.

"Not a great deal. The former Alpha was alright apparently but the new Alpha, Alpha Dylan prefers to be respected as royalty so I hear. He doesn't have a treaty with us but he's requested one"

"Why?"

"Why what" I ask acting dumb.

"Why ask for a treaty now? I mean he's been alpha for what... 4-5 weeks? His father was alpha for about 20 years and they never asked Uncle Jacob for a treaty?" Hunter says while replying to emails from former packs and business requests about upcoming plans which will need to be discussed later when we get home or our rooms.

"I guess we will find out. He is offering an omega girl from what I gathered in the latest 2 emails he sent. Wasn't long ago that she turned 18 so I see from the email I received the first time around but I will have to wait and see"

After we discussed the plans for this pack and figured out what might work if we took this girl we sat in comfortable silence for what felt like hours and as a matter of fact it wasn't My mind just felt like it was. We were 25 minutes away from their pack lands and I couldn't wait to leave already.

My phone rings in my pocket pulling me out of my own thoughts and work to see that it's my mom calling.

"Hi mom are you okay?"

"Yes, love I'm okay Thank you just making sure you got to their lands okay? Your brother's phone keeps going to voicemail. No surprise there" she says laughing.

I laugh alongside hers which is very rare. I'm a happy person in general, I just get lonely. I turned 18 3 years ago and I became alpha 3 years ago as well, I had been training since I was younger to take on roles and responsibilities as an alpha and my dad felt it was time that he stepped down so he could enjoy more time with my mother and he knew I was ready. I didn't need much backing up on things as a lot of it just came so naturally to me.

"Yeah, it's not surprising there Mom. We're not far away from their lands now I'm sure I will speak to you or Dad later on"

"Okay, sweetheart. Be careful give your brother a kiss from me"

"Mom...no I'm not doing that," I say laughing. "I love you"

"I knew you wouldn't, I'm just teasing you honey but alright, be safe I love you too," she says back chuckling.

15 minutes later

We've reached the borders of Alpha Dylan's pack and I can't wait to leave this place as I have already stated. They've been after money from councils for so long that you would have thought that they would fix this place up a bit. It's not a big pack by the looks of it and I didn't get any numbers on them but my guess is that It needs a lot of work done.

But then I smell it. The faintest of smells.

"Hazelnut and cinnamon"

"What did you just say" asks Charlie. Charlie has never found his mate and he's older than me but I guess with him not always being the easiest person to deal with or sometimes talk to it just makes it harder for him to be social with other people and he keeps using the excuse of 'I don't need a woman. I love my space'

"Hazelnut and cinnamon" I repeat because it doesn't quite reach my own ears what that is the smell...

Then Blaze starts jumping around and circling my head and it's hard to concentrate.

'What's wrong blaze' I ask in my own head.

"It's her," he says really fast.

'It's who?"

'Our mate. Our mate is here' he fires back still excited and extremely wappy now.

"Shut the fuck up!" I practically shout out scaring everyone in the car.

The car pulls to a halt and everyone's staring at me like I've just had an argument with someone. Their concerned faces make me laugh and it's genuine.

"Bro.. what the fuck was that," Hunter asks while being as dramatic as usual and holding his hand to his chest.

"Blaze thinks my mates here. that smell I shouted out...Hazelnut and cinnamon, It must be her scent and it smells divine."

"Sorry. Please continue to drive" I say back to Sean who is our driver for our pack.

"Alright Alpha are you okay now?"

"Yes Sean thankyou"

Esme's POV

'Don't give up hope Esme. We still have time to get stronger and make him love us. His wolf is great

'that's good and all Alana but I don't want to make him love me I want to be loved because that's what it means isn't it? The mate bond. They love you no matter what but he admitted that he didn't want me'

'Yes but if we get stronger and show him what he's missing he might just take back the rejection. That's a possibility isn't it?'

'No. It's not. I won't give him the chance to break me again I won't allow him to hurt me anymore than he and his clang have already done. I'll get stronger and I'll work on myself but it's purely my choice for me and for Finn, he deserves to have me stronger in case anything happens'

'You're a good sister you know that right? Always thinking of him before you'

"Hey. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I have to get ready"

It's true. I have a job to do and I don't accept his brutality towards me I need to fight back and I need to start now.

"Ready for what? You're not going to work"

"That's exactly what I'm going to do."

I've just had a shower and I've plaited my hair as best I could with the rubbish hair bobbles I have and I'm in my worn out clothes and I'm just about to leave when I get the scent of the Ocean and mint wafting through the woods where my house is. A weird combination but it smells amazing. I have never been past these walls before so I haven't been to the beach before.

"Are you okay? You look pale" Finn asks.

"Yeah, I'm okay. I have to go. I love you, Finn"

"Yeah, I love you too." He says back hiding his sadness. Finns never got emotions on show so it's easier to detect them when he does and today's that day. He worries but he doesn't need to.