Chapter 16: Chapter 16

NOAH

I found myself stuck in a tedious meeting with the pack elders. My dad was seated to my left, while my beta and gamma were on my right. The meeting was a mere formality, discussing the status of our border controls in the aftermath of the rogue attack.

The concern was about our ability to safeguard the borders. The ones worried were the old-timers who still believed they had a say in the pack’s affairs. The main culprits were my father and the former beta and gamma of the pack.

My dad had appointed his younger brother as his beta and his best friend, Sawyer’s father, as his gamma. Honestly, I didn’t need to be there. Greyson, as the beta, was in charge of border patrol.

I was there merely as a formality, at my father’s insistence. I spent the entire time texting my mate, not even trying to be discreet about it. My father and I were still at odds over Evie, but his opinion didn’t matter to me.

I could feel the elders’ disapproving glares as I tapped away on my phone, but I couldn’t care less. As the alpha, I had their trust by default. This meeting, or rather, their insistence on it, was a violation of that trust.

They were trying to undermine me, questioning my decisions and pushing their advice on me. They wanted to control the pack from the sidelines, but I wasn’t having any of it. My displeasure was evident in my facial expressions and body language.

Besides, I had more pressing matters to attend to. ~Everleigh~. I loved teasing my mate, and I knew she enjoyed it too. I was careful to keep it light and playful.

I understood she needed her human time, that we needed to take things slow and do the whole “~dating~” thing. Even though I was ready to mate, mark her, marry her if she wanted, and father her pups. But I had to do what was best for her, which meant taking the scenic route.

Suddenly, I felt a crushing weight on my chest, as if an elephant had fallen from the ceiling. I slammed my hands on the table, trying to alleviate the pressure building deep within me. I scanned the room, searching for the threat that had Remi pacing anxiously in my mind.

Then it hit me—these emotions weren’t mine. They were Everleigh’s. I sprang up from the table and started dialing her number. My father grabbed my arm before I could leave the room.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he growled at me.

“My mate needs me,” I retorted, barely glancing up from my phone.

“Your mate?” The murmurs echoed around the table.

I hadn’t officially announced my mate to anyone except my father, my siblings, and Sawyer. I wanted to give her more time to adjust before the elders and pack members started crowding their future luna.

It didn’t matter if they knew about her. I wouldn’t let them near her until she was ready. I wouldn’t let them pressure her into anything she wasn’t prepared for.

“We’re in the middle of a meeting,” my father said, aghast.

“I don’t care. She needs me.” I pushed past him and stormed out the door.

“Something else, Noah. Just drop it,” she snapped at me over the phone after I nearly shouted at her.

She had scared me half to death. I was on the verge of letting Remi take over and rush us to our mate. Remi nipped at my mind, and I understood what Evie was trying to convey.

She wasn’t scared or panicking; she was needy. She wanted me in a way she wasn’t ready to admit, and the text messages were making her lose control. I pinched the bridge of my nose, finally recognizing the emotions that were washing over me like waves.

I leaned my forehead against the wall and took a deep breath, trying to control both myself and Remi.

“Everleigh,” I purred, my voice heavy with desire.

I felt her embarrassment and…no, that couldn’t be right…shame? She said my name defiantly and tried to end the conversation, but I couldn’t let her. I wasn’t about to let her sit alone in her house, feeling ashamed of her emotions.

The last thing I wanted was to explain to her the primal urges that came with being in heat, especially when mated to an alpha. But I had to do something. I gently explained as much as I could without getting too graphic.

I wanted her to know that her feelings were normal, and she wasn’t alone in this. She was clearly uncomfortable with the conversation. Eventually, she sighed, said a quick goodbye, and hung up.

I put my phone back in my pocket, my hands balling into fists of frustration. One thing was certain: this woman was going to be the end of me.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” My father’s voice echoed down the hall.

I was not in the mood for this. I turned to face him, my glare icy.

“What the hell is wrong with you? Talking to your alpha like that,” I growled back.

He stopped in his tracks, looking at me in surprise. I rarely pulled rank on my father, mostly because I didn’t need to. But no one, no one, questioned my authority or my leadership.

I was the alpha. This was my pack, and I wouldn’t tolerate my decisions being questioned. I wouldn’t tolerate my luna being questioned. I didn’t earn the reputation of being one of the most feared and effective alphas in North America for nothing.

I led my pack with a firm hand. They respected me, were loyal to the pack, and yes, they feared me. I loved them, provided for them, and earned their submission.

“It’s only been a week, and this human is already clouding your judgment and distracting you,” my father argued.

“The next time you refer to your luna as anything less, I will rip out your tongue and leave you speechless. She is my mate and your luna. Nothing will change that. I will not push her away, I will not reject her, I will not choose another. She is MINE, and if anyone dares to question that, they’ll find themselves with a long-term reservation in the dungeon.” I could feel my eyes darkening as Remi’s words slipped from my lips.

I let him take control. I was just as angry at my father as he was. My father couldn’t argue with the commanding voice of an alpha. He gave a reluctant bow and turned away, disappearing down the hall.

I had a feeling this wouldn’t be the last I heard of it.

Toby Landry was never one to respect the matebound. My mother wasn’t his destined mate. He rejected his destined mate because she was an omega, a wolf without rank.

He chose my mother, the beta’s daughter from a nearby pack, as his mate. She was a wonderful mother, but a lonely woman and a neglected wife.

Six years ago, she went to a pack in Florida to negotiate a peace treaty among some lunas. There, she met her destined mate. She rejected my father, left the pack, and mated with the man the Moon Goddess had chosen for her.

As a result, she was banished from our territory and from her children. I couldn’t blame either of my parents for their choices. My mother lived half a life—an empty life.

Now that I have my own mate, I can’t imagine how she lived with someone who wasn’t her destined mate. I couldn’t judge her for leaving to be with her other half. On the other hand, my father had to banish her.

She was his luna, and she rejected him—humiliating him, weakening him, and disrespecting the pack. She couldn’t be allowed to come and go on pack land after her betrayal. Still, I allowed my siblings to communicate with our mother whenever they wanted, as long as it wasn’t on our land.

As for me, I hadn’t seen my mother since the day she left. But I did blame my father for how he treated my mom. He pushed her away. I blamed him for creating this whole mess.

If he had accepted his destined mate, our lives would have been different. I wouldn’t repeat his mistakes. The pack needs a strong alpha and a strong luna, and that’s only possible through a destined mate bond.

I wouldn’t let my father—or anyone else—dissuade me from making Evie our luna. Sawyer emerged from the room then, a worried expression on his face.

“Is everything okay with Evie?” he asked.

I was still grappling with the level of comfort between my mate and Sawyer, but I was making progress. As the gamma, Sawyer’s duty was to safeguard the luna, so it was crucial for him and Evie to be at ease with each other.

This was likely the reason he was attracted to her in the first place, or at least that’s how I justified it.

“Yeah, she’s doing okay,” I responded with a sigh.

Sawyer gestured toward the meeting room door. “That room isn’t doing so well, though.”

“I bet my dad caused a ruckus,” I muttered, massaging the back of my neck.

“Actually, you were the one causing a scene,” Sawyer corrected me.

“What was I supposed to do, Sawyer? My mate needed me,” I retorted, my voice bordering on a growl.

“I’m not blaming you, Alpha. You did what you had to do. But you need to go back in there and smooth things over. The elders didn’t even know you had a mate,” Sawyer advised.

He added, “And yeah, your dad definitely didn’t help,” with a nonchalant shrug.

I sighed, patting Sawyer on the back before heading into the meeting room. I crossed the room silently and stood behind my chair, gripping it for support. I had no intention of sitting.

Sawyer followed suit, mirroring my stance.

“I realize my announcement about finding my mate wasn’t exactly traditional. I had planned to make a formal announcement when the time was right. But yes, I have found my mate and the future luna of this pack,” I stated, my voice devoid of emotion.

“Why isn’t she here?” one of the elders demanded.

Remi growled in my mind, causing me to clench my jaw as I struggled to maintain my composure.

“She’s not ready for that yet,” I replied.

“Not ready? Is she going to reject you?”

“Why isn’t she ready to be the luna?”

“Is she weak?”

The elders’ questions overlapped. I gripped the back of my chair, fighting the urge to leap across the table and unleash Remi on these old fools.

“My mate is not weak, but she is a human,” I declared over their chatter.

That really set them off. I let out a deep growl, silencing the room.

“I won’t be having this conversation again, so listen closely. My mate is human, yes. She’s unfamiliar with our world and our customs, so it’s taking some time to make her comfortable. But she will not be questioned. She will be the next luna of this pack, and anyone who has a problem with that can leave,” I stated firmly.

I knew my pack would celebrate the fact that I’d found my mate. They would love her as much as I do. They wouldn’t care if she was human, as long as she was loyal, kind, and good for me.

I had been without my mate for too long, and the pack had been without a luna for too long. These old fools were the only ones who had a problem with it, and I wouldn’t tolerate it.

“We only want what’s best for the pack, Alpha,” one of the elders finally spoke up.

“She is what’s best,” I responded tersely. “This meeting is over.”

I stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind me.

***

I made a beeline for my room, not in the mood to deal with anyone else. With a loud groan, I flopped onto my bed. The thought of anyone not wanting their mate was beyond my comprehension.

Everleigh was my everything, and the fear of losing her was the only thing that truly scared me. I fished my phone out of my pocket and stared at the blank screen. An overwhelming urge to call the one person who could soothe my nerves washed over me.

The one person who had been doing it since the day I was born, other than my mate. My mother had left the pack six years ago, and I hadn’t seen her since. But we still kept in touch.

Whenever self-doubt crept in or I questioned my leadership abilities, I’d call her. She was my rock, my anchor. As the alpha, her banishment was a tough pill to swallow, and I hadn’t been able to face her in person.

But as her son, I missed her every day. Talking to her on the phone was my therapy. She didn’t know about Everleigh yet, as I hadn’t spoken to her since I found my mate.

I tapped on my mother’s contact and held the phone to my ear.

“Hello?” Her voice came through after the second ring.

“Hi, Mom,” I responded.

“Noah, how are you?” Her voice brightened upon recognizing me.

“I needed to talk to you,” I admitted.

“Of course, honey. What’s going on?” She knew I only called when I needed her wisdom.

“I found her, Ma. I found my mate,” I confessed.

There was a sharp intake of breath on the other end, followed by silence.

“Mom?”

“That’s wonderful, Noah. I’m so happy for you.” I could hear the tears in her voice.

“She’s perfect. Her name’s Everleigh, and I already love her so much that it hurts. But she’s human,” I blurted out, the words tumbling out before I could stop them.

“Does that matter to you?” Mom asked.

“No! No, not at all. She’s strong, kind, and compassionate. She has all the qualities of a great luna,” I replied hastily. “It’s just…”

“Your father.” She finished my sentence, already knowing what I was about to say.

“I’ll go to war over her, Ma. I don’t care what Father or any of those stuffy elders have to say. I will burn the world down to be with her,” I declared.

“I know, honey. I know,” she sighed, her voice tinged with sadness. “I won’t sugarcoat it; it’s going to be tough.”

“I don’t need it to be easy,” I retorted.

“Good, because it won’t be. Those stuffy old elders have a lot of opinions.” She chuckled softly, echoing my words.

“The pack will love her, I know it,” I asserted.

“That’s all you need, then. As long as you have the support of the pack, you can stand up to the elders,” she advised.

“She’s worth fighting for,” I whispered.

“Of course she is.” I could hear the smile in my mother’s voice.

“I understand why you did what you did, Mom. I would have done the same thing. I will do the same thing if I have to. I’ll do anything for her,” I confessed.

I owed it to my mom to tell her the truth. She shouldn’t feel guilty for doing whatever she had to do to be with her mate.

“I pray to the Moon Goddess every day that you and your siblings find your mates. There’s nothing better in the world than building a bond with your soul. I had to make sure you four understood that—Goddess knows you weren’t going to learn it from your father.” She sighed. “I’m so proud of you, my son.”

“I love you, Mom.”