MAX
Iâm surrounded by soldiers, more than Iâve ever seen in one place. Theyâre different from our warriors back home.
These wolves are stiff, standing tall with their backs straight, uniforms neat, and weapons attached to their muscular bodies. To a human, they might be scary.
I can understand why. But to me, theyâre not so bad.
Iâve seen these men at their worst, dirty and tired. Iâve seen them in all sorts of mess.
They donât scare me. But I do respect them, because these are strong and powerful warriors.
The best of the best.
I walk down the line, followed by a few other alphas who have also finished their training. The groups mix, with these alphas having been here for three or four years, depending on whether they skipped some things or not.
At the end of the line are the alpha heirs who still have some time here, but theyâve come to see our anointing from the king. I look to my left and see Derek, who nods and winks at me.
Weâve become good friends over the past two years, mostly because I helped his pack when his sister was attacked. Heâll be ready to lead by the time heâs done here, and Iâm sure heâll be a better alpha than his father ever was.
We all stop in front of the king, line up and face forward. We kneel and expose our necks in a sign of respect.
The king signals for us to stand. Thereâs a lot of ceremony in this ritual, going back hundreds of years.
Itâs probably a bit old-fashioned in this day and age but itâs tradition and itâs held onto tightly. The king stands on a raised platform, surrounded by several guards.
The queen is seated behind the king, and their son is seated next to the kingâs throne. Each of us has to promise to stand by the king and continue to seek his advice when the councils canât help.
When weâre done, a cup is brought to the king. He holds it in one hand while the queen steps forward with a knife in her hand, the crownâs symbol on the handle.
She cuts the kingâs palm and he lets his blood drip into the cup. We watch as his palm heals in seconds.
Heâs a powerful wolf, with healing abilities that are much better than ours. The king steps down from the platform and one by one stands in front of us, cutting our palms and letting our blood drip into the same cup.
He says something in Italian to each of us, though I donât know what heâs saying. I make a mental note to learn Italian.
The king finishes the ritual and goes back to the podium. The high priest steps up and asks the Moon Goddess to bless us all and to give us strength, as our blood is now mixed with our kingâs.
When heâs done, the king lifts the cup to his lips and drinks. I admit, I was a bit grossed out but not surprised.
I guess itâs no different than when we fight and end up with the blood of other wolves in our mouth. The king ends the ceremony and sends us all away.
Tonight, there will be a feast in our honor and then everyone will go home. Those who have to come back at the end of summer will also leave tomorrow to go home for a short break.
I start to walk away when I hear the king call my name. I turn around and heâs already standing in front of me.
He hasnât said much to me since I gave him my answer five days ago, so Iâm surprised that he called me out. âYour Majesty,â I say and bow my head.
âAlpha Maximus, I just wanted to say that I am disappointed in your decision, but I respect it. I know the contract said there will never be another offer, but if you change your mind and want to serve in my Army in the future, Iâd be proud to have you.â
He puts his hand on my shoulder. âYou are always welcome at the palace. My son would agree.â
Iâm shocked by this. I was sure he was mad that I didnât accept his offer. He had just looked at me without expression when I gave him my answer, only saying âI see.â
He had nodded his head and said, âYou may go then.â That was it.
I left his office and hadnât spoken to him since. âI appreciate that, Your Majesty. I will keep it in mind.â
âGreat.â He pats my shoulder and walks away to talk to other alphas.
I swallow and turn around, feeling a wave of relief. Iâm ready to pack my bag and rest before the feast.
Home has never sounded so good.
***
I get out of my fatherâs Suburban and take in the beauty of Montana and Ridge Mountain. I breathe in the cool air and instantly feel at peace.
Itâs good to be home. I walk around to get my bag from the back, closing the door just as my mother nearly knocks me over.
âMax, Iâm so glad youâre home! You have no idea how worried I was that you would accept the kingâs offer.â She hugs me tight, as if her life depends on it.
My father stands behind us, laughing quietly to himself. âOkay, Mom, I missed you too,â I say, hugging her back.
She steps back, still holding my arms, and looks at me. âMy goodness, I think youâve gained thirty pounds since I last saw you. Youâve been working hard. You must be starving! Iâve got the cook about to serve dinner, youâre just in time.â
She turns and practically runs back to the house. I laugh, bending over to pick up my duffel bag that I dropped on the ground when my mom jumped on me.
âI guess sheâs happy Iâm home,â I say to my father as he puts his arm over my shoulder and we walk to the house. I walk inside and drop my bag on the floor, following my mom into the dining room.
The chatter is loud, just like I remember it. Iâve missed this.
I donât even make it into the room, and it becomes eerily quiet. And then I hear Melanie squeal and the next thing I know sheâs hugging me tight.
Jaydon and Selene stand behind her, laughing at her display of affection. Those two always were the ones with the tougher exteriors.
After I finish hugging my siblings, Beck comes up and shakes my hand and welcomes me home. Then after a second, he says, âOh well, what the hellâ and gives me a big hug too.
Home sweet home. The dinner is fantastic and Iâm surrounded by my family, who Iâve missed more than words can express.
Iâve longed for these dinners, the laughter, the jokes that never fail to make an appearance. I take a moment to just sit and soak it all in.
Melanie is on the brink of her twenty-first birthday. The twins are eighteen now and theyâve changed the most.
Selene has shot up in height, and sheâs taken to dying her hair jet black. I raise an eyebrow at that and she just laughs, flipping her hair over her shoulder.
Sheâs going for the tough girl look, but she doesnât need it. Sheâs a fighter through and through.
Jaydon is now around six foot two, just a smidge shorter than me. Heâs filled out and I can tell heâs going to be a big man once heâs done growing.
Heâs still the quiet one among us, I notice. Macy, also eighteen, has become the object of Jaydonâs affection, which is probably for the best because sheâs morphed into a bit of a mean girl.
Iâm not sure where that came from, but I suspect it has something to do with Beck, who never misses a chance to tease her.
***
Beck gave up on asking Melanie out about a year ago, much to her relief. He found his mate two months ago and theyâre planning their mating ceremony for this summer.
Sheâs from the Black Moon Pack, about two hours away, and moved here right after finishing her last semester of college. Theyâre a cute couple, her wit matching Beckâs perfectly.
Theyâre a match made in heaven. I lean back in my chair, letting out a sigh.
I realize Iâm beat and the jet lag is starting to hit me. I decide to call it a night and head up to my room for a shower and some much-needed sleep.
As I step into my room and flick on the light, I spot an envelope on my nightstand with my name on it. I walk over, pick it up, and open it.
Inside, I find a letter from Ginger. Iâm taken aback.
Itâs been so long since Iâve seen her, itâs hard to believe she was here not too long ago. She came into my room to leave me a letter, which tugs at my heartstrings.
***
~Hi Max,~
~If youâre reading this, it means youâre home from Italy. I know we left things sort of hanging on our last conversation.~
~I hope you understand that I had to return to Arizona and complete my studies. Iâm promised protection from my alpha, and so I donât have any fear of my stepfather coming back for me.~
~I have this feeling in my heart that weâll cross paths again soon. I canât pinpoint exactly when, but I trust it.~
~I believe the Moon Goddess has her own timeline for us, and everything will fall into place when she deems it right.~
~I donât think Iâve thanked you enough for sending your sister to find me. Things could have gone south real quick if not for her.~
~Sheâs a gem, by the way. I had a great time getting to know her and the rest of your family.~
~Youâre truly blessed to have such wonderful people in your life.~
~Take care, Max. Wishing you all the best.~
~With love, Ginger~
Her words leave me puzzled. Is she deliberately keeping her distance, with all this talk about the Moon Goddessâs timing?
What is she so afraid of? Doesnât she believe in shaping her own destiny?
Maybe itâs time I took control of the situation. I canât keep myself away from her forever.
I need to find out if sheâs my destined mate. Even if it means chasing her to the ends of the earth, Iâm determined to uncover the truth.