Chapter 4

XAVIER Being an Alpha is a headache. Greg goes on and on about the same old stuff. It's not even the middle of the day yet, but we reviewed so many budgets that it's making me sick. I am missing an important test for this s**t, so I'd have to do it next week. Losing time, again. Doing two things I hate the most - bookkeeping and tests. "Are you even listening to me?" Greg, my loyal Beta, also known as my best friend, asks while opening another file on his iPad. "We still have the pack house maintenance budget to review". "Do we have to do it now?" I put my forehead on the cold glass of the window in front of me. Cold always calms me down. "We wouldn't have to if you chose a Luna for yourself already," he snorts, "Without one, you and I are basically working double shifts here. I mean, what's the big deal, man? Not like you are expecting a true mate to arrive? That stuff only happens in fairy tales." He is right. Decades ago, wolves angered the Moon Goddess, and as punishment, only a very few chosen ones can find their fated mates now. Most of us wander the Earth without knowing what a real mate is. I know thousands of wolves, but only about a dozen are mated couples. Chances are pretty low. Waiting for a mate or looking for one is just a waste of time. Not that I care if I am being honest. Love is the last thing on my agenda. "And what's the big deal anyway? They say that a chosen mate is pretty much the same deal!" He goes on and on. "Really? Why don't you choose one then?" I chuckle. We both know why. The prospect is low, but even if there was a one in a million chance, he would take it... "We cannot be that cruel to the ladies of Springwood, can we now?" Greg snorts, "It's one thing they would lose the grumpy, boring, old you. And it's completely another if they lose the charming, smart and sexy me!" "Goddess, who would f**k them and dump them then?!" I give him an eye roll. "You seriously overprice yourself. You know that, right?" "Enough about me," His face suddenly became serious. "We can joke about it as much as we like, but the fact remains that our pack suffered a serious blow two years ago. And although we are lucky that you stepped up as the new Alpha, what our pack is seriously lacking now is a Luna. And not only to deal with these budgets and stuff. We need her as a symbol to give us strength and help us get back what is rightfully ours." One minute he is a goofy playboy, and the other – the most persuasive and political person I know. I couldn't have asked for a better second in command. "Okay, what exactly do you suggest?" I ask him firmly. "Maddie," he answers without hesitation, which means he planned it a long time ago. Asshole. "Please say you are not serious!" I almost beg him. Not this again. "I am. She is the best candidate. She is from an ex-Beta family, she is clever and beautiful. Also, she loves you." "Stop," I say coldly. My headache is getting worse. "Maddie is like a sister to me". "Only your sister could be a sister to you, and you don't have one," Greg snorts. "Trust me, get her to bed once, and you would forget all that sibling nonsense. The girl is insanely hot and crazy about you." I say nothing and just look out the window. A car is reaching the school grounds. It isn't the time for visitors, though. "Listen, man, it could be any other girl from our pack. I just feel that Maddie would suit you best. And everybody in the pack loves her. As a Luna, she would be perfect," my right hand is trying to reason with me. "Alright." I finally admit my defeat. "It might be worth considering. The pack comes first." "Always", he agrees with me. I close my eyes. I kind of knew that this was going to happen sooner or later. Choosing a mate is standard nowadays. And people claim that it's almost the same as having a true mate. Once you choose, mark, and mate each other, you establish some kind of bond, which they say is almost the same thing as the real one. Almost. A sweet scent hits my nostrils, and it's very relaxing. For a second, I forget about all my troubles. It's surreal. What is this? Lavender? And something else… Honey? Lavender and honey... I wonder where it is coming from? I open my eyes and look through the glass, seeing a girl getting out of the car that has just arrived. She has long wavy hair, the shade of chocolate, and light green eyes with full rosy lips. She is a bit too thin for my liking, but I cannot take my eyes off her. Suddenly, the girl and the old driver, who brought her here, hug and I do not like it. A growl escapes me, and this is enough to catch Greg's attention. "Ah, the new human is here," he nods while looking at her. "Um, a hottie this time. I think I'll…" "Don't you dare!" I groan in anger, but quickly come to my senses. "Humans are off-limits, and you know it!" "Alright, alright! No touching the new human!" He raises his hands in defeat, and I know it is just a joke to him. However, this is not what worries me at the moment. "It's her," my wolf whispers, but I don't dare assume that he means what I think he means. "True mate," Draco says firmly, and after that, there is no denial. I have found my mate! The new human is my mate! Wait… Human? Is it even possible? Mates are rare as it is… But human mates? I don't think I've ever heard about something like that. Not that it matters… She is mine, whoever she is. I feel elevated, and all I want is to run to her and lock her in my arms, ambrace her, inhale her scent and claim her lips... However, she doesn't look happy at all. I see the headmistress and Maddison walking out to her. They all speak about something, but I can see that her mind is elsewhere. Has she started feeling it yet? She will notice me at any moment now. I wait, and I wait, and finally, she raises her head and looks directly at me... My girl is so pretty. Her eyes are mesmerizing... Any moment now... Just a few more seconds... And nothing… nothing happens... There is absolutely no reaction from her. Why the hell? What is wrong?