"Arise, my Luna." His voice rang in the air and sent shivers down my spine. I looked down at the ground, slowly rising to my feet while holding my breath. 

"My name is Clair, Alpha Aeon." I answered respectfully, but I refused to look at him. Frustration rolled off of his aura before it changed into anger. I swallowed hard as bile threatened to rise from my throat. 

"Have I done anything to despise you?" His hand snaked around my nape as he took one step closer. "My wolf is so close to marking you, Clair. I can assure you, it'll be painful. I'm the only one standing in the way. Submit, and we'll make it less painful." He moved his hand to my jaw, forcing me to look at him. "Look at me. You'll be mine! And I will make sure all others before me are forgotten."

I closed my eyes, and the tears fell from my eyes. I was already losing this battle. I took a deep breath, ready to nod my head, when a ferocious growl marred the air, shaking the ground where I stood. 

"I dare you to touch what's mine!" I snapped my eyes open, turning in the direction of the threat.

He's here. 

He came for me. 

My Alpha came for me. 

¤¤¤¤¤ ALPHA JACOB GALHART of the Black Shadow Pack never wanted a mate. He has led his pack for years without a Luna and was content to remain that way. But it was time to produce an heir. Not wanting to find his mate, he set his eyes on this one female, Clair Montrell. 

He thought he had everything planned out until she turned out to be the fated mate he never wanted. But would he be able to let her go?

PROLOGUE: Young Jake & Clair

Jake - 14 yrs old

Clair - 9 yrs old

JAKE

Her scent reached my nose even before I felt her presence. Twigs snapped as hurried little footsteps echoed around as she approached the place I was resting in.

I turned my head in the direction of the noise just in time to see Little Clair emerge from the bushes with a small plastic bag that she immediately placed behind her back as soon as she saw me. Her round eyes widened in surprise as she realized that she was not alone in this place.

"What are you doing here, princess? Hiding again from your mother?" I asked without taking my gaze away from her small, lovely face. A smirk formed on my lips as I waited for her response.

She let out a little huff and continued to walk towards the boulder I was sitting on before slumping her small frame onto the space beside me.

"How did you know that?" She raised her brow and tilted her head to look at me. "Did you follow me? And why are you here? This is my place. You're not allowed here." She continued to look at me, her gaze scrutinizing mine.

I suppressed a smile. While I found it annoying to be disturbed in my moment of silence, I won't deny that this 9-year-old girl with a feisty attitude has lightened my mood without her knowing it. "Hmmm... I didn't know I was supposed to ask permission from you before I could come here, princess."

I lifted my gaze away from her and threw the small rock that I had held in my hand for a while now, watching as it bounced on the water in front of us. "Last time I checked, I owned this land. This is still part of my territory."

Her jaw dropped in disbelief at my words before huffing and puffing her chest out proudly, "I don't care, Jake. When I say it's my place, then it's mine!"

She smiled cockily before continuing, her finger pointing at a tree standing three meters to our left, just beside the stream. "See that name on the tree? Absaline Clair Montrell."

I shook my head, smiled at the satisfied smirk on her face, and kept my mouth from objecting. Making a girl cry was the least of my priorities at the moment.

"Okay, tell me then, what did you take this time?" I asked her without taking my eyes off the beauty of the stream in front of us.

Clair may have declared this place her sanctuary, but it has also been my refuge, the only place I could sit and relax without anyone imposing responsibilities on my 14-year-old self.

It has been three months since I took over as the Alpha of the Black Shadow Pack. It was three months ago when my grandfather, the former Alpha of the pack, passed away. And although I'd been prepared for this moment since I was eleven, the responsibility of keeping the pack together without my grandfather's guidance has taken its toll on me and my sanity.

"Just cupcakes." Clair's reply came out weak but enough to get me out of my thoughts.

"And how many?" I felt her tense beside me. My question made her uncomfortable. I reached out and ruffled her hair before pulling her closer to my side for a brotherly hug. "Spill it out," I asked nicely this time.

"Just three." She answered without taking her eyes off her feet.

I snorted a laugh. "Lies."

She huffed again before telling her truth. "It's seven! I took a lot of them because it's my favorite. And I'm going to give you one, just one! So you can't tell Mommy, okay?"

She wiggled her eyebrows and raised a cupcake in my face, tempting me to agree with her.

I let out a full smile before taking the cupcake from her hand. The icing on the cupcake looked like it had gone on a battle itself from the way it was smashed with all the other cupcakes. It doesn't look appetizing, but I knew from experience that it was a good one.

I shoved half of it in my mouth before responding. "You know, she will still find out regardless and be hell-mad at you again. Now, she needs to do more for the pack meeting later."

She giggled while she chewed her cupcake. "That's why I took seven. Then it would be worth it when Mommy gets angry!" She gestured with an angry face and pretended to have her claws out. "Grrrr... angry like that!" She continued to giggle after that and proceeded to eat her cupcake.

I chuckled at her actions and picked up one more cupcake, waiting for her complaints, but she just glared at me and didn't say anything.

We continued to eat in silence until she broke it.

"Do I really, really need to call you Alpha now? Mommy keeps telling me to address you as Alpha, but it sounds stupid. You're not old. Alpha is for grandfathers." She rolled her eyes, and my lips pursed to suppress a laugh from coming out, and I let her continue with her retorts.

"Why did they make you an Alpha? Can't somebody older than you be an Alpha? I am scared for you, Jake. Maybe being an Alpha will make you older. You should have told them you don't want to be an Alpha." In the last sentence, she spoke in a low voice, as if to avoid anyone hearing us.

But then she smiled as she looked up at me. Her eyes glowed with admiration. "But you're doing okay. Mommy said you are strong and can protect the pack. So I think that's okay." I smiled back at her, ruffling her hair once more. She didn't even know, but her words warmed my heart.

"But don't grow too old like your grandfather. Silver hair is not cool!"

I chuckled before facing her, my hands cupping her little face. "Well, princess, thank you if you think I'm too cool to be an Alpha, but I wanted to be one and I would do anything to keep this pack running. And if that means I will get silver hair, then so be it."

I told her my truth. She looked directly into my eyes and tried to gauge if I was joking before she shook her head and swatted my hands off her face.

"Will you be getting a Luna? Mommy said you should have one. We have never had a Luna for... forever. Mommy said that too." I clenched my hand into a fist with her last statement and let out a sigh. I wasn't expecting her question, although I already knew the answer even before I took the Alpha post.

No Luna.

I wouldn't be needing one. If my grandfather was able to survive without a Luna after my grandmother, his Chosen Luna passed away at a young age, then I could do it as well. The pack would still continue to thrive even without a Luna. They just needed me, an Alpha without any baggage.

"No, I don't need a Luna." There was a note of finality in my voice.

PROLOGUE 2: Young Jake & Clair

JAKE

"No, I don't need a Luna." There was a note of finality in my voice.

She turned her full attention on me, a scowl forming on her small face. "Why? I always wanted to find my mate, Jake. How can you even say that? What if she finds you? Will you run away?"

I smiled at her questions, but in a bigger picture, it would look like I was running away from my fate. "I just need to reject her, then we can both move on with our lives. It's that easy!" Her eyes widened again, jaw-dropping.

It took her a few seconds before she started talking in a whisper that, if not for my werewolf hearing, I would not be able to pick up. "You can't do that. Mommy said mates are a gift from the Moon Goddess. And it will hurt her. It will hurt you too, you know."

Her eyes locked with mine, and for a moment, I thought I was looking into the eyes of a grown woman who knows the depth of her statement. I cocked my head to the side and winked at her, hoping to lighten the atmosphere. I didn't like her going on the full mate topic, but I couldn't break her heart by not answering her questions.

"I'm used to being hurt, princess. No harm done." I saw confusion written all over her face but she was not yet ready to drop the topic. "What about her? Maybe she doesn't want to be hurt."

I frowned as I lifted my gaze away from her, annoyed that I was trying to explain this to a 9-year-old girl. I adjusted my position, leaning my arms on the boulders behind us before I shifted my gaze back to the stream in front of us. I just wanted to end this conversation. "I don't care. Women are just a pain in the ass if you ask me."

I heard her shift from her seat and jump up to a standing position, facing me with both hands on her hips, a scowl evident on her face. "I AM NOT! I might be stealing, no... taking cupcakes and cookies from Mommy, but I am not an ass! So take it back!"

I was taken aback by the anger radiating from her. I threw my hands up in defense and tried to stifle a laugh. "Of course, of course, you're always the exception! Otherwise, I won't be sitting here beside you, right?"

I saw her shoulders relax at my words before she sat back in her place beside me.

"And what if I´m your mate, Jake? I would make a very good Luna."

It took me a while before her words sank in. I smiled and moved from my prior position and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her to my side again, squeezing her shoulder.

"I'm sure you'll be a good Luna. But not my Luna. You're too good for me, princess." I answered sincerely, not wanting to say the wrong thing.

She took one more cupcake and started to eat it without looking at me. "I know, I'm too good for everyone, even for you. But what if... what if, will you still reject and hurt me? Then I no longer have a mate."

I swallowed hard and tried to think of the best answer. I honestly don´t have an answer. How do you tell a little girl that, regardless of how special she is, you will never have room for her in your life? I closed my eyes before hugging her tightly.

"I'm sure the Moon Goddess will not mate you up with me, Clair. I'm sure of that. You're too special." I swallowed more before I added. "But just in case, then this big bad Alpha will help you get over the pain. I won't let me hurt you, princess."

¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨

Jake - 17 years old

Clair - 12 years old

JAKE

A low growl escaped my throat as I covered my eyes with one arm, annoyed at the disturbance from the loud banging outside my bedroom door. I grunted as the disturbance continued.

With my eyes squinted, I glanced at the clock overhead, flashing 6:08 AM. I shoved off my blanket and made my way to the door, ready to pounce on the person behind the door.

"Jake! Jake!" I growled more as I recognized the voice behind it. I opened the door with a force strong enough that it slammed on the wall inside my room.

"Absaline Clair! What the fuck is wrong with you? I was up all night and you didn't have any consideration at all! Six in the morning?! For Goddess' sake, can't your brother help you?"

I scowled at her and leaned my arms on the door pillar. I was annoyed that my sleep was interrupted, making me totally unaware that I only had my boxers on and was standing almost naked in front of a crying 12-year-old girl.

Clair reached out to touch me but didn't find any shirt to tug on, so she ended up tugging on the waistband of my boxers. "Daddy is sending me away to live with the humans! You can't let him do that! I'm a wolf! Please, I don't want to live with my uncle!" Tears continued to pour out of her eyes.

I lifted her hand away from my boxers and let out a defeated sigh. My hand reached out to wipe her tears as I responded calmly. "As much as I am your Alpha, he is still your father."

"But you are my father´s Alpha! He can't say NO to you!" She retorted back as she slapped my hand away from her face and wiped the tears with the back of her hand.

"You're only 12 years old, Clair, still a minor and not one of my warriors. I don't have a direct right on you. I can, however, talk to him and tell him to think about this. But the decisions are his."

I looked at her, pain evident in her eyes as she stepped back before shouting at me. "You all talk bullshits! You and Aaron! Cowards!"

I combed my hair and tugged it in annoyance, pissed off at being disrespected at this early hour.

"Watch your mouth, young girl! Seems you forgot who you were talking to!" I reprimanded her only to be shouted back at again, her hands shaking in anger.

"Of course, I don't! How could I? Mighty Alpha! But it still doesn't change a thing! Nobody cares about me here!"

I let out a sigh and tried to reach her head, but she moved a step back, avoiding my touch. "Calm down, Clair, please!" I sighed before continuing. "He said it's not a permanent thing. Just until he gets his act together. Give him some leeway, he just lost his mate."

I tried to reason, but it was too late for me to realize that I ignited her anger more with my choice of words.

"Don't talk as if you know anything about mates! Because you don't! And just in case you were not aware, Alpha, I lost my mom! I don't need to lose a father and brother too!" She retorted back glaring at me before turning on her heels to walk away.

###################

THANK YOU for finding my book. He's My Alpha is my first book, and I would like to apologize for the grammar and spelling mistakes. I am not a native English speaker, but I am doing my best to learn every day. So, please bear with me and I hope you'll enjoy the story and see past the errors.

CLAIR

I turned the radio a notch higher and let myself get lost in the blasting music as I drove on the freeway. With my window down, I basked in the warmth of the sun against my skin, loving the feeling of the fresh air on my face and the wind blowing through my hair.

I had been driving for five straight hours, and I still had two more hours to go before I reached my destination. Fourteen hours of driving were too much to bear, but I had no choice.

My name is Absaline Clair Montrell.

I am a shifter. I spent the last five years of my life living among humans, except for my werewolf uncle. Uncle Theodore found his mate, who happened to be a human, and decided to leave the pack life for her. And from what I witnessed, he has no problem living the human life.

After my mother died from an attack while visiting her friend from another pack, my father decided he didn't want anything to do with me and sent me away.

Maybe I reminded him of my mother. They said I had her blue sapphire eyes and slightly wavy chestnut brown hair. But it wasn't a valid reason to send me away. My father might have lost his mate, the love of his life, but in turn, he made me lose not just my mother. I lost him too, my brother and the pack that should have been my home.

Now, the pack holds no meaning for me. I was still part of the pack - not being able to break the bond, but I felt alone, and going back there didn't feel like going home.

My uncle's mate, whose name is Laura, is a fine and lovable woman. She would make a great mother, and I hoped that one day the Goddess would give her a child of her own. Laura was very patient with me through my rebellious stage, and I will always be grateful for her presence in my life.

It wasn't easy living with my uncle and his mate at the beginning. But after a year of crying and begging for my father to take me back, I finally gave up. I started to not care anymore and embrace the human life I was given.

I have my own life now, and if it were up to me, I would've stayed hidden among the humans. Unfortunately, the Moon Goddess has a different plan. I would be turning eighteen in a couple of weeks, and for that reason alone, I found myself driving back to my pack's territory.

On the last full moon before a wolf turns eighteen, shifting happens, and that would be five days from now. For obvious reasons, I cannot shift around humans. Humans were oblivious to the fact that werewolves existed. Or maybe they weren't, but no one seemed to acknowledge or talk about it.

But once I was done with my first shift, I would leave and sever my bond with the pack. I don't want to be a part of them anymore, the same way they never wanted me.

¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨

JAKE

'Alpha?' I received a mind-link from my Gamma, Aaron.

I´d been waiting for him the whole day, and I silently hoped he was sending the information I would like to hear.

'Yes? Where are you?' I asked without any emotions.

'I'm on my way to pick up Clair. She's already waiting by the border.' He answered.

'Good.' I cut my response short and waited for him to cut the mind link, a smile curling on my lips as I got the confirmation that the little princess had finally decided to return home after five years.

I knew she hated me for abandoning her, but knowing Clair, she always had a soft spot for me. I only hoped that she was still the same feisty little girl I knew and that the humans didn't destroy her spirit.

'Alpha,' Aaron's mind-link startled me. I didn't notice that the mind link wasn't cut off yet.

'Hmmm..' I replied, not really in the mood to converse with anyone.

'Do I need to take Clair there as soon as we arrive? Or can I take her home to meet Dad first? You know, Dad has been anxious to see her, and the wait is killing him.' Aaron asked politely. He knew the protocol, but it seemed he was trying to get around it this time.

'You know the rules, Aaron.' I replied, again void of emotion. 'Bring her here.'

'I know, Jake. But she didn't change packs. I believe she didn't do anything to sever the pack bond. Or I can ask her along the way.' His tone was respectful but determined.

I closed my eyes and squeezed my temples before answering. This annoyed me, and I know Aaron could sense I was pissed off already.

'She was twelve when she left, and if she severed that bond, I would not feel it. I need to know if she still belongs to this pack, otherwise, a ceremony needs to happen right away. I don't want non-pack members roaming around my territory. And just because she is your sister, doesn't make her an exception. Just do your job and bring her here. Am I clear, Gamma?' I retorted, leaving him no space for any argument.

'Yes, Alpha. I will soon reach her and will let you know when we have arrived at the pack house.'

I cut the mindlink right away without giving any response.

A smile played on my lips again. I could have easily let Aaron take her home and meet her tomorrow. She was no threat to the pack. But I wanted to see her. I didn't know I missed my little princess until the idea of her arriving sank in.

CLAIR

I fidgeted with my fingers as I stood beside my truck, the one Uncle Theodore gave me. It was an old rusty-colored beat-up Wrangler truck, and I had been driving it since I was sixteen.

Aaron volunteered to pick me up from the nearest train station, but I refused to leave my truck. I could have driven myself to the territory if I only knew the way to get there. But with the territory being surrounded by massive forests and mountains, the GPS was not working perfectly in that area, so that left me with no other option but to have Aaron pick me up and follow his car.

To say that I was nervous was an understatement. I think I was scared. And I had no idea why. It must have been the realization that, after five years, I was finally coming back.

Five years, five long years. I had been around humans for so long that it seemed I had forgotten how it was to live within the pack.

How will they react once they see me? Will they accept me? Does anybody care at all?

I let out a sarcastic snort. Why would I care? This pack abandoned me when I needed them the most. I reminded myself again that I was just here because I needed to be. I’ll be gone after I shifted, and I doubt I’ll ever step into this territory again.

"Clair!" I snapped out of my thoughts when I heard my name and turned in the direction where the voice came from to see my handsome brother with a wide welcoming smile on his face.

If there was anyone I was eager to see, it would be Aaron. For the last five years, he has never failed to call me and try to convince me to go back. He atoned for his abandonment by making sure I received gifts and cards on all special days.

He would visit once in a while until it became scarce when he stepped up to his Gamma position. He was also the one that kept reminding me about my shift and threatened to kidnap me if I failed to show up days before the full moon.

Aaron opened his arms, and before I knew it, I was already running toward him and letting him envelop me in a warm hug. As much as I didn’t want to be here, I couldn’t deny that I missed my brother.

"Aaron!" I cried softly as I buried my face in his chest, inhaling his scent. It had been so long that I almost forgot how he smelled, and how this smell used to irritate me whenever he gave bear hugs. But I can’t get enough of it now. "I missed you!" I continued to hold onto him tightly as I mumbled.

"Clair, my sweet little Clairy, I miss you too, sweetie!" Aaron responded as he squeezed me.

I faked a gag when I heard him call me sweetie. I slapped his chest lightly before pulling away. "Stop calling me sweetie, it doesn’t sound right. I’m too old for that!"

He let out a hearty laugh before he pulled me into another hug. "You know, you would always be my Clairy? Even after we have grown old and can’t stand anymore."

I pulled away and placed my hands on my hips. My brow arched playfully. "Stop being mushy, Gamma! It doesn’t suit you. Now take me home, I’m starving!"

He placed his hand on his heart before he bowed in front of me. "At your service, princess. Now get your ass in my car, and Matteo can drive your truck home." He turned around and signaled for the other guy to take over my car. It was only then that I realized that we were not entirely alone.

"Nice to meet you, Matteo. I’m Clair! Take care of my baby!" I called out and waved at him before he could close the car door.

I heard him open the car door again before he chuckled and said, "Nice to see you again, Clair!"

I looked at Aaron, confused, as we made our way into his car.

"I don’t expect you to remember everyone before you left. You were only twelve." He let me into the passenger seat before heading towards the other side of the car. "But for them, they do remember you. That little girl who always ran away after stealing her mom’s pastries. Everybody needed to look for you, otherwise, she wouldn’t give us anything." He chuckled as he sat in the driver’s seat and memories of Mom flooded my thoughts.

"I miss Mom," I spoke up while fastening my seatbelt, refusing to meet his gaze.

"Yeah, me too." I heard him reply in an almost inaudible voice as he roared the engine to life and started driving.

I hated this topic. I’ve been trying to deny all the emotions that came with losing Mom, so I diverted the conversation somewhere else. "So Gamma, huh? How was it? Tell me what I missed. " I turned my body on him to show enthusiasm as I waited for his reply.

He smiled and cocked his head before filling me in with all the details. We talked mostly about him and Dad, and how until now he had not found his mate. And that, as soon as he turned eighteen, he was thrust into the Gamma position, alongside Beta Gavin. That was two years ago.

The previous Beta and Gamma stepped down when Alpha Jake turned twenty, and his chosen Beta and Gamma had turned eighteen and had already shifted into their wolves.

Wolves normally shift on the last full moon before they turn eighteen, but Alpha Jake was different. He shifted on the last full moon before he turned fourteen. The Alpha lineage usually shifts when they turn fifteen or sixteen. For some unknown reason, he shifted early, strengthening his grandfather’s decision to leave the pack under his care instead of his wayward father.

"And Jake? How is he? Is he a good Alpha?" I asked.

My brother narrowed his eyes and shook his head. "Alpha. It’s Alpha Jake. You don’t want to embarrass yourself if you start calling him Jake. We usually call him Jake when it’s just us, but around the pack, it’s Alpha Jake or Alpha Jacob. He can be mean if he feels he is being disrespected. And the last thing I want is for him to embarrass you in front of the pack."

I sighed before letting out a reply, "So he has changed."

"People change, Clair. You can’t expect him to be the same boy that he was at seventeen when you left. He has seen and carried so much on his shoulders without a father to guide him." He continued to explain.

"Just like me, no father to guide me."

Aaron didn’t expect that reply based on the sigh that he let out. "I’m sorry, Clair. I am really sorry. I wasn’t man enough to stop Dad from sending you away. I wish I had."

I heard the sincerity in his tone that I could not make him feel bad about this whole ordeal. I placed my hand over his hand holding the car gear and flashed him a warm smile. "We’ve talked about this before. It wasn’t your fault, Aaron. You were only fifteen. What do you know about raising a 12-year-old girl? And besides, I didn’t turn out bad, did I?"

"Overall, maybe not." A sarcastic smile was printed on his face.

I slapped his arm before letting out a hearty laugh. "How could you? What’s wrong with me?"

"Ha! Nothing!" He smiled awkwardly before scratching his hair. "I just heard many things from Uncle Theo. Nothing that you want to hear as a brother and nothing that..."

I put my hands to cover my ears and drowned out whatever Aaron was saying with my own voice. "Cut it off, Aaron! Don’t believe Uncle Theo. He’s too strict. I didn’t even have a boyfriend! I dated, but that’s it!" I tried to defend myself.

He laughed while reaching out his arm, pulling me into a side hug, "Regardless of what he said, Clairy, I still love you."

I narrowed my eyes on him, my arms folded over my chest. "How could you believe such a thing? You know how mom always tells me to respect the mate bond."

Aaron raised a brow before he threw a quick glance at me, "Saving it for your mate, huh?"

I felt my cheeks burn in embarrassment. This topic was something you didn’t want to share with your brother.

"I’m not like you. Man whore!" I replied before a peal of soft laughter came out of my throat. He laughed but refused to say anything more about the topic.

And then his playful mood just suddenly shifted into a serious tone. "We are almost here. Get yourself ready."

CLAIR

"We are almost here. Get yourself ready."

"What do you mean?" I looked at the view in front of us as we approached. Confusion was written all over my face. I turned to Aaron with a raised eyebrow. "This is not home as I remember. This is the packhouse, right? You and Dad live here now?"

Aaron shook his head as he put the car to a full halt and unbuckled his seatbelt. "No. I stay here, but Dad lives alone in our house. But I will stay at home with you and Dad for a few days until you turn 18. I assumed I needed to teach you the basics of pack life first. But for now, hop off — we’re meeting Alpha Jake. He is expecting us." He said it nonchalantly as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

He walked out of the car even before I could berate him for not telling me about this stopover. I sighed and slumped my back onto the seat before unbuckling my belt. Although there was nothing wrong with meeting the Alpha, I suddenly developed a sickening feeling in my stomach. I wasn’t sure if I was ready to meet Jake.

But I guess I have no choice now.

I let out another sigh and let my gaze wander up at the entrance of the packhouse, and there he was.

Alpha Jake in all his god-like glory.

My heart started beating erratically at the sight of him. He didn’t look like this when I left. I felt my mouth water at the sight of him. I slapped my thoughts and tried to compose myself.

Cut it out, Clair! He’s like your brother, so why are you drooling at the sight of him? I reminded myself.

I snickered at my own thoughts. Who was I kidding? I was already starting to have a crush on him before I left, so this justifies why I was still a little attracted to him.

Yeah, just a little.

But then I couldn’t keep my eyes off of him. He had surely grown muscles in all the right places.

Oh, Goddess! Those biceps! I wondered how it felt to be wrapped around them.

"Shit!" My throat started to dry up, so I looked for my bottled water only to remember that this was not my car. I shifted around, looking for something to help me out.

Facing Jake with bad breath was not really sexy. Not that I care. He was used to seeing me with all the mess and dirt from playing, so it shouldn’t matter. I tried to convince myself, but then I knew it mattered. It matters now!

I sent a silent thank you to the Goddess upon seeing the bubble gum on Aaron’s dashboard. As much as I hated the idea of chewing gum, I grabbed it and popped it in my mouth, and started chewing. Anything to help with the dryness and nervousness.

I let out a big sigh before I slipped out of my seat and stepped out of Aaron’s car. I fixed my gaze directly at the Alpha as I made my way in front of him and tried my best to act anything but nervous.

I discreetly roamed my eyes over his body again, soaking in all of his assets.

He surely looked different from the skinny 17-year-old Alpha that I remembered.

He kept his black hair longer than necessary, and the little stubble of hair on his face just added to his intimidating look. His perfectly sculpted nose and lips made me bite my lower lip.

He had a light blue shirt on that perfectly fitted his toned body, accentuating his biceps and chest. Aaron and Beta Gavin were both muscled up and stunning, but nothing compared to the god-like aura this man exuded.

I didn’t notice that I raised a brow and bit my lower lip again when my eyes then darted down to his perfectly fitted black pants. Naughty thoughts were running through my mind as I wondered what was hiding in his pants and if his ass was as perfect as the bulge I saw in his front.

Oh Goddess, could I jump on him now?

My cheeks were already burning from my own thoughts. I had to stop myself from thinking further than I already had or I might end up making myself look like a hormonal teenager eyeing her crush.

¤¤¤¤¤

JAKE

They were about to approach the packhouse when Aaron, my Gamma, sent a mindlink. I rose swiftly from my seat and left my office. As expected, Beta Gavin was already standing and waiting for their arrival.

I saw Aaron’s car was already pulling up a few meters away from the steps, and I watched as he descended from it. I gave him a curt nod as I acknowledged his greeting before my gaze turned to the passenger side of his car, my eyes squinting, wanting to get a view of her.

The sun shredded shadows on the car so that it was impossible to see if someone was inside, but I expected her to get out any moment, skipping and running for a hug like she always does.

But the moment she stepped out of the car, my whole body froze. I wasn’t expecting a full-grown woman to come out of the passenger seat.

'What the fuck?!' I exclaimed to my wolf, Echo, while he was running around like he had gone mad in my mind. Did she really grow up in just a few years?

She’s 17 and turning into a full woman soon. Why was I expecting a 12-year-old girl to get out of the car?

Her long, slightly wavy hair bounced perfectly as she made her way toward us. I assumed she was around 5’3 inches, but it didn’t come as a surprise since she was short even way back then, but I couldn’t deny the fact that she turned out perfect with her curves in all the right places.

I stopped myself from swallowing when my gaze left her face to wander over her body — a perfectly sized breast that I believed my hand could handle. I was fucking sure I wouldn’t get enough of it. And those hips that swayed seductively. I was almost certain she was not doing it on purpose. It was just the way her body moved and just by looking at her, something twitched inside my pants.

I snapped my thoughts away from it and masked my emotions. If her look mesmerized me, I didn’t let it show. But I was in constant battle with my wolf, trying to tame him down. An annoyed look took over my expression, and before I realized it, Clair was already standing in front of me.

"Alpha Jake." Her sweet voice brought me back to the present.

Was she chewing gum? Seriously? I stayed away from women chewing gum. They reminded me of the ladies who tried to get into my pants whenever we drove around. She might have noticed the scowl on my face because she started talking sarcastically.

"Are we just going to stand here for eternity or can I go home now? If you have no idea, Jake, I drove through three states to get here." She huffed before letting out an annoyed sigh.

"It’s Alpha Jake, Clair!" Aaron scolded her before turning his face on me. "My apologies, Alpha. Clair is just tired, and if it suits you, we can come back tomorrow when she is fully rested and in her right mind."

I saw her roll her eyes at her brother before crossing her arms over her chest. She’s wearing a nicely fitted white shirt, and her action just emphasized her breasts more.

"You don’t need to jump up and defend me, Aaron. I’m not twelve anymore." She sighed before she continued. "My apologies, Alpha. I’m just tired and have no idea why I’m here right now and you’re not saying anything. I just want to lie down and rest. " Her eyes avoided mine as she spoke, but I could still sense her annoyance.

I turned my head to my Gamma, frowning. "You didn’t tell her why she needed to see me?"

Aaron scratched his head, looking at me apologetically. "It slipped my mind, Alpha. I was busy catching up with her, and before I knew it, we were in front of the packhouse."

Aaron then tilted his head to the left in submission.

I nodded in acknowledgment before turning my back on them. "Very well then, follow me to my office, Clair."

I walked away without looking back to see if she was following. I heard Aaron tell her that he would wait for her outside before I heard tiny, steady footsteps behind me. I walked up to the end of the hallway and opened the door, leaving it open as I sat on my chair and waited for her to step in.

She closed the door behind her as I pointed to the seat in front of my desk. She sat down, but nobody said a word. We stayed in silence for a while before she broke it.

"So... why am I here?" She asked with a raised brow.

Clair was the same old Clair. She couldn’t keep silent to save her life.