Heir to the Alpha Spin-off: Refusing My Alpha Mate
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B. E. Harmel
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777K
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39
Chapter 1
ARTHUR
Spin Off: Refusing My Alpha Mate
I woke up in a daze, my head pounding from the previous night’s indulgence. The loud knocking on my door didn’t help. I felt a slight stir in my bed and remembered the girl I’d brought home last night.
“Archie, your dad is waiting. You guys are leaving in five minutes,” came the deep voice of John, my father’s beta. I’d lost a poker game to them and the stakes were attending today’s meeting.
I had no choice but to go.
I gently nudged the still sleeping brunette, whose name I’d completely forgotten. I kissed her forehead lightly and whispered, “I need to go. You can have coffee downstairs. I’ll see you around.”
I got out of bed and watched her stretch her long legs, pushing the sheet down. The sight of her naked body almost made me reconsider attending the meeting.
“Arthur,” my father’s voice echoed through the room.
“I’ll be right there, Dad. Just need to put on a T-shirt,” I replied, opening my dresser.
“At least one shirt, Arthur. It’s a meeting,” my father’s frail voice echoed.
I closed the dresser and opened my wardrobe. I grabbed a wrinkled blue shirt, not having time to iron it.
I quickly put on a pair of pants and shoes, throwing the shirt over my body and buttoning it as I walked toward the door where my father was waiting. He was much shorter than me, balding, and his light green eyes, which I’d inherited, stared at me with disappointment.
“Did you just wake up?” he asked, not waiting for an answer.
He gestured toward the girl in my room. I shrugged it off and put an arm around his shoulder as we descended the stairs.
My father had been battling cancer for a few months now. That’s why he’d called me back from my studies in Europe. I’d been away for ten years, hopping from one course to another.
The truth was, I was terrified of taking over the pack. So, at twenty-two, I decided to specialize in everything. I stayed away as long as I could, enjoying my life.
But my father’s illness had accelerated my return. I’d arrived a week ago.
Today, we were meeting with a neighboring pack, Alpha Ethan Troffenholl’s pack. He didn’t have a luna. She’d died giving birth to their only daughter, Clair.
I remembered her as a child when I’d left years ago. The journey to their pack was quick. Soon, my father and I arrived.
There were many alphas and their sons training to take over. It was incredible to see Tommy again. He was a tall, thin young man with dark brown hair and blue eyes.
He was my childhood best friend and had already taken over his father’s pack a few years ago.
“Archie, it’s been a while,” he said, hugging me tightly.
“Tommy, great to see you,” I replied, hugging him back.
I settled between Tommy and my dad. “Any tips for this meeting? Anything I should know?” I asked, leaning back in my chair and crossing my legs.
Tommy looked at me, then at my father. “Did you tell him about Clair?” he asked.
My father shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose.
“What’s wrong with Clair? She must have grown up, right? I remember her as a little girl…,” I said, trailing off.
Tommy laughed. “She grew up all right. She’s a warrior, a gladiator,” he said, adjusting himself in his chair.
“Listen, Archie. She and Ethan have been preparing for her to take over. She’s undergone all the training possible, from guarding to administrative. She spent months at the council in legal training. They’ve worked so hard to keep their family in power that they managed to change the law that only male alphas can take over a pack alone. She’ll be the first female alpha to take over alone, and the youngest too. She plans to take over this year,” Tommy explained in a hushed tone.
“But she’s old enough for the ball now, isn’t she? What if she finds a mate before coming out?” I asked.
When we turned twenty-two, we could attend the Moon Ball and discover our mates.
“She’s attending this year. It’ll be her first ball. But there’s a rumor that she’ll reject her mate, whoever he may be,” Tommy said softly.
“Just don’t joke around with her, Archie. Clair is tough. Treat her like any other older alpha here, and you’ll be fine.”
“It’s not for nothing that she’s called the Iron Lady. Just behave, Arthur, please,” my father added.
I was about to retort with a I always behave myself, but the doors to the room opened, diverting my attention.
Several alphas entered, including Christopher, Levi, Vincent, Brad, and Brennon. Then she walked in.
I recognized her by her red hair, which used to be tied up and messy from training. Now, it fell in soft waves over her shoulders. Her body had matured.
A fucking perfect body.
I shifted in my seat as heat surged through my body, settling between my legs. I took in her curves, accentuated by the guard uniform she wore. The holsters, weapons, daggers, and sword added to her allure.
She was petite, but her training was evident in the muscles visible beneath her clothes. Her face was thin and delicate, her full lips lending an almost angelic contrast to her robust appearance.
Her sky-blue eyes scanned the room, lingering on me for a moment before returning to the end of the table. The other alphas took their seats. Ethan sat on the right, and Clair stood at the end of the table, papers in hand.
“All right, alphas, let’s get this meeting underway,” Clair announced, pivoting to face the group gathered around her.
“First off, we need to ensure the lunas are involved in planning next week’s ball, and the paperwork for the temporary guard union needs to be signed and delivered to the council by week’s end.”
I leaned over to Tommy, whispering, “She’s the one running the show?”
I nudged him with my elbow, adding, “You’re joking, right?”
Tommy didn’t even bother to answer, just shot me a look and jerked his chin toward Clair, silently telling me to pay attention.
When I turned back, Clair was looking right at me, continuing her speech.
“Additionally, we’ve been seeing an increase in seizures of unidentified wolves in the neutral zones. In fact, just yesterday we apprehended three…”
“But isn’t the whole point of the neutral zone to allow free movement?” I blurted out, louder than I intended.
What was meant to be a question for Tommy ended up drawing the attention of the entire room, especially Clair.
“Excuse me?” Clair shot back, her brow furrowing as she fixed me with a glare.
“Never mind, I’m sorry,” I tried to backtrack.
“No, you’ve already interrupted, Arthur. Speak up.” Her tone was even more commanding than when she was leading the meeting.
“Didn’t the neutral zone used to allow free movement between the packs?” I finished my question aloud, and my father just shook his head in disbelief.
Clair sighed heavily, placing her hands on the table and taking a deep breath before responding.
“You know, Arthur, if you hadn’t been absent for ten years, or at least bothered to read the updated laws before attending a meeting, you’d know that we changed the neutral zone laws over seven years ago. There are designated trails for the wolves to travel safely and without risk. The neighboring packs are monitored by the guards, but any wolf straying from these paths is subject to apprehension and questioning, regardless of their ack affiliation.
“Including the three we apprehended yesterday—they were exiles, and we have reason to believe they were planning to invade the Ironclaw Pack or the Hausen Pack. And since your father is the alpha of the Hausen Pack, these three could potentially pose a threat to you.” Her words were pointed and firm, making me squirm in my seat.
“Please refrain from interrupting me again or making idle chatter. Show some respect for this meeting. If you aspire to be an alpha someday, start acting like one. And for goodness sake, take a shower before showing up to a meeting smelling like sex.” She finished her admonishment and reached for another piece of paper.
I was stunned into silence, but what stung the most was that she was right. My father remained motionless in his chair, staring straight ahead, but I could feel his disappointment.
Tommy didn’t dare move either, but I could hear him stifling laughter, and I knew I deserved it.
