Gordon 2 years ago… “Are you f*****g kidding me!!” I snarled, my skin burning as my eyes bore into the head of the young girl crouching in the corner, shaking with fear. “Gordon, calm the f**k down!” my father chastised, looking wary. “This is in nobody’s hands and you know that,” “I do not care!” I hissed. “I am NOT taking a goddamn omega as my mate or the luna of the pack! Look at her! What makes you think she could be MY luna? She can’t even speak properly! No f*****g way. I am rejecting her right away. Right now, this very moment. This is insulting!” I felt so furious that it almost made me sweat. Finding a mate has never been much of my concern, like most of my friends and others I have seen. My goal has always been to become the best. To become a man who would be respected and feared by all, an invincible alpha. I had always dreamed about ruling over others because exerting dominion gave me a satisfaction like no other. And hence, somewhere in my head, I always had an idea that I would surely find a mate who could match me. A woman who would be strong and equally ambitious, someone smart, witty and sexy. An alpha blood. But I guess the goddamn moon goddess wasn’t very fond of me because this girl, a filthy, timid omega, was definitely not the woman I had in mind. And even if I try to ignore that and accept her as my mate and luna, because f**k, I cannot deny the fact that I have never seen a woman so beautiful as her ever before, there was no f*****g way I was taking a woman who couldn’t even speak properly for my mate. No way. What about my image? My reputation as the alpha of Eclipse Moon? And this girl was not fit to be a luna, anyway. Because she didn’t even have a wolf powerful enough to claim the matebond. As much as mine claimed her as his mate, her wolf was non-responsive. She was barely there, a stupid, weak, non-existent wolf. I was practically getting damaged goods for a mate, and there was no way I would accept that. No. f*****g. Way. “Gordon, think again…” Elder Andrew muttered. “She is your mate,” “Don’t utter that word,” I warned. “I deserve better and not some piece of s**t put together as my mate. I am alpha Gordon Vance and my mate and luna will be someone who can match me. Prepare for the rejection ceremony. Wouldn’t take long given she doesn’t even have a wolf strong enough to accept the bond in the first place. It’s an incomplete bond to begin with.” “She is still your fated mate, Gordon,” my mother grimaced. “Yes, maybe she isn’t what you had in mind, but no one told you that you would get a custom-made mate from the moon goddess, did we? If her wolf is weak, the rejection can hinder her life. Don’t be so merciless.” “Are you kidding me?” I exclaimed. “You want me to spend the rest of my life with her? She can’t even pronounce my name without stumbling a billion times! Want to see?” I flopped down in front of the girl, who apparently was named Rose and was an omega from our pack, and grabbing her chin, turned her face towards me. Her green eyes, which almost made me forget what I was going to say for a moment, brimmed with tears as she gazed up at me. “Take my name,” I ordered. “Say Gordon. Now!” She almost jumped in fright, huge tears falling down her eyes and never seeming to stop. “Go…. go…. gor…don…” she sobbed, her face turning red as if it was painful for her to even get those words out. “See? You want me to spend the rest of my life with her?” I snapped, glaring at my mother. “Take her out to parties and official functions and make way for people to laugh and mock me?” “We get your point,” dad said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “But rejection is still not an option, Gordon. The faster you understand that, the better.” “Why not?” I demanded, losing my patience. “This is my decision, not yours!” “Because she will give you your fated heir, alpha,” Elder Andrew muttered. “She is your fated mate and her child will be the rightful heir of Eclipse Moon after you,” “I don’t need my rightful, fated heir,” I said tartly. “I will take a chosen mate and she will give me the heir, as simple as that,” “It’s not that simple,” dad scowled. “Your child with your fated mate is the rightful, true heir, Gordon. And he will be the hundredth alpha of the Eclipse Moon pack.” “So?” I scowled. “It doesn’t matter who gives birth to him as long as he has my blood.” “It does,” Elder Andrew said. “Only an heir born from the fated mate is considered the true blood. And the hundredth alpha of Eclipse Moon will be no ordinary alpha. He is the one who will change your destiny.” I stared blankly at the old man. What? “What?” I grimaced. “Will you get straight to the point?” “It was prophesied when the pack was first created by the first blood, alpha Isaiah, that the hundredth alpha of the Eclipse Moon would mark a new dawn and bring blessings and protection to the pack. Just not that, but the hundredth heir will be born with the strength of all the alphas prior to him. He will be almost invincible.” I stared blankly at the old man, not sure how to react. I almost felt like laughing. “Her child?” I said sarcastically, pointing to the wailing girl on the floor. “Really?” “Her and your child,” Elder Andrew corrected. “If she is your fated mate, there must be some reason behind that. Not everything visible to our eyes is always correct,” “And you expect me to believe that bullshit? Some old fable by some dude who lived a hundred years ago?” I snorted. “Really?” “Gordon! You are talking about your ancestors.” Dad snapped. “Stop being such an asshole and listen to the elders. Don’t forget, you are still yet to take your oath as the alpha.” “Are you threatening me?” I demanded, raising a brow. “Whatever you would like to think. I am still your father and the alpha regent. Don’t push me to do something I will regret later.” “Do whatever you want, but I am not marrying this woman or taking her as my mate,” I sneered. “Your wolf already claimed and accepted her as your mate, didn’t he?” Elder Andrew pointed out. “Look, if you don’t want to marry her, don’t. But don’t reject her. Not until the heir is born. In the meantime, you can always accept another chosen mate who will be your luna, complete your alpha ceremony and take over,” “Yeah? And why would some woman just randomly marry when I already have my fated?” I rolled my eyes. “Elder Andrew, I think it’s time you resigned.” “You can take as many chosen mates as you like, alpha. But there is only one fated mate. I am sure we will find someone. Eclipse Moon is a well to do, reputed pack. Any woman would love to be its luna. We will find some way, but please re-consider rejection. We need the true heir and, as luna said, she is a young girl and if there is something wrong with her wolf, the rejection could cost her life. She can continue to live in the omega shelter like before with her foster family. It wouldn’t even matter.” “Elder Andrew is right,” dad nodded. “Yes, she may be an omega, but she is an omega in our pack. If something goes wrong, it can cause trouble with the omega population later on. So just let it be and we will find you a chosen mate. In fact, I may know someone who will be perfect for you. You already know her too.” “Who?” I asked sullenly. “Alana. Alpha Kaine’s daughter,” he answered. “Let me talk to him and the girl…well what do we do about her? Let her go back to the omega shelter?” “No,” Voss, my wolf, suddenly hissed out of nowhere. “I want her. You can have your chosen mate but I want her,” I glanced at the young girl and as she quickly moved back from reach, something inside me stirred. “Leave her to me,” I whispered, flopping down in front of her and wiping her tears with my thumb. “I will take care of her. She is my mate, after all.” ____________________ Present day… “Where is Rose!” Voss snarled, his voice like thunder echoing around the room. The moment he figured out what happened and that Rose was gone, I lost control of him and had no option but to let him take over. If he lost it, it wouldn’t be very healthy for me. One howl from him and it felt like a tsunami hit the pack that was bathed in pin-drop silence a few moments ago. Everyone was gathered around the meeting room; Alexis, the deltas, the gammas, mom, dad and the elders, each one of them looking pale as death. “I asked WHERE IS ROSE!!” he shouted again, throwing the paperweight on the floor and shattering the thing into tiny pieces. “Answer me! Where is Rose? Alexis!” “I…I…I don’t know, alpha,” Alexis shuddered. “I was with you the last two days. I have no idea.” “I don’t understand,” dad muttered. “How can she just disappear? Nobody goes into her wing and her room is password locked. Only you and Alexis know the code.” “That is what I am asking!” Voss roared, glaring at Alexis. “Only you know the password apart from Gordon, Alexis. Where is Rose? What did you do with her? You always had your eyes on her, haven’t you? Where is she?” I was perplexed as he curled his fingers around Alexis’s neck, burning him with his blue gaze. “Voss, stop!” I chastised. “What the f**k are you doing? He was with me all the time. Alexis will never betray me.” “Then who did?” he hissed, pacing around the room like a mad dog. “Somebody betrayed us! And mind me, the day I found out who did…that person will regret ever taking birth on this goddamn planet,” “The point is to find her for now,” one of the elders whose name I cannot remember muttered. “How do we find her? What if she was kidnapped or if she is in danger?” “Kidnapped from the pack house?” Voss hissed. “Are you mad?” “I don’t think she is that smart to run away either,” dad added. “No, and she hasn’t left that room in two years. It’s not possible.” “ENOUGH!” Voss growled and he was getting so angry that it was making it hard for me to even breathe now. “I need her. I need her back here as soon as possible. Find her, put all your men to work, but I want Rose back!” “Maybe we can…we can put our hunters to work?” Alexis mumbled. “I don’t care what you do, beta…” Voss hissed. “Find me Rose or…” He didn’t need to say the rest. Everyone knew what would await if Rose wasn’t found and brought back to him. If they don’t find her soon… There was going to be a bloodbath.