The Alpha's Possession

I stood there, watching her from afar as she trained, as diligently as the best warrior in the pack, even though she was no ordinary member. I watched her, half mesmerized, half perplex...

How could a girl be so beautiful, so graceful, even as she fought a vicious wolf?

She was so captivating, I ached with the need to possess her and make her mine.

Wolfless and perfectly flawed as she might be, she was a sight to behold.

And most importantly, she was mine.

As it was, the only obstacle that stood in the face of our happiness was the fact that she, herself, didn't acknowledge me as her mate.

Indeed, it seemed like despite the sharp senses bestowed upon her, she hadn't felt the sparks when our skin touched. And she also didn't feel the sizzling electricity in the air whenever we locked eyes.

How oblivious could she be? And just how much more time could I stand this impossible situation?

A week ago, I welcomed her family into the pack. And needles to say, she had me at hello.

My beta cleared his throat from behind me, and I turned around to face him, even though it pained me to stop watching her train.

"Jade has you wrapped around her little finger, huh?" He said teasingly.

"Who's Jade?" I arched an eyebrow at him challengingly.

"Oh, I don't know, my dearest Xander," he shrugged. A smirk broke on his features before he went on, "Who else but the beautiful wolfless she-devil whom you've been watching like a hawk for the past 10 minutes?"

"Careful there," I told him sharply. "Some might think you have a death wish."

He paled at once, and the formalities resumed, "Alpha, please. You should know that I'm not foolish enough to pursue a girl you fancy."

I growled at him and my eyes flashed black.

"I don't fancy her," I spat out. He nodded in earnest, as if to say he believed me, or rather he would believe whatever nonsense I sprouted, provided I spared him.

Then, I dropped the bomb on him, "She's my mate."

His eyes widened and he let out a stunned "Oh?"

Feeling like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders, I heaved a sigh and went back to the window, to cast her one last look... a look that was no doubt full of longing, love, and adoration.

Then, I turned around to face my beta again.

"You better not speak of this to anyone, Luc," I told him in a tone that was so matter of fact, I could have been talking about the weather.

He stood to attention and nodded at me curtly, "You have my word, alpha."

I looked at him, appreciating his seriousness, and then said, "Now, enough decorum, Luc. Tell me what my schedule of the week has to offer."

"Nothing you'll enjoy, Xander," he began sheepishly. "A meeting with the elders this afternoon."

I groaned.

And he offered me an apologetic smile. "They'll probably nag you about finding a suitable mate again."

"Right," I scoffed. "Well, news flash, I did."

"But they don't know that," he argued, tilting his head to the side.

"And that's how it should be," I quipped almost pensively. "Until I figure out a way to make my mate acknowledge the bond between us."

His eyes almost popped out of their sockets at that point. "You... She..."

"Try making a coherent sentence for once, dumbass," I chuckled dryly, though I knew perfectly where his concerns laid.

"I'm sorry, Xander. I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything," I shook my head negatively. "She's mine. And that is that. All that remains is making her realize and accept that she is mine."

He nodded at me and then went on to explain the week schedule further.

** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

The meeting with the elders couldn't have been more predictable. Indeed, they asked of me to reconsider making Stacy my Luna, telling me how much my own pack would benefit from the alliance. Stacy was the only daughter of the neighboring pack's alpha, and I could care less about the nonsense these elders were sprouting.

"Is it a mating or a merger you want?" I demanded to know, my voice calm, my wolf under control, despite the simmering anger that laid just under the surface.

I hated how controlling and manipulative they could be... and yet, I found it amusing that they would press the matter, each month, ever since they learned I had bedded that she-wolf.

It had happened but once. It was a mistake. A mistake that was not about to happen again.

Besides, I had a she-wolf to woo and conquer.

I could care less about all these Luna-wannabes, all these hungry-for-power she-wolves who only saw me for what I could afford and give.

I wanted a mate to care for and dote on. I wanted a mate that would love me unconditionally, and still argue with me whenever she thought fit. I wanted a mate that would stand beside me as my equal, not a submissive she-wolf, whose only purpose was holding parties and bearing pups.

No one but Jade shall be my Luna, I inwardly vowed. Wolfless or not, she is my fated mate.

While they didn't know that, they knew better than to try to force my hand. All they could was talk.

Well, they could even bark, for all I cared. It wouldn't change a thing.

My heart, my mind, and my wolf, were set on no one but the beautiful temptress of a new addition to the pack.

I tried to smile at the elders, so that they would brace themselves for impact.

I never smiled at the bunch, save when it was to scorn them some way.

They stiffened at once, as to be expected.

"While I appreciate your concern, don't you all have anything better to do than to poke your nose where it doesn't belong?"

"Alpha Alexander," the youngest of them – no less than sixty years old – began in a fake saccharine tone, seemingly undisturbed by my jab. "We only want what's best for the pack."

"I hate to say it, but an unmated alpha is a weak and frivolous alpha," the oldest of them went on, his eyes not meeting mine.

My eyes went black at the blatant disrespect.

"Know your place, Jeremiah," I all but growled the words out at him, not containing my wolf, watching him pale. "Should you become a nuisance to me and the pack both, I wouldn't hesitate to erase your very existence."

"Alpha Alexander," the youngest of them tried to placate me. "It is our honor to serve you and the pack. We would never even dare become a nuisance. We are also deeply sorry for Jeremiah's choice of words. He seems to be unwell."

"You're dismissed," I told them off-handedly as I struggled to remain in control.

It couldn't and wouldn't do to kill an elder, no matter the provocation.

If I wanted to get rid of them, I was going to need much stronger motives.

Training had me perplex... Indeed, the hairs at the back of my neck stood to attention, and my skin warmed up deliciously, as I felt stares on me.

I was not usually as vain as to want attention on me. I was, however, cursed to draw attention at each and every event, seeing as I was the only wolfless member in the pack.

A week ago, my parents and I were welcomed into this new pack. And what a nice change of pace it was!

My previous pack couldn't even tolerate the sight of me after they found out, on my sixteenth birthday, that no other entity – no wolf – manifested itself in my brain, and that I was unable to shift.

I went from the easygoing girl, who only had friends, to the outcast, the disgrace of the pack in less time than anyone would need to say wolf.

No matter what I did or said, no matter if I defended myself against the insults thrown my way, or just fought as viciously as the next wolf when a rogue attack occurred – in an attempt to prove myself worthy of belonging to the pack – their distaste for me knew no bounds.

When my parents found out, nearly 2 years later, that I was being heavily judged and kind of bullied for the fact that I had no wolf, they decided to take action.

They requested an audience with the alpha, and as warriors, they got one easily.

While I might be an abomination to the whole werewolf community, my parents were still some of the best warriors the pack ever had.

Needless to say, it didn't go as well as they would have hoped for.

I wasn't sure what had transpired, but even I knew that my mom's pained expression, when they returned home, meant that there was trouble looming in the horizon.

"Pack your things, Jade," my dad instructed in a soft albeit firm tone. "We leave at down."

I knew not to argue.

This was something I had anticipated.

Warriors or not, if the alpha himself decided I was a disgrace to be shunned, my family would suffer the consequences.

It was not until I was in the car the following morning that I dared to ask, "Did the alpha really have to ban us?"

My mom giggled softly. "We were not banned sweetheart."

I was taken aback at that. "But we're..."

"We're leaving of our own accord," my dad supplied.

"What?" My eyes bulged.

Surely, he didn't forsake his future as head warrior... Dad had coveted the title for so long after all.

"We cannot stand by and let you get bullied for something that is beyond your control," she then told me in a soft tone. Then, tears flooded her eyes, and I was about to ask them to turn around and ask for forgiveness from the alpha. I could bear whatever happened to me. I just didn't want my parents, my only family, to suffer because of me.

"We are sorry it took us so long to notice the bullying. We should have noticed the signs, how you became a little bit of a recluse after you didn't manage to shift. We just thought you were the one who no longer wanted to mingle..." my dad, the proud warrior who rarely ever had to apologize for anyone, pleaded with me to understand as he kept on driving.

"It's okay, dad," I sniffled and did my best to keep my own tears at bay. "It's not your fault. If anything, I'm the one who's sorry for troubling you..."

"Nonsense," he said almost gruffly.

Mom, on the other hand, remained silent in the passenger seat, but I noticed that her shoulders trembled ever so slightly.

She was crying because of me. And the thought alone brought tears to my eyes.

"I'm sorry," I muttered under my breath.

"Never apologize for being who you are," she told me sternly and yet affectionately at the same time. "I'm just sad you didn't trust me – us – enough to tell us what you were going through."

I thought you knew and were turning a blind eye to it all.

I didn't have the courage to say this, and thus, only opted for telling her how sorry I was instead.

Mom had originally come from a pack other than the one dad belonged to.

And since she had found love in his arms, she didn't hesitate to leave her family and friends for him. And now, it seemed like they both didn't mind leaving their friends, their home, for little boring wolfless me.

I felt protected, cherished, and most importantly loved.

It was sad, however, that we had to leave, only because most pack members couldn't accept that I was different.

Why couldn't they understand that I had the senses of a wolf but just lacked the wolf itself?

"You're awfully silent, sweetheart," she commented after some time.

"I'm just thinking," I told her with a bleak smile. "What if no pack accepts me – us?"

"My old pack's alpha knows of our reasons for leaving, and he accepted us readily."

Her response startled me and I let out a long relieved sigh. They had already made plans, and I didn't need to worry.

That took a weight off my shoulders for sure.

** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

Seven hours of driving and two stops later, my mom exclaimed, "We're here."

We were in the smallest and the most recluse town – or village – ever. Ironically – and maybe on purpose - it was called Moonlight Village.

My dad stopped at the sign, and no sooner had he, did someone appear before us.

"Who are you?" The man, buff and menacing, demanded to know in a tone that didn't sit well with me but which I had to ignore.

"The name's Falls, and we're here to see the alpha of The Moonlight Pack," was my father's matter of fact response.

The man's eyes glazed over. He was no doubt mind-linking someone from the pack to report that this wasn't a trespassing attempt, maybe he was even contacting a higher-ranked wolf to know if our story stood...

"The imposing white mansion next to the high school is where you should be heading," he told us simply, and then was off on his nonchalant way.

It wasn't hard to find at all. The whole village consisted of small cozy looking homes, and there was but one mansion standing proudly next to the high school I no doubt was going to attend from now on.

To my surprise, the mansion buzzed with life, even though it was a week day. Servants came and went every each way, other casually dressed older wolves roamed the hallways freely and didn't even bother looking at us.

One of them did come to greet us, a smile on his face, "You must be the Falls."

My father nodded and confirmed the man's assumption with a strong yes.

And we were soon ushered in the direction of a door.

A knock and a barely audible "Come in" later, and we were in front of the most handsome man I ever had the chance to look at.

I was an avid reader of romance, and he was what I would have easily called tall, dark, and handsome. Moreover, he had this dangerous aura to him that made me want to submit to him, in every possible way, even though I had no wolf to speak of.

He looked up from his paperwork at us, and I was almost taken aback by how vivid the green of his eyes was.

He didn't smile but appraised us three with kind warm eyes.

My father didn't utter a word. As tradition would have it, common wolves only spoke to an alpha when they were spoken to.

Were we even considered common wolves? We didn't even belong to his pack yet.

He rose to his feet. His lips went from a thin line to a lopsided smile.

"Welcome to the pack," he told us before coming nearer.

He shook hands with my parents successively before he focused his eyes on me.

I was never one to provoke a higher-ranked wolf, but instead of acting with the deference he was due, I unconsciously kept staring into his fascinatingly green eyes.

"Sweetheart," mom exclaimed almost nervously.

I blushed a deep crimson and cast my eyes down.

And then, she nudged me, and it was only then that I noticed his extended hand.

Oh god! How long did I keep him waiting? I inwardly shrieked.

Then, trying to compose myself, I shook his hand timidly.

"You must be Jade," he said, and his voice and proximity both did wonders to the butterflies having a field day in my belly.

I nodded, feeling like I might just faint. The alpha – this hunk of a man – knew my name.

I, Jade Falls, felt stupid at how that knowledge left me elated, and eager to make this moment memorable. Truth be told, I was surely doing a poor job at making a good impression on the one who was to be my alpha.

He then freed my hand and told us, "Your initiation ceremony will be tomorrow evening."

"Thank you, alpha," my dad told him, gratitude filling his voice.

"I hope you'll enjoy staying in the first floor. Arrangements were made and you may get settled in as soon as right now."

And with that, he nodded at us, silently and efficiently dismissing us.

When we exited his office, I felt like I could breathe properly again. The man was sure intense.

Handsome or not, he was bad – bad for my sanity and piece of mind.

We were soon enough escorted to the wing in which we were going to stay.

"What's the alpha's name, mom?" I asked, feeling my curiosity get the best of me.

"Oh, you don't know? He's the renowned Alexander Bad," was her response.

Alexander Bad? I nearly had a heart attack at the mere name.

Everybody knew the rumors, and if even one of them was true, I reasoned I should stay clear of this heartthrob of an alpha... not that I stood a chance anyway.

Moonlight Village was a far cry from the hidden forest-implanted village my family and I used to live in. It was only when I joined school, a few days after we settled in, that I learned that there was no need for hiding anywhere in the village, as there were no humans in it.

It was again a welcomed change to what the norm used to be for us. Having to live in hiding so to speak had never allowed me to feel free.

Even the teachers of the school were werewolves, and they knew how to keep the class in check, even though wolves could be rebellious in nature.

My first class was not one I favored. Indeed, I was never very good at calculus, and the teacher instead of scolding for not knowing something very basic, told me softly that I should get a tutor.

I looked around, much like a deer caught in headlight, not knowing what to say to that, or who to ask.

I had gotten acquainted with quite a few classmates, but I wasn't sure how they felt about me. I didn't want to feel inferior because of my lack of a wolf... but I did feel different to say the least.

Such a tough call to make!

I sighed, and was ready to tell the teacher that I would try to work out on my shortcomings on my own, when a guy raised his hand and said simply, "I'll make sure she masters that by the end of the month, sir."

I beamed at him, and he offered me a small smile in return.

Tyler – that was the guy's name – was a tall buff guy. He was also one of the pack members I was sure didn't look down on me – because we sparred on quite a few occasions and I beat his ass, twice... I never would have guessed he was good in class, but looks could be deceiving.

I nodded at him in gratitude and mouthed a thank you.

It was soon enough lunch break. Feeling too shy to approach anyone and ask for directions, I just did my best to follow the directions on the map.

My head was slightly bowed as I looked at said map, and it was therefore no surprise when I bumped into someone.

My gaze snapped up at once. I smiled sheepishly and apologized.

The guy had a scornful expression on his face for some reason. And I already felt the animosity oozing off him in waves.

"Isn't it little Ms wolfless?" He sneered.

I stiffened, feeling like I was in my old pack all over again.

I tried to keep a straight expression on, and just said off-handedly, "What is it to you what or who I am? I bumped into you, and I apologized for it."

"The chick got attitude," he chuckled humorlessly, almost to himself, and his friends laughed raucously.

I already didn't like this bunch.

I rolled my eyes at them and was about to leave when he caught my wrist.

I turned to him with a glare. "Release me at once."

"And if I don't?" He taunted, and then he backed me against the lockers.

Was he truly trying to intimidate me?

He'd have to try harder than this for sure.

Before he knew what was happening, my fist flew and landed on his abdomen twice. He staggered back, and profanities followed.

He swung his fist at me as well and I dodged it deftly. His hand hit the lockers with a loud bang.

Naturally, that attracted a crowd.

No one dared to intervene.

Why would they intervene for a new member? A member who didn't have their wolf to begin with... I was but an abomination, a flawed shifter, a burden to the pack.

He swung his fist again, aiming my face, and I blocked the blow. Wolf or not, I knew how to fight and I could stand my ground.

"How can you fight at all when you're without a wolf?" He muttered just as he readied himself to change tactics no doubt.

I shall not allow anyone to bully me again.

I was about to say something along those lines, but then a low menacing growl beat me to it.

The crowd parted, and no one but the very man with whom I stood no chance, but who still haunted my dreams at night and daydreams as well, came forward.

Good god, he was handsome!

I looked at him, and couldn't help but stare into his furious black eyes.

I only realized a few seconds too late that considering his status and my own, I had no right to look him in the eyes.

"Alpha, I'm sorry," I was quick to say... and that had to be my second mistake. I spoke out of turn. I spoke to an alpha without being spoken to first.

His eyes narrowed, and I finally broke eye-contact and hung my head low in shame.

Where were my damned manners? Hell, where were my self-preservation skills?

One simply does not provoke an alpha.

"What's the meaning of this?" His voice was barely above a growl.

"Stupid wolfless chick bumped into me, alpha," the guy began haughtily.

"And I apologized for it, alpha," I cut in immediately.

"Eli," the alpha said in a low deadly whisper, "Back away from Jade if you value your life."

The alpha remembered my name, I thought to myself, happy beyond belief, and feeling silly for it too.

Then the alpha's gaze focused on me and he said simply, "Follow me."

That spelled trouble. I struggled to get air into my lungs for a few seconds there. Many scenarios played in my head, every one crazier than the other...

But then, the alpha began to walk away, and I felt compelled to go after him.

I wondered what kind of punishment awaited me. The alpha might have defended me but I didn't believe I'd get to come out of this unscathed.

I just hoped he'd allow me to explain my version. I might have hit a fellow pack member, but the guy had been asking for it.

I sure knew how to make good first impressions. First with the alpha, and now at school!Kindly note the sarcasm.