The Alpha's Rejected Mer

"I need a man here!"

Dallan felt a splash on his face even before the words managed to escape his lips. He heard a roar; another wave rolled forward with raging speed directed at the bottom of the ship.

"I am here, my alpha!"

Dallan looked at the side to see one of the warriors standing behind him, close to the steering. He muttered a curse under his breath as he handed the steering over to the warrior. The boards would not hold on much longer, he knew that. He silently cursed the night again as a bolt of frightening lightning streaked across the sky, momentarily producing light bright enough to see as far as the angry approaching waves.

He did not need the streak of lightning to see, or even any form of light. His eyes which were glowing bright yellow had all the eyesight properties he needed in a weather like this. He heard a yell followed by a loud grunt as a wave slapped hard on the side of the ship where he was carefully trying to tread.

Dallan grunted and grabbed onto a rope for support. The ship tilted to the side and he lost grip-and footing. "F*ck!" He rolled towards the edge. He managed to grab the railing, but it wasn't a strong grip. Dallan looked down. He doubted if even wolves could survive a fall into the sea in such weather. Just as he looked up, a firm hand gripped his wrist.

"Hold onto me!"

Dallan gripped the railing with one hand and pushed himself up as he was dragged back to the surface. His long hair was ungracefully matted around his head. A quick swipe of his palm stopped the strands from blocking his eyesight. "Thanks, Kai," he appreciated the helper.

"You are welcome. I pray we survive this. The men are in control of the ship. They are doing a very good job if I must say."

"Have we any reward for this night?" Dallan steadied himself by holding onto the shrouds supporting the mast. He indicated for Kai to do the same. "Please tell me we do."

"Unfortunately, we don't. We have practically nothing for tonight. I warned you about coming to sea at night in search of crazy mermaids."

"I will get one," Dallan said with a kind of determination that scared Kai.

"Please don't tell me we won't leave until we get one. Please don't do that."

"That is exactly my plan. No one leaves this storm until I get a mermaid. I have searched for one for so long. I want one at the pack for the powers they possess." He wiped his face and turned to look Kai straight in the eyes. "No one leaves, not even you. As my brother, friend, and beta, you are mandated to always stay by my side."

"Good heavens!" Kai grunted in exasperation. He had heard that line so many times; now, it almost made his ear ache-if the cold wasn't mentioned. He held onto things to steady himself as he entered the captain's cabin.

Dallan raked his dark hair back. He could not leave empty-handed. He just couldn't. What will the pack say?

They will definitely say things about him losing his hunting skills or becoming weak. He needed one mermaid, just one to capture and probably force out information of her specie's whereabouts from. They had to get one mermaid or die at sea.

The last option seemed more suitable if they got nothing. The sea, waves or cold would do nothing to hold him back. It was Kai's idea to bring this archaic pirate ship. Now, Dallan was regretting it. If they had brought something with an improved engine, he doubted if they would still be stuck where they were.

Dallan was about yelling for someone to give him an update when he saw something.

No, someone.

It was more of a glitter silently floating underneath the turbulent waves. Dallan stilled and followed it with his eyes. He held his breath, narrowed his eyes to slits and peered closer. His eyes glowed brighter; he felt his body grow hot as adrenaline pumped into him. "Go north!" he ordered over the raging sound of the waves.

"Go north!" another voice echoed after him. Another voice repeated the command until the order got to the captain's cabin.

Dallan yelled out another order for two men to join him on deck. As the ship tilted towards the north, he had a good view of the supposed glitter. It was shaped in the form of... a fish!

A streak of lightning gave him a good view of a long wavy hair heralding the quick movement of the glittering fishtail.

"We have one!" Dallan announced in excitement. "Be on guard!" Within a minute, he gave out more commands than he could remember giving in his long and boring years of life.

The ship inched closer-very slowly. Dallan felt like pressing Kai's head to a wall and drawing it forward until the flesh came off. The ship moved like a slug!

"Lower the nets now!" Dallan ordered and joined them in the exercise. Another wave slammed against the side of the ship and they were forced to cling to each other until it temporarily passed. The wave violently rocked the ship, toppling barrels and standing objects-and even living creatures. As the men rolled on the floor from one side to another, Dallan clutched the shroud tight until it almost tore. He was losing grip on his patience and the men knew that. They quickly gathered themselves and helped in shooting the net out. It missed.

With the speed and strength of their specie, they withdrew the net and flung it out again. It still missed.

"Give me that." Dallan snatched the pointed end of the harpoon to which the net was attached. It was a simple mechanical device that required little stress if used by trained people. Dallan knew all the men had training for things like this, so it surprised him to see them so slack. He could not start berating the men now. There would be enough time for that later.

Dallan made sure the net was firmly held by the tip of the harpoon before starting a slow climb up the mast pole.

"My alpha!" one of the men called out in alarm. The others looked up with drooped jaws. The way Dallan managed to climb the pole with his grip on the harpoon had them wondering if Dallan had some special training they knew nothing about.

Dallan got to the middle and called out to the men at the bottom. "Just pull the string when I give the signal!"

"Yes, my alpha!" The two voices at the bottom called out at the same time.

Dallan steadied himself. He hung his left leg on the shroud and concentrated on the mermaid who was now frantically swimming to safety. He had no fear of her swimming to the bottom, after all, during waves like this, it would be more turbulent at the bottom. Even if she did swim to the bottom, Dallan could swear by the goddess that he would go after her.

He raised the harpoon, ready for launch. His sharp gaze caught the lower part of her body flapping against the surface of the sea, bringing splashes. It seemed it was getting more turbulent at the bottom because she began swimming to the surface.

Dallan launched the harpoon with a strength he knew his specie possessed. It flew forward with great speed and landed in front of the mermaid who whirled around after seeing the attack.

"Now!" Dallan cried out. The men at the bottom pulled on the rope. The net attached to the end of the harpoon came loose. It popped open with a slinging sound, covering more than half of the space around the mermaid. "Pull now!"

The net was pulled back to meet the mermaid. She screamed and tried struggling out of the grasp of the net but it was futile. It wrapped around her like a blanket, restricting her movements. Slowly but steadily, she was pulled to the deck of the ship.

The men ran to the captain's room, screaming at the top of their voices for the ship to be turned around since they had gotten their goal. Kai who had stayed beside the warrior acting as a captain, ran out to see the 'prize.'

"I told you!" Dallan yelled in happiness. "I told you I will get one!" His glowing eyes gradually went back to normal. He stared at the struggling mermaid who was wrapped around by the net. He rested his eyes on the flap of her glittering tail and the way her skin gleamed. They were now withdrawing away from the storm-back to shore.

"Wow. She is beautiful," Kai said in awe as he eyed her. "We did it!"

"Yeah, we did." Dallan suddenly turned serious. "Do we need to put her into a tank of water? Will she die if we don't?"

"Hey careful," Kai said to the men who were now hauling her into a cabin before turning to Dallan, "No. There are a lot of misconceptions about them, and not being able to survive without water is one of them. She would be in her normal form when she wants. They should just dump her in that cabin for now."

"Wow. So they choose when to change?"

"Yes, they do. Unlike what people say, they don't change into their mermaid form immediately they come in contact with water. They choose to make that change happen, meaning they can swim with both legs like a normal human except they choose to do otherwise."

"Hmm, I see." Dallan had no option but to believe Kai. They were brothers and had been close since childhood even before the Alpha and Beta part of their relationship. Dallan was used to seeing Kai pouring out vast knowledge without consulting a single book. That was another thing that kept their bond tight: their compatibility. Dallan exuded strength and authority. Kai had the brain.

The ship was slowly getting out of the storm. The waves no longer rose to the height of a tower like it had done. As the ship sailed forward, the sea got calmer; the sky became more visible. Dallan was even surprised to see a full moon. During the storm, he was too busy to notice it. Was that the reason for his energy surge?

"Hey, Kai. Look... There is a full moon."

"I saw that a long time ago. If not for this crazy adventure you brought us on, we should have gone for a run in the forest." Kai pouted childishly. Wolves' powers were always at the peak during a full moon and he just missed an opportunity to howl and run around a garden of vegetation-because of their 'journey.'

"Well, look where this journey got us." Dallan shrugged. "We got what we wanted. It is worth all the stress." He looked at the cabin where the mermaid was taken into. "Kai, do you know what this means?" He did not notice how Kai raised a brow. "We can be the most powerful pack on the entire planet!"

"Okay, hold it right there. When I explained this mer stuff to you, I told you that only female mers have special powers. We got a female; good. Now, have you tried finding out what her powers are before jubilating?"

"I... I know it will be something good." Dallan knitted his brows and looked down. "I will go into that cabin and speak to her. What are the powers common with their specie?"

"Mostly healing capabilities. Most of them can heal or cure someone of a disease or illness. Please don't ask me how they do it because I don't know." The ship rocked a bit and Kai grabbed onto a pole for support. "I don't know which power this one may possess."

"Even if it's healing, that's great, right?"

"Dal, I don't know. We don't have any kind of incurable disease in our pack that requires divine intervention. What do we need healing for?"

For a moment, Dallan looked perplexed. Truly, they had no incurable disease as Kai had said. So... what will he do with a mermaid who had only healing properties? His cold-blue eyes suddenly quirked up in happiness. "Yes! I know what to do. If she only has healing powers, we will dedicate a part of the pack-on specific days-for people all over to come and partake in the healing... just for a small price. That way, we will gain fame and revenue." When he finished, Kai's mouth dropped open in shock. Before he could say anything, Dallan was bouncing towards the cabin the mermaid was in, swinging his hefty build from side to side. Just as he rounded a barrel, Kai's voice echoed from behind.

"Just so you know, today is the beginning of a century!"

Dallan passed a thumbs up to him without looking back.

Another century? That meant Dallan would be about a hundred years of age. Wolves seemed surprisingly strange, he could not deny that fact even though he was one of them. They lived their lives somewhat long-and maybe a bit boring. He could relate more to the boring part.

He was over a hundred years and was yet to find a mate. It was not only getting boring, but frustrating as well. He could almost picture how his mate would be. Beautiful, strong, resilient, loving and most especially a wolf! He would definitely have a stronger mate bond with a woman of his specie. Though he would not mind if it was an elf or demon or any higher level of specie.

Well, that would be the job of the moon goddess to decide.

Dallan mumbled something about the goddess taking too long in his case as he approached the cabin. His hands found the knob and that was when he felt it.

"What the f*ck..."

"What the fuck," Dallan murmured to himself. He jerked his hand away from the knob as if he touched something poisonous. What was he feeling?

His nose quirked and he felt a surge of his wolf. Unintentionally, his claws elongated; his body became hot. He was aware of every single thing going on around him. The voices of the men coming from the lower deck sounded like a conversation being made directly beside him.

"What the fuck," Dallan repeated as his heartbeat increased. How come he could feel all the known signs of a mate?

He looked around to know where the peculiar scent of a female he was supposed to spend the rest of his life with was coming from. All indications pointed towards the door he was standing before.

"What the fuck!" Dallan repeated again, this time frantically. Only one soul he knew could be inside the cabin.

The mermaid!

The fuck! The goddess mated him to a mermaid?!! A low class of specie! He would have done better with even a measly human!

Dallan knitted his brows. His heartbeat accelerated, only this time, it was as a result of anger. By now, their ship had completely left the storm. Now they were sailing peacefully under the soft glow of the moon. The thought of the serenity of the sea did nothing to make Dallan relaxed. All his life, he had always prayed for one thing: to find a mate. Now that the goddess gave him one, he was praying to be mateless throughout his entire long and boring lifetime. That would definitely be better than this... this...

What could he even call it? A mistake of a mate?

Dallan steeled himself and pushed the door open. All his anger flew out of the window.

A beautiful young woman was curled at one corner of the cabin. Her knees almost touched her chest. Dallan could no longer see the tail that proved her mermaid status. All he saw was an extremely beautiful lady with olive skin smooth as ivory. When she looked up, he froze.

He should have just turned back, Dallan realized after setting eyes on her face. She looked too ethereal, too heavenly. Drops of silent tears streamed down her cheeks-slowly. Dallan itched to wipe them off or caress her until she calmed down. His fingers trembled when he saw her recoiling in fear. Did she perceive him as a monster?

Did mermaids always look this innocent and beautiful? Kai had not told anything about this. Dallan had not even bothered to ask about their physical properties except for some funny questions about their tail. Now he was wishing Kai lingered around to answer the load of questions piling on his mind, or simply help in pulling him out of the cabin since his feet seemed to have glued the floorboards. He fisted his hands and slowly approached her.

"Please, don't hurt me..."

Dallan stopped in his steps. Her voice sounded like a spell, drawing him closer, clouding his senses. He knew how spells worked, after all, he had a warlock in his pack.

Only a peach-transparent gown clung to her skin. It made Dallan's mouth water. Her tail was nowhere to be seen. What replaced it existed long and fresh legs appealing to sight-and touch. Dallan knew how soft her skin would feel beneath his touch.

Her pointy nipples pressed to the fabric so hard that he began to crave a taste. Her skin looked too smooth and shiny to classify her as a mortal. It seemed living in the water and coming to land as she pleased had its own advantages.

This is the mate the goddess gave him?

Dallan realized that he had asked himself endless questions in a little span of some minutes. The excited release of adrenaline his wolf kept pumping into his veins and the natural womanly scent pervading his nostrils was not helping his attraction to her. How would he even handle this?

Coming closer, within reach, Dallan could now clearly see her face: dark-as-night hair, face smooth as glass, and lush rosy lips made her look tempting. Under the right light, Dallan knew her eyes would be green. When he was just inches from her, he gave himself a thumbs-up. Truly, her beautiful orbs were green. It reminded him of moments when he would run around in a forest filled with just the natural colour of leaves and vegetation.

"What is your name?" Dallan asked the first reasonable question that entered his mind. For a moment, she stared at him with glassy eyes then wiped the tears off.

"My name is Hazel."

Ah, beautiful name! Dallan could definitely not give that compliment. The scent came again, that warmth and feeling of serenity pervading his senses, dulling his thoughts. He could not deny it anymore. He just found his mate. He had plans for his life and this mermaid fitted into none of those plans.

He had always planned to jubilate when he found his mate, maybe even throw a party in the pack for almost a week. He had great plans for a mate. How would a weakling stay beside him in general meetings or public outings? What happened when she had to defend herself?

"This won't work," Dallan murmured under his breath. He was getting irked with himself and it was not helping his feeling of agitation. "Are you okay?"

Dallan felt like ripping his own head off after the question escaped his lips. He should be strong! Not asking of her well-being being like some effeminate specie! He cleared his throat and reconstructed the question. "I hope this place is not too uncomfortable for you. We don't want you dying on us before we get to our destination." He sincerely hoped she got the message. They had her as a prisoner-and it would stay that way. As soon as they got to the pack, the first thing would be to make findings on how to reject a mate or swap for another one.

"Where are you taking me?" Hazel looked directly into his eyes. Her unshed tears made the green eyes look like a painting. As Dallan was still looking into her eyes, entranced, he saw them change colour.

It was more like some brief seconds of a black cast over her eyes.

It changed back to the normal green before he even had time to peer closer. Was it his eyes or the light? He shook his head to clear off the thoughts. "You will be going with me to my pack. We need you, and I will like you to corporate with us to avoid unnecessary suffering." The thought of making her suffer almost made him recoil back in shame. "For your information, I am Dallan."

"What do you need me for?" Hazel quietly asked. She wrapped around herself and drew her legs up. It was clear she felt very uncomfortable beneath the heat of his gaze.

"What are your powers?" Dallan answered her with a question. "I want to know what you can do."

"I don't have any powers."

"Excuse me?"

"I said I don't have any powers, Dallan-"

"First of all, it's Alpha Dallan. And secondly, how the fuck don't you have powers?!" Dallan yelled. She flinched back. That, and the need to find out the truth, made him calm down. "How is that possible?" He stood akimbo. He had known Kai since they were little after Kai's parents died and he had to move in with Dallan's parents, and for once since they knew each other, the nerd had never made an error when giving out characteristics of species. Dallan knew that Kai even had more information about vampires than most of the vampires themselves. If Kai said a wolf or any other transitioning specie could release wings and fly, Dallan would believe him. That was the extent to which Kai possessed knowledge of things like that.

"I don't know what you mean by 'how is that possible'? Am I supposed to have powers?"

"Hey, listen to me. I am not playing here," Dallan warned. "I want to know what your powers are before I completely lose it."

"I do not have any powers," the scared lady repeated. "What do you mean?"

"Don't mermaids always have a special kind of power? Healing and other bullshit?" Dallan knew he would soon explode or ram his fist into a wall-or someone. The former didn't seem okay since that 'someone' was likely going to be Kai who may not survive the blow considering the heat crawling around Dallan's body. Kai had told him that all female mers had powers!

"Mermaids do. But I don't have." Hazel moved back until her back pressed to the wall. "If that is why you captured me, I am sad to inform you that you just wasted your precious time."

He found himself a feisty mate. Dallan nodded and turned around with dry humour, "If you ever need water, just let me know."

"Oh, I will." The reply came back as boring as his voice sounded. If Dallan was annoyed, he became furious. When he got to the door, an idea struck him.

"If you don't have any power, you must have someone who does, right? A sister, friend, any female... Tell me where they are." For the first time since their little discussion began, he saw her hands tremble. That was a good sign.

"I... I don't know."

"Oh, you will. Trust me, you will." With that, Dallan spun around and exited the cabin, banging the door hard for emphasis. "Kai!"

There wasn't any need to shout. His childhood buddy was on the upper deck, gazing at the silent waves. "Why are you yelling? Don't tell me our mer friend got you pissed."

"Kai, you said all female mers have powers." Dallan gripped the front of Kai's shirt so hard that it almost tore. "How come she does not have any powers?"

"Wha... What? How?" Kai clung to the fist around his shirt. "Dal, please let me go." The fact that Dallan had him pressed against the railing was a fact he was well too aware of. What happened if he was pushed off the ship? Knowing the alpha so well, Kai knew it could happen. "How is this possible, Dal?"

"Don't Dal me! She just said she has no powers!" Dallan was not even sure if he could believe her, yet here he was fuming. "And I also demand to know why the fuck she is my mate!"

"Your what?" Kai demanded with eyes wider than saucers. "Did I just hear you say mate?"

"Have your hearing gone so bad or have you lost your wolf capabilities?"

"None! How is she your mate?"

"How do you expect me to have an answer to that question?" Dallan pushed Kai forward until Kai's torso was slightly bent over the rail. "I need to know what the fuck is going on!"

"Okay. Relax, Dal. Just relax." Kai held up his own hands in a gesture of calming Dallan down. "Why don't you let go of my shirt and let us sit down and discuss this like grown men?"

"Kai, do you want to die?" Dallan was not smiling. Kai knew the question wasn't from any amusing thought. Dallan had once pushed him off a cliff when they were still little. Even though Dallan received his punishment, Kai had spent almost an hour getting healed. That day, his healing seemed a bit slow, but at last, he completely healed. That experience taught Kai a valuable lesson. Even now, he could not remember what he had done to irk Dallan.

"Dallan, please," Kai called out his full name. This situation was not one to make unnecessary informal statements. "Look, I will get to the bottom of this. I promise."

"Does that mean we just spent hours at sea for nothing?" Dallan asked through gritted teeth. Kai looked directly into his cold blue eyes.

"Let me make some findings. Come on, let me go now." Reluctantly, Dallan freed him. Kai straightened his shirt. "What do you mean by that mate stuff you mentioned earlier?"

"She is my mate. I felt all the signs with her. Kai, what do I do?" Dallan's fierce mood dropped. He had a pleading look. "How will I be mated to a mer? What will people say? Alpha Dallan, the mighty warrior who took over silhouette pack from his father has suddenly settled for a lesser specie of creature. The pack is not anywhere near its full potential. How will that be possible when we've just got a powerless mer."

"Dude, relax. If she is your mate, you should be happy. This is what you have wanted all these years. You are over a hundred now and you just got your mate! That is a thing of joy. Also, remember that you did not choose her yourself so there is nothing to worry about." The way Kai smiled warmly during the entire speech made Dallan almost feel relaxed. "Forget about what the pack will say. Just make sure that you continue being yourself. Follow the legacy your parents laid for you. The goddess bless them, they were also my parents after my dad was murdered and my mom died months later. Bringing me into your family is one of the things I am forever grateful to your parents for. Look how close we have been since then, even when they went back to meet the goddess after so many centuries."

It seemed the message was sinking in because Dallan suddenly looked thoughtful. Something incomprehensible flashed across his eyes. Kai was about to add more motivation when he heard what made him freeze.

"I will never accept her. She will never be my mate. I heard wolves can reject their mates and stay single throughout their lifetime. Is this true?"

"I will never accept her. She will never be my mate. I heard wolves can reject their mates and stay single throughout their lifetime. Is this true?"

Kai stilled. He looked Dallan straight in the eyes to be sure it was something, at least, close to a joke. "Errm... Are you being serious right now?"

"Do I look like I'm joking?"

"Wait, you are ready to be mateless throughout your life than be-"

"Yes!" Dallan interrupted angrily. "Yes, I am ready to be mateless throughout my life than be with her! Isn't that clear enough?" The anger he was displaying didn't seem necessary, especially as he was venting it out on the wrong person. But he wasn't done. "I can not accept her as a mate! Why should the goddess do this to me? I have waited for so long. I expected something worth all the time. Now look what I got!"

"She is beautiful, and she will definitely make a good mate. You have not even tried getting to know her better."

"It's not an issue of getting to know her better." Dallan calmed down a bit. "As an Alpha, my mate should be... should be strong, independent and... somewhat brave."

"Oh. So how do you know she does not have any or all of these qualities?"

"I... I don't know." Dallan shrugged. "Anyway, that does not matter. I won't accept her. Soon as we get to the pack, I will go talk to Abe. As a very experienced warlock, he should know what to do in a situation like this."

Kai exhaled. "Abe is the pack's warlock and not some consultant firm. Sometimes I feel we bother him too much with issues that seem inconsequential and can be easily handled."

"Okay, dickhead, how can this present issue be easily handled?"

"Simple! Take your mate, accept her, and see where it leads!"

Dallan rolled his eyes and started a fast stride towards his cabin, leaving Kai alone on the deck. Dallan had never felt so lost in his entire life. He was raised by strong parents, especially a mother who he saw doing things that even men found difficult to do. Running the pack by herself whenever his dad was away was one of the things he respected about her. Even today, he hardly had control over everyone. Though the pack loved him, he knew that.

But most of the love came because of his will to indulge their every whim and caprice. Even the pack's council of elders were always on his neck-well, except Abe, the warlock.

Dallan did not regret refusing to rule the pack the way his father did. His father was a ruthless man-even to the people. Most of the fear, love and respect he received during his lifetime came as a result of that ruthlessness. But Dallan had done the opposite. He kept a warm attitude towards all members of the pack. Everyone knew he was also ruthless-maybe even more than his father-but that was outside the pack. None of the other packs or even the vampire's clan outside their borders had the guts to stand him without fear of being destroyed. Past experiences taught them that.

And now, he was 'gifted' a mate who looked frail and powerless. Yes, she looked very beautiful, he could not fail to admit that. And yes, she was hot enough-maybe a bit too much-to make him hard with just a seductive glance. But he wasn't about to accept a mate for looking like the goddess of seduction. Dallan wasn't asking for much. Just someone like his mother would do.

Or someone with half the integrity and strength his mother had...

Dallan collapsed on the bed in his cabin. Even when he travelled on the sea for almost a month while his parents were still alive, he never felt this exhausted. Kai had been the one complaining and spilling his guts into the water. Now, Dallan could definitely not go on a journey like that-ever again.

The pack would split before he got back. That was one thing he could bet his life on. The so-called council of elders who were supposed to assist him in taking care of the pack, directed all the energy into criticizing everything he did. All those negativity always made him exhausted.

It did not also help that more than half of the ladies in the pack wanted to have sex with him. Some even claimed to have gotten mate signs for him from the goddess. The ones who were not wolves conjured visions to make Dallan see why they would be a perfect fit.

Yikes! Dallan hated all of it! Well, except for the temporary satisfaction they brought. Yes, he always indulged his arousals, but it never blossomed into anything serious. Since wolves were very sexual creatures, he always slept with whoever it was that threw themselves at him. And his relationship with that particular lady or woman did not change into anything affectionate even after their mutual release.

Dallan knew of his looks from what people said. He had no idea his eyes were cold and captivating until more than six ladies commented on it. And he also had no idea his face and lips could capture attention any time of the day-until he was told. Dallan did not even know how good he was in bed until his fuck buddies kept coming back, some crying and begging when he wasn't in the mood...

"Goddess," Dallan murmured to himself with his palm over his forehead. "please help me. I might run mad soon if I keep thinking about all these." He hoped the prayer got to the goddess because he knew he was trying his best at being a good alpha, friend, and supporter.

But people-his pack-were not seeing his efforts. Kai and most of the warriors were the ones always giving him the push he needed to survive. Not to mention the fatherly love Abe always showered on Dallan.

The night was quiet, with only the sounds of gentle waves caressing the bottom of the ship. The slight chill the gentle sea breeze brought promised a night of sweet rest. Dallan laid on his bed, looking out of the window. He was still wet and had not changed out of his clothes. He did not bother doing that because the moon he was staring at captured all his attention. The rays of the milky light streamed into the cabin, making the entire place look like a galaxy.

With a determination to sleep, Dallan closed his eyes. His thoughts centred on his mother, her smile and boisterous laugh; the way she would tenderly rub his cheeks like he was a baby even after he had grown facial hairs enough to be called a man.

The slight rocking of the ship made Dallan smile. Like a gentle wave, his warm thoughts slowly steered him into sleep.

×°~×°~×°~×°~×°

Dallan did not know for how long he slept. He woke up to someone gently tapping him.

"Kai, leave me alone."

"It's morning. Arise and shine." Kai stood at the foot of the bed, hands akimbo. "Dal, get up!"

"Goddess!" Dallan groaned and shot his eyes open. "Can I get a moment of peace?"

"We have arrived at the shore of the pack. Come out now." With that Kai passed a cheeky grin and walked out of the cabin.

Dallan groaned in frustration. Pack again! He tied his hair in a ponytail and went up to the deck. Truly, they had arrived at the shore.

The ship was safely settled on the shore of the sea. Most of the men had already climbed out and were warming up a black truck. The shine of the sun reflected off every part of the vehicle. Dallan walked out. He wadded through the shallow part of the water before approaching the vehicle.

They were on safe grounds now, he knew that. These were their parts. No one would dare trespass.

"Where is she?" Dallan asked the first man he set eyes on. By 'she,' he knew they understood what he meant.

"My alpha." The male greeted and bowed respectfully before answering. "She is in the back seat of the truck. Master Kai said we should keep her there."

Dallan was already wondering why Kai had not instructed them to tie her up in the boot. He knew the reason for his brother's sudden hospitality; that alone was enough to cause resentment. The mate stuff left him more confused than he had been when he was first crowned alpha by the pack who felt that he should take over his father.

"My alpha, are you okay?"

Dallan exhaled before nodding at the warrior. "I am fine, thank you. Where is Drab?"

"I am here, my alpha," a voice called out from the ship.

Dallan looked back to see Drab, the leader of the pack's warriors, descending the steps with two large bags in his hands. He bowed respectfully when he got to Dallan. "Good morning, my alpha. I decided to take the leftover meat from the journey. The kitchen might need it."

"My men will need it," Dallan corrected. "My warriors need all the strength they can get. Tell the kitchen to give them a feast for tonight."

Drab smiled. "Thank you, my alpha." He continued his journey, dragging the bags to the boot.

Dallan stood on a spot and waited for Kai to come out of the ship. If there wasn't any need for the rush, then why was he woken up so early? He had not been able to think of the bitter mate issue with Hazel while he slept. But now? He not only thought of the mistake he saw in his mate bond; he also thought about Hazel, and it made him angry with himself.

As more and more vehicles filled with warriors started coming from the park, Dallan realized just how mighty an army he had. The men were here to welcome them and usher them back to the pack. Dallan realized he had great luck.

Most of the luck was his father's hard work anyways. His father fought a lot of battles and exiled a lot of souls for the pack to be what it was today. It would also be in place to count the numerous times some pack members were chased out, prosecuted and sometimes killed for heinous crimes. Dallan had done the opposite of that.

The love and attention he gave the pack was never practised by any of the other Alphas in the vicinity. Many called it weakness; others prophesied that he would regret it. He never listened to all those side talks since no one had ever said it to his face...

Dallan got into the waiting truck beside Kai after it was confirmed they were ready to go. From the shore to the pack was only some minutes, but now Dallan was wishing it could take some days.

"Dallan, relax," Kai whispered to him in consolation.

"I did not tell you that I am tensed."

"No, but I can see the anxiety in those cold blue eyes of yours. You know you can't pretend to me."

"Kai, I am fine." Dallan exhaled. "It feels like it's been years since I left the pack."

"It's just been hours. Get a grip on yourself," Kai continued whispering. "I don't want anyone to see you with this long face."

Dallan leaned into the soft-leather seat. He exhaled when the pack came into view.

Silhouette pack, as Dallan's father had named it after the silhouette of a mountain the rays of the moon cast on the entire pack, always looked breathtaking.

The houses were built clustered to each other-like an estate. This way, the pack members found it easy to relate with one another, thereby fostering peace and unity.

Dallan's mansion, which he always called his quarter, was built separately, away from the noise and disturbances of the pack members. Though it wasn't so far from the rest that they couldn't hear each other over a yell. He loved the peace and serenity of having his own time to reflect, think, and make decisions regarding the progress of his pack.

Dallan's thoughts wandered the length and breadth of the universe. He still had no answer to the mate of a woman sitting at the back. From the large iron gate through the sides which has entwined metal fences, people gathered to welcome Dallan. They screamed his name like an anthem, some even prostrated flat on the ground.

"Don't stop here," Dallan warned the driver who was slowing down to allow him to greet the noisy fellows.

"Yes, my alpha." The young warrior nodded firmly after clashing eyes with Dallan through the rear-view mirror.

"You should wind down the window and greet them too," Kai advised against the deafening noise outside the truck which rolled forward at a slow speed to avoid crushing the more spirited ones blocking the path.

To avoid a debate, Dallan sighed and did as suggested. The greetings that splashed against his face through the window made him gasp for air. Did the pack members double, or was it just his nerves? Someone yelled something from the distance that made Dallan freeze.

"Where is the mermaid?!"