Chapter 107

(Noah POV)

The moment my car arrived in front of the pack lands that now lay in the hands of my mate. The first thing I noticed was there was no protection forcefield around the land. That was something very important I would have to discuss with Maya about. There were two large men standing on either side though and rolled down the window to speak to the one on my side.

“Hello, I am Noah, mate of the alpha.” The words themselves made me want to smile with pride.

The man looked a lot like the men who stood guard in our pack lands but when he heard who I was, his eyes brightened, and he lowered his head.

“Welcome mate to the alpha. You can find her and the others of her family at the house down the left road.” He says with another bow and I bowed my head in reply.

I rolled up my window and I preened at the sound of my mate being the first female alpha in who knows how long. I had never heard of one in my lifetime, but here I was mated to a female alpha. I couldn’t be prouder of her than I was in this moment. I followed the man’s directions and it led me toward a house that looked a little worse for wear but still livable. My mate must have heard me coming because she opened the door and immediately rushed toward me and I jumped out of the car to catch her as she threw herself into my arms.

“Noah!” She said into my ear, her voice shaking with emotion.

The moment she was in my arms it was as if I could finally breath again. It had not been long since we had parted but it felt like I was drowning for air the moment she had left. I was so tired of losing her and being separated, and in this moment, I swore to myself that the next time we would ever part is if one of us was dead.

I look over her shoulder to see Eli and Isaiah watching us from the front door, and Eli gives me a nod. He knew I would come, and he hadn’t been wrong. We were fools for our girl, me included. Tommy was lost right now, but I knew he still cared for Maya as much as we did. He was thrashing against a life he had dreamed of before we knew we were bound to this incredible girl. He never spoke about it because so much had happened and we were fighting war on more than one front before, but now the dust had settled, and his old dreams resurfaced.

The problem was that he had never dreamt about sharing a mate with anyone let alone his two best friends and a stranger. I understood to an extent that Maya was a storm that crashed into our lives and it took us all by surprise, but she wasn’t a mistake either. Sometimes though it takes almost losing the thing you love most to realize how much you need it. Tommy would have to learn the hard way that without Maya there was no life worth living that she wasn’t a part of.

She finally pulls back from her hold on me and looks me in the eyes, and I see the tears welling up in her eyes. I could see the mix of emotions she had probably been hiding as best she could. She was happy to see me, but her heart was still broken. I didn’t wait a second before leaning in and cover ger lips with mine. She shook in my hold but immediately kissed me back just as fervently. This was my home, here with my girl.


(Tommy POV)

As soon as Noah had left my anger exploded and I half shifted before thrashing and throwing things across the house. I roared out in anguish as the true feeling of Maya being gone hit me hard. How could she do this? How could she leave me when so much was riding on me? How could she be happy to let me do this alone?

My chest heaved when I finally stop my explosive outburst and I stood in the rubble of my anger. In my mind I played over the last few days, including the talk I had with Noah before he left. How could he not understand the pressure I was under? How could he make it seem so easy to just leave my pack when they needed me so much?

Our pack was barely hanging on as it was, and it was up to me to help them.

My anger had fallen into a simmer when I left our house and made my way to the pack house where the Alpha’s office was located. As I walked though, I could feel a shift in the air as pack members glanced at me passing by. The spoke in hushed whispers to each other and there was one thing each conversation had in common…the Luna had left me.

“He will need to find a new mate soon…” One of the voices said.

“Any of our girls would be a better fit than that girl…she wasn’t even part of the pack…” Another voice said.

As I took in their words, even though they didn’t think I cared that they were saying such things, my anger turned into heart break. My pack had seen Maya as replaceable, as someone who could easily be replaced because she was not one of us. How could they say such things? I understood their resistance because of the unusual mate bond situation, but this was different. Mate bonds were sacred for our kind, and although you could reject your mate it hardly ever happened.

In some cases, rejecting your mate could be lethal as some rather die than fell the heart break, and on another level, it causes an emptiness inside that was not easy to repair. Even trying to create a new bond didn’t always guarantee success as Maya’s father proved. I am confident he had gone mad when his forced mating with Maya’s mother did not go as planned. Was I to become a warped and crazed man like he had become? Or worse because Maya was my true mate?

By the time I reached the alpha’s office my mind was a mess. I sat in the chair behind my desk and my heartbeat uncontrollably in my chest. There was a tightness in my chest that had me massaging the area unconsciously. I let my eyes fall closed as my mind raced, but I was soon interrupted when a knock came at my door.

“Come in.” I call out.

My eyes lifted to see one of my father’s advisers and friend walk into the room. He lowered his head to me, even though I was still not alpha yet.

“Hello Tommy, I heard what happened and I came to offer you any help that I can since you are without a beta.” He says, but I can hear a slight tone of anger in his words.
Most men his age did not like the idea of serving under a young alpha, and now he was being forced to help me.

“Did my father send you?” I ask him.

He simply nods.

“Thank you but I would not disrespect you by asking you to serve under an alpha who is yet to take the position. I am sure my father needs your assistance far more than me.” I tell him.

His jaw clenches. “If you wish young alpha.”

I assure him as much and he turns and walks out.

I don’t want his help, or anyone’s help. I needed to think and today I was in no mood to deal with anything alpha related. Of course, when my mother quickly rushes in as news had finally reached her, she descends on me with a slew of questions.

“How could Maya just be gone? What happened?” She asked finally pausing to let me answer.

“Mom it’s a long story.” I say in exasperation.

“What about your ceremony? Are we to appoint you with no Luna?” She asks and I can hear the hurt in her voice.

“We may have to Mom, I’m sorry.” I genuinely apologize.

“Why did she go?” She asks softly.

“Because she didn’t feel wanted here. Because she is more than this place in so many ways. Because she has a destiny beyond simply being Luna of this place.” I explain thinking back on Noah’s words. “This pack didn’t want her, and I am seeing now that they have not kept their thoughts well hidden. She has felt unwanted here no matter how hard she tried.”

Noah was right, and I knew it. As I said these words to my mother it became even more clear how big of a mistake I had made. But what could I do? My pack was falling apart but was it really worth saving? If they did not do away with their prejudice, then we would be a doomed pack.

My mom dropped her head and sighed. “Son, you are to be the next alpha and I couldn’t be prouder of the man you have become but…”

“What mom?” I ask her.

“What will all of this be worth if it means giving up the girl you love. I can see that she is something special, and even though I don’t understand half of it, I know she is something our world desperately needs. Our pack is not the only one that clings to thoughts of old ways and traditions. We may not be at war, but there are far worse things ahead of us if things don’t change.” She continues.

“What do you mean mom?” I lean closer to her.

“I mean that you are becoming alpha will not be enough to change things for our people. More needs to be done. Our pack is dying slowly because of this thinking and that was one of the things that made this job so hard for your father.” She says and takes in a breath. “Your father has been trying for so long to keep the peace in the pack, but their ways are slowly killing us off. They do not wish things to change, or for outsiders to even come here. So many are not finding their true mates because of this.”
I was taken aback by this. “Dad never told me this.”

“He had hoped that it would not mean anything, but it has become clear that the unity in the pack has been affected by this. The pack should be stronger, and therefore strengthen the power of their alpha. Yet our pack has remained weaker and now your father has been affected by the discord here. We are not the only packs who suffer, more have had the same problem. Something has to change son, and I believe your mate could be the answer we need.” She says confidently.

“But what can I do? Dad isn’t well, and I cannot run away from my responsibilities here to chase after my mate.” I say shaking my head.

“Maybe not, but if you become alpha maybe you can work with her. Maybe she can help us while helping her own pack.” She suggests.

“How?” I ask.

“Listen to her son. Really listen and she will have the answer for you. Look past your pride and listen to your mate.” She gives my hand a gentle squeeze before leaving me alone.

Was it really that easy? Had Maya given me the answer already and I had just not paid