Three

Once Abused Now Loved.

CHAPTER THREE. MINE.

RYDER.

It was the long-awaited ball night in the Red Moon pack, and so far, it sucks and seems to be getting worse with each fleeting second.

"But hey, look on the brighter side; she's got the right size of boobs and will be enough just for the night, only for the night," Jason cheered, whistling towards some random bimbo.

Jason was my Beta, and he would go down in history as the sleaziest of all the Betas Red Cross pack has ever known.

"Keep your dïck in your pants, Casanova. No sheets-rumbling for you tonight or any other night we're gonna be spending here, "I stated in disgust at the costume the bimbo and every other person in the party had on. It sure wasn't Halloween, but they were pretty much dressed like it. It was awful, goddammit!

"C'mon man, she's not that bad. Just look beyond her crazy costume and you're gonna be dripping wet for her,"

"Too bad I can't see past her scruffy, Goddess-have mercy, costume. Why in the world would she-wolves dress up like clowns?!"

"You can't blame them much, Ryder. All they wanted was to make quite an impression. Maybe they overdid it a little…"

"You mean a whole lot…" I snorted.

"Yeah, right. Still, if they'd known your preferences, they'd have tried to match up to them. With all the rumors about you, no one knows what to believe anymore. Who knows if they'd been told that you've got a liking for she-wolves dressed in crazy costumes?"

"I'll be damned!" I gulped the last of my drink and grabbed another from a passing waitress. From the rim of the glass, I could see Father, having quite the chat with the Alpha of this pack and his son. I'd been trying to avoid going over there, or at least, put it off a little longer.

"She would have been okay to calm my hard dick, but she got eyes for you, man. Look at her trying to fawn her way to your heart," Jason mocked, taking a sip of his wine and gesturing at the bimbo who was making petty, sultry moves while winking and blowing kisses my way.

"Tough luck." I got a glance of Father, leading his newly-acquired acquaintances in my direction. I gave Jason a quick tap. "Run!"

We were quick to maneuver to the other end of the room, shielding ourselves behind long flower vases that had been exquisitely arranged in the ballroom.

"How long do you plan to keep this up? We've done nothing but hide from your father ever since we got here. I'm horny asf, and this hide-and-seek isn't helping,"

"Just need to put off the meeting a little longer. The usual formalities and introductions between Alphas are a routine I'm sick of. I'd do anything to escape it tonight. "

"Then just grab one of these bimbos and get her laid. Trust me, that's a better way to be shilly-shallying than running around like kids," Jason was upset. Gulping down the last of his drink, I could hear the low growl of his wolf.

"I'm not gonna let you fuck any of these she-wolves. I can't. So I'm afraid you're gonna stay pissed all night. " The finality in my tone dismissed the issue, and we just had our drinks in silence.

"Why isn't she here?" Jason muttered to himself, but thanks to my extraordinary hearing ability, I picked up every bit of his words.

"A fling of yours?" I asked casually, still keeping an eye on my father and checking out the next spot for hiding.

"Nah, I wish." He chuckled, but not his usual mock chuckle. "Just some she-wolf I met yesterday, while I was on my espionage,“

"Hmmm, I can pretty much guess the ending of the meeting, but I shouldn't state the obvious, right?"

"It ended with her walking away, and me, staring long at her and her silhouette until there was nothing left of her to stare at. That's how it ended,"

"Wow, that's a shocker," I said, stunned by the difference in his tone and words. I knew all the shades of Jason - anger, lust, infatuation, asshole - but this right here was different.

"I know, right? I realized it too. It was the first time I had acted differently towards a female. God knows how it would have turned out if she'd stayed a while longer,"

"Was it like... a mate thing?" My gaze was intent on him. Jason had sworn on his life never to have a mate. He had only one item on his bucket list, and that was to fuck a million hoes before he died. He should be counting ten thousandth hoes soon.

"Nah, not a chance, man. It was just like a weird thing, really weird. I thought if I saw her tonight, I'd get to figure out exactly what it was I was feeling. But she's not here, and... you're not running away either. Greetings, Alpha, " Jason ended his words with a bow and skedaddled right after.

It took me a nanosecond to comprehend it all and quickly acknowledge my father, who'd just caught up to us.

"Son, I'd like you to meet Alpha Zed, and his son, Jake. Zed, Jake, this is Ryder. I'm sure you've heard a lot about him," Father announced with so much pride.

"Only the good stuff. It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Alpha prince," Jake bowed, alongside his father. I responded with just a curt nod. I wasn't about to start saying loads of flummeries.

"Son, why don't you join us at the round table?"

"Of course, Father, "I bowed. Father led the way and his acquaintances followed. I was the last to join the trail, with my hands in the back.

We got to the table and I took a seat next to Father. Alpha Zed initiated the conversation, and it went on and on. A lot of matters were discussed. The peace treaty. An appeal to share a food route with them. The future of both packs, if 'unluckily', I get to choose a mate from his pack. I wasn't about to burst their bubbles about how impossible that was.

Father was already having a great time, and I wasn't about to ruin that for him.

The conversation took on different levels, and it went on for over an hour. I barely said anything and just chirped in some words whenever Father asks for my opinion.

I'd drank every brand of wine served in the room, and it was barely enough for the long night I was having.

I had to excuse myself for a while and get a breather. Saying I wanted to use the restroom was cliché but it worked and I was already headed out.

The air outside was refreshing and I could feel my wolf come alive. Having to share the same air with over a hundred wolves was suffocating and had him hidden in the back of my mind.

My wolf, Red, was named after our pack and seems to be getting kind of bipolar as the years went by. During wars and games, he had the adrenaline going and the speed of lightning.

But when the buzz dies, he was back to being as calm as a lamb. Father thinks it's the aftereffect of not finding a mate yet. He feared that soon my wolf would lose its fervor and grow weak and maybe die.

It was the only reason I gave in to this insane idea of a mate-hunt. But so far, it feels like the worst decision I've ever made.

Just then, everywhere went still. The clock seemed to stop ticking. The movements slowed. My abilities heightened and I could hear the chattering from a thousand miles.

What was this? This scent. like... lavender. It was unique, enticing, and alluring. It was calling out to me, to Red, and he was bursting the seams to get to it.

Red was awakening with a force that would cause me to shift into my wolf form if I didn't fight hard to keep him in.

I stifled my growls as I looked around for whoever bore that scent. There was no one, just him.

What?! It made no sense that it could be from a male! He was walking into the ballroom and I was sure he wasn't a member of my pack.

I followed him with such quick strides that I almost bumped into him when he made an abrupt stop.

"Son," Father called. And just then I realized I was back at the round table, "What's wrong?"

"Who's he?" I used my Alpha - tone and it got Zed and his son scurrying to their feet and making a bow.

"His name is Roland, and he's a very trusted member of the palace council, "Zed explained in fright, keeping his head bowed.

"Why do you have that scent on you?" I continued with my Alpha - tone, suppressing them to my will. I needed the truth about this man and I was gonna get it the way I knew how.

"Son…"

"What did you do before coming here?" I egged on, ignoring Father's call. He was startled by my sudden attitude. I was too, but my wolf wouldn't have it any other way.

"I... uh...I dropped by the kitchen and instructed the cooks…" The man stuttered his replies.

"Before that!" I growled, clenching my teeth in the tide of rage rushing inside of me.

"I... uh.. please Alpha, take pity on me," He went on his knees, pleading miserably for his life.

"Let me touch your hand," He was stunned and hesitated a great deal before carefully placing his hand on mine. I inhaled every bit of that scent shadowing him, and it got Red wild and fighting to break free.

"Son!" Father was up to his feet. My claws were out and my fangs were sticking out in a gruesome rage.

I could hear the uproar in the background. The onlookers were fleeing to safety.

"Who were you with before now? Who touched every inch of you?!" My fur was sticking out, and in a few seconds, I would be taking the shape of the wildest, ghastly beast the werewolf kingdom has ever known.

"My mate, Hara!"

Red broke out, pouncing on the man and ready to chew him up.

"Son, get off him right now!" My father roared in his Alpha tone and my wolf got silenced. "Go run it off!"

With the command came a loud, furious howl of Red. He was running out of the building with one word on his mind.

"Mine!"