Chapter 4

Peyton's POV

The whole prank went off exactly as I planned. Cory and Amber are freezing and soaked. Paige is smiling again. I've accomplished my goal. Maybe next time, Amber will think twice before messing with my sister. Cory too. He needs to be careful because when I'm Alpha, I won't think twice about banishing him. As I walk into the principal's office, my dad is already sitting there. The principal probably mind-linked him when he heard the screams. I have a reputation around here.

"Seriously, Peyton? This is not how an Alpha behaves," my dad says.

"Oh, really? An Alpha is not supposed to stick up for his people?"

"How is pranking people sticking up for them?"

That's when I realize he doesn't know. Paige never told him what Cory did.

"Cory cheated on Paige with Amber. They deserved it for hurting your daughter."

His eyes go wide with anger. He never liked Cory, but I don't think he thought Amber was capable of such a thing.

"Ah, well. I guess that's the end of that."

"We have to punish him in some manner, Alpha," the principal begs. He's been dying to kick me out since he met me. But despite my best efforts, I'm the next Alpha. I'm untouchable.

"Not this time, Nathan. This time Peyton did what was right." I detect a hint of pride in his voice.

The thought brings a smile to my face even as the principal stares at me with disgust. I may mess up a lot, but I will always protect my people. Especially Paige. I leave the principal to simmer in his anger for me.

Claire is waiting for me outside. For a minute, I stand and admire her beauty. Her golden hair sits on her shoulders. Her bright blue eyes notice me staring, causing her to blush. Goddess, I love that. My wolf purrs, loving her just as much as I do.

"What are you looking at?"

"Just my beautiful mate."

Her face falls. Neither of us are eighteen yet, so we aren't confirmed to be mates. She doesn't believe me, but I can feel it in my bones. She's mine. I touch her face and tilt her chin up to face me.

"I love you," I say.

"I love you, too."

"Mmmmm. We should just skip afternoon classes."

"Oh, you think so?"

"I do."

"I hate to break it to you, but if you keep missing class, you're going to fail. If you fail, you're going to have to spend Saturdays inside of class instead of inside of me," Claire says.

"You know, maybe we should go to class."

She gives me a mischievous smile before whispering a promise to make it worth my while. Sweet girl, she doesn't have to bribe me to follow her. I'd do it no matter what.

James's POV

"Have they suspected you?"

"No. I've been sneaking around during the day when no one is home," I reply, sipping my bourbon.

"We can't let Colin meet his mate. He'll be stronger, and we can no longer overthrow him."

"That boy is the worst excuse for an Alpha I've ever seen. A mate won't change that."

"He's my nephew."

"I don't care! He's weak. This pack needs a strong, ruthless Alpha. They need me."

Growing up, Colin was always wishing and hoping for his mate. It's disgusting. An Alpha must be an Alpha with or without a woman behind them. The Alpha is the strength, not the mate bond. Colin could never understand it from my perspective, could never understand why I hate the mate bond. Of course, he can't. He was born into rank. He and his parents are the most protected in the pack. The rest of us aren't so lucky.

I was born to a pack warrior and an Omega. One night, a rogue broke into our house. My parents hid me in a cabinet, blocking my view of the rogue, but I could hear them. They begged for their lives. When that didn't work, my father fought to protect my mother, refusing to let his mate perish. But it didn't matter. The rogue slit my father's throat and dragged my mother off. Her screams still haunt me. It took them three days to find her mutilated body.

I keep thinking that if the mate bond didn't exist, they'd still be alive, and I wouldn't be alone. Their death left me orphaned at eight years old. Alpha Charles and Luna Nicole adopted me to grow up alongside their only child, Colin. I hate them. Colin was always so doted on, while I was left to fend for myself. The memories turn my blood to an angry lava.

I was sent over the edge when Colin disrespected me by asking me to be his Beta. I be a Beta? Never. I was never meant for second place. I down my drink and slam some money on the table. Nolan raises an eyebrow but keeps his mouth shut. I leave quickly, needing to let my wolf out to blow off steam. I shift and let my heavy gray paws carry me to the border. Just as I hoped, a rogue I recruited is waiting for a chance to attack Onyx Moon. The rogues have been attacking Onyx Moon for years, but their attacks increased as more and more rogues joined my plot to overthrow Colin.

They attack Onyx Moon to keep their wolves at bay until I say otherwise. I'm going to invade Onyx Moon after I take the Alpha throne. The fewer wolves there, the better it is for me. He hears me coming from behind. He growls but relaxes when he realizes who I am.

We pass a nod to one another. He turns back around to watch the border, hoping for a wandering pack member. He doesn't even notice me getting closer to him. I want to kill Colin, but for now, the rogue will have to suffice. I don't even bother to stalk my prey or sneak around. My bloodthirst needs to be quenched and quickly. I lunge at the rogue, grabbing his throat and shredding it. His lifeless body falls with a loud thud as I toss him over the Onyx Moon side. I don't want Colin to be suspicious about rogues on our land.

I shift once I reach the tree line and walk home, bidding my time until I get Colin out of the picture.