Something So Unexpected

Aiden’s POV When I took over Silver Moon pack at 21, many people had doubts because I had no Luna. I figured that it wouldn’t be long. After all, I just hadn’t met my mate yet. I refused to take a chosen Luna, however. The gift from the Moon Goddess is not to be considered trivial. No chosen mate could replace what she had in store for me. I just had to have faith that I would find my fated mate when the time was right. After the first year or two, the whispers started increasing. Not that whispers are all that subtle in the werewolf world due to our enhanced hearing. However, the frequency of comments were definitely becoming more noticeable. I didn’t want to lose the respect of my pack. They were starting to wonder if I was doing what was best for my pack. An Alpha without his Luna is significantly weaker and a weak alpha can make the pack a target for danger. For this reason, I had worked hard training to consistently stay at the top of my game so I can defend my pack from outsiders, and myself from rumors. It has been five years since I took over as alpha and luckily my parents have stayed involved in pack matters and supported the extra work that would typically be assigned to my Luna. I have been grateful to them for this because even with my Beta and Gamma, I still seemed to always be playing catch up with the workload responsible. I founded a technology company that has blossomed, which helps financially support the pack. That is one of the Alpha’s main responsibilities is to keep the pack revenue coming in. My Gamma, Griffin, was vice president in Digital Guardian. While this project was started a few years ago, it is still a work in progress. Griffin hasn’t found his mate yet, but I know that he has been looking. He also believes that he won’t truly know if a woman isn’t his mate until he’s slept with her. While I don’t agree with his viewpoints, it’s also not my business telling him how to live his life. He says he is safe with the she-wolves he tests out, which is something at least. My Beta, Cameron was lucky enough to find his mate early. He met his mate Shelly at his 18th birthday party. They were inseparable. A year later, Cameron and Shelly got pregnant. It was like a fairy tale. They were the perfect pair, Shelly complimenting Cam in the best ways. She was always patient and kind, while Cam was a bit more hotheaded. When Shelly had the pup, she was the perfect mom. Pax was born in December. When he was five months old, Cameron and Pax’s lives changed forever. Since the weather started to warm up, Shelly had taken him outside to get some fresh air. She was holding baby Pax as she walked to the park to watch the other pups play. The rotten smell announced the presence of rogues. As the moms looked around, they suddenly saw two rogues in wolf form and their fur was matted and patchy. Pups and parents ran as fast as they could to get away from the danger. However, with Shelly carrying the baby, she was not as fast as the other parents. Cameron arrived moments later, eyeing the rogues. A she-wolf was on the ground, face down. His she-wolf. The smell of iron overtook the smell of his mate, which was hazelnut and chocolate. Cameron lunged towards the wolves as more of the pack warriors joined him. Together, they easily overtook the two rogues and ripped them apart. The remaining warriors ran towards the border to make sure the pack was secured while Cameron went towards his mate. Defensive wounds were on her back. When he flipped her over, she had her body covering their pup. Her breathing was faint, heartbeat erratic. Cameron scooped her and Pax up in one swoop and ran to the pack hospital. Unfortunately, she didn’t make it. The wounds were too severe. Even in her final moments, she was the best mother protecting their pup. Cameron’s anger got worse when he lost his mate during the rogue attack. No one would ever be able to replace his mate. The Moon Goddess’s gift was taken away from him far too soon. It almost broke him, but Cameron knew he had to push on for Pax. The following year, when I took over as Alpha, I knew there would be no one more dedicated to protecting the pack, keeping warriors diligent, and being mindful of pack safety than Cameron. Since then, Cameron has become my trusted Beta. In fact, it was due to this attack that I had the idea to start Digital Guardian. My father and I had looked at how the rogues got in and started planning for technological ways that we could keep the pack safe. And I knew that we were not the only group that needed this level of security. Rogues have always been a problem. When wolves lose their home, family, mate, or whatever sense of security they had, they go feral. With this, they tend to look for territories that they can take over to reclaim a sense of security. Reports of rogues just beyond our territory were becoming more frequent. Cameron and I went on a patrol in wolf form, our clothes tied to our paw. Following the traces of rogue scent, our hunt brought us to the human city. Shit. If the rogues were near the city, they could definitely cause some harm. Cameron mind linked me. Hungry? I had forgotten about food, focusing purely on the need for pack safety. After I paused for a moment, my stomach growled, almost as if on cue. My wolf, Hunter, huffed and nodded at Cameron. Let’s find a quick spot to eat I linked back. We changed back into human form and got dressed. We walked towards the road and found a diner across the way. Just outside of the door, the smells from inside the diner had Hunter on high alert. Food smells good I linked to Cameron. He raised his eyebrow at me. Could he not smell it? The smell had my mouth watering. As I opened the door, the intoxicating smell of caramel and vanilla increased. They must sell great deserts. I inhaled deeply, as my feet carried me inside towards the intoxicating smell. Cameron tapped me and pointed to a sign that told us to seat ourselves with a stack of menus. We sit at a booth in the corner. As the waitress comes out from the kitchen and walks over to take our order, my eyes, which started at the menu, look at her from the floor upwards. Her legs were muscular, her figure exquisite. My eyes continue to trail up her body. The world was moving in slow motion. Her light brown hair flowed in loose curls down her back. Her uniform exposing a little too much cleavage, stirring my jealousy. On her chest, a simple nametag: Jamie. My eyes continue upwards as I notice the absence of a mark on her neck. Finally, to her face, I realize she is the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen. Her lips plump and perfect. Her eyes a gorgeous shade of green. As I looked into her eyes, Hunter had just one thought. Mate.