Filed to story: Wolf Crying Mate of the Alpha by Jazz Ford
‘You bet. I can’t wait to meet my wolf and start my search for my lifelong mate.’ Zak smiles.
‘Yeah, I’m excited to meet my wolf and be able to join in on hunts and border patrol duties. I am feeling nervous and on edge about meeting my mate, though.’ Nina says.
‘Why so nervous about it sweety?’ her mum asks.
‘I don’t know why, mum.’ She whispers and momentarily glances my way.
‘Not to worry sweety. I’m sure whoever he is will treat you like a Queen.’
‘Thanks, Mum.’ She forces a smile.
The next morning, I get myself ready for school as I step outside the front. I’m face to face with Alpha Mason, who seems rather happy.
‘Good morning, Alpha Mason.’
‘Magnus, I was hoping to have a quick private chat with you?’
‘Um sure.’ I say. We walk towards the trees, away from the packhouse.
‘My son Hank came to me with some wonderful news last night that you would highly consider choosing Addison as your future mate and Luna? I had to ask you yourself if you were serious about this?’
I’m not wanting to be with Addison at all. I want to be with my fated mate and to keep Nina safe from harm’s way, but I can’t tell him that. But I think I know a way to give myself more time to meet my fated mate.
‘Yes, Hank came to me with the idea that since I’m to take over as Alpha, I won’t have the luxury of waiting years to find my fated mate. If I was to not find my mate by my nineteenth, my pack would become unsettled and I would have to consider a chosen mate. Although my parents wouldn’t approve of it, I would have to pretend Addison is my fated mate.’
‘So, what you are saying if you haven’t found your mate within a year, you will choose Addison as your mate?’
I want to say no; I want to scream no from the rooftop’s heck, from the top of the mountains!
‘Yes.’
‘Very well Magnus, it is agreed then, one year to find your fated mate and if she isn’t found by then, then our families will join with you and Addison as mates.’
With great hesitation, I nod.
Nina, Josie, Zak, and Flint exit the house together. Their faces go from smiles to frowns when they see me conversing with Alpha Mason.
‘I need to go. My friends are waiting for me.’ I say.
‘I’ll see you around… future son-in-law.’ He chuckles.
An eerie shiver trickles down my spine at his words.
‘Let’s go.’ I say to the others.
‘What was that about?’ Flint asks.
‘I made a deal with Alpha Mason. It’s not ideal or what I want, but it’s a better deal than Hank’s and gives us more time to get out of it.’
‘What deal? Magnus, please don’t tell me you agreed to anything you will regret?’ Nina says with sorrowful eyes.
‘I have one year to find my fated mate. If I don’t, I’m to be Addison’s mate. Which also gives us a year to break Nina’s curse. That’s if we ever figure out what it is.’ I say angrily, kicking a rock into the distance.
‘What will Hank say when he finds out you’ve extended the deal?’ Josie asks.
‘Well, the deal is still on. I’ve just gotten more time out of it. He was probably expecting me to take Addison as my mate within a few days. He will be pissed off, but he will get over it.’
‘I hope so.’ Josie frowns.
Claire spends the day following me around at school.
‘Boo-boo, I was hoping we could talk?’
‘Stop calling me Boo-boo and I’ll give you five minutes to talk to me.’
‘Oh, okay then B-Magnus…’ she trails off.
I lean against my locker with my arms crossed.
‘What is it?’
‘I was hoping you would reconsider… us? I want us to be together again. Magnus, I miss you. She says and tries to caress my bicep.
‘I’m not interested, Claire.’
‘But I don’t want to be with anyone else.’
‘Claire, you say that now, but then you will eventually meet your mate and you will want to be with him. I’m going to be late for class. I’ll see you around.’
Claire’s eyes well up and she storms off to her class.
At lunchtime, I head to the library and pull Pipsqueak aside.
‘I heard about what happened at your wolf ceremony. Are you alright?’
Of course, the entire school would know about it.
‘Yeah, I’m fine, but I need to update you on everything else. Nina told her boyfriend, Moss, about the curse. He has told his friend Hank and now Hank is using it against me to choose his sister as my mate. I spoke with his father, Alpha Mason. I stretched the agreement to a year until I have no choice but to choose his sister Addison as my mate, otherwise, Hank will tell everyone about Nina’s curse, which puts her in danger of being hunted down and killed. So, I have one year to break the curse, which will also get me out of the mateship agreement.’
‘I see.’ She says, pushing her thick glasses closer to her eyes. ‘And we still have no clue what the curse is? Did you find any relics or symbols in her bedroom?’
‘No, we tore the room apart and found nothing.’
‘So, we can rule out that type of curse, then? What was another way to curse someone? Didn’t it mention by a witch or a Mage?’
‘Yes, but I don’t think mages exist anymore and there is only one witch I know of and she had never met Nina before the day she came to see me. She has no reason to curse Nina.’
‘I guess the only thing we can do is wait for the curse to take effect on her to give us any clue or lead to work on.’
‘What if that doesn’t happen for years to come?’
‘Then you will have no choice but to accept Addison as your mate.’ She cringes.
I look away and punch a hole in the wall and drop to the floor. My hands cover my face as I panic. Pain sears through my body. My wolf is fuming at the thought of having a chosen mate. He tries to take over and shift.
‘Magnus!’ Pipsqueak yells. She tries to calm me down, but I only growl at her touch. She trembles and takes a few steps back.