The Forbidden Mate
Chapter Four – A Chosen Mate

Alex

“Alex, wait” I hear my father shout as I walk towards the kitchen to grab some lunch.

I stop and respond “father.”

“Could you stop by my office this afternoon? There are important matters we need to discuss.” he asks.

“Of course, I can update you on our progress replaceing the rogues who attacked the pack and the support we have been providing to the victims.”

That too,” he says awkwardly, “but I have a more important matter to discuss, the need to replace the pack a good Luna.”

Great as I expected he is back to pressurising me to replace my Luna. I suppose I can’t avoid the topic for much longer, but I don’t know how I am going to handle it.

“I will be there in an hour” I tell him

“Good.”

…………………………

An hour later I knock on his office door.

“Come in” he shouts.

I walk in to discover that Beta Carl is there too. Just what I need, why does he have to be here?

“Aah good Alex, thank you for joining us. We have been discussing the difficulties that you have been having in replaceing your mate and our next Luna. It might be time to take a different approach” my father tells me.

“Really I don’t know what else I could do. I have spent time with the shewolves in our pack none of whom have turned out to be my mate. I travelled around the other packs for two years in search of her, but so far, I have failed to replace her. My fate is in the hands of the goddess. I will only replace her when she deems it right for me to do so” I tell him. Hoping that this will be enough.

“Your fated mate, yes, if she exists” my father says. “I think the time has come for you to consider that you may never replace her. You have done more than most to look for her and have still been unsuccessful. It may be that she has died, before you have had chance to meet her.

I think you must consider for the future of the pack, taking a chosen mate. Someone from a good family who has the right qualities to be our Luna.”

“I am only 22 now is not the time to give up on replaceing my mate” I say horrified. This is worse than I thought. Pretending to search for my mate when I have already found her would be bad enough but being forced to take a chosen mate who I didn’t love when I have a soulmate the one person who completes me doesn’t bear thinking about.

“We have been without a Luna for five years you must consider how the pack has suffered without her” interjected Carl.

“It is not your place to tell me how to do my duty to this pack, or to try and get me to abandon my search for my one true mate” I snarl at him.

“Carl is only trying to help” my father protests.

“Is he” I ask, “or does the list of eligible shewolves who could be my mate include his own daughter?”

“Well obviously, Lily is one of the eligible candidates, but that is not the reason” Carl declares.

“I will continue to look for my mate, attend as many parties as you wish me to. I will even visit other packs in the hopes of replaceing her, but I will not give up and select a chosen mate” I state, as calmly as I can.

“Well, I will certainly arrange another ball, and ensure that all eligible shewolves are invited. We will make it clear that you are actively looking for your mate. BUT we need to ensure the future security and wellbeing of the pack. There will come a point when you will have to choose, and if you cannot, perhaps your brother will provide a better candidate as Alpha” my father says.

“Jordan, he isn’t even an Alpha wolf” I exclaim.

“That might not matter so much anymore” Carl says, “he has other strong qualities that would make a good leader.”

“It would weaken the pack, we would be open to challenge by another Alpha wolf” I tell him.

“I don’t want to do it, this is your birth right, but I have to think to the future” my father tells me. “Ultimately the best solution would be for you to settle down with your Luna soon.”

I walk out in disgust.

Katy

Lily has dropped by to see me. Since the attack she had been visiting every couple of days. It was difficult for her to get her father to agree. He did not want her to spend time with me but after the attack she had stood up to him and insisted.

I am very grateful. I know how hard that this must have been for, her father hated our friendship. I look forward to her visits she is so supportive, and she always has fun stories to share which lift my spirits.

We haven’t seen much of Daniel now he has become a warrior. He has been too busy hunting the rogues who escaped and patrolling with the other warriors.

Lily has been fantastic with Emma who always perks up when she sees her.

Today though Lily seems distracted. Something is wrong but she seems reluctant to talk about it.

“What is up?” I ask her.

“Nothing, I am fine” she replies unconvincingly.

“Don’t try and pretend that things are OK. I can see that they are not” I tell her.

“It isn’t important. Don’t worry about it, it’s nothing compared to what you are going through. I am not going to burden you with the small things that are affecting me, when you have lost your parents,” she says,

“No, just because I am hurting doesn’t mean that you can’t tell me things. I want to hear about you, and if you have problems then I want to help” I tell her.

“It is my father” she sighs. “He wants me to take a chosen mate. Alex, or if that is not possible Jordan. He wants me to abandon my destined mate, to become Luna of the pack.”

“No” I say horrified,” but Alex is waiting for his mate.”

I haven’t told her about Alex being my mate. It is killing me, but Alex has made me promise not to tell anyone for the moment.

Just another one of the secrets I must keep. I have always thought of myself as an uncomplicated person but now I felt weighed down by the things that I am forced to conceal. I hate how easy it has become to lie to those I love the most.

“My father and the Alpha plan to pressurise him to take a chosen mate if he does not replace his soul mate soon. If Alex refuses, then they will replace him with Jordan. Jordan will become the new Alpha heir and I will become his Luna.”

“But Jordan is useless” I interject. “He isn’t even a proper Alpha, the pack have seen his wolf, they know what he is. They wouldn’t accept him. Anyway, he doesn’t have any of the right qualities to be the Alpha of the pack.”

“I know, but my father is determined to marry me to the next Alpha, even if that means he has to change who the next Alpha is” Lily says dispiritedly.

“Does he have that kind of power?” I ask.

“He has always been able to influence the Alpha” Lily tells me. “He thinks that this matter will be no different.”

“Alex will fight him” I say reassuringly.

“I hope so and I hope he wins, because I don’t want a chosen mate, I want my fated mate.”

“I am sure you will replace him soon, and then your father will have to give up on his plans” I say trying to comfort her.

“No if I found him, he would try and force me to reject him” she says despondently.

I am horrified, how could he try and force his own daughter to settle for a chosen mate just to further his own ambitions.

“Alex, will not let that happen” I tell her.

“I am not so sure. He has agreed to step up his efforts to replace his Luna” she tells me. “Hopefully he will replace her soon and my father will stop this.”

I say nothing. Has he? He hasn’t told me about the pressure they are putting him under, or that he has agreed to make more effort to replace a Luna for the pack. Why not? Is he still thinking about rejecting me? If he did, he wouldn’t have to face a challenge to his position as the next Alpha.

I know that he is weighed down by his inability to replace a solution to our situation. How to tell the pack that I am his mate in a way that will make them accept me. Maybe he has given up. Maybe that is why he hasn’t said anything to me about it.

It is his birth right to be the next Alpha. If he has to choose between me and being the Alpha of this pack then there is no contest.

I won’t mention to him my conversation with Lily. I will wait for him to tell me.