Two Alphas, One Mate
Acceptance

Loki “Red”

I didn’t sleep much that morning. Hippolyta fell asleep in my arms soon after making love, then I just watched her. I had a couple hours to spend with her until I had to leave, but I spent most of my time staring at her peacefully sleeping, wondering what life would be like if things turned out differently.

Would we have our own pups by now? What would our house look like? Would we ever get into arguments over nothing, or just enjoy every second of each other’s company?

I sighed heavily as I ran my hand across her bare shoulder. All these questions would have to be left unanswered, but it was still nice to fantasize about them. It made my anxieties drift away, imagining our make-believe life together, but now, I had to go.

My heart dropped as I carefully got out of the bed.

Leaving her room was one of the hardest things I ever had to do. I gave her one last kiss before placing her back under the blankets. This would be the last time I would ever touch her skin, the last time I would bask in her beauty from afar, and it was the last time I would ever be able to whisper, “I love you,” before carefully shutting the door behind me.

I wanted to leave us where we last left it, hoping it was the best memory she had of me before my demise.

My eyes grew heavy for a moment as I walked away from her room, but now was not the time to get emotional, because today, I had a job to do.

…

When I stepped outside the house, I could see a large circle of suited up warriors with black combat gear next to several black armoured trucks. Damian was the tallest, so I could see him in the middle.

I pushed my way through the circle to get a better view.

“You see this boys?” Damian pushed Iris’s bloodied body to the ground. His hands were bound behind his back with silver chain, I could barely recognize his face from all the swelling and gashes. “This piece of shit thinks his Alpha can take our Luna and kill our people.” Damian pressed his boot down to Iris’s head, squeezing it tightly to the mud.

Iris began to yell loudly as his face dug hard into the ground. He struggled, but he was too weakened to put up much of a fight.

As blood poured from his mouth, he still managed to get his words out, “you will fail. You’re all …” Damian pressed down harder onto his face, muffling his words.

“Say that again Iris, I want to hear it,” Damian growled.

Iris started to cynically laugh, “Aria will…” he began coughing out more blood.

“Aria will what?” I blurted out from the sidelines. I couldn’t help myself, something in the pit of my stomach was telling me to ask.

For a moment, everyone turned their heads towards me, then back onto Damian.

“That bitch is good as dead. They all are.” Damian pushed down on his head one last time before backing up to Eric, holding a pistol in his hand.

Damian grabbed the gun from Eric and pointed it to Iris. “Any last words?”

“I have no more words. My only regret is that I loved him…” he coughed harder, like it was difficult to breathe. “And now he… is dead because of me…” He gasped loudly, but this time, lifted his head, like it was his last jolt of energy before the very end. “Just kill me already you dog!” Iris snarled to Damian as he looked down the barrel of the gun.

“As you wish.” Damian pressed down on the trigger, and within a split second, there was a loud bang. He shot him directly in the heart.

I kept looking at Iris, his dark eyes were still open, looking up into the dim morning sky. Something about what he said resonated with me, and I wondered what his last thoughts were. I personally didn’t have any serious issues with him, except with the fact that he blindly followed a monster Alpha for his entire life, but ever since that day where Aria killed that young man, it changed my perspective.

I remembered the day I walked into their bedroom. That young man must have been more then just a lover to Iris. He must have been his mate.

I had no idea, and I just stood by and watch her savagely kill an innocent man without batting an eye, and for what? To prove a point to Iris that she had more power over him, or that she wasn’t going to be the third wheel any longer? The old me wouldn’t have tolerated such brutality, and now I was realizing the mistakes I’ve made over the past few months.

This was the very pack I chose to be in after I left Fenrir, all to get Hippolyta back. I should have died as a rogue, not seek vengeance through Crimson pack. It had only brought death and pain to everyone around me, and I regretted it everyday.

Hearing Iris speak his last words almost made me choke. It wasn’t because I had sympathy for him, it was because at the end of the day, we all sought out love and acceptance. We all deserved to replace our mate, but the world didn’t work that way. It wasn’t a happy ending for everyone, and sometimes, the ones that lost the love in their life, wanted to destroy it for everyone else.

I still remember the face the man made when Aria killed him. He looked directly to Iris, like his entire world was crashing down on him, and Iris didn’t do a fucking thing about it after. How could he not kill Aria for her monstrous ways? Was it because Holden would probably take her side? Possibly, but I can guarantee it was eating him up inside. It was only a matter of time until he cracked. Maybe this is why he chased us so far into Fenrir territory. He basically gave himself up to be captured because he knew it was the end of the line for him.

Damian kicked Iris’s body to the side for two large warriors to drag away, probably to an unmarked grave in the forest.

“This is the fate of anyone who gets in our way today. I know it’s been hard for the past few days, and I know I am not the only one who lost a loved one. We all lost loved ones, and we all have been weakened by our Luna’s absence, but don’t let that fool you. Perseverance will always overshadow weakness, no matter what. Today is like any other day, but the stakes are higher no doubt. I have full confidence we will succeed, and I won’t lie to you, some won’t make it out, so if you choose not to come, you can leave now.” Damian paused and looked to the small group of men circled around him. They all remained motionless, with none casting doubt. They looked ready, and their eyes blackened as their hands gripped tightly onto their rifles.

“TO THE END ALPHA!” A warrior shouted out.

That’s when there was an eruption of howling, so loud, it vibrated my ear drums and brought goosebumps to my skin. I haven’t heard howling like this since Alpha Zeus died.

“NOW,” Damian lifted his rifle over his shoulder and barred his canines out, “LETS GET OUR LUNA BACK.”

….

The plan was simple, was just something you would say to your squad to keep their hopes up, but in reality, you were unsure if you were going to make it.

The entire ride to the city was quiet. Not a peep from anyone, just the faces of hopeful warriors, armed with weapons and combat suits, praying they would make it another day. They all chose to be here and were given the option to leave, but they were ready to die for their Luna. This is what was so different about Fenrir pack to all the others.

We were a small select group of warriors, just enough to do the extraction, and the rest would be shifted in wolf form, scouring the outer perimeters of the hospital to ensure no one else would ambush us.

I peeked over to Eric. He was busy looking onto his assortment of devices that he was preparing for everyone.

Adam and Aaron sat across from me, both quietly staring to the floor as they leaned against their rifles.

And as for Damian, he sat at the end of our squad. I’ve never seen him so quiet before a mission. His eyes were darkened, and they were looking at me. I wasn’t sure if it was a look of spite or resentment, but he was on a different spectrum.

He was slowly being swallowed into darkness, replaced by his beast that he had kept at bay for so many years, and I wasn’t sure if he was ever coming out of it unless we got Diana back.

I took a chance and lightly nodded to him, and surprisingly, he nodded back.

“Did you tell her goodbye?” He asked.

“Yes, I did.”

“I’m sorry it had to be this way.”

“I’m doing this for the pack, for Hippolyta’s future.”

A small smile emerged from the corner of his mouth, “I appreciate your honesty.”

“What do you mean?”

“I was expecting you to tell me that you were doing this for me,” he smirked as he casually rested his head against the metal wall of the truck.

I looked down the floor and breathed in heavily, “I’m not lying to you anymore.”

“Your mission is…complicated to say the least.”

“You don’t need to sugar coat it.” I looked around at the others, trying my best to not let on that I was going on a suicide mission. Eric and Adam knew, but Adonis, Barak and the other few sitting at the front of the truck had no idea.

“I won’t fail you… Alpha.” I put my hand out on impulse, and I wasn’t sure why I was doing it, but I needed this. It was my inner wolf needing a leader. It would help me get through today, even if he would be my Alpha for a few more hours, at least I could die for something. It was in a werewolf’s nature to follow an Alpha, and in some ways, gave us strength.

Damian paused for a brief moment, and I could tell everyone’s eyes were on us. Even Eric who was busy with his electronics stopped what he was doing to witness my hand floating in the air, waiting for Damian’s acceptance.

Seconds rolled by, and Damian and I just locked eyes. I wasn’t sure what he was thinking, but it only took a few more seconds to feel his hard grip on my hand and a small smile grow on his face.

“Good to have you back, brother.”