Alpha Rejects ☾☾☾ Book 3

Laoch’s POV

My dating-mentor, Seth, Alpha of Firwood, sits with the Greywood Omega, Sabrina, behind the wheel of his sports car after he picked me up and told me ‘it was time’.

Time for what? Well… I was about to find out.

I had a pretty good – or rather terrible – feeling of what was about to be happen.

“Laoch, you know what I promised you. I’d fix your allure. Get you a mate. It would involve more than the training I’ve put you and the other Alphas through in the last six-weeks. Sabrina and I finished reconnaissance on the Acuity Pack, we’ve been in touch with them for a month or more,” Seth trails off to look in the rear-view mirror, checking my expression. I try to fight the nerves and just accept this is happening. I have to face my biggest fear; rejection.

“Go on…” I murmur, acting confident.

“Your father, Alpha Cordon, was never replaced,” Seth confirms, “Heidi is Luna, her chosen partner, Lupon, is only an assumed Alpha. They’re both very young to represent those positions of such a highly respected and large pack.”

“I talked to Evie Lambert,” Sabrina tells me.

“Who’s that?” I ask, I had never heard of her before.

“Heidi’s younger sister, Evie told me that Heidi and Lupon left Acuity a fortnight ago to go on an overseas holiday. There’s a demon in the farmlands around the packhouse, they’ve gone to find reprieve.”

“Who is in charge?” I ask, “Which Beta?”

“The Betas are all doctors in the surrounding towns and cities, they are hardly at Acuity. The packhouse is largely empty. Almost abandoned. You would be surprised how disconnected the pack has become,” Sabrina explains, “Evie specifically asked for you to return. We didn’t even mention you. She was the first one to say your name. Seth also spoke to her. He believes Evie is your way into the pack.”

“Now onto your supposed Luna. You said you believe Heidi is your mate, even though she rejected you,” Seth takes over, “However, sensing a mate is an incredibly powerful instinct so she most likely is your mate, you just approached at the wrong time. Now. You’ll have your chance to win Heidi back. She’s 22, she’s not 16 anymore, hopefully she’s a little more mature and can talk to you and get to know you when she returns tonight. Forget about what happened when you were a teen. Before Heidi arrives back from the airport, Evie will show you around. And as we’ve heard, Lupon is spending a week with Wildwood, so he won’t even be around.”

My heart beats fast thinking about her. Heidi Lambert. The most beautiful Luna on this planet. I dreamt of her every night. I couldn’t let go of the tether from the first time I laid eyes on her. She had strawberry blonde hair, wavy and long, silver moon-kissed Luna eyes. Her voice was so pleasant and sweet. Even her hands, her fingers, so feminine and perfect. I often imagined taking a hold of her hand. Her smiling as I did so.

“Hey there, buddy, focus for me,” Seth interrupts my thoughts, “We’re taking you to Acuity now.”

“What,” I bite the word out, blinking, “Like, right now?” I look down at what I’m wearing. I was 24. I had put on a suit to go out with the Sub-Alphas. Friday night, we patrolled the city streets. Beat up any Awstone dealers we didn’t approve. Usually we gambled, drank and ended the night paying for a prostitute.

It was my life, living in a gang of other failed Alphas. Headed by Erebon, who had recently found his mate in Sabrina. My other ‘brothers’ through familiar rejection, Zoran, Quillon and Sascha had been my family for the past four years.

Alpha Orpheus, King of the werewolf world, saved our asses from incarceration from the crimes we committed when we were loner Alphas high on Awstone trying to forget the reasons we sucked at being Alphas.

We all had our stories.

Mine was just pathetic, really.

I was a failed Alpha of Acuity in every sense of the word. My father, Cordon, the ex-Alpha, once respected for his foresight, went crazy at fifty, abandoned the pack and married an eighteen year old city wolf who wasn’t even his mate and she gave birth to me.

I was Cordon’s only heir, raised in an apartment, not raised in the pack. But even with an Alpha for a father, he was never present, he had lost his mind to the fairies and my mother, Lettie, only married him for money.

When my father died, I was 10 years old, from then on Lettie was addicted to Awstone.

I basically raised myself on the streets and went back to the Acuity Pack for the first time when I was 18. I had gone with Zoran, my best friend. He had also been rejected from his pack, living on the streets with me. He came with me to Acuity, so he knows what happened that fateful night when I faced the one rejection I couldn’t get over.

It wasn’t even the pack’s rejection, they had been okay with me visiting… but it was the girl who I imprinted on immediately who broke my heart.

Heidi Lambert had been a 16-year-old Luna at the time of the Acuity courtship ball when I had just turned 18. She had a date but I didn’t care. I could feel in my bones that we were mates. When I asked her to be my girlfriend, she had rejected me in front of every pack member, choosing Lupon Wildwood over me.

Lupon, this random fuck, he had a much easier life than me. He was well-fed since birth, smothered by Wildwood affection, doted on and brought up to be one hugely built Alpha primed for mating and finding a Luna. Handsome, strong, well-connected.

I had been neglected, underfed and it impacted my whole physical development. I was too skinny to beat another Alpha even though I was taller than most. My strength had increased since I was a hell of a good fighter now, with Seth’s help.

24 year old me was very different to 18 year old me. Yeah, I was still more lithe than I should be for an Alpha, but I couldn’t change the fact I survived on scraps of food all my childhood.

“Breathe, Laoch,” Sabrina advises, looking back at me, “Don’t you panic now, sweetheart.”

“How are you feeling?” Seth asks, “You look dashing – don’t worry about your appearance.”

“Mm,” I grunt and intake a sharp breath, looking out the window as we drive out over farmland, into the countryside, to Acuity.

Fuck.

I’m calm.

I’m ready.

Seth had helped me train, I gained a little bit of muscle, not much, but it did help my confidence a bit.

Now I had to use all the knowledge I had gained, being a gangster for Erebon and Orpheus, prince and King of the werewolf world. All the toughness they taught me. Every new skill Seth had imparted to me to be ‘alluring’. Sabrina’s kind brown eyes helped me feel confident too.

I got this.

I can take back the Luna of Acuity.

In fact, I won’t even have to do a thing.

She’ll come to me.

Seth said that was crucial, wait for a green light – let her approach and gauge her interest. Keep distant and keep preoccupied with other pack members.

Heidi will grow curious, then she’ll approach and realise her mistake.

She’ll understand; we’re mates, always have been, always will be.