CHAPTER 2

Julian's Pov

A few men were interested in me, and that felt nice.

They spoke, they flirted and they spoke of choosing me.

Then, they saw my strength and changed their minds.

I was too weak for them. One wolf – who was extremely interested – decided ‘I wasn’t for him’, after he got a closer look at my score. Jacob just stood next to me, shaking his head in annoyance.

“You deceive better than that asshole anyway”.

“Thanks, Jacob” I smiled at him – I knew he was trying to make me feel better.

I took a glass of water of the table behind me, before handing one to him. We stood inside one of the marquees, the summer sun shining setting.

Jacob took the glass from me, before popping a finger sandwich into his mouth.

My best friend caught the eye of another girl, who smiled at him flirtatiously.

Jacob didn’t even pay her mind, and turned back to me.

He had dismissed every She Wolf who had tried to flirt with him – and refused to seek out any girl he wanted.

His behaviour was odd.

Jacob sighed, before moving closer to me.

I frowned as his face turned serious – it wasn’t often that Jacob was serious.

I was the quiet and serious friend, and he was the jovial and immature friend; that was why we got on so well.

“Look, Julian, I’ve been thinking that--”

“Excuse me” a male voice interrupted Jacob.

I turned to see a tall man, with ash hair and light eyes. He wasn’t overly attractive, but he wasn’t unfortunate looking either.

I offered him a smile, hoping he was just another suitor trying for my hand.

“Yes?” I asked, as Jacob scowled for being interrupted.

“ Julian Myra ?” he questioned, eyes briefly flicking down to my badge.

I nodded yes, and he continued. “I am Beta Strider of the Endoro Pack.

Alpha Lincoln asked me to find you and bring you to him” he told me. At his words my blood ran cold, and my face fell.

“No” Jacob spoke up, slipping his arm around my waist and pulling me to my side.

I crashed into his broad side, and quickly grabbed a hold of his shirt in fear.

I didn’t want him to leave me alone with Alpha Lincoln – with the Bad Alpha.

Beta Strider frowned, before glaring at Jacob. “Do not speak to me like that, pup.

And do not touch Julian” he growled out.

With amazing strength, he grabbed me and pulled me away from Jacob. “Now stand down”.

“She will be my mate” Jacob snapped, lunging forward to grab me.

Beta Strider pushed me behind him, before I even had a chance to think over Jacob’s words.

He wanted me as a mate. He wanted to choose me.

Jacob and I had been friends for as long as I could remember, and there had never be any romantic feelings between us.

Well, not as far as I knew. But I couldn’t deny that I hadn’t thought about Jacob and I ending up together, it would be easy for us.

We never had secrets, we knew everything about one another.

It would be easy to be with him – I knew that, I had always know that.

“Watch your mouth pup” Beta Strider growled. The commotion was causing a scene and a few of the ritual organisers rushed over.

I blushed deeply, hiding behind by curtain of hair.

“Beta, is something wrong?” one of the man asked, looking between the three of us in confusion.

“Keep this pup away from Julian. She will be chosen by Alpha Lincoln” he replied, and it wasn’t only me who was shocked.

Everyone nearby gasped. Alpha Lincoln was known for always keeping away from relationships and emotional attachments.

It was the last year for him to claim a mate – and he had made it very clear that he hadn’t planned to choose a female.

I couldn’t deny that Alpha Lincoln was attractive, but that did nothing to discourage from the fact he was a murderer, a monster.

The Bad Alpha. I didn’t want to be chosen by Alpha Lincoln, I wanted to be chosen by Jacob or someone else.

Anyone else. Just not the Bad Alpha.

“No, she’ll be chosen by me.

Julian is mine” Jacob growled out. I had never heard him sound so angry or possessive in my life.

He didn’t sound like my friend Jacob, he sounded like every other male Wolf.

I didn’t like that – but I would have rather been with him than the infamous Alpha Lincoln.

“Take him away” the Beta yelled.

“Understood Beta Strider” one of the workers said, before two of them grabbed Jacob.

My friend growled and snapped, as he fought against them. But, they just dragged him away.

“Jacob” I called after him, moving away from Beta Strider and trying to go after my friend.

“Do not run, Julian. Alpha Lincoln will not like that”.

“I don’t want them to hurt him” I whispered, “I just want to make sure he doesn’t get send out”.

The Beta just rolled his eyes at my words – as if they were childish.

“I don’t care what you want. But I will give Alpha Lincoln what he wants.

And he wants you.

So stop this behaviour and follow me, before I beat you into submission”.

His voice was powerful and dominant.

He was not Alpha, but he was still a lot higher than me – a simple pack Wolf with no title.

His words scared me, and I felt tears prickling at my eyes.

I didn’t want him to beat me, and I didn’t want to be mated to Alpha Lincoln.

“Don’t cry” Beta Strider snapped, annoyed. His words made me ever more upset, and I felt more tears rising.

“Come”. He grabbed my arm – fingers digging into my arm – and he pulled me after him.

Tears began to fall as he dragged me through the mutual territory.

He took me to a smaller marquee towards the back of the area, and pushed back the curtain to drag me into it. As soon as we walked in, I gulped.

Alpha Lincoln sat on a chair, eyes staring at the floor in his usual emotionless stare.

When we walked in, his eyes snapped up to us.

He looked at me, before frowning deeply. Fear ran through me – maybe I wasn’t as pretty as he first thought, and because of that he was going to kill me.

“Why is she crying?” Alpha Lincoln demanded, looking at his second in command.

Beta Strider just shrugged, as if he had no idea.

Alpha Lincoln didn’t buy it, and frowned deeply. His frown was the most emotion I had seen that far. He turned to me. “Why are you crying?” he asked.

His voice just made me more fearful. But it was odd, I was more afraid of Beta Strider than Alpha Lincoln.

I mean, I wasn’t planning to be best friends with him any time – but the fact he was going to choose me made me look at him differently.

All day male Wolves had been shunning me because of my weakness,

yet Alpha Lincoln – someone who should have been shunning me because of my weakness, wanted to make me his mate.

That made me feel slightly safe – as if he saw past the labelling score. Yet, Alpha Lincoln still terrified me.

“Well?” he snapped, when I didn’t reply. “Why are you crying?” His harsh voice made me whimper, dropping my head once more.

More tears feel from my eyes at an ever faster rate. “Look at me”. Grabbing my chin – once more – he forced me to meet his green eyes. “What happened?”

“I’m scared” I whispered out; voice almost lost in the soft summer breeze.

“Of what?” Alpha Lincoln demanded; no sympathy in his tone.