The Alpha Twins Rejection

Chapter Three - Ashley's P.O.V

Beta Ashley Miller

CHAPTER THREE

As I jogged away from the packhouse, heading towards the town square to attend the impromptu town meeting Dad had called, I mind-linked Zac. "Hey Zac, where are you" I grumbled. My day had started bad, then picked up immensely and had now had come full circle and was back to being shit.

"Ashley, turn around. If you slowed down a little, you would have noticed I was behind you the entire time" he chuckled through the mind-link. He must have still been in the packhouse, I thought. God, I didn't even have to turn around to know that he had a massive grin on his face. I could hear it. Just the thought made me smile and want to run my hands through his hair. A sigh escaped my lips. We had work to do and couldn't afford to be distracted. Not now. 

Pack security was my foremost concern. "Hurry up, slowpoke", I teased. It was so easy being around Zac, and I was glad that his sour mood from earlier had seemed to have lifted. He caught up to me easily with a couple of enormous strides, playfully swatting my arse as he darted up the stairs to the town hall. Impossible man, I mused, racing up behind him.

The hall was alive with non-stop chatter. The meeting was yet to start, so it gave us a few minutes to walk around the room and talk to the members, stopping to reassure some of the elderly, mothers with young children, etc. that we would fill them in on everything as soon as my father, their Alpha, arrived. Just as I was stopped for what felt like the 100th time in the last five minutes, I heard him loudly clear his throat from my podium. "Showtime," I said to Zac, who was hot on my heels.

As soon as we took our seats on stage, the meeting began. "As you most would know by now, we received intel this morning that a vast band of rogues have been causing death and destruction recently in neighbouring packs. Last night they ran through the pack to the north of us, the Nightshade pack, killing over a dozen members as they passed through". My dad said in his commanding Alpha voice, not bothering to use a microphone. 

Being Alpha, he didn't need such things. He was the most incredible Alpha this pack had ever seen, hardworking, loyal, strong, and above all else, he would do anything for his pack. No matter what. His pack had the utmost respect for him and would listen to him, hanging on his every word. He rarely had to use his Alpha voice to force anyone to submit to him, and no one ever questioned or challenged his integrity. He was in his element. Protecting everyone was what we were made for, I thought as my chest swelled with pride as I listened to every word he spoke. It gave me goosebumps to think that one day I would take over as the leader of this pack.

I should have taken over at 18, but without a mate, by my side, I held off, allowing my father to continue while I trained hard to move up the ranks with blood, sweat, and tears while waiting. I had given up long ago, I snorted. "What's funny, Ash" Zac mind-linked, turning ever so slightly in his chair, giving me a funny look. "Nothing", I replied. There was no way I could talk to Zac about mates. It was kind of like a sore spot for us both. Neither wanting to believe how cruel the moon goddess could be.

I let out a small sigh and turned my attention back to my father just as he was asking the pack to do a show of hands-on continuing with the Blood Moon Ball that was to be held in our town square in less than 48hrs.

"Those for the ball going ahead, please raise your right hand," dad said.

I scanned the room; it seemed the jury was in - they wanted the beloved ball to go ahead. Dad didn't need to ask those against, so he spoke loudly and in a clear voice. "Well, that settles it then. The ball will go ahead as planned; I will leave the continued organisation of the grand event in the competent hands of our Luna". He was looking lovingly into my mother's eyes for just a second, searching for her approval of the plan. If you weren't looking at them closely, you would have missed the very slight nod of my mother's head, reassuring her husband and Alpha that he was making the right decision.