The Alpha's Unknown Son

PROLOGUE

ROSE

"Come on, Rose. Go!" I sigh and lean back on my bed, ignoring my best friend, Marcus.
"Rosealine Washington, get up. We're going to that party," Marcus says as he pulls the covers off of me.
"Marcus, I don't want to go. I don't do parties, and Nick barely knows my name anymore so I don't think he'd be sad if I didn't show up." Marcus ignores everything I say. He rummages my closet and pulls out a tight black dress, the one he bought me for Christmas and I've yet to wear. 
"He knows your name! You're the beta's daughter. You literally grew up with him. And even if he doesn't know your name, it doesn't matter. It's not like it's a private birthday and he's the only one going. The whole pack will be there!" he says as he takes out my only pair of heels that are, unfortunately, six inches in length.
"Do you know how much trouble I will get into if Jake sees me drinking? And I know that is the only reason you want to go because you don't even like Nick."
"Yes, I know how mad your sexy brother will be if he sees us drinking, but he won't! There will be tons of people there and they both will be so drunk, all we will be is a blur to them, so get dressed." I groan knowing he's right but still not wanting to go. I haven't been out in a while, but I think this might be good for the soul.
I change into the tiny dress and want to crawl back into my sweats immediately. After a short argument with Marcus, I change into some sandals, and NOT the ankle-breaking heels.
The soon to be alpha, Nick Rollins, is having a birthday party tonight. The whole pack is invited, and some others from neighboring packs. My brother Jake, the future beta, specifically told me not to dare go towards the alcohol tonight. He knows how I can get when I'm drunk. Emotional and Vulnerable. Even though this is my pack and I should trust them, me and Jake both know there's a few of them that would risk their lives to get a piece of...well, anything, really. Jake's always been a protective brother towards me. There's been way too many times in my fifteen years of living that he's had to pick me up and put me back on my feet after a guy has broken me down to barely anything. Relationships are never really my forte. They always end up with me falling too hard for a guy that just wants what's under my clothes. But I don't realize that until it's too late. I never gave in to the douchebags, mostly because my parents wouldn't let their fifteen-year-old daughter have a boy in her room, but that didn't stop the bastards from trying something when we were away from the house. Thankfully, I'm a beta's daughter, so I have enough strength to get away from them. I haven't had a boyfriend since the last though. I took the broken arm he gave me as a warning that the moon goddess didn't want me to date before my mate.
"Ooooh, looking like a whole meal, girl!"
I just shake my head at Marcus with a smile on my face. He always knows how to boost my ego at just the right amount.
"Well, if that wasn't a confidence boost, then I don't know what is."
We both laugh, and Marcus starts his talk about finding our mates, a topic Marcus always brings up. He's a hopeless romantic and constantly talks about how he wants his mate to sweep him off his feet. I try to tell him that maybe he shouldn't put his standards so high so he doesn't get let down, but he never listens. Marcus is gay, so finding his mate in a pack with less than ten gay wolves is a hard thing to do. Most guys don't find their mates until they're eighteen, but luckily, or not so lucky for me, us girls find them at sixteen. My birthday is in two months, so me and my wolf have been anxious. She's happy anxious, and I'm more dreading anxious. I don't not want a mate but just not right now.
After curling my hair and putting some lipstick and mascara on, me and Marcus head out the door. I love the look of a full face of makeup, but I just don't feel up to it tonight.
With my father being beta, we live pretty close to the pack house, so as soon as we step out, we can hear and see the party. Music is blasting through the speakers, and there are multi-color lights going off. Kids are grinding on each other while others sit and talk at the bar.
We make our way to the backyard but stop when we spot my brother and Nick. They're both talking to two of the girls from the pack, Amber and Ashley. I nudge Marcus and tell him to go the opposite direction.
We finally make it out to the backyard and to a small corner without being caught. If Jake knew I was here, he'd sober up real quick and watch my every move. He deserves not to be my babysitter for a night so staying hidden is for the best.
"If you see or sense them, let me know. I don't want them seeing us."
Marcus nods his head in agreement and runs to the bar, grabbing whatever they have available. Its beer, and I grimace at the cup, hating the taste but loving the feeling that comes with it. Being drunk or at least a little tipsy lets you escape your head and all the thoughts that swarm it.
Werewolves don't get drunk or high easy, so it takes a few cups before I'm even tipsy. I stay in my corner for most of the night, Marcus having disappeared to talk to some guys in the opposite corner of me.
Taking a drink, I look around the backyard, glancing at everyone here. They really did invite the whole pack, even the adults and elders. I spot Nick's younger brothers in the corner. Nick is turning eighteen tonight, but his brother Noah is two years younger, closer to my age at sixteen.
As if catching me staring, Noah turns to me and grins. I grin back at him and motion him to come over to me. Me and Noah have always been close, and even though we haven't talked in forever, I still like his company. He was always right there with Jake, helping me to get over this week's loser I fell in love with. Maybe I was the hopeless romantic.
"Hey Rosie Posie!" he says as he comes to stand by me. I glare at him for using the nickname he gave me. He totally stole it from my dad, but at least my dad stopped calling me that when I was 12.
"Aww, come on, you love that name!"
I just shake my head at him. He smirks back at me, grabs me by the waist, and pulls me closer to him. I squeal at the sudden movement and look up to see his smirk had widened.  I pull back from him, hitting him on the chest. He's always been a touchy-feely person. He always used to say when we were kids that we'd grow up to be mates. I knew we would never; I felt nothing towards him besides brotherly love.
"Well, aren't you two just the cutest!" Marcus says in a high-pitched voice.
I roll my eyes and look at my best friend as he stumbles over to us. He is way too drunk for his own good. He almost falls into Noah's arms but catches himself. I grab ahold of him, keeping him steady.
"I'm surprised to see you here, Rose; you never come to these things," Noah says, that stupid grin still on his face.
I glare at Marcus when he busts out laughing.
"Well, I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Miss Thang over there," I say, pointing to Marcus who smiles.
I set him down in a chair and turn back to stand next to Noah.
"So Rosie Posie, you wanna dance?" Noah asks, bowing and extending his hand. I roll my eyes and shake my head no. I'm not a big dancer.
"It's a party Rose; just dance with me, at least right here." He doesn't wait for my answer. He grabs me close to him again, and we move to the slow song. I laugh as he spins me in circles, bringing me back to his body as we sway in unison. The song ends, and I smile up at him and kiss his cheek. He smiles down at me, not one ounce of lust in his eyes, just a love—the kind I see in my family's eyes when they look at me.
"You know I love you Rose, right?"
"I know, Noah. I love you too, and I also know that Jake sent you over here to babysit me."
"How did you know that?'
"Well, I wasn't sure, but you just confirmed it, plus you smelled just like him when you came over here." He glares at me but then breaks out into a grin.
"Should've known you'd figure it out, but hey, I wanted to talk and the dance was ni..."
"Noah, get away from her." We both freeze and stare up at a very pissed-off looking Nick. Jake comes to his side, a confused look on his face.
"Why?" Noah says.
I look between the brothers. Both their faces are in a glare. Noah eventually lowers his eyes as Nicks bears into him and his Alpha demeanour radiates off of him.
"Maybe we should have this conversation in the house, Nick. People are staring," Jake says in a low voice as he looks around.
Sure enough, several people are staring at us. We all head into the pack house. Stopping in the living room, Marcus stumbles in last, falling into Jake's arm as he tries to close the door.
Oh, if he only knows where he is, he'd be in heaven.
"Can someone please explain what's going on?" Noah asks as he and his brother gets into another glaring match.
"You need to stay away from her." Nick grits out of his teeth.
"She's my friend. I can hang out–" Noah doesn't get to finish as he he is pinned against the wall with Nick's hands around his throat.
Jake forces Nick off of Noah, the latter's body dropping to the floor immediately. I rush over to him but I am stopped by a voice.
"Don't you dare touch him, mate." My eyes snap to Nick's, but those aren't Nicks eyes; his wolf is in control.
"M-mate?"
"Yes, my love, you're my mate." His voice is deeper, and it doesn't take him long to reach me. He strokes my cheek with his hand, and I feel sparks across my skin. The room is silent; everyone is pretty surprised, me included.
"This can't be happening." I take a step back from him, gaining a growl from him. I can tell he's fighting for control of his wolf again, and, soon, his eyes return to their normal color.
"Rose ... "
"Let's give them some time, Noah." Jake says, picking up a half-conscious Marcus.
Noah nods, gets up, and heads out the door. Jake pauses before he leaves, turning to look Nick directly in the eyes.
"Im happy for you, guys, but if you hurt her, Nick, Alpha or not ...   she's my sister, and I will protect her." He leaves without getting a response.
I turn to Nick, a look of lust and confusion in his eyes. He grabs my hand, and we head upstairs. I try to tug my hand free but he doesn't let me. We reach his room and he drags me in. I finally pull my hand free and put some space between us.
"Nick, what are we doing up here? We need to talk."
"What's there to talk about? We're mates. People need to know that."
I don't have time to respond before I'm pushed against the door, his lips on mine. Unlike all the other boys, who I would have pushed away,  I do nothing, and it's like all my limbs have gone numb. My body melts into his, and I enjoy the feeling of his lips on mine. It's not like all the other kisses I had. This is better—much better.
He traps my hands above my head with one of his arms while the other explores my body.
He reaches behind my back and unzips my dress, letting it fall to the ground. I feel like I should stop him but I don't. I enjoy it and my wolf does too. She's itching to get out, and with the way Nick's lips feel on my neck, I fall into a state of bliss. My wolf takes it to her advantage and takes control.
My hands roam his body, and next thing I know, we're both naked, and my precious virginity is about to be gone.
Nick enters me with one quick thrust and I cry out in pain.
"Ahh, so my little mate is a virgin ... even better." Nick chuckles as he thrusts into me roughly.
My virginity is soon taken away multiple times that night: on the wall, the couch, the kitchen counter, and the bed.
Oh, how I wish I should have stayed home.

                              *​*​*

Waking up the next morning, I feel a sting come from my shoulder. Putting a hand to it, I feel tingles rush through me, and I look down to see a bite mark.
Nick Rollins marked me last night. Or so I thought. Looking closer, I see it's just an ordinary bite mark, not deep enough to be a mating mark.
Speaking of my mate, I get up to go look for him. I feel a strong burn in my lower region, and the thoughts of last night flows back to me. Not once did my wolf let me take back control. Her and Nikolai, Nick;s wolf's name, were having way too much fun. Nick's smell is faint in the room so I know he's been gone for a while. I look around the house. I can't seem to find him anywhere, so I check the last place in the house where I could possibly find him.
His office door is closed shut, so I position myself to knock, but I am stopped as the door flings open. Nick stands there with a glare on his face.
"You need to leave." He says coldly and then brushes past me ... like I was nothing. The similar feeling creeps in, this time with a lot more regret.
"W-what do you mean Nick? You said we were mates last night. You took my virginity."
"Yours is not the first virginity I took. Now get out of my house before I force you." He doesn't even spare me a glance, disappearing into his room, the door slamming behind him.
I stand there for a minute, shock and hurt. I squeeze my eyes shut, hoping to open them for all of this to be a dream. But I open them and it isn't. I don't know how but I force myself to leave the room. My heart feels heavy, and it physically hurts to move. My wolf begs me to go back and beg for him to take us back. But I won't be humiliated, not by him.

                                *​*​*
I stare at the thing with an emotionless look on my face, hiding all the emotions that stir within me. Three minutes—that's all I have to wait. I look at the clock, ticking. Time seems to go by slowly. The clock hits 6:47—the time I've been waiting for—but it seems like I can't pry my eyes away from looking at the stupid stick.
Two lines.
That's all it took to see for my heart to break the little pieces I've tried so hard to put back together. It has been a month since that night. Nick left with his family and the rest of mine the very next day to go do pack business.
My parents question me as they see the sadness on my face that they know all too well. I blow them off by telling them it's just my period.
Jake knows though. He knew the second he saw me. It took everything in me to convince him not to kill Nick. If he dies, I would too. That is the only thing that's stopping him. I'm sure they have made up by now though. I hope they did; my brother doesn't deserve to lose his best friend because of me.
"By the sound of your heartbeat, I'm guessing it's positive?" Marcus' voice comes from the outside of the bathroom. At his question, I break down. I can't be a mom. I couldn't even be a good mate. How am I supposed to be a good mom?
I don't even realize that I had spoken out loud until my best friend speaks to me.
"Rose, you were a perfect mate, and any other man would have been happy to have you as theirs! You'll be a great mom. I know that for sure!"
I break down all over again, the emotions becoming too difficult for me to control.
I'm going to be a mom.
"When are you going to tell everyone?" Marcus asks when I finally stopped crying.
"I'm not." The words come out firm, and I mean them. I will not allow my child to be humiliated or rejected.
"You're gonna leave?" Marcus asks, a look of sadness on his face.
"You know I have to. I can't go through this pregnancy being sad all the time, and being here makes me so sad, Marcus. My baby doesn't deserve that."
He nods and takes me into his arms. We stay there for a while. I can't seem to let go as I hug him for what would be the last in a while. He tells me he has a few cousins in other packs and might get them to take me in. I nod, thankful I have him as my friend.
Later that night, he lets me know his cousin, Zayne, would allow me to be in his and his mate's pack. I'm happy I can get away—away from the constant pain.
Marcus' voice brings me out of my thoughts as he sticks some papers out to me.

"Okay, so this is a bus ticket to take you to my cousin Zayne's town. He said he will meet you at the bus stop and let you stay at their pack house. You will leave tomorrow morning and should get there before dark."
I nod my head and take the bus ticket from him.
I take a long look at my best friend and see him smiling a sad smile.
"I will miss you so much, Marcus. You don't even know."
"I will miss you too, Rose! But I have all night with you so we're both going to get a bunch of junk food and watch law & order until we fall asleep, ok?"
I nod my head and grab him for a long hug. Wiping my tears, I tell him to go downstairs and grab the snacks while I pack a few things. I don't pack much, just enough to not have to do laundry for a while. I write my parents and brother a letter; letting them know I'm okay and I just need time away from this place.  I know my parents will flip, especially with me being so young. I give them the information of where I'm going and ask them to keep it secret. I left out the pregnancy part though.
Marcus comes back into the room, arms filled with snacks. We lay down and start the show we've watched for years.
"I think it's a boy," Marcus says out of the blue.
"Maybe ... " I trail off, thinking if it is a boy. If it is, I'd be taking the pack's future alpha away.
"Oh, I know it is. I've never been wrong in my guesses."
I laugh at him but drop the subject.

We do just as he had said; both of us are passed out until my alarm goes off.
I get up and gather my stuff, waking Marcus up to say goodbye. I hug him goodbye and head to my parents' room.
I leave the notes I wrote and quietly make my way to the door.
I say one last goodbye to the home I grew up in. I then head for the one-way bus to my new home with the only important thing I take with me.

The Alpha's Unknown Son ... well, at least, to Marcus's thinking.