Fate: The Alpha King and His Unexpected Mate

Chapter Thirty-Three

Marc

I watched the moment of shock on Lexi's face when I told her she would be leading training for the she-wolves. It quickly turned into the excitement that I had hoped for. Everyone quickly went to their respective sides of the gym. Liam and Jared took charge of the warmups while I kept an eye on Lexi. Daniel could tell that I wasn't fully focused on our workout and wasn't giving my usual strength. Lexi and Jen were practicing combo moves while the other she-wolves worked on them in pairs. Everyone was catching on quickly, which pleased me. I was jolted out of my observation mode when I felt a punch land on the side of my face.

"Dude, I know you're the Alpha, but come on. Let's focus a little. Then you can go up against her yourself."

Daniel seemed both amused and annoyed. He enjoyed being able to land some hits on me during training. I was annoyed that he was right. I suppose we could wrap up today's session with Lexi sparring against me. I shook off my distraction and focused on Daniel. He may have gotten that one hit on me while I was unfocused, but now he would have to work for it. I squared up with him and took a deep breath to center myself.

After a brief standoff, we both launched our attacks. Punch for punch, we traded blows. He caught me on the jaw once, but I retaliated with a solid hit to his stomach that sent him stumbling. He recovered quickly and came at me with equal intensity. He had the upper hand for a few minutes, blocking my punches before attempting to sweep my legs out from under me. I managed to bring him down with me, ending our impromptu match in a tie.

We both stayed on the ground to catch our breath. I had my eyes closed when I felt a water bottle land on my chest. Opening one eye, I saw Lexi standing over me, drinking from her own water bottle and chatting with Jess and Jared. I wasn't paying attention to their conversation. Every few minutes, different pack members approached Lexi, discussing training or expressing excitement for her upcoming Luna ceremony this weekend. I was simply in awe of how seamlessly she fit into our pack. Jess and Liam fit right in too. They were all perfect for us.

The gym emptied quickly, so I would have to wait to spar with Lexi. Only the main group of warriors and our small group remained. Just as I was about to address everyone, a mind link came through. Dr. Sanches had the basket ready for Lexi. Perfect. It would give her something to do. Maybe she could bring Jess along. I moved closer to Lexi and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Dr. Sanches has prepared your basket for you. Why don't you go take a shower and then head to the hospital? Jess can join you if you'd like. In any case, Jen will accompany you. She will be the Gamma after this weekend, so you might as well get used to traveling without me."

"That sounds perfect. We could use some girl time anyway. Why don't we meet in the kitchen in about thirty minutes? Then we can walk over."

I watched as the three of them left the gym. It was great to see Jen getting along with Lexi and Jess. Ever since her mate died, she had been spending all of her time with the warriors. She always had a full schedule and never had any real time to relax. I hoped this would help her loosen up and go back to being the carefree wolf she used to be. I turned back to the warriors, who were chatting amongst themselves. I still had work to do.

"Alright everyone, listen up. With the Luna ceremony in two days, there will be extra protection along the border. Dark River will be helping out along that border. If you're okay with missing the ceremony, then I want you on the border. I'm not going to let us be blindsided by Zach or anyone else, for that matter. If someone wanted Lexi, I feel like her Luna ceremony would be the perfect time to strike, since the majority of us will be in one spot. Everyone willing will coordinate with Jared and Daniel. Understood? I have work to do, so I'll let Jared and Daniel handle the units."

Jared and Daniel stepped forward as I made my way out of the gym. I went straight to my room to shower and change. Today was a jeans and t-shirt kind of day. I asked Jack to bring some coffee and a bagel to the office. Once I sat down, I immediately started checking my email. Jack brought my breakfast a few moments later, and that's when I lost track of time.

I was vaguely aware of Jack bringing my lunch in. Lexi came in to check her emails. My mother came in to grab Lexi for who knows what reason and dropped a to-do list on my desk. Clearly, every available wolf would be busy tomorrow, making sure everything was ready for the ceremony. I continued going through my emails since it looked like my mother had invited the neighboring Alphas. I asked Jack to ensure that all available rooms in the pack house were ready for them.

Before I knew it, it was dinner time. Just as I was getting up from my desk, my phone vibrated.

LW: "Heading to the dining hall with Jess and Jared. See you there." I smiled as I sent her a quick text to let her know I was on my way down. As soon as I walked through the door, I saw our small group seated at the same table as the previous night. I made my way over just as the Omegas were bringing out dinner. After kissing Lexi on the forehead, I took the empty seat beside her. I listened to the conversations happening at the table. Jess and Lexi were discussing all the tasks they needed to complete the following day for the ceremony. They had been instructed to skip training by my mother. The guys were engaged in casual conversation, so I joined in with them.

Once we finished eating, we headed back to our room. We all changed silently and then climbed into bed. Liam lay on his back, allowing Lexi to snuggle up to him. I positioned myself as Lexi's big spoon, gently running my hand along her arm. It didn't take long for her breathing to become steady, indicating that she had fallen asleep. I draped my arm over her waist and quickly followed suit.

Lexi

I was abruptly awakened by someone jumping on my bed. I groaned and rolled over, burying my face in the pillow. I didn't need to look to know that it was Jess. I remained face down until I felt a hand smack my bottom and felt the bed shift. I heard her walk away, assuming she was going to the closet to choose my outfit for the day. Since it was my first time going into our small town, I was confident she would find something elegant.

After groaning and stretching, I made my way to the bathroom. I quickly washed my face and brushed my teeth. Running a brush through my hair, I decided to leave it down. It had a slight wave from air drying after yesterday's training session and looked beautiful. I applied some mascara and eyeliner before returning to the bedroom. Jess was lounging in the sitting area, engrossed in her phone, but she had laid out my outfit on the bed: black leggings, a white tank top, and a dark blue lace cardigan.

"You're welcome!"

I rolled my eyes and swiftly changed. Jess brought over my black flats as I slipped my arms into the cardigan. I slid my feet into the flats and grabbed my phone. We left the bedroom and headed to the kitchen. Jack had prepared coffee in travel mugs for us and had me taste a dessert for tomorrow. It was a winner, as expected, since it was blueberry cheesecake. We didn't have much time to chat with her before Maggie found us and guided us outside. Jen was waiting in the driver's seat of an SUV. Maggie sat beside her, so Jess and I climbed into the back.

Sipping my coffee, I watched the scenery swiftly pass by. Although we had driven this way many times over the years, I hadn't paid much attention before. From the pack house, you couldn't see any of the houses scattered throughout the territory. However, as we drove into town, you could vaguely make out the houses nestled within the woods. Every few yards, there would be a mailbox or a long driveway winding through the trees. It was incredibly peaceful.

Twenty minutes later, we arrived in the town. It was a small town with all the essentials. There were a few diners, a coffee shop, a movie theater, several small shops, and the dress shop we were heading to. From the outside, it didn't appear very large, but once we stepped inside, we realized how spacious it was. There were racks upon racks of dresses in every imaginable color. A woman who appeared to be around Maggie's age approached us. She had long red hair and vibrant green eyes. She greeted us with a warm smile and a bow.

"Welcome, Luna. I am Mina, the shopkeeper. Please follow me to the back, where I have your dress."