The Alphas Sister (Complete)

Chapter One: Restless Wolves and Family Ties

I could've been doing something way more productive today than tagging along with the alpha to pick up his little sister and parents. Like, say, getting laid, something that hadn't happened in far too long thanks to the insane workload we'd been buried under. Rogues meant paperwork, and screwing up the forms when you killed one could get you killed right back. One misplaced checkmark, one sloppy signature, and the werewolf council would have your head, literally. I'd seen it happen once, two years back, to a beta from a rival pack. Poor bastard didn't double-check his kill report, and the council's enforcers showed up at his door. They don't mess around.

I stared out the passenger window of Cade's sleek black BMW as he drove us to the airport, the hum of the engine a faint buzz beneath my restless thoughts. He'd insisted I come along, claiming I was "part of the family" and he wanted company for the ride. If I could've dodged this hour-long trip, I would've, but when your best friend and alpha asks, saying no isn't really an option. Loyalty's a chain that binds tighter than steel in a pack like ours.

As grumpy as I felt being cooped up in the car, I was glad to keep him company. Not that I was great company right now, lost in my own head, barely saying a word. The forest blurred past in streaks of green and brown, the occasional deer darting through the underbrush. I envied them their freedom; my wolf itched to run, to shake off the tension coiling in my muscles. Sitting still was torture.

A snap of fingers jolted me out of my daze. "You alright, buddy? You've been quiet the whole way," Cade said, raising an eyebrow before focusing back on the road. His voice carried that easy confidence he'd grown into since taking over as alpha three years ago, but I caught the flicker of concern in his glance.

I sighed and decided to spill it. "Yeah, just thinking I could've been getting laid instead of stuck on this ride with you." I forced a laugh, trying to lighten the weight of it.

He chuckled, a deep rumble that filled the car. "Don't worry. Once you find your mate, you'll never feel like you're missing out." He shot me a wink, his grin smug and knowing.

Cade had found his mate almost a year ago, a girl from a neighbouring pack he'd bumped into at the mall, of all places. She'd been buying a smoothie; he'd been grabbing protein bars. One whiff of her scent, and he'd been a goner. They'd been glued to each other ever since, the kind of couple that made you roll your eyes but secretly ache for what they had.

The thought of finding my own mate tugged a reluctant smile onto my face. "Is it really that good?" I asked, genuinely curious. I'd been waiting three long years, years that dragged on endlessly, each full moon a reminder of what I didn't have and I was ready to settle down. If only I could find her. The longing gnawed at me, sharper lately, like my wolf knew something I didn't.

He grinned, eyes softening as he stared ahead. "It's the best. I've never been happier. She completes me and, well, you'll figure out the rest when it happens." He laughed again, a sound so carefree it almost pissed me off.

I was happy for him, genuinely. Cade had a solid Luna by his side, adored by the pack. She wasn't with us today because she was heavily pregnant with the future alpha, due any day now. The pack buzzed with anticipation, bets circulating on whether it'd be a boy or girl. I'd put ten bucks on a boy, mostly to mess with Cade, who swore it'd be a girl.

But thinking about my own mate left a hollow ache in my chest. What if I never found her? What if I was alone forever? At twenty-one, I wasn't old, but in a pack where most paired off by nineteen, I felt ancient. I shoved the thoughts away, focusing on the road signs flashing by. Airport: 5 miles.

We pulled up to the terminal, and I practically leapt out of the car, my legs screaming for freedom. I hated being confined, vehicles were the worst. I'd rather run in wolf form, it'd probably be faster anyway, cutting through the forest trails instead of winding along these human roads. My wolf paced inside me, restless, claws scraping at my restraint.