The Protector

Prologue

Prologue

Wolves desires a pack, every pack has two leaders... An Alpha and a Luna.

Smoke curled lazily about the Victorian style study. A distinguished looking gentleman with chestnut hair that had gone to grey and a neatly trimmed beard, sat behind a large cherry wood desk. He absently blew smoke rings in the air as he indulged in one of his favorite cigars. A younger man with sharp dominant features, much like the older man, sat patiently in front of the desk waiting for the other to speak. Knowing what the conversation was most likely to be about, the younger man was not anxious to begin. Besides trying to initiate a conversation before the elder was ready was futile. After a moment, Alpha John Mason looked at his oldest son.

"I don't know what to do, Jonathan." The Alpha sighed setting down his cigar on the side of a crystal ashtray. "I'm getting older and you still haven't found a mate as of yet. Without a mate the council refuses to allow the title of Alpha to be passed to you. And the number of young wolves looking for position are growing. The Challenge of the New Moon is coming in less than 2 months and I'm not sure I will be able to beat the new upstarts." Jonathan knew his father was still in his prime but an old injury that had caused permanent damage to his right leg left him with a slight limp. It was a weakness that other wolves would prey upon.

"I never wanted to do this but you are going to have to accept that your mate, whoever she was, is dead and that you are going to have to find a replacement mate before the tourney. Otherwise we may have a new Alpha soon."

Being 30 and still unmated was almost unheard of, especially for an Alpha's heir. Werewolves are only half complete and the two halves of their souls will immediately seek each other as soon as they shift. While some wolves can shift as early as 13 or 14 although most shift at the age of 15. However for some, their wolves are so weak that they never shift at all. Regardless of their first shift, at the age of 16 all werewolves can sense their mates as long as their mates have shifted or are of the age of 16 or older.

Everyone in the pack had long whispered, not daring to speak out loud, among themselves that Jonathan's mate was dead or worse the Alpha's heir was cursed and wasn't given a mate. Alpha males were notoriously domineering and controlling. Unmated or widowed wolves were given to being excessively cruel and unreasonable. Only a strong mate, called a Luna, could curb these tendencies and provide stability to the pack. Packs needed a powerful Alpha but without a mate, male wolves were considered unfit to rule.

Natural secession of father to son was acceptable without challenge. However every 25 years, Alphas could be fought for their position. An Alpha must have held the position for at least a year to be challenged and must be at least 18 years old. The event took place under a new moon when their wolves were at their weakest. Therefore whoever won would not just be relying solely on the brute strength of their wolves but also on their human's cunning. Challenge fighting, of any sort, on a full moon was not permitted for fear that it would allow the savage side of their wolves to gain control; without the influence of their human side there was a chance that the wolf would simply kill in a haze of blood lust.

"I understand father." Jonathan said.

His father was right. He knew that putting off the inevitable was useless. Jonathan had merely used the excuse of a mate to not be shackled down. He found it more beneficial not being mated. After all his father already passed down many of the Alpha's responsibilities and authority to him and he wasn't greedy for a title. He enjoyed women a great deal and had several lovers that understood his needs but he would never consider them for Luna despite knowing their aspirations. Women, even his mate-to-be, were just nothing better than bed warmers. He would never allow any woman to be more than that.

And love? That was a fool's folly and a request for pain. He only wanted his mate because of his wolf and because soulmates made two individuals stronger and more powerful. As a silver wolf, the abilities of his mate would only be enhanced and then become his own. Perhaps he would find a woman with a black wolf that would give him enhanced super strength or if he was lucky a rare red wolf that was known for their intelligence. It was not unheard of that one's mate was human but some wolves, high ranked wolves especially, reject human mates because there was only a 50% chance that they would have wolf offspring. Rejection was not something to be taken lightly. Once a bond is broken, there was no guarantee that a new bond would form with someone else.

A mate he needed so a powerful mate he would find. His wolf immediately rebelled against the idea of claiming anyone that wasn't his true half. Pushing aside his wolf's concern, the younger man nodded, "If I haven't found my mate in the next month I will select one of the unmated wolves in our pack as Luna."

Jonathan stood to leave. The Alpha felt only sorrow. He and his mate had looked forward to their children finding the love and happiness they shared. But now faced with their oldest son being forced to pick a female wolf that was not his mate was heartbreaking. It felt like a failure on their parts even though it was completely out of their hands.

"I wish there was another way son." the remorse in his father's voice made him pause.

"But there isn't." Jonathan replied firmly as he opened the door and exited.

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First chapter. Let me know what you think... I think that people who are directionally challenged should avoid cul de sacs at all cost.