Winters Pride - Book 1 of Australian Wolfblood Chronicles

Chapter 4

Sarge had been anxious ever since Danielle ran off without any warning, but he was laughing on the inside that she managed to get out of Timothy’s grip the way she had. When she had left, the two guys got into a bit of a tiff and had to be pulled apart by Justin and the Gamma of the Midnight Range pack, Daniel Coffs.

“Will you two grow up!?” Daniel snarled, pulling Timothy away from Sarge. “You’re an Alpha and Beta for fucks sake and if you’ve happened to forget, it’s a very important day for Luna and Alpha Mirage so I would suggest cooling it before we lock you both up.” Sarge looked at Daniel and could see his eyes had gone wolf. His own wolf wanted to rise to the challenge but Sarge knew when enough was enough.

Sarge shrugged off Justin who was a bit hesitant and wary of what his Alpha might do. “You so much as touch my mate again and I will tear you limb from limb.” Sarge warned before turning and walking away. He heard Timothy grumble something but ignored it as Justin walked up beside him.

“What was that about?” Sarge just grunted at his friend and Justin stopped, pulling Sarge to a stop with him. “Don’t brush me off Sarge.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Sarge pulled his arm from Justin’s grip before he heard a growl come from his friend. He turned quickly and stalked towards his friend, his eyes flashing wolf as he growled back at his friend. “Remember your place Goldgate. I am your Alpha, do NOT growl at me.”

“I wouldn’t have to if you'd just tell me! You got into a fight with the Beta of this pack over something that obviously wasn’t nothing.” Sarge went to say something back when Alpha Mirage announced for everyone to sit for the starting of the ceremony.

“I’ll talk afterwards.” Sarge grumbles as he walked to his place among the gathering people. He sits next to one of the other Alphas from across the country who he knew from pack alliances. He talked a bit before Alpha Mirage walked onto the stage and started speaking.

“Today we gather here to help celebrate the rise of a generation to take the place of those who currently take charge. This ceremony is not going to be very traditional as the Gamma and Delta have already been chosen. The Beta position will either stay with its current holder unless the new Alpha wishes to change it.” Murmurs were heard around the crowd but Sarge ignored them. He didn’t like how every ceremony he had been to in the past had been all about tradition. To him, this was a welcome change.

As much as Sarge tried to keep up with what the Alpha was saying, his mind kept wandering to Danielle. He hated that he hadn’t seen her again before the ceremony had started but he was worried about that fact. It seemed to niggle at the back of his mind that something had spooked her or upset her and he had no idea what.

“So without a further ado, I’d like to introduce the new Alpha of the Midnight Range pack, Maximus Mirage.” A round of applause went up as a man not much shorter than Nigel Mirage walked out with girl next to him. Must be his mate Sarge thought to himself. She was beautiful without a doubt, but it made Sarge wish he had Danielle by his side.

Maximus smiled at his father and Sarge felt a surge of jealousy that he never had a relationship like that with his father. It didn’t take long before Max had been sworn in and he walked forwards. The gathering of people had gone silent, not quite sure what to expect.

“As the new Alpha, I wish to change the person who holds the position of the Beta.” Max’s eye catches Timothy’s but he doesn’t look so worried about it. “It may not seem like a logical choice to some of you, but I know no other person for the task of being the Beta by my side.” He turned and looked at the woman behind him and she smiled at him silently telling him to continue.

Turning back to face the crowd, Max scanned over the crowd to find who he was looking for. He smiled when he found them. “The Beta position now belongs to Danielle Arcsova.” The crowd went silent as every eye turned to the girl who had only just appeared at the back of the gathering with her uncle.