Tess's POV.

“Alright, Tess, that’s enough for today.” My father tells me with that indifferent tone of his. I wipe my brow then remove my mouth guard. He gives me his sly smirk then helps Prentis to his shaky feet. “Go get a drink, Prentis. You did pretty well today.” Prentis blinks hard and I hold the ropes apart so he can get out of the ring. Daddy tosses me a water bottle and I nurse that sucker. “I wonder if your mate will be able to take you on,” Dad says almost to himself.

“He better be able to or he wont be worthy to be the next Alpha,” I answer as I lean my arms on the ropes while catching my breath. “That is if I ever find the poor bastard.” Daddy cracks up then separates the ropes for me to climb down.

“Whoever he is, he’ll be the luckiest wolf alive. Don’t stress so much. He’ll show up eventually.”

“Daddy. I’m 26 years old. I’m the oldest unmated female this side of the Mississippi, hell, probably all of America.”

“I’m sure there are other spinsters out there.” He musses my sweat-soaked hair and I huff.

“Thanks a lot.” I pack up my gear and we head home so I can shower then make dinner for the two of us, maybe three if Beta Morris stops in. It’s not a sexist thing, my dad seriously can’t cook for shit. When I was 9, he burned a pot trying to boil water for boxed mac 'n' cheese. It’s a good thing I’m a natural in the kitchen, just like my mom. She was killed in a robbery gone bad at a convenience store when I was young. Daddy hunted the bastards down and killed them both very slowly.

My dad is the greatest Alpha in America. Even pushing 60, he’s a tough son of a bitch. Alpha Micco Denton is the only Alpha that’s not opposed to associating with humans. We live on the California side of Lake Tahoe and we own a few ski resorts. Our territory is pretty secluded and further into the woods, but we still have to play nice with the humans to keep the money flowing. I have a degree in business management and I actually keep the books for both the pack and the resorts. Right now, they’re not nearly as busy since it’s summer.

Beta Ben Morris has his feet up on our porch rail with a beer in his hand as we climb the few steps. He gives us a nod. “Alpha, Tess.”

“Morris. Are you staying for dinner?” I ask then open our front door.

“Nah. Leslie is making her pulled pork and baked potatoes. You two are welcome over.” Leslie is his mate and she makes the best pulled pork. She smokes it for a minimum of 16 hours with her own special rub. Delicious!

“We’re down. We'll bring a case of beer and something for dessert.” I tell him then head inside to let them talk about whatever it is Morris came over for. I take a quick shower then throw on my denim shorts and tank top. My dark, almost black hair is still wet so I just put it in a quick bun then grab a flannel shirt and my Timberlands.

Morris is gone and Dad is pacing his office. He growls and shoves his files off his desk, sending papers flying everywhere. He’s so buff and he has his sleeves rolled up on his blue dress shirt. “Daddy?” For being old, he’s still handsome, considering he looks about my age.

He pinches the bridge of his nose then lets out a breath. He slowly turns to face me. “Tessalee.” Uh-oh. He’s using my given name. He gestures to his chair and I take a seat. “Ben’s dad let slip what the elders are talking about.” Jerry Morris is one of the twelve elders. He’s super cool, he’s also like 85 but looks to be in his late 50’s.

“Me?” I answer knowing dang well those old bastards are trying to usurp me. Once Dad retires, the pack goes to me. I’ve been training for it my whole life and I’m better than any male in our pack, however, the elders are a bunch of misogynists. Dad has placated them by telling them my mate will be the Alpha. I came up with this setup because he and I both know who the real leader will be. The Luna runs a pack anyway, am I right? It doesn’t matter, they can’t overthrow my dad, and Jerry is a huge fan of mine.

Dad lets out a sardonic tsk. “Of course. But there’s more to it. They want to make you take a chosen mate.”

“What? That’s a bunch of bullshit.” I knit my brows and shake my head in frustration. “They’re not forcing me to do a damned thing. Fuck them.”

“Tess.”

“Sorry, Dad, but you can’t expect me to go along with that shit.” I blanch as I get to my feet. This is outrageous.

Dad shakes his head. “No. They can’t. I won't let them. But Tess, I’m not getting any younger. I have to hand off the pack at some point. You and I both know they’re not going to follow a female. I have no problem with you being the Alpha, but if the elders don’t support you, the pack won’t be easy to sway. You and I have already agreed to you keeping the title of Luna for their sake.”

“It’s a bunch of bullshit if you ask me. I mean you’re the Alpha and I can kick any guy's ass.”

He slams his fist against the oak desk. “You’re right, it is a bunch of bullshit. Enough is enough.”

I grip his thick tense shoulders and rub with my thumbs. “Don’t burst a vein, dad. Let’s go hang out with the Morris’s. Leslie’s cooking always makes you feel better.”

Dad lets out a breath then nods. “Yeah, it does.” He clears his throat. “They’re uh… they’re tossing around names of who they think would make the best Alpha.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” I roll my eyes. “Who?”

Dad looks up at the ceiling and lets out a breath before answering. “Parker, Silas… and Griffin.”

“Griffin?” I nearly spit out. I know my face is contorted into one of disgust. “He’s a cocky arrogant asshole and Silas and Parker have both kicked his ass a handful of times. I would have too if the wuss would actually fight a girl.” I say imitating his city attitude. I sneer at the thought. “Besides it's not my fault he rejected his mate. Why should I have to settle for him?”

“Yeah, well he’s also Elder Bram’s grandson.” I groan. Elder Bram is the most misogynistic of the bunch, he also has the most sway when it comes to the council for some reason. You would think Elder Denton would have the most sway, being my grandpappy and all. Dad wraps his thick arm around my slender shoulders. “Like I said; I’m not letting this happen. The elders have yet to bring it up and the next council meeting isn’t for another three weeks. The only reason we know anything is because of Jerry. Let’s not out him for keeping us informed. We have to act like we have no clue that they’re going to push for this.”

I grunt but nod my head. “Fine. After dinner, I’m grabbing the guys and we’re going to the bar. I need to let off some steam.”

“Try to be back before morning. You’re working the tots tomorrow.” The tots are what we call the really little ones, the pups that aren’t quite pups yet. They’re around five or six and should be getting their wolves within the season. I say should because sometimes there are late bloomers, like me. I didn’t get my wolf until I was almost eight. Most pups get their wolves around six. Being a late bloomer made me work even harder.

“Yeah,” I respond then head into the kitchen. I text the gang while I whip up a quick batch of brownies then grab ice cream and beer. Dad hops up into my Chevy Trailblazer while I load up everything in the back seat, then we drive to Ben and Leslie’s.

Leslie has become a second mom to me. She and Ben have three offspring; Indy, Donnie, and Val. Donnie is 22, has a mate, and is the next Beta for our pack, once Dad and Ben decide to retire. His mate Trisha is expecting so he’s always catering to her. They probably won't be here. Indy is the same age as me and she’s my best friend. Indy and her mate Justin will most likely show up for dinner. Her mate is in his early thirties and happens to be the pack doctor. Val is a total book nerd and just finished her senior in High school. Her mate could show up any time now.

There’s no specific age when you find your mate. Indy and Justin have known they’re mates since grammar school. Justin lived in another pack, but he knew he wanted to be a doctor. He finished school before they actually mated officially. He marked her when they were 16 though.

Indy’s car is parked outside the house and I smile to myself for being right. “Tess you whore! Get your ass in here!” She yells from just inside the screen door.

“Hang on, super snatch! I gotta grab the brownies.” I yell out. We call each other sexually explicit names all the time, even though technically I’m still a virgin and she waited for Justin.

“Special brownies?” She asks as she steps out on the porch.

“Not this time.” Dad grabs the case of beer then walks past her and into the house.

“Damn.” She says under her breath, but of course we can all hear her. She shrugs her shoulder then grabs the ice cream and we follow my dad inside. We drop off the food then Indy pulls me into her old room. “So guess what?” I shake my head having no idea, but I know she’s going to fill me in on the gossip that for some reason, I’m always the last to know. “Silas and Mavis broke up because he caught her going down on Griffin. This was after she told him she had a crush on an older guy… You’re never going to believe this. She wants to hook up with your dad.”

“Ewe! What a whore. No wonder her mate rejected her. I still can’t believe Silas went out with her.”

“I know, right? Silas told me he still has the hots for you and wanted to make you jealous, but I’m not supposed to tell you that.”

Indy has my head spinning. Mavis was once our friend back in middle school days, but she became a power-hungry bitch. She started hanging around anyone she thought would give her a good standing, hence why she hung out with us to start with. Silas and I dated in high school, but we broke up while he was away during our senior year. His granddad was pretty sick so I wanted him to focus on his family. I started dating Griffin at the start of the school year, which was the biggest mistake of my life because he thought he could get into my pants, thus becoming the Alpha.

Silas and I are still pretty tight and he never blamed me for dating other guys since that was what he told me to do. After Griffin, I became more serious in my training and haven’t really had a boyfriend since. Silas and I have had a little fun during some lonely nights, but never rekindled a relationship. “Silas screwed up when he started hanging around Mavis. Is Avery coming out tonight?

“She’ll meet us there.” Avery is Mavis' cousin. She’s Donnie’s age, super sweet, and has yet to meet her mate. “Silas is coming too.”

“What did he do when he caught Griffin and Mavis?”

Indy shrugs her shoulder. “They didn’t fight or anything. Weird, huh?”

I shake my head. “Not really. Silas has always been pretty level-headed.”

Val knocks on the door. “Indy, Tess. Dinner.”

“Okay,” we both answer then get to our feet. I follow Indy out to the copious piles of food.

Jerry is at the table so I give him a hug. “Elder Morris,” I say in greeting.

“Luna Denton.” He responds patting my back. Technically I’m the Luna since my mom died and my dad never took a second mate, but I’m not actually the Luna according to the Council until my mate takes over the pack. Eye roll.

The Council is made up of 15 Elders from across the United States and Canada. Grand Pappy is on that council and spends a lot of time in Montana. So much so, he has a cabin up there and is there most of the time. He’s 68 but looks to be in his early 50’s. What can I say, werewolves have good genes. He’ll be back for the elder's meeting in three weeks. I’m sure he’ll have my back too… at least I hope. Grand Pappy loves the hell out of me, but for one thing; I’m not a boy. He’s not misogynistic, but he is old-fashioned.

I pull back from Jerry. “Can I get you a plate?”

“Oh hell no. I’m not that old yet.” Jerry gets to his feet and pulls me along with him to the food table. “Tell me, Tess. Are you dating anyone?”

I shake my head. “Not really.”

He gets a contemplative look. “You should get out more. Maybe visit other packs. You can’t just wait for your mate to fall into your lap.”

My thoughts return to my conversation with my dad. “You’re right he wont. He’s definitely not in our pack. The few single males in our pack leave little to choose from. Honestly, though, I don’t want to take a choice mate. I would hate for another female to lose out on her true mate.”

His knowing eyes look over me and he smirks. “I agree. Choice mates are never as strong of a match anyway. Being an alpha pair, you finding your true mate would be best.”

I smile at him then kiss his cheek. “An excellent point.” We load our plates then I find Indy and Justin while Jerry goes back to his seat. After dinner, we clean up then head out.

I leave my SUV with Dad and Justin drives us to the resort where we normally congregate when someone needs to get plastered. Tonight it’s me. Silas and Parker are already here with Avery. Avery is looking hot in a cute dress and heels. Silas is eyeing her pretty hard until he spots me. "Hey, killer." He says and pulls me in for a hug and a sneaky kiss just behind my ear. He knows that spot makes me shudder. Silas is hot. His broad shoulders and perfect face would make any girl want to ride it. His blond hair is soft and kind of shaggy, but combed to the right with the sides short.

"Silas, not tonight. I'm not playing sloppy seconds to Mavis." I pull out of his embrace. His growl rumbles softly, but I can hear it. He throws his head back and grunts.

Prentis waves to me from the other side of the bar. He's here with some of his friends and his face is still a little bruised. “Is that your handiwork?” Silas points with his beer. I know Prentis can hear us, even over the thumping music. Prentis is Silas’ brother. I like the kid, he’s a really hard worker.

I steal Silas’ bottle and take a drink. “Sure is. He’s getting better though.” I give Prentis a wink then hand Silas back his beer. "Are you upset with me?"

He downs the rest of the beer then pulls me onto the dance floor. "Never. I'm mad at myself. I never should've been with her. You and Indy both warned me away countless times. I was an idiot."

"I would say so. Indy said you didn't fight Griffin?" I cock my brow.

Silas shrugs his shoulder. "It wasn't worth it. Griffin knows I can take him and I'm sure Indy told you why I was with her to begin with."

"It didn't work," I tell him bluntly. "You of all people know perfectly well that I want to find my mate."

"It was worth a shot. You know you're the only one worth giving up a true mate for."

I roll my eyes and shake my head at his stupidity. "I'm through playing around. No matter how good you are with your mouth. It's time I focus on finding my mate."

Indy and Avery join us on the dance floor with Justin and Parker, ending any more conversation regarding "us." I dance between Silas, Parker, and Indy. Silas gets hold of my waist. “You want to get some air with me? We need to talk about this.” He says just loud enough to hear.

I lean into him. “I just got here and I'm having fun. Besides, I'm in need of way more alcohol.”

Silas laughs then grabs my hand to drag me to the bar. “Six shots.” He orders and we go shot for shot before ordering more and a beer chaser.

I peer out over the dance floor and catch Avery eyeing Silas and I barely keep my jaw from dropping. Huh. Avery actually wants Silas? I never would’ve guessed. The music changes up and the gang joins us at the bar. I order more shots then lean in to whisper. “I’m not the one that's going home with you tonight. Maybe take Avery for a spin. That would really piss off Mavis.”

Silas groans from being shot down. "I don't care about getting back at Mavis."

"Whatever, but Avery has eyes for you tonight," I whisper so only he can hear.

"I've never really thought about her, but she is pretty hot."

I laugh it off and grab Parker, Indy, and Justin to dance.

“Did you just turn Silas down?” Indy asks over the music.

“Yeah. Avery has goo-goo eyes for him. Look.”

"That's not like you. The two of you have always been back up for each other." Indy peeks toward the bar and hums. “They’re cute together.”

I nod then sidle up to Parker, he’s also pretty hot. Let’s be honest, werewolves are fit, there are very few unattractive males. Parker is more moral than the rest of us. He’s not one into flings or one-night stands, but that doesn’t stop him from gripping my hips and dancing with me. I glance at Silas and Avery. They’re chatting it up, leaning into each other’s space.

Indy and Parker both load us with shots and pretty soon I’m feeling pretty tipsy. Prentis asks for a dance, then I head back to Indy. I throw my arms around her and pull her out to dance. After a while, she drags me back to the bar for more shots and beer. The bar gets more crowded as the night progresses, thank the Goddess, but most of the patrons are human.

A fight between two humans breaks out just behind me. We ignore them until one shoves into my back and I spill my beer down my top. “Son of a bitch. Seriously?” I set what's left of my beer down and turn to the morons still going at it. I’m not having it so I step between them and grip them both by the front of their shirts and pull them close. “Alright. Who’s ass do I need to kick? You made me spill my beer all over the front of my shirt.” I look between the two. They both look over my chest.

The males both laugh, but the bigger, uglier of the two answers. “Sorry sweetheart. You’re welcome to just take it off.” I let the other guy go and turn to face ugly. With one swing, I connect with his temple and knock his ass out cold. I turn to the other guy. “Do I hear an apology?” He smirks as his eyes lock on my chest again. I cock my brow and swing on him. The fucker goes down and I let the bouncers take it from there.

Indy grabs my hand and drags me into the bathroom. “Here hag, take my shirt.” She goes to pull off her top, but I stop her. “I have my flannel, but thanks.” I rip my tank top over my head so I’m left in just my black lace bra.

“So why are you getting trashed and letting humans bug you? You said you needed to blow off steam, but you never told me why.” She asks as she fixes her hair.

“The elders are going to try to force me to take a choice mate, one that they choose.” I throw my top under the water and try to get some of the alcohol smell out of it.

“What! They can’t do that. That’s fucked up.” She faces me with her hand on her hip.

I shrug. “They haven’t decided on anything yet, but Brahms is pushing for it. He just wants Griffin to be the next Alpha.”

She grunts. “Of course he does, except for one thing; you hate Griffin. Even if you mated him, your bond would be weak, if it exists at all. That’s not good for an Alpha pair. They should know that.”

“I guess they don’t care as long as the Alpha isn’t female. Silas and Parker are both in the running. Silas knows I want my mate, and everyone knows Parker wants his.” Indy grunts along with me. “I’m done for tonight. I’m only getting more worked up. This isn't helping and I have to figure out what to do.”

“I don’t know, if anyone could break Parker, it’s definitely you.” Indy hates when I leave without her and is just looking for an excuse for me to stay.

“I don’t want to corrupt him.” I wring out my shirt then snap it out a few times. “You guys have fun.”

“You want me to ask Justin to drive you?”

“Nah. I think I’ll walk home.”

“It’ll be sunrise before you get home. Justin and I will take you. It’s no trouble, really.”

I sling my flannel on then tie it under my breasts. “I know it’s not. I'm going to let my wolf out and roam around for a while.” I kiss her cheek. “Love ya, babe.” I grab one more shot, pay my tab, then sneak out before anyone else notices I’m gone.

Walking home from the bar isn’t uncommon for me, I love being in my wolf. The night air is still warm and in my tipsy state feels good on my skin as I strip out of my clothes and shove it all in my sack. I take a deep breath then let it out along with my wolf. In seconds, I’m on all fours with my nose in the air. I grab my sack then scamper through the woods. I’m outside of our territory, which is a big no-no, but I never care. The only scary thing out here is the hunter, but he hasn’t been out here in years.

The hunter has a cabin west of our territory. Last time I was there, the place was run down and the hunter's scent was long gone. I actually really like the area. The trees are thick and the ground is soft. There’s also a small stream that my wolf loves to play in. My wolf puts on a burst of steam and we rush over to the running water. I drop my sack then jump in and out of the trickling stream. After splashing around, I get a drink then curl up at the base of a tree. The alcohol has kicked in and I’m too tired to go home now.