Page 2 of Alpha's Forbidden Bond

“There’s nothing I can do about that,” I said. “If she developed feelings, that would complicate things, but it could also be to my benefit.”

Mikeal dropped his hands and laughed at me once more. “I don’t know exactly what I was expecting when I said I would help you get ready to meet the woman you are to marry in a couple of weeks, but that said, I guess I’m not really surprised by your stoicism.” He patted my shoulder. “Now, c’mon. Let’s walk the grounds before the Morenos arrive. I need to get this cramp out of my leg.”

I smiled and followed him out the door, feeling a familiar sense of gratitude. The car accident might have taken my mother, but at least my brother was spared. I wouldn’t have been able to take over as alpha if it weren’t for him.

If he’d died that day as well, it would’ve broken me. There would’ve been no one able to take up the mantle, and our numbers probably would’ve continued to dwindle until the Vilks pack was simply no more.

Becc walked ahead of the rest of the pack. This would be only the second time I had come face to face with Sarafina’s twin brother, and I was determined to make this meeting more polite than the first one. We’d met a couple of months back when I first visited their compound on the East Coast and presented them with the idea of merging. If Becc had had his way back then, I would’ve been turned away immediately with a definitive ‘no.’ Unfortunately for him, his father and sister had a different opinion about my offer, and so they were now here to figure out the logistics and get on with the wedding.

Behind Becc, his sister walked alongside another woman. They were both wearing dresses, which were flowy and floral patterned. Sarafina had her bright blond hair cropped short around her slender and angelic face. Her eyes were ringed with dark black make-up, which was a ceremonial look for the Moreno pack women who were awaiting their wedding day. Or so I’d heard. Her friend was whispering into Sarafina’s ear, and the two of them would laugh softly to themselves occasionally.

My brother and I stood in the gazebo near the entrance of our compound, he on the step below me. The rest of our pack was gathered nearby, ready to greet the newcomers and get the feast started as soon as possible. We’d all been fasting for a day in accordance with one of our own end-of-summer traditions.

At the very back of the Moreno pack was an aging man being pushed in a wheelchair. Davis Moreno was the current pack leader, and he had suffered a near-fatal blow when their pack was attacked a decade or so ago. He had never been the same since, and everyone was keenly aware of just how little time the old man had left.

“Becc, hello,” I said once Sarafina’s brother was close enough to hear me. “Thank you for making the long journey all the way out here to California. We all very much appreciate the effort it took and hope you will find our accommodations perfectly comfortable and up to your standards.”

Becc nodded stiffly. “I’m sure it will all be fine.” He wasn’t smiling, not that I had really expected him to. “If you wouldn’t mind showing me where my dad’s accommodations are, the walk from the main road here was a bit of a trial for his wheels, and he needs to rest after being on a plane all day.”

“Of course.” I motioned to my brother. “Mikeal would be happy to show you and your father to the house where you and he will be staying. Your sister Sarafina is welcome to stay there as well, or if she would like a place to call her own, the guest house on my property has plenty of room for her and her friend.”

“She’ll be staying with me and my dad,” said Becc.

“Since when?” Sarafina butted in. It was the first time she’d spoken since arriving, and her voice was confident and clear as a bell. “I don’t remember agreeing to those sleeping arrangements. You know how I dread sharing a room with you, Becc. You snore like a bear, and it keeps me up. I would much rather stay in the guesthouse.” She grinned up at me. “Thank you, Alpha Vilks.”

I put my hand up. “Please, call me Andreas.” I looked at the whole pack. “I want you all to call me Andreas. I know where you come from, it is tradition to refer to leaders as alpha, but the Vilks have never followed that rule, and I’m afraid I wouldn’t even realize you were talking to me if you used such a title.” A few people nodded, and some whispered amongst themselves. “And since I already have everyone’s attention, let me be the first to welcome you to Silverleaf. We are honored to have you here on the compound. I’m sure you are all wary and hungry from your travels, so we will be serving dinner shortly. Everyone in the Vilks pack has been assigned a couple of Moreno pack members to house, so if you would all find the correct people, you can get settled into your temporary lodgings.”

I stepped down from the gazebo and walked past Becc, who gave me the side eye. I went straight to his sister’s side and held my arm out. “I can escort you to the guest house if you’d like, Sarafina.”

She smiled. “I would very much like that, thank you.” She looked at her friend before taking my arm. “Gentry, would you make sure my father has everything he needs and then come meet me on Al–I mean, Andreas’ property?”

“Absolutely,” her friend said. “I’ll have your bags and stuff brought along as well. The drivers are still waiting to be shown where to park off the main road.”

“Ah yes, that reminds me. Andreas, where should we have the cars parked?”

The cars! Damnit.

I knew I’d forgotten something. In my rush to get everything ready before the pack’s arrival, I had this gut feeling that I would let something slip through the cracks. Now I knew what it was. A few members of the Vilks pack owned cars, but seeing as we were mostly self-sufficient on the compound and going into town was a journey most of us made only once or twice a month, we really didn’t have much use for vehicles. Downtown Silverleaf was less than two miles away. It just seemed further because of the thick foliage that surrounded us—kept us hidden and tucked away. But of course, the Morenos had to rent cars in order to get here from the airport, and now they were wondering just where the hell they were supposed to park them.

“There’s a field,” I said quickly. “On the north side of the compound. Gentry, is it?”

Her friend smiled. “That’s me.”

“Would you mind going with, uh, oh! Nina!” I waved to one of my pack members, who immediately rushed over. “Nina, would you mind showing Gentry to the field on the far end of the compound? That’s where I’m going to have the Morenos park their rental cars.”

“Sure, no problem.”

The two of them left, and I led Sarafina back to my property. When we approached the house, she smirked. “You live in this house all alone? What do you need all this space for?”

I chuckled. “It’s way too big, I know. My brother lives with me as well, but even still. I’ve thought about moving to a different house a few times, but this is where I grew up. And it’s where the alpha family always lives. It used to be full, back when our numbers weren’t so low. People had way more kids back then, enough to fill even a house this size.”

“I know what you mean,” said Sarafina. “My grandfather was one out of eight kids, and my dad was one of five. But after my mother died having me and Becc, my dad wasn’t interested in remarrying and having more kids.”

“I can understand why.”

“Yes, well, having only two heirs might’ve been okay if we hadn’t been attacked. Good thing we don’t have to follow bloodlines.”

“What do you mean?”

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