Page 32 of Alpha Gray

“Why are you so eager to marry us off?” Brooke asks, and I’ve gotta say she has a point. Ever since we turned eighteen, our mom has been pushing us to find our mates.

Mom gives a little wave of her hand. “I’m not trying to marry you off,” she scoffs. “I just want you two to find something like your father and I have, that’s all. IwishI found it when I was your age. The earlier you find your mate, the more time you’ll have together.” She gets a far-off look in her eyes.

“What’s the rush? I’m doing perfectly fine on my own.” I cross my arms in front of my chest protectively.

Mom pats my leg. “I never said you weren’t, honey.”

I sigh again. “I still think it’s a little unfair that fate gets to choose my mate for me, instead of me choosing for myself,” I grumble, toying with a frayed thread on the couch cushion. “With my luck I’ll get a total dud.”

“That’s not how it works, sweetie,” Mom says kindly. “I wish I could explain the mate bond to you, but there aren’t even words to describe it. When you meet him on the full moon, you’ll just know. And when the bond snaps in place, it’s the best feeling in the world. It’s like you’re finally complete.”

I stick out my tongue and make a fake gagging noise. Brooke giggles.

“Just keep an open mind,” Mom adds.

“Hate to say it, Mom, but the more you talk about the mate bond, the less I think I want it,” Brooke murmurs.

Mom darts a look in her direction, like she’s surprised by Brooke’s sudden cynicism. She’s usually the more easygoing one, so I’m sure her comment catches mom off guard.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Mom asks incredulously.

Brooke shrugs, rocking forward and standing up. “I mean you say that when you find your mate, your whole life basically becomes about living for that person,” she says, walking toward the kitchen. She pulls open the fridge and pulls out a can of Diet Coke, cracking it open.

She looks over at Mom, reading her wounded expression, and offers a hint of a smile. “No offense, I know you’re super happy with dad and you think the mate bond is this great thing, but I’m really getting into my groove with this new gig. I’m living formeright now.”

She takes a sip of her soda and Mom doesn’t respond. After she swallows, she adds, “but I’ll keep an open mind.”

“That’s all I ask!” Mom chirps, rising to her feet and heading into the kitchen. Brooke’s returning to the living room and she gives her shoulder a little squeeze as she passes by her.

The front door swings open and I crane my neck to look over the back of the couch as Dad walks in.

“Girls?!” A huge smile spreads across his face when he sees Brooke and I, and he rushes over to give us each a big hug.

“I told you they’d be back,” he comments to Mom, and she just smirks. He looks from me to Brooke, beaming. “Just in time for the run, too! Are you ready?”

Brooke and I exchange wary glances and nod.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Gray

I remember being so excited for my first full moon run, years ago. My parents hyped it up and I was convinced that I’d find my mate on my first run after I turned eighteen. I didn’t, but I still felt like the world was filled with so many more possibilities. A few months later, my parents were dead, and I guess my optimism died with them. I’ve been on countless full moon runs since then, but now they’re all about pack bonding. Finding a mate is rarely on my mind anymore.

Because the squad complex is in such close proximity to my pack’s town, we invite the squad to run with us on the full moon. Our pack’s small, so it’s nice to have more numbers to run with- and the recruits that stay behind are always welcome, too. Only twelve or so of the recruits stayed behind this time, and they’re all males.Shocker.

We all gather at the packhouse at dusk and I’m greeted by my beta, Deke. He’s been instrumental in helping run the pack over the summer while I’m busy with training. Deke is about ten years older than me, and his hair’s already turning a little grey. He served as my dad’s beta and he’s always been a mentor to me. Without him, I wouldn’t have had a clue as to how to step up and lead the pack when I suddenly became the alpha. Other than the guys I run the squad with, Deke’s the closest thing I have to family.

“We’re all set, Alpha,” Deke says as I descend the stairs from my room in the packhouse. The packhouse is sprawling- and it has to be, because it houses me in one wing, Deke and his family in another, and any visitors to our pack in a third. We also hold all of our pack meetings here, so there’s an enormous room at its center to accommodate everyone.

“Thanks, Deke,” I reply, clapping him on the shoulder as I reach the bottom of the stairs. The big double-doors in the front of the packhouse are propped open and people are already filing inside.

Deke just gives me a nod, and I lean in. “Seriously. You’ve been holding this pack together lately, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed.”

The corner of his mouth ticks up into a half-smile. “Just doing my job, Alpha,” he says.

Deke’s mate, Holly, sidles up to us, reaching out for Deke’s hand. “Ready to run, babe?” she asks, looking up at him with a sly grin.

Holly is a little thing- barely 5’5” and slight in stature. She’s got light brown hair and huge green eyes, like an anime character. Holly’s one of those super maternal types, and she basically adopted me as a son after my parents died. I owe her a lot, because she’s incredibly patient and helped me work through my grief in that first year when it felt like the world was closing in on me.

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