Page 14 of The Alpha Wolf's Pregnant Bride

“Death, Mother. You're allowed to say the word.”

“You make it sound so… bland,” Mother sniffs, prompting me to turn my face. “Can you imagine what a ball of a time your Father's having up there, in the Moon Goddess's playground?” She nods toward the moon. “Once I get there, he's gonna get a piece of my mind.”

“Mother!”

“What?” she scoffs. “He knows I'm coming for him. The only reason I'm still around is ‘cause you're still single.”

I chuckle lowly. “Even more reason for me tostaysingle. You're not leaving me any time soon.”

“I didn't raise a Mama's boy, Cyrus.”

“Neither did you raise a weak man. I'm quite capable of leading this pack on my own,” I huff determinedly.

“What about a successor for when you want to retire? Or—”

When Mother's voice falters, I chuckle. “Or when I die?” I ask with a raised brow. “Not so appealing now, is it?”

“Shut your big mouth, Cyrus Rudolph!” Mother slaps my arm. “That name's gonna die out along with you.”

“Maybe I'll have a kid in the city, a hybrid,” I jest.

It's not a joke that Mother takes lightly, going on to scold me about the dangers of exposing our identity to humans and how a human woman wouldn't be able to carry a werewolf pup to full term.

I sigh when she's done giving me a lecture. “I don’t need a mate, Mother,” I contend. “She-wolves are too complicated for my liking.”

“That's only because you think everyone needs to be subservient to you,” Mother scoffs, shaking her head. “You think your father ever considered me as anything but his equal?”

“He was different,” I defended.

“Yes, hewasdifferent. He gave this pack a son, at least,” Mother sneers as she turns on her heel. I notice the disappointment flashing in her eyes when she says, “You should do the same or kiss the Rudolph legacy goodbye.”

Mother storms off, leaving me on the balcony to contemplate my life's decisions. There isn't much to deliberate since I'd already decided that having a mate isn't in the cards for me.

The human world is littered with enough females to quench my hunger for bodily pleasures.

I don't need a mate, even if that means that the Rudolph legacy ends with me. What's the point of having a son? One son? I scoff. Goddess knows that the life of a Moon Shine Alpha is too lonely when he has to do it all alone.

My retaliation for growing up as the only Rudolph child is to ensure that it doesn't happen to another poor, unsuspecting boy like me.

When I'm on my deathbed, I'll hand over the responsibilities to my Beta, Jarrod. As the closest thing to a brother I've ever had, he'll be the one to take over for this pack.

Until then, it's of utmost importance to secure the safety of the Moon Shine Pack.

That means I'll have to stop caring about measly, half-bred Moon Shine members like Cassandra.

***

Jarrod gathers his devices from his desk and rushes to me. “I have good news!” he beams. “Asuka has agreed to a meeting tonight.”

“Tonight?” I groan, briskly walking toward the elevator. I hit the key with annoyance, my lips curling sourly. I hoped I'd spend the night in a bar in Oklahoma City instead of returning home this evening.

After a grueling day spent in meetings and sealing deals with new investors, I need to unwind. Going home would only mean that I risk bumping into Cassandra.

The sole individual who incites such anger in me.Now, having to attend a meeting with the hacker, I won't be able to loosen my tie just yet.

“Well, not her, but her rep,” Jarrod explains.

“Geez. How many people does this woman have working for her?”

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