Page 1 of Rise of the Alpha

Prologue

Magnolia

Beingpartofapack was supposed to be the greatest thing. Loyalty above all to your pack and, most importantly, the Alpha. Twice a year, packs across the United States came together with the ultimate goal of finding their mate. But when you are part of the Exodus Pack, you can forget that happening. We never leave pack grounds, our mate bonds are formed from blood and tears and with members of Exodus only!

Unfortunately, I was born into a pack of bigoted elitists. Their mindset, drilled into them for longer than I can remember, is that they’re far superior to all others. We’re preached to, from the time we’re pups and no longer suckling on our mother’s tit, that other packs are weak because they’re impure from breeding with other weaker wolves or even worse, they're blasphemous and allow other species to live with them.

Our pack was large, however, low in females. About sixty years ago, our former Alpha instituted a rule that all females would take multiple mates, which is still in effect to this day. Each year, when a female turns twenty-one, a battle is held. Every eligible non-mated male wolf has the opportunity to submit his name to fight for the right to own her bond. The males then battle, to submission or death, for the female. If no males come forward for the female, then a random draw takes place, and she receives only one mate, as she is deemed undesirable and unlikely to produce a powerful offspring. The rumors often whispered are that the males that are chosen abuse their females and only want her to ensure the continuation of their wolf line. They belittle their mate and beat her but always ensured they never hurt the pup she could be carrying. In my opinion, the female is the poor unfortunate soul in that mating. For the female who has many suitors, she gets the top four candidates after a battle in the pit.

My mother once told me a story about when she was a young woman. She had found the man she wanted to be mated to. He was loving and kind, everything the men of the Exodus pack weren’t. Much to her dismay, she was sought after by others. Three beta wolves had long wanted her and saw this as their chance to take her, they didn’t care she had already chosen a mate. Since they were of high standing, my mother was given to them. This broke my mother’s heart, but she swore her love to only one man, the one she wanted. Her mates now knew her heart belonged to another, and it infuriated them. Her love, the man she wanted, was killed by a rogue wolf while on a hunt. My mother often secretly questioned if it was really my father and her other mates, but feared what would happen if she ever questioned it. My mother became a sullen woman. After enduring their abuse and finding out she was pregnant with me, she made the hard decision to become the compliant wolf her mates wanted her to be. She spilled her story and her fear of what would happen to me when I came of age one night, which I never forgot.

I just turned eighteen, and I know this isn’t the life, or the pack, for me, but I’m bound to it. I want a chance to experience life, to live normally without their watchful eyes on me twenty-four hours a day. So, a year ago, unbeknownst to my father, I applied to colleges outside of our state. I was accepted to not one but three, and I want to attend the one the farthest away, Arcayne University in Albany, New York. The best thing about this college, and what I hoped would seal the deal with my father, was that it’s a school strictly for supernaturals.

It took six months, but after constant pleading and finally promising I would no longer fight the mating challenge, he gave in. He gave me stipulations though. The obvious no dating, because, as I said before if you aren’t from our pack, you are considered low status. I also have to come home for every holiday break and one weekend a month. The condition I fought the most, but was the dealbreaker for my father, is that I have to be here next summer for the ranking ceremony. During the summer of your nineteenth year, you are tested to determine if you’re an Alpha, Beta, Delta, Omega, or subordinate wolf. This determines not only your importance to the pack, but helps draw in your potential suitors. My father has suspicions I’m a Beta and is hoping I will attract the interest of the Alpha’s son and his Betas. My father is giddy at the thought of a pairing between them and me and the status it will bring to him.

“Magnolia… Magnolia… Magnolia Holloway.” Finally, I realize that my father’s been calling my name, and by him including our last name, I know he’s gotten angrier since I ignored him the first few times.

“Yes, Father,” I meekly respond, keeping my head bowed to him the way he expects. God, I can’t wait until I don’t have to keep up this fucking weak ass persona. Another reason I’m ready to get away from this pack. Women are considered defenseless; only good for fucking, cooking, and bearing pups.

“Where the fuck is your head? The Alpha is coming over today to discuss you going away to college and his son's potential interest in you,” he tells me, as a malicious smirk crosses his face. My father has been practically giddy since he found out the Alpha is thinking of me as a potential mate for his son.

There it is. I finally get why he relented so easily. The Alpha’s mate is required to be educated, and able to mingle with the wives of other Alphas in surrounding packs. But this level of interest is fucking news to me.

“What are you talking about, Father? His son is interested in me? We’ve never even talked,” I ask curiously. I have caught his and his Betas’ lustful stares at me, but they’ve never taken the opportunity to even say hello.

“Of course, they would be. Especially, since I’ve let it be known we expect you to be a powerful Beta. What better pairing for a mate could there be other than an Alpha?” He laughs before continuing. “And there hasn’t been a female Alpha in this pack for more than two hundred years. At this point, an Alpha female being born would be an actual miracle.”

Knowing I need to play the game to keep him happy so I can get the hell out of here, I answer the way I’ve been trained. “Yes, sir. I’m very lucky to have such desired pack members thinking about bonding with me. I will make you proud.”

“Go clean up and put on a dress. I expect you to look presentable when they arrive. The Alpha has never let a female leave pack lands, not even his wife, she was educated by a pack teacher. He wants to confirm that my conditions meet his expectations as well as let you know his. Also, he wants to ensure you understand how considerate he’s being in allowing you to go.” I hurriedly race up the stairs to do as my father ordered. Getting out of this hellhole is number one on my list, and I’ll do whatever it takes to guarantee it happens.

The Alpha shows up about an hour later with his wife. She keeps her head held low not even looking at my father unless he speaks to her, which is only to greet her at the door. Women should be seen and not heard. Quiet unless spoken to. The only times we’ve really heard the Alpha’s luna speak is at higher pack functions and only to wives of higher ranking wolves. He sits on the couch across from my father, who sits in the recliner. I cautiously moved pass them both, opting to sit alone on the ottoman. I clamp my knees together and cross my feet at the heels, lying my clasped hands in my lap, like the studious daughter I am. Well, more like my father has made me be, and unfortunately, until I am free from here, it is a charade I have to keep up.

The Alpha agrees with my father’s stipulations, but he has some of his own as well. I have to earn a degree in a field of his choosing, and with the potential of being his son's mate, I had to study Political Science. I let out an internal groan of repulsion along with my wolf. Is it worth studying something so insanely boring to be free from here?? Fuck yes, it is.

The night ends, and I'm on cloud nine. Now, all I can do is count the days until I can be out of here and free, even if that freedom has a time stamp on it.

Magnolia

Todayistheday.The day I get the freedom I’ve wanted for so long. I already shipped a box of my larger items last week, which included all my school supplies, comforter, toiletries, and some clothing, to the school. The notification came yesterday that it had been delivered and placed in my room, ready for when I arrive. When I saw the school offered such a service, I booked that shit immediately. Surprisingly, even my father thought it was a good idea and paid for the shipping. Since I’m flying to New York, I don’t want to have to take more than my two suitcases and a carry-on bag with me.

Jumping out of bed, I quickly dress and pick up my luggage before bounding down the staircase to the living room. Sitting everything by the door before heading to the kitchen for some breakfast. I should’ve known my mother would be here, preparing her last meal for me before I leave. She is busily placing food on my plate while I take a seat at the table.

Taking a moment, I sit and gaze at her. She’s always said how she wanted nothing more than to be a wife and mother. She seems to love the way of the pack and her role in it. I often wish I could feel the same way, but I don’t. Sometimes I wonder if she suffers from Stockholm syndrome after years of being forced to behave a certain way. I want the feeling of belonging but being equal like the stories I’ve read in secret about the other packs in the world. I know I will never find it here as much as I long to, it’s why I want to see the world and what is out there. For as long as I can remember, it’s always been the three of us. A month before I was born, a rogue Dire wolf killed my mother’s other two mates, and as a slap in our face, the Stoneridge Pack offered him asylum. When she heard I was going to a school where I could be exposed to others from that pack, she feared something would happen to me.

“Good morning, Momma. I’m really gonna miss this when I’m gone. There’s no way the cafeteria at the college has anything on your cooking.” It’s honestly one of the two things I’ll miss, her and her food.

“I’m going to miss you so much, baby.” She quickly turns and heads back to the sink, busying herself with the dishes, but I can hear her muffled sobs. She had slipped a note into my room last night, leaving it on my desk for me. She encouraged me to do as my father and the Alpha wish. She is terrified of what could happen to me if I were to step out of line, even though she wishes for me to run as far from this pack as I can. I knew if my father ever saw the words she wrote he’d kill her, so I ripped it up, then burned the small pieces.

I rush through eating, struggling with the emotions I’m feeling, hearing her cry. Wanting to be here for her and also to get the fuck out of here as fast as I can. Thankfully, the second option wins out as I hear my dad descending the stairs.

“Magnolia, are you ready? We need to head to the airport,” he calls out as I hear his feet hit the last step, before walking across the room to the desk, where I hear shuffling papers.

“Yeah, Dad. I’ll be right there.” Standing, I pick my plate up, take a few steps over to the sink, and set it on the counter before facing Mom and wrapping my arms around her. I squeeze her tightly, inhaling her scent, memorizing it to comfort me while I’m gone.

“Call me when you get there,” she whispers, shifting her stance as she returns to washing the dishes. Releasing my hold on her, I step back before hurriedly turning and rushing to the living room, ready to begin my journey.

My father’s already headed out the door, leaving all my suitcases and carry-on bag for me to take to the car myself. Shrugging my shoulders, I make my way over and begin to strategically place my bags on top of each other, so I can have the straps all together and lug them out the door. Oh, look, my dad did help, he popped the fucking trunk.Asshole.

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