Chapter 1

Chapter One

“What are you doing?”

Elias turned his head to the side at the sound of his father’s voice. His brother, Brock, was right behind him. Elias had known they were approaching for a few minutes. He’d scented the two of them as they’d grown closer to the house, and he hadn’t bothered to get up from his spot on the back deck as the male constituency of his family shifted to human form and joined him.

It’s not as though he could hide from them. They would have scented him, too, probably from a mile away.

Elias nodded toward the amazing view in front of him. The best part about being a member of the elite Alpha Protectors was living up in the mountains where he could be one with nature as often as he wanted. The green trees, snow peaks, wandering streams, and fresh air pulled him to sit out on his deck often.

As his father—Owen—and Brock stepped onto the deck, Elias finally spoke. “Enjoying the weather. What are you two up to today?” He knew exactly why they were here, and he would deflect as long as possible.

At thirty-six, Elias was two years younger than Brock. The two of them had always been close growing up. They’d rarely fought. Most often whatever shenanigans they’d gotten up to had been planned in cahoots, which drove their mother batty.

Even when they’d become men and moved into their own homes, they’d still spent a lot of time together—until Brock had claimed his mate last year and become consumed with her.

Elias didn’t blame him. He wasn’t annoyed or jealous. He understood. Suzette was Brock’s top priority.

Brock’s best friend, Arion, and his brother, Damon, had also claimed their mates in the past year. The three of them were so happy. They’d moved into another stage of life. After years of waiting impatiently, they were right where they wanted to be.

Elias wasn’t like them. He couldn’t explain it. He’d never been all that interested in taking a mate. He enjoyed his freedom. He liked living alone, being able to shift into his more natural form and running free whenever he wanted.

As an Alpha Protector, he took his job seriously. During his shifts guarding the citizens of the valley below, he covered his territory as if it were a matter of utmost importance. And it was. He understood that the citizens of the valley were just as important as any other being. He wanted them safe. Nothing would happen to them on his watch.

All of that was about to change, and he wasn’t looking forward to it.

Brock stepped in front of Elias to block his view, leaned against the railing, crossed his arms, and narrowed his gaze. “Don’t act like you have no idea why we’re here.” He nodded toward the house. “Have you even started putting your mate’s nursery together?”

Elias sighed.

His father joined Brock, leaning a hip against the same railing. “Talk to us, son.”

Elias leaned back deeper in his chair, hoping to project an air of nonchalance. He crossed one leg over the other, took a sip of his coffee, and set the mug on the small table next to him. “About what? There’s plenty of time.”

Brock’s brows shot up. “Two weeks.”

Elias narrowed his gaze at his brother. “If I remember correctly, you were tightening screws on your Little’s crib at the last minute. Why are you judging me?”

Brock shook his head. “Nope. I had the nursery completely finished two weeks before the ceremony. In addition, I was eager as fuck to meet Suzette. I was just outwardly dragging my feet to fuck with Arion and make him think I didn’t care. This thing with you is different. You really don’t care.”

Brock was right about that.

Elias rubbed his palms on his thighs. “It’s a ridiculous, barbaric practice,” he admitted out loud. “Since you’re nagging me, I’ll just say that I’m not fond of the fact that I have no options here. My fate was determined for me nineteen years and fifty weeks ago. Since then, it’s like the entire world has been in a frenzy, waiting for the big day.”

Elias remembered the day his father came to him and told him his mate had been born. Elias had been sixteen and in no way interested in claiming a mate, and his parents had both noticed his lack of curiosity.

Most Alpha Protectors spent their lives pacing and waiting for their future mates to be born, and then the countdown began. The waiting seemed to send other Alphas into a state of frustration until the day they were finally permitted to claim their intended—her twentieth birthday.

Elias had not caught that bug. Instead he’d felt rather trapped for the past twenty years, not looking forward to the noose that was about to circle his neck.

He loved his mother and all the mates of his brother and their friends. They were each amazing women and submissives, exactly perfect for the Alpha Protector they were fated to spend their lives with. Elias had even spent more than his fair share of time babysitting the girls when their Daddies needed to take care of pack business.

Now that they were up to three newly mated Little girls among his posse, things were changing. When it had just been Suzette and Jezebel, the shenanigans were minor, but over the months—and now that they’d added Damon’s mate, Olivia, to the mix—the naughty level was rising.

Those women made him nervous. Even though none of them were his mate, he felt the incredible bond they had with their Alphas, and it freaked him the fuck out. He liked his independence and had no interest in bonding with another being.

Alas, he also had no choice. This was the way of his people. In two weeks, he would meet his mate, move her into his home, and his life would never be fully his again.

“Son…” his father began, “I’m worried about your attitude.”

Elias chuckled, and it wasn’t filled with mirth. It was sardonic. “That makes two of us.”

“I know you’re frustrated, but what you don’t understand is that aggravation you feel is going to vanish into thin air the moment you step into the ceremonial room. The moment you inhale your mate’s scent, your knees will buckle. It’s life-altering, and there’s no way to describe the feeling to someone. You have to live it.”

Elias groaned. “Fine. Then I’ll deal with it. I don’t need to deal with it today. Today, I’m going to sit here in peace and enjoy the view.” He waved a hand in front of him. “If the two of you will please step out of my line of sight.”

Neither man budged.

Brock drew in a breath. “The problem is that if you go to the ceremony with an attitude, your mate will scent that, and you will ruin her day.”

Elias rolled his eyes. “Boohoo.” He knew he was being a cocky jackass, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. He was bitter about this. It was keeping him up at night.

The nursery he was supposed to be preparing was nothing but a plain room filled with boxes of unassembled furniture and supplies he would need. He hadn’t even painted the walls. It was white and boring. He also hadn’t ordered any of the furniture. His mother had done it for him, which should be embarrassing. He was a grown man who should give a fuck about his mate and be preparing for her impending arrival. He just couldn’t bring himself to care about how he should feel.

Elias’s father growled in a tone that was closer to his wolf than his human side. “You listen to me, Elias. I’ve never known you to be so callous and insensitive. This is the most important thing that will ever happen to you. Do not make light of it. Think about your mate’s feelings. She was born with the mark on her wrist and spent her entire life knowing she was destined to unite with an Alpha Protector. She is twenty years old. I can assure you she is scared out of her mind. You will break something in her if you enter that ceremonial room giving off the vibe that you’d rather be anywhere but there.”

Elias leaned forward and set his elbows on his knees, letting his head hang. He was sitting on his amazing deck, and yet he felt like he needed oxygen. He tried to control his breathing, but it wasn’t possible. His ire was rising.

He had two weeks to get over himself. He didn’t need his family breathing down his back that entire time. Without a word, he rose, walked right past his brother and father, jumped off the edge of the deck, and shifted mid-air. Two seconds later, he was running through the forest.