Chapter 2 - Kaleem
I watched the bonfire flames while they danced and inhaled the smell of smoke and the forest. Wolves were laughing and living in this moment of happiness all around me while I was only present physically.
It was a beautiful night, and I was surrounded by my people, but something was missing.
“Kaleem?”
I found Nazanin walking towards me, a cup in hand.
Her salt and pepper hair was in a braid down her back, and despite her grey hair, she looked like she was in her late twenties or early thirties. In truth, she was well over hundreds of years old. I was the alpha of this pack, but she was one of the oldest.
“Why do you look so distant?” she asked when she stopped beside me. “And why aren’t you drinking?”
She held the cup out to me, her brown eyes reflecting the flames, and I took it.
“I had something to drink already but thank you,” I took a sip of the cool drink, and we stood in silence for a time, watching the pack.
Every month we had a gathering like this outside for our typical rituals. I felt it promoted bonding and kept things entertaining. Our pack was cut off from the rest of the town, and we had our own stores, gym, and more, although all of Wolfcreek was our home.
But this was our territory and slice of paradise, and as alpha, I had a job to make sure my people weren’t only protected but happy. Right now, though, no amount of alcohol was capable of filling the emptiness in my chest.
Beside me, Nazanin swayed to the beat of the drums and started singing along with the she-wolf bellowing angelic tones. Several mated wolves started dancing, their bodies pressed together while they fell under the spell of the singer’s voice. I was happy for all of them to have found their other halves, whether a fated mate or chosen mate, but I didn’t have that, which made my heart heavy.
No, I once had what all these couples have. I just gave it up.
“You might need to cut Killian off,” Nazanin laughed, and I followed her line of vision to find my brother dancing with himself. “He’s had enough to drink.”
I chuckled while taking a sip from my cup. “He’s excited to be back. It’s been a year since he last visited.”
“Being an ambassador for wolves with the government is a tough job,” Nazanin said proudly. “All that traveling and being so far away from the pack, I couldn’t do it.”
My younger brother Killian was charismatic, opinionated, a pain in my ass, and the perfect wolf to work with the government to secure our rights as a species. He challenged the powers that be and with political grace that I didn’t possess.
My role as alpha was made final the second I was born first. I had a pack to lead while he played his part as one of many ambassadors leading and maintaining our place in this world. I’d never felt burdened knowing I’d one day lead the pack, and he was never interested in being alpha.
Killian was one of those rare wolves who enjoyed being away from the pack, but he came home whenever he got the chance. We were very different in that sense. Actually, we had very little in common, but nonetheless, he was my little brother.
While I was bald and had our father’s piercing grey eyes, Killian got our mother’s green eyes and dad’s black hair. He was a looker, being 6’4 with a straight face and a smile that made women of all species swoon, not to mention his long hair they insisted on touching.
As for me, so much about my physical appearance made people tense. At 6’6, plus my muscular build, I drew attention to myself just like Killian, but while he was an open book, I wasn’t. He was friendly enough for both of us, but what we had in common was a love for our pack, our species, and all species.
Life was precious, a blessing and treasure. All good life on earth had my protection, so I couldn’t imagine being anything other than alpha and protector.
Nazanin’s voice cut into my thoughts when she leaned over and whispered, “You know, Claudine still hasn’t been mated.”
Since she was 5’6 and among the shortest in the pack, I peeked down at her. When she looked up and found me staring, she chuckled.
“Come now, Kaleem, you knew it was coming. Why are you so set on not finding a mate? You’ve turned away all the women you’ve been introduced to, those in this pack and others.”
“Killian isn’t mated yet,” I mumbled. “I think he deserves your attention more than me.”
“Killian’s not our alpha,” she rebutted exasperatedly, and I sighed.
This wasn’t a conversation I wanted to have right now, but I knew Nazanin wouldn’t let this go. Come tomorrow, she’d show up at the packhouse and continue pestering me. I’d had a few months of peace from her, but now she was digging up this conversation again.
“I’m not ready for a mate,” I replied. “That’s all.”
“That’s what you keep saying, but I saw how you were staring at the mated couples just now. The pack needs a Luna, Kaleem, as do you. Your wolf will start craving a partner soon, and a Luna will help you lead. If you’re the father of this pack, she’ll be the mother. It’s time.” Nazanin took a deep breath. “I don’t want to pressure you, Alpha. I really don’t, but while you protect, our Luna would offer guidance and warmth.”