~Kalen's POV~
I dodged Wren's attack, spinning back and throwing a kick at him, he stumbled back from the force and was unable to recover before I delivered another solid punch to his jaws, he groaned, dodging my next attack and swinging a fist at me, I didn't move away this time, catching the fist instead and spinning him around, I wrapped my arm around his neck in a painful headlock, he struggled for a while but soon tapped out.
"Damn it Kalen, enough training for today already!" He said tiredly, I frowned slightly at him but didn't say anything, grabbing a water bottle from the table and gulping down the contents.
"You've gotten rusty Wren, I haven't been paying attention to you so you neglected training?" I asked him in my usual cold tone, he sighed, putting down his bottle and running a hand through his hair.
"It's not that.... just that, I've been so busy pacifying the pack...." He trailed off when he noticed the look on my face, unsure if he could continue and still guarantee his life, I rolled my eyes, motioning for him to speak.
"They want you to choose a Luna, Kalen." He informed me, I raised a brow but didn't say anything in reply, Wren sighed in frustration but remained quiet, we stayed that way for a while before I felt a hand on my shoulder, I turned to him and he gave me a comforting smile .
"You... you also want me to give in to their request?" I asked him quietly, he answered immediately without hesitation.
"Of course not, I'm one of the few who actually know your reasons, even if you hadn't met Miwa, I would never support just matching you up to someone... it's just that, the pack also has elders with a good level of authority, when they take a stand together on something, it's hard to ignore, you need to see to it that they stop insisting." He said, I nodded quietly.
"I also would like to know.... since when they began to dare make decisions for me...I'm really curious about that. Pack meeting tonight, pass the information accordingly." I instructed Wren, he bowed slightly and left to do my bidding, while I remained where I stood, tilting my head back as the morning sun caressed my skin, my mind kept flashing back to her, if only she was here, I wouldn't have to be this miserable.
"Miwa..... Iretomiwa...." I murmured slightly to myself, shutting my eyes at the aching feeling in my heart.
__________
I walked calmly through the forest, heading to the large clearing deep within, my pack already awaited me there. I arrived at the point and stopped just outside the clearing, sensing my presence, my pack members all froze, all light conversations immediately ended and everyone bowed as I walked past, heading to the front where a slightly elevated dais was forged out of rock, this had been the meeting ground of dark moon for centuries, although we now had a modernized hall back at the pack house, I choose this spot because I knew this meeting wouldn't go by as peacefully as a meeting should.
I walked up the steps calmly, standing casually at the top of the elevated dais, my gaze moved quietly through the crowd of over a thousand wolves, my pack numbered way more than this, but this where the members close enough to arrive on such short notice, a drone flew calmly over the clearing, every other member absent would watch this live from wherever they were.
"...so....the pack wants to see their Alpha, here I am.... speak." I said in a cold tone, they flinched at my words knowing I wasn't pleased with their recent actions.
"We have the right to request our Alpha's presence to discuss our concerns, should we feel bad about that?" A proud voice sounded, the clearing became even more quiet than it was earlier as my gaze moved to the speaker, it seemed my pack members didn't even dare breathe, except the wolf who spoke, whose breathing rate increased rapidly even as my cold gaze landed on him, he tried to look at me but was unable to withstand the intensity of my gaze and quickly looked away, his fear was quite obvious so I pushed down my anger and decided to ignore this for now.
".... when I said speak....I was referring to reasonable people.... since when did it get to your turn to speak to me.....?" I asked in a deadly tone, he gulped audibly, obviously terrified as any other wise person would be after speaking to a deadly wolf like me with such disrespect, however the thing about youths that I disliked the most was their stupid hot headedness, with egos a much bigger size than their brains.
The young wolf covered his fear with foolish anger, lifting a haughty gaze to me, he was truly asking for death. Despite the fact that I was also a youth, I once again loathed the egotistical genetic make up of most youths, it was why apart from my few confidants who defied the usual character trend of youths, I found it hard to relate with the hot headed fools.... the only exception to this was Greg.
Aiden my third quickly moved to the wolf and placed a restraining hand on his shoulder, giving him a warning glare, he turned to me and bowed in apology on behalf of the youth.
"He has been abroad for a while now and is acting in ignorance, please do not take his actions to heart Alpha." Aiden pleaded, his head down, I frowned not liking to see my third lower himself because of some fool, I reigned in my anger.
"... when you're this stupid... you should naturally have a friend like Aiden who dares speak up for you.... even putting his life on the line like this.... You have yet to report to me on the results of your mission Aiden, see me after this.... don't worry, I won't kill you ....yet." I said calmly when I noticed he wasn't breathing, Aiden audibly sighed in relief and gave me a grateful smile, nodding before turning and glaring at the still furious youth... some people truly didn't know what was good for them.
Wren's thoughts: Aiden really became daring, speaking on behalf of someone when the Alpha is like that...I could hardly even breath!
Aiden's thoughts: OMG, I practically saw my life flashing before my eyes, how did I befriend such a dummy, could have gotten us both killed....I'm too handsome to die young, but then again...Kalen loves me too much....he couldn't possibly live without me... hehehehe.
'Whatever it is you're thinking right now will get you killed, wipe that stupid grin off your face.' I thought to Aiden through our mindlink, he gulped audibly, nodding frantically while Wren having heard my words, chuckled quietly behind me.
"So are you going to speak anytime soon or do we still have to wait?" I asked the elders, they flinched at my tone, exchanging nervous glances with each other before Bradford stepped forward.
"Alpha, we wanted to see you in regards to the issue of selecting a Luna, we are all clearly aware of your character and as such we cannot force you to associate more with the pack members however having a Luna will balance this out completely, she will be able to associate closely with the pack members and ease their worries." He began, I raised a brow at him and he took a step back despite the fact that with me being up on the platform and all, we weren't even standing close.
"I understand Bradford, so who is the female that you will have me mate with?" I asked straight up, he chuckled nervously, glancing at the other elders for help, Maria stepped forward.
"Kalen....the matter of who is up to your choice, you should decide according to your preferences, take your pick from any of the pack females." She said, Maria was a close friend of my grandma so she didn't stutter or tremble like the rest, instead speaking casually to me and comfortably addressing me with my name. My gaze moved from her and swept through the crowd, the females blushed at the attention.
"And if I make a choice.... what happens when the female finds her mate?" I asked.
"Naturally the female should understand the necessary step to be taken in that event." Bradford answered, my gaze darkened.
"By necessary step....you mean the female should reject her mate for me?" I asked, they flinched again at my tone.
"It is for the greater good Alpha." Stephen's voice sounded, my dark gaze moved to him and he avoided my eyes.
"The greater good....you will have me break a sacred mate bond for the greater good?....you will have me steal another wolf's mate for the greater good?.....you would have me sentence a wolf to the pain of rejection for the greater good....?, You would have me spend the rest of my life with a woman who I'm well aware never belonged to me for the greater good?......you will have me tie myself to a woman I do not love for the greater good? You will have me Kalen Ronan Blade do such a loathsome and shameful thing for the greater good?" I asked, my voice growing colder with each question, this was the most I had spoken at once in years and that fact pissed me off, the wolves in the clearing all trembled in fear at my terrifying tone,  Maria stepped forward to speak but a glare from me silenced her, I turned my attention to the crowd before me.
"... so the females of dark moon are willing to reject their mate in exchange for a pitiful existence by my side as Luna? Because believe me your existence will be pitiful ...the females of my dark moon pack are now such low lives?" I asked in a deadly tone, the males and wiser females echoed their approval of my words, the previously blushing females now gazing away in shame. Suri, my third best female warrior stepped forward.
"Alpha, we understand your intentions and we completely agree, however it is indeed a fact that the pack is in need of a Luna, if someone is willing to make the sacrifice then it'll be best to do as the elders suggest, we understand your concerns but some sacrifices are unavoidable, please make a prudent decision." She said with a bow, I raised a brow.
"A prudent decision.... I completely agree with you Suri....so what if I say I want you...?" I asked her in a dark tone, her gaze lifted up to me immediately and her eyes widened when she noticed I was serious, she trembled in fear, collapsing to her knees in plea.
"Alpha....I have a mate....I can't live without him... please.." she begged, I descended down the elevated dais , casually making my way towards her and crouching before her, I reached out a hand, caressing her face tenderly, her mate released a loud growl and I gave him a glare that said to shut up even as Aiden and Wren pinned him down, preventing his movements.
"Your female says some sacrifices are unavoidable, I completely agree with her... however, I find myself interested in her after her words from earlier, she is one of my most loyal warriors and with the greater good on all our minds, she should be willing to make the sacrifice, don't you agree...?" I asked him, his eyes widened and he collapsed to his knees as well.
"Alpha...No, Kalen please, she spoke out of turn, forgive her on my behalf, please Kalen." He pleaded, I tilted my head to the side slightly.
"But why...I'm really... truly interested in her..." I murmured, leaning in towards the trembling female before me, her mates pleas got more desperate as I undid the top button of my shirt, my gaze darkening, it wasn't unusual for Alphas to consummate with their mate before their pack, in fact, it was quite a usual occurrence, from my actions, they were probably assuming that was my intention.
"Please.... Alpha.... please.." Suri sobbed, I leaned in closer to her.
"Shhh....I won't hurt you.... much...." I said in a low tone, she seemed completely terrified now.
"Kalen...damn it please Kalen, just let her go this once, please." Her mate pleaded desperately, I moved slowly over her and she fell back to the forest soil, shaking like a leaf.
"What....you don't like it?, So who exactly did you expect to put through this...who would make the unavoidable sacrifice....who did you wish to condemn to this?"  I asked her as I leaned in closer, my words were loud enough for everyone in the clearing to hear me clearly.
"Alpha.... forgive me please... I understand it clearly now...I understand it now...so please." She pleaded  trembling, I raised a brow.
"You're not the only one who needs to understand...." I said turning to stare at the elders, they all trembled, bowing their heads in submission, I nodded in approval. This was my way of seeing to it that they didn't insist.
"I will never take a female that is not meant for me... never...so do not ask it of me...Go to your mate Suri." I said, patting her head slightly to comfort the trembling woman before moving away from her, I nodded at my beta and third and they released her mate, he immediately rushed to her, taking her in his arms and comforting her, my heart ached at the sight and I looked away, the couple looked up to me.
"We're truly sorry Alpha....and thank you." They said in unison, bowing low, I hummed in response before turning around and ascending the platform again.