CHAPTER 2
Khloe POV
My paws pound the ground with great speed and force. The wind whips through my fur. My coat is as dark as a black abyss. My strength and speed are unmatched by anyone. No one dares to challenge me. I am the queen of Alpha females. I am untouchable to any rival, on and off the battlefield.
Many Alphas have tried to persuade me to be their chosen mate. None has been successful in claiming me. Any alpha would jump at the chance to make me be theirs. Being claimed wasn't of interest to me at the time. The sun is shining bright—no clouds in the sky. The birds chirp and fly with no worries in the world.
Just like the birds, I run free. No worries in the world as I run with pack mates. I slow my speed. Just enough for them to keep pace. They complain about how it's exhausting trying to keep up with my ungodly speed. I'm not even breaking a sweat. I encourage them to keep trying.
'Jesus, Khloé, we get it, you're always faster than us.' Henry, the pack Beta, says panting.
'Don't give up so easily, this is why my brother asked me to take the time to help train warriors, including you, Henry.' I say in an Alpha tone.
'Can't you take it easy on us?' Henry asks, pouting.
'No, I will not. However, you will, in due time, improve. Now believe in yourselves.' I told the group.
The males grunted, and the females whined. Taking over training warriors has been difficult for me. Don't they know that I'm not a babysitter? I am not going to baby them to their liking just because they don't believe in their abilities. They can grow to their best potential if they put in the effort.
'Cut it out! No more complaining, do you understand!' I yell in a stern Alpha tone in the mind link.
'Yes, Alpha!' They all say in unison.
'Good grief, you guys are supposed to be great warriors, not great whiners!' I announce, annoyed.
Finally decided I had enough for the day, it's time to call a quit on training today. It won't do them any good for her to be angry at them. I need to cool off and rethink my training strategy for them.
'Good job for today, everyone, shift and hit the showers. We will meet back up at 8 am tomorrow.' I command.
'Yes, Alpha!' They all say in unison again, doing as told.
With all said and done, I head back to the pack house, where my brother is eagerly waiting for me at the doorstep. What could Daniel possibly want to be waiting for me? I groan with annoyance.
"Hello, my dear sweet sister!" Daniel says with a chuckle.
"Hello, to you as well. What do you need?" I acknowledge, raising an eyebrow at Daniel.
"Nothing much, can't I just say hello to my amazing sister?" Daniel says smiley in a playful tone.
"That depends on whether you are being sweet to get something from me," with my arms folded to my chest.
"I promise I have no hidden agenda, Khloé!" Daniel smirks with a chuckle.
"See! I knew you were up to no good, you can't fool me!" I stuck my tongue out, hastily.
With a chuckle, Daniel bows in defeat. "Okay, you caught me red-handed!" he says.
I playfully slap at Daniel, "Come on, let's go grab lunch. I am starving."
Daniel and I make our way into the packhouse for lunch. Chatting and laughing about things along the way to fill our growling stomachs.
My alarm jolts me out of my deep slumber. I groan, looking at the clock to hit snooze, 4:30 am already. Instead of fighting for more sleep, I cancel the alarm. I drag myself out of the plush bed of comfort. Heading to the bathroom to take a hot shower, hoping to motivate myself.
After an hour has passed, I am ready to start the training program. First off is my daily morning jog, I blow a little steam to settle my nerves. I stand in silence as I take in the surroundings, like I do every morning, like clockwork. I never miss a beat.
The sun rises, and the birds are chirping. The morning air smells of fresh, beautiful pine. My heart fills with true inner peace from the dawn of the morning. The silence is music to my soul. I use this time to pull my thoughts together.
My thoughts wandered to my brother Daniel last night. He has something he is hiding and clear for a good reason. The idea of him keeping something from me gets under my skin the more I think about it. He sure loves revealing secrets.
"Good morning!" Daniel says, walking up beside her in a chipper mood.
Speak of the devil, he shows! "Good morning to you, too. Why are you so excited?" I say with a sour expression.
His face lights up with a grin. "I have some amazing news, but it will remain a secret as of now!" He says.
Khloé narrows her eyes in displeasure. "Not if I make you spill it!" challenged him.
With a devilish smirk, he says, "You wouldn't dare!" laughing at my aggravated expression.
"Try me! Stop being a fool and just tell me already," I start to pout like a puppy, with an adorable look on my face.
Daniel shakes his head, pinching the bridge of his nose. With a growl, he says, "Fine, you can't tell a single soul. It has to remain a secret for a little while longer.
I stand in an annoyed stance with my arms folded to my chest, giving Daniel the "Out with it!" look on my face. I am running thin on patience. How long will I have to wait?
"Well?" Eager, but now super annoyed with his games.
"Okay, settle down!!…. I think… I found… my mate." Daniel finally spits out.
Whoa, he found his mate? I have trouble wrapping my mind around that. Wait, what does this mean for the pack and me? Can I have a life again, now that he has found his mate? So many questions bubble within me. I can't believe that this is actually really happening. My brother found his mate, how exciting it is to find your mate, but then wanting to keep it a secret truly confused me about his intentions. It's the biggest news one could ever have, especially for Alphas. Why is it he wants to hide such a glorious thing from his pack, let alone his family?
Daniel stands there in silence, waiting for me to give him feedback. He knows he just dropped the biggest bomb of his life on me as his sister. He has many reasons to keep it a secret until the right time presents itself. Things in the pack aren't quite set up for it. There are many things he has to figure out before announcing he found his mate.
"Earth to Khloé!" Daniel says, waving his hand in front of her face. "Snap out of it already, will you? This is why I didn't want to tell you. Your reaction was my biggest fear."
"Honestly, Daniel, I'm not the only person you should be worried about. How long have you been hiding this from us?" I ask.
"I haven't been hiding it very long, and it's not like I have ill intentions for keeping it from you guys, I have my reasons," he says.
"Bullshit, Daniel, you should've honestly done like most people and brought forth your mate soon after you met her. Do you know how messy this will probably be once mom and dad find out that you've been keeping a big secret like this!" getting angrier.
"Of course, I do, Khloé, why do you think I've kept it from them in the first place? I needed to find ways to do it in a manner that wouldn't cause an uproar in the pack. Things like that need to be diligently handled. Transfer of power is a big deal," he says.
"Are you really so certain you did this out of respect for the pack and not your own wishes? Because I'm starting to feel like you did this and your own accord because you feared how the pack would take an outsider being brought in." I state with full honesty.
"I mean, that is one of my very big concerns, but that isn't the full story behind why I'm keeping it a secret. There's more to it than you realize, Khloé. Maybe if I introduce you to her, you'll understand."
"Daniel, is there something like really wrong with a girl that you're just being overprotective about the situation, because all honesty, I would really love to understand why it's been such a big secret."
"Khloé, I give you my word in due time. You will get to meet her, the pack will eventually get to meet her, and our parents will know about her. Hopefully, everything will be set right, and she'll be the rightful Luna of the pack."
"Daniel, I will not wait until things are at your own convenience; we need to get this shit figured out as soon as possible."
Just like any siblings, Daniel and I have our squabbles. This is over a much bigger future problem; it affects the pack long term. Things like mates or Luna for a matter can't be swept away with a few words of comfort.
I know that Daniel keeping his mate a secret is a massive concern. I just don't agree with him keeping it a secret from everyone. That reveal is a huge thing, but it's not my concern to worry about. What should I do next with my life now? I soon realize I have no clue where to start. I soon start to ponder what I want to do.
"Daniel, thanks for dropping that bombshell on me. Does it mean I can focus on things I want in my life now?" with a smile.
Daniel turns to me, slightly confused, "What do you mean by that? Do you want to leave the pack?"
I take a moment to come up with an answer, "Honestly, I'm not sure what I want to do just yet."
"Then why would you say such a thing like that?" he questions my intentions.
"Well, sooner or later, you won't be able to keep your mate a secret, then she will have to take over as the rightful Luna of the pack, Daniel." I openly say without hesitation.
Daniel looks at me in shock, "Wait, are you serious about this right now?"
I smile brightly, "I am dead serious, dear brother. It's time I move on with my own life."
"Fine! You win, Khloé. I will plan for the announcement of my mate. Then you can be free to live your life." He says in a heartbroken tone.
My face soon frowned at my brother's words. "Look, Daniel, I'm not trying to get in the way of things. I just want you to be happy."
Those words light up Daniel's heart with joy and pure bliss. "Hearing that means so much to me, but it still doesn't change the pain of you wanting to leave."
With a heavy heart, I sigh. I ponder how to face this situation. I know I need to do what's best for me, and it's unsettling. Furthermore, I had come so far and now need to face another part of my path. My destiny or my family.
I know I need to get a plan together, and soon. First, I need to get through the day. My pack still needs me at this time, regardless of the bomb dropped on me. I can't let my head get clouded by the worries. With that, I take a few deep breaths and regain my control of clarity.
I love my brother dearly, but baffled by his hiding his mate from everyone. Why would he think that's okay to do? Is something wrong with the girl? Is he ashamed of her for some reason? Questions are on my mind more than ever.
I take a few deep breaths, trying to shake off the stress of the situation. I need to get her act together, until I am no longer the Alpha Female of the pack, I have responsibilities to handle. Why am I allowing this to drag me down so much? This is a massive issue of change in my life. I should be happy with the news.
I became a little frustrated at myself for losing my cool. Not only that, but this isn't like me ever; things don't bother me like this. When did I allow others to do this to me? Maybe I just never noticed this, the impact they have on me. I need to get myself back on track before they notice it bothering me, that is, if they didn't already.
As a leader, I have to keep my emotions under control at all times. Not cold but soft enough, I show how I care about others' well-being. I wonder if this is how I will react under the stress of finding my mate. Surely not, right? I was taught better than this. I need to reevaluate myself.
"Hey Daniel, can we talk about things later?" I say with a concerned tone.
"Of course, is there something wrong with you, Khloé?"
Hesitation consumes me to answer truthfully, "What you told me has been bothering me since yesterday."
Daniel's face frowns, "Oh. I didn't realize that you were."
"I have to admit that it has become a bit difficult to get over." I don't want this to tear us apart. I can't hide it forever from him.
Daniel looks heartbroken by my words; he thought I was fine with everything. He was wrong, as it turns out. It didn't sit well with him; he wanted my approval more than ever. It meant the world to him for me to approve.
Daniel sighs, "Khloé, what is running through your mind on this? I need you to be honest with me, please," he begs me.
"I am sorry, Daniel, but this whole thing of surprise is rubbing me emotionally wrong. What do I do with my life now!" I raise my voice at him.
Daniel realizes he didn't consider the impact on my life by finding his mate. He feels ashamed of it. "Look, it is partly my fault for not considering you with this and how it would change your place in your life as a whole. It was rude of me."
Baffled by his honesty, I look at him, shocked. Well, that was a first for him to admit to. He never considered me in decisions, he usually puts his pack first, and isn't seen as an equal of a leader, just his helper.
"Are you trying to bribe me or something? That was new for you." I question Daniel.
"What! Khloé no. I am not doing anything to bribe you for any reason. Why would you think so low of me?" Shocked by my words.
I question him internally, "Good. I hope not. Can we move on now?" I ask.
"I don't know if I ever told you, but your approval actually means a lot to me," Daniel admits to me.
Wow, he really said that. I never thought he did. At least his behavior never showed that he did. Now I feel like I was a jerk for this whole thing. Maybe I overlooked things too much; I know I should also apologize to him. Since when had I felt the need to care so much? This was a new feeling for me as it was a new situation for me to face.