Mason’s Pov.
“No!” I scream in anger as I connect my fists with the wall over and over again until my knuckles are bleeding, but I can’t feel anything because of the anger that is coursing through my entire body.
This wasn’t supposed to happen!
My step-brother wasn’t supposed to find his mate! He was supposed to turn twenty-five being mateless so he’d be dethroned and I could take over as Alpha because I already found my mate. Everything is ruined!
“No!”
“Mason! Mason!” My mother’s voice calls my name and I can feel her arms wrapping around my body, trying to calm me down, but I struggle to fight back. “You have to calm down!” She scolds, looking me straight in the eyes. “Breaking down right now will not solve this issue. Punching the wall and making your knuckles bleed will not change the fact that Jayce has found his mate. What you have to do now is think of another strategy, not sulk like a loser! You are not a loser!”
“I am mum! I am a loser. All hope is lost. This was the only strategy. The only way! I’ve lost every chance of ever becoming the Supreme Alpha.” I weep in agony and mum holds me still. She lets me cry out my heart for sometime before holding my face in her hands and forcing me to look at her.
“Look at me.” She instructs, keeping my head still in her hands. I look up at her with tears-filled eyes. “All hope is not lost my darling. The girl he brought is not immortal.” Something snaps within me when she makes that statement.
I look at her with searching eyes.
“Yes! That’s exactly what I mean.”
“But…”
“No buts! This is the survival of the fittest. You have to do everything you can to get what you want and you know as your mother, I’m right behind you. So, right now, I need you to clean your tears and go attend that meeting. You will put on your brightest, bravest smile and congratulate Jayce for finding his mate. Make him understand that he cannot break you with such ease. You need to show him you are strong and ready to fight him for that position!” I sniffle tears and unclench my fists. As I relax my body, that’s when I feel the sting on the knuckles of my right hand. I bring the back of my palm up and notice it’s bleeding profusely and the wounds hurt. I instantly regret punching that wall.
“I’ll bring the first aid kit and fix this up.” I nod my head as my mother leaves my bedroom.
Now you must be wondering how I’m a step-brother with Jayce. You see, our father, the late Supreme Alpha, dated my mother before finding his true mate, which was Jayce’s mother. Unfortunately for him, he had gotten my mother pregnant, so he had no choice but to take her in. He brought her to this castle and assigned her her own Chambers. That brought a lot of problems between him and his true mate, but who cares?
Even though I’m the first born son, I have no rights to the throne because I was not born by the true Luna and that’s why my half-brother, Jayce, is the Supreme Alpha even though he is the younger son. That sounds ridiculous to me.
My father was the Supreme Alpha and I have just as much right to this throne as Jayce does. I don’t care what it takes, but I’m going to get the throne one day whether he likes it or not!
Jayce’s Pov.
The meeting was a satisfying one. Some of the elders, including my half-brother, congratulated me between their teeth. I could see the look of disappointment in their eyes.
They hate me.
They detest having me rule over them and that’s why they won’t miss a single chance to have me dethroned, but that’s not going to be an easy task. If they want me dethroned, then they are gonna have to work ten times harder, because I’m ready for them.
“I will never understand why some of those elders hate you so much. I mean, you are the true born Supreme Alpha and they are obliged to be loyal to you and you alone, but the look in their eyes tell me they’ll give you away at the slightest opportunity.” Lloyd cries. I smile and lean back on my office chair and calmly spin it around.
“Ignore those who resent you. Avoid those who begrudge you. Excuse those who envy you and Pity those who hate you. My father used to tell me that and it only makes sense to me now. Except, I’m not ignoring those who resent me. I’m watching them, taking notes. I’ll deal with them when the time is right.” My tone is calm and deadly as usual.
Lloyd nods in amusement.
Reed looks bored.
As expected, he rises from his seat.
“If that’s all, I’d love to take my leave.” His words are powerful, heavy with conviction and articulate and I wonder why his boldness shocks me every time even though it has been over five years since we started working together as Alpha and Omega. I keep my face blank, smooth and neutral as I look at his perfect face.
“I didn’t say we were done here.”
“Well, my time is up here. I’ll listen to your leadership quotes some other time. I have work to get back to. Some of us are busy, you know.” Then he walks out of the office leaving my jaw dangling from my shoelace. I can’t stop staring at the door he just walked out through. I’m marvelling at his confidence. His fearlessness. If I had just a quarter, I’d be a much better Alpha.
I drop my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose with my eyes closed.
“I’m scared for him. One of these days you might order for him to be executed.”
“You are not far from the truth, Lloyd.” I look back at the door, unable to believe what just happened. “That brat!” I sigh and shake my head. “He acts like he is the Alpha here. So annoying!”
“You want me to talk to him?”
“You’ve been doing that for five years now and there’s still no change in his attitude. Don’t waste your energy, just leave him be. At least he only does that when it’s the three of us.”
“Alright then, if you say so.” He rises from his seat. “May I be dismissed?” I quickly flick my left hand in the air back and forth as a sign of approval and he leaves my office. When the door closes, I let out a heavy sigh.
There’s a lot on my mind.
Now that there’s no longer an excuse for me to be dethroned, I have to watch out closely for my half-brother, his mother and some of my council of elders. They will devise other means to have me kicked out. I have to keep my ears on the ground and thread carefully and most importantly, I have to protect Alora at all cost because she has automatically become their primary target.
All of that can wait. For now, I have to go see my mate before my breath ceases completely.