His Little Runt

Chapter 5

Caden

"You need a Luna."

The sentence doesn't even take time to register in my head anymore. It's a common phrase that appears in almost every meeting.

"I wasn't aware this discussion was about my personal life," I say coolly, leaning back in my chair.

My adviser opens his mouth, then shuts it, sputtering for words while the woman across from him looks down and reshuffles her papers.

"This is ridiculous!" Peter, one of my new guards, bursts out. "There's an issue and you know how to fix it!"

My jaw throbs, making me realize I've been clenching my teeth.

"I'm not mating anyone if she's not my fated mate," I say.

Peter's eyes brighten, excited to finally have my reciprocation in this conversation.

"Then we'll find her!" He exclaims. "Lots of Alpha's travel pack to pack looking for their mate! We can even start tomorrow morning!"

And this is exactly why I don't participate when the topic veers this way. How do I tell them that my mate is right here? That she's the runt of this pack? That she wants nothing to do with me?

"No," I say, my voice calm.

Peter sputters, surprised by the sudden change. "What do you mean?"

I look him in the eyes as I say, "I mean no. I will not travel to other packs, exposing my weakness and dressing up as a desperate Alpha." I stand up before adding, "This meeting is adjourned."

"Wait!" My advisor blurts. "Alpha, you have to consider your options! Your pack is starting to wilt, rogue outbursts are getting more common, and you can't do everything yourself. You need a Luna."

My fists clench. "I said this meeting is adjourned."

The door slams behind me, and I immediately sigh, relief coursing through my veins in a rush.

There's truth in everything they say. I know that I need a Luna, but the one person who's supposed to rule beside me is uninterested.

A headache grips my temples, promising a very painful day. I weigh the options of asking the pack doctor for meds or just sticking it out. A throb of agony pierces my skull, and my feet are already walking before I know what I'm doing.

The pack hospital is pretty quiet on most days, and I'm relieved to see that today is one of those days.

"Good afternoon, Alpha!" The chirpy receptionist greets. "What can I do for you?"

"Hey, Faily," I reply. "I just need a quick pain reliever."

She frowns. "Another headache? Those meetings are really running you in."

The topic of this morning flashes bright behind my eyes, taunting me with a life of shared duties, but I push it away.

"I'm ok, I promise," I reassure her, smiling.

She smiles back before saying, "I'll go ask the doctor for something. One second."

She's back a couple minutes later, a white pill and plastic cup in hand. She hands them both to me.

"Here you are. I made sure these were none drowsy, so you should be good."

I toss it back, throwing the cup in a garbage bin before saying, "Thank you so much."

She nods before sliding back into her position behind the desk.

I go to turn around and head out when a head of familiar black cropped hair catches my eye. It's gone in a flash, but I know what I saw, and I quickly follow in the direction it went.