Chapter 571

In the two months before Anders takes over as Alpha, he and I, as well as Charles, Calvin’s son and Anders‘ intended Beta, begin a new schedule of training. Patrick is slowly passing things over to Anders and while we take the time we have to go away and spend with our mates, most of our time is spent taking over the duties of the pack. Anders had Lily and I take over morning training, letting us train together in the afternoons while he and Charles took over afternoon training.

One day, as Anders and I were finishing up our training schedule, we walked toward the kitchen to find our mates for lunch. When I hear my mate’s snarling voice, I stop to hear what’s going on, pulling Anders” arm to get him to stop too.

“Ladies. Are you so desperate and petty that you have to sit around the kitchen, talking about the good old days when you had your 15 minutes of heaven with someone that is no longer available and will never be yours? I mean, if it were me, and, of course, it’s not because I’m mated to a Guardian, but if it were me, I’d be more concerned about who was available that maybe I could actually have a chance with, not sitting around like a bunch of old maids talking of the days gone by. And, if the purpose of this conversation is to make your future Luna uncomfortable with the fact that her mate slept with someone other than her, rest assured that she already knows. But that is in the past. No one and nothing will take Anders away from Calista.”

“Excuse me?” One of the she–wolves that Lily is addressing says.

“Yes, you do need to be excused. All of you need to get a life. Get over it. You may have slept with Anders. Maybe you slept with Clint. That was then, this is now bitches. Those men are off the market.

Go find your own.”

“And if we don’t?” Another girl stands up. Seriously? These she–wolves need to get a life. Anders and I haven’t been interested in anyone else in months. And no one will ever be able to turn our heads from our mates.

“Not one of you even trains, do you really think I couldn’t take every one of you at once and not even break a sweat. Don’t embarrass yourselves any more than you already have.” I hear Lily say.

“Lily.” I hear Calista’s soft voice say, just as Anders takes a step forward. I can see the anger on his face that pack members have been making his mate feel uncomfortable, but I know my mate has it under control. I grab his arm again, holding him back.

“Ladies, I understand how difficult it must be for you. You wanted to be Luna, or perhaps you thought Anders loved you. But that’s not the case. I know any of you would take a chance to spend another night with my mate, and I can’t blame you for wanting that. Anders is an incredible lover. But he is mine. He will always be mine. It would be better if you recognized that and stop trying to make things in this pack uncomfortable with your constant chatter or your time with my mate.” Calista’s voice echoes down the hall. It’s obvious that as she speaks, Shali comes forward more and more.

Anders pulls away again and he and I walk into the kitchen. As if we had planned it, we both come up I behind our mates, wrapping our arms around them.

“Let me be clear.” Anders says, running his nose up Calista’s neck and into her hair. “There is no one that I will ever want, other than my mate. She is everything to me. Anyone that hurts my mate, will answer to me.” His head comes up and he pins each of the she–wolves with his stare, his Alpha aura coming out and Zakai coming forward. “I will not tolerate any disrespect to my mate and your future Luna.”

They all lift their necks in submission and a chorus of ‘Yes, Alphas ring out in the room. He turns Calistal in his arms and pulls her into a passionate kiss. Anders isn’t one for public displays of affection, so I know he’s making a point. Maybe the pack hasn’t seen how much he truly loves Calista, and he’s making sure they see it now. It doesn’t take long before Anders and Calista get lost in the kiss, forgetting about everything else around them.

When the she–wolves leave, I lean down to my mate’s ear. “That was so hot.”

She turns in my arms. “Which part?” She asks, while nipping at my throat.

“All of it, but I especially like how you reminded them that you’re my mate.”

“Hmmm.” She gets a contemplative look on her face. “Am I your mate? I forget. Maybe I need to be reminded.” She gives me a seductive look, biting her lower lip.

That’s all the suggestion I need. I reach down, throwing her over my shoulder before taking her to our room and reminding her for the next couple of hours just who’s mate she is.

Two months after graduation, Lily and I stand on stage beside Anders and Calista as they swear their oaths and fealty to the pack as Alpha and Luna. Charles and his mate, Donna, are then sworn in as the pack Betas. Afterward, Lily and I are sworn in as Anders‘ and Calista’s Guardians. We had all discussed it and since my mate was a Guardian, and Anders already had me as his Guardian, it was decided that Lily would be Calista’s Guardian. Lily was thrilled and I think Calista was too. Honestly, it makes everything much easier for all of us. Any time Anders has an Alpha event, he can feel comfortable bringing Calista, knowing Lily will be there to protect her and that keeps me and Lily together more often.

It’s a beautiful evening full of dancing and celebrating. I know other males in our pack our jealous and watch my mate with hopeful eyes. But I know she’s all mine. I make a point to show her at every opportunity how grateful I am that she’s mine, how much I love her, how special she is to me.

And, I have to say, when my mate jumps in, she jumps in with both feet. There is never a day that goes by where she doesn’t show me how much she loves me. Every time she looks at me, it makes my heart stutter in my chest. Her love and respect for me are always on display for everyone to see. I am the luckiest man alive. I’m sure most people who have found their mates feel the same way, but they would be wrong. No one and nothing is more special than Lily.