The Pack’s Alpha Chapter 9: Landon and Zach

“So, Shakespeare, what’s up with not marking your mate? You know you’d both be stronger if you completed your bond,” Zach asks. “I mean, it’s not my business and you can tell me to fuck off, but she’s hot, she’s an Alpha, and you seem all in.”

I glance back at my mate, winking at her when she makes eye contact.

“Ever heard of an alliance bond?” I ask.

“Fuck!” he says.

“I don’t know what that is,” Landon says.

“It’s basically when an Alpha sells off his daughter to a neighboring pack to create a long-term alliance,” I tell him.

“Sells? That’s not legal,” he says, frowning.

“There’s no exchange of money, just a lot of promises and bullshit like that,” Zach tells him. “Do you know who the guy is or what pack he’s from?”

“We haven’t gotten that far yet. I’ve been getting to know her and letting her know that I have no intention of letting her go,” I tell them.

“Good for you. Whatever you need man, I’ll help you. Those alliance bonds are archaic bullshit.”

“Damn, maybe I’m glad I’m not an Alpha,” Landon says.

“I’m surprised that any Alpha these days is willing to agree to that. Even if his father did enter into the alliance bond, as the new Alpha he could say no,” Zach says.

“Unless they are a weak pack and need the alliance more than Cyra’s father does,” I say.

“So, what’s in it for her dad?” Landon asks. Yeah, this guy is smart. He’s putting the pieces together faster than most would.

“I don’t know, but I intend to find out,” I say.

“What about her brother? Is he Alpha yet? Maybe he can help her,” Zach says.

“I don’t know that yet either. We did just meet yesterday,” I say, giving him a look as we walk into the fitness center.

“Holy shit,” Zach whispers. I couldn’t agree more. The elite of the elite indeed. This place has everything! Connor’s pack isn‘t poor by any stretch of the imagination, my mother’s contract with multiple universities has ensured that our pack was financially well off for years, but this? This is beyond anything I’ve ever seen. Even Quirin, who is filthy rich, doesn’t have this. He would bust a nut if he saw this place. My entire family would, including Henry. Shit, I’ll have to write Wendy again and tell her all about it.

I jump up and grab the pull-up bar. I intended to just stretch and try it out, but I caught the scent of my mate’s arousal, so I decided to strut a bit, lifting my legs and really flexing while I was doing the pull-ups.

“Damn dude, even I’m developing a man crush,” Landon says as I hear Zach call out to Cyra.

“Shut the fuck up,” I say, teasingly, dropping off the bar and looking at the door that Cyra went through. I follow her, like a magnet drawn to metal, but when I open the door, I stop short.

She’s in a one-handed handstand and as I watch, she slowly spreads her legs and bends at the waist, lowering herself into the most graceful split I’ve ever seen.

I didn’t even realize that I had growled until her head spun around to look at me.

“That was sexy as fuck,” I growl.

“Did you think so?” she purrs, slowly sliding forward until her entire body is laying on the mat, while she’s still in her split.

“Oh shit. I’m doomed if we have to do that,” Zach says, coming in behind me.

“What? You can’t do this?” Piper asks, walking up to the bar that is on the wall and gracefully lifting her foot onto it before sliding into a split as she grins at us over her shoulder.

“Am I the only one whose balls hurt just watching her?” I ask, making both women laugh.

“Dude, I’m not even sure I can get my foot UP there!” Zach says.

Landon, however, walks over and lifts his foot to the bar. Then he turns and looks at Piper. “Just slide down?”

“Yep, until your body won’t stretch anymore,” she tells him.

He gets farther than I would, but nowhere near close to the splits both women can do. I make a note to ask Wendy if she can do a split. Is this a woman thing?

I watch as Cyra sits up and pulls her legs in front of her. I walk to her and take her hands, helping her to her feet. I tug a bit harder than needed so she stumbles against me and I wrap my arms around her.

“I think I’m going to need some tutoring if this class is one that I have to pass. If so, will you be my tutor?” I ask her.

“I don’t know, Alpha. If it’s a competition…” she says, her arms going around my neck.

“If it’s a competition, I’m doomed to fail. I’m not sure a year is enough time for me to do THAT,” I say, jerking my finger in the direction of Piper who is gracefully lifting out of the split. “And goddess forbid I can actually walk after that.”

She giggles sweetly and I can’t help myself, I lean forward and take her mouth in a kiss.

“Yorick,” she whispers, pulling away from me. I don’t release my hold on her.

“They know we’re mates. They don’t care,” I say, taking her mouth again.

I start slow, drawing her into the kiss until she’s leaning against me and completely involved in the kiss.

“Alright Loverboy, we’re moving on,” I hear Zach say.

I pull back and even if I couldn’t see it, I can feel the heat of Cyra’s blush.

“What else is there?” I ask, taking Cyra’s hand and following the others. My running shorts aren’t doing a whole lot to help me hide my erection, but I can’t help that, so I focus my attention on anything other than Cyra.

“The outdoor training facility,” Landon says.

When we walk out the back of the indoor training facility, we see it. Once again, I stop and stare.

“Holy Mother Moon Goddess!” Cyra says.

“Yeah,” I say.

It looks like an acre or more of nothing but different exercise equipment, but this is meant for humans AND wolves.

Thad begins purring, wanting a chance to show off for his mate.

Cyra chuckles beside me. “Does Thad want to try this as much as Rina does?”

“Oh yeah,” I say.

“Do you think we’ll get our chance to try these tomorrow?” Zach asks, jumping up onto something that looks like a jungle gym that you have to climb across with your hands. He quickly begins making his way across.

“Come on, let’s try it,” I say to Cyra.

Piper is right behind Zach, teasing him to move faster and Landon jumps on right behind her. Cyra leaps up and then takes off, and I jump up behind her.

“Better move quickly, my mate,” I say as I rush to catch her. However, my mate is fast and strong and when she gets across, leaping off the other side, I haven’t been able to catch her.

“Ha! You didn’t think I’d be that easy, did you?”

I stalk up to her, pulling her against me. “I hope you always give me a challenge, my sweet mate.”

“Well, I guess we aren’t the only ones who thought we’d take a look around,” a woman’s voice says from behind me.

I turn, seeing two women and two men walking over toward us. The woman who spoke, a tall blond, obviously Alpha female, begins striding over toward us.

She looks at my hand intertwined with Cyra’s, then she looks at my neck and as she smiles, she looks up at my face. “Hello gorgeous.”

I hear Cyra growl a low, possessive growl. I squeeze her hand and nod, acknowledging the woman but not acknowledging her comment.

Her gaze glances over Cyra, turns sour when she looks at Piper, becomes arrogant when she looks at Landon, but she smiles again when she gets to Zach, her eyes tracking over his body with blatant desire. Fake bitch.

“What’s everybody doing?” she asks.

“Checking out the campus, same as you, I’d say,” Piper says to her.

I look at the others behind her. Another Alpha female who obviously defers to this one, and two non-ranked males. This woman has made sure that she’s top dog in her group which tells me that she doesn’t like competition.

She looks at Piper as if she’s unworthy of her time, then gives a fake smile.

“I wasn’t talking to you,” the woman says.

“Well, you DID say everybody. Perhaps if you’re speaking to someone in particular, you should be more clear,” Cyra says, backing up Piper.

The woman gives another fake smile then turns to me.

“What are you doing, gorgeous? Looking for a good time? I could help you out with that,” she says, and smirks as Cyra leaps at her.