Alpha Varkas

Vespera POV

A massive wave of surprise washed over me as Katarina’s words echoed through the phone speaker. I tightened my grip on the device, barely able to process the sudden revelation. I was absolutely certain that getting an appointment with Alpha Varkas would take at least two months, given his formidable reputation and endless responsibilities. Yet, here Katarina was, casually dropping the bombshell that he would be stepping foot into our territory in merely two days.

"That’s lovely news, Katarina," I managed to say, my voice still slightly hoarse but now laced with a sudden, desperate surge of eagerness. "But if he’s meeting Garrick, then what is the actual agenda?" It was painfully apparent that this visit wasn’t originally orchestrated for me.

"I honestly don’t know, girl," Katarina replied over the line, her tone a mix of casual indifference and supportive warmth. "He just said that he was going to meet Alpha Garrick for some pack business and that he will make time to meet you there."

I clamped my hand over my mouth to stifle a sudden, desperate squeal. Hope, bright and fierce, flared up inside my hollow chest, temporarily pushing back the suffocating darkness that had threatened to consume me just moments ago. This was it. This was my golden opportunity to finally reclaim my father's pack from Garrick's treacherous hands and exit this incredibly toxic marriage with my dignity intact.

"Thanks so much, Katarina," I breathed out, a genuine, albeit frail, smile forming on my lips in the dark forest. "You have no idea what this means to me. It’s quite literally a lifeline."

"Oh, don’t be stupid!" Katarina chided me playfully, her banter cutting through the heavy night air. "I would have absolutely loved to tag along, but I have to attend this ridiculously stupid ball which my Alpha brother has asked me to host on his behalf!"

"Why? What about his Luna? She should be the one attending it," I asked, genuinely curious as I slowly pushed myself up from the damp earth.

Katarina let out a long, dramatic sigh. "Alpha Varkas strictly refuses to get married and tied down to one woman! He is thirty years old and still stubbornly waiting for his true mate. I’ve practically begged him several times to just take a chosen mate and settle down, but he won't budge."

I couldn't help but chuckle a little. Some people truly lived up to their intimidating reputations. "I see... Well, thanks again, Katarina. I really would have loved to meet you in person."

"Sure girl!" she said enthusiastically. "Catch you later! Be strong!"

For the first time in what felt like an eternity, things were finally looking up. The crushing weight of Kora's sudden dormancy still ached deep within my soul, but I had a mission now. If Alpha Varkas was arriving in just two days, I had no time to wallow in despair. I needed to meticulously prepare everything and present my case to him in one clean, undeniable shot.

I rushed back to the pack house under the cover of darkness, slipping into my room unnoticed. The entire next day was a blur of frantic yet focused activity. Knowing that Anise was probably the only one who might bother to disturb me in my room, I fully took advantage of my isolation. I spent hours hunched over my desk, meticulously jotting down the details of my legal case, gathering crucial financial records, and compiling the pack documents that proved my rightful claim. I specifically focused on the Golden Gate project—my ultimate achievement. I was the one who had identified the optimal wheat variety for our specific territory, drafted the implementation plans, and successfully encouraged the pack members to adopt it. It was a mega success, pulling our pack's economy out of a severe slump and bringing in massive profits. Alpha Varkas needed to see that I was the true brain behind the pack's prosperity, not Garrick.

My only lingering worry was how I was going to actually pull him aside and meet him alone. I secretly hoped Garrick would call me into his office to formally brief me about Alpha Varkas’s impending arrival. I waited all day, but he didn’t bother.

It wasn't until the following morning that my fading hopes were violently challenged. I had just finished my morning shower and was standing in front of the mirror, carefully clasping a silver earring into place, when the bedroom door swung open without a single knock.

Garrick walked in. He had clearly just finished his morning training session. He was wearing nothing but a pair of dark, sweat-dampened training shorts. His chiseled, muscular chest heaved slightly, beads of sweat glistening on his tanned skin. Once upon a time, seeing him like this would have sent a familiar, heated thrill straight to my core. Had it been a normal day in the past, I would have dropped everything, closing the distance to have wild sex with him right here, right now. But today? The mate bond inside me was nothing more than a rotting, festering wound. The fierce physical attraction that used to draw me to him was rapidly ebbing away, replaced by a cold, hard wall of resentment.

"Vespera," he said, his tone clipped and remarkably cold.

I turned to look at him, maintaining a mask of composed enthusiasm. As the reigning Luna of the pack, I naturally assumed he was finally here with a formal request to join him for the welcoming dinner we were hosting for Alpha Varkas. "Yes, Garrick?" I asked calmly, picking up my other earring.

He stood there, crossing his muscular arms over his broad chest. He took a ragged, deliberate breath in. "Tomorrow, Alpha Varkas is going to be here. I want Zanya to attend all the functions with me. Not you."

Dumbfounded, I froze, the silver earring slipping from my fingers and clattering softly onto the vanity. My blood ran completely cold as his words struck me like a physical blow. I stared at him, my green eyes wide with disbelief. "What exactly do you mean? I’m your rightful Luna. She is nothing but your mistress!"

Garrick shifted his weight on his feet, looking momentarily uncomfortable under my intense, piercing gaze. He avoided looking directly into my eyes. "But Zanya is pregnant with my pup," he justified, his voice firming up as he grasped for an excuse. "Now I want her representation to be much more prominent in the pack than yours."

I felt a violent surge of nausea at the mention of the pup—the very pup I had desperately prayed for.

"Moreover," he continued relentlessly, "it’ll be a grand ball tomorrow evening. Who are you even going to go with? I will be busy escorting Zanya, and so it will be very awkward and humiliating for you to stand alone." He shook his head dismissively, treating me like a pathetic burden. "You can't come."

Without giving me a single second to argue, scream, or defend my position, he abruptly turned around and walked straight out of the room, shutting the door firmly behind him.

Frustration, betrayal, and a blinding rage surged through my veins like liquid fire. My hands clenched into tight fists until my perfectly manicured nails dug painfully into my palms. I was absolutely not going to let him lock me away in this room and steal this life-changing opportunity right out from under me. Zanya was systematically clawing her way into my life, taking my husband, my pack, and my status. If she successfully attended the ball with Garrick while I was hidden away, I was officially and permanently over.

Later that morning, I needed to get some fresh air to clear my blazing mind. As I stepped near the corridor leading to the guest wing, a familiar, sickeningly sweet voice caught my attention. I stopped dead in my tracks, pressing my back against the cold stone wall to listen. It was Zanya, conversing loudly with an omega maid.

"Miss Zanya," the maid, Nyssa, said softly. "The expensive beautician you requested is here to see you."

"Oh, perfect, Nyssa. Ask her to go straight up to my room," Zanya replied, her voice dripping with sheer smugness.

"But you are already so flawlessly beautiful, Miss Zanya," Nyssa chuckled, shamelessly buttering her up.

Zanya laughed a high, triumphant sound that grated on my very last nerve. "Alpha Varkas is the strongest and most influential Alpha around. After all, Alpha Garrick explicitly asked me last night to be present by his side the entire time when Alpha Varkas is here. I simply have to make a spectacular impression, don’t I?"

"Of course," Nyssa agreed eagerly. "It’s so wonderful to have you back where you belong, Miss Zanya."

My heart thundered violently against my ribs. So Garrick had informed his precious mistress a full day before he even bothered to drop the bomb on me? He was deliberately making me feel utterly insignificant with every passing minute. He was erasing my existence.

This situation demanded absolute patience and sharp intelligence. I stifled my explosive rage, biting down hard on my lower lip, and silently marched back to my bedroom. I locked the door and immediately grabbed my phone, dialing Gamma Zorien’s number.

"Luna Vespera?" Zorien answered, sounding slightly surprised to hear from me so early.

"Zorien, do you know the full official program for tomorrow's visit?" I demanded, risking sounding pitiful because, as the Luna, I should have already been briefed. But what was the point of hiding my pathetic reality from the Gamma anymore? Everyone probably already knew.

After a long, deeply hesitant pause, he cleared his throat. "Yes, Luna."

"Good. I want you to accompany me to the ball tomorrow evening," I ordered in a tone that brokered zero argument. I abruptly hung up the phone before he could voice his shock, his concern, or his inevitable protests. I didn't care if it put him in a tough spot. I was fighting for my survival.

I immediately marched over to my massive wardrobe and flung the heavy oak doors open. I aggressively pushed past the mundane daily wear and pulled out my absolute finest silk gown. It was a stunning emerald green that perfectly matched my eyes, tailored to hug every curve with elegant, lethal precision. If I had to make an unforgettable impression and save my own face, keeping up appearances was absolutely essential. I would crash that party looking like a queen.

The following morning, the tension in the pack house was thick enough to cut with a silver blade. I stayed secluded in my room, refusing to give Garrick the satisfaction of seeing my face. Around mid-morning, a low, powerful rumble of heavy engines echoed sharply through the expansive estate. The sound vibrated against the glass of my windows.

I held my breath, cautiously creeping toward the window and peeping through a small gap in the heavy velvet curtains. I watched in sheer astonishment as a massive convoy of ten sleek, heavily tinted black luxury cars pulled smoothly into our circular driveway. Dozens of highly trained warriors in sharp black uniforms immediately spilled out of the escort vehicles, quickly securing the perimeter before rushing toward the magnificent black Rolls Royce positioned right in the middle.

I completely stopped breathing when the rear door opened and Alpha Varkas stepped out.

He was towering. Breathtakingly, fiercely handsome. With thick, raven-dark hair and a face so perfectly chiseled it looked like it was carved from granite, he easily dwarfed every single warrior standing around him. More striking than a mythical god, Alpha Varkas radiated a dark, dominant, suffocating alpha aura that was so intense it seemed to forcefully suck all the oxygen right out of the vast courtyard. Even from two stories up, behind thick glass, I could feel the heavy weight of his raw power pressing against my skin.

Suddenly, as if his inner wolf had detected a hidden prey, he stopped in his tracks. He slowly reached up, lowered his dark designer sunglasses down the bridge of his nose, and looked straight up.

Right at my window.

Our eyes locked in a sudden, explosive instant. My bright, vivid green eyes fiercely met his piercing, predatory hazel ones. A strange electric shock jolted straight down my spine. I drew in a sharp, ragged breath, my chest heaving as my heart began to race like a terrified caged bird desperately thrashing against my ribs. I felt completely naked, utterly exposed under his heavy, calculating stare.

"Alpha Varkas!" Garrick’s loud, eager voice boomed from the courtyard below, sharply breaking the intense, magnetic spell.

I gasped and quickly drew back, pressing my back flat against the wall next to the window, my chest rising and falling rapidly.

"Alpha Garrick," Alpha Varkas replied, his deep, resonant baritone voice carrying effortlessly through the morning air, vibrating with undeniable authority.

"Meet Zanya," Garrick offered proudly, gesturing grandly to the smugly smiling woman standing dutifully beside him.

My cheeks burned with a deep, furious shame. I closed my eyes tightly, utterly humiliated by my husband's sheer audacity to formally present his pregnant mistress first to a visiting dignitary. It was the ultimate disrespect.

A heavy silence fell over the courtyard.

"Where’s your Luna?" Alpha Varkas’s voice suddenly demanded, cutting through the polite pleasantries like a serrated knife. His tone was dangerously low.

I peeked back through the curtain just an inch. I could see Garrick physically flinch, clearly caught totally off guard by the blunt, uncompromising question.

"She—she’s unwell today," Garrick stammered out a pathetic lie, shifting uncomfortably on his feet.

"And so you’ve got your mistress to welcome me?" Varkas growled. The sound was terrifying, laced with pure, unfiltered disdain. He stepped closer to Garrick, towering over my husband. "Despite clearly knowing that she is vastly below my status? Are you intentionally insulting me, Garrick?"

Garrick gulped hard, his face visibly paling as the surrounding warriors tensed. Alpha Garrick knew very well that powerful Alphas like Varkas were notoriously strict about protocol and rank. "Alpha Varkas, I sincerely apologize, I—"

"I don’t have time for this blatant disrespect!" Alpha Varkas cut him off mercilessly, his voice echoing like thunder. "I came here for business. I want to meet the actual person behind the Golden Gate project immediately, and then I’ll leave this place as soon as possible."

A sudden, fierce shudder ran straight down my spine, followed by a rush of pure adrenaline. I was the mind behind the Golden Gate project. Was he angry? Had I done something wrong with the numbers? Or did he recognize the sheer brilliance of the initiative?

I peered from the window one more time. I watched as Alpha Varkas sharply turned his back and headed straight inside the grand mansion, completely ignoring Garrick. Garrick quickly scrambled to follow him, looking thoroughly humiliated. Left behind in their wake was a deeply embarrassed, red-faced Zanya, awkwardly standing all alone on the pavement surrounded by heavily armed, staring warriors.

A small, cold, highly vindictive smile slowly spread across my face.

Finally, Zanya knew exactly what her real place was.