The Unwanted Mandate

POV: Alpha Xander

"This ball is a fucking joke," I grumble, slamming my ceramic coffee mug onto the thick oak dining table. Dark liquid sloshes over the rim, staining the polished wood. "What happened to people just meeting at normal events? Pack barbecues, Alpha ceremonies, regular parties? Why do we need an orchestrated circus just for mates to stumble into each other? And why the hell does every pack have to take turns hosting this Jade Moon nightmare? It should be my choice as Alpha if I want thousands of strangers stomping through my territory."

Gideon leans back in his chair, a shit-eating grin stretching across his face. "Always a pleasure to bask in your radiant sunshine, brother."

I flip him off, thrusting my middle finger right in his line of sight.

He barks out a loud laugh, the sound grating against my morning headache. "I swear, the older you get, the crabbier you get. You are twenty-eight going on eighty."

My parents stroll into the dining area just in time to catch the tail end of his commentary, both of them chuckling. Werewolf hearing is a real pain in the ass sometimes.

"Fuck off," I grunt, grabbing a napkin to wipe up the spilled coffee. "I am a goddamn delight." I take a long, bitter swallow of the brew, trying to block out Gideon's annoying snickering.

"Are you complaining about the ball again, Dad?"

I look up. Maisie struts into the room, tossing her dark hair over her shoulder before dropping into the empty chair across from me. She hits sixteen in a few weeks. She has the sharp teenage attitude down to a science, but she is my whole world. I wouldn't trade a single sarcastic eye roll, even if looking at her sometimes feels like a punch to the ribs. She is the spitting physical image of her mother. A woman I have spent fifteen years trying to erase from my memory. Every time she tilts her head a certain way or laughs at a specific pitch, a ghost from the past flashes before my eyes. But Maisie is innocent in all of it. She is mine, and I protect what is mine with everything I have.

"I am not complaining," I tell her, pointing a stern finger her way. "I am stating logistical facts."

Maisie giggles. The dining room doors swing open again, and my other brothers, Will and Silas, stroll in. They look like they went ten rounds with a bear, hair messy and shirts rumpled from morning training.

"Is he still bitching about Saturday?" Will asks, grabbing a piece of toast off Gideon's plate.

Everyone at the table nods. Laughter echoes off the stone walls. I shake my head, letting out a heavy breath. Everyone else gets to vent about border patrols and rogue sightings, but the second I voice my irritation about a glorified meat market, I get mocked.

"Is it really that bad, Dad?" Maisie rests her chin on her hands, offering me a sweet, teasing smirk. "It is just one night. And besides... you might actually meet your destined mate."

I force a smile for her benefit, but underneath the surface, my gut twists into a tight, sickening knot. I am twenty-eight. A mateless reigning Alpha. In our world, it is practically unheard of to reach my age without a Luna standing by my side. Most wolves find their other half the second they turn eighteen. But I have spent the last decade dodging the very concept of a fated mate. My parents have nagged me relentlessly, pushing me to attend more social events, to travel to other packs, to make an effort.

The truth is, I don't want to find her.

There was a time, back when I was a naive kid, when finding a mate was the only thing I dreamt about. I imagined the bond, the pull, the perfect partnership. Now? The mere thought makes my stomach churn with harsh anxiety. My past trauma tore those dreams to shreds. I refuse to reopen those old, agonizing wounds just to bleed out all over again. I refuse to risk my sanity for a mythical bond that can shatter a man from the inside out.

I have built a solid life. I lead the strongest pack in the region. I have my brothers, my parents, my daughter, and my Beta, Wyatt. I have the respect of my people. The pack operates like a well-oiled machine under my command. And if I ever need physical company, there is never a shortage of willing women ready to share my bed for a night with zero strings attached. We both get what we want, and nobody gets hurt. I have everything I need. Risking all of that is out of the question.

"After breakfast, I want a word with you in your office, son," my dad says, his tone shifting from amused to serious.

I give him a stiff nod, swallowing the dread pooling in my throat. I know exactly what he wants to discuss. I want to tell him to drop it, to save us both the headache, but I respect the man too much to shut him down in front of the family. Even if I know I am going to regret it the second the door clicks shut.

Half an hour later, breakfast wraps up. I am sitting behind my massive mahogany desk in my private office. My dad takes the leather guest chair opposite me, his expression grave.

"I know what this conversation is about," I start, leaning forward and resting my forearms on the desk. "I am not changing my mind, Dad. So please, let's just skip the lecture."

He doesn't reply right away. He just stares at me with a worn, heavy gaze that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. The silence stretches, thick and suffocating.

"Xandy," he finally sighs. "It is time."

I shoot up from my chair, the leather squeaking in protest. I start pacing the length of the room, my heavy boots thudding rhythmically against the polished hardwood floor. The walls of this office have witnessed countless strategic victories, yet right now, they feel like they are closing in on me. "Time for what? I run the pack just fine without a Luna. We are thriving. The borders are the most secure they have been in decades. Our financials are through the roof. My lack of a mate isn't hurting anyone, Dad. It is my burden to carry, nobody else's."

Before he can argue, a soft knock interrupts us. I pause my pacing.

"Come in, sweetheart," I call out, sensing Maisie's familiar scent lingering in the hallway.

She pushes the door open, flashing a bright, innocent smile that usually means she wants something expensive. She is wearing a skirt that is at least three inches too short for my liking, but I bite my tongue. I have learned to pick my battles with a teenage girl, and wardrobe choices are a losing war.

"Is it okay if I go to the mall with the girls?" she asks, batting her eyelashes. "Hanna's mom is driving. We just want to get our hair and nails done for the ball tonight."

"Of course, sweetheart. Have fun."

She doesn't move. She just stands there, giving me that practiced, manipulative look. I know that look.

"What happened to it this time?" I ask, reaching into my back pocket and pulling out my wallet.

She shrugs, trying her hardest to look guilt-free. She loses her bank card every other damn week. I pull out my black credit card and hand it over, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

"Keep your phone on loud. Text me when you are heading back."

"Thanks, Dad!" She beams, waving goodbye to her grandfather before slipping out the door and clicking it shut behind her.

The second the latch catches, the heavy tension slams back into the room.

I turn to face my dad, letting out a long, exhausted breath. "I am happy, Dad. Why do we need to change that?"

He rubs a hand over his stubbled jaw, studying me with sad eyes. "I hear you, son. I do. But I still believe having a partner would be good for you. I know you are haunted by the past. What happened fifteen years ago was a tragedy. But that doesn't mean you have to punish yourself for the rest of your future."

My chest tightens. The mere mention of the past makes my blood boil. Fifteen years, and the phantom pain still flares up when I let my guard down.

"You say you are happy," my dad continues, his voice dropping lower. "But are you really? I have never met a wolf who doesn't yearn for his mate. And I have certainly never met a reigning Alpha who doesn't crave his Luna by his side. It just isn't natural."

He isn't wrong. Deep down, buried beneath layers of hardened pride and stubborn refusal, there might be a microscopic fraction of my soul that wonders what it would be like. But the risk? The potential for that kind of devastating heartbreak? I can't do it. I won't do it.

"Besides the obvious emotional factors," my dad says, taking my silence as an opening. "The pack Elders are done waiting. They are not going to let your mateless status slide any longer."

I stop pacing and glare at him. "What do they want me to do? Pull a fated mate out of a fucking hat? Magic her up from thin air? Even if I wanted one, she hasn't shown up. What exactly is their grand plan?"

My dad looks away, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. The sudden avoidance makes a cold spike of panic hit my chest.

"No," I say, my voice dangerous. "Please don't tell me they are going to do what I think they are going to do."

He meets my eyes and gives a slow, reluctant nod.

"Are you kidding me?" I grip the edge of my desk, my knuckles turning white. "Seriously? A chosen mate?"

"I don't like it either," he says, sounding genuinely apologetic. "I want you to have your true mate, not some arranged political match. I argued with Elder Flint for an hour this morning, but he refuses to listen. They are tired of waiting."

"So what is the process?" I snap, my frustration boiling over. "Do I get a say, or am I just going to be stuffed into a tuxedo and dragged down the aisle to marry some stranger I have never met?"

I know I am being a dick. I know my father fought for me, and taking my anger out on him is unfair, but he is the only person in the room. He gets to bear the brunt of my fury.

I slump back into my desk chair, dragging both hands down my face. The exhaustion hits me all at once. "Let me get this straight. Not only do I have to host this miserable ball that I want zero part of, but now I also have to deal with the Elders parading hand-picked candidates in front of me? Do you realize how insane this is? They are going to line up a bunch of superficial, opportunistic she-wolves who don't give a damn about me. They just want the money, the status, and the title of Luna."

"I know, son. I know."

I open my mouth to argue further, but he holds up a hand, cutting me off.

"I understand your anger. While I don't grasp your refusal to find a fated mate, I agree that forcing an arranged mating is the wrong path. It is archaic."

I watch him closely. He looks older today, the stress carving deep lines around his eyes. He stepped down as Alpha to give me the reins, to enjoy his retirement, and here he is, still fighting political battles with the Elders on my behalf. A heavy wave of guilt washes over me. I swallow my immense pride, the bitter taste lingering in my mouth.

"Fine," I mutter, leaning back and staring at the ceiling. "I will do it. I will meet whatever women they choose. I will sit down, have a drink, and talk to them. But I make no promises of a mating. Understood?"

Normally, when the Elders force a chosen mate scenario, they select a small, elite group. Four or five high-ranking females from respected families. I can sit through five awkward dinners. I can nod, smile, and politely reject every single one of them. I can handle that.

But my dad doesn't look relieved. Instead, his frown deepens. He shifts in his chair again, looking like he swallowed a lemon.

"What?" I demand, my instincts flaring. "What else is there?"

"I am guessing you haven't checked your emails yet this morning?" he asks gently.

I shake my head, a sense of impending doom creeping up my spine. "No. Why?"

My dad sighs, bracing his hands on his knees. "The Elders didn't just decide on chosen candidates, Xander. They passed a new mandatory law regarding the Jade Moon Ball. Effective immediately."

"What law?"

"All single wolves of age, male and female, within our allied territories are now legally compelled to attend the ball tonight. It is compulsory. No exemptions."

My brain stalls. I stare at him, processing the words. "You have got to be fucking kidding me."

"I am sorry, son," he says, giving me a grim look. "The chosen candidate pool isn't just four or five women. The Elders cast a massive net. Because of this new decree, every unmated female from every neighboring pack will be crossing our borders today. There is going to be an unprecedented flood of single she-wolves swarming our territory tonight. Thousands of them. And every single one of them will be desperate to prove she is ready to be your Luna."

Thousands.

My carefully controlled, isolated life is about to be ripped apart by a stampede of hopeful, ambitious women, all legally forced to march into my home. The sheer scale of the nightmare crashes down on me, suffocating and inescapable. The Elders knew exactly what they were doing. They cornered me. They weaponized an ancient tradition to force my hand, ensuring I couldn't just brush off a few hand-picked candidates. I am backed into a corner with zero exits, trapped in my own territory. Tonight is going to be a massive test of my sanity.

Fuck.