But becoming the Alpha didn’t give me the satisfaction I thought it would. It was still a lonely existence; my wolf was antisocial, aware that it was lacking. I looked at my friends as they found their mates, as they lost them due to their foolishness and then managed to win them back. A small part of me found their actions ridiculous. They didn’t realize how lucky they were that their mates accepted them and loved them.

Nobody could love the beast I was. People respect me. They like me. ...