CHAPTER 003

It was to be one of the most significant days of the Alpha career of Oliver Hawthorne. Months of late nights, meetings, letters, and long negotiations had brought him to this. Had all been well, he would have secured an official alliance between Glass Lake and RedWoods Pack.

This was unlike the four years since he and his twin brother Alistair had assumed the co-Alpha position and had been able to build a number of powerful alliances. It was the first time that Oliver had to deal with it on his own.

He was very responsible. Oliver, being the more peaceable and the more diplomatic of the two brothers, had been the natural person to head the discussions.

Where Alistair was reputed to be hot-blooded, abrupt, and easily irritated, Oliver was patient and tactical. That balance had held their pack together, but there were things that were better done by a single steady hand."I do not see the point;

I still do not see the point," Alistair had grumbled the night Oliver informed him that he would be doing the negotiations without him. We are the greatest pack in the land, and we have the greatest territory and the most gifted warriors.

These small packs are trailing us. You see, I am not patient with that stuff. Oliver had smiled at that, since his brother was not mistaken. But he had reminded him this was not merely a matter of strength. It’s about loyalty. Our father was RedWoods.

This partnership is important to him and to their Beta, Ian. It was the dream of their father to bring their packs together in a permanent alliance. To Oliver, it was important to keep on with that dream. For Alistair, not so much.

"We are Alphas now, Oliver," Alistair had shot back. “People judge us, not Dad. We must make future choices, not past choices. Oliver had sighed and knew when to release. He wouldn’t win this fight. His brother was obstinate, and when he once undertook anything, he seldom relinquished it. So Oliver had sat back, grinned, and said, "Fine." I’ll take the treaty. That is to say that I will not be able to attend the Forest Preservation Summit this year.

That will be all yours, ” Alistair’s face dropped. “You’re kidding me.” Oliver nearly laughed at the idea, but his smile died. You were quite clear that you did not want to negotiate. So enjoy the summit, brother. I hear they put in some additional sessions on soil erosion. Glaring, Alistair had muttered, "Bloody hell." “I hate you sometimes.” Oliver had only laughed. “You love me. Admit it.

”That was six months ago. Oliver was now heading to the Redwoods territory, with papers in hand and his mind clear, and Alistair was likely to be stuck in some boring lecture hall on forest sustainability. He had everything that one could want. He was aware of the truth because deep down he knew that his life was starting to feel empty. It was ideal on the surface.

Oliver Hawthorne, twenty-four, tall, strong, rich, and respected as co-Alpha of one of the largest packs in the country. He was said to be handsome, but he had never been much concerned about the compliments. And yet there was a want.

You should be ashamed of yourself, dragging Zayne. Alistair was always teasing him. “Come to the bar with me and Zayne! Once in your life, forget and enjoy! Oliver had refused every time. I would sooner eat silver than see you drink till you can no longer stand and hook up with all the she-wolves who wink their eyelashes.

But here he was, twenty-four years of age, and not a married man. Alistair had merely rolled his eyes, called him a dull prude, and gone. Oliver was glad not to be questioned any more. However, recently he was questioning whether or not it was better to be around people, even shallow, drunk people, than to be alone all the time.

It was the bane of being a twin. You told me all about your childhood, all about your secrets, and even about your pack, but you still felt that half of you was missing. One night he had attempted to speak to Alistair about it. "I cannot get rid of this feeling," he said. “Something’s off. I feel…hollow. ”Alistair had only waved him off. “You think too much. Relax. ”Not quite the counsel he had required.

The fact was that Oliver missed his mate. Wolves typically had their mates by the age of twenty. Eighteen, if they were lucky. His wolf, Teague, reminded him. To an Alpha, that was late. He wanted their mate as much as Teague did. We ought to be seeking her. Teague grumbled, impatient in his head. Oliver sighed. “I know. But what if she is ours? Suppose she is of both of us? You see, Alistair will not want to share.

Rikkon will change his mind, Teague growled stubbornly. Rikkon, the wolf of Alistair, was much less ambivalent. He thought about the nights when women approached him, desiring to feel power, desiring to be observed by an Alpha Oliver wasn’t so sure.

The howls were so great that Oliver could not endure them, and he would retire with excuses, and they were disappointed. He allowed himself to kiss them, perhaps more. But Teague would howl in his head, furious. “It’s not her! Send her away!”

Alistair was all right next to him. He did not want anybody who was not his mate. And the waiting was tearing him asunder.

His brother was sleeping around with women and wine, laughing too loud, and living too hard. Too fine. Alphas were envious animals, but twins? Oliver knew it was a mask. He guessed that Alistair was afraid of the same thing—sharing a mate. It was a different plane. Identical twins? It was a different plane.

The Moon goddess occasionally gave one soul two bodies. Had that been the case with them, then they might have shared one mate. The idea did not frighten Oliver as it used to. Actually, he thought that when the Goddess wanted it to happen, it would happen. Somehow. But Alistair was not disposed to discuss it.

So Oliver kept silent, and swallowed his loneliness, and buried it in work. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel as the house of the RedWoods Beta appeared. The air was of pine and damp soil, the old smell of old ties between their packs.

Teague stirred again. His wolf said, "She is out there." “I can feel it. ”Oliver’s chest tightened. He did not know whether Teague meant today, tomorrow, or years to come. But the hope flared, dangerous and bright. He got out of the car and smoothed his shirt. He came to find an ally. But his heart sank on another account altogether.

What if Teague was right? What, should she be nearer than he imagined? And what had Alistair not done to meet her?