BloodMoon: Captivated by the Forbidden Lycan Alpha

TOR'S POV

Restlessness fucking clung to me like a shadow—always present, always pressing since the day i left Hanka Island. For days now, it had lingered, gnawing at me and at Gale, my Lycan beast, who prowled just beneath the surface. The Bay Shifter pack's expectations only made it worse. Ever since Gale had risen, the pressure had been unbearable. The council members hounded me about an heir, their chatter relentless, like vultures circling prey. A mate. That was all they spoke about. They paraded their daughters and nieces before me like I was nothing but a breeding machine.

The thought made me sneer. I'd heard enough. I needed to let off steam. That was why I'd dragged Spark, my Beta, out of his bed long before sunrise, ignoring his curses and protests. Now, three hours later, the sun finally kissed the horizon, its light spilling over the training grounds.

"You need to slow down, Tor," Spark wheezed, dropping to his knees, drenched in sweat and out of breath. "You're going to forget you're not just an Alpha. You're a damn Lycan beast now. I'm only a Beta—not indestructible!"

I couldn't help but laugh at the pitiful glare he shot me from the ground. His words held a note of truth, but my beast and I didn't care.

"You're supposed to be my Beta, Spark. Keeping up with me should be part of the job description." I smirked and took a step back, rolling my shoulders as Gale stirred with satisfaction. The sparring had done little to quiet him, but it had taken the edge off.

Spark groaned, flopping onto his back as if the earth itself would swallow him up. "Job description, my ass. You're a lunatic this week, Tor. I'm lucky I still have my spine intact."

"You're just getting soft," I taunted, wiping the sweat from my brow. My breathing barely hitched, unlike Spark, who now resembled a fish out of water. I gazed out over the empty training grounds, the wind brushing against my face, bringing a brief moment of peace—before the weight of everything came rushing back. The council, their expectations, their demands.

"The council's driving you crazy, isn't it?" Spark's voice pulled me from my thoughts.

I glanced down at him. "You think?" My voice was sharper than I'd intended, but he didn't flinch. He knew me too well for that.

Spark pushed himself up onto his elbows, his expression softening. "Don't let them get in your head, Tor. You're no one's breeding machine. You'll take a mate when you damn well choose to but you understand that the fact that your Lycan awakened, changed everything in the pack"

I huffed a short laugh. "Tell that to them."

"Oh, I would… but I'd rather not lose my tongue." He grinned faintly, but the humor didn't reach his tired eyes.

I turned away, staring toward the forest line where the sun now stretched its light through the trees. Somewhere deep in my chest, Gale growled in agreement—a mate would come when we were ready. Until then, I'd fight, train, and silence the noise, no matter how restless I felt.

"Get up, Spark," I said, my tone lighter this time. "I'll let you catch your breath, but not for long."

"Oh, come on," he groaned, falling back onto the dirt. "Are you trying to kill me or make me stronger?"

"Both." His muffled curses only made me grin.

Hours after training, Spark rushed out of the training ground, muttering something about never trusting me again before sunrise. I sat on the ground, lost in thought, the earlier adrenaline fading into an uneasy quiet. Gale, my Lycan beast, rumbled to life once more, his voice pushing through me like a low growl.

Hank Island. Tonight.

I chuckled inwardly at the urgency in his tone. I knew exactly how he felt. The restless energy that had plagued us both was driving me to the edge.

"Fine," I muttered under my breath, rising to my feet. My muscles protested slightly, but I ignored them. I strode off the training grounds, my mind already plotting what the night ahead would bring.

As I moved, my enforcer guards fell into step behind me. Their presence was constant and expected, though today I barely noticed them. What I did notice was the approaching presence of two individuals I had no desire to see.

Blossom Sky, the Female General of the Pack, and Haze Steel, the Commander General—both headed directly toward me. Even before they came into view, Gale growled deep within me, irritation prickling under my skin.

"Not now," I muttered to him, though we both knew there was no avoiding this. It had been years since the two of them started competing for my favor, and the council's endless chatter about me taking a mate only made it worse.

Blossom and Haze emerged onto the path before me, their confident strides matching the power they carried. Both stopped a respectable distance away, though their presence still grated on my nerves.

"Alpha Tor," they greeted in unison, their voices smooth and practiced and bowed.

I bit back a sigh, offering a curt nod in response. "Blossom. Haze, rise" 

Gale snarled faintly in the back of my mind, but I kept my expression unreadable, dreading the interaction already. Blossom, ever poised and calculating, tilted her chin up slightly. "The council will be holding a dinner tonight, Alpha. They have requested your presence." Her voice was sweet, but her gaze betrayed her intentions. Her eyes raked me up and down, glowing faintly as if sizing me up for far more than conversation. On the other hand, Haze, stoic and composed as always suffered a different reaction. A blush rose from her neck to her cheeks, her fair skin betraying the faintest vulnerability she tried to hide.

Disgusting. Gale's growl echoed through me, laced with irritation and disdain.

I kept my expression neutral, face carved from stone, though it took effort not to roll my eyes at their antics. "Noted," I said flatly, offering them no further acknowledgment. My steps surged forward, forcing them to part and step aside to let me pass.

"Excuse us," Haze murmured, her voice faltering slightly, though she masked it with a stiff nod. Blossom remained quiet, but I caught the flicker of annoyance in her expression as I moved past.

Once I was clear, I couldn't suppress the quiet snicker that escaped me. My guards fell into formation behind me, their boots crunching the gravel path in unison as I strode toward home.

"Pathetic," I muttered to myself, shaking my head as Gale grumbled in agreement. The council's games were growing old, and I'd had enough. Tonight, I will endure their dinner. But soon, they would learn, I was no puppet, and I would choose my own path.