Alpha Eyes (Alpha Eyes: Book 1)

Chapter 1

Six Years Later

"You're kidding, right?" Ada whispered as we entered the training den.

I drew a deep breath and tugged on the hem of my tank top. She might have been right, but I wasn't about to start with her right now. We had far more important things to focus on for the next hour.

"Let's just get through today, Ada. I don't really want to talk about it any more." I tossed my bag into the corner and rolled my shoulders. "It doesn't change anything."

Ada trotted after me to the wrestling mats, her blonde ponytail flicking back and forth. We usually sparred for the first half of our session before switching to weights or boxing trainers. If she didn't pommel me with questions, she'd probably pommel me with her body. Great.

"Sierra... You found your mate!" she squeaked. "Why aren't you more excited?"

So, I told Ada a story about seeing my mate on the training fields. I left out the details about exactly when I'd seen him. She ate up every detail and romanticized the story to come. I still struggled with the fact that I'd known who my mate was for six years, and he never looked at me to find out himself. Most girls would go running to their mate as soon as possible. My story...not so much.

After that first day Daddy had left me out, I had to fight for every opportunity to go out. Mom died six months later, which loosened Daddy's iron grip on my life while he mourned. He let me join Ada in training as long as I didn't draw attention, and we'd been inseparable ever since. Unfortunately, being on pack grounds meant more potential run-ins with my mate. I blended in too well because my mate never even looked my way.

I took my sparring stance, deep into my knees with my center of gravity equally balanced between my feet. "He hasn't approached me yet. I don't know if he's even noticed the pull of a mate bond. I'd rather not force it on him. What if he doesn't accept me?"

"Why wouldn't he?" Ada scoffed, planting herself opposite me. "You're fast, strong, smart...not to mention hot. And if that doesn't convince him, you're also the alpha's daughter."

"I doubt that will be a determining factor," I muttered.

She lunged forward, and the sparring dominated our focus for a while. Between remembering everything we'd been taught and simply staying on our feet, there wasn't much energy left for talking. Once one of us was pinned, the conversation would pick up again.

Ten minutes later, I held her on the floor with one arm around her shoulders. She flailed and bucked, but I held her in place until she slapped the floor in defeat.

"Seriously..." she wheezed as I released her. "What guy wouldn't want a freaking ninja like you?"

And we were back to that.

"What if he knows that we're mates but has been avoiding me?" I shot back. "I'm pretty sure I only know we're mates because we looked into each other's eyes and the bond clicked."

Ada rolled to a sit and shook her head. "No one can resist the mate bond forever. If he knows, he won't be able to stay away. Maybe he's just waiting for the right time?"

The right time...like that would ever happen. Daddy still grumbled about the fact that I was out training with the rest of the young werewolves. If there was any potential of risk or danger, he'd be at my back in a heartbeat. I'd be sentenced to a lonely life inside the pack house until who-knew-when.

"So?" Ada playfully punched my shoulder. "Why don't you put yourself in his way? Make something happen?"

"He's very powerful and important...not exactly what I'd call approachable." I shook my head and wiped my forehead, now quick sticky from the wrestling. I couldn't tell her who he was. She'd never stop screeching in jealousy.