Pursuing My Rejected Alpha
Chapter 22

"I said, NO!"

Lucien broke the kiss and elbowed Ronan in the ribs. He then spun around and landed a kick on the "Uff...!"

Ronan barely managed to block Lucien's foot.

The Alpha pursed his lips in displeasure. He glared at his fated mate who refused to cooperate.

Lucien straightened his clothes and scowled at Ronan.

"Please conduct yourself properly, Ronan. This is my pack house, for Goddess' sake!"

Ronan rolled with his eyes. "It was just a kiss. What are you getting so worked up for?"

Lucien pulled his collar together to hide his neck away from Ronan's scorching gaze.

.....

"You and I know that it is never 'just a kiss' with you, Ronan Silverback. If you come here to mess arou

Ronan chuckled. He raised both his hands in surrender and walked toward the couch.

"Fine. Let's properly discuss what to do tomorrow, then."

Eyes full with distrust, Lucien chose to sit at the farthest end of the couch.

"Seriously?"

Ronan pulled at Lucien's arm, forcing the latter to sit on his lap instead.

"Is this how you conduct a strategic meeting before an upcoming war?" Lucien grabbed Ronan by his j

Ronan shrugged. "Maybe. You can sit on my lap every day. I don't mind."

"Shameless!"

Lucien pushed himself off Ronan's body while the latter roared with laughter.

"Alright, let's talk serious business," the Alpha steepled his hands together on his knees.

"Do you mind if I appoint myself as your second-in-command?"

Lucien chuckled.

"Who else if not you?"

Ronan smiled. "If it is anyone but me, we will have a problem."

omach.

ase return to your room instead."

"I will handle the representatives from the other packs. What you need to do is gather your pack members and get them trained. I am not sure about your pack's readiness when facing the Night Prowler Pack, but I do hope that Deacon did not go into war without adequate preparation."

Lucien nodded. "I will replace out."

The Alpha held up four fingers. "Four days before the war begins, the representatives from other packs will arrive for strategic alignment."

Two fingers went down.

"Two days before the war begins, we must depart to the warring ground. To prevent cheating, the location of the war will be disclosed only shortly before the departure."

One finger went down.

"It usually takes at least one day to reach the war site. We have one day to build camps and revamp our strategy when necessary. And then the war starts at 10 AM sharp until it ends."

"That means," Ronan gave Lucien a look. "You have two whole days to select the pack members to join the war and train them properly."

"Sure. I will do that."

Ronan's eyes softened. He reached out and pinched Lucien's cheek, earning a glare and a smack from the latter.

The Alpha leaned back at the couch rest and crossed one leg over the other languidly.

"You can rely on me a little more, you know."

"I can take care of my pack just fine," came the answer.

Ronan shook his head. The man was so stubborn. If it were any other person, Ronan might just be appalled by his arrogance.

"Come here," he said, his voice heavy with desire.

Lucien scooted back on the couch and gave Ronan a suspicious look.

"What for?"

"What else? I want a kiss."

Lucien stood up from the couch immediately.

"It is late. Please leave, Alpha Ronan."

"One kiss," Ronan begged, rising to his feet nonetheless. "One kiss, then I will go."

Ronan pursued Lucien for so long and only got a "yes" today. He still could not believe it. It might just be a beautiful dream. When he woke up, Lucien would be gone again, off to a place far away with another man. Ronan's heart ached terribly whenever he thought that way.

Lucien did think that Ronan looked too pitiful, but he did not dare to relent. If he gave Ronan an inch, the greedy Alpha would want a foot. One kiss could turn into many. Many kisses could turn to... Goddess knew that it was not easy to get Ronan to stop once they were already doing it.

"One kiss. I promise," Ronan repeated his request.

"Fine. One kiss."

Lucien let Ronan wrap him in a tight embrace before tilting his head slightly upward and inhaling the Alpha's calming sandalwood scent.

One of Ronan's hands was pressed against the base of Lucien's neck while the other one was draped around the latter's back.

Lucien lifted both of his arms and put them on Ronan's shoulder, hugging his neck while the two men lost themselves in each other's eyes.

Their lips were locked in a tender kiss, so tender that both men wanted it to last forever.

"Hmm..."

"Mmmh..."

Soft moans escaped their throats while they indulged in each other's lips and caress.

When it became too much for Lucien, he tried to break the kiss but Ronan did not share the same idea.

Every time Lucien tried to pull away, Ronan forced him to prolong the kiss.

Ronan was naturally greedy. It was just one kiss, but no one said how long the kiss was supposed to last. For the Alpha, it meant that they should kiss until one or both of them passed out due to lacking oxygen.

After indulging Ronan for as long as he could, Lucien bit hard into Ronan's lip and forced the Alpha to stop kissing him.

"Ow!"

Ronan pulled away when he tasted blood.

Lucien opened his bedroom door and pushed Ronan out mercilessly.

"Good night, Alpha Ronan," he told him with a flat tone before closing the door on Ronan's face.

The Alpha stood there in a daze for a while.

A silly smile spread on his face a moment later.

"Good night, Lucien," he spoke to the door before he made his way to the guest room.

Unbeknownst to him, Lucien was sitting on the floor while leaning against the door. Ronan's kiss turned his feet to jelly and caused blood to shoot up to his head.

"Damn it," the man cursed in a low voice.

If he could not wake up early tomorrow, then it was purely Ronan's fault.

6th October, 9 AM.

The Silent Walkers Pack was at its peak during the early years of Gordon Clearwater's reign. It plummeted toward the end, and when Deacon Clearwater took over, it went from bad to worse.

After the war with the Night Prowler Pack concluded, the pack suffered from not only physical wounds but also humiliation by a stronger pack. It was thus no wonder that they did not take the news about a second upcoming war well.

The one pack member who was strongly against participating in the war was Catherine Clearwater, who did not have any qualms in voicing her opinion out loud in the vast yard so that every pack member could hear what she had to say.

"I don't think that the Silent Walkers Pack need to participate in this war at all," she stated after Lucien informed them of how the hearing and the subsequent trial went.

"To my understanding, this war only takes place because you lost control of your wolf, Lucien, and tried to kill Kinnon Youngshaper. That being said, this is a personal dispute between you and the Night Prowler Pack. The Silent Walkers Pack must not be dragged into this war!"

Lucien wanted to tell Aunt Catherine that he already said that during the trial only to be turned down by Dane Silverback, but Alice Clearwater was not willing to let the vile woman provoke the whole pack against her son.

"You shut up, Kat!" Alice's eyes blazed with resentment. "You were too willing to push Lucien forward when he turned out to be the solution for all the mess that YOUR son left after the war ended. After Lucien failed to deliver, you want him to deal with it on his own! How cruel can you be???"

Catherine Clearwater tilted her head backward and laughed.

.....

"I am speaking for the good of the whole pack while you just want to protect your darling son. Feel free to judge me."

Alice growled in displeasure. She pinned Catherine with a glare while the latter did not seem affected at all. She even had a slight smile lacing her lips, seemingly amused by what was to come.

"Mom."

Lucien grabbed his mother's shoulder and gave her a slight nod. Alice gave one last huff before she backed off.

Lucien stood before the entire Silent Walkers Pack members and spoke up.

"First of all, I want to apologize for failing to live up to your expectations. It was beyond my control and it led us to this outcome. I am terribly sorry.

Second of all, I want to sincerely ask for your help to win this war. Although, as Aunt Catherine said, this war happens because of me, the entire pack will have to suffer from the consequences if we happen to lose again. I hope that we can work together to overcome this obstacle."

A slight murmur went through the crowd as families and friends started to discuss with each other. And then, a hand went up. It was a young man in his twenties.

"Yes?"

"Is it true that we only have the support of fourteen packs while the Night Prowler Pack has sixteen packs behind it?" "Correct."

Another hand went up, this time it was an elder woman.

"Supporting packs can only send ten representatives for the war, correct?"

"Yes, correct."

"The warring packs themselves can send as many as they want. And we are fighting against the Night Prowler Pack. One of the two strongest packs in the continent." "Correct."

With every confirmation that Lucien gave, the pack members grew more and more restless.

"Then, how do you plan to win?"

It was a difficult question. Honestly, the chance to win was less than 40%. Even without the aid of supporting packs, the Silent Walkers Pack was weaker and also lesser in number than the Night Prowler Pack. Not to mention that the Silent Walkers Pack just lost in a war against the same pack a few months ago. Only fools would maintain a high level of confidence in light of the upcoming war.

There was no use sugarcoating the situation, so Lucien decided to give his pack members what they did not want to hear: the truth.

"The odds are not in our favor due to the huge disparity between the two warring parties. If we do not come up with a very good strategy, we will lose."

Upon hearing Lucien's words, some she-wolves started to whimper.

"My son almost died in the last war!"

"My husband went into a coma right after the war and he has not woken up to this second!"

A teenager pointed at his father who sat in a wheelchair and tearfully claimed, "My father can never walk again after the war!"

Lucien closed his eyes and rubbed between his brows. Of course. Of course, he knew that it would not be easy to gather the people to fight again. It's just that they did not have much time.

Two days.

Two days were all he had to gather willing fighters, train them, and prepare them for the war. It was basically impossible to achieve within such a short time. Most packs thus regularly trained for war situations just in case. And Lucien had not even come to that part yet. He did not know if the willing fighters were adequately prepared. Or whether or not there would be any willing fighters at all.

"Everyone, I understand your reluctance. I am not forcing anyone to participate. If you are willing to fight, please report yourself. We only have two days to prepare for the war. Those who are willing to fight, please step forward."

Instead of stepping forward, the pack members retreated one by one. Those who were supporting themselves with crutches had to hobble away in a hurry in order to not get drafted for the war.

Lucien heaved a sigh in his heart. Maybe Ronan was right. He might need some help in managing his pack. He just did not know what.

One could easily say that not all packs were geared toward wars. The Silent Walkers Pack used to keep to themselves and not seek troubles with other packs. This time around, they not only managed to get into trouble with the Night Prowler Pack but also did it twice in a row.

After what happened in the first war, everyone was terrified to go to the next. Lucien understood as much.

So what was the point of forcing anyone to join the war? None. Even if he were to drag all those who were healthy and able to join the war, they would only serve as wolf shields at most. They had to be willing to fight for their pack.

"Those who are willing to join the war, please stay. The others, you can leave," Lucien instructed.

The pack members were not willing to step forward to openly declare their willingness, but they were also not willing to be the first to go. No one wanted to be branded as the first coward to flee. They merely looked around and hoped that someone would make the first step so the others could follow.

Someone did make a step, but it was not to flee. It was to join the war.

Kendra Firemoon, Deacon's Luna, stepped forward.

"I am willing to join the war."

"Kendra, are you crazy???" Catherine Clearwater clawed at her daughter-in-law's arm. "Do you want to lose your life???"

.....

Kendra shot Catherine a look.

"Until a new Alpha and a new Luna are appointed, I am still the Luna of this pack. I am not going to sit around while others do the job."

Kendra turned to look at Lucien. "I should have been there to take charge over the pack after Deacon's passing. Lucien had been kind enough to shoulder all the burden until now. Joining the war is the least I can do."

It was only one person, but the one who spoke was the Luna. It meant a lot for the Clearwaters to have Kendra speak on their behalf.

"Thank you, Kendra," Lucien said sincerely.

Alice Clearwater did not interact much with Kendra before, but this woman quickly won her heart just by joining the war. What a Luna! What a Queen!

Despite having barely recovered from losing a husband and suffering from miscarriage, Kendra was there to support Lucien. The pack members who still had one ounce of pride and shame in their blood naturally felt the urge to participate in the war. The spirit of younger men and women was especially easy to rouse.

"I will join the war!"

"I will also join!"

"And me!"

"Me as well!"

Relief flooded Lucien's heart as more and more werewolves agreed to join. He saw Catherine shake her head in disgust and leave the crowd. Some pack members followed her lead, but only those who were physically unable to participate. It was good enough. "Lulu, we are going to a war!" Annalynne whispered to Lucien in excitement.

Lucien cracked a smile. "What is there to be happy about? Silly girl."

After the initial hurrah, it was time to talk about group division and training.

The war participants were split into five groups altogether, led by the Luna Kendra, Beta Desmond, Gamma Acatha, Annalynne Clearwater, and Lucien himself. Each group would have one lead warrior to coordinate the warriors.

Gamma Acatha was in charge of pack members' training. Lucien was pleased to hear that she had made sure that able pack members went through regular training to keep fit and prepare for an unwanted confrontation with other packs. Deacon never cared for all of that, unfortunately.

"This is the data containing the fitness level of each pack member," Gamma Acatha said while showing Lucien the record that she kept updating for the past five years.

"Very good," Lucien commented as he went through Gamma Acatha's report. It was fairly detailed. Every pack member, minus Lucien, was recorded with their family background, their strengths and weaknesses, down to their battle preferences.

"Please handle the warrior distribution in each group with the Lead Warriors," he then said, returning the report to Gamma Acatha. "Then we can determine which group goes under whose command."

Gamma Acatha bowed deeply. "Yes, Alpha!"

Lucien was speechless but Gamma Acatha left as if she did not make any mistake in addressing him that way.

He turned to look at Kendra, who did not look as if she minded at all.

"It's fine," she said when she took note of the strange expression on Lucien's face. "You are after all Gordon Clearwater's son. You were also an Alpha candidate."

"I lost that privilege," Lucien reminded her.

"Now you have it again," Kendra pointed out. She naturally referred to Landon's return.

"We do need an Alpha for the war," Beta Desmond agreed. "The official posts will be decided once we are done with the war." Whatever the outcome was. "Alright," Lucien nodded. "Thank you all for your trust."

Desmond and Kendra exchanged smiles before they looked at Lucien.

"Thank you too for leading the war."

After the warrior distribution was done, the training began.

The war was to be conducted in their wolf form, so everyone was required to transform to participate in the training regime.

The first part was running, dashing, and jumping. All werewolves did it as soon as they reached the age of eighteen and were able to morph into their wolf form.

The second part was fighting. For this one, Gamma Acatha put the werewolves into various battle scenarios. One-on-one, two-on-one, and group-on-one. Those who were able to take on many wolves alone were the alpha wolves, but even they get overwhelmed when some of their opponents were also alpha wolves.

The third and last part was picking up tracks and sharpening senses. This was by far the most difficult part of the training because only alpha wolves were born with keen senses and sharp observation skills.

After joining the first and second parts for the whole morning and afternoon, the alpha wolves gathered after dinner to partake in the third part.

In order to train the five senses and learn how to track other wolves, it was beneficial to train in the surrounding forest. What better way to conduct the training than turning it into a hunting game?

At 8 PM sharp, the alpha werewolves left the pack house and gathered in a clearing just at the entrance of the thick, dense forest.

Above their heads, the moon was shining brightly as their only source of light. Alice Clearwater gave each of the alpha wolves a blue locket that was tied around their waist and a leather bag that was tied around their neck. Before the game began, the alpha wolves had fifteen minutes to go and hide anywhere they liked in the forest.

The hunting game itself was to last for an hour only.

The goal was to collect as many lockets as possible from the competing wolves. The ones who lost their lockets were disqualified automatically. They must leave the forest and return to the clearing.

Acting as the referee, Alice Clearwater had some fireworks with her. The first firework was to be shot at the start of the game. The second thirty minutes into the game, and finally the last to conclude the game and call all werewolves to go back.

'Ah, so refreshing,' Landon commented as soon as Lucien transformed into his wolf form. He ran around the other alpha werewolves happily. Infected by his energy, the other wolves howled and became restless. They jumped around in euphoria, impatient for the game to begin.

'Don't play around too much, remember that this is a training session, Lucien reminded him.

'Oh, geez. This is a hunting game. I will beat them all!

Lucien was barely able to conceal his smile.

'Alright, do your best!

"ATTENTION!!! The fifteen minutes start now!" Alice Clearwater shouted. "THREE... TWO... ONE... GO!!!"

The spectators, mostly consisting of the family members and friends of the competing alphas, cheered loudly for each of the alphas as they ran into the forest.

"NATHAN!!!!! YOU ARE MY HERO!!!! BEAT THEM ALL!!!"

"BRETT!!!! IF YOU WIN THE GAME, YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU WANT TO ME!!!!"

"THE ONE WHO WINS THIS GAME WILL GET MY DAUGHTER'S HAND IN MARRIAGE!!!!"

Landon gagged as he ran into the woods.

'What the hell? That was disgusting, he commented.

'If it can provide extra motivation for them to perform, I don't mind,' Lucien said with a shrug. 'Focus on your task!

'Yes, yes, Master Lucien,' Landon said in a mocking tone.

After fifteen minutes, the first firework was shot to signify the start of the game. Landon sniffed into the air and trotted lightly in a direction. He carefully placed his paws, making barely any sound as he stepped on the many twigs and leaves on the forest ground. His target was not as careful. He was being too obvious.

Landon pulled a grimace when he spotted the alpha wolf just some distance ahead of him. His target was also sniffing the ground and trying to track the others, but he was not sharp enough. And not fast enough.

He emitted a sharp howl when Landon closed the ten-meter distance between him and the wolf and pounced at him violently. The wolf that Landon was pinning to the ground freaked out. He seemed to forget that it was a game. Once Landon bit off the locket from his waist, he quickly escaped, whimpering all the way.

'That was easy,' Landon commented. 'And pretty embarrassing for an alpha wolf, if I may add. I do hope that that one is an exception and not the norm.'

Lucien had to agree.

What would it look like if his pack members started to run from the enemies after the first pounce? The war would end thirty minutes after it started. At the very least, even if he lost his locket, he must fight back.

'That one was pretty young, right?'

'Yeah, maybe it's his first time. Don't be too hard on him.'

'Meh. The enemies will not let him off during the war'

That was unfortunately also true.

'What are you doing?' Lucien asked, puzzled.

Landon casually put the locket inside the leather bag around his neck. He then yawned and lay down in a relaxed manner.

'I don't want to hunt small fries. Let the big, bold ones come to me!

"

Lucien was not sure if anyone would show up. Which big, bold alpha wolves would willingly confront Landon? After all, the goal of the game was to get as many lockets as possible. Strategically speaking, hunting small fries was what they needed to do at the moment.

Never mind, Lucien thought to himself. Landon spent seven years running around in the woods. This kind of hunting game must be boring for him. Lame, even. Let the others shine for a little bit. Lucien needed the alphas of his pack to grow some self-confidence as they honed their skills through games like these.

'If you don't want to join the game, it is fine. What about we do something else then?' Lucien suggested.

'Like what?' Landon perked up. 'Playing the hero?'

Landon guffawed. 'Do I look like a hero to you? Plus, you are talking about saving alpha wolves from alpha wolves here. How degrading. If I replace myself requiring some savior, I will stop calling myself an alpha wolf!

Crack.

The subtle cracking sound caused Landon to whip his head in fright. There was an alpha wolf close by. One with an oppressive aura, one who did not bother to hide himself. He was there for a fight, not a game.

'Oh, there's one for you,' Lucien remarked.

Landon did not need Lucien to tell him that. Excitement ran through his slender body. He was so happy that he got electrifying goosebumps from merely sensing the other wolf's presence.

It was dark and the wolf was around fifty meters away from Landon, but they noticed each other quickly enough.

Landon assumed an offensive pose, beckoning the other party to come to him. The other party did not shy away from the invitation. He closed the distance between them with a single jump. Despite being prepared for the attack, Landon was still unable to push

against the other party.

He was strong.

Very strong.

When his opponent bared his fangs and grazed his neck, for the first time in his life Landon tasted the bone-chilling sensation of fear.

Landon barely managed to dodge the bite. The two alpha wolves rolled around on the ground, fighting fiercely to win the upper hand. At some point, Landon was not sure anymore whether it was only a game or a serious fight. The opponent did not care about the locket at Landon's waist at all. He was more interested in overpowering Landon.

'Who the hell is this???' Landon screamed in his mind.

'I don't know. Pin him down first!' Lucien shouted in return.

'I am trying! He is too strong!'

An alpha wolf that was stronger than Landon was not necessarily bad news. As long as he's on their side.

After struggling hard for more than ten minutes, Landon finally broke free from the other wolf. They stood opposite of each other in the darkness, growling as they moved slowly in a circle. Landon was unable to replace an opening in the other's movement and vice versa. One wrong move could result in a fatal injury. Naturally, both wolves remained cautious and did not dare to act on impulse.

The second firework was shot into the air.

Only thirty minutes were left.

'Now!' Landon shouted in his head.

.....

The giant wolf with the brown-red coat jumped at his opponent with his fangs bared and two sets of sharp claws out to tear into the other wolf. The other wolf moved like a shadow. He waited until Landon was close enough before he rammed hard against Landon's stomach, throwing him back against a nearby tree.

There was no time to rest.

Landon used the force of the impact to propel himself off the tree like a rocket and bumped his opponent off his feet.

'HAHAHAHA!' the wolf cried in delight. 'Take that, you...!!!'

Lucien did not know what the deal was with the other wolf. He only knew that despite the aggression, there was no real killing intent behind the other one's attacks. That was good enough. Landon finally got a comparable sparring partner. Lucien could not ask for more. He was rather curious about the other wolf. Who might it be? When did their pack raise such an excellent specimen of an alpha wolf?

The two wolves fought for good thirty more minutes until the third firework was shot. Only then did Landon smell a familiar scent. Sandalwood laced with sea salt.

'What the hell?' both the human being and the wolf thought in unison.

Their mysterious opponent turned out to be Beowulf!

Beowulf came over and nuzzled Landon affectionately. Landon returned the favor and showered Beowulf with little kisses.

'Ahem, Lucien cleared his throat. 'It is time to go back!

Landon could not care less. He and Beowulf started to roll around playfully. Lucien rolled with his eyes. He transformed back to his human form and Ronan did the same right after.

"Hey Lulu," the Alpha greeted his lover before rubbing their naked bodies together and covering Lucien's lips with his own.

When his engorged p***s poked at Lucien's stomach, the latter sighed from deep longing. A shameless grin spread over Ronan's face, hidden only by the dark veil of the night.

"If you keep making such delicious sounds, don't blame me for accidentally f*****g you right here and now," he taunted.

Lucien pursed his lips and pushed Ronan away. "Why are you even here? I thought you left early morning to take care of the other packs?"

"I did, and I finished. They will arrive here tomorrow," the Alpha replied with a chuckle.

The trip back and forth between Blue Hill City and Great Lake City was not only exhausting but also took a lot of time. And yet Ronan insisted on making it back to the Silent Walkers Pack the very same day.

"I didn't smell your scent throughout the whole fight," Lucien remarked. "How did you hide it?"

"By training, of course. It is beneficial especially if you are the assassination target during the war."

Ronan pulled Lucien to his feet and into his arms. Their bodies were covered with a layer of sweat that acted like glue between them. Ronan's hands wandered naughtily around Lucien's back and ended up grabbing Lucien's fleshy twin mounds.

"You...!!!"

Lucien was beyond embarrassed. Their manhoods were rubbing against each other between their bodies, generating heat that pooled at the bottom of his stomach.

Ronan whispered intimately into Lucien's ear, "Werewolves release their pheromones when they are stimulated. You have to fight against the stimulation and keep calm no matter what."

At the end of his words, Ronan's scent disappeared again. He tilted his head and started kissing the side of Lucien's neck.

"I can smell you from hundreds of meters away. Come on, focus. Calm down."

"Uhh..."

Lucien could barely catch his breath in-between kisses, let alone focus on hiding his pheromones.

'Calm down, calm down, calm down... he kept chanting in his mind. But how was he supposed to do that if Ronan kept rubbing and kissing him? Unlike Ronan who had years of experience in his s****l escapade, Lucien had remained abstinent throughout the years!

Of course, he would react more to the so-called stimulation!

Ronan chuckled when he sensed Lucien's agitation. It was fun to see the man trying hard to suppress his own desire while being unable to get away for the sake of training.

"Ronan, you a*****e," Lucien said, his breathing haggard from overstimulation. He could not take it anymore. He let go of his self-restraint and the thick scent of his pheromones permeated the air around them. Ronan actually giggled in response. The shameless Alpha enjoyed making fun of him!

Lucien smacked hard on Ronan's naked chest. The latter pulled him into a hug again and planted a kiss on Lucien's forehead to placate him. "There, there. I am asking too much of you. I myself needed more than three years to be able to hide my scent perfectly. You

won't be able to do it within days."

Anger flickered in Lucien's eyes. So Ronan needed more than three years to do it? And then he had the audacity to lecture Lucien about not being able to hide his scent? This shameless Alpha!

"Really? Then I am going to master it before the war and show you how it is done."