2

Dieter's POV

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Dieter... YES! You're coming! You legitimately can't even say no. Other than you don't want to." James huffed in annoyance over the phone as I groaned and leaned my head into my hands. "Come on, I haven't seen you in almost two years. I think it's time we bring the gang back together. You, me, and Finnick."

I wanted to say no again, but James was one of my childhood friends, and he somehow was always able to convince me to do things I didn't want to.

"Come on! Don't you miss your best friend?" He pressed even more. But I immediately groaned and rolled my eyes. Though he couldn't see it.

"You're not my best friend." Which was true. he wasn't.

I had one best friend, and that is Koa Mickaya. We met for the first time four and a half years ago and it just clicked. He got me. Like no one else had and no one else will. His mate, Valentino likes to say we have a bromance, whatever that means. If that means that Koa is like a brother to me then so be it.

"That hurts me, Dieter. You gonna let some guy you just met outrank me?" He feigned out.

"We didn't just meet," I growled out lowly and sighed. I knew there was no way I would get off of this phone unless I agreed. "Fine, just for the weekend." He let out a giant yelp that I had to move the phone from my ears.

"Wonderful! See you then." He hung up quickly, probably so I didn't have time to change my mind.

I rolled my eyes as I walked back out onto the training field. All my members from the ages of 10 and up were out here, training and fighting. Learning to protect themselves. Learning to kill. Something that my grandparents had instilled many years ago.

They want Red Blood Moon to be a pack that others feared and we were. We were well known across the East Coast packs, but our power stretched far and wide. We were one of the larger packs, with a population of 4000, not including children.

Many Alphas could only dream of having such numbers, I was blessed by the goddess herself. Though it wasn't my doing, it was my grandparents. My papa and my nana, are the ones that made this pack, and why it was thriving. My parents then took over and continued the legacy; now it's in my hands, and I will do the same.

The killing was now our pack's first nature, kill first ask questions later. But to be so careless about life, there was always a cost. To have a strong pack, my grandparents had to sacrifice their relationships with their family. Many left as they saw their ways as cruel and unnecessary.

My parents, though they wanted many children, were only afforded two. Me and my younger sister Danielle. Then the goddess sucked my mother's womb dry, and she was unable to conceive again.

And now that I am alpha, my sacrifice is I do not have a mate.

I am 28, ten years past when I was supposed to meet them, and no luck. I have traveled far and wide. Spent thousands of dollars visiting all packs and had no luck. I looked at women and men, and nothing. I was completely mateless. And that would be my sacrifice.

A sacrifice I would take willingly to have a pack that was as strong as it is.

"What did James want?" Danielle asked as she approached me.

She and I were different in age, but alike in features. Her hair reached her waist, but it was a deep black like mine and hazel eyes that matched. I stood at a firm 6'5, and she was 6 feet.

"He invited me to his pack this weekend," I grunted out. My voice was incredibly deep that every time I spoke it rumbled in my chest.

"You said no correct?" She asked with a raised brow. But I stayed silent and her eyes went wide with surprise. "You said yes? Dieter, you are changing on me." She teased as she began to fix her braid.

Danielle was also mateless, and I wished nothing more than for her to find the woman of her dreams. That she wouldn't be plagued by our family's sacrificial curse.

"He wouldn't shut up until I said yes."

"James can be an annoying little fucker can't he?" We both laughed and watched as the pack were competing in sparing matches. "You see any you like?" She nudged my shoulder as she noticed I was watching the women fight.

I was in no rush to marry or find the pack a Luna. We were strong without one. But there was the question of who will take the title after me, and as I get older it become more apparent that I must have a son to ensure the continuation of my pack.

And even though I hated the idea of touching another, I knew it needed to be done. For the good of the pack. I grunted at Danielle, telling her that I was no longer interested in this topic of discussion.

"James told me that you were invited to the summit as well if you so choose."

Danielle made a face like she was thinking about it, but I knew she would say yes. She never passed up the opportunity to leave the pack.

"Yeah, I think I will. I'd like to see him and Ben again." She sighed and crossed her arms.

But I knew what she meant, I could read between the lines. She wanted to try and look for her mate again. I hoped that during this trip she would find her.

*****

"Our numbers are up this year. Up 30% for births, 20% in males, and 12% for females." My beta, Viktor spoke as we were sitting around my office. Red Blood Moon was male-heavy, many unmated with very few women to choose from. Which is why the birth rates of females were of utmost importance.

"Still low, but it's progress," I spoke and looked over the document in front of us looking at the other pack's stats.

"Many packs are also asking to send training wolves for their packs and are waiting for your review. Other than that, money is good, the pack morale is great and training is going as planned." My delta, Tristan spoke.

"There is one thing we need to weary of, training percentages have gone 2%. Which is not much but it should still be monitored." I nodded at Viktor and flicked through the packet.

"In what areas?" I asked.

"Since more wolves are finding their true mates and are having children, it's harder to get them to join Sparing."

Sparing was the only training we did that had real physical contact. Meaning that if you were fighting you would leave bloody and broken. I can slightly understand the sentiment of those mated not wanting to join Sparing, wanting to protect themselves until need be. but I can't have numbers get too low. I would hate to have to force others to join.

"Let's keep our eyes on it. If it hits 5% then we are going to have some tough conversations." Viktor and Tristan nodded in agreement and went over the rest of the bi-weekly stats of the pack. I was completely zoned out and into my head, that was until I heard Viktor say:

"There have been new women who have joined the Initiative."

The initiative was what they called me having a son. We never wanted to force a woman to mate with me, seeing as they are in short supply, and if they have a mate then they should be with them. But this was a group my Papa and Nana had decided to start to get me to continue the family line.

Many women have signed up who are around my age and are mateless. They have willingly offered themselves to me to continue the lineage.

"How many?"

"Three, so now we are at a total of twenty." I winced at the number.

In the grand scheme of things it wasn't a lot but it was in comparison to other males who are on the waitlist to be mated. I should just pick and have the remainder of the women be assigned but Carlisle, my wolf, refuses.

He still believes that our mate is out there waiting for us. I wish that were true.

"I will decide once I am back from this 'alpha summit' thing Alpha James is planning. Then I will pick a woman." I sighed, already hating the idea of having to do such a thing.

But I had to do what was right for the pack. I had to ensure that my lineage continued and that the next alpha would be ready, willing, and prepared to take over the pack. Regardless of what I may want, or what I may hope for.

But there was something that put me off from wanting to have a child. It didn't feel right to have one yet and train him to take over my role. It wasn't because I wasn't ready, but it was because it didn't feel right.

Like I was missing something, and if I had a son now it would mess things up.

What things? I have no clue.

"While you are there we should find a way to make alliances, see if they have any unmated women who are looking for mates. Offer to have them come here and meet?" Viktor suggested.

"That would imply that Dieter talks to them and them like him." Tristan teased out and a laugh escaped his mouth.

"Well, then we're fucked." Viktor chimed in. "We all know everyone outside of this pack is terrified of you, and that scar on your face doesn't help."

I had a scar that went down my eyebrow and my eye and stopped in the middle of my cheek. I was self-conscious about it at first, but now I like how menacing it made me look. Plus the story behind how I got it only added to my fear appeal.

I just shrugged my shoulders in response knowing they weren't wrong. I knew I had a demanding presence, not many could handle how I would walk in and dominate every room.

But I loved it. I loved how I instilled fear into those that saw me. That people moved out of the way when I was coming. That people were afraid to look me in the eyes.

"James will do most of the talking, I am sure he can convince one of them to help us out. In the meantime, I am sure Koa and Vincent will let us visit their packs for mating as well."

My eyes scanned the text James sent over about the other alphas joining.

Though one name, in particular, caught my attention, Crispin, Alpha of the Redstone Pack. It made me and Carlisle stand at attention with curiosity.

We had never met or heard of this pack of this alpha before. So he must either be new, or his pack is very small. Either way, I was curious to know more.

"A weekend with James, I pray that weekend goes by quickly for you."