Page 1 of Bully Alpha's Pregnant Mate

Chapter 1 - Alec

They call it the “Alpha’s Trial.”

Quincey’s the one who tells me, and as he does, his mouth twitches the way it does when he’s got something up his sleeve. My cousin’s usually pretty steady. He’s my right hand now as beta, the one who covers my blind spots and watches my back. But today, he’s looking at me with a glint in his eye that feels one part respect, one part pity.

I don’t need pity. I’m the alpha now.

His voice drops a notch, just low enough that I have to strain to hear him over the wind sweeping across the ridge. “You ready for this, Alpha?”

I feel that title like a solid rock in my chest. Alpha. It still feels strange and maybe a little surreal. Only two days since the official pack ceremony, and I’m still adjusting to the reality of it, feeling out the borders of my new responsibility.

It isn’t like becoming alpha of Starfire Hollow, my birth pack. Though, that was never a possibility. Damien and his family have run that role for years. Growing up in Starfire Hollow was my norm, but my summers were different. My uncle married a she-wolf from East Hills, and my father thought it would be good for me to learn their ways, to experience life in a different pack. So, most summers, I spent my days here, learning the traditions and habits of East Hills. Still, it’s different here. Here, I’m not just an alpha—I’m an outsider. Their first alpha who wasn’t born and raised in East Hills.

We’ve been telling people it’s because most of their capable shifters who were ready for the responsibilities were killed by that demon a while back, which is true. Quincey andthe others who remain just don’t have the edge it takes. But the whole truth is a little more complicated than that.

At the end of the day, they didn’t choose me. I was handed to them in the name of an alliance, a move to mend old wounds and fortify borders between the neighboring packs. And I suspect not everyone is thrilled about it.

“I’m ready,” I declare.

“Good.” Quincey reaches out, clapping a hand on my shoulder hard enough to jar me a bit. “Because there’s a tradition you’re going to have to uphold. And it’s… not negotiable.”

I’ve spent enough time with my East Hills cousins to know the importance they put on traditions. Pack bonds run deeper than blood here; it’s about strength, loyalty, survival. Their customs are stitched into the very bones of this place—long-standing rituals meant to bind the pack together, make them something no threat could tear apart. I’m only starting to understand it all, but I can see the benefits of traditions that forge trust and discipline as naturally as breathing, of customs that turn members into family.

But now, I’m about to be a part of that foundation.

“Go on, then,” I prompt him, crossing my arms over my broad chest.

Quincey doesn’t hold back. “You need to take a mate. And soon.”

A mate. Right. East Hills has been known for this arranged-mate tradition; their alpha doesn’t just lead. He’s expected to root himself here, proving his commitment through blood and bond. It’s like signing a contract with the very ground, binding myself to this pack in the most permanent way possible.

I nod, though I’m careful to keep my face impassive. How I may or may not feel about this is irrelevant.

“Specifically, you’re required to marry someone from within the pack,” Quincey continues, his eyes studying me for any flicker of a reaction. “The few remaining elders believe it shows loyalty. Stability. That we’re united here, and you’re fully part of us now. A true East Hills alpha.”

The reminder of the elders’ losses hits hard, even for someone like Quincey, who rarely shows emotion. The scars left by the demons run deep here, marking us all in some way. The surviving elders have barely had time to recover, yet they’re clinging to tradition as fiercely as they cling to their lives.

And I get it. To them, this isn’t just about ceremony. It’s about survival.

I’ve known about the East Hills pack traditions for years. I didn’t expect to escape them. But this? It’s a different kind of obligation, one that goes beyond fighting for the pack or protecting them from rogues. This is a demand for permanence, a way to link my life to theirs, whether I like it or not.

Kai comes into view just as Quincey falls silent. She’s got the same serious look in her eyes as Quincey, though there’s something else there, too—maybe approval, maybe challenge.

Kai is Quincey’s sister and one of the most ferocious fighters East Hills has. I’ve seen her put down rogues twice her size without breaking a sweat. There’s not an ounce of uncertainty in her as she saunters over to us.

“So, he told you?” she asks me, her voice a little too smug.

“Apparently, you all decided this was the best way to welcome me,” I reply dryly.

She rolls her eyes. “It’s an honor, Alec. They wouldn’t ask this if they didn’t believe you were the right one to lead.”

Quincey snorts. “‘Honor’ isn’t exactly the word I’d use.”

Kai shrugs, glancing between us before her eyes land on me. “Look, we’ve had strong alphas, but never one from outside the pack’s direct bloodline. They’re looking for assurance that you’re fully committed to East Hills, that you’re as much one of us as any other alpha before you.”

In the clearing below, the pack is sparring, honing their reflexes and instincts against one another. It’s as much ritual as training, a show of strength and readiness. A few of the pack members look my way, cautious and assessing. I can feel the weight of their expectations on me as clearly as I can feel the damp chill in the air. They’re waiting to see if I can fill this role, this responsibility, in a way that reassures them I’m here for the long haul.

I understand it. Power isn’t just given; it has to be proven. And right now, I’m an alpha with everything to prove.

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