Alpha Moretti Prologue

“What do you mean you’re leaving?” I practically scream in frustration.

Kyle Urie, my best friend for my entire life, is leaving me for two years for a Beta Training camp somewhere in Utah.

“I have to, Li. It’s required for all wolves with high ranks when they turn sixteen. You know this.” He reaches out to hold my wrist, but I take a step back.

“Don’t be like this, Li-“

“Don’t be like this?! My boyfriend is leaving me for two years without any notice! You told me you wouldn’t lie to me.” I feel the frustration bring tears to my eyes, but I quickly put my tongue against the roof of my mouth so I can control my crying.

“I didn’t lie to you.” Kyle desperately claims.

“You never told me and kept it a secret. Pretty much the same thing when you think about it.” I cross my arms over my chest.

“Look, I’m sorry. We can still keep in touch, I promise. They won’t allow me to have any electronics, but I can write you letters. I’ll send you one as soon as I get there.” I finally allow him to approach me and rest his hands on my red cheeks.

“Utah’s a long way from Ohio, Kyle. The letters will take forever.” I whine.

He nods sadly and presses his lips against my forehead.

“I know. I don’t want to loose touch with my future mate though.”

We don’t really discover who our mate is until we turn 18. But I know for a fact that Kyle and I are meant to be together. And it will be confirmed once he gets back.

“I don’t want to loose touch with you either. You promise to write me letters?” I stuck out my pinkie.

He chuckled. “Every two days I’ll write you one. I promise.” And he links his pinkie with mine.

“Alright, are you two lovebirds done?” I see my oldest sister by the door, holding Kyles last bag.

“Shut up, Arina.” I snap.

Arina just shakes her head. “We have to get going now, unless you want to miss your flight.” She tells Kyle.

Kyle looks at me one last time with his mesmerizing dark blue eyes, and gives me a hug.

Finally, I let my tears fall and I clutch onto him. “Please don’t go. I love you.” I sob into his dark grey shirt.

“I love you more Li. I’ll see you in two.” He pries me off of him and I cry harder.

He walks out the door with Arina, and my heart breaks in half.

———

The first four months go by with a letter every other day. He constantly tells me how intense the training is and how many new friends he’s making, specifically this one guy named Easton.

And I can’t tell you how jealous that made me. It was constantly “Easton this” and “Easton that“. I crumpled up his recent letter and threw it at the wall just as my mom walked in.

He looks confused for a moment at the paper, and quietly sits down next to me.

I lean into my mom just as he wraps an arm around my shoulder.

“Want to talk about it?”

I nod.

I always talk about everything with my mom. He’s the greatest person on this planet and I can never keep anything from him.

“Kyle is always talking about this Easton guy. I don’t want to hear about this stupid Easton. I want to hear everything that Kyle is doing and going through.” I huff.

“Write to him about it. I’m sure he’ll understand.” My mom suggested.

“But then I’ll be a jealous, whinny boyfriend and no one wants that.”

He pulled away just enough to look me in the eyes. “If he really loves you, he’ll understand and listen to you. Just try.”

And so I did.

But the letters slowly took longer and longer to arrive, until eventually they stopped.

It was about a year in when they no longer arrived.

I kept looking at my last letter for answers.

“Liam,

Happy 17th birthday.

-Kyle”

I know the letter had good intentions, but just a happy birthday? That’s it? What about all those letters that took up three or four pages? The letters that arrived every other day? The letters that were signed with a ‘I love and miss you- Ky.’

What ever happened to the good old days?

Trembling, I slowly folded the letter back up to how it was.

He comes home in 7 months now, and I’m really not ready. Because when he comes back, I have no idea what I would do. Hurt him? Very likely. Ignore him? Also very likely. Beg him for answers? Maybe.

Pushing back on my chair, I grabbed as many letters as I could and stormed downstairs and into the backyard.

The sun was setting and everyone who lived in the packhouse were gathered around a fire pit roasting s’mores and starbursts.

I stomped up to the fire pit and threw the letters in the fireplace, everyone around me going silent.

They all knew how much those letters meant to me, just because they were from Kyle.

I didn’t care at who was staring at me, and how the laughter and happy energy died down.

I watched the letters slowly turn black and into ash. And it satisfied me.

I felt someone take hold of my arm, and I saw my other older sister Kaydence, or Kay for short.

She gave me a gentle smile, and handed me a stick with a new marshmallow on it.

I swear, she always knew what everyone needed, just like my mom. She never asked questions, she just lets you move on with something happy.

I took the metal stick from her, and the energy seemed to brighten after that. People started laughing and conversing again.

They were ready to move onto tomorrow, and quite frankly, so was I.

True mates don’t just leave you in the dark.

Or so I thought.