The Possessive Alpha
Chapter 119

THREE DAYS LATER

ELLE’S POV

The last few days have been hectic as I try to make all the arrangements and keep New Moon running while also being in constant contact with Theo about what’s happening in Silver Run; killing Tiberius and leaving the pack hasn’t left the pack members in good faith. We haven’t had the chance to talk about what we will do with both packs, but the distance makes running both nearly impossible.

However, we are finally returning to Silver Run, and I can handle some pressing matters that need to be taken care of. Theo is doing his best but isn’t an Alpha; the pack needs me, and Damon’s pack needs him. How are we going to divide our time? The travel alone will be a bitch…and splitting from him is not an option.

Tingles spark along my hand as Damon grabs my hand, pulling me from my rambling thoughts into the present as he turns the car onto the main road. Andrew follows behind us with Theo’s dad, and the robin hood of rogues takes up the rear of the caravan. Matt and Charity have stayed behind to keep an eye on New Moon until we return but this model wont be sustainable. “Penny, for your thoughts?” he asks, sounding happier than he has in days.

“I have just been wondering how we are going to rule two packs that are so far apart,” I finish as we pass through the gate at the core of my huge pack lands. Xander turned off to the side instead of passing under the gates. This is the largest of the gated communities within my pack territory—everything within only for pack members. But Humans and rogues roam freely outside the gated communities, as it’s too big to secure.

“I am sorry I have left you to figure out running both packs these last few days,” he says, shame lacing his words as he squeezes my hand.

“Damon, never feel shame for grieving,” I look at him, “we are mates for a reason; we are supposed to uplift each other. Plus, we don’t exactly have great examples of how the bond is meant to be. I think it’ll impact us both…..” I stop talking as we pull in front of our pseudo-packhouse until the new one can be constructed.

Theo meets us in the driveway, a huge smile on his face seeing us as we exit the cars. Until his eyes land on Andrew, taking Simon’s wheelchair out of his car and placing it next to the passenger side where he sits. “What the hell happened?” Theo thunders as he storms over, Damon and I flinching under his anger. Under Simon’s strict orders, none of us told Theo what happened while his dad was in the cells.

Andrew doesn’t reply as he lowers Simon into the chair, “Dad?” Theo asks, his voice worried as he rushes over. “What happened to you? I got it,” he growls at Andrew, taking over to wheel him towards the house.

“We can talk about this later, Theodore,” Simon sighs, pinching his nose, clearly dreading the conversation they are about to have. “You have other business to attend to as Beta. I will be fine,” taking control of the wheelchair, Smomon rolls away from his son towards the front door.

A quiet fury stirs inside Theo like never before as he circles around to the rest of us, his voice as cold as stone, while we duck our heads like school children being scolded. “Congratulations, Alphas,” he says, glancing at our unfinished marks. Unlike other wolves, since Alpha and Luna’s marks are unique, they won’t appear until the full moon after they are marked, which is around two weeks away. “Everything you requested is set up; if you need anything else, please mindlink me.”

Giving his attention to Andrew, his expression gets darker; if I thought he was angry with me, it doesn’t even compare to the energy he is giving to the poor Beta. “I’ll talk to you later,” his voice a growl. Without another word, he walks over to his father, helping him climb the stairs while Andrew storms off into the woods.

Watching the two, Damon chuckles while wrapping his arms around my waist, his face buried in my neck as he inhales my scent, goosebumps sprouting along my skin. “What’s so funny?” I ask, giggling along with him; his cheerful mood is intoxicating.

“You’ll see one day,” he says hurriedly before kissing my neck and tugging me back to the driver’s seat so I can drive the rest of the way to our destination. Fifteen minutes later, we are pulling in front of the shed, a shiver of fear coursing down my spine at the site of the run-down-looking shack. Putting the car into park, I see the firetruck and pack of firefighters I requested for this task.

Damon and I climb from the car; opening the trunk, we see his mother’s closet packed away in boxes and bags. A firefighter walks up to us, pausing briefly when he sees our eyes before bowing his head in respect, “Alpha’s welcome home,” the middle-aged man greets warmly, “Silver Run is ready to have our fearless leaders return home, and congratulations on your new mateship. I am Deacon, the Captain of the fire department here in section one. Beta Theo told me we are only here to ensure the fire does not get out of hand and to bring this with us.”

Deacon hands me a slender vase, my hands wrapping around the gold urn of what’s left of my mother’s remains from the explosion from my ruined packhouse. “Thank you, Captain,” I say with a nod while Damon starts grabbing things from the trunk. “We can handle the rest,” I inform him, and without another word, he returns to the truck filled with fellow firefighters.

Looking at the building, my entire body freezes as fear rises in my throat like bile, my pulse starts to race, and my heart pounds rapidly as the entire world closes around me. Screams start filling the air as the taste of iron coats my tongue, every terrible memory bombarding me at once, causing me to shake. “Biscuit?” Damon asks, but I barely recognize it through the fog, my entire being focused on a past I don’t want to remember.

“Biscuit?” Damon asks, stepping in front of me; the sparks spring from where his hands rest on my arm, bringing me back to the present. “Hey, are you okay?”

“Uh,” I say, shaking my head, and closing my eyes, trying to clear the thoughts from my head, “I’m sorry, I just…I need a moment.”

“Why don’t you get things set up out here,” he says, caressing my cheek and kissing my lips, forcing me to breathe again when he pulls away from me. “I’ll take care of the rest.” Not saying another word, I open the back passenger door grabbing the small basket, bag, and blanket from the floor. Closing the doors, he gets into the driver’s seat, moving the car closer. At the same time, I walk in the opposite direction finding a nice spot for the blanket in my hand.

Finding the perfect spot, far from the building to miss any projectiles, laying the blanket down, I open the tote bag find a few comfy pillows, and place them on the blanket. Opening the basket, I find a No. 1 single Malt Macallan pouring Damon and me a glass while I wait for him to return.

A few minutes later, he returns with the car, a large yellow briefcase, and two hard hats. Sitting beside me, he lays the briefcase on the blanket before pushing one of the helmets onto my head before himself. Neither of us says anything as I hand him the drink I poured earlier, watching him take a large gulp and enjoying the moment his eyes go wide with surprise. “Damn, that’s smooth!”

“I thought you might enjoy it and need it after this,” I say, nodding to the briefcase in front of us as we each unlatch a side and lift the lid to reveal two large buttons.

“Wait.” Damon says, closing the lid, “there is something I can’t figure out, and I won’t have closure until I do. What was the point of trying to get us to mark each other? Why? They knew it would make us both stronger and return our memories. So what was the point? Why fight so hard to have us together? Why give it all up at the end?”

I attempt to hide the involuntary flinch of my body as Damon asks the one question I was hoping he never would because I was terrified of telling him what I had realized days before. Not wanting to cause more pain than he was already feeling, I refuse to lie when asked a direct question, so I swallow my fear and look him in the eye.

“If you had marked me underage,” I explain softly, “the council would have come after you without mercy, which would have led to one of two things but the same overall outcomes: one, the council kills you making my wolf crazy or two, the council chases you to the end of the earth making my wolf crazy and unfit to lead. My mom planted herself in the cell to come across as Tiberius’ victim instead of the master manipulator behind this whole thing. In the perfect position to take over Silver Run when I was deemed too mentally unstable to take over- if your absence/ murder didn’t weaken me to death.”

“And my mom just went along with it,” he sighs, sadness returning to his words as he stares away at the shed filled with her belongings.

“My mom was manipulative, Damon,” I remind him, grabbing his hand and giving him a gentle squeeze of reassurance, “and she had no problem using people’s feelings about her to get them to do her bidding; Olivia is included in that. I don’t know if she truly knew my moms’ whole plan or was too trusting of a childhood friend.”

“I guess it doesn’t matter now,” he says, down the rest of his whiskey in one fell drink before popping the bottle and pouring himself another glass to take a drink. Opening the lid again, Damon reveals the two buttons. Raising his glass, I follow his lead while placing our other hands on the buttons.

“May you both rot in hell!” we sing together as our glasses clink in celebration as our hands push the buttons in front of us. After a ten-second delay, the first detonator blows, followed by several more in a glorious fireworks show as the building collapses in a mass of fire and smoke.

We sit quietly for a few moments, watching the building burn freely while the firefighters are still on standby in case anything happens, as Damon tugs my chin to look him in the eyes. “I want to have our ceremony on the next full moon. I am tired of waiting, and I am tired of living in this chapter of our lives. It’s time to start the next one- together.”

“But-” I try to say but fail as his lips connect with mine in a breathtaking k**s. His tongue still tastes like alcohol as it mingles with mine. Once he knows I am dazed and slightly breathless, he pulls away, rubbing his nose along mine.

“No, buts,” he whispers, as his warm breath fans my face, “we can figure out the rest later. Let’s have our ceremonies first.” He doesn’t allow me to argue or protest as his lips find mine again, leaning against the pillows as he lays me back while the ashes of our mothers’ demise float around us like forgotten snowflakes.

********************************

ANDREW POV

I don’t know how long I have been pacing in the forest where Theo told me to meet him, but it feels like it’s been hours. I hear a twig snap to my right as a pissed off Beta comes storming at me, his eyes pitch black as he glares daggers. Despite how angry he is, or the negative energy rolling off his body I cannot help the the relief surging through my veins knowing he is alive and unhurt.

Memories from my childhood have been coming in drips and drabs, hidden tidbits changing my perception on things I thought I knew. “What the hell, Andrew?!” Theo roars, pulling me from my thoughts I shouldn’t be having as I watch him yell at me. I don’t respond as he veins pulse in his neck, and his arms fly about as he continues scolding me but I stay silent. “You couldn’t call me and tell me my dad’s in a wheelchair?”

Grappling with my distractions I find the words to speak, “I am sorry, your dad-” I explain but he cuts me off storming forward, a power in his steps that makes me shut my mouth. Have his eyes always been that honey brown? Or am I seeing things differently because of the sunlight peaking through the clouds?

“I don’t care what my dad said or told you to do,” he continues ranting as he steps closer, his scent filling my nose. I take a cautious step back overwhelmed by his closeness, and presence in my personal space. Afraid of what I might do, of how I might ruin one of the best friendships in my entire life by being a stupid i***t. “YOU should have told me! Out of all the people in my life I was expecting more from you.”

I don’t think I had ever heard him so disappointed in me before, “I am sorry, I wanted to tell you!” I try making my case but I know him well enough to know that he doesn’t believe my words.

“Wanting and doing are totally different, Drew, you and I both know that!” Theo’s words hold a double edged meaning forcing me to blink and look away while he scoffs with a shake of the head. “I thought….you know what it doesn’t matter what I thought, we aren’t friends right now. Go back to New Moon, Drew!” He orders trying to storm away while I grab for his hand a warmth spreading from my fingertips up the rest of my arm.

“Theo…please..” but he shoves my hand off, turning around before disappearing into the trees, “go home Andrew, today.” I don’t move a muscle, staring helplessly after him, defeat starting to creep in. Before I can head back to my car an herbal scent I recognize from human parties wafts into my nose. Whoever is at the other end is practically coughing up a lung forcing me to check it out.

Walking outside the territory and behind the tree I find Xander and Fletcher passing a joint back and forth, when it dawns on me that they might have heard my entire conversation. “How much did you hear?” I demand. as Fletcher says nothing blowing his smoke above his head.

“Enough to know you’re in love with Theo,” Xander comments, leaning against the tree, while he stares at his names looking bored like always. What is it about these two that Elle and Damon keep around? Because they drive the rest of us up the wall.

“I am not gay!” I growl, glaring between the perpetual nuisances we are supposedly stuck with, my eyes flicking to the joint they keep passing between themselves.

“Love doesn’t really care if you identify as gay or not,” Fletcher scoffs, shaking his head like he was sorry he needed to explain the concept further.

“You shouldn’t have that on pack lands,” I remind them glancing at the joint they have been blatantly waving in my face.

“That’s why we are on this side of the border,” Xander comments, with a noncommittal shrug before sauntering deeper into the woods with Fletcher, leaving me all alone to stare after them before making the journey back to my car.