The Possessive Alpha
Chapter 121

DAMON POV

I look like a fool, with a smile covering my lips, as I saunter into the decorated ballroom filled with our guests as they drink and mingle, eating from the appetizer trays being carried around the room. Some guests are already dancing to the music played by the DJ, typical of werewolf parties. Scanning the room, I find Andrew and Matt standing at the bar.

My feet taking me to them, only to be stopped along the way by guests wishing me congratulations. Five minutes later, I finally make it to the bar where Andrew stands, glaring at the dance floor. Matt hands me a whiskey, an easy-go-lucky grin on his face. “That’s the look of a man who got some biscuits,” he chuckles.

“Yeah,” I grin, enjoying the banter, while licking my lips “and I ate the whole damn plate, it was delicious.” My reply has Matt choking on his drink, making me laugh harder. Andrew remains unbothered, signaling to the bartender for a refill.

“Come on,” Matt says, coughing through the burn of his drink, “we don’t need to know that about the Little Luna.”

“Don’t let her hear you call her that,” I warn with a look. She hated the nickname as kids, and even more so now.

“I have no plans on it,” he grunts, swirling his drink, “she scares me more than you.” A sense of pride blooms in my chest, most Alphas would hate knowing their men feared his mate more than him, but it’s only because they’re weak and small-minded. A pack is only as weak as its leaders. “But you look happy, man. Congratulations on finding your Luna, another Alpha. Let’s see your mark.”

I pull my collar away, revealing the tattoo-like mark that has finally shown itself after weeks of waiting, and I’ll wear it for the rest of my life like a badge of honor. “Nice,” Matt comments, “is that a triple moon? That’s incredibly rare… what do you think it means?” He asks, wondering the same thing I did when we finally revealed them.

While we never discussed the mate bond in training because it’s illegal, we did discuss Alpha mate marks. Each one is unique to the couple, but there is general consensus around most symbols and what they might say about the couple. Stars generally signify the number of children a couple might have. A full moon means a strong united pair. A waning crescent is a wise couple, and a waxing crescent is a young fertile couple, adventurous. But to have all three? It’s unheard of.

“I am going to leave that as a mystery for another day,” I comment, taking a drink and glancing at Andrew; he takes another gulp of his drink before turning to the bartender and ordering another. Looking to Matt for answers, he sighs and nods to the dance floor, where Theo is dancing with a girl I don’t recognize- she isn’t from New Moon.

“Theo looks like he is having a good time,” I say as Andrew leans his back against the bar, making quick work of the drink that was just handed.

“Yeah, f*****g peachy time,” Andrew mutters, in between gulps, as Matt coughs through the awkwardness.

“Who is that he is dancing with?” I ask, knowing I am poking a bear, but I can’t help it. Andrew ignores my question taking another drink, but Matt being Matt can’t resist the urge to comment on the topic. “An Alphas little sister…from…” he trails off trying to remember the name as he snaps his finger, “Northern Lakes.”

“I thought Alpha Marcus had a mate?” I ask, to which Andrew snorts, quickly working his way past tipsy straight to drunk.

“She’s pregnant,” Matt responds, looking at Andrew with concern, “you know how Alphas get about their pregnant mates.” Which makes me surprised that Marcus would leave his territory. If Elle was pregnant, the thought of leaving her behind makes me tremble with angst.

“I’m surprised he even showed then,” I comment, sipping my drink, watching as Theo and the surprise guest part ways.

“I think he wants to talk to you and Alpha Elle,” Matt responds, as we watch Theo turn in the direction of the bar, only to stop in his tracks when he sees Andrew standing there and veering to avoid him. “From what I understand, he was on the verge of war with Tiberius before Elle took her rightful place as the Alpha.”

“Interesting,” I comment as Andrew drowns the rest of his drink, slamming it on the counter and bolting in the direction Theo wandered off to. I watch nervously as Andrew stumbles through the crowd, obviously too tipsy to make these decisions.

“I’m on it,” Matt says as he takes on his last drink before placing his drink on the bar and following Andrew, trying to steer him in the direction of an empty room and coffee to sober him up. Watching as they argue I feel the buzz of Elle’s arms wrapping around my waist as she presses her front against my back.

“Is Andrew okay?” She whispers in my ear her scent wrapping around me like a comforting blanket, but I can hear the worry in her voice as she watches Matt try to direct him elsewhere, despite him putting up a drunken resistance.

“I don’t know,” I shudder, looking guiltily at Theo standing next to his father who is still restricted to a wheelchair, and the doctors don’t have hope for a recovery. “I f****d up, Elle,” I say, turning to wrap my arms around her, resting my chin on the top of her head. “And now…Andrew and Theo…should I try talking to Theo?” I pull away to look her in the eye, but her expression says it all.

“No, I think Theo understands why you did what you did,” she starts, trying to ease the guilt, but a sternness resides in the depths of her tone. “But if you got involved in his and Andrew’s business, I don’t think he would take it well. You two have mutual respect now, but it hasn’t always been that way. I think that whatever is happening between them is for them, and the Goddess to figure out.”

A sigh leaves my lips, knowing my decisions caused the rift between them. I had always thought their closeness was weird until the memories started coming back, making things crystal clear. “Who was Theo dancing with earlier?” Elle asks, changing the conversation, the bond letting me feel the wheels turning.

“Alpha Marcus’ little sister,” I reply, seeing the plan starting to form as she opens the doorway, giving me a peek. A devious smile spreads across my face as she studies the girl across the room, talking animatedly with her older brother. Nothing like getting a bunch of wolves in a space filled with free booze; you get to see all the crazy dynamics.

“What’re your instincts telling you?” I whisper in her ear, inhaling our scent off her neck, not caring who sees my l**t. I’m a newly mated Alpha. They’d be shocked dead if I acted any different.

“Hmmm,” she whispers, her eyes trained on the girl as she walks through the crowd toward the balcony doors. “I’m not sure yet; I would have to talk to her….” her voice wanders off as wheels grind to a halt, becoming distracted from my lips on her neck, a sigh of contentment escaping her lips.

I am barely paying attention as the scent of her arousal hits my nose, sending my control over the edge as I grab her hand, tugging her near the nearest exit. Guests step forward, attempting to talk, but a growl from me and noticing the urgency in our steps has them backing away with knowing smiles.

Dragging my mate down the hall, I find the closest room that’s empty, barely getting the door closed before the I have her pressed body pressed against it, her m***s erratic as my lips suck on her mark. My hands lift her as I k**s down her chest in an unquenchable hunger I had never known before.

Setting her on the desk, I bring my mouth to hers, devouring her lips until they are red and lightly bruised. I don’t know how long we remained hidden in this locked door, but none of the wolves partying in the ballroom down the hall will miss our absence. So I make love to my mate for the second time tonight.

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

ELLE POV

I push the door to the bathroom open, not paying attention as I walk through the door, fixing my crooked dress and s*x hair that is starting to fall from my updo. “Oh, s**t,” someone remarks as we crash into one another, neither of us paying attention to where we were walking.

Reaching out to steady the stranger, I find the girl who was dancing with Theo standing before me, her phone in one hand and a small handbag in the other. She can’t be older than seventeen and smells like she has drunk the whole damn bar. That’s not all. An underlying scent clings to her clothes, one I recognize from Xander and Fletcher’s “walk in the woods.”

“Sorry, Luna,” she comments, as her eyes land on mine. The alcohol makes her fearless with her next comment, “has anyone told you how freaky your eyes are?” She slurs as she sways on her feet, but I cannot help the smile creeping on my face.

“It’s Alpha,” I remind, gently holding her upright, “and not so candidly, no,” I say with a chuckle, liking her gumption. “What’s your name?” I ask, looking her up and down, recognizing the queasiness crossing her face.

“Nora,” she stutters, as she stumbles, the alcohol finally catching up with the spins, “Nora Jones.”

“How old are you?” I continue questioning as I pull her towards the couch, setting her down gently before getting a cup of water from the cooler and dumping everything out of the hospitality baskets the wedding planner set up in the bathrooms filled with necessities for the guests.

“Seventeen,” Nora responds through the drive heaves, making it back to her just in time as the night’s appetizers make their way back up and into the basket. The door opens to reveal Charity, “thank the Goddess, I have been-” she stops as her eyes land on Nora with a questioning look, but I silence her with a look, reaching out to Damon through the bond.

‘You rang, Biscuit?’ He asks, his voice still sultry from our romp earlier, ‘or are you looking for round three already?’ He teases, and I can practically feel his brows wiggling with his suggestion.

‘Yes,’ I admit, my cheeks blushing slightly, ‘but that’s not why I need you right now.’

‘Oh,’ he responds, his ego slightly deflated, ‘what do you need right now? How can I serve you, my Luna?’

‘Can you bring Alpha Marcus to the ladies’ room on the east side of the ballroom?’ I ask as Nora starts vomiting into the bucket, as Charity presses a wet washcloth against her face.

‘Why?’ Damon growls, jealousy and possessiveness lacing his words, becoming the territorial Alpha I secretly find sexy.

‘Calm down, cowboy,’ I respond with a chuckle, flashing him an image of Nora hunched over the bin groaning as she tries to hold back from vomiting once more.

‘s**t,’ Damon mutters, ‘we will be there soon.’ For the next twenty minutes, Charity and I do our best to take care of Nora while she tries to expel the alcohol in her gut.

“Goddess,” Charity coughs, plugging her nose as the pungent combination of liquor and stomach acid fills the room. “Did she drink everything on the bar?” She asks, but I shrug my shoulders, looking at Nora with pity, a gut instinct telling me that she is trying to cover her hurt through any means necessary.

I am about to reply when a knock on the door distracts me; walking over, I unlock the door letting Damon and a confused Alpha Marcus walk inside until he sees Nora blacked out on the couch, with her head resting in Charity’s lap. At the same time, the bucket sits on the floor beside the couch.

“f**k,” Marcus g****s, pinching the bridge of his nose, looking between Damon and me apologetically. “I apologize for my sister’s behavior, and she will be punished for ruining your special day, Alpha’s.”

“It’s no problem,” I respond, looking at Nora, the sadness more apparent on her sleeping face. “I am just glad I was able to help her…I don’t mean to overstep my bounds, but I get the sense she is going through something.”

He meets my eyes, turning his head, trying to determine if he can trust me, especially considering our packs were on the verge of war until I claimed what is mine. Obviously deciding I am trustworthy, he gives the abbreviated version, “Nora went through something recently that shook her faith. I have been trying to get through to her with no luck, and I don’t want to do.”

I say nothing studying the girl before us, but my offer sits in my head as I force it through the bond, looking for Damon’s opinion and approval of the idea. A subtle nod is needed for me to continue, “it sounds like Nora could use a change of scenery.” I say aloud, to which Marcus nods in acknowledgment, but I can tell from the spark in his eyes he hadn’t thought about this idea before.

“I know our packs were on the verge of war,” I say, glancing at the man staring at his sister with brotherly concern and worry. “But I have no intention of following through with Tiberius’ plan nor keeping the territory he forcefully removed from your possession. If you need a new setting to help Nora work through whatever has her spiraling, Damon and I would be happy to host her in Silver Run for as long as she needs.”

Marcus contemplates my words, his chin resting in his hands, his eyes turning to study me as if he is looking for the trick behind my words. “Why?” he finally asks, unable to read my facial expression or body language.

“I can’t explain it,” I answer, looking at his sister with concern, “a gut instinct I don’t understand is telling me that she’ll find everything she is looking for in Silver Run.”

“Hmmpphh,” Marcus grunts as he turns my response over in his mind, trying to determine if I am lying. Sensing the honesty in my words, he nods, “I’ll think it over and give you a call if I decide to take you up on your offer.” Stepping forward, he places Nora in his arms despite her g****s of protest. Nodding to us, he says, “Thank you, Alphas,” carrying his sister out the door.

“Think he’ll do it?” Damon steps forward, wrapping me in his arms and kissing the top of my head.

“I do, actually,” I reply, looking at Charity, who is cleaning up this mess; as I move to help her, she stops me.

“No,” she scolds, “you are not helping me with this mess. Spend time with your mate. I can take care of this. Now go!” She yells, pointing at the door, a grin taking over her face, as Damon pulls me out of the bathroom and to the ballroom.

Dragging me into the middle of the dancefloor, the DJ hurriedly changes songs until he finds the same one we danced to at Damon’s birthday ball. Our feet glide easily across the floor as we dance ourselves into the next phase of our lives.