The Possessive Alpha
Chapter 17

Elle POV

Five hours later, with a clean house, beer, and liquor lining the counters, I am ready to host my first party. The guys are downstairs while the girls and I get ready in my room. As I sit in front of the mirror, letting Charity curl my hair and Emma apply makeup to my face. The nerves in my stomach are getting heavier as I sit here. How mad are the Alpha and Luna going to be if they find out I threw a party without their permission? Maybe no one will show up, and I won’t get myself into a world of shit.

“Do you think anyone is coming?” I ask Emma as she applies eyeshadow to my eyes, hoping that she says “no” even though I know the chances of that happening is nearly zero.

“People are coming,” Charity says from behind my chair as she continues fixing my hair, “our cousin, Jonah, is the young Alpha of the Diamond Claw pack. Alpha Charles permitted him to come onto pack lands looking for his mate. All the girls know he and his men are on the territory and will be here tonight. They’ll be here hoping Jonah is their mate, and the guys tend to follow where girls go.” It makes sense that Alpha Charles would allow the future Alpha of Diamond Claw onto the pack to find his mate. The Diamond Claw pack is a smaller territory that resides against our southern border. We have a pretty amicable relationship with that pack and assist them with protection. Charity wasn’t wrong- every unmated girl will be here in hopes that Alpha Jonah is their mate.

“I think I found the perfect outfit for you tonight,” Taylor says, coming out of my closet holding the black leather bodycon dress I bought in New York City, along with a pair of black heeled boots. The strapless dress with its plunging neckline shows shapes my curves perfectly.

“Girl, you are going to look so hot!” Charity squeals running to look closer at the outfit Taylor is holding up for the rest of us to see.

“Alright, I am finished,” Emma says, stepping away from my view of the mirror so I can look at myself. I don’t even recognize the woman in the mirror looking back at me. My red hair cascades down my back in soft curls that frame my pale face. Emma gave me smokey eyes and winged eyeliner, with my eyebrows perfectly shaped. My usually full, pink lips are painted with burgundy lipstick that accentuates the rest of my features. I quickly change into the outfit and boots Taylor picked for me. As soon as I am dressed, I turn to find the others have also changed into their clothes. All four of us are in our bodycon dress. Charity is in a silver sequin dress with a short skirt in the 1920s flapper style. Emma’s dress is black like mine but typical of mated females; hers is more conservative than the rest of us, with thicker straps with a flowy skirt. Taylor is wearing a gold bodycon with a similar cut to mine paired with gold heels.

“We need to take one selfie together before we all go down looking like the hot little snacks we are!” Charity commands, lining us up in front of the mirror to take a handful of pictures.

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

An hour later, the party is in full swing by the pool. The alcohol makes my brain buzz slightly with intoxication, and I lose myself in the music when someone taps me on the shoulder to get my attention away from the music. I see a man whose arms are linked with Taylor, Emma, and Charity. He has similar features; he has the same black hair as Charity, the same cheekbones as Emma, and the same honey-brown eyes as Taylor. This deliciously handsome man, built like a tank, must be their cousin, Jonah.

“Elle, let me introduce our cousin Alpha Jonah,” Emma says, nudging Jonah to get closer to me.

“Hello, Alpha,” I say to him, flashing a genuine smile and reaching out my hand so we can shake, “I heard you have come to B***d Moon to find your mate. Any luck yet for you or your men?”

“Well, it seems like you two are going to be busy talking, so we will leave you two be to get to know each other better,” Taylor says with a mischievous grin on her face as she drags

“No, not yet, but I feel as though my luck may be changing,” he says, giving me a subtle wink and a truly dazzling smile filled with perfect white teeth.

“Well, that’s always something to celebrate,” I say, giving him a flirtatious smile, “Did you bring any of your men with you to find their mates as well?”

“My Beta stayed home to care for things, but he has not found his mate yet. I did bring my Gamma and a few warriors. They should be here soon.” He finishes looking around the room for his men when a large burly man I had never seen before storms past us in a fury, making a beeline for Taylor on the dancefloor.

“Well, it looks like my Gamma, Brad, has found his mate as well,” Jonah leans down to whisper in my ear, nodding to where Taylor and Brad were standing, staring at each other like the rest of the world didn’t exist. Before tonight I had never seen the mate bond snap in place; I had heard about it, but to witness it was something short of magical.

“I guess we should give them some space to enjoy their new bond,” I say, feeling awkward and openly intruding on their private moment. “Would you like a tour of the house? Or something to drink?” I ask, playing the perfect hostess to a visiting Alpha as Luna Olivia taught me.

“A drink would be lovely,” He says, holding out an arm for me to lead the way on the tour and to the drink station. As soon as we see the drinks table, I find Damon’s Beta, Andrew, glaring at me as his eyes flit between us. Jonah notices the look Andrew is giving us because he leans to ask, “Is the Beta your boyfriend or something?”

The question is so absurd I cannot help the full-on belly laugh that escapes my mouth. “Definitely not,” I say behind my hand, trying to flirt. “We aren’t even friends,” I say, trying to ignore Andrew coming in our direction.

“He isn’t harassing you, is he?” Jonah asks with genuine concern stepping closer to me as if he needs to protect me from the Beta descending upon us with stormy eyes. The Gamma siblings were always my biggest issue in school, but Andrew never went out of his way to torment me. Even when his friends participated, he would find a reason to leave or get me to leave. I didn’t like Andrew, but I don’t despise them like the rest.

“Not of his own free will,” I mutter, resulting in a confused look from Jonah as he tries to decipher what I said. Before I can finish explaining, Andrew stands next to me, giving Jonah a look that could kill him ten times over.

“Alpha Jonah, I didn’t realize that Alpha allowing you onto the territory to find your mate meant he gave you free roam of his home,” Beta Andrew says. His voice is unusually icy for speaking to a visiting Alpha, especially one of our strongest allies. Without missing a beat, Andrew turns to me sternly and asks, “Elle, may I speak to you privately?”

“Fine, Beta, but make whatever you say quick. I am having too much fun here with Alpha Jonah,” I say, flashing my most flirtatious smile to him, knowing the second we are done talking, Andrew is going to run off to tell Damon everything. Stepping a few feet from Alpha Jonah, I turn my attention to Andrew, not before noticing all the pack females flocking to Jonah’s side for attention.

“What do you want, Beta?” I say, hands on my h**s, an annoyed look plastered to my face, and my foot tapping impatiently.

“I don’t think it’s wise that you are throwing a party without the Alpha knowing,” Andrew says, his tone hard and judgemental.

“Which Alpha are we talking about?” I ask, a smirk of victory crossing my face as I watch a puzzled look cross his. “Because if we’re talking about Alpha Charles, he already knows. I told your mom to ensure the Alpha and Luna knew about this party hours ago. They had plenty of time to shut this party down if they wanted. Checkmate Beta.” Without a glance backward, I return to a desperate-looking Jonah trying to escape the she-wolves vying for his attention, Melanie included.

Seeing the relief on his face when I rejoined him made my heart sing. Alpha Jonah might be the perfect distraction from Damon’s possessive, butterfly-inducing k****s. “Excuse me, ladies, I have already promised my attention elsewhere,” he says in the kindest voice, removing himself from the gaggle of girls before standing before me, hand outstretched, an easy smile on his face. “Care to dance, Elle?”

“I would be delighted too,” I say, taking his hand into mine, hoping to feel the same tingles that seem to erupt whenever I touch Damon spring across my skin; they don’t, and I can’t help but feel a little disappointed.