The Possessive Alpha
Chapter 21

Elle Pov

Emma, Charity, and Taylor look at me expectantly with worry, and I can tell they’re all holding their breaths while waiting for my answer to the question.

“No, no, we did NOT have s*x,” I say, reassuring them and easing their concern. “I’ll be the first to admit Damon is a bastard, but he isn’t a rapist.” My mind wanders to what Damon said after defending his honor…How I’d come to his bed willingly….and I can’t help but imagine what that’d be like.

“Thank god,” Charity whispers, and the amount of worry she is showing during this conversation makes me worried she might understand more about the topic than she is willing to let on. “So what did you two do?”

“Well..” I say, unsure where to start, “I guess I was blackout before we got back to his room because I don’t remember anything after we began playing beer pong. According to Damon, I spent the rest of the night sick in his bathroom until he got me cleaned up…Then he tucked me into his bed…” I mutter the last part, not looking any of them in the eye, especially Taylor. Unfortunately, that wolf hearing is damn accurate.

“Shutup! Did you sleep in his bed? Melanie wasn’t allowed in his room, and it drove her crazy,” Taylor exclaims, giggling, her hair finally falling away from her neck, and that’s when I see the distinctive mark on her neck.

“Omg, Taylor!” I practically scream while I jump from the chair to get a better look at her mate’s mark. Like all mate marks, it’s the pack crest of each wolf entwined together in ivy. Only an Alpha and their Luna have a unique mark representing their bond. “Why are we talking about me when you found your mate!”

“Oh, posh,” Taylor says, swatting my hand away, “we all know whatever’s happening between you and Damon is far more interesting, and you can’t deny it.”

Desperate to end the talks of Damon and I’s confusing relationship, I insist we change the subject. “No, please, tell me everything about him!” I practically beg.

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

I finally get the girls out the door when I feel someone is trying to link me. Looking at the clock on my bedside table, I have the distinct idea I know who it is, and I am a little nervous about the consequences from this weekend.

‘Elle. Charles and I just got home. Helena has made dinner.’ Luna Olivia says in her cheerful voice, which makes me more nervous…are they trying to keep me unsuspecting of my true punishment? How much trouble did I get myself into?

‘Yes, Luna. I’ll be right down.’ I reply, fixing my hair into a messy bun atop my head, and sandals on my feet, making my way out the door. I join the Alpha and Luna sitting in their spots. The Beta and Gamma families sit in their assigned spots. Thank the Goddess Melanie is not in attendance. I don’t think I could handle her here too. Causing my steps to falter; I would have dressed better if I knew we would have visitors. Nodding my respects to the Beta and Gamma. I look at Charles and Olivia with faces consumed by easy smiles and teasing eyes. The aura surrounding them is easygoing, without a sense of hostility. Are they high? What the hell is going on? Looking to Andrew, and even Matt, for some idea of what’s happening, they shrug their shoulders slightly, looking just as confused as me.

“Welcome back, Alpha and Luna. Did you have a good trip this weekend?” I ask, deciding it’s better to break the silence now than to let it drag on through this unusual dinner.

“It was a wonderful time,” Alpha Charles says as he motions for me to take my seat beside Andrew opposite Damon’s spot. “Except for my son’s sudden departure in the middle of a lovely dinner. Do you know where he is, Elle?”

“Uhm,” I say, unsure why he is looking at me so intently like I would know where his son is. I am not Damon’s mate or his keeper.

“No, Alpha. I’m not sure why I would know Damon’s schedule.”

“Oh,” the Alpha responds, and if I am not mistaken, slightly disappointed at my response.

“Elle is not my keeper,” comes the deep rumble of Damon’s voice as he comes around the corner of the entrance opposite where I am sitting. Once his eyes take me in, a giant smile spreads across his face before he starts coughing to hide it. His friends noticed his hesitation from the look on Andrew’s and Matt’s faces.

‘It’s your shirt, Elle; you reek of Damon, ‘ Andrew says through the mindlink, forcing me to look down and realize I am still in Damon’s shirt from the night before. Well, isn’t this f*****g grand. Looking up to see if anyone else can smell Damon all over these clothes, I catch Luna’s eye, and she sends me a discreet wink. Now they probably think I am f*****g their son.

“We all know you didn’t need me at that treaty renewal. We have been allies with those packs for years,” Damon says as he plops into his seat, “That was an underhanded way of forcing me to find my mate.”

“Son,” Luna Olivia starts, “You need to find your mate. Alpha’s need their mates to be trusted to lead a pack.” Her voice is stern, like she is scolding a child.

“Don’t worry, Mom, I will find my Luna,” Damon grumbles, putting his fingers to his temples, already exasperated by the constant pressure to find his mate. Ever since he turned eighteen, that’s all anyone ever talks or asks about.

“Yes, honey, let’s not bother Damon with his mate. You know how an Alpha male can get about their Luna,” Alpha Charles throws in, ending his sentence with a glance in my direction, causing me to wince from the guilt.

“Very well,” Luna Olivia sighs; looking at me, she asks a question that causes me to choke on my water. “How was your party, Elle? I heard that Alpha Jonah is quite taken with you.”

“A little too taken…” grumbles Damon, his eyes not leaving my flaming cheeks as he studies my demeanor.

“It was fun,” is all I say for fear of saying too much and digging myself into some s**t I cannot get out of. Damon is staring at me, waiting for me to expand on the issue further. Andrew and Matt are uncomfortable with the energy surrounding us because they keep shifting in their seats.

“Yes, Elle, please tell my parents more about your fun weekend,” Damon insists, a small smirk playing on his lips as his ever-faithful Gamma, Matt, steps in with a “Yeah, I heard a little about this party. Tell us more,” Damon says nothing, just giving me a look of pure satisfaction at having me boxed into a corner.

I know what Damon is trying to do, but I refuse to be sabotaged by him and his goons. “Well, Taylor found her mate! It’s the young Gamma, Brad, of the Diamond Claw pack,” pausing to hear the excitement at a mate bond formed. It’s a beautiful gift from the Goddess and should be celebrated. “I also got to know Alpha Jonah better. He is a very fine man,” I say, not looking at Damon, but I can feel the annoyance from here.

“Yes, as I said, Alpha Jonah was quite taken by you, Elle,” the Luna starts, only to be interrupted by Damon’s snort and unkind remarks. “Alpha Jonah would have a better chance of finding his mate if he focused on adult she-wolves.”

“Unlike you, Alpha Jonah has spent the last three years traveling to find his mate without any luck. Leaving him to believe his mate is underage.” Luna Olivia says icily, annoyed at her sons’ constant interference. “Besides, I think he and Elle would make a nice match for one another. What do you think, Elle?”

“Yeah, Elle, what do you think of Alpha Jonah?” Matt butts in, not reading the room, “from what I heard about the party, you two were pretty friendly.” Andrew, Beta Jake, and Gamma Toby snort trying to hold in their laughter at how obtuse Matt can be as he shovels food into his mouth.

I can feel Damon’s glare on me, and refusing to break, I meet his eyes, declaring proudly, “I think Alpha Jonah is a great guy. I am asking him to join my friends and me for my birthday.”

“What are your plans? I’m sorry, I have been so busy with Damon’s ball I forgot to ask,” Olivia looked at me with sadness in her eyes at the realization of forgetting my birthday. Damon starts looking smug when he realizes I have no plans, and being the competitive person I am, I say the first thing that comes to mind.

“I was hoping to talk to you about this in private,” I say to the Alpha and Luna, “but I was hoping to spend the weekend of my birthday in New York City with my friends and their mates.”

“When did you guys decide that?” Damon demands, leaning forward, trying to intimidate me into backing down. Squaring my shoulders, I look him in the eye, refusing to relent in this game of tug-a-war we seem to find ourselves in.

“Earlier today,” I fire back, returning my attention to the Alpha and Luna. I explained that I would be back before midnight Sunday, when I shift for the first time.

“Who is going to protect you?” Damon blurts out as I explain my plans to Charles and Olivia, “we cannot leave our territory unprotected so they can trail after you like puppy dogs in the city!”

“My friends and I are more than capable of looking after ourselves,” I snap at him, my anger rising from his need to meddle in my business.

“Oh, and did your actions this weekend prove that?” Damon demands, his frustrations becoming as clear as my own. We were so focused on bickering each other that I forgot others were in the room for a moment until Gamma Ashley spoke in her soft voice.

“It sounds like Elle threw a lovely party and met a handsome young Alpha. What’s so criminal about that?” Ashley asks in that naive innocent voice only she can pull off while still sounding genuine.

“She got drunk!” Damon exclaims, throwing his fists onto the table. Getting more upset by the second, his aura suffocates the omegas who were asked to help with dinner. The adults stay silent for a second before giggling like they’re in high school.

“Is that all she did, son?” Alpha Charles asks, who is still struggling to fight the laughter from spilling out.

“She is the reason I left that meeting early,” Damon flusters, irritated that his parents aren’t scolding me like he thought I would. “I had to come home to take care of her drunk a*s.”

“Did she ask you to come home? Or did Andrew call you, and you stuck your nose where it doesn’t belong?” Luna Olivia asked, throwing a pointed look at her son.

“I hate to break it to you, but getting drunk like a human is a right of passage for young wolves before their first shift,” Alpha Charles says, unbothered by the party I threw in their home.

“Yeah, I remember those two idiots.” Beta Jake says, pointing to Andrew and Matt, “getting stupid drunk on their mom’s box wine, and you tried to help them hide it.” The Beta’s recollection of that story seemed to shut Damon up for a split second.

“Exactly, you did nothing wrong,” Olivia says, giving me a warm smile. “We have all gone through it except for Charles and Damon. Because of their Alpha b***d, they shifted too young.”

“Plus, we prefer that you got that out of your system before going to the city on your birthday,” Alpha Charles confirms as he shovels food in his mouth, but his eyes are glued to Damon to see his reaction.

“You cannot be serious!” Damon yells, slamming his palms onto the table, causing me to jump a little from the sound. “You’re going to send Elle to the city with her friends and no protection? No, absolutely not!”

“I am sure Alpha Jonah will be happy to provide the protection Elle needs,” Olivia throws into the conversation with a sly smirk on her lips like she is intentionally trying to goad Damon further, which works. Damon gets up from the table so quickly and forcefully that his chair slams into the floor.

“This is BULLSHIT!” Damon growls, his eyes shifting to black, barely containing Slade within, but before anyone can say anything, he is storming out of the room in a ball of fury. None of the adults react and keep eating as if nothing happened.

‘What the hell was that about?’ Andrew asks through the link. Looking at him, I give a small shrug and a confused look. I am not sure if the Alpha and Luna started taking drugs or what, but something is up with them. The real question is, do I want to find out what it is?