The Possessive Alpha
Chapter 48

DAMON POV

*Crunch.*

‘What the f**k was that?’ Andrew asks, eyes locked on the stage, making me think he secretly loves the show despite his complaining to Matt in the days prior, looking for tickets.

‘Looks like our Alpha broke the armrests,’ Matt tags in, explaining the situation before I have a chance to speak. I roll the broken parts in my hand; the splintered wood and the jagged plastic pieces prick at the skin as I try to focus on that instead of killing a stranger.

‘Why the f**k would he do that?’ Andrew asks incredulously at my stupidity, but still, he is watching the show, not daring to look away. Honestly, as musicals go, this isn’t bad; at least cats aren’t coming to interact with the grown adults sitting in the audience. That sounds like a f*****g nightmare.

‘Because of that forty-something-year-old man staring at Elle, the entire f*****g show,’ Matt mutters, clearly annoyed. ‘Or have you been too busy being gay?’ As soon as the words left his stupid mouth, the air stilled, and so did time, the anger I was already feeling magnified. So enraged that a man of mine could say something so vile.

Turning to the right, my eyes settled on Matt, his fear visibly rolling off of him and little puffs as he stared into the black pupils of Slade, restraining himself in a room full of humans. ‘WHAT THE f**k?’ I scream through the link, causing him to flinch, showing his neck in fear. Andrew still hadn’t said anything, but he wasn’t the type to react and think later.

‘You are so f*****g lucky I don’t demote your a*s,’ I snarl. I can feel my mouth foaming like some rabid dog as Slade says, ‘Demote him. I am done with him. He is becoming a real jackass.’ His anger fueled mine.

‘Then you can go home and tell your dad how the f**k you lost a position your family has had for generations, you piece of s**t. How dare you f*****g say some stupid s**t like that?’ ‘You’re lucky we are here and not back home.’ my anger boils, soaking the air around us, causing the humans to notice shifting uncomfortably.

Matt says nothing as I growl at him through the link, ‘I knew you could be a jackass,’ I sigh in disappointment, ‘but I never thought you were homophobic.’

‘I’m not gay,’ Andrew speaks, his voice ringing through the link clear and robust. ‘But if liking this musical is gay s**t, then fine, I like “gay” s**t. But you know the worst part is I didn’t think you’d judge me about it.’

‘I don’t judge you,’ Matt mutters, the shame in words sitting heavy in my mind. ‘I don’t care if you like “gay” s**t or if you are gay. I hate that you’ve dropped me as a friend.’ His confession allows me to ease up on the unrelenting energy that’s become stifling to the others sitting in the area.

‘What are you talking about?’ Andrew asks, looking away from the stage for the first time since the musical began. ‘I haven’t dropped you as a friend. I talk to you every day.’

‘Not really,’ Matt says, ‘You say hi, but since we started working with Theo, something has changed.’ I can’t argue with his statement, as I have noticed the same. He and Theo have quickly formed a strong bond, always having their heads bent together, talking about different things.

‘You’re jealous?’ Andrew asks, but a hint of surprise is laced within his words.

‘Yes,’ Matt responds as if it isn’t apparent, ‘Jesus and you two think I am the neanderthal. I don’t care if you’re gay, and I like Theo; he is a chill dude. Just don’t forget about our friendship. Look, I shouldn’t have said what I did, and I apologize for letting my jealousy get the better of me.

‘I am not gay,’ Andrew mutters, crossing his arm over his chest, his tone stern with conviction, almost like he is trying to convince himself more than us. ‘Theo will be Elle’s Beta and probably our Luna, let’s be honest, putting us in a unique position to work in conjunction with another Beta and Gamma couple. We have to get along well to forge strong unified packs.’

Andrew raises valid points that I cannot argue with, but we don’t know if Elle will be my Luna, so it’s presumptuous, ‘Elle might not be your Luna,’ I remind them for the fiftieth time. ‘Plus, we don’t know if Elle will pick Theo for her Beta.’ I swear I could feel Slade roll his eyes in the recess of my mind while Andrew and Matt snort in disagreement.

‘Do you see her picking a stranger for her Beta?’ Matt contests, ‘When his wolf is already loyal to her? Could YOU trust anyone else caring for her? I doubt it.’ Just as I am about to retort, the snarky remark is sitting on my tongue, ready to break free of the teeth cage it’s trapped inside when the lights flicker. The sudden addition of light in the room disorients me for a few seconds, and when I look at Elle’s box, I see her standing to leave with her friends. Where the f**k is she going?

‘Theo, where the f**k is Elle going?’ I demand through the link. Looking to the left of the box, the stranger leaves his box, and I know exactly what the bastard plans to do.

‘The restroom,’ he responds, his voice clipped and annoyed.

‘Are you aware the creepy stalker left at the same time?’ I ask him.

‘I know,’ he growls.

‘Then why the f**k are you still sitting there?’ Screaming through the link for the second time tonight. I don’t know what’s happening with everyone, but they need to get their s**t together, or else I might not be responsible for what will happen.

‘Because Elle told me to stay,’ Theo replies like that explains everything. ‘She wanted to trap the man and see what she finds out.’

‘Why the f**k would you let her do that?’ I cry as I push away from my seat, ready to do what Theo won’t. As I move through the prongs of people standing in our aisle, I hear Theo’s hearty laugh through the link. ‘Funny Alpha,’ he continues to chuckle like I told the funniest joke he had ever heard, ‘ you should know by now that Elle does what she wants, regardless of what others say.’

“Move,” I growl as I shove past a middle-aged man blocking my path, trying to get to the box seat section restrooms as quickly as possible. Wiping my forehead, I can feel the sweat from my anxiety coating the skin. ‘I can see you are trying to get over here,’ Theo says, gazing at me from his section. ‘I wouldn’t do it, Elle doesn’t know you here, and she has a solid plan. Can you trust her? She will be a Luna in charge of a pack separate from her mates one day. She needs to start being trusted with this kind of stuff. Even if it kills us.’

His words stop me in my tracks, Matt and Andrew, unprepared, run straight into my back, causing me to stumble on the stairs before grabbing the handrail to steady myself. ‘Fine, I’ll keep my distance, but I swear to the Goddess, if something happens to her, I will tear you limb from limb in front of your father.’

‘Sounds fair,’ is all he says before I see him getting up from his chair, leaving Alpha Jonah’s men alone in the box. Speaking of Jonah, where the f**k is he? I haven’t seen him since he walked them up the stairs. The handrail guides me further down until I reach the central aisle, taking us to the restroom’s hallway.

‘Matt, I need you to take on a task after intermission,’ I tell him as we step into the red-carpeted floors with gold designs. I am ambling with the mass of humans going toward the restrooms, Andrew and Matt at my side.

‘What do you need, boss?’ He asks, the excitement in his voice palpable. I can’t tell if he is excited to get away from the musical or to show how sorry he is for his earlier comment, but it doesn’t matter. We need to take care of this business; then, we can deal with that at home.

‘I need you to find Jonah,’ I say, pissed why I never thought to have one of them spy on him when I noticed him missing, but my attention was elsewhere. Now that the anger is starting to dissipate, I think it isn’t a coincidence that the mystery man is here or that he seemed to zero in on Elle from the beginning.

‘I want to know where that leech is hiding,’ I remark, the anger flaring inside my chest. ‘There are too many coincidences, and that bastard is nowhere to be found. Something doesn’t feel right. Find, track, and report, but do not engage unless necessary.’

‘Got it,’ Matt responds, giving me a nod before breaking away from the group, nose in the air trying to scent him from the mass of people. Being the Gamma, he has one of the best noses in the pack; if anyone could find Jonah in this mess, it’d be him. It’s time we get some answers about Jonah’s endgame. Slade no longer trusts him or his wolf, even though we had been friends for years before this whole Elle mess.

‘f*****g finally,’ Slade chimes in, his communication with me still sporadic but becoming more frequent in the last day. ‘He is up to something. I am sure of it.’ He continues to grumble.

‘Me too,’ I respond as I step into the bathroom, Andrew following behind me silently, lost in his thoughts, half paying attention to his surroundings. ‘It’s about time we get some f*****g answers.’