The Possessive Alpha
Chapter 58

ELLE POV

I notice the scrutiny on Damon’s face as he studies me, but I have nothing to say to him now that my mind is too busy trying to work through Esmeralda’s prophecy as I follow them out into the busy city and head back to the hotel.

“Luna by birth.” What does that mean? I know I come from an Alpha bloodline, but could there be more to it than that? It would explain why my parents went through all this trouble to hide my true nature. Born Luna is a coveted commodity by many Alpha males; there are more stories about their abductions and forceful markings than having a healthy mateship.

“Luna by mate.” This means I’ll probably be mated to an Alpha, my eyes glancing at Damon’s broad shoulders as he leads us to where the ubers are waiting to take us to the hotel. As I pile into the black SUV with the other women, I can sense Damon’s disappointment at not being able to sit next to me.

As the wheels carry us to our destination, one part of the prophecy keeps playing over in my mind, “only the mark of the man whose touches tingle will be able to protect the Luna from those who covet her.” As my brain repeats the phrase, only one face pops into my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about his blue eyes, easy smile, and the deep rumble of his laugh. His presence keeps me calm, even when he is a prick, and no matter what I do, I can’t seem to stay away from him.

Opening the mindlink, I reach out to Emma and Taylor; as the only mated women in our friend group, they’re the only ones who can honestly answer my questions.

‘What is the mate bond like?’ I ask, diving headfirst into the conversation, or else I might lose the confidence to ask.

‘Elle,’ Emma warns, ‘you know we shouldn’t tell you about the bond. It’s not a topic to be discussed with unmated wolves. If the council finds out, they could make us rogues.’ I can sympathize with her worries; the council considers it a serious wrongdoing because young teenagers might confuse typical hormones with the mate bond, mistakenly marking one another. It used to be a rampant problem in the 18th century; eighteen has always been the age we find our mates, but we used to be able to mark others as soon as we shifted. So with the help of witches, the council made it illegal and impossible to be marked before eighteen.

‘I understand, Emma,’ my words full of conviction, ‘but it’s important that I know what it’s like.’

‘Why?’ Taylor questions, her apprehension matching her sisters, ‘What happened in that room with Esmeralda? You have been acting funny since you stepped out of it.’

Pushing aside my hesitation, I open up and tell them the truth, knowing they won’t tell me what I need to know until I give up some information. ‘Esmeralda told me a prophecy, and she mentioned something about mates, and I need to understand what she meant.’

‘Okay,’ Emma says. ‘We will tell you what we know; each mate bond is slightly different.’ Taylor adds after looking at her twin to ensure they are on the same page.

‘Discovering my mate bond was different than Emma’s,’ Taylor continues, ‘because we both turned eighteen before finding each other. All it took was scenting each other and then making eye contact to snap everything in place.’

‘What about you, Emma?’ I ask, looking at her face, the unease in her demeanor. ‘What was your experience?’

‘I had a crush on Victor since we were younger,’ Emma sighs. ‘I remember meeting him for the first time in third grade, thinking he was the most beautiful boy I had ever seen.’

‘You were obsessed,’ Taylor chirped, ‘but the funniest thing is that you never talked to him. You were always terrified of him.’

‘I was,’ Emma chuckles at the memory, ‘when we got into High school, my feelings became more unbearable. I had this indescribable pull to him; wherever he was, I found myself there too. He was irresistible.’

‘You had a weird way of showing it,’ Taylor scoffs, shooting a glare at Emma.

‘What do you mean?’ I ask, confused by her meaning. I didn’t hang out with the group until recently, and I didn’t pay attention to other kids in school until this year.

‘They fought constantly,’ Taylor says, ‘I swear there were some days they were going to kill each other. The entire group could sense the s****l tension between them. It was crazy potent.’

‘We wanted each other more than we wanted air but fought against it,’ Emma explains, ‘we would have explosive makeout sessions because of our wolves one second. Our human counterparts were making us resist the attraction we felt for each other.’

‘Their mateship is similar to what I see happening between Damon and you.’ Taylor includes in the conversation like it’s no big deal.

‘Even when Damon was with Melanie, his obsession with you was well known. You two can’t stay away from each other even if you try; you’re drawn to one another like a fly to honey.’

‘You could cut your s****l tension with a knife,’ Emma includes with a snicker, ‘and based on your scent after your little trip to the bathroom, you can’t keep your hands off of each other either.’

‘No,’ I say with a sigh, ‘trust me, I wish I could, but the harder I try to stay away, the more I find myself around him, and it’s damn frustrating. We want each other, but we keep pushing the other away, terrified we won’t be mates.’

‘Damon wants you,’ Taylor throws in, ‘that man can never take his eyes off you. If I got a dollar for every time I found him looking at you, I would never have to work, and neither would my children or Emma’s children.’

A sense of pride swells in my chest at Taylor’s words, knowing that no other woman has captivated Damon’s attention the same way I have.

‘There is one thing I have been wondering, though,’ Emma says, her finger. ‘What the hell is with him calling you ‘biscuit’? Like, where the hell did that nickname come from?’

‘Thank you!’ Taylor exclaims with excitement, ‘I have been curious about that nickname since I heard Damon call her that in the witches’ shop.’

‘Honestly, I have no idea,’ I tell them, ‘Damon came home from training camp and started calling me that. It initially drove me nuts, but it’s started growing on me. You’ll have to ask Damon where the nickname came from.’

‘I double dare you to ask him,’ Emma says to Taylor, too scared to ask him herself.

‘Yeah, right,’ Taylor says, ‘I have no interest pissing Slade off; that wolf could snap me in two without blinking, especially when it comes to Elle. Now I know how you plan to kill me, getting me to ask our Alpha stupid questions.’ Emma and I giggle uncontrollably at Taylor’s response causing curious looks from Charity before facing forward to watch the traffic in the windshield.

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ESMERALDA POV

I watch the teenagers pile into the Uber they called to take them away. I make my way up the stairs, hidden behind a door covered in posters. Using my key, I open the locked door before finding the landline on the end table.

Without looking at the phone, my fingers dial a number I have learned by heart, my chest pounding in anticipation. I knew who the young woman was the second she entered the door; with that red hair and those green eyes, she is the spitting image of her mother and as beautiful as she was at that age.

After two rings, a rough male voice answers the phone with a snarl, “What?’ His attitude makes Esmeralda cringe internally, she hates this man, and it kills her internally to aid him in his ridiculous plan. Still, she made promises long ago that she has no intention of breaking now.

“The young woman you sent my way is Cynthia’s daughter,” I say, bile burning in my throat, knowing what he’ll do now that he has a concrete confirmation of her identity.

“You’re sure?” He asks, but his excitement is so palpable that it’s spilling out of the phone.

“Yes,” I reply, my voice dead, and the tears start welling in my eyes at having to help this maniac who has destroyed my family and friends.

“Good,” he says, his tone giddy, “Now I can move forward with my plan for Damon Ledger’s birthday.”

“Of course, Alpha,” I reply before hanging up. Once our conversation is over, I walk over to the painting of flowers hanging in the middle of the living room. Pulling on the frame of the painting, it pops open to reveal a locked safe. Entering the code, the safe reveals a small black burner phone that I replace every two weeks.

Calling the only number programmed within, I wait patiently for the call to go to voicemail, nearly dying from shock when an airy female voice answers the phone.

“Esmeralda?” the feminine voice asks, a desperation rarely heard in her words. “Did you see her?”

“Yes, I did,” I explain, “I told her the prophecy as you instructed.”

“Do you think she will figure it out?” I am asked, with evident worry lacing her words.

“I have faith that she will figure it out before Damon’s birthday ball,” I say, which is true; the spirits surrounding Elle want her to succeed in accomplishing her destiny. “That’s when he will make his next move,” I inform her so she can be prepared.

“Don’t worry; we will be ready for it, Esmeralda,” she says, “did Elle get the ring?”

“Yes,” I reply, smiling, remembering the sight of the ring with its rightful owner. “She zeroed in on it just as you said she would.”

“Of course she did,” The woman chuckles, “it’s meant for her. I need to let you go, Esmeralda, before someone overhears me. This will be over soon.” The woman reassures me before the line goes dead, and while she seems confident, I cannot help the balls of lead sitting in my stomach.