The Possessive Alpha
Chapter 67

ELLE POV

“I had a great time with you,” Damon says, lifting my hand to k**s the fingertips. “It was nice getting to know you without pack members watching our every move.” We are standing outside the elevator door, bags in hand, waiting to be taken down to the lobby, where the rest of the group is supposed to meet. It was nice getting to know each other better over breakfast. While Damon and I have always been sexually attracted to each other, it’s nice to know we have more in common than that.

“I had fun, too,” I sigh, my mouth continuing to run even though my mind hasn’t caught up to it yet, “almost like a date.”

“That was not a date,” Damon chuckles as he steps onto the elevator, pulling me along with him.

“Oh?” I reply, trying my hardest to hide the disappointment filling my gut. What’s wrong with me that he wants me but doesn’t want me simultaneously?

“Not a date,” Damon says, wrapping his arm over my shoulder and pulling me closer as we descend to the lower levels. My heart and Scarlett are slightly breaking at the clear rejection in his words while I try not to show any pain over them. His words are muffled as her howling fills my head. “But tomorrow night, when I take you on one, that will be a date.” Wait…what did he say?!

“Tomorrow?” I ask him, “A date?” I ask again, trying the words out in my mouth, but they feel foreign as they roll off my tongue into the universe. My skin fires rapidly as he lifts my chin to look into his bright blue orbs, a smile spreading over his teeth. “But I thought…?”

“I know,” he sighs, “but I must stop fighting whatever this is between us. I’ve tried to, Goddess knows, but Slade and I need you, mates or not; you’re what we want.” His words are like a celestial choir to my ears, my heart singing, and so is Scarlett. Neither of us is thinking about the consequences, too overjoyed by his words.

“So, will you go?” Damon asks again, worry lacing his words as he studies my face, trying to find the answer to the question instead of waiting on the response. My mind is racing a hundred miles a minute, trying to think of the possible consequences of my decision.

‘Make a decision, Elle,” Scarlett says from the far corners of my mind. ‘Stop staring at him like a fish, and say something.’

‘What do I say?’ I ask. ‘I thought you would have more opinions, but you’re giving me nothing in return.’ Suddenly a current of emotions comes surging forward, nearly knocking me over, letting me know her opinions on the subject we promised we wouldn’t talk about until tomorrow. Her emotions do not need verbalizing, as I understand them completely.

‘You make the decision,’ Scarlett says, ‘I’ll stand by you, whichever you make.’

‘Even though we haven’t talked about it more?’ I ask her, bewildered that we will make this huge mistake if we don’t properly talk about it.

‘Can we wait until after your birthday?” I ask, sadness settling behind my eyes, threatening to spill over in liquid form. The confusion is clear in Damon’s eyes, and it’s breaking my heart to see it, but with all the unknowns in our future…the prophecy, and my dream of Selene…

“Why?” Damon queries sternly, his anger filling the tiny space, “give me one good reason why. We are great together, you know, I know it. The whole damn world knows it, Elle! f**k!” He grabs my chin, forcing me to meet his eyes. I can see the anger swirling in his irises as his pupils dilate with Slade’s attempts to take over.

“Because Damon,” I explain, my eyes pleading with him to understand, “if we start dating before your birthday and you found your mate, I would be broken.” As I say the words, his finger runs along my cheek, sparks lingering in its wake.

“Do you feel that?” Damon asks, and I know immediately what he is referencing: the witch’s prophecy. “The sparks?” he asks as his lips lower to mine, electricity running along my spine like a ping-pong going back and forth.

“Yes,” I sigh breathlessly as he pulls away, leaning his forehead on mine, breathing shallowly as I drink in his calming scent.

“If we can both feel them…” he trails off, letting the unspoken meaning settle between us; I can stop the doubt from blossoming in my mind.

“Okay,” I say, catching my eye in his, “we will go on a date.”

‘So you’ve decided then?’ Scarlett asks, ‘are you sure this is the decision you want to make?’ Her question settles deep in my bones, weighing me down like anchors threatening to pull me through the elevator floor to my untimely death.

‘Not sure in the slightest,’ I grumble, ‘but it’s the decision I am making. Do you agree with it or not?’ I snap at her, and instantly, guilt flashes through me at my rude attitude.

‘Of course,’ Scarlett says in complete agreement, ‘it’s the choice I would have made if the roles were reversed.’ Her words of conviction and vote of confidence are all it takes to restore some of the faith I was beginning to lose.

“Good,” Damon replies giddily. The doorway of the elevator dings ending the longest elevator ride in history. Kissing the top of my head one last time, he steps over the threshold and into the lobby with the rest of our friends, ready to finally return home.

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LUNA OLIVIA POV

Kneeling in the front yard, I am busy pruning my petunias when Damon’s Bronco comes roaring up the driveway with Elle sitting right next to him laughing, without a care in the world. As they come closer, I can tell my son has spotted me from how his body tenses up, his eye meeting mine. Pulling up in front of the house, Andrew and Theo drive Elle’s Jeep. Matt and Charity Conrad pull up behind them in one of the pack vehicles.

Putting the car into park, Damon flings it open, trying to hurry everyone along as he quickly grabs his duffle bag from the back seat. He is running around acting like a madman, as if he can sneak past me now that the damage has already been done.

Setting my basket and gloves onto the ground, I wander over to the cars as they rapidly try to get everything out and hidden like I haven’t known what they were doing all weekend. Was I ever this stupid at their age? Goddess, help my mother if I was.

“Hello, kids,” I say as I come up behind Damon as he, Andrew, Theo, and Matt, startling them half to death. “how was your time in the city?”

“We didn’t go to the city.’ Damon tries arguing as if I can’t see Elle sitting in his passenger seat, too worried about leaving for fear of my reaction.

“Damon,” my voice turns stern. “I don’t appreciate being lied to…again. So I’ll ask once more, how was the city?” I ask, as his eyes flicker to his friends like he is trying to gain their approval before responding, making my patience grow thin.

“It was fine,” Damon responds, not caring to elaborate further on the subject.

“Why isn’t Alpha Jonah bringing Elle back onto our lands?” I ask why the rules for this weekend’s get-a-away are being ignored.

“I’m sorry, mother,” Damon says, “but Jonah was not a suitable protector for Elle. He left her all weekend while he ran off and did goddess knows what for hours. Theo called, and I knew right then that I had to be there to protect my pack members.” I have to try and hold in the giggle forming at his words; he must think I am stupid to believe any of this bullshit.

“hmmm…yes…well,” I start to say, “you kids better get inside. Elle has a big night in a few hours and needs rest.” I respond quickly, noticing Damon hesitate before nudging others to take the bags into the house. “Don’t worry; I won’t tell your father about this. Now hurry before he sees you.” I usher the kids into the house, Elle finally getting the courage to leave the SUV; I watch as everyone silently files inside.

Returning to my garden, I kneel in front of the flowers I was pruning before my mind reaches out for my mate’s, slowly spreading like a disease until it finds who it is looking for. “The kids are home,” I inform my mate, who is currently training with some of his men.

“Oh? and how did their time in the city go?” He asks, a hint of nervousness in his voice; we are both aware of the consequences if we cannot get these two to cooperate.

“Just as Cynthia predicted it would,” I say, “we’re one step closer, Charles.”

“Yes, we are, and hopefully, we will succeed,” he replies solemnly before closing his mindlink and leaving me with my flowers.