The Possessive Alpha
Chapter 78

DAMON POV

*Beep* *Beep* *BEEP*

The repetitive sound of my alarm starts pulling me out of my sleep; with eyes barely open, I hit the snooze, rolling over to find the other side of the bed empty. Again. For the third morning in a row, where the hell is Elle? Using my elbows, I sit up, resting against the headboard, brushing the sleep from my eyes when a sweet cinnamon scent fills my nose. Its owner bounced out of the closet in tight leggings and a sports bra. Her hair is in a tight bun.

“Do you always wake up at the a*s crack of dawn?” I ask, slightly grumpy. It’s only 7 a.m., and she has probably been up for hours doing Goddess knows what, and we didn’t go to bed until late with mom freaking out about the Ball in two days. It’s been all hands on deck.

“For as long as I can remember,” She cracks a smile, making a joke of her unfortunate situation.

“Don’t worry, Biscuit,” I say, as I watch her move and grab her shoes from their place, “after I mark you, we can get your memory and birthright back. I’ll be there to help you get what’s yours. We will figure it out together.”

“I’ll see you after lunch, okay?” “I know,” Elle replies, “it’s just a lot to process.” As soon as her shoes are on, she gets up from the chair to come over, pressing her lips softly.

“Training, again?” I ask, and I know it sounds like I am pouting, but I see Elle less now that she has been sleeping in my room than I did before; it’s starting to frustrate Slade and me. He is starting to get restless.

“Yes,” she smiles sheepishly, still leaning over my body to look into my eyes, giving me the perfect few of her chest peaking through her sports bra, my c**k rising with excitement. It’s been torture sleeping next to her every night and resisting my urges to f**k her wild and then mark her. “Charity needs a lot of work before the Ball. I don’t think we will be able to hide what I am much longer. She needs to be prepared as a Gamma to protect me until I am marked.”

“Have Matt help her and stay in bed with me,” I pout, pulling her onto my lap and capturing her lips with a fiery passion as my skin heated from the warmth. Pulling away, Elle’s eyes are closed, her breath shaky with desire, the internal struggle apparent on her face before she snaps to awareness.

“I think Charity would rather eat dirt than be alone with Matt for more than a minute,” she mutters, stepping back from me, making her decision clear. “I don’t know their issue with each other, but it’s somehow gotten worse.”

“Tell me about it,” I roll my eyes, thinking about Matt’s behavior since Elle’s shift, and it has not been fun to be around. “Matt’s had a major stick up his a*s since the last few days. Grumpy and brooding, it’s been insufferable. Did Charity give you any indication of what the hell happened?”

“No,” she shakes her head, “even if she did, that’s confidential between us. Girl code and all that.” She smirks, knowing that she has me.

“Well,” I sigh, kissing her, “I hope they figure it out soon. I would almost prefer him saying dumbass s**t than constantly sulking in the corner.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” she says before her eyes glaze over her with an incoming mindlink before returning to normal, “but I have to go. I have a Beta and Gamma waiting on me.” Placing a quick k**s on my cheeks, fizzing briefly before she is out of my lap and at the end of the bed.

“See you after lunch,” I say to her, retreating as she speeds out the door like her a*s is on fire, leaving a stream of smoke in her wake.

Sitting alone on the bed, I don’t know whether to be proud or annoyed with how she handles her newfound responsibilities, but part of me misses spending time with her. Sighing with frustration, I get out of bed starting my morning so I can meet Andrew and Matt to handle our shit.

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

Forty minutes later, with grass tickling the back of my legs while I sit in the field underneath the large willow tree, I see Andrew and Matt breaking through the tree line on the opposite end. Even from this distance, I can see the scowl etched on Matt’s face, his brooding aura reaching me quickly, while Andrew looks bored, his hands shoved in his pockets.

Barely a foot away, the words I have been dying to tell them all week come tumbling from my mouth, “I am marking Elle.” My words tumbled out of my mouth like a gymnast, the excitement overpowering any concepts of tact. Both stopped dead, staring at me, blinking slowly like they weren’t sure they heard my words right.

“What do you mean?” Andrew asks, his voice soft, treating me and this topic like a mental patient who escaped a high-security psych ward.

“I am marking Elle,” I repeat, unsure what so hard not to get about the concept. It’s pretty basic in werewolf communities.

“No, yeah,” Andrew mutters while rolling his eyes, “I know what was said. I am just confused about how the f**k you think that’s a good idea.”

“I agree with Andrew,” Matt says. His demeanor still sours while his face wears a perpetual scowl. “You can’t possibly be thinking this is a good idea?”

“Elle’s still underage, for christ’s sake,” Andrew adds, “do you know what the council will do to you if they find out?”

“They’ll turn you into a f*****g rogue,” Matt follows up like they’ve been practicing their line while he paces back and forth anxiously. “They’ll turn Andrew and me into ones, too, because there is no way in hell they won’t think we had something to do with this shit.”

Their outbursts were unexpected and not the response I expected from them, I don’t know how they were supposed to react, but this wasn’t it. Their theatrics are pissing Slade off, his anger seeping into the air around us as my eyes shift to black. “You question her worthiness as my Luna?” I question, finding it harder to breathe as I try to hold my inner animal from breaking free.

“Of course not, Alpha,” Andrew responds, his gaze locked on mine as he weighs his following words carefully, knowing that saying the wrong thing can make this situation ten times worse. “Many of the pack viewed Elle as our next Luna before the shift. Nothing has changed that.”

“Okay,” I say, Slade’s anger receding with my black eyes as they return to their usual blue. “Then what the hell is your issue?”

“Where do we start?” Matt snarls, his already sour mood causing an attitude, “Elle is seventeen, and it’s illegal. If the council finds out, you’ll be stripped of your title, and so will we!”

“You think I don’t know that?” I scream, stalking him, my Alpha aura stampeding towards him like a bull out to pasture. “You think if I had any other choice to keep Elle safe, I would?”

“Why do you think marking her is the only option?” Andrew asks after stepping back and showing his neck in submission. Unlike Matt, he knows how to ask me questions in a way that doesn’t instantly piss Slade off.

“A prophecy…” I ramble off, not even sure how to answer their question, like how much f*****g crazier can it get?

“I am sorry,” Matt says, “I don’t think I heard you properly. Did you say a f*****g prophecy? You can’t be f*****g serious! There’s a prophecy mixed into this whole s**t show, and you’re just now deciding to tell us this s**t?”

“If you haven’t noticed, things have been a s**t show around here lately!” I scream back, the two of us fighting like an old married couple which is nothing new.

“Alright,” Andrew sighs, finger on the bridge of his nose, assuming his signature stance of annoyance when we start acting like this.

“I am guessing Elle found out about this prophecy at the witch’s store?”

“Yeah,” I say, the shock written clearly on my face, “how did you know?”

“I have a f*****g brain,” Andrew replies, the offense dripping with every syllable, “and basic deductive skills. So what specifics of this prophecy make you think you need to mark Elle?”

“Basically, the whole f*****g thing,” I exclaim, my hands flying into the air with exasperation.

“Those aren’t useful details, Alpha,” Andrew responds, keeping his tone even and calm while Matt paces off to the side. “Can I get concrete phrases?”

“Luna by birth. Luna by Mate.” I say, reciting the words from memory, “The mark received willingly by the true one disregards the rules. His venom under the skin is all it takes to remove the shackles releasing the spell from within. Only the mark of the man whose touches tingle will protect the Luna from those who covet her. Take his mark or be forced to wear another.”

Letting out a long exhale, Andrew’s hand rubs the back of his neck while he looks down at the ground, a worried expression overcoming his face, and Matt has finally stopped pacing to look at me with a sympathetic look. “That doesn’t leave much room for interpretation, does it?” Andrew asks, whistling while shaking his head.

“No,” I sigh, feeling like a caged animal with no choices. “it doesn’t; it’s pretty cut and dry.”

“Damn, I am sorry, dude,” Matt says, throwing me an apologetic, “this isn’t the way anyone imagines getting their mate.”

“Look whose suddenly the romantic,” Andrew teases, throwing him a questioning look, “any particular reason for having romance on your mind?” His inquiries hit their mark as Matt’s face darkened in a storm of anger I had never seen before.

“Whatever,” Matt grumbles before turning his attention back to me, “what do you need our help with? I don’t think you called us here to help you mate, and mark Elle.” A possessive growl escapes my mouth, my eyes turning black, my deadly gaze finding Matt immediately. The thought of his canines near Elle’s mark has red dots appearing at the edge of my vision. Stopping myself before I make a colossal mistake, I shoot him one last glare before getting to the point.

“I called you here because I need your help making this a special spot Saturday,” I say, looking around the space, a small pit of guilt already forming in my stomach. “Cute lights, pillows, blankets, girly things of that nature. I am too busy helping my mom with things for Saturday that I don’t have time, so I am passing the responsibility to you two. Since you are the romantic among us,, Matt,, maybe you should spearhead it. You can ask one of the girls to help you; they’d be helpful with this kind of thing.”

“Why would I…” Matt starts to ask before his eyes burn with fire when he realizes what I did for him, causing a large Cheshire cat-like smile to overcome his face. “Decorations sounds like the perfect job, and I know the best helper in the pack.”

Andrew and I smirk at his words without saying a word, not wanting to ruin the sudden improvement in his mod. “Why are you so concerned about making this special to mark her? when you can mark her in bed.” Andrew asks as he looks around the space.

“Because,” I reply, the blush of embarrassment covering my cheeks, “Elle won’t get to find her mate like any other she-wolves her age which is supposed to be a magical time, and it’s a singular moment every wolf looks forward to regardless of rank, wealth, or power. Elle isn’t going to get it, so I think I have to make this extra special.”

“Apparently,” Andrew drawls, looking at me with amusement, “our Alpha is the true romantic in our pack. Who knew?” He asks, having a hard time holding in the laugh threatening to bubble; Matt soon joins him while I stand there growling at them like an unamused child.