The Alpha Takes a Mate (20 page)

She nodded, not believing him as her orgasm started to ebb away. The renewed pain of what he’d done to her with Lori took its place.

He cupped her cheek forcing her to look at him. “I meant every word I said. You’re mine, and tonight everyone will know it.”

“You’re seriously considering claiming me in front of your pack.”

“Not just in front of my pack but in front of our visitors.”

Elle held her breath as she stared into his eyes.

“When you meet the one, your alpha, never stare into his eyes. The moment you do all hell will be unleashed. Do not let the alpha claim you,” the man said.

“Are you all right?”
Brandon asked.

“Yeah, just a bad dream.”

Chapter Twenty

Brandon
held Elle’s hand as he made his way through the forests. He felt the happiness of his pack as they saw her. Alexander and Charles were standing at the head waiting for him. Crazy Lizzy danced toward him.

“This is the right thing to do. You’re saving yourself and her,” Lizzy said, smiling. She wrapped her arms around Elle. “
Soon, we’ll be good friends and Layla will too. I can’t wait for Layla to join our friendship. She’s going to be a hoot. You just need to drop that pesky thrall.”

Lizzy danced away. He watched as she
wove her way around his pack. Alaric stood without his shirt with his bears. Gripping her hand tightly, Brandon made his way toward the head. Several murmurs erupted when they saw the state of his back. Elle had marked him deeply. Her scent covered him. The smell of strawberry and vanilla permeated the air.

When he got to the head of the pack,
Brandon took the time to show Elle to his visitors. Alexander looked at her, startled.

He didn’t
ask the vampire questions as he faced his pack.

Turning to the pack,
Brandon held Elle in front of her. “You are all gathered here in front of our friends in order for me to right a wrong I did before my mate.” Brandon stroked her cheek. “Most of you know I used Lori because I feared for Elle’s safety, but I want to announce to everyone that Elle is my queen. She’s the woman I love and the woman I declare will stand by my side from this day forward.” His words were loud so everyone could hear him. “I will take my punishment, and my mate will know how sorry I am and that I’m indebted to her. She makes me complete and in turn my pack.”

“This is horseshit,” Lori said. She came through to glare at his mate. “She’s human. You shouldn’t have to prove anything.
She’s weak.”

“Stand down,” Matthew said. “We all approve of Elle.
Brandon will pay the price for his disrespect.”

Lori made to raise her fist.
Brandon intervened. “You’ve overstepped your place. Leave my pack now!”

“But?” Lori looked startled. She really thought her place was by his side.

“You don’t respect my queen or my pack. Get the hell out of here now!” His voice rose as he ordered her away. No one stepped forward to fight for her cause. Brandon felt the approval of all of his pack. Lori had outstayed her welcome, and she’d made enemies within his pack.

She bowed her head and left. Applause sounded at her departure.

Turning to his mate, Brandon looked at her. “I’m going to pay for my disrespect of you. I want you to know how sorry I am.”

Drake, Darcy
, and Lewis came through the clearing. They held several whips and a chain. Brandon held onto the nearest tree trunk as his three men gathered around him.

“What’s going on?” Elle asked.

He didn’t hear what she was told. Holding onto the tree Brandon braced himself for the first strike. Their pack laws stated that when a mated female was disrespected the person who caused that disrespect must be punished by three men of his choosing. Brandon had disrespected his mate, and he was going to face the consequence of his actions.

The first whip struck his flesh.
Brandon didn’t let out any noise. This was his punishment, and for the love of Elle he’d gladly take it.

This is the right thing to do.

Elle is our woman.

She’s our mate
, and from this day forward she’ll be by our side for everyone to see.

No more hiding.

Just loving.

With every strike of the whip,
Brandon felt a peace settle over him. What he was doing would show Elle how sorry he was. Being the alpha didn’t give him any special treatment. He’d disrespected Elle. She might be human, but she was his human.

I love her with all my heart.

His wolf agreed. They were together in their thoughts.

They would protect her.

His pack howled up to the sky. Their appreciation meant the world to him. In one act he’d lost some of their respect, but with this punishment he’d gained their trust.

The whipping hurt more than he liked to acknowledge. His flesh burned
, and the blood dripped down his back. The torn flesh would sting for several hours. He was the alpha, and he wouldn’t fall or fail.

After the last whip struck,
Brandon howled.

Letting go of the tree, Drake placed a clean towel over his back. He didn’t need to fear infection. Turning to his mate he saw tears streaking her face. “I swear to you, Elle Smith, I’ll never give you cause to be in pain again. You’re my whole world. You’ll be by my side for the rest of our lives running this pack together.”

The pack cheered.

“We give ourselves to you,” the pack said in unison.

She nodded, opening her arms for him. Brandon went to her without a moment’s hesitation. He pulled her in close inhaling her scent.

“You didn’t have to do that for me,” she said.

“Yes, I did. You’re my woman, and the pack knows it.” He kissed the top of her head. Alexander cleared his throat gaining Brandon’s attention.

“Does that make up for my lie?”
Brandon asked.

“Your punishment was most fitting your crime. I sense her forgiveness. Sometimes it takes an extreme act to win the woman of our heart.”

Brandon smiled, kissing the top of her head. His back burnt like a fire was dancing on it.

“You didn’t tell me your mate was under the thrall of a vampire,” Alexander said. “What?”
Brandon froze, as did Elle.

“I sense the control of another. May I please look into your mate
’s eyes to determine who and what caused this enthrallment?” Alexander asked.

****

Brandon had punished himself to show her his feelings. She was his woman, and she couldn’t believe what he’d done to show her how sorry he was. Tears fell from her eyes at the shock of what just happened. She’d never expected him to punish himself because of her. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she held onto him tighter making sure not to touch his back.

When Alexander spoke she froze at his words.

“I sensed the enthrallment from a woman when I first visited here. She’s older than your mate but looks very similar,” Alexander said.

“That would be Vivian, Elle’s mother,”
Brandon said.

“Let me look in your eyes
, sweet one.”

Brandon
let go of her. “It’s okay, Elle. I trust him. He won’t hurt you.”

Elle turned to the vampire and stared into his black gaze. His eyes were far darker than
Brandon’s. She sensed the death around the vampire in front of her. The vampire accessed her memories, the ones that had been trapped from her and only coming through when she was dreaming. She gasped as she recalled the vampire draining her mother and her father coming in as the vampire in question was about to finish his curse.

Alexander let her go, swearing as he did. “It is what I feared the most,” he said.

“What do you mean?” Brandon wrapped his arms around her.

“I took away the enthrallment. The vampire must have had access to the prophecies as it was foretold of your mating to a human. He tried to stop your mating.”

Elle listened to their conversation as suddenly her mind opened up. She sensed the pack around her. Grabbing her head, she felt everything including Brandon’s feelings for her. Before that moment she’d been cut off from everything only feeling half of what was around her. Alexander had opened her mind, and she felt the approval of the pack. The gentle hum of their kindness filled her heart. The love Brandon had for her touched her. Even as he was talking with Alexander, he was reaching out toward her. His hand stroked down her arm. He needed to touch her and have her by his side.

“Can’t you sense the change within her?”

Brandon turned her around. She stared into his eyes and finally saw the dark brown depths staring back at her. It was like a cloak had been lifted. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she slammed her lips down on his.

“I love you,” she said, holding him close.

This is where she was supposed to be. She was supposed to be by Brandon’s side, loving him and embracing his pack.

He broke the kiss tucking her head against his chest. “Thank you. I can’t believe you’ve done this for me.”

“We need to talk about this, Brandon. This is why I came this year to the meeting. The eyes are the access to the soul, and the vampire had cloaked her vision to hold her back from you. You and Elle were meant to be together.”

There was a huge whoop around the forest. Elle giggled as the pack started to cheer for their leaders.

After some time Brandon led her back to his home. Their visitors followed, and Lizzy held her hand as they walked toward Brandon’s home.

“I can’t wait for your wedding. It won’t happen right away. You’ll be married
by the end of the year, and it’ll start snowing,” Lizzy said.

Elle chuckled. The woman beside her made her nervous.

Once inside her mate’s home they all gathered around. She was introduced to the warlocks and the witches along with the bears and the vampires. They all looked serious. Her father entered several minutes later. He looked nervous as he held a couple of scrolls.

The conversation that took place startled her.

“They’re a cult that is named something translated as ‘Disaster of the Otherworld’. The cult contains a select few of each species. Wolves, vampires and witches, warlocks, you catch my drift,” Raymond said.

“What do you they want?”
Brandon asked.

“To annihilate you all and to rule the earth under their own power, that is what they want.”

Elle listened to their conversation in shock. The vampire who’d attacked her mother and enthralled her at sixteen had tried to stop her from mating with Brandon. Their mating was vital according to a prophecy in stopping the war being started by the wolves. Brandon would have led an army because she’d have left him. Hearing how her future had been foretold scared her. There was nothing any of them could do to stop this cult other than to fight them from all corners.

She saw the symbol the cult wore. It was a star with
the five elements of the earth surrounded by a circle. The humans only knew four elements whereas the fifth element was the paranormal element.

All of them memorized the symbol. Raymond had killed one of the vampires within the cult
, but there would be more to come.

When they left
Brandon took her to his bed. He didn’t make love to her but held her tightly against him.

“
How’s your back?” she asked.

“It’s healing. I’m a wolf
, and the healing doesn’t take long,” he said.

“You didn’t have to do that for me,” she said, lifting up to look at him.

“Yes, I did. I’ll do everything to show you how amazing you are. You own my heart, Elle Smith.”

She smiled. “I could certainly get used to this.”

Brandon smiled, kissing her lips. “You better get used to it. I don’t intend to stop showing you how much I love you.”

“Is that a promise?” she asked.

“It’s a guarantee. You accepted me as your mate and the pack. You’re with me for life.”

Her smile fell. “It won’t be a long life for me. You’ll live a lot longer than I will.”

“No, I won’t. The moment I bit you and claimed you, I bound you to me. You won’t be strong like a wolf, but you’ll age slowly. When I die, we’ll go together and when we’re ready,” he said. “That’s what happened to my parents. They died together.”