The Alpha Takes a Mate (5 page)

Chapter Five

Brandon
stood in the centre of the forests waiting for his pack to gather. The first bell had just rung letting the humans know the change was coming. He stared up at the full moon in the sky feeling the power it held over him. His muscles flexed as he watched each member of his pack moving through the clearing. Darcy, Drake, and Lewis stood beside him. He spotted Daisy as she came through with her mate. Matthew had his arm wrapped his mate. Several other mates were snuggled against each other in bliss. He saw Lori coming toward him.

He raised his arms in the air gaining their attention. Silence descended on the gathering.

“I want to thank you all for coming tonight. The full moon is powerful, and we use this night to give ourselves over to the night and the beast.”

Cheers rang around the pack along with howls.

“Tonight I bring great news as well. Today I was mated.”

Gasps went around the group. Lori smirked
, moving forward. She clearly thought he’d claimed her.

“Who did you mate?” Daisy asked, stopping Lori from moving any farther with an arm around her waist.

“Get off me, bitch,” Lori said.

“Alpha will speak before you
, slut.” Daisy threw her to the ground showing she may be old in years but not in strength.

“No more,”
Brandon said. He yelled the words as Lori went to attack Daisy. She stopped as his command brought her obedience. “I mated with a human. The fates have seen fit to match me with a human, and she will be your queen.”

“What? A human by your side? Have you gone mad?” one of the men asked.

Lori glared at him with hands on hips. “How can you pick a human to help you lead this pack?” she asked.

He listened to them rant and rave.

“Shut the fuck up,” Drake said, yelling. His beta gained their attention.

“Who is the bitch who’ll be by your side?” Lori asked.

Brandon charged to her side, wrapped his hand around her neck, and squeezed. “I don’t want to hear those words coming from your lips. Do you understand me?”

He waited for her nod before he let go.

“The last time I checked I was still fucking alpha.” He spun around looking over each member of his pack. Tearing his shirt from his body Brandon thumped his chest. “If any of you think you can beat me and lead this pack then take your best fucking shot.”

Opening his arms wide,
Brandon waited for a member to try to take his leadership from him.

“I lead this pack. I say what goes, not you. I didn’t ask your permission who I was going to mate with.”

“Who is the woman?” Matthew asked.

“Elle Smith.”

Lori charged at him shoving him in the chest. “You mean to pass me aside for that fat bitch. She’s never even been with a man. You can smell her innocence over her like a stink.” Grabbing her hand, Brandon twisted her away from him. She gasped, fighting his hold. He was bigger, stronger, and more determined than she.

“
I will hurt you, Lori, I swear, if you say one bad thing about my mate again, and it’ll be the last words you ever speak.”

She growled
, and her body went lax. He let her go then faced the crowd. “The fates have decided this for me. I didn’t choose a human mate. You know how fragile humans are. Elle is under my protection for the rest of her life. I will claim her. She will be mine. If anything happens to her from this day forward I’ll come to all of you. You’re responsible for looking after your queen, my woman.”

Brandon
looked toward Daisy, hoping the older woman would help him convince his pack.

“Elle is a great woman. She’s strong and hard working. Yes, she’s human
, but who cares about species? I stick by my alpha and my queen.” Daisy went down on one knee before him.

After she went down the rest of the pack slowly went down
, consenting to his claim of a mate. Lori glared at him, refusing to go down on one knee until she was the last person standing.

“Are you
fighting me, Lori?” he asked.

“No,
but I hope you know what a human mate will do to this pack.”

“This is not your place to say, Lori. Bow down
, or get the fuck out of Grace Hill.”

She reluctantly went down on one knee.

“I give you thanks. Let’s run.” Brandon walked away from the group. He stared up at the full moon, howled, and then changed into his wolf. All around him pack members changed. He listened to their thoughts. Many of them were picturing Elle by his side.

“I want to congratulate you,”
Matthew said
.
The wolf bowed down before him.

Nodding his head,
Brandon took off toward the forest. His three men followed him.

“That went better than I thought,”
Lewis said.

“Only because Daisy showed she can still kick ass. She’d make one hot cougar,”
Drake said.

“Gross.”
This came from Darcy.

Brandon
laughed finding their banter funny. He felt each member of the pack. Going to the edge of the forest he found himself near the edge of Elle’s house. Looking up at the window, he saw her, arms folded, staring down at him.

“We’ve got to go, Alpha,”
Drake said.

He watched her,
and inhaling her scent, he felt a calmness settle over him. Lori hadn’t been wrong. She was completely innocent. He’d sensed that this afternoon when he’d brought her to climax. Her response to him was far too shocked for her not to be innocent. Also, being a wolf he could smell innocence a mile away. She was pure, and the scent clung to her like a second skin.

Soon, his scent would cover all trace of her innocence. There would be no other man lingering on her skin.

Moving away from her house, Brandon howled at the sky. His mating couldn’t come soon enough for him.

****

The second bell of the night rang out in the air letting the humans know it was clear to move out of their homes. The bells were in place for the humans’ safety. Some wolves couldn’t control their beasts, and if they sensed fear then they’d attack a human without thought. After the second bell she was usually forced to stay home, but now she was of age she could participate. Elle lifted a pot of chilli from the stove and made her way out to the table. Once she placed the pot on the centre she went back for more. For the next twenty minutes she gathered food and plates from her mother’s kitchen to place on the table.

Layla nudged her with her hip. “Are you nervous?”

Elle nodded and went back to setting the table. Pack members started arriving as the table was filled with food. They took their places at the head of the table. She sat by Layla as her parents took their seats next to her. Some of the wolves stared at her for several moments. She wasn’t used to being scrutinized by so many people. Male and female wolves took their time observing her. When all the wolves were seated, Elle wiped her sweaty palms on the tablecloth in her lap.

Brandon
still hadn’t joined them. No one reached for food. She noticed the whole pack around the table tense and stare behind her. Before she could turn around to see what gained their attention, fingers brushed her hair out of the way.

“You shouldn’t be
sitting here,” Brandon said. He pressed his lips against her neck, making her gasp.

She’d not felt him approach even though her thoughts had been dominated by him all afternoon.

“My family sits here,” she said.

“I’m your mate. I’m your family.” He shook her father’s hand, kissed her mother
’s, and then took hold of her hand with the bandage on.

Following his footsteps, she stood up. He removed the bandage covering her wrist. The
red bite mark was clear to see as it stood out on her pale skin.

More gasps
came from the humans as they were behind her.

Did any of them know what the bite mark meant?

Brandon walked her to the head of the table. Darcy, Drake, and Lewis sat on either side of him. She sat at the head with Brandon. Her cheeks heated as all gazes were on them. She felt their gazes on her body.

“I want to present the humans of
Grace Hill with my mate. Elle Smith is who the fates have decreed will be my mate. She’ll be given the respect expected of her title.” Brandon kissed the mark on her wrist. “And I claim her for my own.”

She kept her gaze down not wanting to look at him. During his little speech she noted he spoke words of the fates decreeing her his mate rather than him picking her to be his.

Bastard.

Did he really think
she was stupid enough not to notice his slight against her?

This is why you need to get out o
f Grace Hill. You need to get away from him.

His hand tightened on her thigh stopping her from going anywhere. Biting down on her lip she glanced at Layla. Her friend offered her a soft smile, which was no comfort to her at all.

The feast started as all the pack dived in. Elle stared at the humans wishing she was there. They kept turning to look at her. Some of the humans sneered while others offered her a smile.

“You’re not eating,”
Brandon said.

She picked her fork up and started nibbling on the food that appeared on her plate.
Brandon must have placed food on her plate when she’d been looking at her kind. Keeping her bitten wrist under the table she ate little food even though the wolves kept filling their plates. They were known for their appetites.

Music filled the air
, and couples started dancing. She watched as Layla declined a couple of partners. This was their first feast, and her friend was alone. Pushing her chair back, Elle made for her friend.

“Where are you going?”
Brandon asked. His hand shot out halting her from moving. Glancing down at the arm that stopped her, she swallowed past the lump that formed in her throat. “Look at me.”

Quickly, she glanced in his eyes before averting them. “I want to go and dance with my friend. She’s lonely.” Nibbling her lips she waited for him to release her.

“Lewis, go and dance with Layla.”

The other man went without argument.
Brandon took her hand leading toward the area of the town where couples were dancing. The tables were being packed away by both humans and wolves.

Brandon
’s arms were wrapped around her as they made it onto the dance floor. She got a chance to see Layla in Lewis’s arms before her vision was blocked by a hard muscled chest. At least he’d worn a shirt this time. The tribal tattoos were still visible on his arms.

“Why are you so tense in my arms?” he asked.

His voice caressed her neck. She shivered as the pleasure ran over her from his closeness. Her mind didn’t want him whereas her body did. Her nipples tightened, and heat flooded her panties.

“I’m not used to dancing with men,” she said, answering him honestly.

He stroked her hair. “Your hair is too short.”

She frowned. “It’ll grow.”

Why are you trying to appease him?

“Do you feel it, Elle?” he asked.

“Feel what?”

“Our connection.”

Elle didn’t know what to say and kept silent. She didn’t know if he was a violent man or not.

He’s a wolf
. Of course he’s violent.