The Mark of a Beta

twenty- seven

Axel's POV

Cooper falls asleep fairly quickly, and although it's practically the afternoon and I have many things that I could be doing right now, I allow myself some time to stare at my mate and reflect on our newly-formed bond.

When the mate bond snapped into place completely, I had never felt such euphoria in my life. The feelings were so intense and raw that my initial reaction was to become caught up in my emotions. With Cooper wrapping his body around my own and staring up at me with such faith and trust, I ignored the dark parts of myself that wanted to combat my feelings of happiness and crush them under its boot.

I even told a joke- a joke. I've heard of stories where werewolves mate and then their personalities leak into the other's. I know I won't become loud and obnoxious like my mate, but perhaps some of his civility and charm will begin to make an appearance in my everyday life?

No, I think to myself. That side of me is only present around Cooper, my sleeping mate who looks so innocent with his palm curled up and resting on my chest. His cheekbones are high and angled, and the light catches it just right to accentuate-

What am I doing? That fact that I'm dwelling on my mate so much is quite alarming. All I can think about is Cooper and this fascinating and powerful bond we share.

I freeze in place, my body tense and alert.

Now that our minds and souls have converged, I can sense Cooper's presence in my mind even stronger than before. Even though he's sleeping at the moment, just the feeling of another so closely tied to me becomes concerning. It's hard to explain, but there is a light, airy sensation filling my head with positive emotions that are all new to me. The sensations all at once become unbearably overwhelming.

When you've lived in the dark for so long, the light can be blinding.

I extricate my body from Cooper's and I step into the bathroom. I shove my shaking hands under the water and rinse my face off with cool water. Looking at my drenched face in the mirror, I note that I look exactly the same as I did earlier in the day. However, I sense a change in myself that I'm not quite sure how I feel about.

I don't regret mating with Cooper. He's mine. But now I physically and emotionally can't let him go- and that is where the problem lies. How the fuck am I supposed to function with him so far away, in a different territory, with no protection? All while I'm feeling like this? He rarely even answers the fucking phone the first time that I call.

I grab a washcloth and wet it with the already running water, and then I step back into the bedroom. Cooper is still sleeping deeply, so instead of waking him I gently wash the cum off of him. Just thinking about how ready he was for me, how desperate he was for my cock to stretch his ass fully and fill him with my seed, makes me want to wake him up right now and fuck him again. However, I know he'll need a little time to recover. He'll be sore when he wakes.

I won't give him too much time to recover- I have needs and so does he. Cooper likes it rough.

After cleaning him off, I get dressed and sit at the edge of the bed with my head in my hands. Cleaning up Cooper was a task that distracted me from my chaotic mind for a minute, but now the strange thoughts are back with a vengeance. Even with Cooper's steady breathing that would normally keep me calm, his soft exhales now act as a reminder of how much I stand to lose if anything happens to him.

And how far off the edge I'll fall.

For years I have maintained control over my wolf with practiced ease. I could have quick and easy conversations with others while keeping my limited emotional span out of the situation. With a single thought concerning my mate's safety being in jeopardy, my claws are extending and my canines are threatening to break through my gum tissue.