WITH THE ALPHA

Part 7 ; Revelations

"I'm pretty sure wolves are naked after shifting, Beta," I replied, lacing my words with a heavy dose of sheer attitude.
Derick raised an eyebrow, staring at me in complete bewilderment. I stepped closer, keeping my eyes trained on the ground as my mind raced over everything that had just happened.
"Here. Take this," he said, rolling his grey shirt over his head and tossing it into my hands.
I pulled the oversized fabric over my shoulders, relieved that I was no longer standing in front of him completely bare.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, dropping the playful act and getting straight to the point.
"I'm not going back there," I declared flatly.
Derick let out a sudden, bark of laughter, then abruptly lunged forward, sweeping me off my feet and tossing me over his broad shoulder like a sack of flour. I thrashed instantly, landing pathetic punches against his back as he began marching back toward the pack house.
"Put me down!" I demanded, kicking and fighting with everything I had to break his iron grip.
"Tomorrow morning, you are going back to the outskirts. This is not up for debate, Deviana," he growled sternly, his tone leaving zero room for negotiation.
Realizing I wasn't going to break free, I stopped fighting and let myself hang limp over his shoulder. "Why not? It's my life."
"Because we can't trust you to look after yourself," he said, shoving open one of the grand side doors to the pack house.
"What does that even mean? I live alone there!" I snapped as he carried me toward the elevator.
"You take narcotics, Deviana. We can't leave you in an environment where you aren't under our direct supervision. It's that simple."
The elevator doors chimed, stopping at the top floor—the exclusive level reserved for the Alpha, Beta, and visiting high-ranking delegates.
"I won't do it again, I promise. I'm dying of boredom out there," I tried to reason, my voice straining under the indignity of being carried like a child.
"We're just protecting our pups," Derick stated plainly as he pushed open his bedroom door, introducing me once again to the familiar air of his quarters. He switched on the lights and dumped me unceremoniously onto the mattress. "I hope you understand."
"Get some sleep," he ordered.
He flipped the light switch off and strode out into the hallway. I sat frozen on the mattress, watching the final sliver of golden light vanish as the door clicked shut, leaving me completely engulfed in darkness.
I sat there in the silence, contemplating my next move. What do I do now?
All I knew was that I couldn't stay in this room. Slipping off the bed, I crept silently toward the door and turned the handle. To my absolute shock, it gave way instantly. That fool had left the door unlocked! He clearly didn't know Deviana Horl. A bitter smirk touched my lips, amused by his careless mistake.
Since I was barefoot, I moved like a ghost, taking painstaking, silent steps out into the corridor. I ducked behind a grand pillar, scanning the long hallway for any roaming guards, staff, or visiting guests. Seeing the coast clear, I sneaked down the hall toward Damian's master suite.
"Ha, I bit right into his leg!" I heard a couple of unfamiliar voices laugh as they walked down the far staircase. Luckily, they were heading away from me.
I reached Damian's massive double doors, pressing my ear firmly against the wood. My eyes widened in instant shock at the sounds filtering through from the other side. My heart hammered wildly against my ribs.
"Hmmm~" a female voice moaned softly.
Panicking, I dropped swiftly to my knees, peering directly through the keyhole. The scene inside froze the blood in my veins. Damian was on the bed, hovering between the open legs of a stunning, breathless she-wolf.
"Damian," she breathed through another soft groan.
"Carlisa," he rumbled out her name, his hands tracing a burning path down her bare thigh. He pulled her flush against his hips and drove deep into her, eliciting a loud, breathless gasp of pain and pleasure mixed together. "Hmmmm!"
I cringed, feeling like my ears were being actively murdered. What on earth was I watching? Moon Goddess, if you truly exist, grant me temporary blindness.
"I'm so happy to have found you, my Luna," Damian said softly, his voice thick with uncharacteristic reverence as he continued his steady rhythm. "You have no idea how long I've waited for you."
He leaned down, locking his golden gaze into hers. "I love you, Carlisa."
With those words, his fangs elongated. He struck down into the delicate junction of her neck, sinking his teeth in to complete the mating mark. Carlisa let out a sharp, agonizing scream—a pain so excruciating that she barely had time to process it before Damian rocked into her again, keeping her anchored to him.
"I love you too... my mate," she whimpered, clinging to his broad shoulders.
Her words grated on my last nerve.
Damian had found his mate. At the absolute worst, most crucial moment possible... he had found his true Luna. I shook my head in utter disbelief and bitter frustration. "What a disastrous revelation," I cursed beneath my breath.
Before I could process the devastating wreck of my plans, the sound of heavy approaching footsteps echoed down the corridor. I scrambled backward on my hands and knees, ducking swiftly behind a massive, floor-to-ceiling carved bookshelf housing ancient pack logs.
"We came all this way for official business and she goes and finds her mate within two hours," a deep, amused male voice remarked as a group walked past my hiding spot. "I guess we're the unlucky ones."
"Who are you calling unlucky, dimwit?" another laughed.
There were about seven men in total—delegates from a visiting pack. The group strolled past, but the very last male in the line suddenly halted his stride. He slowly turned his head, his gaze piercing through the shadows behind the bookshelf until his eyes locked onto mine.
I stared back, completely paralyzed, into those striking, brilliant copper-golden eyes.
Time seemed to freeze. Seconds stretched into an eternity as we stared at each other. Though he didn't say a word or break rank, he casually shoved his hands into his tailored pant pockets, keeping his expression completely unreadable. He clearly saw me hiding there, naked under Derick's shirt and crouching in the dark, yet he offered no betrayal. He simply turned his head back and continued walking away with his group.
One thing rang clear and deafening in my mind:
That man—the visiting male in the fine suit—was the white wolf. He was my mate.