The Beta's Obsession

Finding My Mate

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Elijah's POV

There would be no words if I could describe how I felt right now.

Brielle is everything I've wanted and more. She's intelligent, kind, beautiful, and so much more. She's strong, too. She doesn't know it because she's always been afraid to stand up for herself, but I know. I feel it.

If she only knew how long I've waited for this. For her.

I smiled, feeling content as I cupped her face and pressed my lips on hers. Sure, her brothers might kill me after this if my dad and Alarick don't kill me first, that is.

They know I found my mate. I was the one who told my mom and our former Luna, Livie, but I've never revealed who it is. And I know that were-chick Lorie goes around claiming I'm her mate.

For fucks sake, what makes her think she has the right to? If she were my mate, I would have rejected her long ago. Besides, I know she's gone around with a lot of guys. The last I want is some leftover slut.

Brie is different. She's a kind soul with a fire waiting to be let out.

"We should head out there before our parents start wondering where we are," she says, making me grunt. I could hold her in my arms forever and never get tired. But she's right. Those two will be mad that I didn't tell them the truth.

After the party, I will have no choice but to have a long conversation with them.

"Come on. Don't be such a big baby. The last thing I want is for Margot and Zane to blame me for keeping the new beta from joining the ceremony," she says, placing her hands on my chest. She goes on her tiptoes and kisses my lips.

I can't help but smile, engulfing her in a hug.

"You're right. Let's get out there." I say, running my hands through her dark, silky hair.

I take her hand and walk out with her. A few faces look our way, gasping and murmuring among themselves, making me clench my jaw and growl slowly, making them turn away.

Most werewolves were tall, but I easily towered over most of these new youngsters. Only Alexander and Xavier were as tall as I was in our pack, with the exception of a few.

Brie and I came out just in time as Alarick and the boys were on stage.

"Eli, honey. Come on. You're needed on stage," my mom, Margot, says, grabbing my arm.

"Oh, Brie, you look beautiful," Mom says, pulling Brie into a hug.

"Thank you," she says, blushing as she looks at me and hugs my mom.

"Eli, go. Dad is already on stage," she says, making my heart skip a beat.

The ceremony is no joke. And if I'm being honest, I was reluctant to take the position at first because I'm aware I'm adopted. It wasn't until I was about thirteen, after my first shift, that my parents sat me down with Alpha Rick, and I learned I had beta blood, too.

A witch and her clan killed my birth parents. They killedoffmyentire pack. Only a few of us were left, including Anthony Black, the alpha of our allied pack, the Blood Moon Pack of the North. He was adopted by the alpha, Hunter Black.

I consider them friends, too. We all grew up together as great friends.

It was complicated for me at first. I never felt I had the right to the title; I thought I was stealing it from someone else. But the elders, my parents, and the alpha family all made me realize this is where I belonged. I was one of them now. And when I turned eighteen and learned I was mated to Brie, I confirmed that this was my home—my pack, my family.

It was overwhelming when Dad and I exchanged the beta title and performed the ritual procedures. I looked out to the crowd, and all I could do was look at Brie. Out of the hundreds of people... it was as if only she and I were in that room.

How she looked at me so lovingly made everything worth it—all my struggles, fears, and doubts... gone. "I won't let you down, baby. I swear, I'll do my best to make you proud," I said to her through our mind link, making her blush.

When the ceremony ended, the crowd cheered for the new alphas, the latest beta and gamma. From what I could see, the boys had not found their mate. But, I mean, there were close to at least ten packs... I was sure they would find her by the end of the night.

No matter how hard I tried to get away and be alone with Brie, I was pulled from one place to another. Everyone congratulated us, giving us gifts and their blessings. Even the werewolf Queen, Abbie, came to our ceremony. And it's no surprise that Alpha Hunter is her mate; they are good friends with our Alpha and Luna.

"Eli... Eli! Congratulations." Lorie pulls me, hugging me, making me cringe inwardly. Her high-pitched voice resonates in my ear, making me clench my jaw.

I pulled her hands off my neck, making her face red in embarrassment. "Eli... why would you do that? Isn't Lorie your mate?" a friend of hers says, making me shoot daggers her way. Lorie lowers her head in shame, looking away as she bites her bottom lip.

"Did you tell them you and I were mates?" I gritted my teeth. My eyes turned dark in anger as my wolf growled, making her eyes widen for a second.

"Tell them the truth," I warned her, gripping her arm tightly, making her wince.

"But, Eli."

"NOW!"

"We're... not mates," she said low, lowering her head.

"What? But, Lorie, you said." her friend says, looking at her in shock.

"I lied, ok...Eli, please. I love you. I have always loved you; we can make it work, I know it. You don't have a mate, and neither do I. This can work. My dad is even willing for you to take over his company and-"

"Forget it. Not interested." I said as I turned away and walked away from her.

I couldn't care less about Lorie and her friends. All I wanted was to get to my girl and make her my marked mate—tonight.

All I had to do, was follow her sweet scent of flowers. She smelled heavenly to me. It was a mixture of honeysuckle and Magnolias. She smelled so good that just thinking of it mademe want to drag her to my room and never leave her side.

Fuck. Maybe allowing her leave for college was going to be harder than I thought.