My Arrogant Mate Is An Alpha Jerk [Book 2 of Alpha Mate Trilogy]

Chapter Ten: Just Have To Look

I watched as my belongings were rolled into Markus's house from my new car. I felt oddly sick and hated everyone who thought this was okay. The Elders knew how he treated me, but still think that love will prevail. My mother told me that I sure appreciate Markus because I don't know what I have until it's gone; bullshit. Row said that your mate was everything and even if you hate them at first, they grow on you.

I know she and Damon are mates, I figured it out when they were sitting on opposite ends of the couch one day, I mean come on; you can't stand to be in the same room with each other, but you were humble enough to sit on opposite ends of a four-seated couch? I knew they had to be mates or they would rip each others' throats out. My suspicion was confirmed when I heard them when I went to her house a couple of weeks ago. Apparently, they like it rough. Very, very rough indeed.

I sighed in numbness and got out. Walking pass the movers and drivers that were leaving, I walked inside to my new 'home' and gracefully sat on the couch. Markus was watching a basketball game on his plasma, and walked back from the kitchen with a beer in his hand to see me sitting across from him. When I didn't acknowledge him, he frowned. He wasn't my priority anymore, and the risk of him killing me is great, so maybe it is better for me not to associate with him period.

"Ella," He said to me as it went to commercial. I tilted my head back to and laid flat on my back. "Ella."

I ignored him and rolled to my other side so I could admire the thick velvet couch.

"Ella, I don't care if you don't respond, but you do need to listen." I rolled my eyes but he couldn't see me. "I'm sorry about everything, I really am, and there's a problem that might emerge that I have some concerns about."

I turned over and faced him again. I gave him a confused and pissed look, but I nodded for him to continue.

"I might want your blood, and you being in the house to me, you being so close, I might have a problem controlling my urges."

"Sucks to be you," I laughed humorlessly. "No pun intended."

"No, I think you should be more worried with your safety than mine."

"My safety? Why the hell would you make me move in with you?"

"Because it's tradition, before the Alpha Union, we must be in the same living territory."

"That's not exactly true," I said. "I looked up some of the references in your traditional Union studies and it indicated several Alpha Females didn't live with their mates before the Alpha Union."

"Those men were off at war," He pointed out and I sighed.

"Markus, why are you kidding yourself? You know damn well what we had is over, I gave you fifteen years of my unconventional loyalty and love, and five of them were great, but then it took a turn for the worse and you weren't the mate you were supposed to be. You weren't man enough to tell me the truth, not man enough to grow some balls and control yourself."

"Now see that's funny," He said standing. "Because it was either this: Kill you or don't. You're still breathing right? And don't tell me I'm not a good mate because I did control myself and I didn't kill you so that should be taken into consideration. Plus, this was our parents' idea. Me being with Carla, only one who knew of the circumstances that were desired for the job."

"What fucking circumstance is having you make out with Carla...in front of me!" I jumped up shouting at him.

"Well for one thing: I could care less about the girl. I hate her more than I hate Tyler. She was a distraction, because when I turned sixteen, your life was at great risk."