Shattering the Alpha (Book #1)

Brave

*NOT EDITED*

Did I really just say that? But then I looked at the murderous look in Axel's eyes and figured that his blood lust was too much to just appease with a couple apologetic words and tears. I concluded that I made the right choice.

"You don't set the rules here. I do, so your noble sacrifice is pointless."

"Well, that is my condition, and if you don't agree, then I won't say a word. Nothing you say can force me to talk anyway. You keep forgetting that your Alpha command doesn't work on me. You will get tired of torturing Mason eventually," I retorted. I knew what I was doing was a big gamble, and he might keep hurting Mason, but I should at least try to change the result of this situation.

For a second, I don't think I made the right decision by countering and giving him my own ultimatum because as these words left my mouth, he left Mason's side and was stalking towards me, exactly like a wolf approaches its prey. What is he doing? Oh no! Is he going to hurt me? God, what have I done to deserve this, really? I tried to maintain my strong exterior even though I was sweating a river out of every pore of my body.

When he was finally standing in front of me, I took a step back, not losing eye contact with him though. He reached out to me, but I wasn't expecting it, so I flinched away preparing for a slap, a punch, or a stabbing emotional wound. Instead, he just grabbed a lock of my hair and twirled it in his hands. Um, what is he doing? Is he trying to manipulate me using the mate bond? Then, I felt his thumb caress the side of my cheek and catch a tear that was trailing down my face. I hadn't realized I was crying yet again. Ok, if he is trying to get a hold of me through the mate bond, it is working. So, I guess it turns out there is something he can do to coax me to talk.

"For once, be on my side in a fight," he whispered to me. Well, maybe if you were sane and didn't use force to solve every single problem, I will. However, I didn't say that out loud because I never really got the chance. The minute I recovered from the sweet caress of his hand on my face, he was already out the door. What just happened?

Now that he wasn't blocking my view with his muscular frame, I was able to see Mason trying to stand up. I rushed to him to help him up, "Oh my God, Mason I am so sorry!" He just smiled at me, and then with a broken voice insisted that it was fine.

"No, it's not! Trust me, I never wanted to get you hurt. I wasn't thinking straight, and I was angry at him, and I didn't realize the consequences of my words. I wanted to warn you but then I got busy with my dad and my mom, and—"

"Calista, shut up. I know he is impossible to deal with, and you aren't used to that. It is fine, I promise. I am actually not upset with you at all. And honestly, I think a small part of me is happy he knows now. And I felt very guilty for what I did, so I feel like I deserved this and now I can go on with my life feeling a little better about what I had done to you," he assured me.

I couldn't help but still feel bad for him, though. This guy was the complete opposite of Axel, and I keep wondering how the two operate together.

"Do you want me to call Dr. Parker for you? How are you feeling?"

"No don't worry about it, I think there is a first aid kit in the kitchen, we could just use that. I should be able to heal pretty quickly, so please stop worrying," he answered. We started walking towards the kitchen, and he kept making these jokes along the way. For a second, I thought he was trying to make himself feel better, but every time he used his mouth to talk, he was feeling pain by moving his bruised-up face. And every time he laughed at a joke, the pain from his bruised, maybe broken, ribs would make him grimace. We finally made it to the kitchen, so I pulled out a chair and asked him to sit down.

"You know Mason, you are going to make a great mate. I don't know if your Alpha told you that I said that when I talked to him earlier, but I mean it. One hundred percent," I confessed. It's true. No matter how much pain he was in, he tried his best to not make me feel bad about it.

"Really?" he genuinely asked with a smile. The minute I mentioned his mate, his face lit up. Why can't Axel be like this?

"Yeah," I admitted. "She is really lucky," I nudged him. He just laughed and murmured something along the lines of just wanting her to be happy wherever she is. As I diverted my attention to his wounds, I asked, "So, why haven't you met her yet? Aren't you like 25 or something? I don't understand how you are still unmated. Isn't the whole point of the Full Moon Nights to prevent this very thing from happening?"

I had never thought about this until now, so I was extremely curious to know how it was even possible that he hasn't met her. Even if she was too young, his wolf would have still been able to know that she was his mate.

"It's complicated," he let out, wincing as I applied antiseptic to his cut cheek. Axel didn't hold back at all apparently.

Since he is so excited about the prospect of having a mate, I am sure he didn't want to be mate-less at twenty-five. And if he didn't want to tell me, it could only be related to Axel. The only times so far that Mason doesn't answer my questions are when they are about Axel.

"It's Axel's fault, isn't it?"

"Well, you know, he thinks that having a mate makes wolves weak. And since I am his Beta, he doesn't want me being weak. So, whenever the Full Moon Nights are in session, Axel and I go someplace else and work on strategy and pack work," he defended.

"Oh my God! He is a complete jackass! How could he possibly be so selfish? It is one thing to not want a mate for himself but to force you not to find yours is despicable!" I felt so bad for Mason. But, I wasn't sure what made me feel worse: Mason's situation or mine.

"Come on don't be too harsh on him, he just thinks about things differently," he tried to convince me. But, nothing Mason was saying right now would make me change my mind about the despise I felt towards Axel.

"So, what are you just going to wait until his majesty decides when you can have your mate? You know this probably isn't fair to her either. She is probably losing hope wondering why she can't find you every year during the Full Moon Nights!" My anger level was rising as I went, and I guess I was not being as gentle with addressing Mason's wounds anymore because I heard him mutter an "Ow" and flinch.

"Now that you are here, you can change his mind," he offered. He was being too optimistic for his own good, and I had hoped that the beating he received from Axel would have knocked some sense into him. Apparently not. "Trust me, he will start wanting you in his life and then all would be well. I mean how could he not, you are absolutely adorable." Mason's attempts to cheer me up fell on deaf ears because I realized that Axel doesn't want me, and he never will.

But that doesn't mean that Mason doesn't deserve his mate. Calista, you have just found yourself a new mission.