Shattering the Alpha (Book #1)

Not a Wuss

NOT EDITED

I woke up the next day feeling absolutely happy. Everything was falling into place. Even though I was still a little confused how Axel had come to love me, I could understand that the mate bond played a huge role in this. Besides, we had known each other for more than a month now, and I spent every second of my second heat with him. Other werewolves would have mated already, and we still hadn't gotten there.

Realizing that I was still wearing my dress from last night, I made my way to the restroom. A smile graced my face as I appreciated that Axel respected my privacy and didn't undress me. I also couldn't believe how delirious getting marked made me feel. It was such an odd, intoxicating feeling. I glanced at the mark in the mirror to see that it has healed pretty nicely, but it was still a little sore to the touch. I slipped out of my dress, freed my hair from its updo, and got into the shower. It was long due.

Once I was done, I wrapped a towel around myself and made it out of the tub. As I was drying my hair, the door burst open, and a very excited voice yelled, "OMG! He marked you!" Even though I was startled, I could recognize my sister's voice anywhere.

"Holy shit! Corrine, I am in the bathroom. I need my privacy! Get out!"

"I'm your sister. I have bathroom rights. Jeez, you live here for a month and all of a sudden you expect privacy in the bathroom, sheesh!"

"Well, fine. What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I came to the ball last night, and since you are here, I decided to stay and not go back to the Mystic pack with the rest. I also really wanted to get all the deets on the whole mate situation," she filled me in.

"I didn't see you last night," I told her.

"Yeah, you were busy getting marked by your mate."

"Shut up!" I teased, throwing the tank top I was going to wear at her face. "Wait, how do you know about that?"

"Um, the mark on your neck is pretty obvious. And, he carried you through the entire crowd back to the pack house. Everybody knows about it. You looked so pretty in your dress by the way. Because I am a weirdo, I took a picture of him carrying you out of the party. See," she said pointing her phone to my face. It was a picture of me in Axel's arms, and my face tucked in his neck. What I thought was super cute was that he was looking down at me and smiling. I smiled at the picture.

"Did you find your mate?" I asked.

"No," she answered despondently. Thank God! She is still too young, and dad would have had a heart attack.

"Who else stayed?" I asked while getting dressed.

"Nobody else from our pack. Just a few other people who found their mates. Speaking of, I saw Mason. The Beta."

"I know who Mason is, Cor" I laughed.

"Whatever! I think he found his mate last night, because he literally couldn't keep his hands off that one girl," she said.

"Yeah, her name's Victoria. I can't wait to officially meet her."

"Yeah, yeah, are you done with the restroom? I am starving, and I didn't want to go downstairs on my own. You know this is such a huge mansion. I got lost about a hundred times already. You must be feeling so bad, since you are so directionally challenged and everything. Oooh, do you think you can make me some pancakes? Please! Oh also, your mate scares me, please don't make me go to the kitchen on my own," she ranted. It was so hard keeping up with her sometimes. But, after spending fifteen years with a person, you get adjusted to them pretty well.

"Then maybe you shouldn't have stayed," I teased her again.

"Mason, said I could, but I don't know how I feel about Axel. Even though you two are getting along now, he still scares me a bit."

"I know, Mason is a nice guy and everything, but please refer to him as Beta Mason when he is around, okay?" I remembered how different he treated me the first time we met. I guess the Blood Venom elite are different around strangers.

 I clipped my hair to keep it away from my face, and with a last glance in the mirror, I left the restroom. "Alright then, let's go downstairs and get you fed you wittle baby," I said with my baby voice, while pinching both her cheeks and pulling.

"Stop it before I kick your ass," she swatted my hand away.

"Don't say ass."

"Ass. Ass. Ass," she taunted. I just rolled my eyes.

We walked down the stairs together, and as we were walking towards the kitchen, we heard some loud voices coming from Axel's office.

"Um, that's bad right?" Corrine voiced her thoughts.

"I guess so, but come on let's go get something to eat. I am finally going to shift today, and my body has to be 100% ready." Yes, I will do the mature thing and not spy on my mate like I did last time. Even though, that took every ounce of effort in my body not to do.

"Are you sure you don't want to know what is going on?"

"I am sure whatever it is, Axel will tell me about it later, alright? Now move it?" Yes, I am still in control of the situation!

"I think I just heard them say your name though," she added manipulatively. I love her to death, but she knows exactly what to do to get me to do whatever she wants. Well, it isn't working this time!

"Corrine, move it!"

"Jesus, I always thought you were so curious and inquisitive. Now, you are just a wuss!" she taunted.

"I am not a wuss!"

"That is what all wusses say," she jabbed at me.

"Fine, just for ten seconds to prove that I am not a wuss. But, that is it. Then, we are heading to the kitchen and eating, Ms. I-am-so-starving!"

I leaned a little towards the door. It didn't take too much effort to hear them as they were talking a little too loud. The conversation was obviously heated. I really should stop doing this!

"You should have told us that you found your mate," a man whose voice I didn't recognize reprimanded Axel.

"For the fucktillionth time, I do what I want," Axel retorted.

"I just want to make sure that we won't have a repeat of what happened with your parents," the man warned.

"We won't. She is doing the Lunar Trials tomorrow. And she will shift today, which will give her a slight advantage to pass them."

"Why what happened with Axel's parents?" Corrine asked me, interrupting my ability to listen in on the situation in Axel's office.

"Shhhhh! And I don't know," I whispered.

"It must be serious," she whispered back. I simply nodded. What isn't Axel telling me? I guess I would have to check the journals to find out.

"So, Knight, we have one day to plan for the Trials?" the man exasperatedly asked.

"It is Alpha Knight to you, and yes. That should be plenty of time, considering you have something saved up from the last Lunar Trials that never happened. Isn't that right, William?"

"Yes, we still have the last generation's Trials ready," the man reluctantly said.

"Then, I don't see a problem." Axel snidely remarked.

"You should have had us meet her, Alpha."

"You will meet her tomorrow, like everyone else. Is that all you came here for today?"

"Yes."

"Then you should see yourself out of my office."

"Have a good day, Alpha."

"I will," Axel replied.

Hearing this, Corrine and I jerked away from the door and started acting like we had just gotten there. The door flew open and an old man with a scowl on his face walked out. After staring at me for a while and with a lingering stare on my mark, he released a"Hmph," and walked past me, muttering something that sounded like, "Axel Knight won't know what hit him."