The Alpha Luna's Veiled Emotions

SIX

THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS GRAPHIC SCENES.

We finished our meal in silence. I hardly ate, the food not just unappealing but my appetite quenched by turmoil. He hungrily ate and continued to drink. When he finally finished, he raised those icy eyes to me, and I couldn't resist the way my body wanted to go to him, the mate bond still very real between us.

"We need to discuss some things," he said, his words fairly clear.

"Yes, I-" I started, only to be interrupted.

Again.

"Don't speak," he chided, voice going cold, authoritative, before he perked up slightly.

He leaned forward, and trailed a slightly greasy finger over my collarbone, "We need to discuss the rules."

Rules. What rules?

Before I could vocalize the question, he answered, "You see, I run a very tight ship around here. I am obeyed. I am feared - respected. I realize that you are my sweet, little mate, but we have to keep up appearances, no?"

I c****d my head at him, confused. Your mate shouldn't fear you, and obeying another Alpha was not what I had signed up for. I wanted a partnership. Kane had promised we would work together on his pack, building it up before we returned to mine.

"I won't be marking you or having your Luna ceremony until after you fulfill some of the more - important - duties of a Luna. But there are also your daily duties. You will report to your office at 8 AM sharp, and you won't be excused until 5 PM. Breakfast will be served in our room, lunch will be served in the office, and you will have dinner nightly with me unless I am otherwise occupied, and then you will eat alone here in the dining room," he said in a voice full of confidence.

I couldn't seem to speak, completely thrown off by his words. I had so many questions. What duties did I need to perform before he would mark me? Most mates hardly waited a few days before marking. How long would these tasks take?

"You aren't allowed to leave the packhouse," he continued, looking at me pointedly, as if waiting for me to challenge him, "It's for your own safety, of course, we wouldn't want anything to happen to you because of some disgruntled pack member. If you need to attend to any matters inside the estate when it comes to the servants, you will request Beta Alex's presence as your escort. The phone in your office is wired to call him, and me only. All other correspondence from your office, and to it, will first go through me. Understood?"

The Alpha blood that flowed through my veins, that made me challenge the voices of others raised against me, that made me strong, and steadfast, that was my very lifeforce was on fire. My tongue was laced with every swear word possible, with insults meant to maim, and my hands clenched at my sides, posied to tear out this Alpha's throat. But the mate bond, the great gift bestowed on us by the Goddess of the Moon herself, sang a different tune. He wanted to protect me. He wanted to protect me from his pack. He wanted to see my work ethic. He wanted me to prove myself. Even my wolf seemed confused, caught between submission, and fierce retaliation.

"I...Uhm," was all I could utter in my current state.

"Such a good little mate you are," he smirked, "Such a good listener."

Suddenly he backed his chair up, the legs scraping roughly over the ground. He reached down, and unbuttoned his trousers, pulling out his half limp d**k.

"Get up," he barked, "And come show me how good you are."

I froze in fear, every muscle in my body wanting to flee, but I couldn't help but drool over my mate in front of me, my heart betraying me. I stood, dazed, and stepped towards him, unsure of what he wanted from me.

"Kneel, and open that pretty w***e mouth," he said curtly.

I paled, but obeyed, dropping to my knees, the rough wood floor cutting into them where they were exposed beneath my dress. I had barely parted my lips before his large hands roughly grabbed my head, and forced his c**k into my mouth. Tears sprang forward as I gagged, struggling to breathe around him. He groaned in pleasure, while my frantic hands tried to pull off of him. He pulled me off, but I only got one choked breath before he brought my head back down, forcing me up and down, over and over again until I felt lightheaded, my scalp screaming.

Finally, he released me, and roughly yanked me up, before turning me around and forcing me down onto the table, where he pushed aside our plates. My face came face to face with the rest of my meal, as he yanked up my dress.

"Nice ass," he mused from behind me, an instant before his hand fell onto the right side with a hard smack.

I yelped, and he grunted, pleased. My panties were torn away, and he pushed into me roughly, eliciting another yelp from me. My body had already begun adjusting to him, to my mate, and I was caught between my body's reaction and my mind's horror. A constant war between body and mind, heart and soul. I felt like I was breaking in half in more ways than one. Tears streamed down my face, my sobs only seeming to fuel his rough assault on my body once again.

He was done in a few seconds, this assault much quicker than the last, and I felt him empty inside me. He pulled out of me, and yanked me up, falling back into his chair and bringing me to sit on his lap.

He looked up at my tear-streaked face, with a sort of tenderness, but the smell of Moons Bane was strong on his breath, and his hands were still fairly rough as he wiped away my tears.

"Now, now, don't cry, little mate," he cooed, sticky sweet, "I'm sorry, did I hurt you again?"

I simply closed my eyes, fighting the full meltdown brewing inside me.

"I'm so sorry, pet, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to. I just can't control myself okay?" he assured me, "Next time will be better. Next time will be okay."

I nodded slightly, trying to find some reverence in his promise. He patted my thigh gently.

"Beta Alex is here to take you back to our room, pet. I won't be in tonight, I have things to tend to, understand?" he said firmly.

I opened my eyes, and immediately found Alex's across the dining room, looking at me with - pity? I didn't know what Kane needed to deal with, but at this point, I didn't care. I could use a few minutes alone. I nodded softly, and stood from his lap, finding a sick sense of relief that he let me go easily.

I took a deep breath, rolled my shoulders back, and held my chin up high. I'm sure I looked a mess. I could feel my ruined make-up and the askew hairs on my head. My panties were long gone, the inside of my thighs sticky, and my legs wobbled, but I didn't falter. I strode out of the dining room with as much confidence as I could muster. Alex fell into step beside me, but he didn't say anything to me.

I wondered about him. This distant-sounding man beside me that was tasked with being an escort. Most Betas had important duties, and though they were tasked with protecting the pack, and their Luna, in turn, I wondered what got him stuck with babysitter duty. I wanted to ask him questions. Like where he got that scar. He seemed kind but solemn, like so many here at Blood Moon. Did he have a family?

When we reached the top of the stairs, and I felt far enough from Kane, I broke our silence.

"What is your last name?" I asked softly.

He faltered for a moment, before looking down at me, looking confused, "I-."

"Are you not allowed to speak to me either now?" I said bitterly, feeling as lost as ever.

He sighed, but looked away, our walk to the bedroom slowing, "The Omegas...it's not that they don't want to speak to you."

I frowned, "Is it because they are afraid of him?" I didn't miss the fact that he had avoided my original question.

He didn't respond right away. Our steps echoed down the empty hall, past several doors. I wondered absently which one would be my sequestered office. It wasn't until the bedroom door was insight that he answered.

"They cannot speak, he took their tongues," he said quietly, almost too quiet to hear despite the silence.

I froze, my steps faltering. Alex put a hand on the small of my back, pressing me forward, "Don't stop walking. Steps are loud here."

Removing someone's tongue was a punishment only reserved for the most heinous crimes, and even then, most modern Alphas had abandoned the practice unless absolutely necessary. Taking a werewolf's tongue in their human form also took it from their wolf form, rendering them unable to howl, or communicate with other wolves. It was devastating for human and wolf alike.

"What did they do?" I whispered, trying to keep upright through the uncertainty, and weight of it all.

"They existed," he replied solemnly but didn't elaborate.

They existed? Did he mutilate several Omegas because of their standing?

"How many?" I breathed, trying to keep the heat in my veins at bay.

"Thirty? Maybe more," he said tightly, his voice more distant than ever, "My mate didn't survive."

I blanched, and if it wasn't for the firm hand on my back, I would've crumbled. I could hardly walk, visibly shaking in anger, and fear. Was my mate truly a monster?

Were my parents right?

"Your mate," I whispered, the sound choked and hollow.

We arrived at the door to the bedroom, and Alex stopped, turning the knob and letting it open for me. In front of me, I could see the cold, dark room. The silver door glinting in the corner. My things still spread out on the ground.

"Goodnight, Luna," he said quietly.

I took a step forward, but I turned to him, finding his eyes once more. I searched there, for what I didn't know. Answers maybe. How could he serve an Alpha who had maimed goddess knows how many pack members, including his Beta's mate, just because of status? Who was he? Could I trust him?

Maybe the Alpha in me was sick and tired of this already. Maybe the mate bond wasn't so strong with Kane downstairs, far away from me. Maybe because I was tired of not knowing. Whatever it was, it gave me a boost of confidence.

"Tell me your name, Beta," I said firmly, keeping my voice quiet, but my hazel eyes held his without faltering.

He looked at me, his gaze scrutinizing mine. He almost seemed to be looking for answers too.

"Alex Clearfield," he said softly, before nodding once more, "Goodnight."

He walked away quickly before I could say anything. I closed the door after he left, leaving myself alone with my thoughts. Alex Clearfield of Blood Moon - or was it River Moon? He didn't seem to relate much to his Alpha. I searched my brain for answers. I knew I had the answer somewhere. My father ensured I was fairly proficient in these things. I continued to think on it while I changed into shorts and a tank top, and washed my face, getting ready for bed.

I was folding and putting away the things I had in the closet, into the few spare drawers and hangers I could find when I remembered - Alpha Copeland had been questioned about his bloodline, and right to lead a pack. He had apparently provided sufficient enough evidence, but other packs had insisted he take a member of River Moon to be his beta in an effort to keep the peace and prove he was really just trying to help. He had killed the previous Alpha, for his place, and the Beta had died fighting as well that day. He refused to submit. So Kane would've had to choose a lower-ranking wolf to be his Beta.

His choice didn't surprise me, Alex was fairly large for his blood. But if they had killed his mate, why was he still here? I was determined to find out, eventually. Maybe he really was loyal to Kane. If that was the case, I'd feel better. From the read I could get off of him, he was decent, and anyone decent wouldn't truly follow a terrible leader.

Kane was just...Kane. He was rough, and a little brash, but he was sorry for the hurt he had caused me. He had been alone for a long time he said. He was adjusting.

Suddenly I felt very tired. My day had certainly caught up to me. Truthfully, I was exhausted. I left the rest of my clothes on the floor, promising to deal with them later. I crawled into the bed of my mate, tucking myself under the blankets. It didn't take long to fall asleep.

I hadn't been under for long when a searing pain in my abdomen roared to life inside me. I sat up, gasping for air.

"Help!" I yelled, but my voice wouldn't come fully.

I felt the sudden urge to vomit, and threw myself out of bed, toward the bathroom. The pain struck again, and I collapsed in a heap, bile rising in my throat. I was truly going to be sick.

"Help me! Please!" I screamed, the pain searing me from the inside out.

No one came. I writhed on the floor, and as it began to peak, I felt sick again. I managed to pry myself off the floor to half drag, half crawl to the bathroom. I barely made it to the toilet before I lost the contents of my stomach and more. The pain slowly started to fade, the white-hot knife in my stomach slowly being pulled out. My cheek was pressed against the cold tile, chest heaving as I willed the rest away.

"Kane," I whispered to myself, tears falling down my face.

I suddenly scrambled to my feet, finding the strength to run to the bedroom door. My mate was hurt. I had to save him! Help him! We must be under attack. Why hadn't someone come for me? I tried the doorknob, but it was locked.

"No, no, no," I mumbled to myself, hands shaking.

My mother had described this pain to me. You could feel your mate being killed, and he must be dying, surely that was it.

"Let me out!" I screamed, banging on the door, "Somone has to help him! Someone!"

I screamed until my voice was raw, banging on the door until my wrists were bruised and tender. I lifted my arm, exhausted, but determined to fight my way out, to save my mate. Suddenly, the door opened, and Alex appeared. His face was pained, his nose and eyebrows screwed up in concern.

"He's hurt," I choked out, taking a shaky step forward.

Alex shook his head softly, and at that moment, he reminded me of Andrew. Strong, but soft too. It's why he was such a good friend.

"No, Camilla, he's not hurt," he said softly, "You are."

I shook my head not registering what he meant. I had felt it, I had felt it deep in my belly, the pain my mate had felt, I...

My abdomen.

I took another shaky step forward and collapsed, but Alex was there to catch me, supporting the weight of my body. What had my mother always told me?

"When your mate is dying, your heart will ache with him. You feel the pain of him dying as your own because when your mate dies, a piece of your soul does too."

I had had no pain in my chest, in my heart, in my soul.

A new wave of tears came falling down, and a broken sob was wrenched from my chest, "No."

"I'm so, so sorry, Camilla," Alex whispered, supporting my weight while I cried into his chest.

He should be sorry. The Goddess surely was. I definitely was.

My mate was a man of urges, he had said, and apparently, I couldn't satisfy them.

Alone, at least.