Alpha Born Beta

Chapter 3: Alpha???

Daxton and I cautiously left the bathroom separately. It would look weird if both sexes exited the woman's bathroom on prom night, and I really didn't want to risk running into anyone I knew. Rumors spread around like wildfire in our age group, and that was not a reputation I needed right before finishing high school.

I left the bathroom first, fluffing out my dress as I walked, breathlessly, through the crowd towards where my friends were. My mind was still racing, and I could still feel the tingles on my lips from his kiss, but it was easier to maintain the overwhelming emotions of the mate bond now that we had actually talked, spoken, and kissed. It shocked me how he was the water to put out the fire he created in me. It was still an intense feeling, but I was just happy to not be on the verge of passing out.

As I approached our friends, Daxton was already standing among them, laughing and chatting away. My eyes widened. How the hell did he beat me here when I left first? But I just shook it off and smiled at my friends as I approached. Teresa lit up happily at my re-apperance.

"Yay! You're back! Again." She giggled. "Feeling better?"

I smiled and nodded to her. "Much better."

She hugged me tightly. "Yay! Ready to party?"

The group began exploring the museum. It was actually really cool. There were a lot of different exhibits, even interactive ones, and some really beautiful artwork. As we walked through each exhibit, Teresa held Michael's hand as they talked over everything we saw, Cameron pitching in here and there and staying near them. I was surpsied to see my friends holding hands and talking so deeply, but it made me happy. I hoped Teresa would realize how much Michael loved her, and that they really belonged together. Humans may not have mates, but I'm sure they have people they are just meant to be around.

Daxton walked next to me the whole time, rather close, inquiring all sorts of information from me. I explained to him that my grandparents and I were living as "humans", and didn't really talk too much detail as to why. When asked why, I just told him that was something we could talk about more deeply on a different day. So he just kept asking questions about me - my favorite color, my hobbies, things I liked to eat, things I didn't like at all. It was refreshing, having someone seem so interested in you. I had been on plenty of dates and in my fair share of relationships, but I had never had someone inquire so much about who I was. Naturally, in return, I asked the same questions back. His favorite color was purple, he loved cars and video games. He was far from a picky eater, but absolutely hated mushrooms in any meal - it was a texture thing. Ember purred happily, curled up in a little ball as we both listened and learned about our mate. He just seemed so... perfect for both of us.

In the music exhibit, Teresa, Michael, Cameron, and some of their other friends were playing a game on a big electronic drum set. Daxton and I were standing back, watching amused as most of them struggled to hit the pads on beat. Cameron was the only one able to play the game so well. It was really impressive. But at that moment, I felt a little bad. Here I was, my supposed date, Cameron, yet I was more interested in his best friend and hadn't really talked to him much.

He's not our mate. Ember growled in my head.

I rolled my eyes. "Drama queen."

Daxton looked over at me amused, a smirk on his face. "Drama queen? I'm assuming you must be talking about your wolf."

I shrugged nonchalantly. "She is exactly that."

He chuckled, shaking his head. "I'm excited to meet her. I bet she's beautiful."

I pouted, unsure of what to say. I couldn't let her meet him, could I? I hadn't shifted in years, nor was I supposed to. I had to keep her at bay, despite how hard she was always fighting against me to come out. It didn't make me feel the best, but it was what I had to do. But it made me feel sh**ty nonetheless.

Daxton grabbed my hand gently, causing me to turn my body towards him and look up into those blue eyes. "You alright?"

I didn't realize he would notice I was lost in thought. I assume that must be the mate bond. Even though we hadn't actually mated or marked each other, he could probably still sense when something was up. I looked away for a second, and the first thing I saw was Cameron looking at us intensely. I sighed, looking back up at Daxton. "I should probably go talk to him."

He looked puzzled. "Who?"

"Cameron."

He smiled, nodding his head. He had a strangely happy look on his face. "You should. I think you'll be surprised when you do."

Surprised? I looked at him in question, wondering what he meant. I was about to ask, but someone cleared their throat next to us. We both turned to see Cameron standing there, smiling happily. He didn't really seem bothered at all, which was confusing, since again, I was supposed to be his date. And at that moment, I was standing there while his best friend held my hand.

"Well, what an interesting turn of events, huh?" Cameron laughed out, nudging Daxton with his arm. "Who knew my date would turn out to be my Alpha's mate?"

I froze. Cameron was a wolf? He was standing so close to me now, yet I couldn't smell anything. I couldn't feel a wolf pull towards him. But that was the least of my worries at that moment. Did he just say my Alpha?

I looked to Daxton, who was already staring at me, amused at my reaction as he waited for a response. I didn't know what to say. Not only was he my mate, but he was an Alpha to a pack? I got the chills again, but not in a good way this time. This was too much for me at once. How was this even possible? How could I be mated to an Alpha? That would make Ember and I a future Luna, but Alpha's can only be mated to other wolves of Alpha blood, and my father was no Alpha. He was the pack Beta. So it didn't make any sense how we would be fated mates. I didn't understand. I was too overwhelmed to want to understand.

I didn't know what else to do, so I turned away quickly, heart and mind racing as I scurried through the crowd. I could hear them calling my name, but I couldn't turn back. This was all too much for me. I didn't understand any of it, and my heart was breaking inside. There was no other way Daxton and I could be mates if I wasn't of alpha blood, which meant the only family I had left had been keeping secrets and lying to me my whole life. It just wasn't at all possible. But I didn't understand why. Was my father not my father? Were they even my grandparents? There were so many questions stirring through my mind, and as I walked through the crowd I wasn't really paying attention, so I was surprised when I bumped right into someone, causing both of us to grab onto each other in an attempt not to fall over. It was just some random girl, and she started to ask if I was alright, but I couldn't control myself. I just started crying.

The tears flowed down my face as I ran out of the crowd, and down the stairs, outside of the museum. It was cold outside, the wind blowing hard, ruffling through my hair. I didn't know where I was going, but I needed to get out of there. The mate bond had already made it hard to breathe, but now it felt as though my whole world was crashing down onto me, and I just needed to think.

After a few minutes of walking, I stumbled upon a little park near the Seattle Space Needle. I found an empty bench and sat down, almost collapsing into myself. I rested my face on my hands, the tears still flowing heavily, my breathing scattered. What was I going to do? How was I even going to confront my parents when I got home? I was so lost. All of this was just thrown onto me in one night. And being mated to an Alpha meant I would be some pack's future Luna. I didn't know how I was supposed to even carry out pack responsibilities when I hadn't been apart of one for so long, and for most of my life. I hadn't shifted in two years. I didn't even know how packs functioned. How was I supposed to lead and be the mother of one?

My thoughts were interrupted by a sweet scent in the wind. Mate, Ember called out. I dared not look up, I just couldn't. Daxton was approaching, I could hear him walking over slowly. The way his scent enveloped me gave me a sense of comfort, but I couldn't face him. I was embarrassed. How was he going to feel knowing the whole truth about my life? What were we supposed to do?

I felt Daxton's warmth as he sat on the bench beside me. I heard more footsteps, and I assumed it was Cameron. But I still couldn't look up. I didn't know what to say, and I definitely didn't know how to explain my sudden outburst and my loss of control of my own emotions. I hadn't ever felt this way before.

Daxton's hand began to gently rub my back, and I sighed in relief from the comfort. "I'm sorry if me being an Alpha is a problem for you. That's why I said I was flattered when you said you didn't know who I was. And why I wanted to get to know you more. You say you're not from a pack, yet you're my mate. Was your father an alpha?"

I shook my head. My words could barely come out of my mouth. "He was the Beta of our pack."

"Was?" Cameron spoke up, intrigued.

I took a deep breath, wiping the tears from my eyes. I had finally stopped crying, and the comfort of the mate bond was able to calm me down enough to finally look up between the two of them. I had so many questions stirring in my head, but I would get to them all later. I needed to calm down and focus on one problem at a time. "My father was killed by our Alpha."

Both of their eyes widened at me, Daxton being the first one to speak. "You're not from the Shadow Pack, are you?"

I looked over at him, and he showed no negative emotions, just genuine curiosity. I was nervous my pack may have been a rival of his or something of that nature, or that my pack had a bad reputation. I had no idea, since I was so young when we moved away, and I could barely remember anything from my younger years. "I am. Or, I was, I guess. After my father was killed..." I had to take another deep breath, I really did not want to start crying again. "... our Alpha abandoned our pack. He had no heirs, and no one knew what to do. Most of them left and found other packs, and some became rogues. My grandparents... I didn't know why they made this choice, and I guess I still don't really, but they decided we would move far away. We would start somewhere new, but as humans. My Grandpa always says it's to protect us, to protect me. But I didn't really know why I was the one who needed protection. I assume that the Alpha had some sort of vendetta against my father, so maybe he would try to kill me, too. I don't really know. But my Grandmother is human, and she said the human world didn't have all these strange rules and way of life, so it would be easy for us to hide among them and make this our life. But..." I sighed. I couldn't speak anymore. I didn't want to admit it hadn't been easy for me. That this isn't the life I asked for. Every single day since we left, I dreamed about going back, finding another pack, being who I really was. I constantly thought about running carelessly through the woods, letting Ember pounce around and play and explore the world. The way we were supposed to. I wanted to live the life I was born to.

I think the boys silently understood I didn't want to finish that sentence, so they carried on with the information I had given. Cameron stepped forward, kneeling down in front of us so him and I would be eye level. He gave me a kind smile. "Well, you don't have to worry about anyone trying to kill you. We know the story of your pack, and I'm sorry you had to go through that. But you are the future Luna of our pack, and as your Beta, I swear to always protect you."

"I still can't believe you are a wolf. Why can't I smell or sense you?"

Cameron and Daxton looked at each other, then back at me. Cameron shrugged. "Honestly, I'm not really sure why. But when I met you, I knew you were a wolf. What surprised me is that you didn't know I was. I thought maybe you just really had no idea you were one of us, you never let on that you knew. I agreed to go to prom with you because this is the first time I would have seen you again since you turned 18, and I thought maybe now that you were of age, you would recognize my scent or something. I was surprised to find out that you were actually Daxton's mate."

Me too. "So you aren't mad I sort of ditched you as my date?"

He chuckled, shaking his head. "Nah, not at all. As soon as you approached us, I could sense how tense Daxton was. When you walked away to the bathroom, Daxton mind linked me that you were his mate, and he would explain more later, excused himself from the group to also use the restroom."

I sighed in relief. I honestly did feel really bad for ditching Cameron like that, but his understanding really made me feel at ease. Although all this was overwhelming me, being with the two of them and actually being able to talk about ourselves made me feel the most comfortable and at home I had felt in years.

I looked over at Daxton, who was watching me with a smile on his face. I was nervous about speaking up my next thoughts, but I had to make them known. "Honestly, I have never felt so happy in my life. Which is strange, because we just met. But it's a part of being a wolf that I have found instant comfort in the two of you. I can just be open. But... I don't know if I am ready to be a Luna to a pack I didn't even know existed. I haven't been a part of the wolf lifestyle in so long. I haven't shifted since I was 16."

Daxton raised an eyebrow at me. "You haven't? Why not?"

I looked down at my hands, fidgeting with my fingers. I did that a lot when I was feeling anxious and overwhelmed. "Like I said, my parents wanted us to live a human lifestyle. I've been told my whole life basically that I need to keep my wolf away, and I need to really try to be human." Ember whined sadly at that statement. I knew how much she hated it, and how much she wanted to be free.

Daxton took my hands in his, causing me to stop playing with my fingers and look back up into his eyes. I was still so surprised how strong of an effect our bond had on me. Just a few moments ago, I was running out crying because everything was too much. But the moment he was near me, when he touched me, it was like my entire world settled. I couldn't explain it. But I couldn't run away from it. It was so strange how badly I needed him.

"I know this is a lot to put on you in one night, and I don't expect you to change your life with the snap of my fingers. I understand you aren't ready to be a Luna, and that's okay. Just know that I want to help you. Whatever it is you need to figure out, whatever you decide, I will be here every step of the way. Just please," he paused, one of his hands reaching up to cup my face gently, "don't run away from me. Let me help you. I am yours. I would die without you. You don't have to rush anything, but please at least let me be here for you."

It was mind-blowing to me how gentle Daxton was, how understanding and patient. Most of the men I had dated or talked to up to this point never treated me this way. But humans don't mate. They don't have this bond. The Moon Goddess put us together for a reason. So I needed to trust my gut, and I needed to listen to Ember. She was practically begging me to let my walls down and let Daxton in to help us. We both needed it.

I didn't really know how to respond, so instead I just leaned forward and kissed him gently. This wasn't like our hot make-out session in the bathroom - it was different. This kiss was me communicating to him that I would let him help me, that I wanted him, too.

Daxton seemed to silently understand, because he returned the kiss, then pulled away, smiling at me. God, that smile. It melted my heart. "I know tonight has been a lot to take in, but how about we forget about it for now? Let's go back in. Your friends are probably worried sick about you."

I nodded. He was right - Teresa was probably looking all over me. A sudden wave of guilt washed over me. I hated making her worry and upset, especially over me. I didn't even know what lame excuse I was going to come up with when we went back inside. But I knew I needed to.

Daxton stood up and offered me his hand. I took it, standing up and fixing my dress. I looked between them. "Is my makeup and hair alright? Teresa worked really hard on it, and I think she would be upset if I ruined it tonight."

Cameron grinned and gave me a thumbs up, nodding. "You look beautiful! Plus, even if it's not the way she set it up, I'm sure she'll understand. Does she know?"

I shook my head at him as we began walking back. Daxton was still holding my hand, so I interlocked my fingers with his. "No. She doesn't, and she can't. Ever."

"So what are you going to tell her?"

I sighed. "I'm still trying to figure that out."

Once we arrived back at the museum, Cameron hurried ahead of us to open the door for us. I smiled at him, and I let Daxton hold my hand as he led us back up the stairs and into the crowd. Standing at the very edge of the crowd near the food and drinks were Teresa and Michael. I could hear her heart rate going a hundred miles an hour. She was worried, and she was looking around frantically, probably for me. Once she spotted us, she instantly ran over, almost jumping on me as she tightly wrapped her arms around me. Daxton let go of my hand so I could hug her back.

"Are you alright?" She whispered into my ear.

I closed my eyes, still hugging her tightly. "Yes. I'm sorry for running off."

She pulled back, hands on my arms as she looked at me. "What happened?"

Cameron was suddenly next to us, causing us to both look over at him. He just smiled. "Hunter felt bad because her and Daxton just made an instant connection, even though she was there with me. I told her it was alright, and she didn't need to feel bad. I'm honestly happy they like each other!"

Teresa looked at me, eyes wide in surprise. Her face relaxed, then she smiled, giving a little giggle. Her heart rate began to slow down. "You're so cute. Don't feel bad! Cameron doesn't mind at all. I was really worried about you. I thought something bad had happened. I'm just glad it was you being your cute, innocent self.

Oh, if only she knew.

We carried on with the rest of our prom night happily. Daxton was right - tonight, we could just forget about everything and have fun. Knowing we were mates, we could just enjoy each other's presence happily and dance the night away. So that's what we did, danced, laughed, and talked with our friends. He stood next to me at all times, a hand always touching me somehow, giving me the comfort I needed. It filled me with so much warmth and happiness.

At the end of the night, Daxton offered to take me home, so I said goodbye to my friends and followed him and Cameron to their car. I typed the directions onto his phone and sat in the front seat, quietly listening to the music. The boys didn't say much, and I was glad. I wasn't ready to keep talking about everything. It was just nice to be in their presence.

Once we arrived back in front of my apartment, I sighed. Daxton just smiled at me and leaned over, kissing my cheek. "Let it be for tonight. Don't try to confront your parents. It'll just make things harder for you. Tomorrow, I'll pick you up and we can go do something. We will figure things out little by little, just be patient, okay?"

I nodded. "Okay."

Both of the boys got out of the car and walked me up to my door. I turned around, and Cameron gave me a big hug. "You're in good hands with us, I promise. I'm sworn to protect you at all costs, Luna. We'll figure it out together."

I smiled at him and nodded, and he turned around and quickly raced downstairs to the car to give Daxton and us a moment alone. I looked up at my mate, who was staring down at me lovingly. He wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling my body right up to his, while his other hand reached up into my hair as he pulled my lips to his. His kiss was soft, but slow, his tongue beginning to tease at the entrance of my lips until I parted my mouth for him. He kept it slow, but his tongue exploring my mouth so gently had me weak in the knees. All I could do was submit to his kiss.

He pulled away, much to my dissatisfaction, and I pouted at him. He chuckled and kissed my forehead gently before looking deep into my eyes. "Get some rest for me. I'll see you in the morning."

I watched Daxton as he walked down the stairs, and waited until he drove away before turning around and going inside. I made sure to be quiet. I didn't want to wake my parents. The lights were off, and I could hear my Grandpa snoring loudly in his room. I tiptoed into my room, quickly ditching my dress and putting on a comfortable oversized t-shirt before crawling into bed.

I wrapped myself up in the blankets, staring up at the ceiling in the darkness. I felt restless, but also so exhausted. There was so much happening all in one night. But I was going to get through it. I knew that with the boys by my side. We would figure it out. They were right. I just had to trust my gut.

I drifted off to sleep, dreaming of Ember and another wolf playing around in the water happily, nudging and licking each other all over.