Claiming My Beta's Mate

3

Delilah.

I storm out of his office as fast as I can. I place my hand on my neck and it is exactly what I think it is. He marked me. I can hear his voice behind me and at this point, I’m this close to exiting the Pack house. A middle aged woman walks through the door alongside the elders of the pack and I halt my steps.

Alpha Thorn follows but he stops right behind me. At this point, everyone can see that he has claimed and marked me because it is evident on my neck.

“You marked a girl?” The middle aged woman says and it seems as if she is filled with joy even when I am hysterically confused.

“It was a mistake…” Alpha Thorn tries to respond but she cuts him off.

“There is no such thing as a mistake! Your wolf will never mark another by mistake.” One of the elders says and I use my hand to cover the mark.

“Who are you?” The middle aged woman asks and approaches me.

“She is no one Aunt!” Alpha Thorn answers and he looks at me with an angry stern. I want to walk away but his Aunt stops me once again.

“You have marked her! What do you mean she is no one? She is your mate.” His aunt says.

“She can never be my mate.” Alpha Thorn says and the more I stay here listening to him, the more I hear the sting in his voice like I’m nothing.

“This woman is the daughter of a rogue and worse, she was my beta’s mate.” He says and I continue to cover the mark he placed below my neck—tightening my fist as I listen to the way he speaks of me.

First, it was his beta who made my life a living hell and now, I have to listen to him degrade me because of the nature of my birth.

“You have marked her. As an Alpha, your mark will remain there forever. Do you really think she would be able to move on with your mark? I don’t care if she is a rogue or your beta’s ex-mate. Your wolf and Jaguar choose her for a reason!” His Aunt screams at him.

“Your Aunt is right, your wolf chose her after many years of silence. It is your responsibility to follow up with the consequences of your actions.” An elder of the pack says.

“You are Alpha, you know your responsibility. Are you going to let her walk away?”

There is silence after his aunt makes that statement. I’m not sure what to do at this point. My intention was not to meet the Alpha and get marked. All I wanted was to get rid of the rumors about being cursed and find a way to stay in the pack despite being the daughter of a rogue.

“He doesn’t have to. I don’t need to be claimed, especially by someone like him. He is Alpha and he can do whatever he wants.” Isn’t it? I say and they look at me.

I take the first step to walk away and when I’m almost outside of the door, he grabs me.

“Wait.” He says, standing in front of me and staring down at me because of our height difference.

“I cannot let you go after marking you. It’s not fair to you. With you bearing my mark on your neck, you won’t be able to have a life outside of it.” Alpha Thorn says.

“A minute ago you didn’t bother to have mercy on me when I told you I had nowhere else to go. You told me to leave the pack because I’m a rogue.The only reason you are saying this is because your Aunt and the elders of the pack are here!” I say, releasing my fist and trying to walk away but he corners me.

“Stop being stubborn!” He says.

“I’m not a member of your pack. I can say whatever the hell I wish. You are Alpha only when it comes to intimidating someone who doesn’t have power. Do you think I would accept you just because you are the Alpha of the pack?”

“You are wrong! I will not accept someone who speaks down on me.” I say, taking my eyes off him even when I’m scared that he can do worse to me.

“You came to have an audience with me because you wanted me to allow you to stay. I am allowing and commanding it. Can you just accept it?” His voice is mastery, it has a bass to it that causes tension to my spine.

“Allow it all you want, I forbid it!” I reply and he walks closer to intimidate me with his height and muscular build.

“Thorn, will you quit intimidating her!?” His aunt says and she steps in between us.

“What is your name?” His aunt asks me but I’m hesitant to answer. She places her hands on my shoulders and she speaks to me with warmth.

“Delilah.” I reply to her because I do not sense the same arrogant charisma that Thorn carries alongside himself.

“From now henceforth, I recognize you to be Thorn’s mate, he has marked you and I believe it’s the moon goddess that has fated it. The elders of the pack have witnessed it themselves.”

“You do not have to leave the pack for any reason. You are part of the Moonsdale pack whether you share our bloodline or not.” It’s final! His Aunt says.

I know within myself that I cannot leave the pack. The life of a rogue is dangerous and I cannot survive it. I simply wanted to live a normal life but how do I do that when I bear the mark of the Alpha of my neck.

“You are carrying my mark. And as Alpha, it is my responsibility that I claim you as my mate.” He says and I raise my eyes to meet his.

It is devious, he has the face of a handsome devil and when I remember the scene that occurred in his office and how he made my legs tremble just by slight contact. It makes me wonder what else he can make me feel.

Being around Brad, there was never an attraction—it was complete hatred and my heart never raced for him, not even once. Whereas, with the alpha, in a second I have felt everything.

“What option do I have?” I say to myself.

I wanted to live in the pack despite being the daughter of a rogue. It was what I wanted. I got it but now, it’s complicated. Do I really have to live as his mate?

The elders of the pack witnessed it. In their eyes, it’s what the moon goddess wants and it has left me wondering why his wolf marked me in the first place. He is a powerful Chimera, his wolf cannot make that mistake and yet, it marked me.

It chose me.

Am I really his mate? Was it really a mistake?

No, wolves don’t make mistakes when it comes to mating. That question is the reason I cannot walk out of the door. No one has ever recognized me or my wolf in the years that I’ve been in this pack. And all of a sudden, he does. It means something.

“Here, you must stay in the pack house now until we resolve this. I know you must be grieving Brad’s death and it’s selfish of me to ask you for this.” His aunt, Susan says to me.

Unknowingly to her, I have never once grieved Brad’s death. In order to stop me from leaving, Susan holds my hands and begins to take me away.

She takes me to a bewitching suite that consists of luxurious things. I have never had a bedroom that was this spacious, a cozy fireplace, a private sitting area, and a private terrace that overlooks the meticulously landscaped grounds.

This is where I'm supposed to stay? I ask.

"Here, this is your closet and there is the bathroom." Susan says and I walk behind her.

The closet alone is whole room that is bigger than where I used to stay. It comprises of a wide range of clothing items-dresses, pants, shirts and they are all organized according to their colors. There is also a whole different space for shoes, boot, heels and sneakers.

I look to the other hand and there are accessories, handbags but at the sight of lingerie, I freeze. My heart thumps for a second when I think about how huge the Alpha is.

A man like him would find it hard to fit his jewels inside a woman. I take my eyes off the lingerie instantly.

“Delilah, I know it is hard to take all of this but you are Thorn's mate.” He has never been attracted to other women and I believe his wolf claimed you at the slightest point of contact. Susan says to me but I’m not convinced.

“How can I be his mate? How can one be so rude and egoistical to their mate?” I ask her and she holds my hands.

The proof is clear, his wolf chose you!

“Thorn has been through a number of things. He is hard on the surface but when he commits to something—he can sacrifice all that he has.” Susan says and I want to believe it.