The Alpha's Secret Luna

10.M'LADY

*****Memory of young Cora at Shadow Bane*****

After my first meeting with Marc, I next saw him a few weeks later when Odessa felt I was well enough to start going to the pack school. I was hobbling back to Odessa’s after a particularly gruelling day when I spotted him in the training grounds, he was sparring with the other male I saw that night; Anthony I think his name was. I slowed my pace just to watch them for a moment but not look like I was staring. I admired how both of them were in peak physical fitness, they had stripped their tops off and were sweating in the warm summer sun. They’re rippling muscles, bulging biceps, toned torso were mesmerising.

“Watch were you’re going!” Snided Cleo as I nearly collided into her.

“Oh sorry.” I pathetically apologised, hoping she hadn’t seen what I was distracted by and sped quite back to Odessa’s.

“And you can stop looking at my mates!” She had gripped my shoulder and spun me round, I yelped in pain at the pressure on my leg from the turn.

“Your mates?” I was confused, did she have 2?

“Don’t be stupid Cora. I know you were looking at them and they’re mine.” She hissed at me but I was slightly disorientated by the pain in my leg that I wasn’t being stupid I just didn’t understand.

“Odessa said Anthony’s your mate.”

“Odessa’s wrong.” Cleo had lifted me by my shirt off the ground slightly. “Marc is mine you stupid b***h. Don’t even think that you can waltz in here after all these years to steal him away from me.”

“That’s not my intention.”

“I think it is… I think you are playing the sad, lost, lonely little orphan…” She pouted out her lip to exaggerate her point. “And Marc is your handsome prince who is going to sweep you off your feet, and you’ll live happily ever after.”

“I think you’re deluded.” My mouth acted quicker than my brain could tell it to stop.

“What?” Her grip tightened and my feet lifted a further few inches off the ground.

“De-lu-ded.” I enunciated specifically. Seriously mouth shut up. “Deluded, crazy, loco, screw loose?” Oh no.

I had just a split moment to brace as she slapped me hard across the face, dropping me hard on the ground. My leg shook in spasm, my cheek stung and my eyes started watering from the pain.

“You listen to me, you snivelling, sorry, excuse for a Lycan. You are not now nor will you ever be a Luna. You don’t know the first thing about pleasing an Alpha, I know tricks that would make your eyes hurt, I can please him in a way no-one else can. And a worthless, nothing, 14-year-old like you can’t compete with a mature, s****l, prowess like myself.”

“Yeah, you’re right…” I winced through the pain. “A fine youth such as I isn’t even in the same league as a used up old hag.” I could see her lunge towards me before a shadow stood between us.

“Cleo, that’s enough.” Marc’s deep voice stood over me, and Anthony was by my side.

“Are you okay?” Anthony offered a hand to help me up which I graciously accepted.

“Oh no, I touched his hand what are you going to do, slap me again?” I mocked to Cleo.

“You f*****g-” She tried lunging again but Marc was a solid wall.

“Go.” She gave him a look. “Go.” Was all he said, after she had sufficiently stormed off, he turned to face me and laughed.

“What?” I asked perplexed as Anthony joined in.

“That was dumb. But brave. Most here are scared of Cleo, but I’m guessing you are not.” I sensed a feeling of admiration from Anthony, who was still holding my hand holding me up.

“She’s a bully. Not the first I’ve come across.” I tried putting weight on my leg again before wincing in pain and suddenly Marc was one side of me.

“Here, hold onto me.” Marc offered. Well, if I must. I wrapped one arm around Marc and the other around Anthony as they helped me hop back home.

“Sorry, I know she’s your mate. And she’s probably just trying to protect her territory, I’ve encountered Alpha mates before, and they are a terrifying breed of their own.” I joked. I remember my mother telling me stories when her and my father were dating, she nearly knocked one Omega out just for winking at him.

“She isn’t mine.” Admitted Marc.

“I’m getting confused, first she isn’t, then she is, then she isn’t… which is it?”

“Who told you she was or wasn’t for the matter?”

“You. I overhead you all talking in the hallway the other night, she was teasing you about finding your mate. Then Odessa said that you don’t have one but she’s Anthony’s…” I turned to Anthony who nodded, looking a bit glum to acknowledge it. “And just then she said mates and mentioned you, and you are now saying she isn’t.”

Marc let out a heavy sigh. “She wants me to find my mate, but at the same time wants to be my mate. I sometimes think it’s just because I’m the Alpha-to-be, and not because she has any romantic feelings for me. She’s… very determined.”

“That is what people say when they don’t what to say power hungry.” I said aloud. “Sorry, that was supposed to be an internal thought.” I could feel my cheeks redden as I was concerned about insulting Anthony’s mate right in front of him, but he didn’t seem bothered.

“It’s alright, I’ve always known she had higher ambitions than me.” Anthony shrugged. My heart broke for him, I always thought mates were destined to be together and your world revolved around them but to see Anthony it was almost the opposite. He had his mate, but he didn’t seem to want her.

By this point we had hobbled our way back to Odessa’s, who I was very glad wasn’t in.

“Thank you, it was very gentlemanly of you to escort a lady home.” I giggled as I opened the door. What was I doing?

“You’re very welcome.” Marc gave an over dramatic bow. “M’lady. We must way to continue our training forthwith.” He added with an equally dramatic salute. Anthony who held onto me all the way back held my hand for a second longer than necessary, before joining Marc in his jovial gesture.

“M’lady.” He said with a sweet smile.

“Good sirs.” I did a slight curtsy, as best I could with an injured leg anyway. I watched them jog back to the training grounds, and they both turned round to wave at me before I closed the door. A giddiness grew within me, this may not be my home but I think I was going to like it here.