Married to the alpha, marked by another

Chapter 2

Drew’s pov

I told Elara to leave, but she didn't. Instead, she locked the door behind her. The sound was quiet. I felt it in my back before I turned around. She leaned back against my desk like she owned it, with her fingers on the wood and her chin up.

She exuded confidence in wave-planned and practiced. She was fully aware of what she was doing. She always had.

"Calm down," she said softly. "You seem tense." I laughed once, but it was sharp and not funny. "You shouldn't be here Elara."I said, "And yet," her eyes slowly and deliberately moving over me, "you didn't stop me.

"That made me angrier than it should have. I moved closer without thinking. Too close. The air between us got thicker with heat and memories from the past. I could smell her, and it was both familiar and dangerous.

The girl who used to be mine. The girl who hurt me and never said she was sorry. "I told you," I said in a low, controlled voice, "whatever fantasy you and your dad came up with, it's not going to happen." She smiled. Slow and aware.

"I didn't come here for a crown." Her hand moved forward, and her fingers brushed my belt. Not fixing it. Just touching and Testing. My jaw hurts.

I said, "You think I still belong to you.""I think," she said softly as she moved closer, "that you never learned how to forget me."That was false, the truth was worse.

For a moment, I let the past breathe. Let the heat rise. Let my body remember what my mind wanted to forget. Her breath tickled my neck. Her hands moved with purpose. Sure of herself and demanding.

I grabbed her wrist. Hard. Her eyes got darker. "This is where it ends," I said. Anyway, her lips curved. "You always liked to act like you were in charge." I let her go suddenly and turned away, holding on to the edge of the desk. "Get dressed." "And leave."

She was in no hurry. She did, of course but I knew she had other plans. I know her too well.

The room felt wrong by the time the door finally closed behind her. Not loud enough. Not enough. Like I had just barely missed something that would have set everything on fire.

I let out a slow breath. My Alpha control is back in place. After that, the knock came. It was shegun, "The visitor is here, Alpha." he said.

Before I could stop it, my heart rate went up. Mother Luna's guest. I straightened up, grabbed my jacket, and left the office without thinking about Elara again.

When I stepped into the courtyard, the cool night air hit me. Lanterns shone softly on the stone. People in the pack hung out at the edges, pretending not to look. The atmosphere was off-charged and Expectant.

After that, I saw her. She was next to my mother. Not as big as everyone else, petite. Not in any flamboyant dress, no jewelry, no faking. She was careful and alert in her posture. Like someone who had learned the hard way that safety didn't last.

Mother Luna's hand was lightly resting on her shoulder. Guarding her. That alone made me nervous. I moved forward. Then one more. And something in me changed. Not attraction, not want but Recognition. It hit me hard and out of nowhere, like a pull I didn't want.

She raised her head. We looked at each other. The world got smaller. Damn! Her eyes were steady but cautious and oh! baby blue eyeballs that are so charming.

She didn't look down. No flirting. Neither did it challenge. She looked at me like she was trying to figure out how far away I was, how heavy I was, and how dangerous I was. I had never seen her before. I would have remembered.

Mother Luna looked at me. "Drew." Her voice brought the moment down to earth. She said softly, "This is Sarah."Sarah. The name settled in a strange, deep, and heavy place.

I said again, "Sarah." She nodded once. "Alpha." No bow. No respect that is forced. That's interesting.

My mother went on, "She came looking for safety." "She will be safe with me." "For how long?" I asked. Sarah's fingers curled up a little bit at her sides. Mother Luna looked at me for a second. Caution. "As long as it takes." At that point, I looked at her more closely.

The dark circles under her eyes. Not tiredness, but alertness. The kind that stays with you forever. As if she was always listening for someone behind her.

Finally, I said, "You're welcome in Silvermoon."Her shoulders relaxed a little. "Thanks," she said in a low voice. And then- The smell. It felt like a whisper against me. Familiar, Close, and Not right.

My lungs froze. I took another breath, slowly and carefully. It was there. Weak. Buried under fear and the night air. But it's clear. My heart pounded hard against my ribs. That smell didn't belong to people who weren't aware of themselves, it belonged to someone powerful.

Something tied up in me. I moved closer without meaning to. Sarah's body stiffened right away, and her eyes got sharper. I stopped myself and took charge. Always be in charge.

Now my mom was watching us closely. Too closely."What's your full name?" I asked, and my voice was rougher than I meant it to be. "Sarah," she said. "Only Sarah." That didn't help.

Dinner at the high table was never just dinner. It was a play. Power wore silk and silver. Smiles got sharper like knives. Every move was watched. Every word was counted.

Sarah was three seats away from me, next to Mother Luna. Since we got to the dining hall, she hadn't said much. She didn't have to. Her silence said more than most of the elders' speeches.

She saw everything: how the servants moved, how the elders leaned toward power, and how Elara got too close to me. I saw her watch.

Mother Luna got up after everyone had sat down. The low murmurs stopped right away. "We have a guest," she said calmly, and her voice carried easily. "This is Sarah, a young woman. The daughter of my late friend Hollomoon Pack.

Hollomoon! I have heard a lot about the leaders of that small pack.

Silence in the hall on purpose. "I have been looking for her for a long time," Mother Luna said. "Fate brought us together in the most unexpected way. A wave of surprise went through the table. Sarah's fingers got a little tighter in her lap.

My mother said, "She has no family left." "From this night on, I will protect her, and I want you all to accept her." Every elder bowed their heads.

Everyone but Elara. Instead, Elara smiled. "How... touching," she said in a light tone. "Silvermoon is kind." I gave her a warning look. She didn't pay attention to it. Her eyes moved slowly and carefully to Sarah.

"You have to be thankful." Not everyone is lucky enough to get attention. Sarah looked her in the eye calmly. "I am." Two words. No apology. No submission. That's interesting.

Elara turned back to me, and her hand slid onto the table, close enough to touch my sleeve. "Since we're talking about plans," she said sweetly, "I guess I'll be moving into the palace soon."

The room got quiet. I didn't look at her. "Don't assume so much." Her smile got tighter. "As the future Luna-" "You are not my Luna," I said. People gasped around the table. Elder Ben became tense.

"Drew-" Mother Luna raised one finger. There was silence right away. My mother said in a calm voice, "Mind your tone."

She never took her eyes off Elara. "A place will be ready for her soon."Near the old wing of his father's. Elara's eyes lit up. "- like all older people who work closely with the Alpha," you will have a place, Elara. Mother Luna said in a calm voice.

The light went out just as quickly. Not with me. Close to me. Elara got better quickly, but I saw the crack. Nothing came out of Sarah's mouth. She just took it all in, glancing at me for a moment before going back to her plate.

That smell touched me again. Not obvious but Known. I tightened my jaw. I suddenly pushed back my chair and said, "This is exactly what I mean."

The stone made a loud noise as it scraped across the floor."Choices have been made, lives are arranged, all of this without my permission. Fear spread through the hall. All heads were down. Every back is bent.

Only one. Mother Luna stayed seated, calm as a rock. "I am your Alpha," I said, my voice carrying and sharp with held-back rage. "Not a puppet." Not a kid to be told what to do.

Elder Mara looked down. Elder Ben turned pale. At that point, Sarah looked up. Looked at me closely. Not scared. Interesting. Finally, Mother Luna spoke. "Sit down, Drew."Not me. I said, "You think you still own my future because you raised me."

"You don't."Then there was a dangerous silence. Slowly, Mother Luna got up. When she stood in front of me, she was more than just my mom. She was the Silvermoon. "You forget yourself," she said in a low voice. "But I will let it go.""Tonight." She looked at him with a little less hardness.

"Because you are upset." It wasn't even close to being settled. She went back to the table. "This dinner is over." Chairs scraped. Bowed heads. Elders ran away like they had been holding their breath the whole time.

Sarah also stood, not sure what to do, with her hands clasped. Mother Luna put a soft hand on her back. "Come. I'll take you to your room.

That smell hit me harder as they walked away. My heart skipped a beat. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes for a moment.

Damn it. I recognized that smell!