Waiting

7.

Alpha Damien’s POV

***Two hours ago***

“Simon!” I tried to mind-link my Gamma, but I was met with a block. I could feel his worry and sorrow, but I couldn’t get through to him. What the hell? Why did Esteban leave before we could finish our talk?

“Yes, Alpha?”

My irritation grew by the second. “Why did my Gamma leave before our meeting was concluded? What was his phone call about, and why didn’t he mind-link me?”

“Alpha, my apologies. When the omega came in asking you to review some expenses, he couldn’t find you right away and didn’t want to interrupt. The phone call was from his daughter. He became concerned when Summer didn’t answer immediately, and when she finally did, he excused himself. He said his girls needed him and left in a hurry.”

Simon hesitated, then added,

“Once he was in his car, he mind-linked me. He believes his father-in-law has passed, and that’s what caused his distress.”

What? The Old Man passed? How could that be?

I knew he wasn’t a shifter. There was no animal scent I could place on him—nothing identifiable, nothing familiar. But I also knew he was powerful. His presence always flooded the space around him in enormous, quiet waves. Not loud. Not aggressive. Just there. Watching. Measuring.

It was never comforting.

I never knew what he was, and that bothered me more than anything else. Power without a name. Power without rules I understood. The kind that didn’t need to announce itself. The kind that could end you without ever raising its voice.

He never threatened me. Never challenged my authority outright. But every time I was near Summer, I felt him there—an unspoken warning, a silent line I wasn’t allowed to cross. He always positioned himself between us. Always made it clear, without a single word, that she was protected.

From me.

And I hated that.

Still, even someone like him had fallen. In the end, cancer had been stronger—whatever he had been.

The thought should have unsettled me more than it did.

Instead, I felt it: a subtle sense of relief. Not because I wished him dead, but because obstacles, eventually, remove themselves.

With him gone, that constant watchfulness was gone too. The invisible restraint. The feeling that someone older, sharper, and far more dangerous than I could see straight through me and didn’t like what he found.

My mind drifted to Summer.

Her sweet smile. The small angel-kissed dimple on her left cheek that appeared when she laughed—soft, unguarded. I imagined pressing my lips there, claiming that moment the way I had wanted to for so long.

I smiled to myself.

I had missed that smile. And it irritated me to realize it might be some time before I saw it again. She would be devastated. Broken. Vulnerable.

And finally… reachable.

Grief makes people lean, and I intended to be what she leaned on.

Then it dawned on me—this was my moment.

I could be there to put the pieces back together. To stand where he once stood. To become the constant presence in her life. The one she leaned on. The one she learned to rely on.

“Simon,” I said, my decision already made, “get the car. We need to be there for our Gamma and his family.”

I paused, the words forming easily—comfortably.

“And I need to be present for my future Luna.”

My Luna.

The title settled in my chest like it had always belonged there. I didn’t need the ceremony to claim what was already aligned.

I could hardly wait to stop pretending the omegas beneath me had honeydew-green eyes and long, luscious cocoa-colored hair. I was done with substitutes. Done with fantasies that fell short.

At last, I would have the chance to get close to the one girl I had spent the last two years watching, wanting, and being kept away from.

This time—

No one would stop me.

***Present Time***

Simon pulled up to the hospital entrance, and I got out of the car.

“Alpha, I’ll go park the car. You go get your Luna.” He said the last part with a smirk, like he was enjoying himself.

What an ass.

I closed the door without replying and walked through the automated sliding doors. The sterile smell of antiseptic hit me immediately, but I didn’t slow my stride. Humans moved around me like background noise—small, fragile, breakable.

I was an Alpha.

And they felt it.

They always did.

I looked around and took in the layout: reception desk, waiting room, vending machines, and a small gift shop tucked off to the side.

Of course.

I was about to see her empty-handed.

I walked into the gift shop and was greeted by the girl behind the counter.

“Hi! Welcome,” she said brightly, but her eyes told the truth before her mouth ever could. Her gaze dragged over me slowly—hungry, curious, shameless.

Then she smiled like she’d already decided I belonged to her fantasy.

“Can I help you find something special?” she asked, and when she said special, her voice dipped low, like it was meant for my ears only.

Typical.

Humans always picked up on our animal. They didn’t understand what they were sensing, but their bodies did. Their instincts did. More times than not, it pushed females into heat, made them pliant and eager.

Easy.

I glanced at her just long enough to let her feel seen—long enough for her cheeks to flush and her pulse to jump.

I didn’t smile. I didn’t flirt.

But I didn’t shut her down either.

I let her hope.

“Condolences,” I said simply.

Her expression shifted instantly, but only for a second, like she was trying to decide whether that made her feel sorry for me… or made her want to comfort me.

Either way, it worked in my favor.

“Oh,” she breathed. “I’m so sorry. Is it… someone close?”

I gave her a short nod. Nothing more.

That was all it took.

Sympathy always made them bolder.

“Well,” she said, stepping out from behind the counter as if she had any right to close the space between us, “I can definitely help you pick something. We have some really beautiful arrangements, and—” her eyes dipped again, slower this time—“some things that might make someone feel… taken care of.”

I nearly scoffed.

Taken care of.

If she only knew what that really meant for a creature like me in my world, but I wasn’t here for a good time.

I was here for Summer.

So I ignored the invitation in her tone and walked past her like she wasn’t a temptation—like she was furniture.

Instead, I let my eyes scan the shelves.

Get-well cards. Condolence cards. Cheap flowers. Crosses. Angel figurines. Candy. Bottled drinks. Stuffed animals.

Useless little human comforts.

But I would pick something out anyway, because that’s what an upstanding male did. That’s what a future mate did. That’s what the pack expected of me.

And Summer?

Summer would see that I showed up, she would see I was present. She would know I belonged at her side… whether she understood it yet or not.

“Uh, Boss?” Simon’s voice cut through the aisle, loud enough to make the cashier glance up. “What are you doing in here? Hiding? Are you nervous to see her?”

I didn’t look at him right away. I kept my hands in my pockets and scanned the shelves like I wasn’t one of the most dangerous creatures on this side of the continent.

“No, you dumb-ass,” I muttered. “I was in too much of a rush to get here. I forgot to buy her something. I can’t go up there empty-handed.”

Simon’s mouth twitched like he was holding back laughter.

Of course he was.

He’d been at my side long enough to recognize irritation before it ever reached my voice. He was my Beta—my second. But more than that… he was the closest thing I had to a brother.

Which meant he had privileges no one else survived abusing.

I turned my head and gave him a warning glare.

He lifted his hands in surrender, grinning like he’d just won something.

“Okay, okay,” he said. “Relax.”

Then he wandered off in the opposite direction, pretending to browse.

Good.

Now I could think.

I walked the cramped aisles again, my patience thinning with every useless item I passed. Candy. Sympathy cards. Cheap angel figurines. Bottled water.

Humans mourned with objects because they didn’t have the power to do anything else.

Then I saw it.

A stuffed grey wolf with sky-blue eyes and black paws—massive, almost the size of a toddler.

My breath caught.

Not because it was cute.

Because it looked like me.

Not exactly, but close enough that it felt like the universe was mocking me. Or offering me a gift.

A symbol.

Something primal in my chest stirred—something possessive.

This wasn’t just a comfort object.

It was a placeholder. She was mine, and I intended to become hers.

I could already picture it in her arms. In her bed. In her room. Something she’d cling to when she was lonely… something she’d touch when she missed comfort.

Something that smelled like her.

Something that belonged in her space.

And by extension…

So did I.

“Dude,” Simon said, reappearing beside me like he’d been waiting for the moment I found it. His voice dropped. “That’s f*****g scary.”

I glanced at him.

He was smiling. Wide. Amused. Like he’d just watched fate hand me exactly what I wanted.

“It’s like they used your wolf as the model to make that.”

My jaw tightened.

I didn’t answer him, because he wasn’t wrong.

It was too perfect.

And I didn’t believe in coincidence.

“It’s perfect,” I said finally.

Simon’s smile widened like he’d expected that response.

I grabbed the stuffed wolf and headed for the counter.

The cashier’s eyes lit up instantly.

“Oh my God,” she breathed. “He is so cute! Is he for me?”

I stopped in front of her.

My stare alone made her swallow.

Then she laughed nervously, trying to recover. “Just kidding.”

But she didn’t stop there.

Of course she didn’t.

Her eyes dragged over me again—shameless, hungry.

“But…” she leaned forward slightly, lowering her voice as if the store had suddenly become private, “I could see myself cuddling with something else.”

Simon made a choking sound behind me like he was trying not to laugh.

The girl reached out and touched my wrist, squeezing like she had any right.

“My break is in ten minutes,” she murmured. “We can get to know each other if you’re game.”

I could.

But I won’t.

Not because she wasn’t willing—she practically offered herself up like a gift with a ribbon. I’d already had my little fantasy session earlier today, and I didn’t need another warm body throwing herself at my feet just to feel important.

Besides, I’ve never been fond of blondes.

Don’t get me wrong—she was hot. Long blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail, the kind that made it easy to imagine wrapping it around my wrist and yanking hard enough to force her head back while she took everything I gave her from behind.

She had bright brown eyes, wide and eager, and I could already picture them watering—half from pleasure, half from pain—as I pushed her past whatever limits she thought she had.

And her mouth…

Her plump, pink lips were the kind of pretty that made you want to ruin them. I could already see them wrapped around my stiff shaft as I pumped into her mouth and forced her to take me deep into her throat, gagging and swallowing everything I gave her..

Just thinking about these things was getting me hard, and the zipper of my jeans dug into the skin of my erection as my pants became tighter. s**t, my meat is hungry.

Maybe I could take her in the back. Shut the door. Kill the lights. Put her face against the wall and remind her exactly why females always looked at me like that—like they were born to be used by something stronger.

It would be easy.

I wouldn’t even have to seduce her. I wouldn’t have to promise her anything. I wouldn’t have to pretend I cared.

All I’d have to do was nod.

That was the thing about being Alpha—no one ever asked if you wanted them. They offered. They begged. They melted. They gave themselves away like it was an honor.

And the smell of her arousal already told me she was ready, aching, waiting for permission I didn’t even need to give.

I had a condom in my wallet.

I could take what I wanted in less than fifteen minutes, walk right back out here, and she’d still be smiling like I’d done her a favor.

But I didn’t come here for her. she wasn’t what I wanted.

She was just another distraction I could have if I felt like it.

And the truth was… I didn’t.

Not today.

Not when Summer was in my close proximity.

Ugh. No.

I wasn’t here for that. I didn’t come to waste my time on a desperate human female trying to throw herself at the first dominant male who walked through the door.

I came here for something that mattered.

I leaned slightly over the counter, letting my presence press into her space without touching her—letting her feel it. Letting her understand the shift.

“Miss,” I said calmly, “you’re starting to annoy me.”

Her eyes widened.

“And I suggest you stop,” I continued, voice low and sharp. “Because I don’t think you want to see what I look like when I’m annoyed.”

The flirtation drained out of her face instantly, replaced by panic.

Then, like an i***t, she tried to save herself.

“Wait… are you two here together? Like… together, together?”

Simon’s head snapped toward her, his brows lifting like he couldn’t believe what he’d just heard.

I didn’t blink.

Wrong move.

I smiled—slow, cold, and cruel.

“Let me explain something to you,” I said, my voice controlled but edged with venom. “This is Simon. He’s my second-in-command. My VP. My right hand. My weapon.”

Simon shifted uncomfortably beside me, already sensing where this was going.

“And I’m his Boss,” I continued. “Not his boyfriend.”

Her face flushed.

“You thought that was a clever comeback because you realized I wasn’t interested,” I said. “But it wasn’t clever. It was desperate. And frankly, it was embarrassing.”

She opened her mouth to speak, but I cut her off.

“I’m here because someone died,” I said. “And I’m here to show respect to people who actually matter to me.”

My voice dropped lower.

“So stop trying to throw yourself at me like you’re some kind of offering.” I took in a deep breath and noticed something foul, “Besides… your scent is unpleasant.”

Her throat bobbed as she swallowed.

“I’m in a hurry,” I said. “Ring me up.”

She stood frozen for a second too long.

I leaned in just slightly.

“Now.”

“Y-yes,” she stammered, hands fumbling over the register like her fingers forgot how to work.

Simon quietly slid a condolence card and a small bouquet onto the counter without saying a word.

The girl scanned the items shakily.

“It’s… it’s going to be $78.14.”

I dropped a two fifties on the counter.

I didn’t wait for the receipt.

I grabbed the stuffed wolf and the bag, then turned to leave.

“Keep the change,” I said over my shoulder.

Simon followed behind me, and the second we cleared the doorway, he exhaled.

“Damn,” he muttered. “That was harsh as fuck.”

I didn’t slow down.

“But she needed it,” he added quickly. “She was on me the second I walked in. Then she tried to jump you. I almost feel sorry for her. It’s like she thinks sexuality is the only way she can get attention.”

Fucking Simon. Always psychoanalyzing people like it was his job.

“Drop it,” I said flatly. “She’s not our concern.”

We crossed the lobby toward the reception desk.

“Let’s find the Valdez family.”

The receptionist typed quickly, searching the system for the Old Man’s name, then looked up.

“Third floor,” she said.

We thanked her and headed toward the elevator.

Once we reached the third floor, the elevator doors slid open and we stepped out. I closed my eyes and focused, tuning out everything except the one scent I had been craving since the moment I arrived.

It took a second—but there it was.

Strawberries and sweet lemon zest.

Without a word to Simon, I followed it. The closer we got, the stronger it became, unmistakable now. It led us straight toward a waiting room.

We turned the corner—and nearly collided with my Gamma.

“Gamma, we just heard,” I said immediately. “My condolences to you, your wife, and your daughter. I am so sorry for the loss of your father-in-law.”

As I spoke, my attention split. Part of me remained present, respectful. The other part scanned the room instinctively.

That’s when I felt it.

A sharp, unsettled edge rolling off Esteban—tight, controlled, but unmistakably active. His wolf was right at the surface. Not grieving. Guarding.

Not threat-focused… mate-driven.

Interesting.

I pushed the observation aside as my gaze landed on her.

Summer was curled on the couch, wrapped in a blanket, fast asleep. Vulnerable. Precious. Mine.

I noticed the empty chair beside her immediately.

Perfect.

“Alpha, thank you for your care and concern,” Esteban replied. “Beta, I’m glad to see you both. Please, come and have a seat. My wife will be back in a moment.”

“Thank you,” I said, already moving.

I crossed the room and took the chair I’d chosen, placing the flowers and card on the table in front of me. I rested the stuffed grey wolf in my lap and glanced back at Summer.

She was beautiful even in sleep. Soft. Untouched. Unaware of the world that waited for her.

I imagined her coming of age—imagined her wolf emerging, imagined her standing at my side in her true form. Esteban had his doubts, of course, but I was certain. She had a wolf. I could feel it. Power clung to her in ways even she didn’t recognize. It was only a matter of time before it surfaced.

“Alpha. Beta.”

Maria’s voice pulled me from my thoughts.

I looked up to see her standing nearby—the only woman alive who came close to her daughter’s beauty. Out of respect, I rose immediately and picked up the flowers Simon had thankfully insisted I buy.

“Maria,” I said sincerely, handing them to her. “I am deeply sorry for the loss of your father. He was an incredible man, and I was honored to know him. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help during this time.”

“Oh, Alpha Damien,” she said, her eyes shining with tears. “Thank you. These are beautiful. He truly was an amazing man. I appreciate your kindness.”

“Mama?”

I turned instantly.

Summer was awake.

She sat up on the couch, still wrapped in her blanket, rubbing sleep from her eyes as she took in the room. When her gaze met mine, something settled deep in my chest.

“Damien?” she said softly. “What are you doing here? How nice of you to come.”

“My dear Summer,” I replied gently. “It’s the least I could do. Your grandfather was a remarkable man. I owe him a great deal.”

I lifted the stuffed wolf and held it out to her.

“I thought you might like this. I’m so sorry for your loss. I know how much he meant to you.”

Her face softened instantly.

“Oh—he’s beautiful,” she said, hugging the wolf to her chest. “Thank you.”

I watched her hold it close, pride blooming hot and heavy in my gut. When she slept, she’d have a piece of me with her. The thought pleased me more than it should have.

“I’m glad you like him,” I said, a smirk tugging at my mouth. “Though I have to admit, I’m a little jealous. He got a hug, and I didn’t.”

I stood and pouted deliberately.

It worked.

“Whatever, Damien,” she laughed. She let the wolf drop to the floor and jumped up, flinging her arms around my neck.

It was quick. Natural. Familiar.

There was no hesitation in her body, no awareness of closeness beyond comfort. To her, this was safe. Normal.

I wrapped my arms around her waist and held her steady, memorizing the way she fit against me.

Her heartbeat fluttered lightly against my chest, and my wolf surged beneath my skin—not in challenge, not in hunger, but in possession. Mine. The word came unbidden, sharp and instinctive. I swallowed it down. She didn’t know what it meant to be claimed by something like me.

And I preferred it that way, for now.

She didn’t feel it.

She was still too young and her wolf still hadn’t awakened, but she was mine and my wolf settled in quiet certainty.

“Hey! What the hell,” Simon said. “What am I—chopped liver?”

She laughed and immediately loosened her hold on me, turning toward him without a second thought. I released her without protest.

She crossed the room and wrapped her arms around Simon exactly the same way she had wrapped them around me—easy, affectionate, familiar. To her, there was no difference. No line crossed. No meaning beyond comfort and trust.

Simon accepted the hug without hesitation.

But he was not careless.

The moment her arms came around him, his awareness sharpened. I saw it—not in his touch, not in his posture, but in the brief, instinctive acknowledgment of me. A single glance. A silent check-in. He knew exactly what he was doing, and he knew exactly how I felt about it.

He kept the hug short. Not stiff. Not awkward. Just… contained. Brotherly in execution, deliberate in restraint. He released her smoothly and stepped back, giving her space without drawing attention to it.

A quiet understanding passed between us.

I didn’t move. I didn’t speak. I didn’t correct her.

My face remained calm, Alpha-neutral.

But my wolf took note.

Simon wasn’t afraid of me—but he respected me enough to know where the line was. And he chose not to press it.

Summer smiled at both of us, unaware of the tension humming beneath the surface.

“What time is it?” Summer asked, her voice rough with sleep and emotion. “When are they going to let us see my papa? Also, I’m starving.”

“Mija,” Maria said softly, reaching for her, “it’s almost 7:30 pm. We’ve been here all day. They likely won’t let us see him again tonight. We’ll have to wait until he’s released to the funeral home. We can grab something to eat on the way home.”

Summer stood so abruptly the blanket slid from her shoulders.

“No,” she said, her voice sharp with resolve. “I’m not leaving without seeing him. I need to say goodbye. I can’t leave him yet.”

There was no hesitation in her. No wavering.

Loyal. Devoted. Unyielding.

Qualities forged for leadership. For endurance. For a Luna who would never abandon what mattered to her. Just another notch of proof that she was exactly what I wanted in a Luna.

Before the tension could tighten further, I stepped in—calm, measured, steady.

“Maria,” I said gently, “Simon and I can grab food and bring it back. Perhaps Esteban can speak with a nurse and see if arrangements can be made for you all to have a moment.”

Summer turned to me instantly, hope breaking through the frustration in her eyes.

“Oh, yes—please, Mami,” she said, then looked at me. “Damien… you really don’t mind?”

She looked at me with that same open trust—unaware, unguarded. She didn’t ask because she thought I might refuse. She asked because she assumed I wouldn’t.

“Of course not,” I said. “I’ll handle it.”

And in that moment, I knew —

I had already positioned every piece.

She just didn’t realize the game had started.