10
1041 Words
Damon POV
The first thing I noticed when I woke up was the warmth.
For the first time in years, I had not woken up thinking about hockey practice, Alpha training, pack responsibilities, sponsorship meetings, or the endless expectations hanging over my head. Instead, I woke up with someone pressed against my chest, their soft breaths fanning across my skin as the morning sunlight filtered through the curtains.
Slowly, I opened my eyes.
Elliot.
My arms were wrapped around him.
His body was curled against mine as if he belonged there.
As if he had always belonged there.
For several moments, I simply stared at him.
Neither of us had any clothes on. The blanket had slipped low during the night, exposing his pale skin. My eyes drifted over him and stopped at the marks covering his neck, shoulders, and chest. Every single one of them belonged to me.
A strange feeling settled inside my chest.
Peace.
Real peace.
Not the temporary satisfaction of winning a game.
Not the pride of hearing thousands of fans chant my name.
Not the excitement of signing another sponsorship deal.
Peace.
I couldn’t remember the last time I had felt something like this.
My entire life had been a race. A constant chase toward becoming stronger, faster, better. Everyone expected me to become the next Alpha. Everyone expected me to carry the pack on my shoulders. There had never been room for weakness.
And yet somehow, lying beside Elliot felt like the strongest thing I had ever experienced.
My wolf was unusually calm.
Happy.
Content.
The feeling should have scared me.
Instead, it terrified me for an entirely different reason.
What the hell had I done?
I ran a hand through my hair and looked away from Elliot.
What had I been thinking?
Giving in to temptation like that?
For years I had carefully planned my future. Hockey came first. The pack came first. Becoming Alpha came first.
There had never been room for distractions.
Especially not an Omega.
Especially not Elliot.
I clenched my jaw.
The truth was something I had never admitted to anyone.
Not even myself.
I had always known Elliot was attractive.
Even when I hated him.
Even when I avoided him.
Even when I convinced myself he was nothing more than my father’s mistake.
I remembered the first day he moved into the Alpha House. He had been younger then, quieter, smaller. As the years passed, he grew into a handsome Omega. People noticed it.
I noticed it too.
I just refused to acknowledge it.
Because acknowledging it would mean acknowledging him.
And I didn’t want to do that.
In my mind, Elliot represented everything I hated.
His mother had married my father barely two years after my own mother’s death.
The entire pack whispered about it.
Gold digger.
Opportunist.
Homewrecker.
I believed every word.
Maybe because it was easier than dealing with my grief.
Maybe because blaming someone felt better than accepting that my mother was gone forever.
And Elliot paid the price for that.
Then there was the other issue.
He was an Omega.
A weak Omega.
At least that was what everyone said.
The future Alpha wasn’t supposed to choose someone like him.
I was supposed to find a strong mate.
Someone powerful.
Someone respected.
Someone who would strengthen the pack.
Not the shy Omega everyone mocked.
Not the boy who spent most of his life trying to stay invisible.
And yet here I was.
My mate.
My actual mate.
Sleeping in my bed.
Covered in my marks.
The irony almost made me laugh.
My gaze returned to Elliot.
His dark lashes rested against his cheeks.
His lips were slightly parted.
Even sleeping, he looked exhausted.
I knew I should leave him alone.
I knew I should get up.
Instead, I found myself wanting to pull him closer.
Wanting to bury my face against his neck.
Wanting to climb back into bed and forget the outside world existed.
Forget hockey.
Forget the pack.
Forget every responsibility waiting for me.
My wolf immediately approved of that idea.
I groaned.
“No.”
The word came out much rougher than intended.
If I stayed there any longer, I wasn’t going to leave at all.
Carefully, I slipped out of bed.
Elliot stirred slightly but didn’t wake.
I grabbed my clothes from the floor and dressed as quickly as possible.
The moment I finished, I glanced back at him one last time.
Then I forced myself to walk away.
Every step felt harder than it should have.
A few minutes later, I slipped out through the back of the Alpha House and headed toward the forest behind the palace grounds.
The cool morning air hit my skin.
Good.
I needed it.
Needed distance.
Needed clarity.
Needed something.
Anything.
The second I reached the tree line, I shifted.
My wolf burst free instantly.
Large silver paws hit the earth.
Then I ran.
Fast.
Faster than I had run in months.
Branches blurred around me.
The forest rushed past.
Birds scattered into the sky.
I ran until my lungs burned.
Ran until my muscles screamed.
Ran until I couldn’t think about Elliot anymore.
Except I still could.
Every single time I tried to push him from my mind, he appeared again.
His smile.
His laugh.
The hurt in his eyes during the celebration.
The way he had looked at me for years.
The way I had ignored him.
The way I had failed him.
Hours seemed to pass before exhaustion finally slowed me down.
My wolf gradually settled.
The panic eased.
The confusion remained.
Eventually, I shifted back and pulled on the spare clothes hidden in one of the patrol caches.
The moment I stepped onto the path leading back toward the Alpha House, I knew something was wrong.
One of my father’s personal guards was waiting for me.
The warrior looked anxious.
Very anxious.
The second he spotted me, relief flashed across his face.
“Future Alpha.”
My stomach tightened.
“What happened?”
The guard immediately straightened.
His expression turned serious.
Urgent.
“You are needed in the Alpha Quarters now!”
My heart dropped.
Something had happened.
And judging by the look on his face, it wasn’t good.
- Writer
