Born An Alpha

Chapter 4

*NOAH’S P.O.V*

We arrived at the party a bit earlier than we’re used to. It had been Cynthia’s idea to come here. She pretended like she wanted some alone time but I knew it was all a ruse. For a while now she had been openly flirting with other guys since it was obvious she wasn’t my true mate. She wouldn’t try to hide it and I didn’t really care. After turning eighteen, my feelings and emotions for her changed. I didn’t love her as a girlfriend and she felt it. Everyone noticed but no one said anything. In a couple of weeks, she would also turn eighteen and hopefully she’ll find her mate. Neither one of us had the heart to end this but I knew what had to be done.

Today was as good a time as any to tell Cynthia she wasn’t my destined mate. Of course, I couldn’t tell her it was Celeste but I had to tell her I didn’t want to be with her. Hopefully she’ll forgive me as soon as she found her mate. Hopefully.

We we’re alone by the pool and I knew it was time to end this. I couldn’t go on being with someone else. I didn’t love her this way. But a delicate and mouth-watering chocolate cinnamon scent hit me.

Mate! She’s here! Hunter says as he stirs in my mind.

I look up to see her walking in with Alex and Melinda. Her hair flowing down carefully over her back. Her beautiful brown eyes now on me. Staring at me.

I recover quickly and call Alex over. She hesitates and tells them something. Even with wolf hearing, I couldn’t hear them with the loud music playing.

They come over to us while Celeste waits and quickly turns away. I see her walking into the mansion before she disappears inside. A stabbing feeling in my chest starts as she disappeared.

Forty minutes pass by when we suddenly hear the alarms. The sirens to indicate an attack on the pack grounds.

“LETS GO!” Alex yells as he pulls Melinda to her feet. They run towards the drive way while I run in the opposite direction towards the mansion. I hear Cynthia yelling at me but I couldn’t understand a word she said. All I could focus on was finding Celeste. Once inside I see people panicking and fleeing the scene.

Find Mate! Hunter growls.

I let him take over and shift. He picked up her scent towards the back of the mansion. 

We find her holding hands with someone. That someone who’s face I punched in January. Who’s face I want to punch now.

Scott! Scott F***ing Washington! Out of all people! Why did it have to be him!?

Hunter let’s put a massive growl and she stops in place. Walking towards her, she retreats back a little. The stabbing pain in my chest starts again. I hear Alex yell behind me but I keep my eyes on her. Scott tells her to go with us but not before he hugs her.

Hunter was ready to kill him as his arms embrace her. Our mate. Our beautiful mate hugged another.

Once inside the car, I can’t help but notice that she reeks of Scott’s scent. Her scent mixed with his made me grip the steering wheel tighter.

He was with mate! Hunter roars.

Calm down Hunter!!

He was with OUR mate! He openly hugged her in front of us!

It takes everything in me not to let him take over. I feel her staring at us and she tells me about the curfew. I stupidly question why she smells like Scott. I’m such an i***t, obviously this is not the time. She scoffs and tells me it’s none of my business. We sit in silence as I pull into the field. As I park the car, she quickly gets out of the car and dashes into the woods.

Go after her!! Hunter yells.

His voice in my head gives me the courage to tell her tonight. After tonight, it will be up to her. Whether we pursue this mate bond against all odds. On my part, I’m ready to fight for her. For us. Inside my head, Hunter roars in agreement.

I have to admit, she’s quick but I’m quicker. With one swift motion, I grab her hand and spin her back towards me.

“Celeste” I say. I lean into her, inhaling her scent. Being this close, I feel the heat radiating off our bodies. Her heart beating just as fast as mine now. Almost instinctively, she leans closer to me. I feel Hunter dashing back and forth in excitement. She feels it too. She feels our connection.

I pull her in closer to embrace her more warmly and she follows my lead. I whisper into her ear “I’m sorry”. Hearing this, she lays her head on my chest. My bare chest. Tiny sparks travel from hand to hand. She inhales my scent quietly, and a soft growl escapes me. I can stand like this forever. Holding her in my arms is what I plan on doing for the rest of my life.

Suddenly the sparks die down and the stabbing chest pains rise again. I look at her and notice that she has pulled away.

She glares at me with her eyebrows pulled down and together, and her lips form a straight line. She runs home and I chase after her. She yells at me for having ignored her all this time. For basically giving her the silent treatment. Now she wants me to leave. To leaver her alone. Here I was all this time, believing I was doing a good thing. Keeping her safe but I disregarded her feelings.

Like I’ve said before, you need to tell her about us.

I can’t...

She needs to know she’s our mate. If you let more time pass by, she’ll hate us

What do I even say? How do I even bring that up?

SAY IT ! SAY IT NOW!

Hunter’s right. As she starts crying, I tell I’m sorry for being a jerk. For being a d**k and ignoring her but I’m not going anywhere now. I’m staying with her now and always. But she pulls away and I blurt out that she’s my mate.

Her eyes immediately widen and her mouth let’s out a gasp. She stands there frozen, not moving and not saying anything.

I inhale and exhale slowly. “You’re my true mate Celeste” I pause as I watch her eyes water now. “The one the moon goddess chose for me”

“You?” Is all she manages to ask. I nod and watch her shift uncomfortably in place. I walk slowly to her and she gives me a questioning look. I reach my hand out to her. She pauses before she takes my hand. She leads me further into her house and we sit on the couch inside the living room.

“Did you know right away?” She asks

“Yeah. The day after I shifted. I had the window open and you were outside shoveling snow. You’re scent caught me off guard” I pause. “The most beautiful girl was outside, hair in her face and a shovel in her hand”. I watch her mouth form a small smile.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” She asks.

“I wanted to but I didn’t want to be forced to reject you” I hesitate before saying “Laws against Alphas choosing lower ranked mates”. She closes her eyes and nods as she slowly digest my every word.

“You could have told me” she says slowly

“It would have been impossible to stay away afterwards”. Her cheeks turn slightly red when I say this.

“What about Cynthia?” She asks.

“What about her?”

“Does she know? Have you told her?” She asks. I shake my head no and watch her examine me. She doesn’t say anything, she just sits there as she eyes me.

“Where do I come in?” She finally asks me.

“I want to be with you. Now that you know... you’re all I want. I want to be with you, now and always” I declare and Hunter is now howling in excitement in my head. Her cheeks turn bright red and she looks away. I cup her face in hand to face me and smile.

“Only if you want” I say. I’m losing my mind being this close to her. My ears are on fire as I feel her relax in my hands.

“I do” she whispers to me.

I go in to kiss her but she pulls away quickly. My chest hurts at the fact that she pulls away whenever I show her affection. She immediately stands and looks back at me.

“I want to. Trust me I do, but not like this” she tells me

“Like what?” I ask.

“What about Cynthia? This is basically cheating.” She says and her eyes fall to the ground.

“But you’re my destined mate. My true mate”

“But she’s still your girlfriend” she says quietly.

I go to her and take her hand.

“Since January, our relationship has been an act. She knows it and I know it. You know that she’s been talking to other guys”

Celeste shifts her eyes back to me and her lips form a tight line.

“Tomorrow. I’ll break it off with her tomorrow” I say

“NO” she shouts. Hunter whimpers in pain at this and my eyes fall. “Wait, I didn’t mean it like that” she says quickly. She sits back down and scoots closer to me. I look at her and she takes my hand.

“She’ll be eighteen in a few weeks, perhaps by then she’ll have found her mate.” She says.

“That day is too far away. Plus a lot can happen from here till then” I tell her.

Celeste nods and says, “But there’s the debutante ball coming up in two weeks.”

“I don’t understand” I say giving her a puzzling look. She sighs and gives me a small smile.

“The event where we meet and mingle with other ranked wolves our age... perhaps someone will recognize her as their mate” she says

Finally understanding I nod dumbfounded. She laughs and I pull her in closer to me.

“We’ll figure it out afterwards” she says.

The rest of the night goes fairly smooth. Even though I want to question why she was with Scott, I decide not to ruin the night. I rummage through her brother Max’s closet and find some clothes. We end up watching Disney film inside her theatre room before she falls asleep in my arms. Her head resting smoothly on my chest as her hand lays across my stomach. Hunter hasn’t stopped dashing in my mind this whole night. I gently kiss the top of her head and close my eyes. I let this moment sink in. Me sitting here with my mate comfortably resting on my chest. I didn’t care what we had to face, I was definitely not going to lose Celeste now.