Alpha Damon's Hybrid Mate

chapter 3

Damon

As she went limp in my arms, I finally pulled my teeth away from her neck, my tongue instinctively brushing over the fresh puncture wounds as I caught the last traces of her blood before slowly standing.

Every muscle in my body burned, and although the silver poison was still moving through my system and weakening me more than I wanted to admit, I forced myself to remain upright as I looked down at the woman lying unconscious in my arms.

What the hell had I just done?

I dragged a hand down my face and ran my fingers through my damp hair.

"Fuck."

This was not the plan, this was never the plan.

I had always prided myself in my control because I was the Alpha of the Dark Moon Pack, for Goddess's sake, and I had faced assassins, rogues, rival Alphas, and enemies who wanted my head without losing control once.

Yet tonight, I had lost it over a human woman.

Worse, I had marked her.

I stared at her small body on the bed, unable to understand why there was something about her that my wolf could not ignore because even unconscious, she had somehow managed to get under my skin.

"If only you knew who you just let into your home." I whispered.

I turned away from her before I could think about it any longer.

Xander.

I reached for the mind link.

Bring the cars. Now.

“Alpha? I'm on my way.” He answered.

My Beta's response came instantly, and I could hear the relief in his voice as I glanced at the woman one last time, only to feel something strange pull at my chest.

My wolf wanted me to stay, and it wanted me to pull her against me, protect her, and make sure nothing touched her.

I ignored it, choosing instead to pull the thin blanket over her shoulders and carefully move a strand of hair away from her face before stepping away from the bed and leaving the apartment.

I made my way down the creaky stairs and stepped into the cold night air, where a black SUV was already waiting by the curb.

Xander immediately stepped out when he saw me.

"Alpha."

I gave him a short nod before getting into the back seat, and Xander climbed behind the wheel, starting the engine before pulling away from the curb.

"That bastard Evan really thought a poisoned silver knife could kill me," I muttered, narrowing my eyes as I watched the wet streets through the tinted window. "He has no idea what he started. Mystic Pack will pay for this."

"They will, Alpha," Xander said, glancing at me through the rearview mirror. "Are you alright? You were poisoned."

"Yes."

He seemed satisfied with the answer and turned his attention back to the road, but for several minutes neither of us spoke, and although silence usually calmed me, tonight it did nothing to settle my thoughts.

Her scent was still everywhere.

Sweet vanilla.

It clung to my clothes, my skin, and even my thoughts, making it impossible to forget how easily I had memorized it or how much I hated the fact that I wanted to smell it again.

"I marked a human," I finally said.

Xander slammed on the brakes, causing the tires to screech against the wet road as his head snapped around.

"What?"

His eyes widened as he stared at me.

"Alpha... did you just say you marked a human?"

"Yes."

"Was it intentional?" He asked, looking both horrified and shocked.

"No."

He stared at me through the mirror as if he were waiting for me to laugh and tell him I was joking, but when I remained silent, he slowly turned back toward the road.

"Do you know her?" He asked again.

"No."

His hands tightened around the steering wheel. "Do you plan to claim her?"

I said nothing, keeping my gaze fixed on the passing streetlights.

"Alpha..." Xander hesitated before continuing.

"If you really marked her, you have to do something."

I finally looked at him.

"Alpha with all due respect, she's human, and her body isn't built to handle an Alpha's mark the way a werewolf's body can, so the bond will affect her more as you already know."

He paused before adding, "Within days, she'll probably go into a severe heat, and once that happens, your wolf will demand that you complete the bond, but you can reject her now."

The words sounded simple, but they weren't.

Xander continued, his voice becoming more serious. "If you leave it alone, your wolf will become harder to control."

I looked away again.

"Drive."

The warning in my voice made him immediately turn his attention back to the road, and neither of us spoke again.

When we finally reached the massive iron gates of my mansion, the guards opened them without question, allowing the SUV to roll through the long driveway before stopping in front of the pack house.

I stepped out and walked inside, ignoring the servant omegas who lined the halls and lowered their heads as I passed.

"Welcome back, Alpha."

I had no interest in speaking to anyone, so I walked straight to my room and pushed open the door to my bedroom.

The moment I entered, I stripped off my torn jacket and pulled the ruined shirt over my head before walking into the adjoining bathroom and turning on the shower.

I didn't wait for the water to warm before stepping directly beneath the freezing water, but even as the cold hit my skin, it did nothing to calm my mind.

I reached down and peeled away the terrible bandage covering my side, staring at the uneven gauze and crooked tape because whoever had treated the wound clearly had no idea what they were doing.

Then I smiled to myself.

She had done it.

That tiny human had sat beside me while I was covered in blood, probably terrified out of her mind, and still tried to keep me alive.

"Why did you have to be human?"

The question left my mouth before I could stop it because humans were fragile, short lived, easily injured, and completely incapable of defending themselves against creatures like us.

A human mate was not a blessing.

She was a weakness.

My enemies would use her against me the moment they discovered she existed, and after spending years building my reputation as a ruthless Alpha who didn't hesitate, didn't forgive, and didn't allow anyone to get close enough to hurt me, I had somehow allowed one human woman to become the biggest vulnerability I had ever had.

My wolf stirred beneath my skin.

Go back.

I clenched my jaw.

Go back to mate.

"Shut up." I spat at my wolf.

My wolf growled inside me, furious at my refusal, and I could still remember the sound of her scream when my teeth sank into her neck, which made something twist painfully inside my chest because I knew she had trusted me to keep her safe after risking everything to save me.

I gripped the shower handle until my knuckles tightened, fighting against the instinct that was becoming harder to suppress with every passing second.

I wanted to reject her.

I needed to reject her.

It was the only sensible thing to do because whatever strange connection existed between us could not be allowed to grow into something that would eventually become a weakness my enemies could use against me.

Sever the bond.

Forget her.

So why couldn't I bring myself to say the words?

Why did the thought of rejecting her feel less like ending a mistake and more like tearing something living out of my own chest?