An Alpha’s Revenge

Chapter Seven

Charles POV

I waited with my back against the building as alphas filed out of their first meeting. It seemed to end sooner than I had expected. While the alphas were in their first meeting, I had spent my time letting Markus run around the property. I had to devise a plan to push Ella into accepting our mate bond without it seeming like that’s what I was doing. I had something that even Markus thought would work, so it won by default.

The sweet scent of cinnamon hit my nostrils, and I saw Ella walk out with Alexander following close behind her. I tried to get the images of her mostly naked body from this morning out of my mind. However, my mouth watered as I remembered seeing her red, lacy thong accent her tiny waist. I wanted to pull those panties off her body with my teeth and palm her huge breasts in my hands. I felt my d**k grow harder.

Charles.

Markus growled at me.

Sorry. You’re right. I need to stay focused.

I quickly walked over to the alphas and grabbed Ella’s hand. I instantly felt the tingles from her touch and felt calmer just being near her. I breathed in as much of her scent as I could. This woman didn’t even need to do anything , and I was already wrapped around her finger. This had better work.

“Hey gorgeous,” I said with a smile.

She turned and looked taken aback and pulled her hand from mine. “Oh, Charles,” she replied. “What are you doing here?”

I saw Alexander glare at me. If I was going to do this, it had to be now, in front of all the alphas, because then Alexander would have to stay away. I gave Ella another grin and grabbed her hand once more, loving the warmth I gained from her mere touch.

“I don’t care who knows! In fact, I want everyone to know!” I shouted and then cleared my throat, gaining the attention of the nearby alphas. I grinned from ear to ear.

“Charles,” Ella said, and put a hand on my chest, which only emboldened me further. “Please don’t,” she whispered.

She pushed against me, and I saw her looking for an escape route. I placed my other hand around her waist and clenched the one I was holding as she tried to escape from my grasp. “Everyone! Ella is my mate!” I proclaimed. “I want you all to be the first to know!”

Surrounding us, the fellow werewolves cheered and clapped for us. I heard them congratulate us as I felt giddiness fill me. I ignored the stony face of Alexander and looked into Ella’s beautiful, blue eyes before swiftly placing my lips on hers, gently this time. Warmth filled my entire body. I moved my hand from her waist to her small head, keeping her from breaking the kiss until I was satisfied. I pulled away slowly and tried to make eye contact, but she wouldn’t meet my gaze. I ignored the fact that it was painfully obvious she didn’t kiss me back this time. She would with time. No she-wolf had ever resisted me, and Ella only needed time to understand what we had. She would come to want it too.

“Ella,” I said quietly. “Look at me. Aren’t you happy to have found me?” I could feel her trying to break loose of my hold on her again. I tried to search her face for answers.

“I didn’t want it to be like this. This should have been a decision we made together,” she told me and flashed me glare. “Let go of me or I swear to the goddess.”

“Swear to the goddess what?” I asked in a harsh whisper.

I flinched slightly as I saw her eyes light with an angry fire. “Or I’ll reject your ass right here and now in front of everyone.”

I gave her one last peck on the cheek and let go of her and watched as she stomped away as quickly as her little legs could take her. The surrounding witnesses gave me confused looks, but I just smiled at them.

“She needs time to get used to the mate bond. That’s all,” I laughed it off and went to find her inside the house.

I followed her scent and found her in one of the big family rooms. Couches littered the room in front of a massive television. I spotted her on one of the light grey couches. Sitting down next to her, I put a hand on her thigh. She quickly slapped it away.

“Baby, listen. I know it’s an adjustment, but-”

She cut me off with a cold snarl. “I wasn’t kidding when I said you would never touch me without my permission,” she yelled.

A loud crack broke our silence, and I stared blankly at her as my cheek burned.

“Did you just slap me?”

She nodded and spat, “And I’ll do it again and again if you don’t listen to me. I don’t know how to make myself any clearer, Charles.”

As much as I loved hearing her say my name, I had to fight back the urge to retaliate. I knew I already loved this woman, but this was simply a line she couldn’t cross.

“Baby,” I tried again, curtly, fully prepared to scold her for her actions.

“Stop calling me baby! I am not yours. You cannot claim ownership over me before I’ve even accepted you.”

I stared at her, baffled, but she continued.

“Have you even once asked me what I wanted? Did you include me in the conversation to announce to everyone our news? Do you even care about how I’m feeling in all this?”

I looked away from her and stared at the floor. “No, I didn’t exactly talk to you,” I said begrudgingly. “But I thought you’d be pleased.”

She threw her hands into the air. “Are you f*****g kidding me? What have I done to show you that I’d want to announce this to literally all these alphas?

“I admit that it may have been hasty,” I started slowly.

“Hasty?! You didn’t once mention it! We haven’t really even talked about it!”

I sighed and ran my hands through my hair. This wasn’t exactly how I pictured things going. “I didn’t know you’d get this upset by an announcement.”

She stood from the couch and began pacing in front of me. “That’s right, Charles. You didn’t know. And you wanna know why you didn’t know? I’ll tell you. It’s because we don’t even know each other. s**t, I basically met you yesterday!”

“What about high school? We knew each other.”

“Oh my goddess. High school? You’re really bringing up something that was over 5 years ago for me and at least 7 for you? You were the freaking upperclassmen, and I didn’t interact with you, let alone know you. Also, WE WERE CHILDREN!”

“We can get to know each other,” I said meekly.

She huffed at me. “That would have been nice to discuss first. Or actually, just get to know each other before going public. Gah! I’m not even sure I want a mate!”

Those words snapped my attention back to her. “You can’t be serious,” I whispered.

Ella just shook her head at me. “Oh, I am. Charles, I need you to understand that I have to have time to think about all this. I didn’t expect to find you. I didn’t want to find you. I’m supposed to be focusing on other matters right now.” She said the last part with a meaningful look.

I sighed. “My dad has everything taken care of regarding that matter. You don’t need to worry about anything.”

“But I want to be a part of it. This affects me the most, and I have a right to see everything through.”

“Are you really just going to focus on that? Not us?” I asked, hurt lacing my words.

She crossed her arms on her chest. “Charles, is that all you’re thinking about?”

“Come on, just give me a chance, Ella. Give us a chance. Let me show you all I have to offer. Yes, this is all I’m thinking about because honestly, you’re all I’m thinking about. You’re all I want, and I know it seems fast, but that’s what the mate bond does. I want you, and I know you’re fighting your desire for me.” I gently took her hand in mine and smiled as I felt the tingles flow up my arm.

“Charles,” she warned.

“Just, experience it. I know you can feel this. I know deep down that you want this.”

She snatched her hand away and rose up from the couch. Venom filled her eyes as she looked down at me, and she spat, “I can’t, no, I won’t give you a chance until you realize that I’m not an object to you. You’ve not once actually listened to what I’ve said or what I’ve wanted. My mate will see me as an equal, if I choose to accept him. And he won’t be you if you can’t get this simple concept through that thick skull of yours.”

I watched her turn away and stomp off, but not before hearing her say, “Oh, Alpha Alexander, I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you there. Please excuse me.”

Fury enveloped me, I jumped from my seat and sent my fist flying into the wall, creating a giant hole. “f**k!” I shouted.

“You know, we have a gym for precisely that reason,” a smug voice said behind me.

I turned and stared daggers at Alexander. “What the f**k do you want?”

“Preferably for you not to put holes in my house,” he smirked.

I cleared my throat and tried to stifle my anger. “I’ll pay for the damages. My sincerest apologies.”

He shrugged and said, “No need to worry. Oh, by the way, I think congratulations are in order. Wait, or are they? I couldn’t help but witness her leaving you here. Usually mates are all over each other, aren’t they?” He raised an eyebrow at me. “Seems to me like you two are having problems already.”

I grit my teeth and said slowly, “We are just working things out. An unmated male couldn’t possibly understand what a real relationship looks like.”

“Oh? And you do? You know, rumors say that you’re saving yourself for you mate, but I could’ve sworn I saw Katrina coming out of your room this morning. Now, I don’t want to assume anything, but based on her attire, it sure indicates certain behavior.”

Anger swelled inside me again, and I fought against Markus, who wanted to jump over the couch and rip out Alexander’s throat. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said simply, feigning innocence. “I was on a run this morning before everyone was up.” Which is technically the truth, I added silently to myself.

“Don’t get sloppy, wouldn’t want Alpha Eleanor to catch wind of what you’re doing.”

“Is that a threat?”

He shrugged and said with a smile, “I’d say it’s just a cautionary piece of advice, you know, from an unmated male and all. Though, I don’t see a mark on your neck either, which means you’re not mated either. Hmm, food for thought, isn’t it?”

I watched him back out of the room and leave me alone where I stood, seething in my anger. I had to figure out a way to get Alexander off my back. He knew far too much, and I didn’t like how interested in Ella he was. However, with the way he kept poking his nose into mine and Ella’s business, it seemed like he was very interested. I couldn’t let him have what was mine, and if I wasn’t on his land, I would have landed that punch on his face.

Markus, any ideas on how to f**k Alexander up?

I listened to my wolf pace around, thinking. Perhaps we could find dirt on him or put him in a compromising position? Something that, to Ella, would scream ‘stay away’.

You’re a genius, Markus. And I know just the she-wolf to help us out.

I smiled to myself and trotted out of the room as I continued to flesh out my plan.