Her Alpha Soulmate

Chapter 9: Damon POV

Chapter 9: Damon POV

Clara was crying and screaming at me. I felt my heart twist and stomach turn. Her emotions had a painful effect on my physical being. My wolf called me a "demon" and blocked me out. He wasn't on my side in this. He was on our mate's side. I didn't understand. I just wanted her to be a part of my life. I didn't think I was forcing anything on her. I didn't perceive it as disrespectful on my part but apparently she didn't see it that way.

"You don't feel safe?" I asked, my voice strained. I felt broken. My job was to make her feel safe. I thought I had finally gotten her to trust me but obviously I was failing. "I-I-I just want you to listen and stop when I tell you to stop. You have no idea how scary it is to have someone ignore your wishes. You get everything you want. Everyone does everything you say." She was stuttering. She only did that when she was truly upset. I looked up and really looked at her. She herself looked so small and so broken. Her whole body was shaking and her face was red. Her breathing was labored.

I dropped my head and said, "I'm sorry." My pack was linking me to never apologise, especially to a human, but I linked them to shut up and not disrespect their future Luna. "What did you say?" She asked, surprise in her voice. I repeated my apology.

"I'm sorry, Mate. I know I come off as pushy and you're right I'm used to getting what I want without worry over rejection or being questioned. As an Alpha I am in a position to not be told no by tradition but that is by normal pack members. You're an exception. You are my future Luna, my mate, my equal. If you'll give me another chance I will prove to you I am not like the mutt who used to hurt you. I will prove to you that I am not a threat to you. I will respect you. I will learn to react properly when you tell me something, even if it is a no. I just need another chance. Please?"

Clara stood in silence, processing my speech. Tears started doubling in her eyes but this seemed different. She didn't look so much devestated as she did overwhelmed. Her body language changed from angry to vulnerable. "That's all I want, Damon. I need someone to prove to me there are people outside my immediate family who are trustworthy and respectful. I haven't had anyone like that in years. Brent took so much from me. He took my friends as well as my sense of security and confidence. He broke me down till I was nothing but his little toy."

The mention of the mutt made me angry. I felt a ton of rage for the son of a b***h who hurt my mate. I growled out loud. "Mine." She got a spooked look in her eyes. "Stop saying that." I felt my eyes bulge. MINE was how wolves claimed what was theirs, their mate. I didn't like it but I said I would try to hold back the urge. "Brent used to say that. He said I was his and it wasn't a term of endearment. He considered me his property. So don't say that ever again," she said. I nodded, realizing she wasn't being unreasonable.

"We need to get to know each other better. There is so much we don't know about one another," I suddenly said. I was inspired. She gave me a small smile. "I would like that." I smiled back. Her tears were gone. Thank Goddess.

"Do you want to meet the pack or would you like to leave? We can go anywhere you want and talk if you're okay still spending today with me. School starts Monday." It was her last weekend before starting school again. A lot had happened and her enrollment kept getting delayed. She nodded and said, "If you promise it won't be such a large group I will meet your pack," she said, subtlely gesturing towards the large crowd of onlookers. I suddenly realized my whole pack was on the lawn watching and listening. "Deal," I said to my mate.

I opened the pack link. "Pack, I know you have lots of questions for your Luna but I need you to disperse and allow her time to meet you all in small groups. We will start with the high school students and then older and then younger. I know y'all heard our conversation. I don't think I need to tell you to be respectful and hospitable. If anyone upsets my mate expect the wrath of myself and my parents." They all stiffened and dispersed. The only people who stayed behind were the high school kids as I had instructed.

I slowly filled the gap between me and Clara. "Mate, can I hug you?" I really needed some physical contact from my mater right now. She nodded and my heart soared. I felt my wolf wake up when I wrapped my arms around her tiny body. Sparks shot from my head to my toes. When she wrapped her arms around me to reciprocate I thought I was in Heaven.

"Damon?" Her sweet voice filled the air. I nuzzled my face into her soft hair. "Yes, Mate?" Her fingers clutched my shirt tightly. "We have company," she said. I looked up and around only to realize my parents as well as the teenagers were all staring at us. I stiffened at the sight of my father. He didn't hide disdain well. My mother on the other hand loved everyone so she always had a smile.

"Mom, Dad, I mean Alpha, I mean..." Clara giggled at me. She pulled away and went to them on her own. She extended her hand and said, "I'm Clara, it's a pleasure to meet you." My father just stared rudely at first but shook her hand after my mother did. My father didn't like humans. He didn't even like Bobby and Billy and they were the sweetest kids on the planet.

"Oh my goodness, Samuel, she is sweet as pie and pretty too." My mother was genuine but a little over the top in how she said things sometimes. My father just nodded. I walked over and put my hand on Clara's back. "Mom, Dad...Clara is my mate. I have accepted her and have asked her to accept me. I am working hard to earn her trust and show I can be a good Alpha and Mate." My mother nodded approvingly while my father looked at Clara with scrutiny. "She will be our Luna," I said with a bit more confidence and slight scrutiny for my father's rude behavior. He shook his head and started walking away. "Feed the girl. She is too skinny. She won't survive marking in that condition." I took that as his Blessing. It was as close as we would probably ever get at least.

"What is marking?" Clara suddenly said. She had an adorable look of confusion on her face. Everyone looked at her with surprise. We had never discussed marking in detail. It suddenly dawned on me that I had a lot to teach her about our way of life. I was about to speak when my mother said, "Well you see dear, when werewolves find their mate they mark them by biting on the spot between their mate's neck and shoulder. It shows you're spoken for. It keeps other unmated wolves away. The human equivalent would be a ring I suppose."

I felt like face-palming. I would not have been that blunt. Clara turned to me with a horrified expression. "You want to bite me? You promised to never hurt me!" I put my hands on her shoulders and said, "Baby, it's not like that. It isn't violent. It's a tiny nip on your skin. It won't even bleed if I do it just right. I made a promise to never hurt you. You need to trust me on this."

She looked at me with a tiny bit of scrutiny and said, "Fine, mark me." I stared in disbelief. "Pardon?" She looked at me as if challenging me. "Mark me, Damon. Prove to me I can trust what you say." I searched her eyes to see if she was serious. There was not a single hint of uncertainty in her eyes or body language. She was serious.

I bent down and kissed her lips first. A light blush invaded her pale cheeks. I moved her blonde hair to the side, sniffed at her sweet skin, and bit very gently with my extended teeth. I heard a small yelp escape her lips but within seconds she also let out a moan. I held her body close and allowed the pleasure to take over her. I had heard rumors of it, that it was on the same level as an orgasm. I felt an explosion of heat and pleasure crash through my body like a tidal wave. When I was done I extracted my teeth and lapped at the mark with my tongue. I felt her shiver in my embrace. She looked at me with a dreamy expression. "Mate," she whispered. Now that we had marked her the mate bond would only grow from here.