Claimed by Two Alphas

Chapter 4

The ride home is quiet.

Darius is positively beaming in the driver's seat, his hand resting on my bare thigh possessively. His white shirt is crinkled, somehow making him look even sexier. My red dress is still in perfect state, but I somehow look nothing like the sophisticated Luna I was aiming for. Instead, I look like a cheap escort.

Every so often, Darius glances in my direction and smiles at me affectionately. He is the picture of a smug male.

I, on the other hand, can barely think through the pain and annoyance. I still feel the burning in my core from our i*********e, but Darius says that's normal after the first time. Also, I don't have the fast werewolf healing yet, so it will take a day or two until things settle down there.

But that's the part I can easily ignore. It's an unbearable pain in my neck that bothers me more. The soft skin where his wolf bit me as a part of the claiming ritual hurts like a b***h, and it's only getting worse as the minutes go by.

From what I heard, the biting should feel good for the female, similar to a rush of excitement or an o****m. But this was just painful. I could feel his canines breaking my skin, and I screamed in protest, struggling against his hold. But his wolf had pinned me down and wouldn't let go.

I fight back the tears at this very recent memory.

I have to be strong. This will pass, and I do not want to offend my mate tonight of all nights. It's all probably because we did it before the mating bond snapped into place. Once it does, it will all feel different, right?

The scent of s*x still lingers on me, and I somehow find it unpleasant. I squirm in my seat as I remember the awkward thrusting and the burning accompanying it.

Well, at least Darius seems to have enjoyed it.

"What are we going to do about the pregnancy?" I ask, my eyes fixed on the sleeping houses we pass by. Darius had apparently planned for everything except contraception.

"Don't worry about it, babe. I'll buy you the morning-after pill and give it to you tomorrow in school," he says so casually that I have to clench my jaw to stop myself from saying something I might regret.

He didn't actually have to c****x inside me. But his beast had apparently insisted. Something about possessiveness again.

I wish his beast insisted on condoms instead.

But I say nothing else on the subject until we reach my street.

"Drop me off here, please. I will walk the rest of the way," I tell him. I want to sneak into my room and hit the shower before my mum can scent what I did tonight. I know there's no hiding the mark on my neck, but I prefer to have that conversation after I have had a shower.

But, of course, Darius refuses. "No way, Ellie! I'm driving you home."

I can almost see my house, so I try again, this time with more urgency. "Please. My mom will hear you pull up front. I don't want to fight with her tonight. It will just ruin the whole... experience."

His hands tighten on the steering wheel, but he nods. "Fine. But I will watch you from here until you get inside."

I smile in relief. "Thank you, baby. I love you." I want to thank him for the evening, but somehow, I can't make myself say it. So, with one quick glance around the sleeping neighbourhood, I kiss him quickly on the cheek and turn to step out of the car.

His hand stops me.

"One day soon, Elara, you will be officially mine, and no one, not even your mother, will have a say in what I can or can not do with you."

I choose to take this as a romantic statement and ignore the creepy, dark undertone.

"Yeah. Soon," I confirm and leave the car on shaky legs.

The pain in my neck is almost blinding now. As I take off my shoes to minimize the noise I make on the sidewalk, I start ahead slowly. The moment I feel Darius can't really see me in the shadows, I casually stroke his mark with the tips of my fingers and then wince. It feels hot and swollen.

Shit.

I reach my home in no time and unlock the door with shaky hands. As I step inside the dark foyer, I pray to the Moon Goddess that my mom is already sleeping.

My steps are barely audible on the hardwood floor, and I climb the stairs silently. I slip into my room and close the door behind me. However, I barely have time to thank the Goddess and take one step toward my bathroom before I hear a knock.

"Elara, honey? Are you there? Can you please open the door? I want to talk to you for a sec." I feel a fresh wave of tears forming in my eyes at my mother's voice. Of course. Of course, this couldn't go my way.