Rejected by the Pack, Claimed by the Alpha

Chapter 7

Damien

My own words sounded foreign to me.

I’d given her a choice. Offered.

But I knew that I would have dragged her out of that house even if she had refused.

My chest tightened, so did my grip on my steering wheel.

This was bad.

I was already losing my grip on my emotions. The ones I’d spent years learning how to keep in check. Veronica was my mate. Yes. But was that enough to change my autonomy in less than twenty four hours?

What kind of Alpha would I be if I couldn’t regulate what I felt?

I risked a glance. My f*****g pulse skipped.

She wasn’t even staring at me. Her tiny hands wrapped around her knees that were pulled into her chest. Her head resting on the window, her gaze following the streetlights.

Perfect. My wolf purred.

I forced my eyes back to the road, a slight frown tugging at my lips.

The rest of the drive was me, forcing myself to keep my eyes on the road so we wouldn’t end up crashing. Eventually, we pulled up to the estate I’d specifically purchased because of this trip.

The seven-story estate housed our scouts and a handful of trusted pack members, healers, a historian, an elder, and my Beta, Sebastian.

He was already waiting outside, one hand shoved into his pocket, the other flicking away the cigarette he’d been smoking before now. He’d promised me he was done with those.

I turned the engine off, faltering when I reached out to her unconsciously.

My jaw ticked as I drew my hands back. “Veronica.”

No response.

I tried again. Still nothing. Just the steady rise and fall of her body. She was asleep.

I came down immediately, rounding the car when I opened the passenger’s door, I hesitated. Would she freak out if she woke up and saw herself in my arms?

I hoped not.

I should probably try to wake her again.

But she looked so peaceful. I didn’t want to ruin that so I scooped her into my arms. Her sweet scent hit me. My jaw clenched.

“Seb,” I called out. “Grab her bag.”

“Yes, Alpha.” He mumbled, clearing his throat as he gathered her things and followed behind me.

The moment we stepped into the house, the air became warmer. The low chatter of wolves from the kitchen spread into the living room. A few wolves lingered here, their gazes turning almost curious but they didn’t dare question me. Instead, they gave respectful nods before shuffling down the hall.

Veronica snuggled into my chest, making me pause. I didn’t want to wake her. I waited for a second. Then another and when I was certain she had settled in my arms. I released a shaky breath, my fingers twitching around her body, like it was urging me to hold her tighter. I didn’t.

Seb and I made our way to the top floor. Alpha quarters. I punched in the code, the steady beep filling the elevator until it dinged open.

“You can set her things in the guest room.” I mumbled, already following behind him.

When I placed her gently on the bed, I watched as the crease between her brows disappeared. Then she let out a soft sigh, snuggling closer to the pillow.

I didn’t realize a smile had crept up my face until Sebastian’s voice cut through the quiet air.

“She really is your mate, huh?”

My spine locked instantly, my gaze flicking to her. Her breath was still even. Her eyes were still shut. She was still asleep. I forced out a breath, spinning on my heel and practically dragging him out.

“Who told you,” I finally said when it was the both of us staring each other down in the hallway.

He shrugged lightly despite that amused look in his eyes. “You smiled.”

I frowned. “I always smile.”

Sebastian threw me a look between disbelief and humor. “Of course, Alpha.”

A growl spilled from my lips. “One word about this to anyone and I’ll have your f*****g throat ripped out.”

His eyes gleamed as he ignored my threat, his gaze flicking to my door. “What I didn’t expect was you, not marking her the moment you found out.”

That made me pause.

Why hadn’t I?

Logically it would be the first option. It was a mate bond. Veronica would have had no choice but to succumb to its pull. My chest tightened at the sight of her if I took that choice away from her.

That was the reason.

This tiny, quiet girl I didn’t even know existed until a few hours ago had managed to creep into my veins and distort my entire judgement.

I clenched my jaw so hard that pain exploded in my mouth. “I have to take care of the foster family first.”

Sebastian sobered up at that. “The boy is still unconscious. His parents oblivious.”

I scratched my stubble, trying and failing not to remember what the bastard did. “We need to get there before his parents speak to him.”

Seb hesitated. “You have duties here. Representing your pack.” He sighed, kneading his temples. “You can’t kill the pup, Alpha.”

My tone dipped, rage slithering up my spine. “We’ll see about that.”