The Mark of an Alpha
Chapter 48

The food is delicious, there is no arguing on that part.

Hunter picks at his meal but I finish it all. My wolf seems to want to gain some energy so she can be ready for anything.

After our meal, we all head back to the ballroom which is a relief to me since the pressure of everyone staring at me eases a bit.

Derek is sitting back on his throne as I take a seat with my pack members. There are couples dancing away on the dance floor and I watch as they gracefully move around as if they are all in sync. The dance seems rehearsed in a way but it is so beautifully graceful that I cannot take my eyes off of the dancers.

I have this feeling that someone is staring at me and I fight the feeling of look in that direction but I ultimately lose that battle.

The twins are by his side once again. I see that one of them is staring at me and there is a twitch of a smile playing at the corner of his lip.

He looks at me as a man looks at a girl that he is interested in getting to know. A plan starts forming in my wolf’s mind.

“Hunter, I’m going to replace out why Derek wants me here,” my lips stay tight so that no one can see that I am talking to him.

“How?” He nearly yells at me with a confused expression on his face and I glare at him giving him a ‘keep it down’ stare.

“The twin,” my head nods towards him secretly Hunter nods and sighs. I get up and take a deep breath.

What are you doing?

Stop butting in before I lose my nerve.

Andrew leaves my mind and I walk towards Derek. I walk throw the dance floor with confidence but it is mostly my wolf keeping me calm.

Derek’s eyebrow lifts as he takes me in and I make sure that I stare at him as well. A grin is growing on his lips as I make my way to him.

Once before him, I bow my head a bit and I see that both Derek and the twin are staring at me.

“Is it too much to ask for a dance?” I say as sweetly as possible which comes surprisingly easy to me.

“Of course not,” Derek is about to get up when I motion him to stop.

“Come on then,” I look at the twin and his eyes narrow and he looks at his alpha. Derek positions himself back into his seat and looks flustered for a moment.

“Well don’t leave the woman waiting,” Derek snaps.

“Yes, master.”

Master? Master! He’s your alpha, not your master.

My wolf is growling up a storm in my head but I ignore her.

The twin comes to me and offers his elbow to me. I take it and he whisks me away to the dance floor. He is very formal keeping his hand high on my back and my arm raised high. He dances as graceful as the rest of the group.

“Hey,” I give him a smile, “I’m Melany Blake.”

He nods as he spins us around, “I know who you are Alpha Blake.” His voice is much deeper than I would expect from his soft face he seems less of a threat now that he is away from Derek.

“Call me Melany,” I try to gain some trust from him.

“Sorry but you are an alpha and I will treat you as such,” his eyes dart to Derek who is eyeing us like a hawk

I wonder if Derek is listening in.

I wouldn’t doubt that.

“And you are?” I ask innocently beaming at him.

“Calvin Ferdinand, Omega to Alpha Derek Storm, at your service.” He seems to take pride in his title.

“I thought you were his beta,” I shrug as he twirls me around.

“That would be my brother Zeke, he’s the beta.” He sounds proud of his brother and a part of me wonders if there is any jealousy there.

“Well nice to meet Calvin,” he slows our movements and now I can commence our little talk. “So are you allowed to talk to the rest of us?” I look at the rest of the people in the ballroom.

“I’m talking to you aren’t I?” He smiles at me and I give him a small smile in return.

“So is it true?” He raises an eyebrow, “that the alpha is looking for a second mate.”

“Why don’t you ask him that yourself,” the voice from behind me startles me making my eyes widen as he twirls me around and Derek is there his arm wraps around my waist and he pulls me close.

“So that is what this is all about,” there is no emotion in his blue eyes.

Calvin walks away from us but looks back at me and I show him the betrayal I feel in my eyes. He shakes his head and then it clicks in my head. His pack has no say in what he does he wants them to leave their mind open they do it.

Suddenly I feel bad for Calvin.

“I was talking to Calvin not you,” I hiss, “but yes it is only fair since you seem to know everything about me.”

“Then man up and tell me yourself,” his smoldering eyes swallow me whole, “the moon spirit has granted me a second chance at a mate.”

The moon spirit?

“You don’t say,” I try to keep my composure.

Somehow when he is near me that is something that I cannot seem to control I just want to lose it as well as my wolf.

He growls at his inability to keep me quiet, “I was able to break the mate bond just like you.”

“No, not just like me I did it for my pack and to become a better alpha. You did it just because your mate had a past, well guess what we all have one. I bet that you’re not pure yourself!”

Pure is being a virgin and waiting for his or her mate.

“That I am not but who are you to judge.” I bite my tongue as he stares at me waiting for a reply but sees that he would not get one he continues, “I am able to seek out a she-wolf that is unmated and unmarked and call her mine.”

I swallow and my eyes go to Hunter. Hunter apparently decides that he needs a drink and has scotch in his hands.

“So you get to choose your own mate?” He nods and I finally realize that we are not dancing but standing in the middle of the dance floor as the dancers nearby stare at us in confusion.

I take a step away from him his arms fall to his side. “I am looking for a worthy luna.”

“Good luck with that,” I walk away from him and head right back to the table.

“He is looking for his second mate something about ‘the moon spirit’ whatever that is?” I whisper to Hunter as he drinks the last of his drink.

“The moon spirit I’ve heard about the stories never thought it was real. So how does it work?” Hunter’s eyes seem a bit unfocused.

“He gets to choose an unmated and unmarked she-wolf to mate with so the few here at his disposal.”

I can feel the bile rise in my throat.

What is he trying to get at? He can start something really big with this. If Derek goes after an alpha’s date he might just start a war and if he tries to come after me I do not need someone to fight for me I can fight him myself.

“Like... you!”

Like hell!

Hunter’s lips set in a firm line. I give him a sarcastic laugh, “He wishes.”

“Melany,” he grinds his teeth, “you don’t see it do you!” His voice sounds hurt.

“What?” I raise an eyebrow.

“He gets what he wants and if not he will force them.” Hunter stares in the direction of Derek and I look at Hunter he has a face stating, I dare you to try!

“Hunter,” my hand drapes over Hunter’s arm and he fights the urge to stare down Derek. “Who did I come here with?” His eyes soften, “Who was with me through all my crap?” His body relaxes, “You. I am sitting here because I chose you above him.”

He sighs in relief and smiles at me weakly as if he is not entirely sure.

“Now let’s go to bed I am ready for this day to be over with.” Hunter and I say our goodnights to our pack members and the waiter leads us to the butler.

The butler is an older man and he directs us upstairs down this grand hallway.

“This is Alpha’s Blake’s room,” his hand swiftly sweeps in front of him as if gesturing that I hit the mother load.

“Alpha Hunter your room is-” the butler starts walking down the hall towards Hunter’s room.

“Actually Alpha Hunter bunks with me,” I stop the butler and his light brown eyes narrow making the wrinkles around his eyes more visible.

“Okay,” he pauses for a moment, “I will have his things moved here and Alpha Storm likes to know where his guests are staying so he will know of this change.” He states as if he is giving me a warning ahead of time that Derek is not going to be happy about this.

“That is fine.” I grab Hunter’s hand and we enter the bedroom.

The room is huge and marvelous. The king-size bed looks so inviting with its four posts looming over the bed. The floor to ceiling windows makes the moonlight light up the room.

Hunter’s belonging are soon in the room and we change quickly I jump into bed. Hunter laughs at my childish antics.

“Wake me up early so that I can go for a run.” Hunter climbs in and wraps his arms around me.

Hunter seems lost in his thoughts and I do not want to talk about what happened in the ballroom anymore.

“Fine,” he sighs into my neck and I finally feel as this crazy day was all worth it as long as I have Hunter next to me.