The Mark of an Alpha
Chapter 51

Derek Storm’s POV

Hell hath no fury like...like an alpha pissed off.

Her silver eyes penetrate mine and there is nothing more but hate directed towards me. That is the vision I get every time I close my eyes. She is driving me insane and I just met her.

She’s unmated and unmarked but her love is spoken for.

Shut up! I know that. This girl is incorrigible.

She's not a girl. Melany is a lot of things but a girl is not one of them. She is a woman, through and through.

My body sinks further into my leather chair. My office is lit up by the fireplace set ablaze. The flickering shadows seem to calm me. There is hope for my darkened soul.

Love has brought men back from the brink of insanity.

And rejection has sent them straight into insanity.

How do you know she would reject you? She is unmarked for a reason and she doesn’t seem in a rush to get marked.

A small spark can ignite a flame and that flame starts with that redhead.

There is something about her that has intrigued me from the second my claws dug into that rogue’s chest penetrating his flesh and letting me grab hold of his heart.

All his recent memories come flooding into my mind.

The moonless pack Alpha’s mate is torturing the crimson moon pack’s Alpha and the beta of the moonless pack there as well unable to do anything.

The rogues are trying to get this alpha away from Moonless pack’s alpha to save her. At her mate's request.

Melany's mate wants to gain the alpha status by killing Alpha Hunter and have Melany step down to luna.

The realization hits when she shows up and wants her beta and the Crimson Moon packs' alpha. She wants them both back. The rogue’s anger towards their traitor, Marcus, is enough to send them over the edge.

The Moonless Pack came after them and this rogue ran as far and as fast as he could. He ran for two days straight until he crossed our path.

I ripped his heart out as I watch the fear invade the rogue’s eyes. His lifeless body drops to the ground and all I can think about is how much I want to meet this alpha.

The Moonlight Ball is the perfect place to do it but she came with that alpha the one the rogues wanted to kill, Alpha Hunter.

When I broke my mate bond I lost more than just my mate I lost my wolf as well and he was replaced with this sadistic and blood lust wolf. I was able to put my hand over anyone’s heart and see their memories before I broke away from my mate and now I have to grip their heart and give it a squeeze for it to happen.

Anger swells in me and I let it consume me. Throwing back the last of my uncle’s whiskey the liquor goes down quickly but the taste makes my eyes close tight. I take a breath and open up my eyes. I hold the glass towards the light when a knock brings me out of my own trance.

“What is it?” I snap.

The door opens and Sam the Butler walks in. “Master,” he bows his head he stands before my desk, “the Moonlight Ball was a success. Your entire guests are now in their rooms all except one.”

Let me take a guess.

“Hunter,” Sam nods his head.

“He is in Alpha Blake’s room at her request.”

“Thank you,” I wave him off but he stands there looking at me.

“Is there more?” I snap.

“Miss. Britney is looking for you, sir.” Sam tries hard not to show his irritation. Britney thinks that she can snap her fingers and get whatever her heart desires here. Sam seems to be her errand boy when she comes to visit.

“Is she now?” She seems to have become more clingy since this ball has started. Even more so after she met Melany.

Melany.

Those gorgeous eyes become the center of my thoughts. What must they be looking at at the moment? My wolf wants to refrain from thinking about it but we know that they are sharing a bed.

Hell, Melany knows I am not pure so whatever.

“Tell her to meet me in my room,” Sam nods and walks out.

She is with him.

She wants him, a weak alpha.

My grip on the glass tightens and without thinking I fling to the fireplace as the flames lick the alcohol residue left on the glass and the million pieces drop into the soot.

“She is probably tangled up with that piece of shit alpha.” The voice of my wolf takes over and I push him down the best I can.

My anger is about to blow its cap off when a switch clicks and my anger subsides. I push myself off my chair my anger is now under control. Walking to the door I try to get the mental images of her out of my head. Her soft silky skin in that dress, her lustful eyes, and graceful movement at the ball drive my mind insane.

I walk straight into my bedroom and Britney is sitting at the edge of my bed with a seductive smile on her lips. She takes me in as I close the door behind me.

I release all my tension on her and let my animalistic side out on Britney as she endures it all until we both fall into a dreamless slumber.

Alpha Storm! Zeke’s voice invades my mind.

My muscles flex as I roll my shoulders trying to get a kink out of my neck.

What? I am not in the mood to be disturbed at the moment.

My brother and I went out for a run and we caught the scent of Alpha Blake in the forest.

What is she doing out there?

The forest should not be explored especially by the guest. They have no idea what can be lurking in the shadows.

Did you follow her?

Yes. We found her! Relief washes over me.

And?

She was on the other side of the barrier.

How is that even possible? She isn’t one of us!

The only people that are meant to cross the barrier without a problem are my beta, omega, and I.

I don’t know but I am on my way back!

I can feel his anger coursing through his body. I sit up and Britney mumbles next to me. I throw off the blankets off the both of us and I growl at her.

"Come on Derek," she groans out. "It's still early."

"Get out of my bedroom," I snap at her. Her face turns serious.

"You can be an ass, you know that." She slips back into her dress from last night and does her walk of shame.

She knows that I hate it when she stays in my bed overnight. I dress as quickly as possible and am practically racing to the front entrance.

Calvin, get her back here now!

Sorry, Master, I can’t do that and you know that.

Calvin, are you disobeying orders.

She is an alpha and you said we need to treat them as such.

God damn it, Calvin. We’ll talk when I see you!

He knows exactly what I mean and I feel it in his mind. I run downstairs and Zeke is just outside the door.

“They are on their way back,” Zeke states.

“I know.” I can sense Calvin nearness.

The trees rustle as Melany and Calvin step out of the trees. When I see them I lose it and my anger comes at me tenfold.

“What are you doing?” I yell.

“I was helping Alpha Blake,” his calmness sends me over the edge.

“You know you needed to report back to me as your brother. Zeke, you know where to take him.” I can feel his anger falter, he does not want to hurt his brother but he does not disobey.

“Wait!” Zeke stops in his tracks, “Why are punishing him? I’m the one that broke through the barrier. I am the one that is causing you problems.”

“You’re not part of my pack,” which you could be if you wanted to, “so I don’t have to answer to you,” my voice comes out malicious.

“It seems like you should be answering to someone. You’re more of a tyrant than an alpha. An alpha leads and helps their pack not take away their personal freedom.” That is like a slap across the face.

“Alpha Blake, you seem to be more and more surprising with each passing hour. But if I was you I wouldn’t be making assumptions without digging deeper. Zeke get your brother!”

After they walk into the castle I look at Melany in the eyes.

“I would appreciate if you stay inside the barrier for your safety.” I care for her safety.

“My safety,” she scoffs and walks up to the steps past me.

“Melany,” I stop her before she gets inside. She does not turn around.

“It’s Alpha Blake to you!” With that, she opens the door and vanishes.

She’s showing you her true self.

I need to relax before I lose it. I head to my bedroom. After my shower which lasts longer than it should because my mind is on the gorgeous redhead that is somewhere in the castle. I head to the dungeon where Zeke is standing guard at the door.

I walk past him and head inside. Calvin is standing his wrists chain to the wall. ‘The Punisher’ is a masked man that has served this castle before I became the alpha. He is the one that carries out the punishments. My eyes rest on Calvin his eye is swollen up as his cheek bleeds. His good eye is on me.

“Next time you follow orders, understand!” I whisper but my anger is clear.

“Who understands your bipolar orders? One second you want us to treat them like they deserve then you want us to treat them like peasants. That is why she does not show any interest in you!” Calvin's red bloody teeth shine between his lips.

He dares question my orders.

My anger is almost blinding and my wolf snap and my fist connect with his face. My knuckles collide with his jaw and he spits out blood to the floor, “Zeke!”

Zeke walks in slowly and looks at me, he is fighting the urge to look at his brother.

“Unshackle him and make him clean up his mess. Maybe that way he will teach you not hesitate to follow orders. I will see both of you at the breakfast table in an hour.”

I walk out of the dungeon and head to my office. Today’s events will show me what types of alphas are here, especially Alpha Hunter. My wolf unleashes his cry.

Game time.