Chapter 28 Alpha's Little Secret
1340words
I fought to wake up from what had felt like a brief, dreamless slumber, struggling to open my eyes as an icy cold material dabbed at my forehead. I couldn't make out the whispers around me in my trance, but I was able to hear a few words: "no... mate... sure... Adeline... kill her... Luna... why... Alpha..." Once that last whisper of Alpha hit my ears, I felt a bolt of lightning take over my wolf and me as we sprang awake, eyes wide open. At the simple mention of the word "Alpha," my wolf felt protective and searched for Alpha Jaxon, begging for his touch to calm her.
As a scream pierced the room and my mother gripped my shoulders tightly in a hug, I saw my father's wide eyes filled with fear staring right at me. While he said nothing, you could almost see the questions pouring out of him. "You gave us such a scare when you fainted. Are you all right, sweetheart? Does your head hurt at all?" my mother probed.
The image of the note burned in my mind, even though I couldn't piece together what it had said. The moments before, I had seen bright specks of light replaying in my mind. "Ah yeah, I'm fine, Mom. I must just be really sleep deprived. Maybe I should stay in bed instead of going to the coronation," I said. I knew I wouldn't be able to miss the coronation, but saying it out loud felt like a good try.
"On any other day, Adeline—" A sigh left her chest as she continued, "On any other day, I'm sure that wouldn't be an issue, but you know very well that today is not any day," my mother responded with a raised eyebrow, gluing her eyes to my dad's as if they were exchanging thoughts. "Addie, your father and I are your parents, and we need to know what's going on, or we can't protect you. Why did Alpha Jaxon send you a moon flower and that note?" Her voice quieted, as if she was nervous for my response.
"I don't remember the note. I know I looked at it, but all I remember is the room going black," I responded, rubbing my eyes as my consciousness gradually returned. I glanced over to the moon flower, which had been in the red gift box, and saw the note sitting beside it. The note was calling out to me—I desperately had to know what Alpha Jaxon had written.
As if my father sensed my eagerness, he casually stood up and walked over to the oak table with the moon flower and the note. He pinched it in his hand and carefully approached me, setting the note in my hands. His eyes studied my face as if searching for some hint of truth, his lips still tight in a straight line.
I shuffled forward into a sitting position and glared down at the white paper. My wolf picked up Alpha Jaxon's scent on the paper and grew even more excited. My finger delicately circled the words on the paper; I could feel that Alpha Jaxon had written it himself.
A blush took over, and I steadied myself from falling over for a second time as each word on the note registered in my mind. Frankly, it was quite romantic—a side of Alpha Jaxon I didn't know existed. It was clear he meant what he said when he begged me not to reject him as a mate. The note sent a feeling of devotion through my body. I'm sure any she-wolf would have relished it, but the problem was that my family was about to find out my deepest and darkest secret, and I wasn't ready for it to leak yet.
"Little wolf, you are the feeling I can never replace.
Spoil me tonight with your time as your congratulations to your new Alpha.
Yours, Jaxon"
I looked up at my parents and felt the water accumulate in my eyes, tears spilling down my cheeks one by one. I so badly wanted to lie and protect my family. I knew how they felt about Alpha Jaxon—they were aware of what he was capable of; I was aware too. But I had seen a tender side of him, and with this note, I almost questioned whether I could give in and let him take me as his mate.
It felt as if my father sensed the pain in my chest and chose not to pester me further with numerous questions. He crouched down in front of me and grabbed my hands in his. He looked at me, emitting an aura of safety, and gritted his teeth, asking only one question, "Adeline, is Alpha Jaxon your mate?" I could feel my mother cover her mouth in surprise at his question. His words shot through my chest like a straight arrow, and I fought hard against the urge to tell them that Alpha Jaxon wasn't my mate. Yet, it was as if my body rejected those words. I pursed my lips in an effort to say no, but instead what flew out of my mouth was, "Yes, Daddy. I'm not sure how, but Alpha Jaxon is my mate."
The room went silent. A pin could have dropped, and the entire house would have heard it. My gaze was glued to the floor; I was terrified to look at my parents to see their expressions. I heard my father breathe in and out rapidly. I didn't think anything could have prepared them for my confession. He rested his head on my shoulder for a moment, as if gathering his thoughts. "Sweetheart, none of this is your fault. We don't get to pick who our fated mates are. We just assumed that Alpha Jaxon truly didn't have a mate because of all the bloodshed he's caused. But if he is your fated mate, nothing could have kept him from you. The mate bond is too strong."
Sincerity poured from his words; we both knew there was nothing we could do about my mating to Alpha Jaxon. It was a reality we would all have to accept. I lifted my head to see how my mother was taking the news. I examined her face with narrowed eyes until she finally spoke in a whisper, "D-Does Luna Beverly know?"
I slowly shook my head at her. "I'm not sure, but I think it's best to reject Alpha Jaxon. If Beverly challenged me, I probably wouldn't survive the challenge anyway. I did nothing to deserve this, Mom. I'd rather accept my fate from the Moon Goddess than die at the hands of Beverly," distaste slipping through my words.
My parents paused for a moment, exchanging worried looks once again. My mother reached out and grasped her cup of coffee, knuckles turning white from her tightened grip. "A long time ago, my great-great-grandmother was fated to a similar mating. He wasn't an Alpha, thus not as dangerous as Alpha Jaxon, but he was still an evil beast. He tormented her daily and subjected her to beatings until one day she almost lost her life. She was willful though, full of courage, and managed to slip away one night. She was never found until she became severely ill and had no choice but to return to the pack. When she returned, she was told her mate had died from a broken heart. A widowed Beta felt pity toward her and took her as his chosen mate, saving her life with his mark."
My father abruptly stood up and yelled, "NO. My daughter will not run away from her fate. The mating bond is strong for us as wolves, but the bond for an Alpha? It's much stronger. He'll turn over the earth to find her. If she chooses to reject him, that's one thing I can accept. She comes from a long line of enforcers. We do not run away from our problems," shooting my mother a challenging look.
