Chapter 8 Prize and Possession
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Beverly tried to latch onto my arm as if we were the perfect picture of an Alpha and a Luna, smiling at everything like nothing had happened five minutes earlier. I was enraged; my wolf was ready to rip her throat out, but I knew I had to steady myself before doing something stupid. As we walked back into the crowd of the Lone Wolf, I saw the twinkle in many of my wolves' eyes. It was evident they were proud of their Alpha and Luna, but I felt nothing but shame.
I motioned for my Beta Don and turned to give Beverly a kiss on the cheek. "Sorry, babe, I'm exhausted from tonight. I'll see you back at the pack house." I could sense how livid she was, holding her wolf back, knowing I was going to check on Adeline after the mess Beverly had made. Granted, the mess I created. She was right to be angry with me, but she also knew this was always a union about strengthening the pack—it was never about her and me. No matter how well she rode my cock or how much she pretended we were so deeply in love, nothing could compare to Adeline and how my wolf and I felt about her—my one true mate. Regardless, I knew I was in for one hell of a night once we got back to our bedroom. The wrath of Beverly wasn't a pleasant one.
"Get. In." I shuttered through my teeth to my Beta. He might not have been expecting what he saw between Adeline and me, but he was my Beta, and I knew he cared about her enough to keep an eye on her tonight and keep Beverly far, far away until I could pull myself out of this mess.
After a brief silence, he said, "She's your one true mate, isn't she?" He looked at me, already knowing the answer. I nodded, hoping he wouldn't pursue the conversation. I just needed him to stay with Adeline until I figured out what to do with Beverly.
Frustration washed over me, and I started banging on the steering wheel. Why was my life so unfair? First, I basically murdered my father because I was young and stupid, then I actually believed the ridiculous rumor that I'm the one wolf in history cursed with no mate, so I took a chosen mate to strengthen my pack—and right before I could do that, my mate strolled into my life. FUCK. I gripped the dark blue leather on the side of the driver's seat, ready to rip it to shreds.
Don continued looking out the window, letting me have my temper tantrum until he finally responded, "I don't get it, Jax. She's your one true mate. She's gorgeous and so fucking witty. The way you look at her, you've never and will never look at Beverly. Everyone in the pack will understand that your union with Beverly could never work out because you found your true mate. What's stopping you? Just drop Beverly and tell her not to let the door hit her on the way out." He made it sound so simple.
I growled at him and bared my teeth. "Do you really think it's that easy, Don? You and I both know that Adeline is a fragile, small wolf. We also know her position as Luna will be challenged over and over, until one day something happens and she gets killed. Then I not only killed my father, but I also managed to kill my one true mate. Do you think I could lead as Alpha with a dead true mate? I'd be dead too. She's not strong enough; I curse the Moon Goddess for giving me such a small, fragile mate. I would've been better off without one and actually cursed."
I sank deep in thought. Beverly was ruthless, and I couldn't let her near my little mate. I had known from the moment I laid eyes on Adeline that she could never be my mate; I couldn't put her in danger that way. She had half of my soul after all, but I would trade my half of our soul just to keep her safe. I knew Beverly would make a strong Luna; maybe one day, I would grow some kind of love for her.
In an ideal life, Adeline and I would've crossed paths and fallen in love. We would have mated and had many pups. I would never have let her out of our bedroom until she was clawing to get out. We would be a family. I knew deep in my heart she was going to make a wonderful mother one day. We would've lived happily ever after until our last breaths. But of course, I was never fated such luck. Maybe this was a punishment from the Moon Goddess, I wondered. I wouldn't say I was a good man, but everything I'd ever done was to keep my pack safe. They depended on me, and I was never going to let my own weakness take over my pack knowing full well that Adeline would become my one and only weakness.
As we approached the gates at the border of Midnight Pack, the black steel gates engraved with a wolf howling slowly opened. I motioned the guard with a single raised finger, and he quickly approached my car nervously.
"Where did they leave the girl?" I demanded. I was sure he didn't want to sell out the other wolves—his friends—but he knew better than to lie to his Alpha.
"S-Sir, I think you'd better hurry... They took her to the cages and have asked for chains to be brought in." His words came out sheepishly, and I knew whatever they were planning wasn't good.
I let out a roar, sure I almost popped a vein in my neck as anger shot through me. A roar so loud that the entire pack probably heard it. Without even glancing at the guard again, I pressed the gas pedal to its limit, racing to find my mate. Nothing was going to stop me; I would run if I had to.
"We couldn't have been more than five minutes behind them, Jax. I'm sure she's okay. Scared most likely, but I'm sure she's safe," Don reassured me. His voice was always the voice of reason, but I couldn't believe it until my wolf and I saw that she was indeed safe. I knew she'd be upset with me once I got to her, but nothing could've prepared me for how upset she actually was.
