Chapter 20 Burn Marks
1260words
I had struggled to understand why Alpha Jaxon had taken such a keen interest in me from the moment he laid eyes on me. I had filled my mind with all kinds of explanations. Well, the pieces of the puzzle were finally clicking together—I was Alpha Jaxon's mate. A part of me was surprised that I found my mate right on my 18th birthday; some wolves were not that lucky and spent years trying to find the other half of their soul. I wasn't sure I would use the term lucky either to summarize the destiny of being the fated mate to the famously ruthless Alpha Jaxon. Would he even allow me to reject him, or would he reject me first? Every werewolf in the United States knew about his chosen mating to Beverly. She was the Luna he needed. As far as I was concerned, she was beautiful and fierce. She wasn't my cup of tea, but she would surely lead without fear, and she would certainly give him powerful pups, ensuring that the Midnight Moon Pack would rule for decades to come. I understood it was the right choice to make—both for him and his pack, which was quickly expanding with the number of packs he was taking over recently.
My heart ached at the thought of another wolf carrying his pups. Color escaped my face as sadness took over. I sat back down across from Sophia while carefully placing my coffee mug on the table. Suddenly, I lost my appetite as I stared at the biggest stack of pancakes I could have ever imagined.
"You look like you've just seen a ghost," Sophia's soft voice strained.
"I would have taken a ghost over what I just encountered any day," I admitted, lowering my gaze to the pancakes on my plate. I knew it would be rude to make Mark go through all the trouble of making me a fresh batch of pancakes only to not eat them. With the mess I suddenly found myself in, I couldn't afford any bad blood with anyone. I dug into the chocolate pancakes piled high with whipped cream on top, and admittedly, they tasted like nothing I had ever tried before.
I was grateful that Sophia didn't interrogate me as I thought she would and allowed us to eat in silence. After the fourth bite of my breakfast, she glared at me with a smirk. "And the final consensus is what exactly? Name me one person who can whip up a better breakfast than this."
I blamed my silence on the exquisite breakfast that lay in front of me and replied, "Mmm... you'll be waiting a while for me to name anyone who can top this. I can't believe this is what you're treated to every morning."
An accomplished smile radiated on her face. "Get used to it, girl! You're about to become an official member of the Midnight Moon Pack. You're going to make Mark's day when he hears that. You know he takes his cooking quite seriously."
A few more bites later, we had finished our breakfast. As we stood to leave, Mark approached us.
"I hope you weren't about to leave without complimenting the chef," he teased the two of us and shot out a grin.
I straightened my back and gave him the biggest smile I could muster. "I was just coming to look for you. That was the most delightful breakfast—no, meal—that I've ever had. I hate to break it to you, but now that I've had a taste of Chef Mark's cooking, I'm positive nothing can keep me from it."
He nodded in approval with accomplishment gleaming in his eyes. "Adeline, I'll have your taste buds exploding again sooner than you think. The Alpha has requested an exceptional menu for your dinner with him tonight. You'll be in for quite the treat," and with that, he shot me a wink while turning back toward the double doors.
Curiosity and eagerness filled the air around me as Sophia crossed her arms and taunted me, "Dinner with Alpha? Well, isn't that very interesting... I wonder if Mark's referring to the same Alpha who sent that box of moonflowers to your room this morning."
With desire churning in my gut over the thought of Alpha Jaxon, I linked my arm through Sophia's and rolled my eyes. "I think we better get going if we're going to find you the perfect dress for your brother's coronation tomorrow. We wouldn't want another wolf to buy it before we got there, now would we?"
While I knew that Sophia was Alpha Jaxon's younger sister, I felt a desperate need to confide in her about my situation. She felt like the only person I could trust in the Midnight Moon Pack, and I was tired of fighting about it with my wolf. We walked out to a black SUV with completely tinted windows waiting for us right in front of the pack house, as a familiar scent ran through the air.
"Beta Don," Sophia nodded as he held the door open for us to get into the backseat of the SUV. He stared at me with a side-eyed glance until he blurted out, "Well, hello stranger. It's refreshing to see you again." I playfully hit his arm as I shuffled myself into the car. I enjoyed Beta Don's presence; he was easygoing and positive, but he also held the aura of a high-ranking wolf, power radiating from within him.
The shops were a short drive from the pack house, and the vehicle was filled with jokes and laughter from the three of us. I wondered if Beta Don had known that Alpha Jaxon was my fated mate, while flashbacks from last night overtook my thoughts. I remembered how Beta Don's expression changed when Alpha Jaxon arrived, and how he had guided me to him when I approached Beta Don for another drink. I also recalled how supportive he had been to ensure my safety in the cages.
I shook away my insane speculation. Even if I were Alpha Jaxon's fated mate, there was no way he would actually take me as his mate. I would soon end up a rejected wolf. Would I die from the pain? Would the Moon Goddess gift me a second chance mate? Maybe I would have to take a chosen mate? Thoughts of what-ifs filled my mind.
I was an average wolf, and he already had a Luna and was a few days away from the mating ceremony. As if Beta Don could hear my thoughts playing in my head, his tone turned serious, "It's going to be quite busy over the next few days, ladies. I hope you find everything you're looking for. We have the Alpha's official coronation tomorrow, followed by the mating ceremony of the Alpha and Luna, and then the Luna's coronation to seal off the week. The presence of all wolves is mandatory."
His eyes stayed glued on me through the rearview mirror as each word left his lips. It was clear he was intently watching for my reaction at the mention of Alpha Jaxon and Luna Beverly. Water filled my eyes, and I felt my heart literally cracking into a million pieces while I fought to hold onto my composure.
"I'm sure they'll rule in complete unison," sarcasm poured out of my mouth, and my eyes flicked through the window beside me. I felt Sophia's sympathetic glare, and she reached out to grab my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.
