Chapter 96 Secret Is Out
1417words
I was ready to claw my mate's honey eyes right out of their sockets the moment he left me alone with Alpha Blake and his wife. The two were irritating yet kind, which made me feel bad for despising their presence. My wolf, however, clung to the feeling that something was off about them. She brought up Beverly more than a dozen times, yet I tried to keep my composure, referring to the entire ordeal as an "unfortunate turn of events." My wolf perked up even before Alpha Jaxon reappeared from the tree line, sighing in relief that we were about to be saved from Alpha Blake's rambling.
An itchy feeling washed over me once Alpha Jaxon was back by my side. I assumed it was me getting used to the mate bond, considering how well Alpha Jaxon played his poker face. When Alpha Jaxon hurried me away, I noticed his furrowed brows and the worried look on his face. "Are you okay?" he questioned in a small voice.
Now I was sure that the itchy feeling inside was warranted. I shot him a confused look. "What am I missing here?"
He heaved a sigh. "We'll meet back at my office after the party. I don't want my Luna to worry about anything," he said and kissed my forehead. His lips pressed on my forehead made me feel a sudden chill along my skin. I glanced back toward the Alpha table and noticed Alpha Christian was uptight, like something was weighing down on him. I shifted my glance over the table and locked eyes with Alpha Blake's mate. She quickly shot me a smile, and I instantly returned it.
Bailey rushed over; her squeals of excitement could be heard over the loud music. When she realized that my mate was standing behind me, on cue she dropped her head in submission. "Alpha, Luna. Congratulations on your mating," she said in a frantic voice. Bailey was usually larger than life, which made me laugh at seeing her suddenly nervous and reserved. "You know you're still my best friend," I said, throwing my arms around her. Alpha Jaxon smirked, "A friend of my mate's is also a friend of mine."
She slowly lifted her head; the grandest smile I had ever seen spread across her face. She was suddenly more relaxed and back to her giddy self. Alpha Jaxon excused himself, citing that he didn't want to interrupt "girl time" and reminded Bailey there was no need to be a stranger—the pack house was always open for visits. He kissed me goodbye, yet my wolf winced when we watched him walk away.
"You marked him!" she yelled in a whisper. I smiled. "Oh Bails, I can't wait for you to find your mate! It's the most natural feeling I've ever felt." I lowered my voice only soft enough for her to hear and whispered, "And the sex... it's like I never want to hop off." Bailey's eyes widened at my words—I was never this open and upfront. "Shut. Up." she squealed, excitement evident in her voice.
Sophia appeared from the corner of my eye, carrying three glasses of champagne with a cute strawberry hanging off the rim of one glass. "Girl, you read my mind," Bailey belted out, reaching for her glass and then passing me mine. We clinked our glasses together, and I lifted mine to my lips, eager to feel the liquid gold run down my throat when a pair of large and calloused hands scooped the glass out of my reach.
"Hey! Get your own," I whined to Beta Don, who had a smug look on his face. "Shouldn't you be working on giving me a niece or nephew?" he said with a laugh and tossed back the entire glass of champagne in one swig. I crossed my arms over my chest. "With due time, Beta," I said, trying to put on my best angry face.
Sophia gasped, "Please tell me it's true," jumping up and down eagerly. I rolled my eyes in Beta Don's direction. "Look, now you're spreading rumors. No, I'm not, and I don't plan to be until Jaxon and I are ready." Sophia dropped her excitement but then perked right back up when Alpha Christian approached with a tray of shots in his hand.
"You know you should never rip a Luna's drink away from her. They become highly agitated from what I hear," he taunted, his reaction making me giggle as I reached out for the small glass on the tray he was holding. "Finally, someone with some sense," I called out and stuck my tongue out playfully at Beta Don.
We all clicked our glasses together before tossing the clear liquid to the back of our throats. I whimpered, feeling the familiar sting of tequila burn the back of my throat. When I looked up, I couldn't help but notice how Alpha Christian was admiring Sophia as she chatted with Bailey. It was as if Cupid had just shot his bow straight into Alpha Christian's heart. I couldn't help but smile at his fascination with Sophia. His cheeks quickly turned to a crimson red shade when he noticed that I was watching him. "Does someone have a crush?" I whispered low enough for only him to hear, excited to push his buttons.
He pressed his lips together, his eyes narrowing on me for a brief second. "Let's grab a drink, Luna," he said, cocking his head toward the bar. He didn't need to ask me twice; I whipped my body around, ready to feel the tequila burn down my throat once again. His invitation was rewarded by a deep, low growl from Beta Don, who was seething with anger. "Where do you think you're going with my Luna?" he questioned.
I blew out a sigh of relief when Alpha Jaxon reappeared, happy that he would surely defuse whatever this was. He wrapped his arm around my face, pushing me inside his side closer. "Is there an issue?" he asked, authority beaming from his voice.
Beta Don pushed his chest out. "Yes, Alpha. Alpha Christian has invited our Luna to have a drink with him." Alpha Jaxon bit down on his bottom lip. "No," he said in a commanding voice. It was as if his Alpha tone no longer worked on me; I crossed my arms across my chest and spat, "And why not?" I felt Alpha Christian smirk from behind me. "Alpha, there was no malicious intent. I was just hoping to get some insight about my situation from the Luna."
Alpha Jaxon's eyes zoned in on Alpha Christian, then zipped back to mine. "One drink, Alpha. I expect her by my side right after that," he said and nodded in approval. I felt the intense glares of Alpha Jaxon and Beta Don on me until Alpha Christian and I got to the bar. "What's your drink of choice, Luna?" he asked. Without missing a beat, I replied, "Tequila."
He chuckled and shook his head. "I should have guessed that one," holding up two fingers to the bartender. I glared back at Alpha Jaxon while I waited for my drink, noticing that Beta Don hadn't yet taken his eyes off Alpha Christian and me. The bartender returned with two small glasses filled with tequila. Alpha Christian nodded at him and passed me mine. "So? Are you going to spill it already?" I pressed.
"I need you to keep this to yourself at least until the time is right," he said in a hurried tone. "Sophia is my mate." He took the glass to his lips and pushed back the liquid into his throat. I stood there wide-eyed, utterly frozen in place over Alpha Christian's insane confession.
"Your—what?!" I asked, racking my brain—I must have heard him wrong.
"Yeah, I took the news the same way. Look, Alpha Jaxon knows. He's asked me to give her space and let her figure her feelings out on her own until her birthday," he continued. I was certain my eyes were bulging out of my head now. I wanted to be mad that my mate knew and hadn't told me, but my mind was still reeling with the information.
When in doubt, tequila. A saying that Bailey and I always used when we went out to the bar. I lifted the shot glass and poured it in my mouth with haste, hoping the liquid courage would help make sense of Alpha Christian's words.
