Page 91 of Alpha Jax

I feel Theo’s eyes burning into the side of my face as he stuffs the last of his burger into his mouth and turns to me, and Quinn squeezes my hand hard, barely containing her own excitement.

Brooke never misses a thing. “Oh my gosh!” she squeals, leaping around Theo, darting past me, and slamming into Quinn. Her hand leaves mine as Brooke practically tackles her in a hug.

I turn to face Theo, and I see a litany of emotions wash over him as he processes the situation- suspicion, confusion, disbelief, and finally, acceptance. Happiness.

The corners of his lips tip up into a grin as he reaches out to grasp my hand, clapping me on the back in a bro-hug. “Congratulations, man.”

“Thanks,” I laugh, still practically giddy from the high of sealing the bond with Quinn.

Theo and I both glance over at the girls- Brooke has let Quinn go, and now she’s running her fingers over the fresh mark that I left on her skin.

“Congrats, Q,” Theo drawls, holding out an arm. Quinn steps into hit, accepting a tight hug from her brother.

“Thanks,” she breathes, squeezing her eyes shut as he embraces her. “I’m so happy.”

Her words send warmth spreading through my chest. While I could see and feel her happiness, it’s another thing to hear it from her lips. I feel like I just won the fucking lottery.

Our excitement and hugs have caught Anders’ attention, and I look up to meet his questioning eyes, giving him a little nod. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen the guy smile before, but the biggest, widest smile immediately stretches his cheeks; he looks like he’s about to burst.

“Looks like we have another announcement!” Anders booms excitedly, waving Quinn and I over.

She slips her hand in mine again, and together we walk to where her father’s standing. She runs her fingertips over her mark anxiously with her other hand.

“It’s true?” Anders asks in a low voice as we approach.

“Yes,” Quinn breathes, glancing up at me with eyes full of trust and adoration.

Again, I feel like my heart could burst from my chest. I wonder if that’s just the norm now- every look, every touch, every word, I’ll just be melting into a puddle over my mate. It won’t do much for my whole tough guy alpha thing… I wonder if all alphas go soft like this over their mates, or if I’m just a sappy fuck.

Anders beams. “My daughter has found her mate!”

If I thought people were cheering loudly before, it’s nothing compared to what happens next- the roar of the crowd is deafening as whoops and cheers and applause break out. It’s clear that Quinn’s pack really loves her, that they’re overjoyed for her happy news. Anders pulls Quinn into his arms for a hug, holding her tight and whispering something in her ear. Once he releases her, he turns to me, still grinning from ear to ear as he gives me half-hug, slapping my back. He seems truly happy, and I’m grateful, for both Quinn and my sake.

I know it’s a little showboaty, but I can’t help myself- I sweep Quinn into my arms and press a possessive kiss to her lips. I taste her surprise before she melts into me, cupping my cheek and returning my kiss as the cheers around us increase in volume. I’m glad to have the support of Quinn’s pack- although she’ll be leaving them to become Luna of mine, she’s still the daughter of the current alpha, the sister of the future alpha. Our two packs will now be forever intertwined, bonded through so much more than the six-pack alliance. Bonded through blood.

The crowd settles down and countless people approach Quinn and I to offer their congratulations. She’s so loved by the members of her pack, and it warms my heart to see how much they care for her. It also solidifies what I already know- that Quinn’s going to be an amazing luna to the Westfield pack someday. They’re going to love her, and I can’t wait to introduce them to my mate.

The only one who doesn’t come over to congratulate us is Quinn’s ‘shitbag ex’, Clay.Fuck, she’s hilarious- I almost lost my shit earlier when she introduced him to me like that. As Quinn and I mingle, he keeps his distance, shooting occasional glares our way. I don’t really give a shit, though- the kid’s gonna have to accept that Quinn’s my mate. If he wants to step up to me to try to challenge that-bring it on. I’d love to put him in his place after what he put my girl through.

Quinn and I are chatting with Brooke’s parents and I’ve just taken down my third burger when Anders clears his throat, raising his voice for another announcement.

“We’re going to call it early tonight,” he says, and there’s something off about his tone. Something that sends prickles up the back of my neck. “Thank you all for coming.”

I scan the crowd, searching for Theo- and when I find him and our eyes lock, we exchange wary glances. He’s clearly picked up on his father’s tone, too. Something isn’t right.

Quinn and I politely say our goodbyes to the twins’ parents, and I slide an arm around her back, leading her over to join Brooke and Theo.

“What’s going on?” Brooke asks innocently, looking up at her mate.

“Not sure, babe,” he replies, tucking her into his side and dropping a kiss on her forehead. “We’ll find out after everybody leaves.”

Quinn stiffens beside me, and I pull her around to stand in front of me instead, wrapping my arms around her shoulders and pulling her back to my front. She draws a deep breath, relaxing against me, albeit slightly. All four of us are tense, unsure as to what the hell is going on.

It’s probably only ten minutes, but it feels like it takes a goddamn hour for everyone to clear off the lawn and out of the packhouse. When only the five of us are left, Anders turns to us warily, scrubbing a hand over his face.

“Gray called, we’ve got a problem,” he says bluntly. “Emergency council meeting tonight.”

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

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