Page 10 of The Dancer

“I remember when David tried to convince me to be his mate.”

A small smile curves the side of her lips at the memory.

“Convince?” I ask.

“Oh, yes, dear.” She pats my hand before rising and rounding the counter. “Let me make you some tea, and I will tell you the story.”

Smiling, I nod at her. She reminds me of my mother in some moments. Especially now. My mother also thought a good cup of tea could fix any problem. She flits around the yellow kitchen with the white cabinets.

“I was almost eighteen when my father brought us to the Whychwood pack. He disagreed with how the Alpha in our old pack treated the people. My father wanted to get me out of there before I was old enough to be claimed by any of the males. Then Alpha, Dean Anderson, Elias’s father, welcomed us with open arms. A month later, I had my birthday.” Linda chuckles before handing me a mug of steaming jasmine tea. “David had been snooping around, leaving me flowers. But I didn’t want anything to do with him.”

“Really?” I ask in surprise. I’ve seen the two of them together, and even though they are an older couple, it’s clear they adore each other. It’s been less than forty-eight hours, but I can tell they have a deep, lasting love.

“Oh, yes. I had seen too much growing up, and I didn’t want any man keeping me prisoner and holding me back.” A look of sadness crosses her features before she smiles once more. “But David, he wasn’t giving up. His wolf slept outsidemy window for a month before I gave in and went on a date with him. That boy pulled out all the stops. We were mated in a fortnight, and I had my first pup within a year.”

I take a moment just to let her story settle in my mind, playing her words over in my mind.

“How did you get over the fear?”

“I didn’t.” She squeezes my hand before standing and placing her mug in the basin. “But when I had David beside me, I knew I could conquer anything.”

She walks out leaving me alone with my cooling tea and my spinning thoughts.

Chapter Eight

Elias

I watch from a distance as Quinn and Linda walk through the compound. Linda leads, introducing her to other women as they progress. Maddox is with them, the only unmated male I trust enough with my mate, ensuring she is safe and that all other males keep their distance. I know the pack has heard about what happened at the council gathering and everyone is staying away from her, but I can’t guarantee that even the most innocent interaction with Quinn won’t set me off into a murderous rage. My wolf continues to test my control and I can honestly say I’m not sure how long I can keep him at bay.

This isn’t how I usually operate. I am the pack Alpha for a reason. I have always been decisive. When I see something I want, I take it. I don’t hold back, and I always get my way.

But being bullheaded and making demands isn’t going to get me a damn thing this time. It goes against everything in my nature, but I need to wait for her to come to me or I know I will lose her.

The fading sunlight glints off her blonde hair as she throws her head back in laughter. My breath stalls in my lungs, and my heart thumps against my ribs. I want to stalk over to her and kiss her senseless before I steal her away from all the eyes that are tracking her movements. I want to keep her to myself so no one can see how radiant she is and try to pilfer her from me.

My attention is drawn from her to my brother. He is currently arguing with Tyler, a younger pack member, blocking his route to Quinn. The problem is that his attention isn’t where it should be. I watch as Daryl approaches Quinn from the side and clench my fists. I am trying to keep my composure, but I can feel my tenuous grip on my control and my animal slipping.

Linda positions herself between Daryl and his intendedtarget, but he shoulders her out of the way, pushing her to the ground. His right hand is extended toward Quinn. My mate sneers at him before checking to see if her friend is okay. Daryl touches her arm, turning her toward him, and I can’t hold myself at bay any longer.

I’m in motion before I can even consider my actions. The shift takes over, and I burst out of my clothes. I’ve been shifting for years, so the motion is fluid, I barely feel the bones cracking and reshaping, and my wolf takes over.

My mind is hyper-focused on getting to Quinn, and I will do anything to get to her. I vaguely note that people are screaming as my onyx wolf speeds through the crowd, not caring who he takes down in the process.

My jaw wraps around Daryl’s bicep and closes down hard. I hear his scream of pain, which soothes the anger my beast is living off. With my teeth embedded deep into his flesh, my beast takes the opportunity to inflict the most damage, harshly shaking his massive head. I hear the pop of his shoulder dislocating before Daryl’s legs give out, and his weight drops to the floor.

In a split-second, my wolf has Daryl pinned to the grass beneath him, the long nails on my paws digging into the soft flesh above his collarbones. A coppery tang taints my taste buds and I am sure I have bloody saliva dripping from my muzzle. I don’t care that I look feral to every person around us right now. All I can think of is ripping this asshole’s jugular out. The smell of piss hangs in the air and if I were in human form I would chuckle.

“Elias.”

Her voice reaches me, and I feel it to my soul. Her hand lands between my shoulder blades, running through my thick fur. I swear, if I were a cat I would be fucking purring. Her touch soothes my beast and calms me down before I end the life of apack mate that has been pissing me off for years.

“Leave him,” she whispers in my ear, and my beast immediately complies, standing down.

Everyone stares at us as I stand in front of her with my blood maw ensuring no one else can get close. My teeth are bared to ensure everyone knows I won’t hesitate to repeat my performance.

Quinn continues to touch my wolf, scratching behind my ear. Maddox helps Daryl to his feet before shoving him at Tyler with a growl of his own.

“I would suggest that everyone learns from today. YourAlpha,”—he makes sure to put particular emphasis on the word—“is not playing around. Any male, I repeat, any male that tries to touch Quinn will face the consequences.” He glares at Daryl before turning to Quinn. “I’m sorry I didn’t protect you better.”

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