He’s My Alpha by Cassandra M (Jake & Clair)
Chapter 33
CLAIR
I got up from my bed and headed for the bathroom. I think last night was the first night I was able to sleep peacefully without waking up in the middle of the night since I left Jake’s territory. And even though I still have pain in my chest, at least I was able to rest for hours.
I rested my hands on the sink counter and looked at the mirror. I saw the same face I’ve been seeing for the past few weeks – hollowed eyes, too high cheekbones, and thin cheeks. My small face became smaller. I bit my lips hard to bring color to them, but it didn’t help. I still looked like I’d been driven over by a big truck. I looked dead.
I splashed my face with water to wake me up when a memory from last night came flooding in.
Aaron was here. Shit! Did he find out? What did Jake say?
I grabbed my toothbrush and brushed my teeth in a hurry before putting my day clothes on and rushing out of my bathroom, only to stop in my tracks at the sight of my bedroom.
It was a total mess. My clothes were everywhere. Piles of plates and cups on one side from all the food Aunt Laura had brought in for me. I couldn’t remember ever cleaning or tidying up since I arrived last week. I needed to step up and start to move again, or soon they might kick me out of here.
I decided I would clean up later, but I grabbed a handful of plates and opened my door, slipping out and making my way to the kitchen. Everyone was already sitting around the dining table, including my brother.
“Good morning…” I greeted them as I walked toward the sink and put down the stock of plates in my hand before turning around to look at them. “I still have a load of dirty dishes in my room, but I will clean them up after breakfast.” I smiled, but I could feel my cheeks burning in embarra*s*sment.
In the five years that I stayed with them, Uncle Theodore was strict in making me clean up after my own mess, and he would always check if my room was orderly. So it came as a surprise that since I arrived a week ago, he had never once reprimanded me for my mess.
“Good morning, sweetheart!” My uncle stood up and drew one chair for me to sit in, while Aunt Laura stood up to pick up a plate with pancakes and place it in front of me.
“Glad you can join us for breakfast.” She whispered in my ears and left a kiss on my head. “Don’t worry about the dirty dishes. Just leave your door open and I can pick them up later.”
I bit my lower lip and didn’t say anything more as I watched her go back to her seat. But I knew I would rather be the one to bring them down here.
I took my gaze off Aunt Laura and reached for the fork. I started slicing pancakes when Aaron reached out and put syrup on them. “You forgot your syrup.”
I threw him a quick glance and smiled weakly. “Thank you.”
He offered me his usual c*oc*ky smile. “Want to show me around the area? I don’t think I’ve seen this place yet.”
I tilted my head and looked at him, my brow raised. “Are you staying? How long?”
“As long as it takes. I’m not leaving here without you.”
“I’m not coming back there, Aaron.” I sighed and dropped my gaze to my food.
“Why not?”
“I don’t have anything there for me?”
“You have friends who can understand you. I’m sure Jenny and Chloe will be happy to see you. Even the Alpha, he wants you to come home.”
I swallowed hard when he mentioned his name. “I don’t know. I’ll think about it.”
He nodded and continued eating his pancakes, glancing at my uncle from time to time, who pretended to be busy reading his morning paper while drinking coffee, but I knew he was listening. “Don’t think about it. We’ll take it one day at a time. Today, I want you to show me around. Fair enough?” He added while pushing a mouthful of pancake into his mouth.
I smiled at his action. Typical Aaron. But I was thankful that he was here.
I couldn’t thank my brother enough for staying longer than he should have. I knew he had responsibilities within the pack, but he refused to leave my side at the moment.
And I was not ready to head back yet. Until now, nobody had a clue who my mate was, and I wanted it to remain that way.
Aaron has been doing a great job of forcing me to eat on time and hit the gym so we can both work out. I had shown him around, and by the look of it, he had gotten familiar with the city and the human girls around here to manage his own hookups without my help. Not that I care. He could do what he wanted as long as he didn’t bother me about my so-called mate.
Today was the tenth day since Aaron came, and we were hanging out on the porch outside the house, beer cans and chips all over us.
Aunt Laura and Uncle Theodore were with us earlier, but they went ahead and called it a night, leaving me and Aaron alone.
“Dairy, you know I have to go back soon, right? I’ ve been here more than I should.”
“I know. And that’s okay. You don’t really need to babysit me now. I’m better and I’ll keep getting better and better.”
He let out a sigh. “If I had a say in this matter, I would take you home, but I won’t f*orc*e you. And I would stay if there’s nothing important to do there.”
I nodded as I pulled my knees into my chest, hugging my legs. I c*oc*ked my head and glanced at him. “Is everything okay there? I mean, you need to go home because you’ve been here so long, or did something important come up?”
“The Alpha’s birthday is coming, and we sent out invitations for a gala. With many Alphas’ daughters invited, we need to hike up the security, and that’s my job. The Alpha has been covering for me, but I owed it to him to be back for the event itself.” He explained, but I failed to hear the rest of his words after it sank in that many Alpha females were invited.
“What’s with the Alpha females being invited?” I couldn’t hold my tongue, so I asked.
“He needs to have a Luna soon. Beta and I thought it’s better if he could interact with them before the Claiming Ball.”
My nose started to flare as my heart was slowly being crushed. To hide my emotions, I rested my chin on my knees and gazed down. Rain whimpered before she retreated herself from the back of my mind. She left me again to suffer on my own, which she has been doing since I left the territory.
“So, he’s picking a Luna? What’s a Claiming Ball?” I asked in a low voice.
Aaron took a swig of his beer before answering. “He needed a Luna. He delayed it for so long and the elders are not happy. And since he’s not doing anything or not searching for his mate or chosen, Beta Gavin arranged for this ball.”
“What’s a Claiming Ball?” I asked again. My brow was raised, my face void of emotions.
“It’s a ball for Alpha females, daughters, and descendants of Alpha lineage. If an Alpha or a Beta wants to take an Alpha Female for a chosen mate, he needs to fight for her in the Claiming, unless, of course, nobody wants that female, then she’s free to be taken by the interested Alpha.”
“Those females, they’re that special?” My heart thudded and I felt my hatred for all alpha females grow.
“You would say that. If they’re not fated to an Alpha, most fathers would rather have their daughter claimed by another Alpha. Many of those females rejected their mates or have never found them.”
“Pathetic!” I huffed in annoyance.
“I know. But it works for most. Especially those who want to build alliances with those Alpha females’ pack. They do everything to win those females, and voila, alliances are built.”
“And Jake would go there to claim a mate?”
“He needs to. He’s losing time.”
There was silence between us. I wanted to ask
more, but I kept mum, fearing that Aaron would catch me with my own tongue.
But one thing was for sure, my broken heart just kept breaking. I didn’t know that a shattered heart could be shattered more.
I honestly had no idea what I was thinking.
Sometimes I felt like something was wrong with my head. I ran away from him so he wouldn’t have to be burdened by this fated mate thing, and yet here I was, sitting in my pick-up while Aaron drove us back to the territory just because I was devastated at the idea that Jake would claim another female for his mate.
Pathetic, right? I know.
I didn’t have a game plan. I had no idea what I would say to him. I didn’t know what I would do if he picked someone else. I didn’t want to see that day, and yet, here I was, heading back to witness exactly when that day arrived.
Really pathetic. I am pathetic.
“I’m still shocked you’re coming with me. But I’m not complaining. So what’s the deal?” Aaron threw a quick glance at me before moving back to the
road. We just crossed another state and were just four hours away from the territory.
I scrunched up my nose and fixed my sunglasses before answering. “What do you mean, what’s the deal?”
“What made you change your mind? Jake? Right?” He continued without looking at me this time. His voice sounded calm and welcoming, which was never the case whenever we talked about me and Jake in the past. “You still like him?”
I let out a sigh and slumped my head into my seat’s headrest. “You can say that, but more so, I just want to see who he will choose,” I admitted. I’d rather he knew that I like Jake, or he might suspect something if I started to act strange around him or his Luna.
He nodded. “Fair enough. If you want, I can sneak you into the gala.” A coy smile formed on his lip. “What?” I looked at him. His eyes widened in surprise. “Why would you do that? What happened to, not my sister? Back off!” I asked while mimicking his voice for the last part.
He chuckled and shook his head before turning serious. “I think he likes you, dairy. You should have seen how devastated he was when I told him you left because you found your mate. He tried not to show it, but he wasn’t the same after you left.”
For a while, I felt my lungs stop working as air constricted in my throat. My eyes sting with tears, but I fight them off from falling. I was lost for words.
A certain emotion started to grow within me, something I haven’t felt since I found out he was my mate.
Hope.
Maybe he liked me enough to overcome his hatred for the mate bond. I closed my eyes and scolded myself. I couldn’t be hopeful. That would be the death of me.
“And maybe, he’ll be good for you. So, you’ll forget that idiot mate of yours. But I’m not saying that Jake will be off the hook, If he’ll just play you around then… you know what’s coming next.” He smiled warmly before pulling my head close to him, giving my hair a soft kiss before letting me go.
I smiled in return, trying to hide my real emotions. I cursed my life and every decision I made. Why did I run away in the first place, just to come back? Now things are getting more complicated.
“So? Are you on it? I’ll sneak you in at the Gala.” He winked at me.
I nodded my head too eagerly before I let out one more concern. “Do you think we can stop by somewhere where I can buy a dress? I don’t have anything perfect for a gala.”