ELI.
Today's training is brutal. As was all of them this past week. Madeline, somehow, acquired my schedule and has been popping up everywhere. I am starting to think she didn't grasp what I said to her last time about me having a mate.
It's hard to keep cool while she wags her ass in my face during morning warm-ups and stretches; not because I want her but because everyone can see what she is doing, and it is embarrassing.
The whistle for break is blown, and I jog over to the benches to help pass some water bottles out to the trainees.
"Back with the misses?" A hand grips my shoulder a little too tightly. I glance over at Gabe and actually have to do a double take. If I am not mistaken, his eyes were just black. Is he pissed? I shrug my shoulders up and down to shake off his hand, and he removes it, placing it at his side.
"If you are referring to Madeline as the Mrs... then no."
I continue to pass out the waters. He grabs one from me, nearly snatching it from my hands. What the hell? I reach down for another one.
"The way she's staring at you and throwing herself at you as you say nothing says otherwise." He snears before chugging the now open water bottle.
I don't like his tone. I feel my wolf stirring uneasily within me. I try to reason with him that this is Gabriel, our Gamma and good friend. However, like that night many months ago, he wanted us to ring Gabriel by his pale neck.
"Are you uninterested in Samantha now?" He questions through gritted teeth.
"Watch your mouth!" I snap. My eyes blackened over, and my claws spring out, busting the water bottles in my hands. The warrior who was reaching for it jumps back as the water splashed out onto the floor.
Everyones attention is now on us, including Tristian and Madeline. As they cautiously walk over, Tristian assures everyone it is okay to start training again, and they do.
"Someone clean this up!" Tristian shouts casually.
Even though I am relunctant to, I allow him to usher us towards the far corner of the gym.
"What's going on, you two?" Madeline asks while batting her lashes at me, making Gabe give me a smug look.
"Gamma, you're testing my patience." I counter.
"What's the issue here?!" Tristian demands. A growl gurgles in my throat at the authoritative tone he uses in his voice.
"Pardon my tone, Alpha." He bows.
"Pardoned." I growl as I glare at Gabriel. "The Gamma seems to want to challenge his Alpha."
Madeline gasps as her and Tristian look over at Gabe, whose smirk is now replaced with a solemn stare.
"Ha," He sighs, "I did not challenge you. I merely asked about our Luna and when you plan on transitioning her into her rightful role."
I fight back my anger, my canines ripping into my inner lip before retracting.
Tristian senses the tension and slaps Gabe hard on the back while pulling us both into a half hug.
"Hey, hey, we are old friends, right?" He looks between us and sighs. "Clearly, it wasn't a challenge, just curiousity." He forces a cheesy smile. "I'm sure Alpha will make the decision when the time is more reasonable. We have hunters afoot. They don't need to learn of our Luna."
"Lunas make their pack stronger." Gabe shoots out.
Is he just antsy because I am denying them their Luna? It's true a pack is only as strong as their Alpha, and their Alpha is the strongest when he has his Luna by his side. Does Gabriel think I'm keeping our pack from thriving? He is definitely overreacting. He knows I've been working on it.
"Gamma, you know it's more complicated than just making a decision due to the circumstances." Tristian says as he begins backing away from the group to rejoin the others' training. "Not the time or place. I trust our Alpha will make the RIGHT decision." his eyes trail from me to my right, where I knew Madeline was standing.
I let out a roar that trembled the gym and slammed what remained of the water bottles I still choked in my hands on the floor. I stomp my way out of the gym, office bound. I am so pissed off at my so-called "friends" for betraying me the way they did and in front of everyone. I am their friend and their Alpha, and they dare question me? Pick Madeline over Samantha? Yeah, the fuck right! Tristian always views things in black and white, just like Mother. I had to get out of there before there was a massacre in the gym.
My bones begin to snap and crackle as my wolf fights to surface. He wants to discipline them for betraying us. I stop at the end of the hall and lean on the corner of the wall. I bury my face in my arm as I try to fight my wolf off.
I hear the gym door close from down the hall, and I take a deep breath trying to calm myself. The scent of the she wolf is doing nothing to help.
"Are you ok?" The small voice fuels my rage. She is the last person I want to see right now.
"Why are you following me?" I mumble not looking at her.
"I'm most definitely not following you." Madeline says in a cutesy voice. "I came to see if you were ok after what happened-"
"Cut the shit!" I bark at her. The frustration in me is boiling over.
She is visibly trembling and bites her bottom lip, looking away from me. She seems to be pondering on what to say.
"I don't need any of this added stress Madeline."
"I don't want to be your stress," She takes a sudden step towards me, looking at me again with hopeful eyes. "I want to be your relief, like I used to be. Just like you are for me still. I want to be your mate."
I furrow my brows at her. Did she really not understand me before? Seems like no one is understanding; Not Madeline, not Tristian, not Gabriel, and not my mother.
"I am mated." I hiss as I stand up straight towering over her.
She cocks her head to the side and stares at me, studying me. Her eyes drift to my neck and I let out a low growl of annoyance.
"You're unmarked neck tells another story."
Before I even knew what I am doing I rushed up to her and grab a handful of her hair. She yelps in pain as I push her face full force towards the wall, barely stopping before she hits it.
"Don't fuck with me Madeline!" She struggles against my grip, her hands reaching behind her head trying to claw mines out of her hair.
"E, please!" She begs.
I force my wolf back and let her go.
"I'm sorry." I mean it.
Not being able to mark Samantha right now is fucking with my head and my wolf. We need her for balance and without her my internal scale is tipping towards madness. Yeah, he has been calmer, but we are easily irritated. It's getting harder the longer I am away from my Luna, to stay levelheaded. Is that what Gabe was referring to? I would never hurt anyone in my pack intentionally, as long as they didn't betray the pack that is. I'd like to think I wouldn't.
However, here I was about to smash Madeline through a wall just to care about me. Yeah, she is pushing her luck with all the flirting and mate shit but is she actually doing anything wrong? Flirting between unmarked wolves is normal. Werewolves are very sexual beings. Plus, me and Maddie have history. If I hadn't found my mate maybe I would have still had feelings for her. Maybe, but I don't. She needs to understand and respect that, but I also need to understand broken hearts don't heal overnight, not even for werewolves.
"Madeline, I will not stand for the disrespect of me, your Alpha and S-..your future Luna!"
"Just say it. What's her name?" She glares. "We, your pack don't even know our 'Luna' or her name."
My hands fist at my sides.
"How are we supposed to respect someone when you're too ashamed to bring this so-called mate here or even utter her name!"
Suddenly, a loud smack is heard echoing through the hall. It takes a moment to register that it was the sound of my open hand wiping across Maddie's face.
"Do you even have a mate? She might as well be a ghost." She mumbles. Her head stays shifted to the right, where my hand left it. She stares off into nothing; her expression hidden behind a curtain of blonde locks.
"Never disrespect me again." I growl as I walk off to find solitary in my office.
I rush into my office and slam the door shut. I lean against it and watch my hands tremble. I can't believe I let my emotions get the best of me or that I touched her again. I take a deep relaxing breath. I have to get ready for Alex's birthday party. I need to see Samantha.