Chapter 5 - The pack's way - racing!

Cassandra’s point of view:

Alpha Dalton marched in with his soldiers close behind him.

“I approved it.” He firmly repeated, standing right in front of Marcus, facing him.

Marcus was both shocked and furious. I quickly stepped away from him when he let go of me.

Alpha Dalton raised an eyebrow challengingly as if daring Marcus to say otherwise now that he knew who exactly gave me permission to attend the pack run.

Marcus defiantly opened his mouth to refute against the Alpha’s decision.

Alpha Dalton held a hand to stop Marcus from talking but the latter still disobeyed him.

“How dare you get involved in my business?” Marcus barked at him.

Alpha Dalton shut his eyes and pursed his lips, waiting for Marcus to be done yelling before looking at him and replying “- your business?” He arched an inquisitive brow at Marcus.

“You are out here causing a scene in front of the pack and you dare ask me this?” Alpha Dalton questioned him, and then clenched his jaw until a muscle ticked in his left cheek.

“Even if I’m causing a scene, this is none of your business -”

“Anything that happens on this pack grounds is my business.” The Alpha stated with finality in his voice.

“Why don’t you just admit that you want to create problems between me and my mate?” Marcus remarked.

“Why would I want to do that?” Alpha Dalton frowned in confusion but he seemed pissed with Marcus’s accusatory tone of voice.

“I don’t know. Why don’t you tell me?” Marcus suggested with his lips quirking up in a slight mockery smirk.

Catching sight of the irritatingly smirk on Marcus’s face, Alpha Dalton’s eyes darkened and narrowed down into slits. “In case you forgot, let me remind you that I’m the Alpha of the Crescent Moon pack. I need to make sure that no one and I repeat, no one is being harassed.” He said through gritted teeth.

“Who is getting harassed?” Marcus feigned ignorance.

Alpha Dalton shifted his gaze on me for a split second before looking back at Marcus.

In that single second, I felt a wholesome of foreign emotions start swirling around in my belly the moment his eyes locked with mine. Just what exactly is wrong with me? Why am I feeling this way whenever Alpha Dalton is around me?

“You’re telling me that this woman -” I involuntarily flinched in fright and moved to step away when Alpha Dalton caught my elbow. “- is not being harassed by you?” I found myself calming down shortly after he started rubbing his thumb softly on my arm in an effort to comfort me.

Alpha Dalton was a stranger to me. Yet, I didn’t hesitate to trust him even after years of hearing rumors about him being a ruthless leader. He was the only one defending me and protecting me from Marcus.

As much as I’ve seen during this past week, Alpha Dalton was anything but ruthless.

“I’m not harassing her. She is my mate. What I do with her shouldn’t concern you. She belongs to me. She’s mine!” Marcus shouted as if that would justify his previous actions.

“She is your chosen mate, not your possession.” Alpha Dalton shouted back heatedly but not once did his hold around my arm tightened.

If anything, it was quite the opposite. He was well aware of his fingers being firmly wrapped around my arm. His thumb never stopped moving, its calming pattern against my skin was soothing.

After a moment of silence with nothing but sounds of Alpha Dalton’s and Marcus’s heavy breathing resonating across the surface, Marcus snickered darkly before barking out, “If you are so determined to ruin the Moon Howlers’ assignment, you are not suitable to be the Alpha of the pack.”

Hearing Marcus’s words, all soldiers standing behind Alpha Dalton flashed their fangs, growling threateningly at the Beta.

Marcus got intimidated and stepped back.

Alpha Dalton raised his free hand to stop his soldiers before saying, “I have always respected your father and that’s why I picked you to be my beta -”

“What are you trying to say, huh? That you did me a favor by choosing me as your beta?” Marcus intervened.

“- but a pack won’t last long with a rival Alpha and Beta.” Alpha Dalton continued. He sounded slightly enraged that Marcus had yet again interrupted him but he was trying to keep his composure.

“What do you mean?” Marcus asked with a gulp.

“You think I don’t know what you’ve set your eyes on?” Alpha Dalton revealed much to Marcus’s disappointment.

“So what?” Instead of staying silent and bowing his head down in shame knowing that Alpha Dalton learnt about him secretly plotting to snatch the Alpha’s position, Marcus insolently asked.

“If you are so willing to question my authority, let’s settle it in the pack’s way.” Alpha Dalton proposed with his eyes reflecting humor that didn’t reach his mouth.

All the pack members standing around began whispering in hushed voices about the way they use to settle disputes and that was by racing.

The pack would never miss a head-to-head race between their Alpha and their Beta. Marcus has never conceded to Alpha Dalton and both of them have always been at odds with one another.

They long since wanted something to be done about the disparities between them. They were tired of them arguing all the time.

Also, a race within the forest sounded wild and thrilling to them.

Within seconds, the entire pack assembled in the forest area. I kept my distance from the surrounding pack members, not wanting to be pushed and shoved around in the bustling crowd.

Marcus was clearly afraid, but he was too deep into the argument to get cold feet now.

A warrior stepped forward and announced the rule, “Whoever reaches the top of the mountain first, wins.”

When the warrior dropped his sword to the ground, Alpha Dalton and Marcus shifted into their wolves and leaped forward from the starting point.

Alpha Dalton moved swiftly, disappearing into the forest within seconds.

But Marcus was clumsy and slow. Wine and sex have messed up his body.

It wasn’t a close match at all.

I shifted into my wolf, taking a short-cut and heading straight towards Alpha Dalton’s direction, following his trail of scent. I wasn’t strong, but quite fast.

Half an hour later, it was no surprise at all that I found Alpha Dalton on top of the mountain next to a stream.

He was cleaning himself.

Water was streaming down his naked chest.

My breath hitched when my heart skipped a beat.

My wolf twitched inside me with a desperate whine. I fought back. It was increasingly difficult with his mouthwatering scent. It beckoned me to get closer.

Longing swept through me, wishing there was more… sensing a deep connection between us that had yet to be explored.

What the hell?