Chapter Four: CLASSIC POST-NUT CLARITY

ALPHA COLTON

Peering at the escaping sun rays from the heavy window drapes, I disentangled from Allison’s engulfing body. Then my eyes dropped on the girl sleeping peacefully beside me.

Memories of the previous night surged through my mind. I hadn't planned on taking Allison to bed the way I did. I would've doubted if I had been told my previous day would end up in her arms. Yet it did. 

I thought of reasons why I found her appealing at first. She wasn't half as elegant as Shirley was, yet, she turned my head a few times.

She was petite, way smaller than how I liked my women. She was frightful and weak, the extreme opposite of what I wanted in my woman. As an Alpha, I was attracted to strength, beauty, and class. This girl in my arms was void of those three qualities, yet I had gawked at her in the black dress. 

I couldn't bring myself to think of how scared my wolf had been when I walked into the prison to find her completely hurt and frightened. It was how I loved seeing her but my wolf was greatly vexed at me. 

My wolf adored her, my wolf was always seeking opportunities to be with the auburn-haired girl but she repulsed me. Karl, my second in Command, never missed an opportunity to taunt me about my pathetic mate. 

As an Alpha, I was void of insecurities until the Goddess played a fast one on me. She embarrassed me before Shirley. All I had prayed for from the Goddess was matching me with Shirley Hilton the Pack's sensation. I loved the beautiful blonde. She was all I thought of.  

The Goddess chose to punish and humiliate me before my Pack members by bringing such a pathetic wolf my way. Now she was paying for it. 

I swung to the side of the bed, found my pants and shirt, and in no time I was all dressed. Without looking back at the sleeping girl in bed I left the room to find peace in my bedroom. In my personal space. 

The spray from the shower was not enough to wash the feel of her skin from my hand, or the taste on the tip of my tongue. Her grips, how melodic she had moaned into my ears, and worse off, the pain and pleasure splayed on her face as I had made love to her in ways I had never imagined.  

If anyone was hooked from the night before, I was. But I couldn't be with her. 

I stopped breathing in the shower, the last memory that flooded my mind reminded me of what I did. I smacked my eyes shut, trying to shut out the bitterness of my regrets for intercepting her fall. 

If I had let her fall the previous day, if I had ignored her the way I had intended to then I wouldn't have marked her in the heat of the passion. I had marked Allison Keeler. 

The thoughts alone sickened me. I never wanted things to turn out the way they did between us. I never wanted to get involved with her the way I did. I had planned my day and ending up in the arms of the pathetic Omega was far from it. 

The way things had swerved a different angle still amazed me. I so much wanted to blame it on the heat. To blame my wolf for what had happened. But the truth hovered. Somewhere in my soul, I knew just how beautiful I had thought she was in the Chanel dress. How much I had loved seeing her feisty face speaking in the mirror. That alone had been enough to ignite a fire in my soul. 

I loathed myself for giving lust a chance to take over my brain. I spat into the shower as my anger kicked in, knotting every muscle in me. 

Classic post-nut clarity.

I simmered down later that morning when I met my Commanders and best buddies in my office. Their banters about random stuff soothed my heart, drifting my thoughts from the plaguing desire to return to Allison. 

I was back in a terrible mood. I was never the type to chatter but I sat listening. I hoped the day would unfold swiftly, with Allison gone from the Pack maybe my mind would find peace again. 

Getting involved with Allison was going to stand out from the list of grave mistakes I had made. 

Losing about six of my  Pack members to the fleeing captives had wrought more harm on me than I cared to admit. My heart had tightened the previous evening when I walked into the Pack's crematory. Watching the electric cremation was one of my hardest tasks as a Pack ruler yet I underwent it. 

My warriors had gone after the fleeing captives and had taken over, executing every one of them. Only then did I feel at ease with myself. 

"Shirley's on her way!" Gamma Vinny announced, cocking an eyebrow at me. I looked away. 

Shirley was never going to forgive it if she found out about my involvement with Allison. I had promised to stay as far away from my mate as possible. I did just that until my heart couldn't ignore how extremely hurt she was the previous day. I had kept my distance until healing her strengthened our eroding bond.

"Meeting by noon today?" Beta Karl asked his attention glued to his phone screen. 

"They should be here in Darkmoon in no time..." Gamma Vinny glanced at his watch, then back at my face. "Are you sure you want to do this, Man?" 

I had been more than certain a few days ago. I had agreed to sign the contract without blinking and now, my heart was not so sure I was ready to give her out that way. But it was for the best. I reminded myself, feeling my wolf revolt inside of me. 

"There's no room for weakness. Having her around me and getting trapped in her energy could be dangerous for a Pack as strong as Darkmoon." I spoke too quickly. Too loudly. My words didn't sound right even to my ears.

"Just move on with the deal, that lowly Omega is a total waste here. You have Shirley what more is there to ask for?" Karl heaved a sigh, "It's the only way we can be at peace with Hornsgate. You know that." 

"It's too great a punishment. It just doesn't feel right." Vinny argued. 

"It's how we all agreed we wanted to be rid of her. What changed your mind?" Karl seemed slightly annoyed.

"View this from my perspective, the Goddess is never going to forgive you for doing this to your mate,"  Vinny warned irritably.

"Rejected mate! He rejected her. There's a huge difference there." Karl scrunched his nose. 

"I marked her." I spilled my guts feeling the unwelcome shiver feathering down my spine. 

"What?" 

The two commanders gaped at me, that minute the office door went open and Shirley stepped in drifting their gazes her way. 

Her glam team did a great job with her appearance as always. Her dress, hairdo, and makeup were super sleek. Her dress dropped halfway through her thighs revealing her long shapely legs, her alluring cologne wafted up to my nostrils. She was perfect. 

"I tried not to be late today." She flashed us her most sensuous smile.

Even Shirley's presence in my office was not enough to resolve the ongoing war that was raging inside of me. 

Vinny was right, it was wrong to punish Allison this way. Not after making love to her. Not after marking her. 

But a deal was a deal and I had been very keen to keep my tail of the deal. I was not a coward to back away from tough choices. Not now, not ever. 

"You look super amazing today." Karl beamed at her.  

"I know." She bit her lower lips, "Is the girl ready yet?" She asked, taking a seat on the sofa as close to me as possible. Batting her eyes with pouty lips she mumbled, "You look stressed, Babe!"  

I was stressed mentally, emotionally, and physically. Thoughts of Allison stressed me and if sending her off with Hornsgate ruthless ruler was going to help regain my sanity then so be it. 

"What's wrong, babe?" Leaning into me, she trailed a finger along my jawline. 

Before I could mutter a word, Ron, my executive assistant, popped his head through the door announcing the arrival of the Commanders of Hornsgate to the conference room.  

"You get the girl ready, It shouldn't take long." Shirley urged me on. 

"I'd rather stay, Ron would bring her." I muffled a sigh.

I couldn't risk going back to Allison. I couldn't risk being alone with her in the room, not after the night before. It was such a great and uncalculated risk. 

"I'll go bring her. We can't keep the Commanders of Hornsgate waiting."  Shirley offered with a smile.

"I think you shouldn't, it's fine. She'll be here in no time." I tried to stop her. 

"Relax, okay? I'll make sure she's fitted to match your Luna position." She winked at me before leaving the office. 

Using my mate to close the deal was inhumane, my conscience warned me. Now the Commanders of Hornsgate were here to get through with the deal. It didn't feel so right. 

All I had wanted then was to be rid of the Omega, but now, my heart was bailing. It felt like a moral quagmire to let the innocent girl off with the ruthless ruler.