FRANÇOIS

Damon rubbed his temples trying to relieve the stress building up in the midsection of his head. He’s been trying to think of ways to help his pack all night, surviving on several consecutive cups of coffee.

He tried to get a particular “someone” out of his head but failed woefully. He was bothered. Who was she? How was she? Was she safe?

He was struggling to concentrate when she was all he could think of. He felt stupid for leaving her all alone. He longed to have her sweet melodious voice singing to him even to the air, he’d settle for anything he got. He could only hope she was safe.

A knock sounded from the opposite side of the door. Damon sighed and told whoever was there to come in. Noir approached a girl. She had copper hair, a straight copperhead that framed her face. Blue eyes and full pink lips. She was pretty but most importantly, she reminded me of the girl at the river. She reminded him of his mate.

“Alpha”, Noir addressed him. “I found my mate”. That got Damon’s attention. He was genuinely happy for Noir. He was like a brother to Damon ever since he joined the pack. Noir deserved to be happy.

“Really? That’s amazing”, Damon stood up from his chair other giving both of them a smile.

“I don’t think we’ve met”, Damon said stretching his arm to shake Ophelia “I’m Damon Kane, the Alpha around here. The Big Boss, Bossman but you can call me honey buns, sweet cheeks”, Damon said with a wink teasingly.

Immediately, Noir’s jaw clenched and his eyes darkened before he boomed, “Mine! She’s mine!”

“Slow down, I’m only messing with you”

“So tense”, Damon gestured with a snicker. To be honest it was kinda fun doing that. It was obvious Noir loved his mate. That alone made Damon happy but also made him feel like a fool.

He couldn’t be happy like Noir, not until all the fire was out around here.

Noir visibly relaxed and pulled Ophelia closer to his side, kissing her head and pulling Ophelia closer to his side, kissing her head and calming his wolf.

“Maybe, we could save all the PDA for the bedroom 'cause this is honestly creeping me out”, Damon made a face.

Noir whispered into Ophelia’s ear “He’s jealous, he’s unmated”, and Ophelia giggled.

“I heard you”, Damon said in a sing-song manner and they all laughed.

“I still didn’t get your name though”

“Ophelia”, Ophelia said for the first time since the meeting.

“Cool, you sound French though, are you?”

“Yes I am”, she admitted

“Oui Oui, you know I speak a little François myself”, Damon said and Ophelia laughed. She couldn’t help it Damon was quite funny.

“What pack are you from?” Damon couldn’t help but ask. Call it the alpha instinct.

The room suddenly fell silent with Ophelia shuffling her feet and picking at her fingers.

“She’s a rogue? Damon asked with narrowed eyes.

Noir didn’t reply.

“Excuse my Beta and I, Ophelia”, Damon demanded tensely. He was presently staring Noir down. Could he have been so stupid?

“What the fuck do you think you were doing bringing a rogue into this pack?”, Damon yelled.

Ophelia felt sweat beads trail down her forehead as she listened to the heated concern on the other side of the door.

“Alpha I didn’t—“

“You didn’t what, Noir? Do you know how stupid this move was?”, Damon asked

“Do you know how much fucking danger you put my pack in? These wolves are my fucking responsibility. You’re meant to help me with them not freaking their lives!”

“I’m sorry”

“You’re sorry?”, Damon asked incredulously

“What if she turns out to be a spy? I swear to god If she’ is—-“

“She’s not! Dammit! She’s not a fucking spy!”

Noir yelled back

“And if she is? You’re so blind you can’t even see what’s happening”

“Because I love her! I fucking adore her! I don’t expect you to understand, you’re not capable of love”, Noir said and that stung.

“Excuse me”, Damon said shooting daggers Noir’s way.

“Excuse me”, Noir said turning to leave.

“Don’t fucking walk away from your Alpha”, Damon yelled.

His eyes turned an unusual deep emerald. Noir jolted. He’d pushed past his boundaries.

I’m sorry”, Noir said with a bowed head. As Beta, he knew his place and he’d just gone beyond it. Damon relaxed a bit pulling at the roots of his hair.

“What do we do now?”, he asked Noir, his voice a noticeably lower level.

“Could you please give her a chance? I don’t think I can live with it if you send her away”, Noir admitted. Damon finally understood.

If he was in Noir's shoes he would have done the same.

“Fine, but if she turns out to be a spy, I swear to—“

“I get it. I get it. You’d kill is both”, Noir completed.

Yes, slowly and plainly”, Damon said with a smirk on his face.

A look of terror was on Noir’s face.

“What have you become?”, he asked shocked. Damon burst into a fit of laughter. Talk about bipolar.

“Nothing, just go do whatever with your mate”, Damon said with a winky face. Noir became uncomfortable and shifted his gaze away.

“Woahhhh, you’re not mated yet, are you? Damon asked.

Noir turned to leave.

“No”, Damon burst into laughter “You work slow bro. At least tell me you’ve marked her?”

No reply.

“What? That too? I’d be in my grave before I get a godson”

“Fine, would you stop teasing me? And who told you you’re the God-father?”

“If you want me to be the father as well, I mean I won’t mind”

“Fuck no!” Noir yelled

“Oh this is going to be fun”, Damon said with a smirk.

“Stay away from her. She’s mine”

“And only yours, I respect that”, Damon said seriously.

They exchanged a brotherly hug before Noir left.

“No moaning. We have kids in this house”.

Damon yelled over his voice. Noir facepalmed.

Ophelia blushed red like a tomato.