Damon POV After dropping that little bomb, Andrew didn't say another word, just walking into the forest and heading toward the training grounds, leaving me no choice but to follow behind him, thinking about what he said. Does Demitri truly call Elle the Luna? How could he know that? The longer I walk along the path back to the grounds. I cannot help but notice Slade has been unusually silent as I contemplate Andrew's and Matt's words. I am not hiding my feelings for Elle very well, as the whole damn pack sees what's happening except for her. After fifteen more minutes of mindless wandering through the trees, I finally reach the training grounds, and that's when I smell the cinnamon scent I have come to crave. Why was Elle here? She wasn't allowed to train with the pack. Not paying attention to anything else, my eyes find her instantly. I will always be able to spot her like a moth can find a turned-on light. She is standing at the top of the training grounds in a training bra, leggi

Elle POV "Okay, the first pairing in the ring is..." Damon's voice calls out amongst us; he pauses for a small moment before a devilish smile flashes on his lips like he discovered gold. Looking directly at me, he smiles brightly before opening his mouth to yell, "Melanie and Elle." When I hear my name, I try to show fear, careful not to tip my hand. I can listen to Melanie and her cronies' snide remarks close to the ring. Tentatively, I make my way into the center, trying to avoid the concerned looks of others. Many are surprised I even made it into this group. The three divisions were based on skill because I have never attended a single training session with the rest of the pack, and I want them to keep thinking that. However, as I am stepping over the boundaries of the ring, I find Damon's eyes flashing him a devilish smile of my own with a little wink. The look of realization that he might have made a grave miscalculation in whatever scheme was being cooked up in this pairin

Damon Pov Instead of answering her question, I lean down and sniff her neck, startling her into stillness. Rather than smelling her scent, it was defiled with the vile odors of other males. The sickening smell of other males makes both Slade and I bristle, knowing any man has been close enough to allow his scent to cling and linger. "Why do you smell like other men?" I ask, still ignoring that I barged into her room unannounced and refused to tell her why. "Damon, WHY are you here?" She demands from me again, which doesn't work because I am not answering that question, and I don't have a valid reason why I am here now. "I cannot talk to you when you smell that disgusting. You need to shower," I say calmly, unbothered by her enraged look as I lean casually against the door and look at my nails without any intention of moving. "Well, if you don't like how I smell, you can always leave," she says, crossing her arms across her chest as she typically does when feeling stubborn. "I'

Elle POV Five hours later, with a clean house, beer, and liquor lining the counters, I am ready to host my first party. The guys are downstairs while the girls and I get ready in my room. As I sit in front of the mirror, letting Charity curl my hair and Emma apply makeup to my face. The nerves in my stomach are getting heavier as I sit here. How mad are the Alpha and Luna going to be if they find out I threw a party without their permission? Maybe no one will show up, and I won't get myself into a world of shit. "Do you think anyone is coming?" I ask Emma as she applies eyeshadow to my eyes, hoping that she says "no" even though I know the chances of that happening is nearly zero. "People are coming," Charity says from behind my chair as she continues fixing my hair, "our cousin, Jonah, is the young Alpha of the Diamond Claw pack. Alpha Charles permitted him to come onto pack lands looking for his mate. All the girls know he and his men are on the territory and will be here tonig

Damon POV Elle does not stop pounding on my chest the entire way up the stairs, her screams becoming more desperate and manic as we ascend. The tingles erupting all over my skin from her contact are distracting me from why I am so pissed at her in the first place. We pass some of her friends who look like they want to intervene until they see my black eyes and hear the snarl that escapes my chest. Once we get away from the madness of this party, I know I will be able to enjoy the feeling of having Elle in my arms, even if she is screaming drunken profanities at me. We finally reach the hallway where my room is located; I waste no time opening the door and slamming it shut behind us. Placing her calmly on the floor, I step back, ready to reprimand her for her stupidity, but before I can say a word, she starts talking in a slur of words. "How dare you! Is it your job to embarrass me at every turn?" she says, but her voice doesn't hold the same fiery confidence I have gotten used to