Nylita Maxwell
ALEXANDER
Alina is mine!
I could howl—I was so damn happy. The goddess had answered my prayers and granted me the greatest mate I could ever ask for.
I know Alina will always take care of our pack. She has the kindest heart and will make the best luna.
She will be a damn good mother when we have pups of our own, and she will always be the best for me. I will make damn sure to keep her protected from all harm, and no one will ever touch her again.
I will make damn sure of that. The ones that did harm her will learn that they have made a most grievous mistake.
All of those thoughts raced through my mind as I held her much smaller body against me.
She was so warm and soft compared to me. She fit perfectly against me as if she had been created just to fit against my body and mine with hers.
I could hold her forever, and I would make damn sure I got the chance to do just that.
However, the sudden roar of outrage from downstairs alerted me to the fact that our time alone was about to be abruptly cut very short.
True to my instincts, both Damien and Marc, their very overprotective father, came bursting into the room, their expressions full of anger.
Alina held her ground, though, even when I dropped my arms from around her. She stood directly in front of me. Um, that was my job.
“What do you think you are doing? You can’t just barge in here like that!” she shouted at them as Kyla, their mother, came running in, worry on her face.
“I am your father, and it is my duty to make sure you are safe,” Marc snapped, glaring at me.
“Then barging in here is the wrong direction, Dad!” Lina shouted before grabbing my hand and storming out of her room, leaving them all in total shock behind us.
I let her pull me behind her house before I pulled her to a gentle stop. I didn’t want to let her just pull us along for too long and then have to bring her back and explain what had happened to Kyla.
Lina had already been missing for most of the day, and Kyla had been frantic with worry enough today. I pulled Alina against my chest and just held her there, needing her to calm down.
I knew she was more than angry, but I didn’t want Kyla to worry any more than she already had today.
I could feel her anger and sadness, and all I wanted to do was fix it, but right now, I had to remain calm.
I had to be the level-headed one right now, even when I wanted to go on a rampage and tear heads off for the way my Lina was feeling.
She didn’t deserve any of this, and I felt like it was all my fault for letting it go on for far too long. For not being there for my mate when she needed me.
“Lina, baby. Please calm down,” I said softly, trying to stay calm at the sight of her tears.
My mate was upset, and I needed to fix it. I needed to be the alpha I was born to be and fix this problem in my pack, and more importantly, with my luna.
“I’m trying.” Lina whispered, her voice breaking as she sank to the ground, her tears streaming down her beautiful face. “Today was supposed to be a happy day but instead everything went to hell.”
She sobbed, wiping her tears away.
What was so special about today?
She had kept saying that it was supposed to be special, but I couldn’t remember for the life of me why it was so damn special.
Then it hit me. Today was Alina’s eighteenth birthday. Damn it! I was supposed to be here yesterday!~ No wonder my baby girl had had such a horrible day.
Her brother and mate had broken their promise to be there for her on her birthday and she had gotten beaten up by her bullies to top it all off. I was such an asshole for missing today!
I sank to the ground next to her, pulling her against me again.
“I’m so sorry baby. I can’t believe I forgot about today being your birthday,” I said, holding her against me softly.
I felt like a failure and a fool for forgetting about it being her birthday. It was supposed to be special for her and I screwed it up.
“I wanted to be mad at you, Alex. I really did,” she whispered, her voice filled with tears.
Her words broke my heart, but I couldn’t blame her at all. I had promised her to be here for her birthday, and I had let her down.
“Lina, I wouldn’t blame you at all if you were. I had promised to be home yesterday for you,” I said, leaning my head against hers. I felt so pathetic in that moment.
“I can’t be, though. I can never stay mad at you,” she replied, a small smile coming to her beautiful face.
“I’ve never been able to stay angry with you, Alex. You of all people chose to see me as more than just some human among the pack,” she said, running her nose along the exposed flesh of my collarbone.
The sparks of electricity from her touch were more than pleasing to me, and I never wanted her to stop touching me.
I smiled warmly at her. She was always so sweet to everyone, no matter what they did to her.
“How could I not? Among all those here, you are the only one who has a kind heart. I would have always protected you, my little star. Even if the Moon Goddess had not created us for each other.”
I pulled her chin up so her eyes met mine. I needed her to always be by my side.
“You have always been the brightest part of my life, Alina, and I swear to you that I will never miss another birthday.
“I will never miss another heartbeat, my sweet angel,” I said before kissing those soft full lips of hers again.
I nipped her bottom lip, silently asking for entrance, and she gave it willingly as I slipped my tongue into her mouth.
God, the taste of her on my tongue would never go away after this. She tasted like cotton candy and raindrops, the same way she smelled.
I knew I would be dreaming of her tonight when I was alone in my bed. That one thought almost crippled me.
I would have to leave her side soon. My wolf cried out in agony at the very thought of being away from Alina again.
He cried out the night we had to leave for alpha camp and didn’t speak to me for three weeks afterwards. It had been a lonely three weeks, and it was not something I wanted to repeat ever again.
True, I would see her again in the morning, but I had just found her as my mate. Alphas usually kept their mates close to them from the time they see them until the day they both leave this world.
Usually, alpha pairs perished together because their bond was that strong. Leaving her behind even for the night was not something that was common for an alpha pair.
It was not supposed to happen after they met, they were meant to stay together, or the male would become hostile.
Suddenly the back door opened, and Kyla poked her head out, a smile on her face as she looked at us and my arms around her.
“Lina! Come on, sweetie, it’s time for your presents!” Kyla called to us from the back door of the house.
Alina looked up at her and nodded as she shifted a little in my arms. “Please don’t go,” she said to me, holding onto me tightly.
The look in her eyes was almost pleading, and I could have never denied her.
“I won’t, baby girl.” I said with a smile as I kissed her forehead and let her pull me back inside the house.