"Baby, we have company," Grace said to Chris as she gave him a last kiss on his lips.
"I'll be back, " then placed a kiss on Chris's cheeks and grinned at Rosalie as she walked past them. Her body smelled heavily of his scent. Rosalie was numb, not because she was still hurt, but because they were doing it so passionately. Chris was her mate. He should have felt some reluctance. But apart from the initial coldness claimed by Grace, he had been quite willing. It made Rosalie feel better. He was as hypocritical as her!
"Give me a minute, please," Chris said as he went to the bathroom in his chamber to clean himself up. Five minutes later, he came out looking fresh in a blue shirt and black pants.
He took a seat in the chair.
"Alex, my friend, so tell me, what can I do for you? I hope you had a good time during your stay here."
Alex nodded. "I did; thank you. But there's something I need to discuss with you," Alex replied, his expression serious.
Chris shifted his focus to Rosalie and continued speaking. "And you, dear Rosalie," Chris began. "Roger has told me you haven't reported for your duty today. When will you grow up and start taking on your responsibilities?" He uttered it in an angry tone.
Rosalie looked aghast. Oh, for Pete's sake!
He said it with a sparkle in his eye: "I will deal with you later." Rosalie flinched. Her wolf disobeyed his command, and she had to prevent herself from growling back at him.
Alex said firmly, "It's not her fault. She didn't report for her tasks because of me."
Alex was calm, but his eyes blazed with anger. He didn't like Chris' hostility towards his mate.
"Is that the case?" Chris cocked his head to the side. "Please explain," he asked as he looked at the time on his watch. "Make it brief since I have to attend another meeting before all the packs leave, and I trust you received the message, Alex."
Alex responded, "Yes, I expect to speak to the council later."
He gripped Rosalie possessively by the shoulder and looked down at her. " Earlier on, I had put in a request stating that I'd like to mate."
Chris cut him off. He stood up near his seat, glaring at Alex. "No," he said sternly.
"Excuse me?" Alex snapped.
"You heard me, Alex Greyson. I do not approve of your request to mate with Rosalie Murdoch." A hint of possessiveness rang in his voice.
Alex let out a snarl. He drew Rosalie in closer and yanked her collarbone downward, exposing the bite mark in the shape of a crescent moon on her neck.
Chris's eyes widened in shock as he took in the sight of the mark. He clenched his jaw, realising that Alex was right. The bond between Alex and Rosalie was unbreakable, no matter what anyone said or did.
"How dare you mark her !"
Chris's voice trembled with anger as he confronted Alex, his fists clenched at his sides. "You will regret this," he vowed through gritted teeth, his eyes blazing with fury.
Alex smirked. "Regret what, exactly?" Alex taunted, his smirk widening. "She chose me, Chris. And there's nothing you can do about it." Chris's hands balled into fists even tighter as he struggled to contain his rage.
"Chose you ? You are not even her mate ! I won't allow this," Chris spat out, his eyes narrowing in determination.
"Don't be so sure about that," Alex retorted with a smirk, knowing the bond between him and Rosalie was unbreakable.
"She is already mine, Chris," he hissed triumphantly. "I do not need your permission. No one can separate a mated couple. Not even the council."
With those words, he turned back, pulling a very startled Rosalie along with him.
Chris let out a snarl before transforming into his white wolf form and charging at Alex. Rosalie let out a terrified scream as Alex moved her aside to protect her from any danger. She felt a dull ache in her head because of the collision with the wall. As Alexx transformed into his grey wolf form, she blinked her eyes. He was huge. Both Alex and Chris barked vicious threats at one another using their pointed teeth. Growling. Alex kicked Chris in the back of the head with his hind leg and bit Chris on the shoulder. Chris let out a groan of agony as he turned. After bursting through the wall, he struck Alex and threw him backwards onto his desk. The desk fell over, knocking over a bunch of papers and stationery and scattering them all over the floor. Alex bared his teeth and head-butted Chris into the wall before kicking him off with a snap of his jaws.
Rosalie looked on, horrified. She touched her wet cheek and saw blood on her fingers. Her head was bleeding. Alex was distracted for a fraction of a second to look at Rosalie. Chris used this opportunity to leap at Alex and bit him on the thigh.
Alex growled in pain and kicked Chris towards the glass cabinet. The glass shattered into smithereens. Shards of broken glass pierced Chris's body. He didn't move.
Alex howled in victory and turned towards Rosalie. He shifted into human form and leant next to her.
"Are you ok, love?" he asked, his naked body glistening with blood and sweat. He touched the gash on the back of her head and examined it. "It'shealing, love,;I'm so sorry,. He then took her up in his arms and licked the wound to help it heal faster.
The betas burst into the chamber and hurried towards a bloodied Chris.
"What the hell is going on here?" Rosalie's dad yelled. Suddenly, his eyes fell on Rosalie. She recoiled in fear.
"Why am I not surprised to see you in the middle of a violent mess, Rosalie?" he said with disappointment in his voice. "You always seem to find trouble wherever you go."
He yanked her away from Alex's arms.
"What have you done now?" he hollered angrily. Then his eyes went to her exposed neck, and his eyes blazed with outrage. He pushed her away in disgust.
"Its…. It's a mating bite!" He hollered angrily, and shame and disappointment rang in his disapproving, booming voice. "DAMN YOU, CHILD!" he shouted, "YOU DISGRACED ME! How dare you?!"
The tears flowed freely from Rosalie's eyes. She begged her father, "Please, I didn't want this to happen. It was a mistake." She looked furtively at Alex.
Scott glared at Alex. " Did you forcefully mark my daughter? You scoundrel!"
"No, dad," Rosalie interrupted. "It was a mistake. Please, I am sorry." Tears flowed from her eyes.
"Yes, I have marked her. She is mine now," Alex spoke up. "And it was consensual, not forced. I love her."
Scott's face turned red with anger as he clenched his fists.
"Alex Greyson, do you not have any sense of decorum?" Scott asked him in an icy tone as he scowled at him. "She is my only daughter, you idiot wolf!"
"I will never grant my consent for this, Alex," Chris croaked.
"She is mine." Alex glared at Chris.
Then he looked back at Scott. "We can discuss the details later, but Rosalie is my mate now."
Scott's anger only intensified at Alex's words, his eyes narrowing in disbelief. "You will never see her again."
After grabbing his daughter by the hand, Scott announced to her, "You are coming home with me, and you are grounded forever!"
Rosalie gave one last look at Alex and went with her dad, meekly. Alex didn't stop them. He simply observed everything through narrowed eyes.
"You have disgraced your mother and me. I don't know how we'll ever recover from this," Scott mumbled as they walked through the maze of corridors.
As they reached the exit, Rosalie finally spoke up, "Dad, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen."
Rosalie sobbed as a sudden realisation hit her. Would there be another pack war? No! I can't be a reason for bloodshed. She thought.