ELLE POV The pressure of tonight wraps around me like a straight jacket, and with each second, it's like I am one of those poor Salem women when blocks are placed on their chests. Damon's excitement is almost palpable, and it doesn't help that everyone constantly comments or stares at my neck. Every time I walk by a pack member, they instinctively check to see if our unique mark sits there yet. How stupid would we be to mark each other BEFORE the ball when visiting Alpha's and Council Officers will be able to see it? I am seventeen, and Damon would be thrown in the Council's prison and be forced to step down from being Alpha. Neither of us would be willing to live with ourselves if that happened. New Moon is Damon's birthright like my pack is mine, not to mention this is the only home I have known for the last five years. I don't have any intention of seeing it destroyed, which is why it's so fucking annoying that no one else seems to have the same reservations. "All done, Lun
ELLE POV Walking down the steps behind the Beta and Gamma families, I cannot help but gasp at the breathtaking beauty of the room. Black tables sit on the outskirts of the space surrounding the dance floor, with the pack emblem in the middle. Olivia did a great job incorporating the pack colors of silver and black in everything. Each table has a silver candle stick centerpiece covered with dangling jewels and candles that were lit. A DJ sits in the corner, getting set up for when the dancing can finally begin. The further into the room we get, the more my skin burns under the scrutinizing gaze of the other guests. As Olivia predicted, they hadn't taken their eyes off our group since we appeared at the top of the stairs. A few Alphas made their interest in me so known I am positive they'd resort to kidnapping me to get their hands on a born Luna to strengthen their pack and bloodlines. What they feel for me has nothing to do with who I am but more with what I am. 'Stay close,' T
ELLE POV "How did you know to pick this song?" I ask. My gaze is stuck on Damon; the rest of the world is nonexistent and inconsequential as we continue dancing around the ballroom. "Elle," he replies, a small devious smile, "you have lived in my house for five years. I would have to be an idiot not to know you are obsessed with Taylor Swift. You'd be surprised at the things I know about you." "Oh?" I say, slightly surprised that he knows anything about me, "what else do you know?" Curious to see what Damon's great observations are about my life." "Mhmm..." Damon hums as he ponders through everything he knows about me, trying to decide the best one to impress me. "You always watch Pride and Prejudice, the Kiera Knightley one, whenever you get the rare illness." "Is that all?" I ask with a smirk, hoping he doesn't have any more up his sleeve because if he keeps going, I might melt, becoming a puddle in the middle of the dance floor. "Never," he says, his peppermint breath f
ALPHA CHARLES POV Andrew and Matt are wandering around looking for their mates with no luck, but if I had to guess by the expressions on their faces, they're not too upset about not finding them as they sit at the table with their friends. Damon is supposed to be walking out those doors any second, and I pray to the Goddess he doesn't go straight to Elle and instead sits his ass down, not calling more attention to them than necessary. "Lastly, the reason we are all here to celebrate tonight, Alpha Damon Ledger," comes Harry's voice over the loudspeaker, as the big oak doors swing open, revealing Damon in a suit that matches Elle's dress, with the same flowers inside his breast pocket. As soon as I saw his face and how he zeroed in on her, I knew that he wouldn't sit down quickly. Taking the room in long, confident strides, Damon was at her side within a millisecond, leaning down and whispering in her ear before pulling her away from the table to the middle of the dance floor with a
ELLE POV "Did I tell you how beautiful you look tonight?" Damon whispers in my ear, his warm breath causing my hair to stand on end from his closeness as he spins me around, so my back is against his chest as we sway lightly to the music. "No, you haven't," I say as he kisses my neck, not caring that people are watching our every move, their eyes green with envy. "Well, you're stunning," he says as he nibbles my ear, causing a surprised giggle to leave my throat as I turn around to face him. A warm smile on my lips as my gaze finds his bright blue eyes. "You don't look so bad yourself," I compliment him, "how did you know what color suit to wear to match me?" I ask, curious how he chose a suit that perfectly matches when he wasn't at Elie Saab. "Mom gave me three options," he said with a shrug, "and I chose this one. I didn't know it matched your dress, but thinking back on the options she gave me, they would somehow have all complimented your dress. "That sounds like someth
DAMON POV 'Whatever you're thinking about doing, don't,' My father says through the link, a warning in his tone. I can feel the heat of his eyes watching me watch Elle in the middle of the dance floor with Alpha Fennick. Slade and I start to lose our grip as they continue talking. 'Remember who is in this room and the scrutiny you have already brought upon yourself by pulling that stunt earlier. Neither of you can afford to make any more mistakes tonight.' 'All we did is dance,' I reply, a bitter taste coating my tongue as he continues reprimanding me. 'You act like we marked each other on the dance floor. It was a fucking dance. Did we magically transport into the plot of Footloose, and no one tell me?' 'Yeah,' he snarls, 'after the goddamn Mate Find, with a woman who hasn't been confirmed as your mate and is underage. What the hell were you thinking? It told every guest that Elle is a born Luna, and any chance we had of hiding that is now gone.' 'Were you ever going to hide it
ELLE POV Damon and I walk out of the forest hand in hand once we reach an open field with a large tree sitting in the middle, underneath is a platform with a greenhouse. Hanging from the branches are twinkle lights, a table with chairs sitting atop the platform withtelecop a bucket of ice and champagne sitting inside. Two glasses, and a covered tray sitting their piquing my interest. Sitting outside the greenhouse door is a beautiful telescope already pointed at the sky. As I stare at the beauty before I can feel the tears already prickling the back of my eyes, wanting to spill over at the amount of thought Damon put into this night. "Do you like it?" he asks, as his hand squeezes mine, his nerves consuming the air around us making it heavier. "Like it?" I ask, bewildered by his question, "I absolutely love it!" I say throwing my arms around him as the warmth of his chuckle starts to calm my nerves. "It's perfect Damon! Did you do this all by yourself? When did you have the time?
DAMON POV The sunlight peaking its way over the horizon does nothing to help the relentless pounding in my skull. My eyelids flutter open, my mind groggy and like it's been beaten by a baseball bat repeatedly. What the hell happened? 'Slade?' I ask for him but get nothing in return. It's like he disappeared without a trace. Shifting around on my back, my eyes blink furiously as I try to catch my bearing and figure out where the hell I am. Closing my eyes, I inhale a large gulp of air, letting the fresh oxygen rejuvenate my blood and give me the strength to get through this moment without my usual tricks to aid me. As my lungs exhale, I open my eyes to find the world slowly coming into focus. With it, the memories of last night, tumbling in slowly like a Nineties computer using dial-up, has my blood pressure rising as the panic sets in. Fear like I have never known before turns every cell in my body to ice. My limbs feel like they have been sitting on pins and needles for hours
FOUR YEARS LATER Elle- 22 years old; Damon- 23 years old ELLE POV ************************** I don't know what's going on with me, but it's not pretty, my stomach convulsing with another dry heave like it's waged a bloody war on my body without my knowledge. Goddess, what is this? Was I poisoned? It has to be poison. Someone trying to kill me slowly is the only obvious reason behind this sickness. Werewolves don't get sick. Leaning my head against the porcelain rim of a place my face should never be close to, I try catching my breath, my forehead pouring in sweat. A sickly sweet smell makes its way into my nostrils as another wave of nausea forces its way through me. Rolling my insides around like a boat in the middle of the ocean during a summer storm. "Happy Matesday!" Damon sings, pushing open the bathroom door, a tray in his hand, the offensive odor oozing from beneath the plate cover. Before I can keep it in, I am purging the nonexistent contents of my stomach. Once I f
DAMON POV I look like a fool, with a smile covering my lips, as I saunter into the decorated ballroom filled with our guests as they drink and mingle, eating from the appetizer trays being carried around the room. Some guests are already dancing to the music played by the DJ, typical of werewolf parties. Scanning the room, I find Andrew and Matt standing at the bar. My feet taking me to them, only to be stopped along the way by guests wishing me congratulations. Five minutes later, I finally make it to the bar where Andrew stands, glaring at the dance floor. Matt hands me a whiskey, an easy-go-lucky grin on his face. "That's the look of a man who got some biscuits," he chuckles. "Yeah," I grin, enjoying the banter, while licking my lips "and I ate the whole damn plate, it was delicious." My reply has Matt choking on his drink, making me laugh harder. Andrew remains unbothered, signaling to the bartender for a refill. "Come on," Matt says, coughing through the burn of his drink,
ELLE POV I thought the nerves of today would be so overwhelming that breathing is difficult, but for the first time in a long time, I am at peace. Twirling the ring I found in the psychic shop, the ring my father gave to my mother, I know I should get rid of it, but a part of me can't give it up. While my mother owned it for a time, it was never truly hers but belongs to the entire Luna lineage of Silver Run, so getting rid of it never felt right. So instead of thinking about my mother, I focus on the amazing Lunas' who wore it before her and will wear it after me. 'Biscuit,' Damon's husky voice comes through my mind, like liquid gold coating my body, sending shivers down my spine. 'I think your dad would understand if you didn't want to wear that ring.' He comments, knowing my inner struggles without verbalization. Choosing to learn from our parent's mistakes, we always keep the connection between us open. 'I know,' I sigh, as I stare at the ring sitting on my finger, 'I miss you
THREE DAYS LATER ELLE'S POV The last few days have been hectic as I try to make all the arrangements and keep New Moon running while also being in constant contact with Theo about what's happening in Silver Run; killing Tiberius and leaving the pack hasn't left the pack members in good faith. We haven't had the chance to talk about what we will do with both packs, but the distance makes running both nearly impossible. However, we are finally returning to Silver Run, and I can handle some pressing matters that need to be taken care of. Theo is doing his best but isn't an Alpha; the pack needs me, and Damon's pack needs him. How are we going to divide our time? The travel alone will be a bitch...and splitting from him is not an option. Tingles spark along my hand as Damon grabs my hand, pulling me from my rambling thoughts into the present as he turns the car onto the main road. Andrew follows behind us with Theo's dad, and the robin hood of rogues takes up the rear of the carava
DAMON POV The morning after finding my mate should be filled with nothing but mindblowing sex, energy bars, and water; nothing else, and certainly not this fucking bullshit. Not a blood-curdling anger that consumes every inch of my soul, one that seems to last forever now that I am marked to Elle. When Andrew and Matt interrupted my wonderful morning to tell me what had happened, I almost didn't believe them. There was no way my father would reject my mother. No, she was his entire world, and I believe in the bond because of them. Walking into the cell to see both my parents sobbing and somehow on the verge of unconsciousness. After getting the abbreviated version from my father while my mother remains silent, the rest of the world blows away as I fall into the black pit of wrath. I barely understand what I am saying, words of unintelligible hatred being spewed at my mother. I barely sense her fear, so lost in my anger, my father whimpers as he tries to manage the pain fueling me
ELLE POV Stretching my limbs, I roll onto my side, happiness spreading from the top of my head to the very bottom of my feet. Opening my eyes, I find Damon already awake, a large grin covering his face as he watches me sleep. "What's with the smile?" I ask him, wiggling my body closer to his, craving the skin contact as tingles erupt over my skin. "I remember everything," he answers, adjusting his body to wrap me in his arms, laying my head on his chest, "and I realized something." "Oh, what is that?" I ask him, trying to recall the overwhelming memories flooding my brain. Some of them are wonderful. Making breakfast with my father or when he would take me swimming back home. I remember the times with Theo and coming to New Moon to see Damon. But there are the darker ones, the memories I never want to talk about again- the ones that should be locked away in a box. Memories of my mother I never want to touch- she could be loving whenever my father was around, but if it was the two
*******THIS IS A FREE CHAPTER******** *****THIS HAPPENS WHILE DAMON IS BUSY WITH ELLE ;)*** ******************************* MATT POV I don't think I have ever felt as relieved as I did when we walked out the pack gates to find Charity alive and looking more beautiful than Zeke or I have ever witnessed. Even covered in blood, sweat, and dirt, she looked like a warrior. Like a Gamma, I had never felt more proud of her. Or at least that's what I thought. Until she threatened my life with the promise of dumping my body outside the territory lines as if the shortcake could carry my large frame by herself. But still, the promise sets my entire body ablaze, and as much as I hate that rogue fucker he wasn't wrong when he calls her a fireball because she is. A feisty little fireball who has weaseled herself underneath my skin, and now I can't seem to shake her. Walking out my front door, I cross the front yard in seconds before climbing the steps of Charity's porch two at a time, my fi
ANDREW POV I am trying not to think about the fact that Theo didn't come back as Damon carries Elle through the gate and up to the house. With an exasperated sigh, I turn on the Beta energy and do what is expected when all I want to do is call Theo and make sure he is alive. Death or severe injury is the only reason I could see him not returning home with his Luna. "I can't believe he is letting them onto the territory," Matt grunts pulling me from my spiral downward as he glares at the car in front of us. We are letting rogues into the territory; what is Damon thinking? With a shrug, I walk to the car because I figure it's better to get these introductions over with. Charity walks over, intercepting us before we reach the car, but far enough away that they won't hear us. Her body is covered in the blood of her slain enemies, exhaustion all over her. As soon as Matt sees her, his entire demeanor changes, but she ignores him, focusing solely on me. "Theo is alive; he stayed home t
ELLE POV Damon hovers above me, staring into my eyes, his hand caressing my cheek, the nerves of this moment rising into my throat, and it's like he can tell. He leans his forehead against mine, the electricity buzzing while the sparks run rampant along my skin in ways it never has. "We don't have to do this if you're not ready, Elle. I love you and will wait as long as needed for you to be comfortable." "I love you too, but I won't lie," I say, my mouth slightly dry, "I am a little nervous, but I know you would never hurt me." I wrap my arms around his shoulders, pulling him closer as my lips meet his, mixing while the rest of the world disappears. A primal growl reverberates through his chest as I nip his lower lip, my tongue demanding entrance as they swirl together, giving way to Damon's demand for control. Without removing his lips from my body, he moves them along my jaw, causing a small sigh to leave me, the smell of my desire so heavy in the room you could practically tas