Two Alphas, One Mate

Diana

The man and I stood face to face, his black rifle pointing in my direction. I was frozen, trying to make out who he was, but I was failing horribly.

“What is this about?!” I exhaled deeply, hoping to calm the raging fear bubbling up inside me.

The man took a deep breath, like what I said just agitated him. His jaw flinched the longer we stood there, I knew he was close to breaking.

“You don’t remember do you!?” He gritted through his teeth.

“No. You’re mistaken!” I stepped back to give myself space from him, but he immediately held his gun closer to me, firmly gripping the trigger in his hand. His eyes were blackened, and his muscles were twitching, like he was trying to keep his wolf at bay.

“You are so damn wrapped up in your own shit that your too blind to see it.” He stepped in closer, and I immediately took a step back. I peeked over my shoulder, it was open forest, but I wouldn’t be able to outrun a bullet.

“Why don’t you just tell me what the hell I did to deserve this?!” I crossed my arms and firmly planted my feet. Ready for anything.

“Ares is dead because of you.” He stomped his foot forward making me jump, “YOU Diana! You’re just a piece of meat for Damian to fuck. That’s all. Another fucking whore.” I could see tears forming in his eyes.

I had a feeling I knew who he was now.

“Ares? The night I was taken?”

“Good job Diana, you can put two and two together.” He took another step forward, but when I tried taking a step back, he pointed the rifle upwards, aiming straight for my head. “NOT ANOTHER STEP.” He growled.

“Ares, the man who shot me was your MATE?” My eyes widened in panic, I wanted to run so bad, but the gun was too close.

“Do you know what Ares said to me the last time we made love?” His throat tightened as tears fell from his blackened eyes.

I swallowed hard, “What’s that?”

“He wanted to run away. Somewhere far from this place. Far away from all this fighting… Maybe Italy or Greece, maybe a nice home by the Mediterranean…”

I could smell balsam and Pine. Damian was close, but I couldn’t see him. I had to buy myself some time before this man imploded.

“I didn’t intend on anyone dying! I had no idea who you all were, especially Damian. You have to understand, it was out of my control...” I tried my best to remain calm, but inside there was a tsunami of emotions. Sweat pellets ran from my forehead as I kept my gaze on the man, hoping that I would be fast enough to react to any sudden movements.

“Out of your CONTROL?” His jaw clenched as his arm lowered the rifle.

THIS WAS MY CHANCE. I had to run now; I could not wait any longer for Damian. This man was going to kill me.

“No!” Just as I turned to run away his arm stuck out like a whip, pulling me into his body. “GET YOUR GOD DAMN HANDS OFF ME ASSHOLE!” The rage and the frustration grew inside me and I was at my breaking point. I was so done with being tossed around like some rag doll. I was going to make this asshole pay.

He held my body close to him as he pulled my hair back to reveal my bare neck, “You see whore, I cannot go now... I am stuck here with NO ONE. Ares is gone and there is nothing that will bring him back!” His canines extended from his mouth as he inched closer to my face.

My eyes widened in fear as my body trembled, but I decided to not struggle.

This is what I planned for.

“I usually ride one way, but with you I will make an exception.” He whispered in my ear as he pulled me further down by my hair.

“I don’t – think – so.” I felt the adrenaline pulse through me, this was my moment to catch him off guard.

Just as he loosened his grip to turn me around, I placed my hand on the side of his head.

It was like timed stopped. I could not understand what I was doing, but it came naturally. Just like healing someone, I could do the opposite. As my hand touched the side of his head, his muscles relaxed, allowing for my other hand to brace onto the other side of his head.

“WHAT THE HEL-” He paused midsentence.

He was paralyzed to my touch. His mind, falling into mine, but only I held the ability to control the link. His face turned cold and emotionless, but his eyes looked at me in fear. All his emotions were tumbling inside of my head, tossing, and intertwining into mine. I could sense he wanted to pull away, but he was at my mercy.

I shut my eyes, trying to contain myself from letting him go. I had to hang on until Damian got here. I could sense he was getting closer, but I felt like I needed to constrain the man. He was so strong willed; so passionate; so ENRAGED.

Words echoed in my head. It was the voice from another man.

“I love you Alex.”

“After tonight, we will leave.” Ares leaned into Alex as their lips hovered closely to one another.

The two men were in the center of a black room and I was a mere spectator. Alex was not aware I was looking into his mind, he was just reliving the memory like it was the present moment.

“Promise me, we will go, no more fighting, no more war, just you and I.” Alex’s hand grasped onto Ares short dark curls, pulling his face into his own. Their embrace tightened as their lips locked.

I could suddenly feel the surge of Alex’s emotions, his loss, his regret, his guilt, and his grief. Strangely enough, I could relate to his emotions. I felt wet tears falling down my cheeks as I continued watching the two men spending their last night together. The last memory Alex would have of Ares before Damian killed him.

Before he died because of ME. It wasn’t intentional, but it was the heat of the moment. Damian was protecting me, but at the same time, Ares was protecting Alex when I bit into him.

“DIANA.” I could hear Damian’s voice, but my eyes remained closed.

I was still locked into Alex’s mind; I was unsure whether to let go or not.

“DIANA!” Damian’s voice kept echoing in my mind, and slowly, the memory faded away.

As I opened my eyes, I realized that Alex was not the same. His eyes widened in shock and his breathing turned course and shallow.

“Alex?” I peered down to see a hand, but it was not mine nor Alex’s.

I gasped and backed up as soon as I came in view of the horrific sight. Damian’s hand was pierced through Alex’s chest like a blade, gripping onto his heart that was still beating. Blood pooled on my feet as it fell through the puncture.

“OH MY GOD!” I placed my hand over my mouth in shock. I have seen wounds, I’ve seen blood, but I’ve never witnessed such brutality.

Alex’s body dropped to the ground like a rock as Damian kept his hand up, holding the heart as he tightly squeezed it.

“Damian!?” I stepped in closer, I have never seen such anger before. His eyes were blackened as veins popped from his neck and chest.

“TRAITOR.” Damian growled as he dropped the heart onto Alex’s body, like it was a discarded piece of trash.

“What the hell was that Diana?” He stepped in abruptly, catching me off guard. He wasn’t wearing any clothes, and both of us were standing naked, over Alex’s dead body, seeing each other in full view for the first time. This was not how I imagined our first time seeing each other nude.

“What the hell was that? You ripped a man’s heart from his chest and you’re questioning me!?”

“He was about to kill you! Now, let me ask that again Diana, what the hell was that?” He stepped in closer to me and I remained paralyzed.

“I don’t – I don’t know...” I glanced down at my shaking hands. I had to catch my breath from the pure adrenaline running through my body.

“This is why Holden wants you. You do not even know what you are capable of. You’re not just a healer, you’re…” As he stepped in closer, I began to feel the heat emanating off his body. I wanted to put my hand on him but held back. I was in shock, but at the same time, my internal instincts were being put into overdrive.

“Did you kill his mate?” I sighed heavily as I held my hand to my chest.

“Excuse me? Alex’s mate?” Anguish filled his eyes as he looked down at Alex’s body.

“You weren’t even aware he had a mate, it was Ares, one of your own and you didn’t realize it!” For a man that wanted to kill me just now, I couldn’t help to feel pity for Alex’s situation. To lose a mate is like death itself.

“How could you not know?” I felt tears forming in my eyes once again.

“YOU DARE CRY FOR A TRAITOR THAT WAS ABOUT TO MURDER YOU IN COLD BLOOD?” Damian grabbed onto my shoulders and narrowed his gaze on me.

“NO, YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND.” My nostrils flailed and my eyebrows anchored, “When I was in his mind, I could feel everything he felt; I felt his love, his passion, I left the pain and suffering he endured after you killed Ares... All done by the hands on your impulse. Ares wasn’t trying to kill me, he was preventing his mate from dying from my bite, and that is why I cry, because I AM CURSED WITH THESE ABILITIES! SOMETHING THAT YOU HAVE YET UNDERSTAND.” I rammed my fists into his chest to try to push him away. I didn’t know what came over me. I was exploding inside and I had no control over myself.

“No.” His hand forcefully grabbed my wrists to anchor my body to him. “I don’t understand you Diana, but don’t you feel the sparks whenever I touch you? Do you feel the same constant pull that physically brings us together? Do you see what I see when I peer into your eyes and feel the same emotions that you say I do not fully understand? It kills me when you feel the grief and guilt of a traitor that would kill you over instinct. If I must spend a thousand years trying to UNDERSTAND you, I will fucking try until there is no more spec of doubt in your mind. You must feel the same emotions that I feel. From the moment I sniffed your scent you were all the I wanted, and I’ll be damned if you put yourself in harms way again.” The tension was growing as he held both of my wrists to his warm body, and to top the whole situation off, we were both naked, partially covered in Alex’s blood. I have yet to glance down below his hip bone, but I resisted the urge to see his manhood. Now was not the time. Not after he killed man only inches away from me.

“I’ve killed many men, humans and wolves alike, and I will gladly kill ANYONE that would put a finger on you.” His head was tilting forward, his eyes were still blackened, like his human side was only partially there. “Don’t be naïve Diana, Ares knew the consequences of disobeying my commands. He knew what he was doing that night, so don’t guilt trip me. I am their Alpha, and they will die before they cross me or lay a finger on their Luna.” His husky voice brought goosebumps to my skin.

I was speechless, seeing Damian so dark and disturbed made me quake in fear. His warmth was so close to me and the electrical sparks pulsating on our skin made the situation unbearable. Physically, I was turned on, but mentally I was a wreck.

“Do you realize how hard it is to contain my wolf? Seeing you bare...” His eyes trailed down my body as his breathed heavily, “You have no idea how hard it is to not claim you right now.”

The words Damian spoke, the way he looked at me, seeing his body up close; his tattoos; his pulsating muscles that shimmered from his sweat; the blood that stained his skin... Made me want him even more.