He’s My Alpha by Cassandra M (Jake & Clair)
Chapter 48
Clair
It was almost two hours now and Jake was nowhere to be seen. I’d been itching to ask the Beta if he had heard anything from him, but I kept my mouth shut. I didn’t want to sound too eager.
Beta Gavin and I were at the dessert table, picking sweets and judging them one by one. We just finished rating the people around the ballroom. I shared with him that when I was hanging out with my human friends, we usually pass the time by rating girls or boys according to their hotness or physical features from one to ten, with a perfect ten being the hottest! And because we were both bored, we tried it on the Alpha females and males around us.
The Beta rated me at 9.5, and like the gentleman that I knew he was, he never rated anyone higher than me tonight except for his future mate.
He was saving the perfect 10 for her and I think that was sweet. I couldn’t wait until he met her and swept her off her feet.
I was stifling laughter from something the Beta said when a voice came out of the speaker welcoming Alpha Aeon into the ballroom, and then I heard Jake’s name, making me and Sky perk up to look for him.
“Announcing the arrival of our celebrant, young Alpha Aeon of the Blood Moon Pack, together with Alpha Jacob of the Black Shadow Pack.”
My body heated up as my hold on the Beta tightened before I turned my gaze to the entrance of the ballroom. My gaze automatically found him and my eyes locked with his gorgeous dark blue eyes.
My lips curved into a warm smile upon seeing him as if my whole body had come back to life. He was nowhere near me, but his warmth was all over me. “Now there goes my perfect 10,” I muttered under my breath, which earned a snicker from the Beta beside me as I slowly loosened my grip on his arm.
Beta Gavin leaned closer for a whisper. “Just be careful and don’t jump on him. It’s not the proper place to do so. This is Alpha Aeon’s party, just in case you forgot. He’s the one searching for his female.” He said it in one breath.
I squinted my eyes at him. “Do you think I would just jump at your Alpha? Excuse me, Beta, but I’m a lady and I have manners.” I told him in fake annoyance. But he was right, I was restraining myself from launching at Jake at the moment.
He snickered again but kept his mouth shut as we watched as Alpha Aeon and Jake approached.
“Looks like Lady Clair is enjoying herself well.” Alpha Aeon’s brow lifted. A smug smirk plastered on his lips, but I saw the dagger look he sent at Beta Gavin’s way.
“Indeed, Alpha Aeon. Beta Gavin has been a great company for the night.” I smiled at him while my free hand tapped Beta Gavin’s arm.
I threw a quick glance at Jake, who was faking a yawn beside Alpha Aeon, refusing to meet my eyes. “Now I’m jealous of the time you spent with him.” Alpha Aeon then took my hand resting on the Beta’ s arm and placed it on his. “Mind if I take the lady away from you for a while?”
The Beta’s face held no emotions, but I saw his eyes darting to Jake.
“Of course. Beta Gavin won’t mind.” I smiled calmly. And in seconds, I was already in the arms of Alpha Aeon as we made our way away from them.
Jake was frowning. His eyes were stone cold, staring at me as we passed by him.
‘Relax. I’ll behave.” I teased him through mindlink.
I walked around with Alpha Aeon for a while,
engaging in a boring conversation with some of his guests. Everything was going smoothly, but I was really getting bored since I didn’t know anyone and had no conversation with them.
He then introduced me to Alpha Riley and Alpha Darvin. They didn’t say anything except when he introduced me as someone from Jake’s pack and Alpha Riley asked where Jake was. He immediately went to him after Aeon pointed out where he was.
While we were standing in a circle with an Alpha from another pack and his mate, and with other guests all around us, chattering with many conversations all at once, I tilted my head and talked directly to him. “I’m a little tired. Do you mind if I leave you now?”
“You don’t need to go away from me, love. We can sit and talk, just the two of us.” He leaned closer to whisper in my ear. I flinched at the word ‘love1 but didn’t show any reaction.
shook my head and pursed my lips. “That would be disrespectful to your guests. You should attend
“They don’t matter.” He offered me a c*oc*ky smile, but before he could take me away from the circle, a tall female with long wavy hair approached us.
If I was not mistaken, her name was Lady Rosalie from some pack that I couldn’t remember based on what Beta Gavin told me earlier.
“I finally caught you, Aeon. You promised to dance with me. I want to have it now.” She said authoritatively, and at that moment, I wanted to hug her for saving me from this situation.
Alpha Aeon paused, and I knew he was about to reject her request. I then made it my mission to make sure it didn’t happen.
“Of course, Alpha Aeon has been looking forward to that dance, Lady Rosalie.” I smiled sweetly at her and placed Alpha Aeon’s arm in front of her for her to take as I mouthed, “He told me.” I winked at Lady Rosalie before turning on my heel to leave, excusing myself with the rest of the crowd.
And I never looked back as I strode through the middle of the ballroom to the other side. I knew I had just pissed off Alpha Aeon, but I really wanted a moment away from him.
My eyes searched for my Alpha and his Beta as I made my way through the crowd. But before I could find him, his scent hit me and a hand grabbed my wrist gently and spun me around, which made my body collide with a hard chest.
I gasped in surprise, but my lips automatically curled into a wide smile when I saw Jake looking down at me, smirking — looking dapper than ever.
He placed my hand on his shoulder and my other hand was already clasped together with his as he started to swing us in a slow dance move towards the dance floor.
“You made me wait, little mate.” He said in a husky voice, making way for delicious tingles to spread in between my thighs.
I rolled my eyes playfully as I swayed my body to his rhythm, enjoying the sparks between us. “If you think for a moment I was enjoying standing there talking with people I barely knew, then you’re losing your touch, old man!”
“I want to kiss you.” He blurted it out all of a sudden. His eyes were focused on my lips.
I felt my throat dry. “Me too. But we can’t.” My eyes warned him.
“And why?”
“Beta Gavin said…” He cut me off before I could finish.
“So he tells you what to do now?” A scowl was evident on his face.
“No. You don’t get it. He said we need to be respectful. This is not your gala. He said we could do it somewhere else…” I said the last few words almost in a whisper, while color started to creep in on my cheeks.
“Alpha Argon talked with me earlier while you were seated in a meeting with his son,” I informed him when he didn’t reply to the last thing I said. “He said Alpha Aeon wanted me for his Luna, and he thought I would be a perfect fit for Aeon.” I continued.
“And?” He asked, his eyes drifting somewhere else. “He wanted me to spend time getting to know his son.”
“And what did you say?” He asked again, still not looking at me.
“I told him it’s between Aeon and me and we don’t need a middleman.”
“And?”
“And? What do you mean and?”
“What do you plan to do?”
“Nothing. Just that…” I stuttered, not knowing how to continue this time.
“Just that?” He looked down this time, catching my eyes.
“I’m not going to do anything until I get my answer from you.” I swallowed and dropped my gaze to his chest, my body still moving slowly, dancing with him.
Silence.
“But if this helps, then please know I will be okay. Maybe I should give him or another man a chance
after we… you know. I don’t want you to feel guilty if you must… you know. I’ll be okay. I think.” The words came out of my mouth, but I couldn’t trust the honesty in them.
I wouldn’t be okay if he rejected me. I will never be. “Clair…” He did it again – said my name when he didn’t know what to say.
So I kept talking.
“Remember when you told me when we were younger, that I’d be a good Luna but not your Luna? Maybe it’s like that, maybe I’ll be good for someone else.”
Jake’s body began to shake as he stopped swaying to the music. I pressed my palms against his chest, trying to calm him down. “I just want you to be okay. Be happy and not be burdened by your decisions.”
“Are you considering him already? To replace me.” He asked in a low tone, his eyes softening as if he was in despair.
“No. Not ever. No one can replace you. But I have to keep my options open, just in case…” I took a deep breath before tilting my head up to meet his gaze.
He looked lost and confused.
And it made me confused too.