Page 27 of The Careless Alpha

"Release it," he said quietly.

"No."

"Marshall." His voice carried full Beta authority. "Release the command."

There was something in his tone that made my wolf bristle but also recognize a deeper truth. Slowly, reluctantly, I let the Alpha command fade.

The moment it lifted, the room came alive again. Pack members shifted in their seats, whispers starting to spread, but before the noise could build, Scarlett stood up with a bright smile.

"Oh, Jackson, it's wonderful news, actually!" she announced cheerfully. "Annalise is pregnant!"

Jackson's face lit up, and he turned to me with a grin. "Congratulations, Marshall! That's fantastic news. When's the pup due?"

The words hit me like ice water. I stared at him for a moment, then roared with fury. "It's not mine!"

Jackson's smile faltered completely. "What?"

"She's been sleeping around," Scarlett added with false sweetness. "Can you believe it? Our sweet little future Luna, spreading her legs for anyone who'd have her. Marshall just rejected and banished her for adultery."

Jackson stared at Scarlett for a moment, then looked around the room at the pack members who were watching the exchange with rapt attention. Finally, his gaze settled on me, and I saw something dangerous flash in his dark eyes.

"We need to talk," he said quietly. "Now."

"I have nothing to—"

"NOW, Marshall." His voice carried a Beta command that made my wolf sit up and take notice. It wasn’t enough to command me, an Alpha, but still I followed him out of the dining room and back to my office, slamming the door behind us.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Jackson exploded the moment we were alone.

"Nothing's wrong with me," I snapped. "I just banished a lying, cheating mate who—"

"That pup is yours, you fucking idiot!"

The words hit me like a slap. "That's impossible. I've never touched her."

"Haven't you?" Jackson moved closer, his dark eyes blazing with anger. "The night of the winter festival. Do you remember where you were around midnight?"

"I was with Scarlett—"

"Bullshit." Jackson's voice was deadly quiet. "You spent the entire evening whining to me about how much you wanted your mate. About how hard it was to wait until her eighteenth birthday to do things 'correctly.' You must have said it twenty times that night."

A chill ran down my spine. "That doesn't mean—"

"You were drinking, yes, but you weren't stumbling drunk," Jackson continued relentlessly. "Around eleven-thirty, you looked at me and said, 'Fuck waiting. She's my mate now.' Then you headed straight for the stairs."

The words hit me like ice water. Fragments of memory began to surface—the frustration, the longing, the decision that I couldn't wait any longer.

"I followed you upstairs," Jackson said firmly. "I stood guard at the top of the stairs to make sure nobody came near her room while you were... occupied."

"No," I whispered.

"Yes," Jackson said firmly. "I was there for hours, Marshall. Fucking hours. Nobody could get past me to interrupt you two. And when you finally came out of her room around three in the morning, you had this stupid, satisfied grin on your face. You reeked of sex and Annalise's scent."

More memories surfaced. The feeling of completion, of finally being exactly where I belonged. Whispered endearments in the darkness. The sense that something fundamental had changed. Annalise's soft sighs, her hands in my hair, the way she'd looked at me with absolute love and trust.

"You clapped me on the shoulder and said best night of my life, brother. She's perfect," Jackson continued. "Then you stumbled to your room and passed out. I went to bed thinking you'd finally claimed your mate properly."

He paused, his expression growing darker. "The next morning, I woke up to see you all over Scarlett in the dining hall. I assumed you were just keeping up appearances—making sure nobody would suspect what had happened between you and Annalise the night before."