Page 60 of The Careless Alpha

"It's perfect," he finally breathed, his voice thick with unshed tears. "Thank you, Annalise. It's... it's perfect."

Due to the complications and my need to recover, Luna Elspeth insisted we stay at the pack house for at least a week. I was grateful for the care, even though being around a new pack made me nervous. These wolves didn't know me, and I was very aware that I was an outsider with a complicated history.

But they were kind. Alpha Ronan and Luna Elspeth made sure I was comfortable, and the other pack members were respectful and welcoming. Still, I couldn't help but notice the attention Marshall was getting from some of the unmated she-wolves.

It started subtly. A young woman named Bethany, who worked in the pack kitchen, would find excuses to bring Marshall coffee when he was sitting with me and Fenrir. She'd lean over him unnecessarily, her low-cut tops leaving little to the imagination.

"You look tired," she'd coo, her hand lingering on his shoulder. "Are you getting enough rest? I could show you some relaxation techniques."

Marshall would politely thank her and move away from her touch, but she'd try again an hour later.

Then there was Jessica, one of the pack warriors, who seemed to find reasons to stop by whenever Marshall and I went for walks around the territory with Fenrir. She'd appear in tight workout clothes, stretching in ways that emphasized her figure.

"Want to join me for a run?" she'd ask Marshall, batting her eyelashes. "I know all the best trails. We could find somewhere... private."

"I appreciate the offer," Marshall would say politely, "but I am with my mate and son."

"I don't see a mating mark," Bethany said one afternoon, her eyes fixed on Marshall's neck. "Maybe you're not as committed as you think."

I felt something dark and possessive stir in my chest, but I pushed it down. Marshall wasn't mine anymore. I had no right to feel jealous.

But Marshall's response was immediate and firm. "Mating marks aren't the only indication of commitment. Annalise is my mate, marked or not, and that's not going to change."

The worst incident happened on our fourth day there. We were having dinner in the pack dining hall, Fenrir sleeping peacefully in my arms, when Alpha Ronan's sister, Celeste approached our table.

Celeste was beautiful in the way that alpha bloodline she-wolves often were—tall, confident, with platinum blonde hair and curves that she displayed in a dress that was barely appropriate for dinner. She'd been watching Marshall since we'd arrived, but tonight she was done with subtlety.

"Marshall," she purred, sliding into the seat next to him uninvited. "I was wondering if you'd like to join me for a nightcap after dinner. I have some excellent whiskey in my rooms, and I think you could use some... adult conversation."

Her hand landed on his thigh under the table, and I saw Marshall go rigid. But before he could respond, something primal and possessive exploded inside me.

A low, threatening growl erupted from my throat—not entirely human, not entirely wolf, but something in between that spoke of claim and warning and absolute fury. The sound echoed through the dining hall, and every conversation stopped.

MINE,Sapphire snarled in my mind, her presence suddenly blazing with territorial rage.Our mate, our Alpha, OURS.

“Mine,” I growled.

Celeste jerked back like she'd been burned, her eyes wide with shock. "I... I'm sorry, I didn't..."

"Annalise," Marshall said softly, his hand reaching toward me. "It's okay. I was about to tell her no."

The moment his fingers touched my arm, a jolt, warm and electric, shot through me, silencing the growl in my throat. It was a feeling I had never experienced before, a hum of pure energy that settled the raging possessiveness inside me instantly. I’d felt a pull toward him before, a sense of belonging, but this was different. This was a living connection, a tangiblethread of warmth and rightness weaving from his touch straight to my soul.

What is this feeling? I asked Sapphire, my mind reeling.

It's the mate bond, sister,she replied,her awe echoing in my head.

But, how? He rejected me.

We never accepted his rejection, Sapphire confirmed.The bond never actually severed.

But I didn’t feel this when he found me at the diner.

I think it was dormant,Sapphire explained.The Moon Goddess shielded you from it until now. But now, it has awakened.

My mind flashed back to the birthing room, to the haze of pain and Luna Elspeth’s calm voice.The mate bond is still there, even with the formal rejection.The words, which had been a confusing whisper in the storm of labor, now roared in my mind with perfect, stunning clarity.

He had rejected me, but I had never accepted it. In the chaos of his rage and the terror of his threats, the final, crucial step of the severing had never happened. It wasn't broken. It wasn't gone. It had just been dormant, waiting.