Page 7 of The Careless Alpha

Because I’m his mate.The words screamed in my head, but they died on my lips. How could I say them when the proof of her claim was right in front of me, in the scent of Marshall that still clung to her, in the triumphant look in her eyes?

“You should finish getting ready,” I said, turning back to the mirror and away from their victorious faces.

“Oh, we’re done here,” Scarlett said, her voice smug. She and her friends moved to the door. “Have fun at the party, Annalise. Try not to embarrass him.”

They filed out as abruptly as they’d come, their laughter echoing down the hall. I was left alone with my reflection, seeing exactly what they saw: a child in a pretty blue dress, playing a game she was destined to lose. My heart wasn't just breaking; it felt like it was being methodically torn to pieces.

But I finished getting ready anyway, because that's what I do now. I endure.

The party was in full swing by the time I made it downstairs. The main hall had been transformed into something magical, with twinkling lights and ice sculptures and tables laden with Marshall's favorite foods. Pack members filled the space, laughing and drinking and celebrating their future Alpha.

Marshall stood near the bar, impossibly handsome in a dark suit that made his amber eyes glow like fire. He was surrounded by well-wishers and admirers, accepting their congratulations with the easy confidence of someone born to lead.

Scarlett hung on his arm like an accessory, stunning in her red dress. She whispered something in his ear that made him laugh, and the sound hit me like a physical blow.

"You look beautiful, sweetheart."

I turned to find Alpha Orion beside me, his kind eyes taking in my blue dress and carefully styled hair. Marshall's father had always been gentle with me, treating me like the daughter he'd never had.

"Thank you," I said, managing a smile. "It's a wonderful party."

"Etta outdid herself," he agreed. "She's been planning this for weeks."

We stood together in comfortable silence, watching the celebration swirl around us. I should have been part of it, should have been by Marshall's side as his future mate. Instead, I was standing on the edges like a spectator at my own life.

"Annalise?" Alpha Orion's voice was carefully neutral. "Are you happy here?"

The question caught me off guard. "Of course. This is my home."

"I know it's your home. But are you happy?"

I wanted to lie, to give him the answer he wanted to hear. But something in his eyes told me he already knew the truth.

"I'm learning," I said finally. "Luna Etta says happiness comes from duty. From serving the pack."

Alpha Orion was quiet for a long moment. "Your Luna is a wise woman," he said eventually. "But she's also been Luna for twenty years. She's earned the right to find fulfillment in duty."

"And I haven't?"

"You're thirteen years old, sweetheart. You should be finding fulfillment in being thirteen."

Before I could ask him what he meant, the music changed, and Marshall stepped forward to address the pack. The crowd quieted, all attention turning to their future Alpha.

"Thank you all for being here tonight," Marshall said, his voice carrying easily across the room. "Twenty years ago, I was born into this pack, and every day since then has been a gift. Your loyalty, your strength, your trust in my family's leadership... these are the things that make us who we are."

The pack murmured approval, hanging on his every word. This was Marshall at his best, natural and commanding andborn to lead. This was the man I'd fallen in love with the moment he'd claimed me as his mate. A fierce, painful pride swelled in my chest. He was magnificent. And he was mine, even if only in name. Even if, right now, he felt like he belonged to everyone but me.

"As I look toward the future," Marshall continued, "I see challenges ahead. But I also see opportunity. The chance to make our pack stronger, more prosperous, more united than ever before."

His eyes swept the crowd and landed on me for just a moment. Something flickered in his expression, too quick to interpret, before his gaze moved on.

"So tonight, we celebrate not just my birthday, but our future together. Our pack, our family, our destiny."

He raised his glass, and the pack followed suit. "To the Cascade Pack!"

"To the Cascade Pack!" the crowd echoed, and everyone drank.

The music resumed, couples taking to the makeshift dance floor. I watched Marshall lead Scarlett into the first dance, her red dress swirling around them like blood in water. They moved together perfectly, a matched set of power and beauty. He held her with an easy confidence he never used with me, his hand resting possessively on the small of her back. The way a mate would hold his partner.