Alpha Markus
Chapter 61

Markus P.O.V.

It took Dash and Atlas a few deer and black bear kills to get their rage under control. A few times, I had to steer Danny and Dash from turning around towards the Packhouse. I knew it hit him harder. As bad as the pictures had been of Celeste, I’d actually seen her before she was healthy. Danny met Maya when she had already been cleared to shift. He never saw her before that. It took a lot of talking down before I managed to calm him. We bathed in the river’s cold water before coming back to the Packhouse. He gently picked up Maya from Celeste’s arms and headed back to their floor.

I woke up early the next morning to someone banging on the door. “Alpha, Luna. You both need to get up. We are having breakfast on time for once because the hair stylist is coming in promptly at 1pm. We have a packed schedule and everything has to go right. You have 2mins to open this door, before I break it down,” she yelled through the closed door.

“Can we just banish her?” Celeste mumbled and I laughed.

“Gillian would probably hurt us if we tried,” I said, leaning over and kissing her on the lips. Her arms instantly wrapped around my neck and she deepened the k**s. I growled, feeling my c**k twitch. I started to move on top of her when I heard another knock on the door.

“1 min! Unless you’re not very gifted, Alpha, you don’t have time to do what I heard you growling to do!”

“Maybe we just banish both of them,” I said as I pressed my forehead to hers before moving off the bed and going to open the door.

“Good Morning Kelly.” I said.

“Good Morning Alpha, we need to go have breakfast with the guests. Mom has put me in charge of shoving both of you along so you’re both ready in time. She’s handling Maya and Danny, then we will switch at 3 so Maya, Luna and I can get ready and you and Danny and Gillian will get ready under mom’s watchful eye,” She said as she went into the walk-in closet and grabbed some clothes for us to wear for the day. She had already picked for us. I rolled my eyes as I took them and headed to the bathroom to change.

“Wait! I have to pee,” Celeste yelled, and tried to beat me to the bathroom. I laughed and went into the walk in to change. Once I changed, I came out of the closet, waiting until she came out to brush my teeth and make sure I was presentable. I heard a weird noise in the bathroom before it opened.

“Are you OK?” I asked.

“Yes, it’s just nerves,” She smiled as she went to sit on the bed to wait for me.

“Three minutes, Alpha. The cook just linked me. Your food is ready.” Kelly said and I rolled my eyes. Again. Today was going to be a long day if Kelly took her duties so seriously, which it seemed like she did. I loved this girl like a sister, but I just wanted to make Celeste my Luna, get Alpha Geoff arrested, go rescue the girls and then forget about the world in this room with Celeste. That wasn’t too much to ask of a morning, was it?

Maybe we can take her on a trip after? – Atlas said, wagging his tail. – Don’t humans call it a honeymoon?

Yes, I like that idea. We’ll talk to Gillian later about arranging it. – I said.

We headed back down to breakfast. Celeste was wearing a turquoise silk shell top with a light, black cardigan, blue trousers and some low-heeled black pumps. She looked stunning as always. Her curls cascading down her back in a pony tail. We welcomed the arriving Alphas and Lunas and went in for breakfast. Some remembered her from when we were at B***d Moon and commented on how beautiful and healthy she looked now.

We ate breakfast and I noticed Sandra kept glaring daggers at her and Maya. It seemed she finally realized that they had both been mated to ranked members while she was not only still mateless, but more than likely mated to someone without rank. I saw her keep eyeing Gillian and Kelly sitting together. She was trying to figure out if they were together.

‘Sandra is eye f*****g you,’ I mind linked him.

‘Yes, I noticed. I hope some unmated Alphas show up soon so her attention can go somewhere else, because if she tries to flirt with me, I might just throw up my breakfast all over her hair,’ he said and I almost choked on my toast laughing. My face heated as a few amused heads turned my way as I tried to clear the blockage with coughs.

We spent the rest of the morning welcoming and settling in the Alphas and their people as they arrived. Celeste and Maya were getting pulled one way and another. Kelly kept flitting in and out the back yard to ask questions or dealing with something or other relating to the Ceremony. Each was always discreetly followed by one of their guards. They were smart enough to keep rotating between the 4 of them so that it went unnoticed by the guests.

I was a little concerned over the fact that Beta Trevor and Sandra couldn’t take their eyes off Celeste and Maya. Every time they came into view of the sitting room, they zeroed in on the girls. I was talking with one of the Alphas halfway through the morning when Maya came in through the sitting room and towards the kitchen, seemingly alone, when I saw Beta Trevor get up and follow her out.

‘Maya, kitchen. Go now,’ I mind linked Danny, who quickly excused himself and dashed to the kitchen. I heard a few raised voices and then Beta Trevor came back to the area they had occupied, his jaw tight.

‘Good looking out. Now I’m going to go figure out where the damn guards are. Check on Celeste and Kelly,’ he said.

‘Tuli, are you ok?’ I asked, nervous and angry that Maya was not with a guard when I specifically told them they were not to be alone. Ever.

‘Yes. Is everything OK? I’m with Luna Kiara. She seems to be avoiding the other Alphas,’ she said.

‘Is one of the guards near you?’

‘Yes, Gabriel is. I think Luna Kiara might benefit from having one. It seems when she became Luna, it was not pleasantly received and she’s still afraid of them,’ she said.

‘I will make sure one is assigned to her so she feels safer. Make sure you’re always followed by one. I don’t trust your old Beta. I love you. Come sit with me when you have a chance.’

“I love you more,’ She said, and we ended the mind link.

‘Kelly, are you OK? Do you have a guard near you?’ I asked.

‘Yes Alpha, he’s currently helping me hang some decorations that fell with the wind last night. Is everything OK?’

‘Yes, just checking in,’ I said and cut off the mind link.

‘Celeste and Kelly are both with guards. Did you figure out what happened?’ I asked Danny.

‘Yes,’ he growled, ‘Maya sent him away to get more wine from the cellar. She is a little shaken up that Beta Trevor would try to get her alone. The a*****e had promised to take her once she turned of age and now I’m just trying to get her to calm down and me before I go in there and beat the s**t out of the man.’

‘Just a few more hours, brother,’

‘I’m counting the minutes,’ he half laughed.

‘Alpha, the rest of the council has arrived together.’ One of my gate guards mind linked.

‘Thank you, let them through.’ I said. ‘The council is here.’ I mind linked Kelly, Dad, Gillain, Celeste, Danny and Maya at once.

“The rest of the council has arrived. You’re welcome to join us outside as we welcome them,” I told the room. Most followed behind us, Sandra falling in step with Gillian as he passed and trying to get a conversation going, but Kelly came up and wrapped her arm through his and led him away. Sandra glared at their backs. I looked at Kelly as they fell in step with us as Celeste, Maya and Danny joined the group. My father behind them with Marie. She winked at me and I smirked.

“Councilmen, Welcome to Crescent Moon Pack. We are honored you accepted our invitation to see my mate become my Luna,” I said as they started coming up the steps.

“Alpha Markus, how could we miss such a momentous occasion? The Crescent Moon Pack has been without a Luna for far too long,” one of them said.

“And with all due respect, may I add that she is truly a rare beauty,” Councilman John said. He was my least favorite of the bunch and the way he eyed Celeste had Atlas stirring in anger under my skin. I felt Celeste shift uncomfortably next to me, getting just a little closer to me.

“Selene has definitely been kind to me, Councilman John,” I said through gritted teeth.

“Well, shall we go inside? I believe we are still in time for lunch and I’m afraid we haven’t had the chance,” One of the councilmen broke the tension, sending a small glare at Councilman John.

“Of course. We’re still missing a couple of Alpha’s. I am at your service for anything you may need. Celeste has arranged your suites and every staff member here should be able to help you replace it. Lunch is at noon, and I’m afraid at 2, we will have to take our leave to be ready for the ceremony which starts at 5pm,” I told them as we walked back into the dining room. The Alphas and the councilmen were using this opportunity to talk some business. Lunch was fairly informal, small groups littering the common areas. I noticed people only stopped briefly to talk to Alpha Geoff. Only a few seemed to linger for more than a couple of minutes. I was taking notice of everyone that did so I could be sure to look to see if there were any issues from those Packs.

“Alpha, it’s time.” Gillian’s mom approached me with Danny and Gillian on her toes.

“Go, son, Alpha Rhett and I will keep down the fort for you.” Dad said. I nodded as I watched Kelly, Maya and Celeste being followed by all four guards.

‘See you soon Tuli’

‘We should just run away together. There’s too many people here.’ she said and I laughed through the link.

‘I want everyone to see that I’m the luckiest wolf alive to have you by my side,’ I said.

‘You sure know how to take the fight out of a girl,’ she laughed, ‘I will see you in 3 hrs. I love you.’

‘Love you more.’ I said as we headed to Gillian’s floor to get ready.