The Possessive Alpha
Chapter 99

DAMON POV

I catch myself looking at my phone again, the angst in my veins almost unmanageable as it gets closer to six without Andrew returning. Where the hell is he? The longer his absence, the more I start to panic; what has he found out that could be keeping him so long? Or worse, he’s found nothing and is running down every last option.

“No offense, Alpha,” Matt says as he watches me stare at my phone like I am trying to will the time to go faster. “But if you look at that phone one more time, I will chuck it across the field. You need your focus on the upcoming match.” His word drip a seriousness only used in situations like this. His arms crossed, stoic expression plastered on his face watching pack members file onto the bleachers set up for events like this.

Using the mindlink, I reach out to Andrew again, trying to get a progress report and replaceing nothing, but resistance, so he either has his block firmly in place or is out of range. What could he have found out that took him out of radius? Ignoring what Matt just told me, I flick on the screen of my phone to see only a minute has passed, and there are only fifteen minutes until this competition is supposed to happen.

“That’s it,” Matt says, snatching the phone from my grip, blatantly ignoring the growl rumbling past my lips. “I told you once, and I won’t repeat myself, not today.” He slips my phone into his back pocket before returning his focus to the whispering crowd, his eyes narrowing as he focuses on something, or someone- Hunter.

“Think he knows where Charity is?” I ask, looking at the glower on his face as he watches Hunter laughing easily with some of his friends like nothing is happening.

“No,” Matt growls, breaking eye contact and turning his attention back to me, “but that’s not important right now. Getting your head in the right mindset is. Will whatever he has to say keep you from fighting?”

“No,” I reply without hesitation because it wouldn’t change anything about this fight.

“Then what does it matter what Andrew has to say?” Matt asks. “We both know it’s not a good idea for you to talk to him before you step into that ring. His information can keep you distracted and make stupid mistakes.”

“Well, how do you propose I keep my mind off Andrew then?” I ask, “and don’t say ‘think about Elle,’ because that idea is worse.”

“How about you realize if we lose this,” Matt responds, looking me dead in the eyes with the straightest face I had ever witnessed on him, “You’ll have to butter my butt and call me Biscuit. No one wants that.”

“I’ll what?!” I ask my pupils, widening at the audacity of his words, a boisterous chuckle escaping as I keel over in laughter. Even Slade replaces his audacious comment hilarious enough to distract us since walking onto the field. “What does that even mean?”

“You can guess what it means,” he joins in, neither of us caring about the impending match while cackling like gossiping old maidens, “trust me, no one wants that Alpha. I need you to get your head in the game.” He finishes, the pressure of his large palm repeatedly crashing into my shoulder for reassurance.

“You took a gamble,” I comment, crossing my arms over my chest so I can look over the rest of the field with Matt as our fathers enter from the other side, their heads bent together in a serious conversation.

“I know,” he mumbles, “thank the goddess Slade, and you found it funny because Andrew wasn’t here to save my a*s. Glad to see my comedic relief can be useful at some point.” While his words are directed at me, his attention is permanently placed on our fathers, his eyes narrowing in contemplation as he stares them down.

“Something’s wrong,” Matt remarks, his aura slowly changing into something icier and darker. He’s such a jokester I sometimes forget he comes from a powerful Gamma bloodline. Following his eyesight, I see our fathers conversing with their hands flying wildly as they talk in hushed frantic tones. Too far to make out the words over the rising whispers of the crowd.

Theo’s father, Simon, steps onto the field, the high-pitched screech piercing the eardrums of every wolf on the field, mine included. It doesn’t take long for the crowd to settle in silence, the air growing thicker with the strain of tonight’s events. The results control the future of our pack.

When not a peep was heard, everyone’s eyes looked to Theo’s dad, who didn’t look nearly as bad as I was anticipating for his son missing. There is no way he is this calm with his son missing. Which makes me start to question what he knows of the entire situation.

“Good evening, members of the New Moon pack,” Simon booms into the unmoving crowd, hundreds of eyes whose attention was placed solely on him. “As the highest-ranking wolf in the territory, I am responsible for facilitating this match between Alpha Charles and the young Alpha Damon. This is a fight of submission, not death! The winner will be named the Alpha until the time that the rightful heir takes over.” Pausing for a breath and to look out among the crowd.

“As per tradition in the New Moon pack,” Simon continues, “the Alpha’s chosen seconds will fight first. The winner of this match will not affect the outcome of who will become the future Alpha. Before we start, let us bow our heads in silence and thank our Goddess for the continued health and prosperity of the New Moon pack.”

The entire crowd has their head bowed in communal silence, Matt and I, included, ‘Dearest Goddess, please look over me today. I need to win and get Elle back.’

‘Don’t worry,’ Slade says for the first time in hours; while I was training, he has been resting in preparation for tonight. ‘The Goddess won’t keep us from getting what’s ours.’ His voice holds conviction and promise. Raising my head, I see others doing the same as we all look to Simon to continue with the opening speech.

“May I have the Gammas step onto the field,” Simon calls, waving to Matt and Toby, inviting them to the center where he stands. Matt’s once easygoing personality has slipped away to be replaced by the stern deadly Gamma I know hides underneath constant jokes and laughter.

With a final nod to me, Matt steps further into the challenge area, his aura swirling around him like a storm. The closer he gets to the center, the more his energy pulsates into the air around us, reaching out into the crowd and making the sitting members shift uncomfortably. Matt’s father, Toby, meets him in the middle. Both men look like the Gods of death in their black tactical gear, their faces stoic and lethal as they shake hands.

While their energy is screaming destruction, a hint of excitement can be detected from both men as the Gamma’s mate, Sam, paces on the sideline with a smile. She is practically giddy with the duel about to happen between her mate and son. I swear the Gammas are an odd little family fond of violence.

“Remember, this is a fight to submission,” Simon calls, but it’s a warning to the Gamma family, “you can fight in wolf or human form.” Matt and Toby shake hands while Simon steps out of the ring before calling, “Begin!”

If I blinked, I would have missed Toby launching himself at Matt, which isn’t his usual fighting style. Toby is usually the epitome of patience, waiting for the other person to make a move. He always claimed that patience would make the other fighter more nervous and prone to making mistakes. Twisting to his side, Matt barely misses his father’s fist directed at his face. Regaining composure, both men steady themselves and start their dance.

Thirty minutes have passed with neither man relenting; something about how Toby fights is very unlike everything he taught us boys growing up. Impatience is already starting to claw at my insides as I pace along the sidelines, watching earnestly. Slade’s pacing in my head matches my own.

Both men are sweaty and bloody as they punch, weave, and dodge each other. They’re evenly matched, but Toby isn’t as young as he used to be. His speed and footwork become sluggish the longer they remain in the arena. Noticing his father is starting to slow down, Matt shift into Zeke’s large frame.

Before Toby can react and change into his wolf, Ranger, Zeke has already tackled him to the ground, both tumbling around before Zeke lands on top with his paws pressing into Toby’s chest and barred teeth near his neck. The growling and snarling of Zeke can be heard clearly among the crowd as he demands submission from Toby and his wolf.

What seems like an eternity later, Toby turns his neck in submission as his hand taps the ground in defeat. As soon as Toby relented, Zeke was off of him and shifting back to Matt as he helps his father up. He has a look of pride on his face as he grabs him into a hug. Another warrior steps forward with a bag of clothes in his hands.

Both men step off the field; Simon is about to step up and call my father and me into the center of the fighting space, but neither of us needs the encouragement. Instead, we go barreling toward each other like two trains on the verge of colliding. Simon doesn’t even have the chance to call out the start before our fists start flying at each other.

The aura we are giving off is almost suffocating to the others in the crowd, neither of us willing to relent as we land blow after blow. B***d is already trickling down my chin, but I don’t care, letting it fuel my fire more. Slade hasn’t joined in the fight yet, both of us agreeing he should wait till the last possible second. My father relies on Poseidon for extra strength, which will tire them out sooner, and already is based on the sluggish movement of his feet.

Blocking a punch, I grab my father’s arm, twisting it around his back before kicking him down to his knees. I don’t know how long we have been in the ring, barely avoiding each other and landing blows, but I can tell he is getting weaker by the second.

“Submit!” I yell, standing behind him with my claws pressing into his neck, while Slade comes to the forefront, adding his strength to my own, a visible shiver leaving my father as he resists my command. Pulling his twisted arm higher, I can feel the shudder and ragged breath as he tries to breathe through the uncomfortable breathing.

“SUBMIT!” Slade pushes forward, his Alpha command booming through the crowd as members fall to their knees in submission. My nails pinch harder on my father’s neck, not caring if I draw b***d. Growling ferociously, Slade’s animalistic voice came from my mouth. “Submit, or I WILL kill you!”

As if the threat is enough to get his attention, my father tilts his head to the side, showing me his neck, as he calls into the crowd, “I SUBMIT.” Golden energy releases from his neck and wrists as it rises into the air above both of us. I let go of my father, letting him fall to the ground as the golden strings settle above me before resting gently on my skin, burning brighter as the Alpha power settles over my body before disappearing.

“Congratulations, Alpha,” My father says, standing as he looks at me with pride and a sense of relief. I think a part of him is relieved not to have the burden of being the ruling Alpha any longer. “I think this belongs to you.” He says, pointing to the manilla folder my mother has clutched in her hands, a nervous look plastered over her face.

‘Alpha,’ Andrews’ voice breaks through the mindlink after hours of no contact and not showing up for the challenge. His words are laced with worry as his voice echoes around my mind, ‘I just entered the territory. But we have a major problem.’

‘Meet me in the Alpha office,’ I reply before looking back at my parents, who look the calmest I had seen in the last few weeks. “I have to go. I have Alpha business to attend to.”

“Of course,” my mom says, wrapping me into a warm hug as her hands caress my back, “bring Elle home, please?” She k****s my cheek before stepping back into the arms of my father.

Before running off to meet Andrew with Matt behind me, I turn to look at them, my tone deadly serious, “we still aren’t done with this discussion. You two have a lot of things to answer for still.” Looking at Matt with a nod, we both turn and advance toward the packhouse in a hurry; the thick manilla folder clutched in my death grip gets me one step closer to replaceing my precious Elle