The Alpha Who Saved Me

Chapter 5

“Mother has been waiting on you, Quinn.” Declan informs me with a scowl as soon as he stops in front of me.

“Are you going to ignore me?” He sneers at me, “People are wanting to head out, and you haven’t even cut your cake yet.”

I just stare at the man in front of me because I don’t even recognize him. Instead of responding to him, I go to brush past him, so I can go find Amelia, but his hand shoots out, taking hold of my wrist. I glance down at his big hand circling my tiny wrist and the look up at him as I lift a brow, but he doesn’t let go.

As long as you keep being an ***to me, then yes, Alpha, I am. However, I will head over to your mother right away.” I jerk my hand out of his grip, and surprisingly, to both of us, I’m able to. I don’t stick around to figure out how I was able to, though. I only take a few steps, and then I’m turning back to him fuming. “You know, I didn’t ask for this party, and I sure as hell didn’t invite half the males from this side of the country! Maybe if I weren’t being passed around from male to male like the pack ****, I would have been able to get to your mother sooner!

“Quinn.” Declan growls.

“Don’t you dare growl at me, Alpha! I don’t know what I did to earn your displeasure, but I would very much like to leave your presence now, so your mood doesn’t ruin the rest of my night.” I don’t give him a chance to get anything else in, because I quickly lose myself in the crowd on the dance floor.

I zigzag in and out of separate groups, not even responding to those who call out to me as I pass. I remain on my own mission, to dodge the Alpha, until he can talk to me civilly once again. Declan has never talked to me like that, so I can’t even begin to fathom why he did so just now, but I will not allow anyone to talk to me that way, Alpha or not.

I was almost to the cake table where Amelia was standing having a conversation with another woman, when I’m grabbed once again, but before I could let my anger loose, I’m being pulled through the nearest door. I can smell his cologne, making me roll my eyes and spin around.

“Seriously, Declan, what is it with males manhandling me tonight?” I scowl up at him as I cross my arms in front of my chest.

“Who the fuck has been manhandling you?” Duke, Declan’s wolf, comes forward, growling, and making his eyes glow a bright blue.

I give a sarcastic laugh, “Do you mean aside from you?

Declan sighs heavily. “That’s why I brought you in here. I wanted to apologize to you. You were right, you didn’t deserve my anger earlier, and it wasn’t you that I was upset with.”

“Who then?” I ask, beginning to calm my own irritation now that he’s apologized.

“My cousin can be a bit much at times. I saw how he grabbed you to dance and then again when he wouldn’t let you step away,” he scrubs his hand over his face, “I didn’t like it, I guess.”

I can’t help but smirk now, “You do realize that I can take care of myself, right?”

“I’m not worried about him hurting you, Quinn. I was worried that he would overreach his step. I saw how he’s been watching you all night, never taking his eyes off you, and I know Gavin.”

“Well, he’s pretty much been a gentleman all night. I’ve enjoyed talking with Gavin.” I tell him, only to see him flinch, “What is it?”

“Nothing, just please keep your wits about you when you are around him, and do not, for any reason, allow yourself to be alone with him.”

“Declan, I highly doubt your cousin will try anything with me. I’ve already discussed with him that I am waiting for my mate.”

“Why would you have to have that discussion with him?” The Alpha furrows his brows.

“Well, because he asked if he could take me out on a date some time, and I didn’t want to give him any reason to think that we could be more than friends.” i drop my arms and take a step closer to Declan. Placing my hand on his arm, I smile warmly up at the man who saved me three years ago. “You have kept me safe all these years, Declan, at some point, you will need to let go.

He gazes down at me, then shakes his head and pulls me in for a hug, “Never. I will never stop worrying over you or protecting you, Quinn.” ! wrap my arms around his waist, “I never told you this, but the day we found you in that saferoom, I was actually in a dark place.”

“You were? Why?” I ask without lifting my head from his chest.

“I was twenty-three years old, Quinn. I hadn’t found my mate yet. Most males find their mate by the age of twenty, and those that I know of who hadn’t had started to go mad. Those that finally found their mate, went back to being themselves, but those who hadn’t, well, they

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were dead by twenty-five.”

My head jerks up. “But you’re twenty-six!”

He grins down at me, “I am, and I am still myself. I don’t know how, but I think it’s because of you, Quinn. I know we aren’t mates, obviously, but for some reason. Duke is calm with you around. So, the point of the story is, you always say that I saved you that day, but I say that we saved each other that day.”

“Now that you mention it, Tala is always calm when you are around, too. That’s so weird.”

Declan steps away but still holds onto my upper arms. “Please forgive me, Quinn. I never meant to upset you, but I am very protective of you and Tala. Cousin or not, Gavin was going to get my wrath had he not walked away.”

I chuckle, “He left because he saw that you were in a ‘mood,’ as he put it.”

“He would know of my ‘moods,” he’s seen them enough, which was very warranted at the time, and that is why I ask that you watch yourself with him.” He seems desperate for me to appease him, and so I do.

“Okay. Alpha. I will watch myself around him, but only because it’s you that is asking me.”

*Thank you, Quinn.” He leans in and pecks my forehead.

“Well, don’t the two of you look nice and cozy!” A sneer comes from the doorway.

Declan and I roll our eyes at the same time before looking over at Lila in the doorway. She’s leaning against the door jamb with her arms crossed, glaring right at me. If looks could kill, i’d be six feet under right now. Not that Lila scares me, if anything, I want her to pick a fight with me because I’ve been itching to give her a bloody nose, amongst other things.

“Why don’t you go to my mother and wait for me. I will take care of this situation.” Declan informs me.

“Ugh…now I’m a situation?” Lila snaps at the Alpha.

He growis, “Don’t push me, Lila!” He lets out a bit of his aura and the she-wolf whimpers.

I glance back at him, “Don’t be too long or else I will cut the cake without you and eat your piece along with mine.” i wink and grin.

“I won’t be long at all, I promise.” I see his smile just before it disappears as he turns to face Lila.

As much as I want to stand outside the door, so I can hear what is being said, I give them their privacy. I go and find Amelia in the same place as where I saw her just before Declan kidnapped me. She is still in a conversation with the same woman as I walk up to them both.

“Ah, there’s the birthday girl! I see you have been having fun dancing with all these handsome young men.” Amelia elbows me as she giggles

“It’s not like I had a choice,” I chuckle, “Most just grabbed me as I walked by them.”

“Well, you are a beautiful woman and they all wanted to make sure that you weren’t their mate. You can’t always go by smell alone.” Amelia explains.

I guess I hadn’t thought about that, but they still could have been a bit more respectful and simply asked first. I turn toward the other woman and hold my hand out to her.

“Hello, I’m Quinn. Thank you for coming tonight.” I address the she-wolf warmly.

“Oh, good Goddess, where are my manners?” Amelia chuckles, “Quinn, this is Sara, Gavin’s mother, and Declan’s aunt. Sara, this is Quinn, as she just introduced herself.”

The woman, Sara, looks me up and down, “So, this is the orphan that Declan took in?”

Both me and Amelia gawk at the woman in front of us. Amelia goes to say something, but I stop her by placing my hand on her arm.

“Mrs. Davis, I understand that to you I may seem like an orphan, but I can assure you that not one day went by where Amelia or Declan has treated me as such. To me, they are my extended family.” I try to keep my tone as light as possible, not wanting to make waves within the family.

Sara looks shockingly at Amelia, “You allow such disrespect from an outsider?”

“Whatever are you going on about, Sara?” Amelia asks just as confused as I am.

* Addressing the Alpha so informally is disrespectful, Amelia! Surely, as a former Luna, you wouldn’t allow such disobedience!”

Amelia scoffs in the she-wolf’s face, “Did you not hear her? We are family, even you call him by his birth name and not by his title.” There is a bit of bite to Amelia’s tone and all I want to do is fist bump the air right now, but I remain docile for the time being.

“I am the boy’s aunt!” Sara tries reminding the woman beside me.

“First of all, Alpha Declan is far from being a boy, and you will not refer to him as such. Second, you do not share the same blood, so technically, you are in the same placement as Quinn, maybe even below her since she is part of this pack as well.”

Sara stutters, stomps her foot, and then spins around and disappears into the crowd. I can no longer keep myself in check, and I burst out laughing

“Way to go, Mama Luna!” I hold my fist out to her and she actually bumps it with her own.”

“You don’t know how long I’ve been wanting to tell that woman off! All these years she has acted as if everyone was the dirt beneath her feet. It’s about time someone put her in her place!” Amelia smirks.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

“And you did an awesome job of doing it, too!” I laugh.

“Come,” Amelia says, “Let’s cut this delicious-looking cake; I’m in need of sugar.”

I stop her, “No, we have to wait for your son. He wants to be here.”

“Well, where is that spawn of mine anyway?” She asks as her eyes sweep the crowd.

“He’s dealing with Lila at the moment.” I roll my eyes.

“Oh, dear Goddess. We may be waiting all night!” She throws her hands up, and I have to agree with her. I don’t know why that she wolf needs to pick today of all days to cause problems.

When Declan doesn’t come out after another thirty minutes, Amelia decides to cut the cake anyway. I really don’t want to do it without the Alpha here, but when I went looking for him, I couldn’t find him anywhere. It is already well after eleven at night buy the time the guests gather around to sing Happy Birthday to me. I don’t want to let on, but I’m really hurt that Declan disappeared.

‘That she-bitch probably got her claws into him again!’ A voice says in my head, and I jump. I look around, but nobody in particular is looking at me as though they just said something. A giggle sounds in my head, ‘It’s me, Tala, silly human! Now that you are eighteen, you can hear me, where before, you could only sense me and my feelings. I’ve always talked to you though, almost like the angel on your shoulder.’

*Don’t you mean the devil on my shoulder?’ I chuckle in my head.

‘Potato-potato–‘ Is Tala’s only response.

‘Anyway.’ I continue my conversation with my wolf, ‘I really hope that he didn’t succumb to that she- wolf’s charms again.’

‘Charms? The only charm she has is the incantation of a wicked witch! If our Alpha has been fooled by her again, then we must burn her at the stake!’ Tala nods in my head.

“Pish, I wish they still had stake burnings in this day and age, but unfortunately, it’s illegal.’ I tell my wolf, Besides Tala, Alpha Declan isn’t ours silly! We haven’t found our mate yet.’

Are you sure about that because our Alpha is yummy looking.’I can see Tala panting and drooling at the mouth.

| shake my head, “Great, the Goddess gave me a horndog as my wolf!”

“Hey, take it back, I’m not a dog!’ Tala demands as she gets offended.

I roll my eyes, ‘It’s just an expression, Tala, calm down!’ I laugh.

Deciding to sneak away to go relieve myself finally, I hurry towards the front of the packhouse and run up the steps to the front door. Slipping inside as to not alert anybody who may be lurking and will stop me, I glance around and then dash to the downstairs bathroom. I sigh as I shut the door and lock it. I never realized how many people would be invested in a she-wolf turning eighteen, but I guess when you’ re an unmated male, you make time for these sorts of things.

After emptying my bladder, I’m leaving the bathroom when I hear the smashing of glass coming from the second floor. I take the stairs two at a time, thinking it’s some sort of intruder, but then I come to a dead stop in the doorway to Declan’s office. Everything from glass decanters, tumblers, vases, wooden chairs and even the lamps are smashed and broken all over the floor of the office.

“Declan,” i whisper in disbelief, “What happened?” I look up and the tall, muscular Alpha is standing only about five feet away from me, panting. Duke’s eyes are showing, and his claws are out as his chest heaves up and down as he stares at me.

Suddenly, out of the blue, he moves quicker than I’ve ever seen him move, pinning me up against the wall beside the doorway. Glancing only briefly at me, his mouth crashes against mine in a deep, heated kiss. I’m stunned for a moment, but then the wolf in me, the ***little ***, she opens my mouth and accepts Declan’s tongue. The Alpha keeps me pinned between him and the wall as he takes what he wants from the kiss.

My core begins to throb; I’ve never been kissed before, never mind made out with someone. This isn’t just anyone, though. This is Alpha Freaking-Declan!