The Mark of an Alpha {Book 1}?

Three

"Why do you want to join my pack?" My father's voice grows louder.

"Because I need a fresh start," Marcus words hit me like a freight train. A fresh start. With me?

Of course with you why else would he be here! My wolf snaps at me.

"Hm," my father ponders on Marcus' answer, "but I see that you and my friend," my father's eyes dart to Andrew, "don't get along."

"Alpha Blake," Andrew steps up, "Marcus and I got into a small quarrel at the party but it is all resolved."

With a deep sigh, my father looks at Marcus, "I don't know, son. You have this man saying that if you join our pack I won't have a battle between packs but how do I know that I can even trust you?"

I want to interject but I know that that would lead to a lot of questions from my father. I am also interested in what he has to say.

"I can prove myself to you," Marcus counters. He has not told my father that I am his mate.

"Do you know how many other wolves want to join my pack? Too many to count! If I let every single one of them join my pack I would be dethroned faster than lightning can strike."

Oh no, this is not going well. Panic surges through me as I stare at Marcus with pleading eyes. Don't give up.

"I don't want to take your title," Marcus starts but I look at my father and see my worse fear. I can see that my father is done with this discussion, I have seen that look so many times before. His eyes narrow and frown deepens.

"Sorry but it's a no. I have a great pack as it is. Maybe later on," Andrew grips my forearm when I realize that I am ahead of him, my feet on the steps walking towards my father.

"Alpha Blake," Marcus yells at my father stopping him from turning away from him and seeing me. Andrew tries to pull me back but it is as if I am drowning and Marcus is my breath of life. "Thank you for listening." Andrew groans as I fight his pull and push myself closer to my mate.

"I'm sorry, you might be a great person but I have to put my pack's safety before anything else."

"I understand." His voice sounds far away.

"Father," I yelp as Andrew grips my waist his fingers digging into my hip, most likely bruising me.

One second I am fighting Andrew trying to get to my father and then suddenly there is a jolt.

Marcus' arms wrap around me as a snarl rips through his lips and his arms cage me in, "Get your hands off of her," Marcus hisses at Andrew, who is smart enough to back away from him.

"Get your hands off of my daughter," my father orders as his hand scrunches up Marcus' shirt and shoves him off of me. His voice deepens as his already dark eyes darken even more.

His wolf wants to surface and Marcus is not safe.

"Sir," Marcus looks at him deep in the eyes.

"Let him go," I yell as I shove Marcus away from my father. "He's my mate," I cling onto him for dear life as we stumble away from the person I love more than life, my father.

The flash of emotions that runs through my father's eyes is none of the ones I hoped for. Anger, hurt, and then sadness. Marcus' hold tightens around me.

"Melany," he says my name as if it were foreign to him. He says my name as if I just broke his heart.

"I found him," the words gush out of me as if the wind is knocked out of me.

Everyone around us is silent. Andrew's eyes go to me and then my father and then back to me. His confusion is a shared emotion amongst all of us.

"I need to talk to my daughter," his words are cold.