Charlie’s POV
Waking up from my heat was an event on its own. Presley was asleep, his arm covering his eyes, trying to escape the sunlight that peaked through my windows. He was perfect. Despite being in my heat-filled stupor, I remembered him being gentle with me. He was patient with me even while he was in his rut.
I reached up, touching the mark he placed on the crook of my neck; tears welled in my eyes, not from sadness, far from it, I was so happy I couldn’t contain my emotions. Presley marked me, he really marked me.
From what my mama told me, there was a possibility he wouldn’t mark me our first time. I was prepared to be disappointed, but he didn’t do that.
I was his, and he was mine.
“You know, you don’t have to stare at me, angel.” My mate spoke, taking his arm off of his face, revealing that he was awake. I blushed red, tucking my head into his chest. He chuckled, gingerly rubbing my arm. I didn’t know what he was saying, but the teasing tone in his voice was very apparent.
I looked up at my mate, a smile on his lips, green eyes boring into mine. His once clean-shaven face now had stubble, his black hair was greasy from days of not showering- like it was anywhere on either of our plans anyway. There were times when Presley would leave and come back and clean me as much as he could without standing under running water. It was weird, I hadn’t even known him for a week, and he was taking care of me as if I were his lover for many years.
“Così bello.” (So beautiful.) Presley muttered before pressing his lips onto my forehead.
“Grazie.” (Thank you.) I blushed, trying to burrow myself further into his embrace.
We enjoyed the last bit of time alone that we could have together, in silence. Presley just held onto me, running his hands on my bare skin as if he were trying to memorize every nook and cranny of my body, now that we were no longer in the stupor of our wolves. I enjoyed the electric feeling of his fingertips touching me.
Someone knocking on my door brought us back to reality. I grumbled, upset that someone was trying to steal the last bit of time I would have with my mate alone till we went to bed tonight. But, of course, that was if everything went alright and my papa didn’t try something stupid, because he was good at that as of late. Presley growled lowly at the door, probably thinking the same thing I was.
“Uncle Charlie.” Emeilio’s small voice called from the other side of the door.
I sighed, pulling Presley’s arm off of me, begrudgingly getting out of the bed for the first time in days. My legs shook, feeling like jelly from not being used or being used too much the past few days was the question that I had no answer for at the moment. I then realized how much of a mess my room was; things in their place were now askew around the room. I chuckled, not even realizing how much of a blur the past few days were.
Another knock from my adorable but slightly annoying nephew sounded, and he called for me again. “One minute,” I called back to him, trying to scramble around my room to find a comfortable pair of shorts and a loose-fitting shirt. I glanced back, making sure Presley looked decent before I opened the door for my nephew. He was covered from the waist down with an amused look on his face.
I opened the door. My nephew stood with his little arms crossed, his brows furrowed, and his lips jutted out in a pout.
“May I help you?” I placed my hand on my hip.
“Daddy said to come and get you because he couldn’t stand the smell of the yucky alpha man.” He pinched his nose, pointing behind me to Presley. “You smell like him now, gross. You smelled so much better last time I saw you.” He complained. “Like lemons.”
I looked down in amusement, chuckling at the carbon copy of my little brother. “Your mate will smell like you too when you get older.”
“What’s a mate?” He cocked his head to the side.
“That’s a question for your daddy, baby.” I patted his head. I usually would have crouched to his eye level to talk to him, but at this moment, if I did, I would surely end up on the ground. “Tell your daddy that Alpha Presley and I need to shower, and we’ll be right out.”
“Kay.” He turned around, walking down the hall.
“Well, I guess our time is up.” Presley’s grunted out. I shrugged, not knowing what he had said, but the word ‘time’ stuck out to me. I felt the presence of my Alpha behind me. He wrapped his arms around my waist and rested his chin on top of my head; I leaned into his touch, letting him embrace me for just a little longer.
Once we were washed up, we headed downstairs into the main common area of the packhouse. Some of the pups were running around the living room, and their moms were telling them to stop running before they broke something. Presley squeezed my hand, making me realize that other than the pups causing a stir, everyone’s eyes were on us. Usually, I would have tried to make myself blend into the house’s walls, and it was no longer going to be the case.
I was the mate of an alpha, not just any alpha—the number one alpha in the world, the one who ruled on the supernatural council. I couldn’t just be a wallflower and try to blend in any longer. I swallowed, nervous, but I kept my head held high and my shoulders back. To show my brother’s pack, the pack I grew up with and loved so much, that I was so much more than a diamond that was meant to be concealed within its borders.
I bore the mark of Presley, and he bore my mark. I was going to be his luna, and he was my alpha.
My brother stood in front of our private eating quarters. “You really marked him.” My brother said in English. I picked out the word marked easily.
“I told you I would,” Presley growled. I blinked, confused by my mate’s sudden anger. “He’s my mate.”
“Yet you haven’t accepted the bond.” Karsen crossed his arms, and a blank look covered his face.
“It will be done once I speak to your mother since you and your father apparently want to make decisions for Charlie.” Presley snapped back. “If your family were more willing to accept that the goddess has fated us together, we wouldn’t be doing things so ass-backward.” I squeezed Presley’s hand to calm him.
“I’d rather you rejected him… But I guess it’s too late for that now…” Karsen shifted his gaze to me, flickering his eyes to my mark on my neck before his eyes met mine. “Do you want to accept the bond to that oaf?” He asked.
“Why wouldn’t I?” I cocked my head to the side. “We’re fated to be with one another. So why wouldn’t I accept the bond Karsen?”
“Well, first off, he’s impure, he’s slept with many others before you. Second, you’ll have to move across the world, in a strange land, you won’t know anyone but him. Not only that, you don’t know a damn thing about him anyways, but you still slept with him.” I flinched; I didn’t expect for my brother to throw that at me. He knew I couldn’t control, just like he couldn’t control his own rut.
“You lost your mate; you spiraled so much… I was there to pick up the pieces for you, to look after Emeilio for you during your darkest time. Mom and I made sure to take over some of the burden the Luna normally held while you were out getting shit-faced. I can’t believe you.” Tears slipped from my eyes. “Something that should be the happiest occasion of my life has been nothing but dreadful. It’s not even my mate that has been causing me this heartache, but you and papa, the two men I’ve loved the most my entire life, are trying to ruin it for me.” I placed my free hand over my heart.
“We just know his pack might not accept you, and who’s to say that Presley will not cheat on you with some other wolf?” Karsen frowned.
“Then let me figure it out myself. Believe it or not, I’m the older sibling here. I think it’s time for me to be able to hold my own.” Karsen’s jaw clenched and unclenched; I could almost see the cogs in his brain begin to function.
“Sorry.” Karsen averted his eyes down to the ground.
“Do you think you could help us accept our bond? Then I’ll accept your apology.” I smirked.
“Whatever,” Karsen rolled his eyes. “Then repeat after me?”
I squealed, letting go of Presley’s hand to hug my little brother. Karsen rested his chin on the top of my head, patting my back. I tucked my face into his chest, scenting him. I could hear Presley growl behind me, and I reached my hand back, swatting my hand at my alpha.
Karsen chuckled, pulling away from my embrace. “You smell like shit.” I furrowed my brows. I just got a shower, and I knew I didn’t smell. “You smell like him.” He motioned to Presley.
“He’s my mate.” I shrugged.
“Unfortunately- anyways, we don’t have all day. Mama and papa are waiting for us to eat. So repeat after me,” Karsen said. “I-”
“I-” I quickly responded, reaching my hand out for Presley to grab.
“Charlie Berger,” My brother crossed his arms.
“Charlie Berger.” I met my mate’s emerald eyes.
“Accept, you.”
“Accepta, you Presley Reida.” My brother chuckled at my butchered English while Presley gave me a reassuring smile.
“To be my mate.”
“To be my mate.” My chest fluttered, happy to finally speak those words.
“Now, dumbass, you have to repeat to me in Italian because of the whole laws of understanding or some shit.”
“Well, no shit Sherlock,” Presley scowled at my brother. I looked back at my brother, narrowing my eyes at him to stop being rude.
Karsen mocked him before finally beginning; Presley repeated the words spoken to him, adding to the end of the phrase. “I, Presley Reid, accept you, Charlie Berger, to be my mate. My Luna.” My cheeks heated up.
Luna did have a nice ring to it.
---
Brunch was pretty uneventful. Other than the death glare, my papa held on Presley for the entirety of it. My mama translated anything said for the both of us.
“So when do you plan on going home? Are you taking him with you?” My papa finally spoke when he was done with his plate, my mom translating for me to understand.
Presley grabbed onto my hand, rubbing his thumb over the top of my hand. “I still have to conduct the audit. I figured I’d be here a little longer because of my rut, and I thought I’d also give him an extra week to spend with his family, no matter how much they hate me before I take him home with me and make him a member of my pack.” I squeezed his hand, nodding in agreement with his plan. I was just happy he was giving me extra time at home before taking me to his pack.
My papa’s jaw ticked; he didn’t say anything. He only nodded.
“I plan on letting him visit, don’t worry. We’ll get that worked out at a later date. I still have to conduct audits on other packs, council meetings, and I have to get him working with Mateo to learn English as well.” My brother and papa nodded in agreement, and I agreed once my mom was done with her translation.
I was just happy he was thinking about me in the long term. Even though my papa and brother weren’t keen on us being together, Presley didn’t make it his plan to keep me from my family.
“You better treat him right. He’s my bambino. If you hurt him, I’ll make sure you’re in an early grave.”
“I will. I will make sure to take care of Charlie.” He nodded, wrapping his arm around me. It felt relieving that it seemed my papa was more on page with my mating than before.
My papa, brother, and Presley left the dining area to begin conducting the audit on the pack. My mom told me that she had to talk to my dad about accepting it while I was in my heat. She also asked me if I wanted her help with gathering my things to travel to his pack. We ended up in my post-heat-filled room. My mom rubbed her nose, trying to get used to the new smell in my room.
“Do you think that mate of yours will let us go to your mating ceremony?” She sat down on my bed, folding some of the clothes in my clean clothes basket. I had meant to fold them before my heat, but I remember getting hot, and the rest was history.
“I’m sure he would, mama. I just have to get adjusted to his pack first. Then we’ll go from there.” She nodded, setting the folded article of clothing down on the bed.
“When you have pups, promise you’ll send me plenty of pictures?” My mama’s eyes were glassy.
“Mama, I’m sure that Presley and I will work it out so you and papa can visit more often….” I replied, giving her a gentle smile, sitting next to her on the bed.
“Baby, I don’t know about that. Your papa killed their pup. That’s very unforgivable in our world, baby.” I rested my head on her shoulder.
“I hope we can let the past stay in the past because I want you to be there for my pups just like you are for Emeilio.” My mama wrapped her arm around me, holding me tightly.
“Me too.”
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