Contractually Yours, Alpha by Giftemmy

Chapter Twenty Three

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Thane rose, and by his signal, I rose too. He took my hands. I knew it was all an act; I should be trying harder; we had the whole pack to convince now, but I couldn’t help but think about ‘the marking‘. The fact that everyone here would watch us. How was this normal?

Thane drew me closer to him. “Don’t fight me,” he whispers, low enough that only I could hear him, and then his lips met mine. The kiss was gentle at first and then demanding; he consumed me, and all I had to do was play along, even if my eyes teared at the knowledge that he would be doing this here, right now. Maybe I could just close my eyes and pretend it was just the both of us. That wouldn’t be hard, right?

His lips finally left mine, and I was sure my lips were swollen and my cheeks flushed.

“My mate would be marked and claimed tonight he announced, and the whole crowd erupted. I watched the faces of the people waiting to see me naked. “But it would be done in private,” he says, and the applause died down.

I couldn’t help but feel the relief that clouded me ‘Private‘–none of them would see. The unease I was feeling had started to dissipate. I didn’t know what convinced Thane to do this; maybe it was Axel, or maybe he did mean what he had said earlier.

“But this is the tradition,” a voice from the crowd called out, and Thane nodded, his eyes staring intently at someone Following his gaze, I noticed he was staring at his father. “It is a stupid tradition that should have died a long time ago; my mate here is not comfortable with such a tradition, and neither am I,” he finished. I did see the slight flinch from Alpha Slade; even if he tried to hide it, he hated this, and I realized what Thane was doing; he hadn’t

he had done this just to annoy his father even stopped this because of my comfort or his; no, he had done this just to

more.

continued and the crowd returned to

do expect to see a mark on you by the morning. Come with me.”

Whatever the cause had been that had given him a change

in the room. “I might not be able to control myself, and that’s why I need someone here, someone to stop me if I go too far–more

words. Just then, Axel walked in. He was

I wondered if that had been one of the reasons Axel chose it.

moved closer. This was all part of the deal; this was expected of

7/2

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Chapter Twenty Three

that.

to the side, baring my neck. He inhaled, his