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ChapterThirty-SevenKatyaEzra is gone most of
the day, only returning before the pack run. I can sense something is going on
with him. Mateo is also acting strange, like he knows what is happening, yet he
always avoids answering when I ask. Hearing Ezra’s car pull up as I am coming
downstairs with Angie, I rush to open the door.Ezra is so consumed
in his thoughts, he almost runs directly into me as he reaches for the door
handle. Instead, I'm sent stumbling forward as I reach for the door, and his
hands grab me as he catches himself on the door trim. “Sorry, Love,” he says,
his arm pulling me closer.“You’re in a rush,”
I gasp at him, yet his face gives nothing away.He peers down at me,
tugging me closer, brushing his nose against mine. “Just something came up,” he
apologizes, his lips brush my cheek when he suddenly growls, looking up, his
eyes are trained on Angie as he peers over my shoulder. “Why are you still here,
and where is Mateo? I told him not to leave you alone with her,” he snarls.“Right here,” Mateo
interrupts, walking downstairs in just shorts as he went to get ready for the
pack run.“Still doesn’t
explain why Angie is still here,” Ezra growls, giving her an unwelcoming look.
Angie flinches, stepping further away from him.“She is my friend,”
I warn him, and Ezra growls low and deep in the back of his throat.“You trust too
easily, Kat.”“No, she used her
Alpha voice. Angie asked her to, in order to prove herself,” Mateo objects,
hurrying down the last of the steps toward us.“You used your Alpha
voice, so everything is okay with Kora then?” Ezra asks, giving me a perplexed
look.“Kora? No, she is
being quiet. I haven't spoken to her since this,” I answer, pointing to my
neck. Ezra seems to think before nodding and shutting the door behind him. His
brows furrow in confusion, and I try to read him through the bond, only to find
him shutting me out again.“Everything okay?” I
ask, and he seems to shake himself out of his thoughts and lets me go.“Everything is fine.
Go outside and start meeting everyone as they show up then. Mateo, follow me,”
Ezra orders him, stalking up the steps. He stops halfway, turning around and
looking back at us, Ezra’s eyes dart to Angie. “Try anything, Angie, and I will
give you to Maddox,” Ezra warns, the calmness of his voice sends chills up my
spine.Angie bares her neck
to him. “Yes, Alpha,” she stammers out.Ezra nods, his eyes
falling on me. He gives me an indecipherable look before turning and heading
back to the third floor with Mateo hot on his heels.“Well, he didn’t
kill me, so that’s a bonus,” Angie mutters, nudging me with her elbow.I nod at her. That
is something, I guess, but there is definitely something going on that they are
hiding from me. Around 5 PM, people start showing up. It is obvious how excited
everyone is about the pack run, making me realize how much it means to the pack
to have a day designated specifically for it each week. However, it is strange
how everyone bares their neck to me and calls me Luna. Mateo is a little
uncomfortable when they do the same to him, and I can see he feels out of his
element as I approach where he is cooking at the barbecues along with three
other pack warriors.Mateo leans down,
his lips grazing my ear. “Ezra needs to come down and explain this to them. I
can’t handle everyone calling me Alpha,” Mateo whispers to me, and I nod. I can
feel his discomfort.I wrap my arms
around his waist from the side, resting my chin on his arm. “Want me to speak
to him?”“Yes, please. He is
in his office. Maybe you can convince him to come out.” Sighing, I go to step
away when Mateo grips the front of my shirt, jerking me back to him with a
mischievous grin on his face. His lips crash against mine, his tongue delves
between my lips, and my hands go to his chest, and he sucks my bottom lip into
his mouth. My face heats when he pulls away, knowing people are watching us. He
kisses my cheek. “Thank you,” he chuckles, letting me go.Walking inside, I go
in search of Ezra. I hear him cursing as I approach his office door. I knock on
the slightly ajar door, only to jump when his angry voice reaches my ears.
“What?” He growls, and I push the door open. He looks up, realizing it is me. “Sorry,”
he sighs, grabbing the papers and journals off his desk, swiping them into the
drawer.Mathias sits on the
couch in the corner of the room, and he instantly lifts his head, tucking the
book he has under his arm. “I will take my leave,” Mathias says, bowing
slightly.Ezra comes around
his desk, leaning on it. He opens his arms to me, and I walk over to him,
letting him pull me into his embrace while wondering what has him so on edge.
Ezra presses his face in my neck. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to growl at you,” he
whispers, pressing his lips to my mark, making me shudder from the sparks. I
let him calm down, waiting as he inhales my scent. Ezra pulls back slightly.
“What's wrong?” He purrs, running his nose across my cheek when he pulls his
face away.“Nothing, you
haven't come out of the office, and Mateo is a little uncomfortable out there.
So am I,” I admit. This is new to us. Ezra has been an Alpha all his life, the
way everyone is around us is hard to get used to.“Why has someone
said something to him? Who?” Ezra snaps angrily, his body trembling.“What? No, but he
doesn’t like them calling him Alpha. It's making him uncomfortable,” I explain,
and he sighs.“Yes, I know. Mateo
doesn't want to be an Alpha,” Ezra admits with a sigh before pinching the
bridge of his nose and squeezing his eyes shut. Ezra exhales, and I can feel he
is anxious about something. “I will be out in a minute and will deal with it,”
he tells me before dismissing me.Ezra turns back to
his desk and I walk toward the door, stopping as I walk out of it. “Is
everything ok? You seem off,” I point out.“Everything is fine.
We can talk about it later. I will be out in a minute, Kat,” he repeats,
walking back around his desk and sitting down. I have no idea what is going on
with him, and without Kora telling me what is going on with Maddox, I can’t
figure it out. But as time drags on, I start to become anxious when Kora
doesn't come forward and get excited about the pack run, she loves going for
runs, so I find it a little odd that I haven’t heard from her, just radio
silence, my thoughts are my own making me feel lonely.We are all sitting
around the entertainment area when Ezra finally walks out. Mateo lets out a
breath of relief upon seeing him. The chatter instantly dies down when Ezra
uses his aura as he steps into view of everyone. “Alpha,” Everyone except
Mateo, and I say in unison.Ezra’s eyes study
the crowd of people waiting patiently to hear what he has to say before his
eyes fall on Mateo and me. He motions for us to come to him, and I get up from
sitting on Mateo’s lap, who has been using me as a shield to stop people bowing
to him for most of the night. They normally did when he was Beta, but it was
different when they kept calling him Alpha, making him extremely uncomfortable.Mateo and I scurry
over to him, and the crowd of people filling the lawn all watch, wondering what
is going on. As Mateo steps next to him, Ezra leans closer to him, gripping his
arm. “Are you sure, Mateo? Once it's done, I can’t undo it,” Ezra reminds him.“Please, Ezra,”
Mateo answers, and Ezra presses his lips into a line and nods his head before
turning his attention back to everyone, making me wonder what they are talking
about.“As everyone knows,
not only have I found my Luna, but I have also found Mateo to be my mate.”
Everyone nods, and they are rather fast at accepting Mateo as their other
Alpha, some even had commented that they had been waiting for Ezra to mark him
and bring him into the relationship, which shocks me.“However, most Packs
only have one Alpha, and Mateo does not wish to be Alpha but wishes to remain
as your Beta. This does not change anything, and I expect you to show him the
respect of being my mate. Mateo has decided to stand down as Alpha, even though
he bears my mark.” Ezra holds his hand up as people start to murmur amongst
themselves. They quiet down instantly, bearing their necks to him, and Ezra
holds his hand out to Mateo, who takes it.Ezra pulls Mateo in
front of him when Mateo kneels before him, and I realize what is going on. I
could tell Ezra isn’t happy about it, but is doing it for Mateo.“Kat, come here,”
Ezra murmurs, pulling me toward him, so Mateo is also kneeling in front of me
as well. This is my first time witnessing something like this. I have never
seen this done before but have read about it in history books, it is not the
norm when it comes to Alpha’s. And it certainly isn’t the normal for mates to
strip titles from one another. Mateo was born with Beta blood. Ezra marking him
gave Mateo his DNA, making Mateo Alpha along with him. And, from what I have
heard of title stripping, it is quite painful. Also, if the other Alpha isn’t
willing, it could kill them because then it would become a battle of wills on
who is forced to submit to whom.Mathias comes over
with a chalice, holding it, standing next to Ezra. Ezra takes a blade from his
pocket and runs it down his palm before making a fist above the cup. His blood
runs into the chalice. People start whispering amongst themselves, and Ezra growls.
Maddox comes forward, his eyes turning onyx. Maddox, I can feel, is annoyed by
his deep gravelly voice ringing loudly above them. “Anyone have a problem? Step
forward now and speak against my decision,” Maddox challenges, and they all
drop to their knees, his Alpha Aura rolls out. He grabs my arm, holding me
upright. He leans down, his voice next to my ear. “Do not bow to me,” Maddox
growls, his grip forcing me to remain standing as I feel his Aura rush over me.I may be his Luna,
but in the hierarchy, the Luna will still be overthrown by her Alpha. Mateo
seems completely unaffected, being he was also a male Alpha for now and not a
Luna, but the effect on me makes my stomach churn. Mateo grips my knee, looking
up at me apologetically.Finally, Maddox lets
the challenge go, and I see everyone visibly relax, Mathias stands back up
beside Ezra with shaky hands. Maddox turns to look at him. “ Are you okay? I am
sorry about that,” Maddox apologizes.“It’s ok, Alpha,”
Mathias says breathlessly.Maddox retreats,
giving Ezra back control, and Ezra turns to me. “Sorry, Love,” he whispers
before grabbing my hand. I flinch, tugging my hand back, but his grip tightens.
“You need to do this,” Ezra tells me, and my eyes dart to Mateo. He looks away
guiltily. Ezra’s thumb opens my hand, pushing my clenched fingers away from my
palm. “Look at me, not what I am doing,” Ezra orders me, yet my eyes are on the
blade in his hand. “Kat?” Ezra warns, but no one wants to be sliced. Ezra steps
closer, leaning down to whisper to me. “He wants this. We can do this for him.”
Ezra tries to convince me, and I nod my head, chewing the inside of my cheek.
Ezra rubs his thumb over my palm. Reluctantly, I open my hand and he exhales.
“That’s my Luna,” Ezra says, winking at me before dragging the blade across my
palm.I hiss at the sting,
and he turns my hand, squeezing my hand into a fist above the chalice. Both
Ezra and Mateo hiss, and I know it's because of my link to them, forcing me to
heal. Mateo’s bloody hand dripped on his pants as they both healed me.Mathias hands the
cup to Ezra, who then tilts Mateo’s chin-up to look up at him. “Pledge and
renounce your title,” Ezra orders.“I, Mateo Leo
Calder, renounce my title of Alpha of Black Creek Pack and pledge my loyalty as
Beta to my Alpha, Alpha Ezra Pierce, and my Luna, Katya Hartley,” Mateo recites
without missing a beat.Ezra hands him the
chalice before running his fingers through Mateo’s hair, a sad look on his face
telling me he doesn’t want to do this. Mateo drinks from the chalice before
handing the cup back to Mathias and Ezra.“I, Alpha Ezra
Pierce, denounce your title and appoint you my Beta of the Black Creek Pack”
The moment the words leave his lips, Mateo takes in a sharp breath, his entire
body trembles, and I can feel his agony through the bond making tears spring in
my eyes.I went to comfort
him when Ezra grabs my arm. “You can’t, Kat. He has to endure
it,” Ezra mindlinks, his grip moving to my hand and pulling it away from
going to touch him.Mateo’s jaw
clenches, his claws slipping from his fingertips, and I feel his title be
stripped from him. A few people look away, unable to watch his pain, and it is
torture watching my mate suffer when he lets out a breath, sweat dripping onto
the sandstone pavement as he stares up at us.Ezra looks away from
his gaze, and swallows before clearing his throat. “Submit!” Ezra growls at
him, directing his Alpha voice onto Mateo.A whimper leaves my
lips, and Ezra squeezes my fingers reassuringly. Mateo drops closer to the
ground on his hands and knees, baring his neck to Ezra, and Ezra lets out a
pent-up breath, dropping the command. I know he didn’t want to do it, and I can
see how much it upsets him when Mateo looks up at me, I stare at him, confused
when Ezra turns to me.“Make him submit,”
Ezra informs me, and I take a step back as my stomach drops, only for Ezra to
gently pull me back.“It's ok, babe,”
Mateo whispers, smiling up at me, but I shake my head. Mateo reaches up,
gripping my other hand, and presses his lips to my fingertips. “Please,” he
whispers, and I look away, my voice breaking as I speak the words.“Submit,” I force
out, but I don’t let the full command out, not wanting to hurt him. I beg Kora
to do it, but once again I am met with silence, almost as if she isn’t present
which usually she always comes forward, especially when our mates are pained or
distressed.“Kat!” Ezra orders
me, gripping my chin and forcing me to meet his gaze. “He wants this, now make
him submit,” Ezra tells me clearly, and a tear slips down my cheek, which he
gently brushes off with his thumb.I take a shaking
breath, and Ezra lets my chin go before I look down at Mateo. “Submit!” I
command him. My Alpha voice rolls out clearly, and I hear everyone gasp as
Mateo lets go of my hand, dropping back to his hands and knees and bowing his
head to me.“Hold it,” Ezra
orders me, and I force myself to hold the command over him until Mateo bares
his neck to me. I let out a breath and drop the command. Ezra offers Mateo a
hand. “Stand,” Ezra tells him, and Mateo rises, taking his hand. “I give you
your Beta, Mateo Leo Calder,” Ezra announces, and people clap and bare their
necks to Mateo. Ezra grips the back of his neck, pressing his forehead to
Mateo's. “You're lucky I love you, because I hated doing that,” he growls
softly at Mateo, whose chest is rising and falling with each pained breath.“Thank you,” Mateo
whispers back to him when Ezra presses his lips to Mateo’s stealing anymore
words. Mateo seems shocked at his public display of affection in front of the
entire pack, but he answers the kiss by kissing him back before pulling away.
Mateo tugs me to him, pressing his face into my neck and inhaling my scent.
“I’m sorry, I made you do that,” Mateo whispers before pulling back and kissing
my tear-stained cheeks.I nod, pressing my
face against his chest. Listening to the soft thumping of his heartbeat, I let
the noise calm my racing heart. “I love you,” I whisper to him before looking
up at him.“And I love you,” he
whispers, leaning down and pressing his lips to mine softly. Pulling back,
Mateo has a smile on his lips. “Now we are both Fated To The Alpha,” he
chuckles.