Alpha Damon's Greatest Regret Chapter 2- Marked

Zarah~

By seven the next day, every muscle was on fire. The Moonlit Gala was only hours away, and I'd spent the entire day decorating, scrubbing floors, and hauling decorations.

"Faster, Zarah!" Mrs. Miller barked as she walked by, her heels clicking on the floor. "This isn't a break! Get the rest of the chairs set up!"

"Y-yes, Mrs. Miller," I stamred, bending to lift another heavy chair despite the sharp cramps stabbing my abdon.

Just keep moving, I told myself. One night of this, and I'll have enough to leave this hellhole.

Lorelai's voice cut through the hall, sharp as a whip. "Look at her, still moving like a slug. You'd think soone desperate for money would have more motivation." She sauntered past with a sneer.

I gritted my teeth, keeping my head down as I dragged another chair into place. The others—Lorelai, Daniel, Kendra—were all here, watching , waiting for to break. I had understood pretty quickly why I was offered such a large sum for preparing for the Gala. I was the only one here, save for the n decorating the ceiling.

This was just so that they could push around for fun. They have promised to pay well so they could humiliate .

"Careful with those chairs," Daniel said with mock concern, walking up behind . "You wouldn't want to ruin the Gala by making a ss, would you?"

I ignored him, focusing on the task at hand, but my hands were trembling from exhaustion.

"Leave her alone, Daniel," Kendra chid in, a smirk tugging at her lips. "She's just trying her best."

"Her best?" Lorelai laughed. "That's a joke. She's been useless since day one. Can't even clean right."

My heart raced as they surrounded , their words sinking in like claws. I kept my head down, but the weight of their gaze felt suffocating.

"Move!" Lorelai snapped, shoving . I stumbled, nearly knocking over the stack of chairs I'd set up.

"Oops," she said with a mock-innocent smile. "Careful, Zarah. You wouldn't want to get hurt before the Gala starts. It's too bad that Damon's kinda sick. It would have been more fun with him here."

They all laughed, their cruel laughter echoing in the empty hall.

I bit my lip, swallowing back the pain and humiliation. I had no choice but to keep going, no matter how much it hurt. My chest still ached from the previous day's assault, and now every part of was screaming in protest. But I couldn't stop. Not yet. And what was with these horrible cramps too? It was like everything was stacked up against .

"Zarah! Get those flowers arranged properly!" Mrs. Miller's voice rang out again, snapping back to reality.

I rushed over to the floral arrangent, my hands shaking as I adjusted the centerpieces, knowing any mistake would give them another reason to tornt .

"You're so slow," Kendra muttered as she passed, knocking one of the flowers onto the ground.

"Fix that, will you?" Lorelai added, watching with a smirk as I bent down to pick it up, my legs shaking from exhaustion.

"Pathetic," Daniel sneered.

I forced myself to keep going, my body screaming for rest, but the clock was ticking, and I had no ti to stop.

As I worked, I could feel their eyes on , waiting for to break, waiting for to fail. But I wouldn't give them the satisfaction. Not yet.

Just get through tonight, I told myself. Then you can leave.

They got bored of pushing about and left to the goddess knew I did not give a fuck. I wiped the sweat off my brow stretched and accessed the hall that I had been working in.

After six hours of non-stop working, I was done.

"Stop standing around," Mrs. Millers' voice shook back to reality as she thrust a tray into my hands. "Go serve the Alpha."

My heart skipped a horrifying beat. "I can't--"

"I didn't ask!" Mrs Miller snapped. "Do you want to get paid or not?"

I swallowed and nodded.

"Then fucking get to it, you have to get cleaned up to serve for the gala,"

My eyes widened, my pulse skipping. "Serve as the gala? I thought I just--"

"You think you are getting paid one grand for decorating?" She asked incredulously. "Stupid must be your middle na. To serve the Alpha."

"Yes ma'am,"

I ran through the corridors the sharp cramps in my abdon got worse. A strange, sickly sweet sll tickled my nose, making my stomach churn. It was coming from .

I ignored the nausea only to notice the n around . Their eyes focused on . My skin crawled under their stares, so I ran faster. It was my pheromones, I realized. As an unmated female, my pheromones go out of control once in a while to attract a mate.

Suddenly, a hand clamped down on my shoulder and yanked back. I turned to find a huge man leering at , his breath reeking of alcohol. "What's the rush, sweetheart?"

I tried to shake him off, but his grip tightened. "Let go!"

"Why don't you stay a while?" he leered, his eyes glinting with disgusting desire.

My pulse quickened as nausea threatened to overwhelm . "I... I really need to—"

I tore myself free and stumbled down the corridor. Finally, I reached the door to the Alpha's room. I knocked, my heart racing. "Alpha Damon?"

"Enter," his voice sent a shiver down my spine. I pushed the door open and stepped inside, desperate for a rest.

"Here is your--" I froze when our eyes t. "Damon?"

He was stalking towards , his expression unreadable.

I barely had ti to process before Damon was on . His eyes darkened, his nostrils flaring as he took in my scent. I staggered backward, the tray clattering to the floor.

"D-Damon?" I whispered, my voice shaking.

But he didn't stop. His gaze locked onto mine, intense and hungry, like he was fighting sothing primal inside him. The air between us crackled with sothing I couldn't na, sothing dangerous.

Before I could move, his hands were on , pulling to him. His touch sent a jolt through my body, and suddenly the cramps, the pain—it all vanished. My wolf, Nala, leaped forward in excitent, howling in my mind.

'Mate.'

I gasped, my body going rigid as Damon's hands slid down my arms, his breath hot against my neck. His lips hovered inches from mine, and I could his hardness pressing against my heat.

"Damon... what are you—"

"Zarah," he growled, his voice thick with sothing raw, "I can't... stop. Fuck.."

And I didn't want him to. The pull between us was too strong, too overwhelming. My wolf demanded it, my body craved it. His lips crashed against mine, and I lted into him, any remaining resistance vanishing as his mouth moved with a desperate hunger.

I clung to him, fingers tangling in his hair, as the world outside disappeared. His touch was everywhere, his lips burning a trail down my neck, my chest. Every inch of responded to him like I'd been waiting for this mont all my life.

But shouldn't have been him, yet here I was moaning as he ripped my old, ragged blouse, cupping my breast. I did not get a chance to brace myself before his mouth captures my nipple, sucking and teasing.

"Damon..." I moaned. "Please..."

He grabbed my ass and ground my hips against his, the friction bringing tears to my eyes. In a blink of an eye, he grabbed my thighs and wrapped my legs around his hips, his mouth coming up to capture mine, his tongue sliding him as I wrapped my arms around his neck.

My back hit the bed and for a single mont, Damon looked down at , his wolf's amber eyes flashing. 'Mine,' he growled.

Damon's eyes burned with feral intensity as he tore at my clothes, his lips searing a path down my skin. My breath hitched as he lowered himself between my legs, his fingers tracing my thighs with a possessive hunger. I could feel his need, my core pulsing in response.

In one swift motion, he was inside , and I gasped, my nails digging into his back as he filled completely. Our bodies moved in sync, the pull of the mate bond amplifying every sensation, every touch. His mouth was on my neck, his teeth grazing the sensitive skin where a mate's mark would go.

"Damon," I moaned, arching beneath him, my body trembling as I felt the edge of sothing powerful approaching.

With a growl, his teeth sank into my neck, marking as his mate. Pain and pleasure collided, and I cried out, my entire being consud by the intensity of the bond. My wolf howled in satisfaction as the mate mark pulsed through , sealing the connection between us.

But as soon as it was done, sothing shifted. Damon stilled above , his breathing heavy, but his eyes no longer held the sa hunger—they were cold, distant.

He pulled away abruptly, standing up as if the mont had never happened. "Get dressed," he said harshly, his voice devoid of the tenderness from monts before.

"Damon?" I whispered, confused and hurt as I reached for him, but he stepped back, his jaw tight.

"You're not staying," he spat, grabbing a handful of bills and tossing them at . "Take your money and get out. And don't ever tell anyone about this." His eyes narrowed with disgust. "A runt like you could never be my mate."

I stared at him, my heart-shattering. The bond between us, the mark he'd just given —it all ant nothing to him. I hurried to gather my torn clothes, my hands shaking as I dressed.

"Leave, Zarah," he growled, his back turned to now. "Or I'll make you regret it."

Tears stung my eyes, but I forced them back. Without another word, I scooped up the money and fled, my heart breaking as I left the room, my neck still throbbing where he had marked .