Alpha's Private Plaything (Elsa and Drake Stone) novel Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Drake

The irony wasn’t lost on me. The same people sitting around this table had once called her “the lowly Omega” and insisted I find a

“proper mate.” Now they treated her with more respect and affection than they showed me, their own blood. What a fucking joke.

“You spoil him too much, Elsa,” my grandmother suddenly said, her voice cutting through my thoughts. “A family dinner is important, and

your absence as his mate was inappropriate. I remember when I worried that an Omega wasn’t good enough for the Stone family.” She

shook her head. “Now I think perhaps we aren’t good enough for you.”

Something hot and dangerous roiled in my gut. I slammed my wine glass down, red liquid splashing onto the pristine tablecloth like

blood.

“She’s my fucking assistant, not my mate!” I growled, my voice rough with suppressed rage. “What’s inappropriate is all of you treating her

like family when she’s just staff.”

The table fell silent. I could smell Elsa’s hurt and embarrassment, the sour notes cutting through her natural scent. I hated that smell- hated knowing I’d caused it—but I couldn’t stop myself. Better she hates me. Better she understands that this can never be real.

In many ways, Elsa was more than an assistant or temporary mate. She was my shadow, the person who anticipated my needs before I voiced them, who knew my moods better than I did myself. She’d been the constant in my life while everything else changed. The only

one who never left. The only one who saw the worst of me and stayed anyway.

“Drake Stone,” my grandmother said in that deadly quiet voice that meant I was in deep shit, “you will not use that language at this

table.”

My father cleared his throat. “I was against your relationship with Elsa at the beginning. I thought an Omega had no place in our family.” His eyes fixed on mine. “Now I only hope you don’t throw away the best thing that ever happened to you.”

The hypocrisy is fucking astounding, I thought bitterly, a snarl building in my throat. They practically forced me to keep her at arm’s length, reminding me constantly of my duty to the pack, to find a “suitable” mate. Now they’re what-Team Elsa? Fuck all of them.

I pushed my plate away, suddenly not hungry, disgust churning in my stomach. “She shouldn’t even be here,” I said, my voice harsh. ‘An Omega has no place at a family gathering. Goddamnit!”

My grandmother’s eyes flashed with anger. “We stopped caring that she’s an Omega years ago! Elsa has been by your side longer than anyone, more loyal than anyone in this pack. How dare you call her an outsider?”

Elsa’s head dipped that always made something in my chest tighten painfully.

“Mrs. Stone, Drake is right,” she said softly. “I am an outsider. He’s just joking about the rest.”

Always defending me, even when I didn’t deserve it. The thought made me even angrier, shame and self-loathing clawing at my insides.

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Why? Why the fuck do you still protect me when all I do is hurt you?

Miranda glared at me from across the table. “You’re more rigid than we ever were! We’ve accepted Elsa, but you still treat her like she’s

nothing but staff?”

I clenched my fist under the table, feeling my claws dig into my palm, the sharp pain a welcome distraction from the chaos in my head.

“Elsa, darling,” my grandmother said, as Elsa carefully selected the tenderest pieces of meat and placed them on the old woman’s plate. “You always remember what I like.”

My grandmother turned her piercing gaze to me. “We were blind back then, unable to see this child’s worth. Now you’re the one who can’t recognize a true mate when she’s right in front of you.”

The words struck like physical blows. True mate. The concept sacred among our kind, rare and precious. My wolf stilled at the phrase, a

whine building in my throat that I ruthlessly suppressed.

Miranda nodded enthusiastically. “After the official contract ceremony, you’ll finally be a proper couple. Elsa has been part of this family

for years already.”

My control snapped. Something wild and primal tore through me, ripping away the careful facade I’d maintained. I slammed my fist onto the table, making the silverware jump.

“Fuck! I am not marrying an Omega! She’s not worthy of being my Luna!”

The words hung in the air like poison. I immediately regretted them, my wolf howling in anguish at the lie. Wrong. She’s too good. We don’t deserve her. But my pride wouldn’t let me take them back.

Elsa’s face went completely blank. The scent of her distress filled the room, making my wolf whine in confusion.

“Is it because of that Horton girl?” my father demanded, his voice like thunder. “The Hortons may be an old family, but Vera is nothing

compared to Elsa!”

My grandmother’s eyes were cold with fury. “A woman has given you years of her life, and this is how you speak about her. We were wrong to reject her back then, and you’re making an even bigger mistake now.”

I stood up so quickly my chair toppled backward. Rage coursed through me, my eyes burning gold with Alpha power.

“Isn’t hurting your mate a Stone family’s tradition?” I snarled, venom dripping from every word. “Fuck all of this! You forced me to stay away from her back then, and now you’re pretending to welcome her with open arms? Your hypocrisy makes me sick!”

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