by Lyra Winters
"Allow me to formally introduce myself. I'm Blaine Huntington, the Alpha of the Huntington Pack." His eyes never left mine as he lifted my hand and pressed a soft kiss to my palm.
My cheeks warmed. "Blaine." I tasted his name on my tongue, and I became addicted.
"You are flawless." His eyes darted to my lips that were still tingling from his kiss.
"What the hell! Look what that monster did to my husband." Ivy ran out of the crowd and helped Nolan to his feet.
Anger rushed through me and my canines extended. "What did you just say?"
"He's a guest on pack property and he attacked one of ours! We should arrest him." Her face was red, and her frame was shaking from holding up Nolan. He was just leaning his weight on her, staring at me, his gaze unmoving.
My nails dug into my palms. "I'm the Alpha of this pack. Blaine being my mate makes him an Alpha of this pack too."
Her eyes narrowed at me. "You don't have a mate."
"I'm her mate." Blaine's hand rested on my lower back, pressing me against him as he let out a deep growl.
I placed my hand on his chest before stepping forward. "Riley, please see that Nolan gets the proper punishment. No medical care either."
"Yes, Alpha," she said. Her eyes darted between Blaine and I.
"Ivy stand down and go with your husband. You and Nolan are being demoted in this pack. You will both do an Omega's job for the next two weeks—"
"An Omega's job? You have to be kidding me! I'm an Alpha's daughter!"
"I'm the Alpha now!" I shouted, my voice booming around the forest. "You will do an Omega's job, or you'll go to the cellars for two weeks instead!" My claws extended from my nails and a few in the clearing took a step back, awaiting her next response.
Her head bowed, and her shoulders trembled. "I will do the duties of an Omega, Alpha Maxwell."
My claws withdrew, and I turned away from her. "Xavier, please lead the remaining portion of the ceremony and announce my pack warriors."
His brows bumped together in a scowl. "Absolutely, Alpha," he gritted out.
A pang shot through my chest as I glanced at Xavier. He was shaking and avoiding eye contact with me. Me finding a mate was something we never thought would happen.
"As for everyone else, I'm sorry for the inconvenience. I have personal business that needs my immediate attention."
Blaine arched an eyebrow at me. "Where to, Darlin'?"
My heart skipped a beat. That country accent drove me wild. The urges that ran through me were feelings I hadn't felt in years. I never thought I'd get to feel like this again—all my dreams of a soulmate were ripped away when Nolan made his decision... or so I thought.
Fuck, my thoughts were all over the place.
"My cottage. You deserve an explanation about what happened," I whispered.
He gave a brisk nod as his smirk became prominent. "You're taking me back to your place, I like it."
A smile played on my lips as we walked away from the ceremony.
"You seem to be dominant. We may have a power struggle in progress." His hand clasped mine as we walked through the forest, far away from the clearing.
"Don't worry, I know when I need to submit." I winked.
"Oh, fuck." He leaned his head back as if he were thanking a higher power. "The fates did right with this match."
This man came out of nowhere, captivating my soul in one glance. This was how mates were supposed to be.
Love at first sight, reciprocated.
"Thirsty?" I asked Blaine as we entered my kitchen.
He glanced around the room before his eyes settled on me. "More like hungry."
I swung my long hair over my shoulder, exposing my collar bone. "What do you want?"
He took a step toward me and placed his hands on my hips, electricity erupting from his touch. "You know what I want."
My eyelids fluttered closed as I leaned into him. "Shouldn't we talk a little first?" He smelled of the forest and campfires. It was intoxicating.
"We can." His voice was husky, and he twirled my hair with his index finger.
"How long are you staying?"
He chuckled, his breath fanning over my face. "This will work one of two ways. I will stay indefinitely, or you will come to my pack with me." He dropped his hand and shrugged.
"Why not merge our packs?" I placed a hand on my chest to contain my rapid heartbeat.
"I'd love that option, but my pack is on the other side of the country. It would be impossible for us to run both packs and still run them side-by-side."
I frowned. He was right. I didn't even think about that. "How long until we have to decide?"
"However long we take to decide. This isn't a decision we should rush." He tucked a piece of my hair behind my ear.
My lips quivered at his proximity. "But what about your pack?"
"My Beta is with me and one of my pack warriors. My Gamma is competent enough to run my pack in my absence."
I smiled, reeling from the emotions that ran through me. It had been such a long time since I felt anything other than anger. "Does your pack need any accommodations while they are here?"
"No, they're easy to please. Although, I need a few accommodations from you." He smirked.
"And what can I do for you?"
"You can let me stay here, with you. You can let me share your bed, amongst other things." He pulled me into his chest and inhaled my scent.
My knees went weak as I leaned into his chest for support. "I can accommodate that." My words came out shaky, and I was in a fog of pure longing.
He sniffed. "You smell of vanilla and strawberries. I fucking crave your smell. I never thought I could want someone so bad." His hand slipped down to my lower back.
My back arched from his touch. "I feel exactly the same," I murmured.
"I have waited a long time for you, little mate." He nipped at my neck and I gasped.
"I wish I'd known you were out there all this time." My words got tangled in a moan as I leaned back to give him unrestricted access to my neck.
His mouth hovered just above my collarbone before he pressed a kiss to my sensitive skin. "I'll place my mark here." He pressed his lips to mine before untangling himself from me.
I was breathing heavily as my fingers caressed my swollen lips that ached for more. I couldn't wait to bare his mark and bond our souls together.
Soulmates may be bonded from the start, but to begin the soul-bond, each wolf marks the other at the base of their neck. The marking process comprises both parties elongating their canines and clamping down—piercing the other's skin. Both mates are supposed to feel euphoric, and the wound heals within a few hours of marking. The scar of our mates' canines is the mark itself, and our souls are one step closer to being bonded.
To seal the soul-bond, the wolves also must complete the mating process. They need to become one for their souls to create an everlasting link.
"Let's go sit down. You said you wanted to talk a little first and if we keep this up, I won't stop until I've explored every inch of your body," he said. His eyes boring into mine.
I swallowed hard at the thought of his body on mine but nodded. I reached for his hand and led him to the living room.
My living room was cozy with tan painted walls and a large bronzed shag rug on the floor. The sectional was burgundy, and I had pillows littered over the cushions with blankets tucked away in the corner. A stone fireplace was in the room's front and the bookshelf was to the left of it. It was quaint, a room I cherished.
"Please, make yourself at home." I motioned to the sectional as I sat down on it.
He sat down next to me and shot me a cheeky grin. "Well, it is my home now."
"I'm so relieved that you didn't reject me." I scooted closer, wrapping myself around him.
He pulled back and cupped my face. "I would never reject my soulmate."
"I can't believe I found you. I'm beyond happy to be yours." My eyes watered as I placed my hand on his cheek.
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"As am I." He placed a chaste kiss to my lips. "There's just something I'd like to know."
My stomach dropped. I knew this conversation was bound to happen, but the thought of having it made me uneasy. "I should probably explain what happened at the ceremony, huh?" I wiped my tears away and sniffled.
"Yes. I would like to know why that mutt claimed you were his mate." Blaine's jaw clenched. His hands clenched into fists. He was pissed, and he had every right to be.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and sucked my bottom lip between my teeth. I stared down at my hands. I took a shaky breath before speaking, "The brown wolf who attacked you is my youngest sisters' husband. He's also my ex-mate." I paused and shuddered as I thought about the night that broke my very existence. "Nolan rejected me the night of my eighteenth birthday. He rejected me for her. My sister, Ivy." I said through clenched teeth. The thought of them together, and the pain they caused me, still hurt. More than I'd like to admit, especially now that I'd found Blaine. I scraped a hand over my face. "It's been two years. He made no attempt to interact with me after the rejection, him deciding to, today of all days, is a complete shock."
Blaine's chest vibrated with a growl that resonated from within. His handsome face turned crimson. "I'll kill them both."
I grabbed his hand tight. It warmed my heart how he was sticking up for me already when we knew nothing about the other. "There's no need. It's over now."
"It goes against our nature. They're both a disgrace to the werewolf community."
"I know that. So does everyone else, but it doesn't matter anymore. I've made my peace with it." I shrugged, trying to remain indifferent.
"You're much more forgiving than me." He was wrong there, I really wasn't. Before him, all I felt was anger and a need to destroy them both, but now that Blaine was here, and that he was mine, it made everything else disappear.
He nestled into my chest and sighed. "So, I'm your second chance mate." He paused, as if he were in deep thought. I hoped the fact that he wasn't my first mate didn't hurt him. "But, you are my first and only mate."
"Yes." I ran my fingers through his soft, silky hair. "Though, I don't consider Nolan as my first mate. He rejected me as soon as he found out we were mates." I gripped his hair and forced his head back up to meet my gaze. "You're different."
He grinned. "Everything happens for a reason. I'm glad he fucked up 'cause now you're all mine."
I moved my fingers to his chin. "That makes me happy."
He moved away from my touch. His brows furrowed together. "Something else is bothering me. Why is there a scent of your Gamma on you?"
I froze. I had forgotten that the scents of wolves who had been intimate were identifiable for other wolves. He smelled him on me.
I sighed and became vulnerable. I let him see a side of myself I hadn't shown in a long time. I moved my shaky hands to my lap and looked down.
"After my rejection, Xavier was there for me." I swallowed. Reliving this was hard enough, but trying to explain it to my mate was excruciating. "About six months later, I decided I didn't want to be a virgin. I felt hopeless, and I didn't think anyone was out there for me anymore. I made peace with being alone but I wanted to lose the one thing I had held onto for my mate." I paused and wiped a stray tear away from my cheek. "Nolan had tossed me aside so carelessly. You don't know what that does to a person. Being rejected by your mate feels like the end of the world. I wanted to feel something, to feel anything but the numbness it had given me."
I looked up and into his eyes. I pleaded with him. "I had no idea you were out there. I didn't know I would get a second chance."
His jaw ticked. He looked away from me. "What was your relationship with him?"
I winced. He was so calm about this. Too calm. It was the calm before the storm. I could feel it seeping into my bones. I knew he was barely controlling his anger. "He was my best friend. With benefits." I felt the inexplicable need to give him more. "That was it. He told me two nights ago that he developed feelings for me, that he was in love with me. But I couldn't continue with the arrangement because I couldn't reciprocate and I knew he had a mate out there."
He heard the break in my voice and turned to face me. His gathered me in his arms and enveloped me in warmth. Tears were streaking down my face. It scared me he would reject me too after everything I'd told him. "I understand. You couldn't have known."
I leaned against him. "I'm sorry, Blaine. If I had known, I would have never..."
"It's okay. What's done is done. I'm here now." He squeezed me to him. "It kills me to think of him touching you. I want nothing more than to go out there and make the world know you're mine, to make him know you're mine. But I understand, the feelings that could've erupted from it. All that matters is I'm here now."
The corners of my lips tilted upwards. "You're my soulmate."
"And an Alpha-Male. You should know we are possessive."
I laughed. "I'm an Alpha-Female. I'll show you possessive."
He kissed my forehead. "Why doesn't your sister have a mate? I mean, why is she with your ex-mate?"
I grimaced. "She had a mate. He was killed, so she used Nolan as a distraction. Now she acts as if he's her true mate. Jackson was a good man. He didn't deserve what happened to him."
"I'll never understand loving anyone other than your true mate, even if they left this world." He shook his head. "What happened to him?"
"He was killed three years ago. We don't really talk about what happened, but the short version is that Ivy had been friends with this boy since we were young. His name was Dylan. Something infatuated him with her and when he found out she had found her mate, he lost his mind." I winced and somehow my thoughts strayed to Xavier. "He killed Jackson the night they were planning to complete their soul-bond. Ivy found them, but Jackson was already dying. She was able to say goodbye to Jackson, and our dad sentenced Dylan to death."
His eyebrows raised. "Shit. That's bad. Something like that would destroy anyone."
"Yeah, I know. It destroyed her. She wasn't always so cold and distant. She used to be sweet and caring. After Jackson though, she grew bitter and angry. She started spending all her time with Nolan, but she never cared about him." I halted. Was that how I treated Xavier? Shaking my head to clear it, I continued. "Jackson was her only love, and Nolan was more of a convenience. Then, my rejection happened. She started saying how much she loved Nolan and she began to grow a hatred for me."
He sat up and wrapped his arms around me. "She went through a lot of hardships. I'm sure she's misdirecting her anger onto you but that doesn't mean you have to put up with it. Don't let her disrespect you."
I smiled. "I never thought I'd have a mate again, let alone someone like you."
His fingers grasped my chin, turning my head to face him. His eyes showed compassion and understanding. I could tell he cared for me deeply. "I'll make you a promise. I promise to cherish, respect and honor you. I will be the best damn mate you'll ever have."
My heart leapt through my chest. How on earth did I get so lucky?
This was my first time leading a pack meeting with the council present. The council included the elders in the pack, and former high-ranking members from when my dad was Alpha. Their job was to oversee the pack and ensure everything ran smoothly. If there was a problem among families, mates, pack allies, and affairs they were on top of it to diffuse further problems.
The meeting room was enormous, complete with an oval oak table that extended across the middle of the room and cushioned office chairs arranged around it. The tan walls and wooden floor gave off a warm aesthetic. The structure was soundproof, a bonus for a pack of werewolves.
"You nervous?" Xavier came up beside me and leaned against the wall.
I shook my head. "Not really. I've been to a ton of these meetings with Dad. He's let me help direct them before."
Riley laughed as she approached us. "Dad was always dragging her to these meetings. I'm sure she can handle it."
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br /> I glanced over toward the door. "I'm confident about that."
"She's more concerned about where that mate of hers went to." Xavier rolled his eyes.
"Right. The fucking Alpha of the Huntington pack. I wouldn't know how that's going, since you haven't told me anything about it." She smirked at me.
"Come on, Riley." Xavier huffed.
Her face dropped. "I'm sorry. I forgot."
"Yeah. Seems like everyone has," he mumbled.
I sucked in a sharp breath. A pang entered my chest. I felt terrible for him. I hated hurting him, but there wasn't anything I could do to change it, not that I wanted to either.
I slumped my shoulders. "Xavier, I'm sorry. He's my mate."
"Yes, Alpha. I know that. I respect it." He ran a hand through his hair and gripped it tight. "But it fucking hurts. Just, give me some time." His jaw tightened, and he avoided eye contact.
I exhaled loudly and shook my head. I should've never gotten myself tangled up with him. All I did was end up hurting him. I was no better than Ivy. "You take all the time you need," I murmured.
He rubbed his eyes. "I just need to keep my head clear of this shit."
I nodded. I understood why he felt this way and I wish there was something I could do, but I knew he needed space. I watched him. I felt torn as a best friend but also as the alpha. I could give him the space he needed as Sophia, but as the Alpha, I needed my Gamma. I hope he understood that.
"Why haven't you completed the bond yet? I can tell you haven't." Riley whispered in my ear, distracting me from Xavier.
"Shut up," I mumbled, my cheeks heating up. There were several reasons I didn't want to talk about this here, one of the biggest was because Xavier didn't need that dagger pressed into his heart further. I knew Riley was curious, but I had my reasons for keeping things at a slow pace with Blaine.
Not that I didn't want to. I couldn't keep my hands off him. The problem was that I told him I wanted us to get to know each other better first. Something I regret ever saying, since he took my words to heart.
