Daemon's Point of View
The expression on James' face changed to that of shock and surprise when I informed him that the woman in question was not registered on our books as an authorised employee.
"She is not a rogue and is certainly a member of your pack," he said worriedly. "I was friends with her mother. She was the pregnant woman whose pack was slaughtered by rogues. There is no way Adriana would be a rogue. I didn't realise she didn't have permission."
I could see that James was nervous and fretting. He could stay that way for a while. While I was not a cruel Alpha, I couldn't appear soft; otherwise, people would take advantage of that. I wasn't going to let that happen.
"I gather she is playing tonight?" I asked.
"Yes, Alpha. Wait until you hear Adriana," he replied. She is about to come on stage for her first set of three tonight. She plays a range of music as well as her own songs and compositions; she is an absolutely extraordinary musician."
I leaned back in my chair, nodding in agreement asv James spoke. The ambiance of the restaurant was cozy and intimate, with just the right amount of dim lighting to set the mood. As we perused the menu, a waiter approached us to take our order.
Just then, a stunning woman caught my eye as she made her way onto the small stage at the back of the room. This must be Adriana. She was tall and tanned like most werewolves, but her light brown hair was up off her shoulders. Her face was heart-shaped, and her skin flawless. Her pale pink lips had this little pout that just begged to be kissed. The black evening dress she was wearing hugged her slim curves, accentuating a faultlessly shaped butt. It was low cut in the back, showing off her perfect skin. The scent of orange entered the room with her.
I noticed that all of the men who'd been ogling our sisters had turned their attention to her. She had their complete undivided attention, and it was making me furious for some reason. As for me, I couldn't take my eyes off her as she gracefully settled onto the piano bench, her fingers poised above the keys. It was as if the rest of the world had faded away, leaving only her and the beautiful music that she began to play.
"Mine!" cried my wolf Theo, rather angrily and aggressively at all the males who were now staring at her.
"Our mate!" cried Theo.
What? Adriana was our mate?
Our mate was the graceful, beautiful she-wolf I had no idea existed in our pack. Surely I would have met her before, but I had no recollection of her. Her looks might equal or surpass other Lunas, but was she a suitable mate? If she wasn't a fitting match to be Luna, there would be problems. It would make me and our pack appear weak if I was to take someone unfit to be our Luna.
"The Goddess doesn't make mistakes!" chided Theo.
I was not happy with the situation, but I would wait until after she had finished entertaining before I spoke to her. So, for now, I would sit back and listen to her. I would also need to watch my body language and facial expressions because I didn't want the rest of the party to know what was happening. Although, I would lie and say I was checking her out solely because she had broken pack rules. They would understand that.
"Our mate sings like an angel," Theo purred.
I had to agree. Adriana, as I refused to call her our mate, certainly was a talented pianist and had a beautiful voice. I noticed that she lifted her nose slightly and sniffed the air partway through an instrumental piece. Still, Adriana kept on playing without looking around.
I wondered if it was because she couldn't detect me. I didn't know her rank, and if her wolf wasn't a strong one, she wouldn't be able to detect me. If that was the issue, I wouldn't need to tell her I was her mate. Problem solved.
At the end of her set, she sniffed the air again and turned to face me during the applause. The look of horror on her face when she saw me angered me. How dare she react like that! I was an Alpha. You did not look like that when you discovered an Alpha was your mate. She immediately got up and hurried backstage.
"I'll return presently," I said to my friends and left to follow her.
"I need to check out Adriana and discover why she was not registered to work off pack lands."
Tyler raised his eyebrows and looked at me with a knowing look. I just ignored him. As long as he just suspected nothing more than me checking her out or just wanting to fuck her, that was fine. Not that I was likely to fuck a lowly Omega.
Walking down the backstage hallway, I could smell oranges quite strongly now, and it was leading me straight to her. There was no doubt she was my true mate.
"You need to come here now, Adriana," I mind-linked to her, but she didn't answer.
Silence. This was not looking good for her. She had broken pack rules and was now blocking me. Me! The Alpha! I was getting angrier by the second. She should be able to hear me. Every 18-year-old went through a celebration and officially joined the pack as an adult. This was what kept them loyal to me, as well as other reasons. It also meant that they could then be mind-linked with all of the leaders. To ignore an Alpha was a grave offence. I could hear her voice talking to someone in her room. As I walked up to her door, it opened.
I growled, "Who are you talking to, and why are you blocking my mind-link?"
Adriana's Point of View Alpha Daemon growled, "Who are you talking to, and why are you blocking my mind-link?" I could only just stare open-mouthed at him. He had followed me into my dressing room, so I was sure he knew I was his mate. It was easy to see that he was not happy about it. What little part of my brain that was working was wondering if I was tongue-tied because he was incredibly handsome or something else. I knew Alpha Daemon was tall, but his stature was almost overpowering. Almost, but not entirely. Now that I was close to him, I could see his clothes stretched across his broad shoulders and chest. There were taut muscles underneath his clothes, and I was getting hot just thinking about seeing his body. Everything about him was immaculate. What on Earth was the Goddess thinking when she matched the two of us as fated mates? This was probably what he was thinking too. "Ummmm," I said, not entirely knowing what I was going to say or do to answer him. How was I supposed
Daemon's Point of View When I demanded answers from Adriana explaining how she was here, she appeared completely taken aback and shocked, like a deer caught in the glare of headlights. Her expression was one of surprise, confusion, and fear as if she wasn't expecting me to ask such a question and didn't know how to respond. "My mother had never told me about the celebration," she said quietly. "When she died, I couldn't remain in the house, and I left the day I turned 18." "So you're a rogue then?" I asked, knowing that she wasn't really. She certainly didn't smell like one, but she hadn't joined the pack when she should have. Damn! She had fallen through the cracks. I wondered how many others had this happened to. She now stared at me in horror. This was probably because I could kill her without any worry of retribution. I had her under my control. "I also asked you who you were talking to," I reminded her, as she hadn't answered that particular question yet. "M-m-my wolf," she
Adriana's Point of View I was trying to perform with Calliope getting all excited to see him. "You are not helping me finish my set," I growled at her. "Our mate has come back!" she said. "Settle down, Calliope!" I commanded. At least I was able to speak to her in my mind this time, damned wolf. She stayed silent for the rest of the set, and eventually, I felt better enough to sing for the last time. When the diners applauded, I turned and bowed my head before leaving the stage for the last time. This was the part of the evening I hated. Often I would have an amorous diner come back to offer to take me out for a drink or worse. I wanted to hurry away tonight and not encourage anyone, human or Alpha. Sticking a 'Do Not Disturb' sign on my door, I quickly got out of my evening gown and into my jeans and hoodie. With a quick change of my shoes from stilettos to trainers, I put the clothes in my bag and turned the light off to head out the door. However, I wasn't fast enough, it see
Daemon's Point of View "Mine!" growled Theo. Damn that wolf of mine. He wanted to claim Adriana regardless of her rank or whether she'd make a good Luna. She certainly had an attitude of a Luna, but I doubted it would be good enough. Now there was a man outside her changing room door. My wolf was possessive. I could hear that he had asked her out for a drink, and my anger increased. The thought of her in another's arms was not only driving Theo crazy but also me. At least she wasn't smiling at him. "No thanks. I don't date customers," she said. "Good! Our mate belongs to us!" snarled Theo. "Sweetheart, you don't know what you're missing," he continued. "Let's tear him to pieces!" threatened Theo. My wolf was getting aggressive, and I wasn't far behind. I could feel my heart racing and my body tensing up. As for Theo, his growls were getting louder and more aggressive inside me, mirroring the anger and frustration I was feeling. This is why I didn't want a mate. The bond between
Tyler's Point of View As he emerged from the back of the restaurant, Daemon's face looked troubled. Adriana, the stunning pianist, was trailing behind him, her expression equally sombre. The tension between them was palpable, casting a shadow over the otherwise fantastic evening. "This is Adriana, and she will be returning with us tonight.," Daemon announced to us. As I looked at Daemon, I lifted my eyebrows in surprise. However, he responded with his usual grumpy expression, devoid of any emotion. As we stepped out of the restaurant, the chilly evening breeze hit us, causing me to shiver. We started walking towards the parking lot. Daemon and Adriana walked ahead of me, seemingly in a hurry, and I followed him closely. We finally reached our cars, which were parked side by side, and I fished out my car keys from my pocket, ready to head home. Since Daemon refused to divulge any details, I made the decision to shift my entire focus towards Adriana. I believed that if I gave her my
Adriana’s Point of View Tyler turned in his seat to face me and asked, "Have you found your mate yet, Adriana?" I froze. How was I supposed to answer that? Daemon... No, I don't want to refer to him by his full name unless he accepts me as his mate. That meant not only saying his name but thinking about him in any other terms. Alpha Daemon had made it quite clear that I was not allowed to tell anyone he was my mate. Was I to say no, and lie? Was I to say yes, and then have to answer questions about why I wasn't with my mate? I decided not to say anything at all and left the Alpha to reply to that one. Of course, he hadn't answered Tyler's question, or at least out loud. It hurt and angered me simultaneously that he wouldn't acknowledge me as his fated mate. I still don't know why he insisted on bringing me here. If he didn't want me, he should have just left me behind to go on with my own life. Tyler continued talking to him, "So Daemon, where did you say Adriana was staying?" Goo
Adriana's Point of View When I arrived at the packhouse last night, I had only ever seen it once from the outside. It looked relatively grandiose but also a little forbidding, all three storeys of it. Now I was going to be able to see the inside of it, and I still found it forbidding. I didn't want to be here. We walked through the main front entrance, with a massive open area. Tyler explained that this was where they would entertain or have large gatherings. There were doors to other rooms on either side of the open space, but Daemon led the way upstairs. "On the second floor, you will find the Alpha's office, as well as the Beta and Gamma's bedrooms," Tyler continued. "She doesn't need to know where your bedroom is," Alpha Daemon snapped. Tyler smirked at his comment. Shit! Does he know? I wondered if he'd been told, though it would make sense that if anyone else knew, it would be the Beta. Tyler stayed on the second while both the Alpha and I continued up to the third floor.
Tyler's Point of View Last night I was pretty sure that Adriana was Daemon's fated mate. The way Daemon was acting made it seem very obvious. This morning at breakfast, he told me that he wanted me to go and get Adriana's gear from her flatmates' place. Adriana looked like she was a deer caught in headlights. I guessed that her having to move her stuff in here was the nail in her coffin, like she realised she wasn't leaving here. "Adriana, you'll need to tell me your address and give me your keys so I can get your gear," I said to her. "I will need to call them first and let them know that you are coming," she answered sadly. She went out of the room to call them. While she was out of the room, I asked Daemon, "Are you sure this is what you really want?" "Are you questioning what I am wanting you to do?" he snarled. "You have to admit you are not acting the way you normally would," I countered. "I don't want to get into it right now," he answered. "Just do as I ask without ques