We're only about a mile or two away from the Ivory Moon's border when Tamisra tells me to shift back to human form and walk the rest of the way. Her legs were obviously tired, but she kept us going throughout the night. I would guess it's around 5 am because the sun is just starting to rise. It would only take me 20 minutes to get to the border, so I shift back and put on some clothes. I probably smell horrible and don't even want to know what's made its way into my hair. I get Nisha out of the duffel bag, and he stretches his legs before plopping on his side.
"Seriously? You've been in that duffel bag for how long and still don't want to walk?" I say as I pick him up and hold him in both arms. He meows at me but then starts purring as I pet him while we walk. I eventually can make out the border, where two wolves and a female in her human form are patrolling. Luck is on my side; I thought I would have to wait around until border patrol crossed this way.
As I approach, the wolves raise their hackles at me, but I put my hand up that isn't holding Nisha.
"My name is Amara Dawson; I'm Seth Dawson's sister. I'm seeking asylum in your pack. My brother told me the code is 'Eleven is the oddest cousin'"
The female is the first to speak, "Ah, we've been expecting you since yesterday," she says with an eyebrow raised at me.
I laugh nervously. "Ran into some rogue troubles along the way; it set me back a little."
"Very well, it's impressive you were able to make the journey alone; your brother tells me females don't have much freedom in your pack; even those with skill are not allowed to train."
"He's unfortunately right, I was lucky enough to have some training under my belt, but I hope to train here and be of service," I respond politely, even though she gave me a backhanded compliment.
"I'm sure our Alpha will have no problem with that. The more trained warriors, the better. I've already mindlinked your brother; he will be here in five minutes. You're only about ten minutes away from the packhouse by car."
"Great, thank you so much. What's your name?" I ask, deciding to try and make small talk
"My name is Mayra; I'm one of the pack warriors," she says as she sends the other two wolves away, back to patrolling, I assume.
I nod, giving up on the small talk as exhaustion hits me like a freight train. Now that I'm safe, all the adrenaline has worn off. Tamisra is lying on her side with her tongue flopped out in my head, and I just want to do the same. Just then, I see a Range Rover coming towards us. A flash of excitement rushes through me, realizing I will see Seth again. When the car stops, I jump up and down and throw my arms around Seth when he gets out.
"Hey, little sis, it's been too long," he says, hugging me tightly. Nisha meows in annoyance and hops out of my arms.
"Since when do you have a cat?" He asks, amused
"I found him on the way here, and he stuck with me, so he's mine now. Anyways, how's your mate? What have you been up to here? Are you a warrior too?" I shoot questions at him, and I load my duffel into the trunk of his car. He comes around and opens the door for me.
"I'm living the life over here; I'm one the head warrior now and help organize training. Mated life is the best, though, I never thought I'd be so quick to settle down, but I wouldn't change a thing," he says, his eyes sparkling when he talks about his mate. Even though I feel a pang of jealousy, I can't stop the smile on my face. My brother is a good man, and seeing him happy is all I could have wanted for him.
Nisha jumps on my lap as I crawl into the front seat, "I'm glad; maybe you can get me into a training schedule once I'm settled in?" I ask, hopeful
"Hell yeah, don't think I'll go easy on you either just cause you're my wimpy sister."
I feign hurt and punch his arm as he starts the car
"Exactly! That punch didn't even sting; we obviously have a lot of work to do," he teases back
"OH fuck off, you know I've always wanted to be a warrior like Mom and Dad, but alas Red Moon pack is stuck in the stone ages. I convinced Felix to let me train a couple times so I knew basic self-defense, which was a miracle in and of itself, but it still isn't enough.'
My brother's face darkens at the mention of my so-called "mate." He wasn't wild about Felix from the beginning, and I'm sure if he didn't think I was heartbroken, he would have said āI told you so.ā
"When I get my hands on that fucker he's dead; you know that, right?"
"As long as you let me get a few jabs in," I say, smiling
"How are you handling this, really, Amara? No jokes to cover up your feelings."
"Honestly, I feel more stupid for not realizing it than anything else," I sigh before I continue. "I always wondered why I never felt any of the things a normal mate bond would feel. I thought I was just incapable of love; never once did the idea of a forced bond cross my mind. I mean, he's the Beta of a pack; he should know better than to break a law so serious. I don't even know what made him do it; he only took an interest in me right after Mom and Dad died. He would have had to find a spirit witch to get it done. I just don't understand."
"I was around the guy often enough to know he was sketchy. He would ask about you sometimes, but I never thought anything of it aside from polite conversation. I was shocked when your wolf identified him as your mate after your shift. You never expressed any interest in him; some of the mated couples around here said even as kids, they had crushes on each other."
I nod my head but just want to drop the subject. There's too much on my mind, and I have to go before the deadly Alpha before I can get settled in or even close my eyes.
"Tell me what I need to know about your Alpha," I say
"He's not so bad. He's a serious guy, but he's a good Alpha. He and I have become friends since I came to the pack, he knows I care about you, and he didn't even think twice before accepting my request. He may be ruthless when it comes to other packs, but he protects his own pack," he says; I can hear the pride laced in with his words.
I smiled, happy my brother feels like he belongs here; neither of us ever felt an overwhelming sense of loyalty to the Red Moon pack. I would never have betrayed them as a pack member, but it was all too easy for us to leave and not look back. Shit, I almost died trying to get out of there. Some of my anxiety eased off hearing what my brother had to say; he wouldn't lie to me. I know that much. The rest of the drive is quiet, aside from Nisha's purring.
The packhouse comes into view, and my heart starts pounding like it wants to escape my chest. Regardless of what my brother had to say about the Alpha, he could still decide that I was not worthy of being a pack member and cast me out. I'm a 21-year-old, marked, untrained female, and I'm not exactly making the best impression with my attire.
We park, and my brother reaches over and squeezes my hand
"It'll be fine," he tries to reassure me, to no avail.
I go to grab my things, but my brother takes them for me, leaving me to carry just Nisha in. Despite the fear, I hold my head high and try to control my racing heart as we walk inside, and my brother leads me to the Alpha's office. He knocks on the door and the most delicious voice I've ever heard answers.
"Enter."
The door opens, and I'm staring into the cold eyes of Alpha Roman himself.
His ice-blue eyes are cold and calculating. I feel like he's staring right into the depths of my soul. Refusing to show weakness, I hold his gaze, but Tamisra is going crazy in my head. 'Let me out, let me out! I need to see,' she says while pushing her way forward to share my sight. I'm too shocked to shove her back; she never acts like this. Her dark blue eyes must be swirling into my green because I see his ice blue eyes start to bleed brown, showing his wolf must have also come forward. I'm frozen as I take him in. He's all Alpha male, he has chestnut brown hair pulled into a man bun, and the scruff on his face is the same color. His jawline is so sharp it could slice through glass, and yeah I wouldnāt mind sitting on those perfect plump lips. His muscles are clearly straining against his black shirt and I do my best not to stare too hard at those delicious arms I feel my cheeks turn pink because of my dirty thoughts, and Tamisra sending meā¦interesting images of him isn't help
I watch as the girl and Seth walk out of my office. I was a little taken aback by her; I didn't expect her to be soā¦interesting? That's an understatement because I want to follow her to her room and listen to her talk in that angel's voice for hours. No woman has ever caught my attention like that before. I've had my fair share, but it was always hookups. I've never had trouble getting a woman; they're always willing to bed an Alpha. I only kept affairs outside my pack, though. That shit can get too messy, and I have way better things to worry about than catfights between pack members over petty love disputes. I pour myself a glass of bourbon while I think about this girl. If she wasn't Seth's sister, I'd be suspicious about her; a fake mate bond is no easy feat. But I didn't detect a lie, and I've heard her brother talk shit on the fake mate plenty of times before he even knew the mating bond wasn't natural. I growl when I think about her and another man, my wolf Adonis only feeding
My eyes flutter open, and I feel like I'm sleeping on a cloud. I stiffen, waiting for Felix to wrap his arm around my waist before I remember my current situation, and I breathe a sigh of relief. I feel Nisha stir and rub his head against my hand, purring contentedly. I sit up, run my hand through my hair, and look around my new room. I notice a cat tree in the corner with a water fountain and cat bowl next to it, and I squint my eyes. Fucking Seth! I would have to punch him later. Obviously, I would follow up with a hug and a thank you, but he has already done too much for me! I get out of bed, skip my morning self-pity ritual, and head to the shower. I take a nice, long, hot shower knowing there's no way Felix will interrupt my peace. I get out and groan when I realize I don't have anything for my skincare routine. Oh well, I'll order some when I'm deemed worthy enough to start getting paid. I walk out in a towel, trying to find my duffel bag, but I'm interrupted by a knock on my d
The anger I felt when I saw that filthy mark on her neck made me lose control. I snapped at her and felt fucking guilty for it. So then I tried to cover my anger with a pathetic excuse about her mate tracking her through the mark and I saw the guilt cross her face, showing me that I only made it worse. Fuck, Iām not trying to show her how jealous am but Iām clearly making her think I donāt give a fuck. Which is quickly proving to be not true. I donāt know what it is about her but when sheās near, I just want to follow. Iāve had two conversations with her, and here I am worrying about her and being jealous. Fuck I must need to get laid. Sheās hot, yeah, but thereās no reason for me to be jealous. āYou like her, fuckwad. Thatās whyā Adonis remarks in my head but I block him out, not wanting to deal with his shit. I pick up a phone to make a call to Blair, one of the spirit witches who resides in my territory. Thankfully, her afternoon is free and sheāll see Amara. Sheās a powerful wi
"The Alpha didn't give me any specifics, so what makes you require my services?" The witch asks me. I suck in a breath before telling her my reality. I should be used to it by now, given how many times I've had to discuss this, but I still hang my head in shame after I'm done. I look back up at her, and she grabs my hand. "I'm sorry that happened to you; this was a crime against your Goddess that should have never happened," she says before I feel calmness rush through me from whatever witchy thing she just did. My shoulders relax, and I let out a relieved sigh before she speaks again. "Come here; I need to touch your face to feel what kind of magic has been embedded in you," she says before reaching out and cupping my cheeks with her eyes closed. I feel a small buzz sound in my head; it's an odd sensation, but I don't fight it. After a few moments, her eyes open. I see a hint of nervousness cross her face, but it's gone as soon as I notice it, making me wonder if I only imagined
I lead Amara back to the pack house after we leave Blair's. We're both silent the whole way, other than her telling me she'll be in her room if I need her for anything. I wish I said something to make her feel better, but I was just as lost. I wasn't expecting Blair to say it wasn't witches' magic. There are a lot of possibilities on what it could be from then, but the question that remains is why Amara? I won't lie; I'm a little suspicious of her. It's possible that she really and truly has no idea what this is all about; she didn't even hesitate when I told her I was taking her to Blair; she actually looked eager until we found out it wasn't witches' magic. But I saw something cross in her eyes when Blair was talking to her. I've seen it plenty of times, and it looked like she was holding something back. I'll have to keep an eye on her and maybe spend more time around her. Which was certainly fine by me. I was also purposefully avoiding the fact that watching her in physical pain
I stayed in my room all day. I feel bad, I should be out there observing training, but I can't focus on anything except what Blair told me. I'm standing on my balcony, a glass of wine in hand-courtesy of Seth, the best big brother ever-trying to think of all the other supernatural creatures who wield black magic. I've never had any apparent interaction with any, certainly not a dragon. As far as I knew, they were endangered, and most lived in Michigan, Italy, or Switzerland. I've crossed paths with a demon or two, and then there were the vampires who attacked us, but again, never any interaction. Fae and Angels had light magic, so they weren't on my suspect list, and Angels never bothered with Earth; I've never even seen one in person. They were more of a mystery than the dragons.The werewolf community was really only open to witches. They help us keep our lands healthy and fertile, and we offer them shelter. Most live for free in exchange for their magic, but most have shops in the
āOn your knees,ā I order her.She holds my gaze while she obeys me. Iām facing her on my own knees, and she starts trailing kisses down my abs to the waistband of my pants. I feel her fingers hook into it and pull my pants down, freeing my painfully hard cock. I make quick work of removing my pants entirely. Not breaking eye contact, she grabs my dick with her tiny hand and runs her tongue up my shaft. I keep my eyes fixed on her, unable to look away. āFuck!ā I hiss when she licks my precum off the tip and finally puts it in her mouthI pull her hair back and twist it into my fist as she takes more of me in. Fuck, her mouth is fucking Heaven. I hold myself back from grabbing both sides of her head and fucking her mouth, wanting this to last. She starts bobbing her head up and down my shaft while her hand follows what she canāt fit. With her sucking my dick like a fucking pro, it doesnāt take long before I lose control and my hips buck, making her choke on my dick while it hits the