Lorenzo gave the door three quick thumps with his fist, then flung it open.
There lay his Beta with his arms wrapped around Lorenzo’s mate’s waist, her long blonde hair fanning over his chest. Both sets of eyes flew open and as they sat up in bed, startled, an ear-splitting roar erupted from the Alpha.
Drew clambered out of bed, standing with his hands up in surrender, his eyes wild with panic. Arla could see the veins protrude in Lorenzo’s neck and down his arms as his hands clenched into tight fists.
He was furious, but whilst Drew understood the situation and why the Alpha was enraged, Arla did not.
“Lorenzo, it’s not what it looks like,” pleaded Drew.
Marcel was pushing forward, eager to shift and r
Lorenzo has really had a tough time, hasn't he? If only Arla knew.
Arla walked downstairs to greet Chloe in the foyer. She was holding her party dress in a zippered garment bag, and had her head slightly raised, sniffing the air. “Mate?” asked Arla. “No,” replied Chloe, dejected. “I’ve been eighteen for twelve hours now. I went to training, I even walked around town hoping to run into my mate, and so far nothing.” “Twelve hours? My boy has been waiting for over five years,” said Beth, as she swept into the foyer smiling. “Happy Birthday, darling.” She wrapped Chloe in a tight squeeze, careful to avoid crushing the dress. “I can’t believe our little Chloe is eighteen.” Millie was one of the longest serving staff members at the packhouse, and Chloe and her brothers had spent a lot of time there as children. As Luna, Beth had alw
The Apollo Bar was located on human territory, but it operated under the guise of having a VIP door list only, to mask the fact that it catered only to supernaturals and their guests. Being on a neutral territory meant that wolves from nearby packs could socialise freely, along with other shifters and species such as vampires, fae, etc. As long as everyone was getting along, nothing was off limits. It was Arla’s first time in a nightclub and it was sensory overload. The music was loud and thumping in her sensitive ears, the lighting was dim in most areas, yet bright flashing lights assaulted her eyes from the dancefloor. With so many people from so many species, the scents were overwhelming. From general scents to alcohol, sweat, blood, fear and arousal, Arla wished she had a way to turn her senses off for a while.
With all the responsibilities on his shoulders that came with being Alpha, it had been so long since Lorenzo had enjoyed a night out like this. It took a little encouragement from Arla, but he soon loosened up and began to lose himself in the music and in this moment spent with her. In a few short months, she would be his mate and his Luna. She would look at him and know that he was hers and she was his. He would be able to stand proudly beside her as the pack welcomed her as their Luna, to share in his pride at how wonderful his mate was. They would no longer have to hide her glowing eyes, or downplay her true power. After the mate-bond is fully formed, he would reach his full potential as an Alpha, Arla would reach her full potential as a white wolf and witch, and the pack would reap the benefits of a powerful and united Alpha pairing.
Lorenzo was sitting at the bar nursing a drink while impatiently waiting for Arla to return. He had lost count of the number of women he’d been approached by and subsequently turned away. He had no interest in anyone other than his mate, and he wished Chloe would hurry the fuck up. “Alpha!” shouted Chloe, raising a hand to signal to him and making her way over to him, dragging a strapping young man behind her. “Alpha Lorenzo, this is my mate, Mitchell Lowe. He’s a warrior in the Pearl Lake Pack,” she said with pride. “Alpha, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” said Mitchell, holding out a large hand to shake. Lorenzo gave him a once over. He was an impressive size and had long, wild and unruly, curly brown hair. He looked to be a similar age to Chloe, maybe a year or two older, and the mocha coloured skin on his
Arla woke, her head pounding, feeling weak and nauseous. She gingerly touched her hand to the side of her head and flinched. The pain radiated around her skull and she could feel the dried blood matted in her hair. She tried to remember what happened, but everything felt hazy. She knew she was too weak to teleport, and trying to mind-link the Alpha exacerbated her headache, to the point she had to vomit into a bucket she’d located near the makeshift bed she was in on the hard floor. Exhausted and in pain, she lay back down and fell into slumber once again. The next time Arla woke, the thumping in her head had subsided and she could think a little clearer, however the pain was still present. Why aren’t I healing? She thought.
He turned on his heel and strode out of the room and out of the cabin altogether, leaving Arla alone. Feeling numb, she collected the clean clothes and toiletries that had been provided and made her way to the bathroom in a daze. She showered and scrubbed herself, trying to wash the dirt, dried blood and smeared make-up from her face and body. Once she finally felt clean, she slid down the shower wall in a heap and finally allowed herself to break down and weep. She lost count of how long she’d been in the bathroom, but when she exited, Sadie was waiting for her in the room. Sadie wrapped her arms around Arla in a tight embrace, tears falling freely down her face as she cried into Arla’s neck. Arla returned the hug, stroking her long, honey coloured hair, trying her best to soothe her distraught friend. “I’
Two dark witches appeared from nowhere. They seemed to be the only people that were here of their own accord. They went from person to person, undoing the gold bracelets. As Arla’s was removed, she felt the welcome thrum and buzz of magic tingle her skin. She wished with all her might that she could end Alpha Anton, but the risk was too great. Alpha Anton left and moved downstairs as another familiar face joined the witches on the balcony. Natasha. She sneered at Arla as she approached. “Just when you thought you were somebody, you’re back here being a nobody.” Natasha had been her childhood best friend, but had turned against her after Arla’s dad tried to save Natasha’s mother, and failed. They both lost a parent that day, but Natasha’s grief came in the form of nastiness. She had rejected Arla’s friendship beca
Lorenzo sat on the bench seat overlooking Arla’s garden, with his head in his hands. The once vibrant and beautiful garden was now mostly shriveled and dying. Withering in the same manner he felt inside his chest. Felix came by every few days to tend it as best he could, and the packhouse gardeners helped, but without Arla’s magic touch, it failed to flourish as it once had. He felt her loss more and more each day, and now the day he’d been waiting for, five and a half years in the making, was finally here…and he was miserable. Her eighteenth birthday. She was supposed to be here with him. He’d had it planned out in his head for years. This was the day she would finally call him mate. Instead, he was alone, not knowing where she was. He didn’t know if she was safe, or if she was even alive. He f