Dane's P.O.V.
'We need to keep her safe,' Lucian's voice echoed in my head as a painful reminder.'Isn't it your job to know whether she's our mate by just her scent?'Raya was enticing, to say the least. Her scent of jasmine was like a potent drug, addicting and all-encompassing. There was an inexplicable pull to her that I had never felt before, but when Lucian said he wasn't sure if she was our mate or not, I pushed those thoughts aside. If your wolf doesn't immediately recognize their goddess-given other half upon scenting them, then it means nothing. While she may smell intoxicating and appear heavenly, it's most likely just an animalistic attraction. Perhaps she's been around my mate and, as such, smells like her. We'll find out once she's showered.'It's like something is blocking me from being sure. Still, she could very well be our mate, or know her in some way. We need to get close to her so we can know with certainty,' he stated the obvious.'No, shit.'Lucian growled in response to my tone, clearly displeased with my attitude. But he could get over it. I was on edge, given Cruz's desire to abandon Raya in the deep woods, leaving her at the mercy of the dark creatures that roamed there. It was I who had suggested that she stay with us. Cruz was concerned that she might reveal the location of our pack lands, putting us all in danger simply by knowing our secret. I had never gone against one of Cruz's commands before. He was my alpha, and I was his beta, his right-hand man. I was supposed to be his most loyal supporter, second only to his Luna. Now, there was an awkward tension between us that I needed to resolve, all the while trying to understand why I felt drawn to Raya."Tell me about Roman." Cruz was worried that the vampire would try to seek revenge for having his meal stolen."He breaks rules often, usually draining his victims. He won't come for her without risking outing himself as a killer. You know the vampire queen doesn't take kindly to vampires that don't follow her laws. I don't think we have anything to worry about aside from him trying to attack me probably when I'm out again. Still, I can take care of him easily.""Good, now tell me about the girl." He didn't glance back at me as he spoke, keeping his head held high and his gaze fixed forward as we strode down the long, white halls of the pack house. His black boots echoed loudly against the marbled floor, the sound reverberating off the white walls, creating the illusion that we were the only ones in the house, despite the hundreds of people milling about."Don't know much. Obviously, she's been Amaya's best friend since 2nd grade. They met when Raya was moved to a new foster home. According to Amaya, Raya was found in the woods in a silver blanket near the edge of the tree line. There was no one around, but there was blood on the blanket, so police believed it was some kind of animal attack. Raya recently graduated from college with a degree in graphic design. A reputable company hired her the moment she graduated. Thankfully, she can work from home, so no one will notice her absence at the office.""So, no living relatives I need to worry about? Boyfriend? Husband?" Lucian wanted to growl at the thought of a man with Raya, but I was able to suppress it."According to Amaya, there is not. Raya was bounced around foster homes all her life. Finally being free of them when she turned 18 and started college. No boyfriend or husband.""At least that's one less thing to worry about." His words were callus, but true. With Raya not having anyone, it would be easy to keep her here. Cruz sighed, and I noticed his shoulders fall just an inch before he picked them back up.As the alpha, Cruz couldn't afford to show even the slightest hint of weakness. Cruz may come across as an asshole, but his primary concern was the safety of our pack, and he did an excellent job of ensuring it. After our rival pack killed his father last year, Cruz had to assume the role of alpha before he was ready. He had done an exceptional job, but the weight of the responsibility was taking its toll on him. I needed to remind him to let loose and take a break sometimes."Let's go for a run. You could use it." I told him, deciding to take my chances and walk beside him. He didn't huff, so I knew it was okay."I have to get things in order for the moon festival and the visiting packs that will be coming. There's no time for a run.""There's always time for a run, and tonight is the best time with the full moon up. Let's go," I persuaded him with a smile. He sighed, but gave me a quick nod."Fine, one quick run around the perimeter."We dashed outside, shedding our clothes as we sprinted towards the thicket of trees. Running under the full moon was an exhilarating experience, as it was when our powers were at their peak. Legend had it that a former alpha of our pack had once saved Selene, our goddess, when she had decided to live amongst the humans. In gratitude, she bestowed upon our pack the ability to harness the power of the moonlight. Our fur changed with the phases of the moon, and our strength waxed and waned accordingly. Mine, however, was different, never losing it's glow even in the darkest of new moons. Though we were a formidable pack at all times, we were at our most powerful during the full moon.Cruz and I let out a fierce howl as we shifted mid-jump and took off running along the perimeter of our pack's lands. I knew he would enjoy a race, so I pushed myself to keep up with his massive wolf form. But, as expected, he was faster than me. His wolf was twice my size, and though it glowed in the moonlight, it was not silver like mine, but pure white. Only the alpha wolves of our pack boasted such a color, reflecting the moon's power so brilliantly.We burst out of the woods, shifting back into our naked human forms. It was impossible to keep track of how many clothes we had shredded over the years. We were lucky to have shifter-owned businesses nearby that donated clothes to us, sparing us the expense of constantly replacing our torn garments.We rummaged through one of the large chests we had stationed randomly throughout the pack lands, grabbing some sweatpants to cover our nakedness. Cruz tossed me a shirt, playfully smacking me in the face with it to break the tension between us. It was good to be back to our usual dynamic - best friends, alpha and beta. In our pack, the alpha and beta grew up together like brothers, forging an unbreakable bond long before the time came for one to take over. Of course, we still had our fair share of arguments and fits of anger, but our deep connection made reconciling a breeze."Wanna tell me why you were adamant about letting this human stay? Aside from not wanting an angry witch on our side," Cruz asked me, referring to Raya and Amaya. The question pulled from me the heaviest sigh I'd ever breathed."Blame Lucian. She has this intoxicating scent to us, but he can't tell if she's truly our mate or not. We think she may have been in contact with our true mate, which would explain her alluring smell. Regardless, he's fiercely protective of her," I explained, my gaze fixed on the swaying green grass beneath me. The whole situation was causing me more stress than I cared to admit - and I wasn't one to stress easily."Don't worry, you'll figure this out. I'll help anyway I can. There's no way the goddess gave a strong beta like you a feeble human mate to worry about," Cruz said, his large hand rested on my shoulder as he gave it a comforting squeeze."Thanks, but only time will tell.""How about you come with me and help me plan out the moon festival? I think it'll help to get your mind focused on something else.""Yeah, okay, because I definitely like to plan," I replied with a hint of sarcasm, struggling to suppress the urge to roll my eyes. I had to remind myself that he was only trying to help in his own unique way.That's what sets us apart. Cruz is meticulous in his need to control every detail and ensure that everything turns out flawlessly, while I prefer to take things as they come. While he plans, I roll with the punches. That's why I could never be an alpha, even if I were strong enough to challenge and defeat one. Leadership just isn't my forte. Cruz was attempting to distract me in the same way he distracts himself, but I knew it wouldn't work for me. My thoughts would remain fixated on Raya."I was wondering where my sexy people had run off to," Garret, our Gamma, sauntered up the path leading to the pack house, his ever-present kind smile gracing his youthful face. I could tell he was up to something by the mischievous twinkle in his light brown eyes. You always had to keep an eye on Garret, as his favorite pastime was playing pranks on anyone and everyone - even Cruz. The guy had some serious balls to pull one over on our alpha the way he does."What do you need, Garret?" Cruz asked, clearly annoyed by Garret's interruption."I felt something odd earlier. My head began to throb, but then it vanished just as quickly as it had come. I think I was sensing her - our Luna." He astounded us by his revelation. Our Luna is near?Raya's POV"I'm so sorry, Raya. I wanted you to know the truth, but I literally couldn't tell you myself. You had to find out for yourself. I thought taking you to this party would be my way of getting you to discover that humans aren't the only creatures on this earth. I didn't think that every fucking vampire there would want to eat you. They're not usually so drawn to a human. They like to feed on powerful beings and enjoy a good witch best. I thought they'd be more focused on me." Amaya, feeling guilty, couldn't help but blurt out her thoughts a mile a minute. The words tumbled out of her mouth, overwhelming me with the flood of information, I was having a hard time processing it. I couldn't understand what she was trying to tell me exactly. "Amaya, I don't understand what you're talking about, and my head hurts too much to figure it out. I'm going to need you to explain in 10 words or fewer, please." I rubbed at my temples, hoping to relieve some of this headache. "Right, let
Raya’s POVAs the unexpected force of the push caught me off guard, I stumbled, my feet tangling in the rug. A pair of strong arms caught me before I could hit the ground, sending my body tingling in a way I’d never experienced before. I found myself locking eyes with Dane, his golden gaze meeting mine, intensifying the heat of my blush. I am not as weak or clumsy as the universe seemed to have portrayed me tonight. I cleared my throat, standing up straight with a small nod of appreciation towards Dane.“Thank you,” I said bashfully.“Be more careful.” His annoyed tone irked me more than I cared to admit. It wasn't as if I had asked him to catch me. If it was such a problem, he could have just let me fall. Yet, despite my frustration, his hand resting on my stomach sent a surge of unfamiliar sensations through me. It was a feeling so strong, it called on me to turn around and kiss him with everything in me. The temptation was overwhelming, but I forcefully shoved that lustful desire
Dane’s POVAs I woke up this morning, I couldn't help but run through the events of last night in my head. Cruz had told me that he could smell Raya just as strongly as he would expect to scent his mate. It drew him in, but he insisted it wasn't a sexual attraction. Instead, her scent had a calming effect on him, something that made him uneasy considering he was supposed to be wary of her.I remembered the brief moment when I caught her, feeling her skin against mine. It sent a burning flame through me, making it difficult to pull away. I had left my hand on her for longer than I intended, unable to move away from her. And when she was sent out, I almost followed her, the pull to her was undeniable. But Lucian wasn't entirely convinced that she was truly our mate. He could feel a pull, but he wasn't sure what it meant. And according to Garret, he also felt a connection to her, but on a different level. The situation was filled with uncertainty and confusion, leaving us all wondering w
Raya’s POVCruz practically bit Garret's head off, his voice laced with frustration. "What do you mean she's your charge? This isn't funny, Garret. I already told you she's not my mate."Garret stood his ground, unfazed by Cruz's scowl and stern tone. He looked up at him with that carefree smile of his. "It's not a joke, Cruz. Amaya confirmed that we have a moon-bond, and it's not a mate bond. I can feel her, man. That pounding headache I had last night? It was her pain. I know she's not your mate, but that doesn't mean she isn't under my protection. Maybe you need another Gamma."I still didn’t understand this myself, but I knew it was real. I could feel Garret’s playful nature pulling at my own. It was like he was a part of me, like a friend I had grown up with all my life.Cruz let out a weary sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose as he sank back into his chair. Stress etched across his face, he closed his eyes, revealing a vulnerable side of him I had never seen before. It was lik
Raya’s POVI caught a whiff of mint on Garret's breath, its warmth gently tickling my face. His lips were just an inch away when a distinct growl echoed through the walls. In an instant, Garret straightened up, positioning himself in front of me as if to shield me from Dane, who was storming towards us, ready to unleash his fury."That's what you call behaving?" Dane barked, his fists clenched tightly by his side.Garret shrugged, acting like it was all child's play. "You see, we were doing a science experiment. Raya here has only been kissed five times, and each time she felt like puking. I thought maybe it was because they were all human. So, I was just helping her figure out if she'd feel the same way when kissed by a werewolf."I fell silent, utterly mortified that Dane had almost caught me locking lips with Garret. Dane's narrowed eyes shifted suspiciously towards me, a mix of anger and concern etched on his face. With lightning speed, he shoved Garret aside, grabbing me and pull
Dane’s POVIf there were a way to do it, I would have punched myself hard for having kissed Raya. I couldn’t stand the thought of Garret kissing her, so I took the opportunity from him. I didn’t expect to feel an intense hunger for her. It was somehow stronger than the one I had already been feeling. I wasn’t sure what was causing it, but it made me want to mark her, despite not knowing if she was truly my mate. I had to resist the urge to pull her in closer, to deepen the kiss, and instead I had to push her away. When I looked into her eyes and saw the tears welling up, my heart shattered. I had caused her pain, not Garret. It was my fault, and I despised myself for losing control in that way. I may be a werewolf, but I am not some mindless beast.‘She seemed to like it.’ Lucian tried to excuse the action, but his words only caused me further irritation.‘Then why was she crying?’ My mood was palatable and clearly read on my face as the pack members moved out of my way the moment th
Raya's POV"It's stunning, Raya. You're extremely talented," he told me with utter sincerity. That's when I finally decided to pry my eyes away from my paper and towards him. My cheeks stained crimson as I let my eyes wander over his naked body. He was sculpted beautifully, with well toned muscles that weren't overly exaggerated. He had that nice hard v that led to his groin with his legs intentionally covering most of that area so that I couldn't see his manhood well. I did, however, notice that he puffed his chest out proudly when he noticed me checking out. "Thanks," I finally said, looking back out towards the night sky. "It's really beautiful here." "That it is." I could feel his eyes fixed on me, boring into the side of my face as if he were unable to gaze at anything else. "I'm sorry about earlier," I said, remembering the way I threw myself at him during our kiss. "I should be the one apologizing, Raya. I shouldn't have kissed you like that. I am so sorry," he said, his he
Raya’s POV A sweet voice responded, "Come in." Cruz opened the door to reveal an elegant woman. Her long, thick, black hair was braided at her side, with a few gray strands peppered throughout. Her face lit up as she looked at Cruz, clear love shining in her eyes. I couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy, longing for the same close family connection. "Mi vida, what brings you to see me at such a busy time?" her gentle, soothing voice inquired. "Hola Ma, I hope I'm not disturbing you.""Never, mijo," she shook her head. "What can I help you with?""This is Raya," he said, placing his hands on my shoulders and nudging me forward. Her dark eyes met mine, and her lips curved into a smile. "Your mate?" she asked, sounding hopeful. "No, Ma, she's the human I was telling you about. Amaya's friend.""Ay, si. Why did you want me to meet her?" Her smile faltered slightly at his response, but remained present. "Can you sense anything different when she's around? I have a feeli