The party was in full swing after they had surprised the Alpha later that evening. Alister had acted like he was surprised, but she knew better, that was not the face of someone who was surprised. He probably found out that they were planning something when he came to Ophelia's house earlier.
As she discreetly looked at him, Luciana noted his appearance: a dark green shirt with rolled-up sleeves and worn jeans, bathed in the moon's glow, he looked almost otherworldly.
Luciana's heart ached, knowing that in a few minutes, at midnight, the Alpha would discover his mate, who could be any of the many women enjoying the party. She scanned the crowd of women around them, knowing one of them would soon be fortunate enough to be chosen by the Alpha.
While sipping his drink, Alister found something Beta Elijah had said amusing and let out a laugh. Luciana noticed his laughter and their eyes met briefly. She thought she saw a hint of affection in his eyes before he looked away, but dismissed the idea as a mistake.
As midnight struck, the alpha growled, and Luciana caught a distinct scent that reminded her of Alpha Alister - the same scent that lingered on the shirt he gave her, she would know because she still had the shirt he had covered her with on that night.
Why was she able to perceive the Alpha's scent? Luciana thought as she turned towards the scent and she saw Alister staring at her in shock.
" Mate!" her wolf cried.
It's not possible, she thought. It couldn't be. If the goddess was playing a prank on her, then it wasn't going to work. She had been given a mate already, even though said mate had rejected her.
Luciana found herself staring into Alpha Alister's green eyes, the very eyes of her dream mate. However, to her surprise, Alister seemed equally shocked. Overwhelmed by the situation and unable to face the possibility of Alister's disappointment at having her as his mate, Luciana fled. She couldn't help but question why the moon goddess would play such a cruel trick on her.
As Luciana sprinted away, she heard Alister calling her name, but she kept running until she reached the gardens. It was only then that she realized this was where she had first met Alister when she woke up from a two-week coma after arriving at the Blackmoon pack.
Alister's voice interrupted her thoughts, "Luciana!" causing her to freeze in her tracks.
She whispered, "Go away, please," unable to bear the thought of seeing the hurt and disappointment on his face. The shame of being his mate, especially as an Alpha, was too much for her to bear.
Luciana feared the worst as Alister's demeanor shifted. Another rejection was too much for her heart to bear, and tears began to stream down her face.
" Can you please look at me?" Alister demanded, taking cautious steps towards her.
Why would he ask that of her? she reluctantly obliged, keeping her distance and lowering her head she turned around to face him.
"Just be quick with the rejection," she muttered, bracing herself for the worst.
The atmosphere changed suddenly, and Luciana sensed the tension in the air. She raised her head to find Alister looking furious. She took a step back, uncertain of what was happening.
"You think I'll reject you?!" he bellowed, his disbelief evident.
Confused, Luciana furrowed her brow and whispered, "What? Isn't that why you followed me?"
Alister's expression softened as he replied, "Why would I want to reject you when you're everything I want?"
Luciana shook her head in disbelief, mumbling to herself, "This is definitely a mistake." She ran her fingers through her hair, trying to make sense of what was happening.
"The moon goddess doesn't make mistakes, Lucia," Alister reassured her, his voice filled with sincerity. "I've loved you since the first day I saw you." He confessed.
Luciana was stunned by the revelation. Alister had always had feelings for her? How had she not noticed it before? He had been so kind to her and Keita, helping them out and doing Alpha jobs as Keita would say and now she realized there had been other signs as well. She gasped, covering her mouth with her hand as tears fell down her eyes.
Alister chuckled, moving closer to her. He lifted his hand to touch her face, and Luciana leaned into his touch. His touch was warm, and his scent was intoxicating, like cinnamon and wood. She looked up at his green eyes, lost in the moment.
"I still can't believe you're my mate," Alister murmured, pulling her closer to him in a tight embrace.
Luciana enveloped him in a warm embrace, relishing in the heat that radiated from his body.
Luciana felt like she was in a dream. She had just discovered that Alpha Alister was her mate, the man who had always been kind to her, the man who she had secretly admired from afar, the man who had loved her from the first day he had seen her. It was all too overwhelming.
Alister pulled back from their embrace and looked into her eyes. "Luciana, will you be my mate?" he asked.
She smiled at him, tears of happiness streaming down her face. "Yes, Alpha Alister. I will be your mate," she said.
The alpha's face lit up with a smile, and he kissed her passionately, right there in the gardens. It was a moment that they would both remember for the rest of their lives.
After a few moments, they both pulled back, and Alister took Luciana's hand in his. "Come with me," he said,"Let's go back to the party. I want to show everyone my beautiful mate," he said.
Luciana felt a bit nervous about being the center of attention, but she was also excited to show everyone that she was Alister's mate. They walked back to the party, and as they entered, everyone turned to look at them.
Ophelia was the first to see them and squealed with excitement. "I knew it! I knew you two were meant to be together!" she exclaimed.
Luciana blushed at the attention, but Alister just smiled proudly. "Yes, Ophelia, she's my mate," he said, wrapping his arm around Luciana's waist.
She caught Anisha wiggling her eyebrows at her while dancing with her mate. The woman was crazy, Luciana scoffed.
The other pack members soon caught on to what was happening, and they began to congratulate the new couple. Luciana felt a bit overwhelmed by all the attention, but she was also grateful for the warm wishes and acceptance. Not every pack would accept her as their Alpha's mate or Luna.
Beta Elijah interrupted their celebration, though, with some concerning news. "Alister, we just received word that a group of wolves have crossed our border. We have intruders," he rasped.
Luciana watched as Alpha Alister's face tensed and his eyes narrowed as he picked up on the scent of the intruders. Her heart raced with fear as she wondered what kind of danger they might be facing. She could see the tension in the air as Alister quickly sprang into action.
"Get everyone to a safe place," he barked at the warriors behind him.
The warriors scattered, quickly going to gather up the other pack members and herd them towards the designated safe areas. Luciana watched them go, her heart still pounding in her chest.
Alister turned to her, his eyes still sharp with concern. "Luciana, I need you to go with Ophelia and help her get everyone to safety. Take Keita and Stay there until I can give you the all-clear."
Luciana nodded, knowing that the Alpha's orders were not to be disobeyed. she touched his chest, giving him a quick kiss before he and the other pack members left to deal with the intruders.
She quickly made her way over to Ophelia, who was already in the process of ushering people towards the designated safe areas.
"Luciana!" Ophelia said, giving her a quick hug. "I'm glad you're here. We need all hands on deck right now."
She took Keita from Ophelia who was cradling him in her chest and followed the rest of the pack.
Luciana nodded, her eyes scanning the crowd of panicked pack members as they rushed towards the designated safe areas. She could feel the fear and uncertainty radiating from them, and it only made her more anxious.
Who were these intruders? She thought. This was not how she hoped her night would turn out, not after finding her mate.
Her second chance mate.
Alister's POVAlister and Elijah were making their way towards the gates when Alister caught a strange scent. The scent was so strange that Alister grunted, indicating his discomfort. He did not want to take any chances with the stranger who carried that strange scent. He was worried that the person might be a threat to his pack, his home. He asked Elijah, "Any idea who we're meeting?" Elijah was walking beside him with a scowl, indicating that he was also not pleased with the situation. Alister's timing could not be worse. It was the night of the full moon, and he had just found his mate. The last thing he wanted to do was to meet a stranger when he could be spending his night with his mate. He was reminded of his duties as a mate, and he knew he should be marking her right now. Instead, he found himself marching towards the gates to meet a stranger. As they neared the gates, Alister couldn't help but feel uneasy about the meeting. He was unsure of what was going to happen, and h
"I'm Noah and these are my sons. It's a long story…we just need help" the man said with pleading eyes.Alister stood there, his expression contorted into a frown as he listened to the man before him. The idea of offering asylum to strangers he knew nothing about was a foreign concept to him, especially since the council was supposed to be the ones responsible for assisting those in need. Why come to his pack when they could just go to the council? It didn't make any sense.“ Then go to the council… that’s their job. To offer assistance…” he said, turning around to leave and ready to put an end to the conversation. But before he could take more than a few steps, the man's voice stopped him in his tracks."Please," Noah said, desperation lacing his tone.Alister hesitated for a moment before turning back around to face the three wolves. The man's words had piqued his curiosity, and he couldn't help but wonder why they were so insistent on seeking asylum with his pack and not many other
Luciana's POVLuciana, who was sitting on the couch, observed the scene in front of her with great interest. Ophelia, her friend and fellow pack member, was cradling one of the babies who had been crying inconsolably until Ophelia took charge. She was amazed by how effortlessly Ophelia was able to soothe the little one. She had always been a natural caregiver, even though it's been long since she was a mother. Her son Elijah was no longer a child. The baby's cries slowly subsided as Ophelia rocked him gently in her arms. After a few minutes, the baby had calmed down completely and was now sleeping soundly.Ophelia carefully handed the baby back to his mother, who was grateful for the brief respite from the constant demands of motherhood.Ophelia then turned her attention to Lucia and asked, "How are you feeling?" as she sat down beside her on the couch. Lucia shifted her weight, trying to find a comfortable position while holding Keita, her own son. "Not exactly the kind of mating
Luciana's POV"I’m sorry… I get carried away sometimes…" Ophelia apologized for crying."No, you're allowed to remember him. You don't have to apologize," Luciana said kindly.Feeling grateful for her understanding, Ophelia sighed, "Well, I'm fine. I was just thinking that Alister would be glad to have Keita as his son. He loves the boy, you could see it in his eyes." She responded.Lucia was surprised to hear this and asked, "You think so?"Ophelia nodded, "Yes, absolutely. I've seen the way he looks at Keita since the day the kid was born and the way he looks at you since the day he brought you both into the pack. He loves you and damn well loves Keita too." She said.Luciana sighed, feeling a mix of relief and anxiety. She had been worried about how Alister would react to Keita, as he was not his biological son. She knew that he liked Keita, but to accept another man's child as his own son and future heir was a lot to ask, especially from an Alpha.She also worried about the rest o
Alister's POVAlister sat at his desk, his laptop screen open on the desk, as he spoke with Elder Wilson about a recent incident involving rogue wolves and the strangers he was currently helping. As he was deep in conversation, his beta Elijah entered the room, signaling that he had helped Lucia move into Alister's house. Alister couldn't help but feel guilty that he wasn't able to assist in the move due to being swamped with paperwork. He sighed, massaging his temples in frustration."I followed procedure here... they were being chased by rogues, there was no way I would have asked them to continue their journey to the council, for all we know, the rogue wolves might have followed them here…" Alister explained to the man whose face was on the screen, frustration evident in his voice.He couldn't help but feel responsible for the safety of those in his territory, and the thought of rogue wolves wreaking havoc sent shivers down his spine.Elder Wilson listened attentively on the other
Alister's POVAlister had been enjoying his peaceful slumber, wrapped in the warmth of his mate Lucia. He cherished the comfort she brought him, especially during the cold nights. However, the blaring sound of the pack alarm shattered his peaceful slumber, and he was instantly jolted awake. He had hoped that the night would go smoothly, just like the previous few nights when he had held Lucia close in his arms. Alister had never experienced such a luxurious and comforting feeling before, and he wanted to hold on to it for as long as possible, perhaps even for eternity.Lucia stirred beside him, groggily rubbing her eyes as she took note of his alarmed state. Concern etched her features as she asked "What's going on?" her voice laced with concern tooAlister quickly got out of bed, grabbing the closest pair of joggers he could find and putting them on. "I'm not sure," he replied, his voice grave. "But I'm about to find out."The night had started off with such passion and excitemen
Alister's POVAlister's heart was racing as he listened to Elijah's report. The thought of rogue wolves invading his pack's territory filled him with a sense of dread. He knew the danger they posed, not only to his pack but also to the innocent humans who lived in the nearby town. Alister had made a promise to keep them safe and he intended to keep it, no matter the cost.He knew that his pack's security measures were at their highest, with guards working around the clock and pulling double shifts to ensure that there were no loopholes in their defenses.Alister quickened his pace, running towards the East border with Elijah by his side. He tried to remain calm and collected, knowing that he had to keep his wits about him if he wanted to protect his pack. However, the thought of his people being in danger was almost too much to bear."How many of them?" he asked, his voice firm despite the anxiety creeping up on him."About twenty just crossed the East border. Don't know if there are
Alister's POVAlister took a deep breath and let it out slowly, his eyes scanning the darkness of the forest. He could feel the adrenaline pumping through his veins, making his heart race faster. In a blink of an eye, he shifted into his wolf form, feeling his muscles stretching and tensing as he changed. He shook himself to get rid of any lingering human thoughts, and then he started to run back to the front line, his wolf form easily keeping pace.As he reached the front of the line, he could see Elijah waiting for him, his body tensed and ready for action. Alister joined him, taking up an attack stance, his senses alert for any sign of danger.“Fall into formation everyone!” he commanded through the pack link, his voice ringing out loud and clear in the silent forest. He watched as the other wolves took up their positions, forming a defensive line around them.Alister felt a surge of pride as he looked at his pack, ready and willing to fight for their home and their families. He k