Chapter Four

Ronin stalked towards his mate, his eyes black as sin. For once in a very long time, he and his wolf were on the same page about one thing.

Biting this omega and knotting her right fucking now.

Liora couldn’t cross the distance fast enough and all but launched herself into the arms of her Alpha. He caught her, wrapping her slender legs around his waist with one hand and using the other to grab her hair and yank her head back.

“Mate!” He rasped, “Yield!”

Liora gripped his shoulders and exposed her neck in wild abandon. Ronin growled in satisfaction then dropped his head to bite into the racing pulse at her neck.

Suddenly, he was yanked back and Liora was pried from his body. Caius held him by the collar of his tux while Thaddeus held Liora.

“Let me go Caius or I’ll rip your throat out!” He growled.

“Are you really going to do this in front of all your guests?” Caius hissed. Ronin paused and took stock of his surroundings. He was still in the ballroom at his party, and everyone was looking at him like he grew two heads. Whispers and hushed murmurs could be heard.

“His Mate’s an omega? How weak.”

“She won’t be weak for much longer, she’ll be as strong as him.”

“Did you see Alpha’s eyes? They’re black!”

“Let go of me!” Liora whimpered, tugging at the firm hands that kept her from going to her mate. She went still when Thaddeus pulled rank on her. She could only watch with her eyes as her Alpha fought to get to her.

When Ronin saw that the Gamma was about to take Liora away he became more riled up. He pushed Caius so hard that he flew across the room and slammed into a wall. “Let go of my mate!” He roared. It was so animalistic, so carnal that his guests became frantic and hurried to the exits to leave. 

Members of his council that were scattered in the crowd began ushering people out, all while apologizing and promising amends.

“Please accept our apologies, thank you for coming.” Maia plastered a plastic smile on her face and glared at Thaddeus as she passed by him, “What the actual fuck, Thad?”

“Indeed.” He hummed as he watched Caius and Nikolai try and restrain his out-of-control Alpha.

“I’m going to flay you like a pig,” Ronin hissed at Nikolai. 

“That’s just your horny wolf talking, and I think I’d actually enjoy that.” Nikolai held firmly onto Ronin’s arm and frowned when his Alpha began to transform.

Lucien's jaw dropped as he shut the last exit to the ballroom, “Oh shit, he’s gonna blow!”

“Turn!” Ronin yelled the command at Liora. To others, his voice sounded like broken glass, To her, a sweet melody that spurred her body to life. The skin on her arm instantly rippled with fur.

Nikolai took that exact moment to pull two squares of cloth from his pocket. He threw one to Thad before plastering the other over Ronin’s nose.

Within sixty seconds, the two wolves stopped struggling and went limp.

                                                  ⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜

Ronin could hear hushed whispers as he came to. His brows knitted in a frown as he tried to make sense of where he was. Suddenly, the memory came rushing back to him.

A long-haired omega with lavender eyes and the scent of fresh peonies, reaching for him- his mate.

He sat straight up in his bed, chest heaving and breath coming in short gasps. His eyes flickered between red and black.

He had a mate. He found his mate.

“Whoa, easy there,” A firm hand settled on his shoulder. It was Caius. 

Ronin instantly remembered that Caius was one of the culprits who held him back, even drugging him to prevent him from claiming his mate.

“Get the fuck away from me,” He pushed Caius away and swung his legs over the edge of the bed, “Where is she?”

Maia and Thaddeus halted their hushed conversation and turned to look at him. Ronin looked two seconds away from going mad. Maia took a glass of water and gave it to him.

“Please calm down-”

“-I said where is she?!-”

Maia flinched as he threw the glass against the wall, splinters flying in every direction, “She has been sequestered on the east wing. It is heavily guarded, no one can get in or out.”

“You lost complete control at the party,” Delta Lucien offered him a glass of whiskey and he took a long drink, “They all got a good look at your eyes so they all know the truth now. If Caius and Nikolai hadn’t held you back, Goddess knows what you would have done to that omega.”

“I had no clue that it would end up that she was your mate,” Thaddeus added.

Ronin looked down at his hands. He really did lose all rationale when he saw her. He couldn’t believe his mate was right under his nose all this time. How was it that he had never seen or even scented her before now?

Maybe that was a blessing in disguise, he could’ve hurt her. Or worse, kill her. 

She was an omega for goodness sake, they were so frail. Someone like him? With someone like her? That combination was like throwing an elephant into a rose garden and expecting it to remain unscathed. 

“She’s too weak, I’ll have to reject her.”

“Excuse me, cousin, but that’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.” Lucien walked up to Ronin, crossing his arms, “If you accept her, she will become your Luna, your equal. She would rise to inherit your strength and power.”

Lucien was right. When wolves completed the mating ritual, the lower ranking wolf would gain the designation of their stronger counterpart. Ronin shook his head, “And what of my darkness? Wouldn’t she inherit that as well?”

He got to his feet, meeting Lucien’s sharp green eyes, “The Order of Lycaon has never dealt with a case like this before. First, this was about getting me a party pup to sate my wolf- but this? A mate? I refuse to pass the burden of my darkness on to her.”

“But cousin,-”

“Enough, Lucien!” Ronin pulled rank and the Delta took a big step back. 

“Think about what you’re doing,” Caius pleaded with him, “Rejecting your mate can’t be the best option.”

Ronin ignored them, removing his tux, shirt and tie as he prepared to transform into a wolf.  “I’m done talking, prepare the omega for the rejection ritual. I will render the claim between us void at sunrise.”