CHAPTER FOUR

FIVE YEARS LATER

MELISSA

I bend over my work as the sun fades. Being the most celebrated healer in all the packs around has its benefits, the fame, the prestige, the money. It also has its pitfalls such as long hours spent “Well how long will it take to finish preparing the vaccine?” asks, and I smile a bit, but I do not answer him. We are both preparing vaccines to be sent out to surrounding packs for a viral outbreak that is affecting packs. The truth is, I am the one preparing the vaccines, Kelvin merely likes to watch me. Kelvin is like that at times, slightly impatient, and extremely charming. He is the future Alpha of Thamewood, the pack that took me in after several years of wondering from pack to pack, begging to be accepted. Finally, in a flash of inspiration, I cut my hair in front, and made a perfect fringe to hide the branding on my forehead. I told Alpha Mateo, Kelvin’s father that I was from a small pack faraway among the winter packs, and that we had been raided. To my surprise, Thamewood pack accepted me immediately, and Kelvin took an interest in me, his interest in me making him treat me gently. He even healed me with his Alpha blood. In a short while, all the physical bruises on my body were a thing of the past. It was only the wound inside my heart that could never be healed, a wound that festered, and demanding vengeance. “You’re doing it again,” he says, and I turn to look at him. As always, I am struck by how handsome he looks with his perfectly chiseled face, rich dark hair and green eyes. “What?” I ask, blushing a bit. “I promise, the vaccine would be ready soon. I just need to allow the solution sit for a while before adding your Alpha blood.”Kelvin shakes his head, and his green eyes look intense. “I’m not talking about the damn vaccines. You have this thing you do when you zone out, and it’s like your mind is far away, thinking very unhappy thoughts. You were thinking about the raid just now, weren’t you?” He asks. What raid? I almost ask, but thankfully, I remember my lies in time. “Yes,” I mutter, looking away. “Won’t you talk to me about it Melissa?” He asks, lifting a hand to trail it softly across my cheek, and I tremble a bit at his touch. It has been very long since a man touched me intimately, but with tenderness. “I think the reason you will not give me a chance to love you, is because you still haven’t let me in. Maybe if you trust me enough to tell me all you went through during the raid, there will be a chance for us to bond properly as mates.”His words frighten me in a way no words have ever frightened me. Before I know what is happening, Kelvin pulls me into his arms and begins kissing me. His mouth is hot, languorous, and stares old feelings within me – but I refuse to think of the past, here in this present moment. “Open for me Melissa,” he whispers against my mouth, massaging my jaw softly. “Trust me with your body.”I don’t want to. I have been broken once, and I cannot repeat that experience, and yet my mouth slips opens. I moan as his tongue slips into mine, to begin an erotica dance with my own tongue. Kelvin tastes of the woods, and some kind of heady wine, and something else – freedom. As his mouth ravishes mine, I do not feel worthless, I feel empowered by his love. I dare to believe I can be worth something, that I can be loved, cherished. “Oh Melissa, you don’t know how much I’ve waited to taste your lips, your skin, your flesh, every single inch of you.”I moan, trembling greatly as his hot and greedy mouth leaves mine, and begins a slow, torturous kissing trail down my throat, till he kisses and sucks on the delicate pulse at my throat. He groans, and it completely undoes me.“You’re so beautiful, and so fucking sweet, you taste like pure nectar.”I moan, feeling myself dripping wet for him already. Kelvin hardly swears, but when he does, I know it is because he feels something so strongly. I revel in his all consuming desire for me as his hand moves into my hair massaging it. His hand drifts to my bangs, brushing them slightly as his finger grazes the scar on my forehead. He freezes. “Melissa you are hurt! Your forehead! Why did you not let me heal it with my Alpha blood?”He sounds angry, concerned, but all I can think of is the past, ‘worthless,’ ‘murderer’, ‘I reject you…’ ‘They are dead…’I push him roughly away from me, and stumble backwards. “Don’t touch me!” I yell, aware that I am overreacting, but I can’t help it. Instead of Kelvin to be angry at my outburst, his face is a mixture of concern for me, and rage, but his rage is not directed at me. “Tell me who hurt you so much Melissa, that even after five years, your heart is still seared. Tell me who branded you, and I swear on my life, I will make them pay. For every single hurt you’ve suffered, I will times it by ten.”His words sounds eerily like the words from my past, only in the past, the anger had been directed at me. I shake my head. “You shouldn’t have distracted me; I would have been done with the vaccine by now.”Kelvin merely stares at me with an odd look of hurt and burning anger. He opens his mouth to speak again, it shuts it as we both watch the packs messenger approach. “The Alpha summons you – both of you,” he adds when only me starts packing to leave. Kelvin shoots me a look that says this conversation is not over but I ignore him as we both head to the pack palace, following in the messengers wake. “Tomorrow, this pack would hold a coronation ceremony for you Kelvin, as you take over as Alpha of the pack,” Alpha Mateo, Kelvin’s father says as we are brought in front of him. Kelvin seems mildly surprised. “I thought you would remain as Alpha for a few more years.”In Thamewood pack, it is common for an Alpha’s son to take over the throne while he is still alive, once the former Alpha is no more agile and fit, however I had expected Alpha Mateo to rule for a few more years, and apparently so had Kelvin. Alpha Mateo shook his head, he smiled for a moment, a faraway look on his face. “I have had a long run as Alpha, it’s time I stepped down. I have sent out the word already, tomorrow is your coronation as Alpha.” His eyes pinned me then, although he kept talking to Kelvin. “Once you are made Alpha of this pack, the people would demand a Luna. You two have at most one week to decide if you have a mate bond, and if you are ready to be Alpha and Luna.” He straightened. “That would be all.”We both turned to leave, but then his voice interrupted me. “Not you Melissa.”I turned around to face him, and he continued. “Your services have been requested, and I took the liberty of promising to send you over. You are undoubtedly the best healer in all of the surrounding packs, and you fame as spread far and wide.” He adjusted in his seat. “the Bloodmoon pack has also been affected by this ravaging out break, and Alpha Kayden Williams has requested your services, especially to see to his twin boys who have caught the virus …..”Alpha Mateo is still talking, but I don’t hear a single word he says. There is suddenly not enough air in the room, and I feel faint as I try to draw in enough air. Breathe, I command myself, but I can’t. His words echo in my head. ‘the Bloodmoon pack… Alpha Kayden… his twins!”“Melissa are you okay? Your face is completely white, and your breathing is audible,” Kelvin says from beside me, even Alpha Mateo looks concerned. “I’m fine,” I lie, as several emotions continue to hit me. Anxiety, apprehension, renewed anger, desire for revenge, and…. hope? Alpha Mateo had mentioned twins. What are the odds that Kayden had a second set of twins after I left? This can not be my twins, can they? I realize now, what I have failed to see all these years, Evelyn is a liar. It is very possible she had lied to me that night, five years ago. What if I am about to reunite with my twins? Desire and hope mingles with my need for vengeance. My expression must be quite a sight, judging from how Alpha Mateo is frowning at me. “Melissa ate you sure you’re okay? You don’t have to go to this pack if you don’t want to.”“But I want to,” I say with a cold, twisted smile. “I want to very much.”It is time I stop running from my past. I see this as the moon offering me a chance at getting the vengeance I so desperately crave, and even better, I may just be reunited with my children. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Kelvin watching me keenly, and I know he will hit me with a barrage of questions as soon as we step out.