LOGINMikhail
The door to the office opens after a soft knock on the door, and I immediately recognize the scent of my Beta, Alexei. Lifting my head, I look at the blurred figure of his frame.
"Alpha," he says, his tone serious. "We've received an invitation."
"Invitation?" I raise an eyebrow.
It is strange because nobody wants to invite me into their territory because of my reputation.
"Yes, for the Full Moon Ball at Redwood Pack." He places an envelope on my desk and pushes in my direction until it touches my fingertips. "It's from Alpha Gregor."
"What does he want from us this time?" I reach out and run my fingers over the envelope, feeling the embossed seal of the Redwood Pack. Gregor.
Alexei takes a seat in front of my desk before he speaks.
"From what I have gathered, he's inviting all the prominent packs. Probably to form alliances as there has been a rise in rogue attacks."
"Do you plan to attend, Alpha?" Alexei asks.
The idea of mingling with other Alphas doesn't appeal to me, but there is something about the Redwood pack that is intriguing, and even my wolf seems to agree with me.
"Yes," I finally say. "We will attend."
"Very well, I'll make the necessary arrangements." Alexei says, and after a moment, he adds, "Maybe this year you will find your mate."
"I already have Layla, and I don't need anyone else." Shaking my head, I interlock my fingers and place my hands on the table, "She is what I want."
"Mikhail, the true mate bond is irreplaceable." Running his fingers through his hair, he sighs, "No one takes her place in your life. You may feel Layla is good for you, but it is your true mate who has been created for you... she will be the someone who you need."
Alexei is not only my beta but also my friend. We have been together for as long as we can remember. He has been my only friend and someone whom I trust. We have seen so much together in our lives that there are hardly any secrets between us.
"I don't need anyone. I already have everything that I want: my pack, my people, and a she-wolf who will become the Luna of this pack and bear my pups. Soon after the Full Moon Ball, I will make an announcement about accepting Layla as the Luna."
"End of discussion." My voice comes out stern, with no room for further discussion when I feel he is about to say something.
"Very well, Alpha." I sense him bowing before he leaves the room.
I mindlink Layla to come inside my study.
Not even five minutes have passed when she walks inside the room.
"Alpha, what can I do for you?" I hear a smile in her voice. "Isn't it a bit too early to be frisky?" She teases as she settles down in the seat where Alexei has been sitting earlier.
After Alexei, Layla has been the one who has been with me for years. Alexei and Layla are two people who have been with me before I took over the Alpha position. In a way we have formed our own bond, but for some reason Alexei never liked Layla and has just been cordial with her because of me.
Layla is a strong and fertile shewolf in her prime with an Alpha and Beta blood. She is loyal to me and understands my need, and for me she is perfect to be my mate and to bear my offsprings.
My wolf lowly growls even though he agrees with me, but I know a part of him will never accept her because he is tuned to accept his true mate.
That's why I need to complete my mating bond with Layla before my so-called true mate appears before me if she exists. Because once it happens then my wolf will not accept any other shewolf as his mate other than her, and if I reject her before completing the mating bond then he will go insane.
"I am going to Redwood pack for the Full Moon Ball, I will be gone for four days, and in my absence I will leave you in-charge of the pack." Leaning back in my chair, I stare in her direction, even though I can't see properly but if I focus too hard I make out the outlines, "Alexei will be accompanying me so the pack will be your responsiblity."
"Isn't that your Luna's responsibility?" She laughs lightly.
"It is; that's why I am giving it to you." A smirk form on my lips, "After I return from the ball, I will announce you as my Luna and seal the mating bond with you."
"Mikhail." She walks around and sits on knees infront of me and keeps her hands on my knees, "I promise, I will never let you or this pack down. I will be the Luna that this pack deserves and I will be the mate that you want."
"I know that's why I have chose you." I run my hand through her hair, my actions similar to petting an animal, "You are aware of the consequences if you fail me, right?" Harshly grabbing her hair, I yank her head back.
I can feel her nodding her slightly while I smell her fear.
She knows I don't forgive mistakes and even she will not be spare of the consequences if she fails to fulfill her responsiblity.
"Good girl." Releasing my grip, I smooth her hair.
"Prepare the pack for my absence. Ensure everything runs smoothly, and if there are any issues, you know how to reach me."
"Of course, Alpha." Her voice trembles slightly, but she is quick to find her composure.
As she leaves, I feel a sense of satisfaction. My plans are falling into place, and soon, everything will be as it should be.
AuroraThe aura coming off Lucas is something I have never felt before.It presses into the space around him quietly, like the room itself has decided to lean away.There is something so dangerous about him... something you can't pinpoint at, yet you can feel it in your bones.The woman is still talking when he reaches them.She is halfway through another sentence, lips pursed with that familiar mix of pity and superiority, when she notices him. Her words die mid-breath. It is almost comical, the way her confidence evaporates. Her eyes flick to his face, then past him, as if searching for backup that does not exist.Lucas smiles.It is polite. Perfectly shaped. Empty.The kind of smile that makes your stomach drop before your mind catches up. There is no warmth in it, not even a trace. Just restraint sharpened to an edge.“The woman you are talking about,” he says, voice even and clear, “is my woman.”Every sound in the room thins out. Conversations stall. Someone behind me clears the
AuroraPeople start moving toward us almost immediately. It happens in waves, like someone opened a gate and now everyone feels permitted. Smiles, nods, hands extending. Congratulations offered in soft voices and louder ones. I catch fragments as they pass through me.You look beautiful together. Such a striking pair. He suits you. She suits you.I notice the way people look at Lucas first, then at me, then back at Lucas again as if confirming something they already decided. I am used to being looked at, assessed, weighed. Tonight feels different.I always tell myself that opinions do not matter. That I do not need validation from strangers or family friends or anyone who only sees fragments of me. Most days, that is true. Tonight, though, the words slip past my defenses. They land somewhere soft.It makes me feel like I belong here beside him. Like I earned this space without having to ask for it.Because Lucas is Lucas.I know how people see him. I see it every time he walks into
AuroraEach step he takes feels like something clicking into place. The room shifts around him. Conversations lose their rhythm. Glasses pause halfway to lips. Someone laughs too loud and then stops. I catch all of it because my mind does that thing where it notices too much at once. Lucas has that kind of presence that bends attention without trying. The kind that makes rooms rearrange themselves around him. It would take a miracle for him to walk in somewhere and not pull every gaze his way.Mine.The thought hits me fast and unapologetic. A tight, possessive warmth wraps around my chest, not painful, just insistent. I watch the way his shoulders move beneath his suit jacket, how his gaze stays forward even when he knows people are staring. He does not scan the room. He does not look impressed or curious. He walks like he already knows what is about to happen next, already sure of the next move... sure of himself.The Russells stiffen first. Mr. Russells shoulders draw back a touch,
AuroraThe music fades in a soft, polite way, like it knows it has done its job and should step aside now. Lucas loosens his hold first. Always him. Always controlled. He steps back just enough to remind the world where the line is, even if my body wants to pretend that line does not exist.Then he takes my hand.Not possessive. Not rushed. Just his fingers closing around mine, warm and familiar, and he lifts my hand between us. His lips brush my knuckles, light enough to feel like a secret meant only for me. The sensation spreads fast, heat unfurling through my chest, my arms, my mark responding with a quiet throb that makes me suck in a breath.I look at him, searching his face. His eyes are calm, unreadable to anyone else. To me, they say everything.He guides me off the dance floor, releasing my hand only when we reach the edge. For a moment I stand there, watching him walk away like he belongs here, like he has always belonged here. He joins a group of men near the far side of th
AuroraRestless does not even begin to cover it.I stand near one of the tall windows, fingers curled around the stem of a glass I have not touched in minutes, and something under my skin refuses to quiet down. My mark burns in a slow pulse, not painful, just insistent.It draws my attention again and again, a quiet tug that makes it hard to focus on anything else.I shift my weight, then shift again.Nothing helps.I do a quick scan of the room, the way I always do without thinking. Old money smiles, polished laughter, bodies angled just enough to show interest without revealing too much. I register who is watching whom, who leans in closer, who checks their phone when they think no one notices. It is automatic. A habit built from years of being told to observe before reacting.Still, the pulse does not stop.I do not know why it is happening, and that bothers me more than the sensation itself. I have questions lined up in my head, but no one to direct them at. My wolf side is restle
AuroraI stand in front of the mirror longer than necessary.Not because I am admiring myself. Not because I am nervous about the guests filling the house downstairs. It is because my eyes keep drifting to the same place, like they have a mind of their own.My neck.Just near my collarbone, faint but unmistakable, the mark rests there. It is not dramatic. Not loud. But it does not need to be. It says everything without saying anything at all. It is a claim, a promise, a truth written into my skin.Lucas.The thought of him softens something in me even while the anger still simmers under my ribs. That anger has not gone anywhere. It waits. It hums. It reminds me of the conversation in Dad’s study, of the Russells, of plans being made around me instead of with me.If it were up to me, I would walk out of this room with my shoulders bare. I would let everyone see exactly who I belong to. Let them read it and choke on it. Let Grandma clutch her pearls in quiet horror. Let the Russells und







