Jaxon's POV"Understood,” Nathan says, “Well, I am ready to step down as Beta. I am grateful to you for saving us. This pack has withstood much abuse the past twenty years, I'm glad that son of a bitch is finally dead." He motions for us to follow, a nervous chuckle slipping past his lips, "I will summon the pack from their homes. We weren't sure if you would attempt to slaughter all of us or not."If Damon was still Alpha, we would've done exactly that. Good thing he's dead, and we're not continuing his cycle of tyranny.He must have mind-linked them because people start popping out of nowhere, baring their necks in respect as we walk past. All of them wear dirty, tattered clothing and masks of trepidation. I can't tell if they are still wary of us, or they just fear any high ranking wolves, knowing what we're capable of when we become corrupt assholes.Mel walks ahead of me with Nathaniel, but I swear I can feel the rage rolling off of her in waves. Seeing this is a hard reality to
Jaxon's POV"Very well. I see you're ready to join your mate," Mel says eerily calm. “Just get the children out of here first.""Get the fuck out of here. Now!" she growls, making the children scamper into the packhouse.Wow, she deserves to die just for that. Nathaniel orders the rest of the pack to stand down and not attack if Mel touches their Luna. Then, he lets her go and saunters beside me. Both of us stand folding our arms as we watch the event in front of us. Shadow is excited to see our mate in action. I share his excitement, and of course, I'm confident she will win, but also a little nervous about her getting injured again. This is a fight to the death, so neither will hold back."Are you okay?" I ask, noticing his arms beginning to heal."Yeah, just preparing to watch my Luna die,” he says, tensing up, “I can feel how powerful your mate is, she will be an amazing Luna."I smile proudly. "She will."We will both be more powerful once the mate bond is sealed, Shadow reminds
Jaxon's POVI turn to Nathaniel. "Are you interested in becoming Alpha of this pack? I would like to create an alliance with you instead of absorbing this territory, as ours is large enough as it is."His mouth parts in shock. "Wow, you're nothing like Alpha Damon was. I was expecting you to come wipe us out. I mean, it's not like we didn't deserve it.""We believe in giving second chances," Melanie adds.He nods, a ghost of a smile on his face. "Well, thank you both for giving me a second chance to right my wrongs. I will be the Alpha they deserve,” he promises.We spend a few more hours getting to know the rest of the pack and Alpha Nathaniel and I create a contract that says we are allies and if he betrays us, I will kill him. Mel and I plan to visit next month and check in on them. I hope to see a lot of good changes by then.The sun is setting by the time we start driving back to the packhouse. "Well that went pretty well," I say, grabbing Mel's hand and rubbing my thumb back and
Mel’s POVJaxon is not in bed when I wake up in the morning, but when I mind-link him, he just says he decided to begin patrol a little earlier today so he can complete any paperwork that needs to be done before the party.I actually sit down and eat breakfast today before heading to the training grounds. There are only two more weeks until camp is over. Everyone buzzes with excitement about the party tonight, so they're a bit distracted, but Charlotte and I manage to get them through the day's material.As the pack starts down the trail for our end of the day run, Ayla, Dusk, and Rubeus appear in their normal, obscured spot.Ayla is pressing her lips together, her face hardened with displeasure. She must have heard about us allowing Nathaniel to be Alpha of the IronClaw pack.Go ahead, I got it, Charlotte mind-links me, jogging in the direction of the recruits."You know Ayla, I do have a job to do here," I shout as I march over to them.Her cocked eyebrow infuriates me. I gesture to
Mel's POVRubeus meets my gaze for the first time in days. "You ready?" he demands curtly.I smirk. "Alright, but I have a party to go to tonight. Try not to break anything."We spend the next hour training hard. Rubeus is strong, but I don't do too bad against him. He pins me a few times, but I always hop back up and try again. By the time we're done, I'm covered in grass, dirt, and sweat.I'm going to have to hurry and wash up, or I'm going to be late to the party."Thank you, Rubeus," I smile, giving his hand a firm shake.His face remains emotionless. "No problem.""Why have you been acting so strange around me?" I ask, surprising even myself.I don't even know why I care so much, but I do.Guilt flashes on his face, but he quickly hides it. He leans down, placing a hand on my should as he gives me a serious, solemn look. "Just be careful, Melanie. Don't trust anyone. Things are not what they appear."With that, he disappears through a portal, leaving me to decipher his cryptic as
Mel's POVI spot Jaxon's car in the parking lot and park beside him. Walking into the building, my eyes widen in astonishment at the scene in front me. The dining hall has been completely transformed for the party. There's a DJ booth in the orchestra pit and a pop-up bar table on the platform where the higher ranks usually sit. The long table for the rest of the pack has been pushed further back to make the dance floor larger.The bass of the music thumps loudly in my ears. Vibrant lights move back and forth across the dance floor now crowded with wolves swaying and dancing in sync.I find Jaxon amongst the crowd busily chatting with a group of warriors. He's wearing dark jeans and a black button-down shirt with a black blazer over it. Both my heart and vagina flutter at the sight of him.Holy Goddess!My aura divides the crowd, making it easy to get to my mate. He greets me with a smile that doesn't quite meet his eyes."Looking rather slutty tonight," I say, checking him out.He smi
Mel's POV"Love in this Club" by Usher comes on next. I sway my hips to the beat, gazing intently at my mate. He watches me for a moment with amusement, but then turns his attention back to the guys talking to him.I growl, flaring my nostrils and stomping my feet like a frustrated toddler. This is not how I wanted tonight to go. This is our first night officially being public, and I want him to want to dance with me.After drinking another cocktail, I approach one of warriors I recognize. I think his name is Cameron or something like that. "Wanna dance?" I ask, reaching for his hand.He chuckles nervously, running his hands through his hair, "not if I want to live to see tomorrow."He looks around like Jaxon will appear out of anywhere, but he won't. Not until I finally do something naughty enough to gain his attention.I bat my lashes at him. "Oh c'mon, Alpha won't mind."His friend nudges his shoulder. "Don't do it, it's a trap," he warns.Suddenly, a strong arm wraps around my wai
Mel's POVfind Jaxon in front of the sink splashing water on his face. When he senses me, his silver eyes snap to me in the mirror's reflection. "Mate,” he growls in his wolf’s voice.His eyes flash green and silver as he battles for control. "Get out of here, Mel."This time it’s Jaxon speaking."Jaxon, what's going on?" I demand, "you were gone before I woke up this morning. You didn't want to ride with me here. Then, you finger me out there, which was fucking hot by the way, but now you're in the bathroom hiding from me.""Get. Out."He uses his Alpha tone this time, demanding obedience. Instead, I take a step closer to him. A wave of pain from defying his order crashes into me, but I still refuse to leave."Stop pushing me away. I'm not going anywhere," I demand through clenched teeth.He turns around to look at me, his wolf's eyes glowing in the dimmed bathroom.Our mate needs to mark us, Nina answers, they're in incredible pain having to hold back this long. My eyes widen. What?
Mel's POV"He's beautiful, Luna.""He's going to grow up to be such a powerful Alpha."I force a smile, responding almost robotically to their comments and congratulations. I can't shake the feeling that someone's here that shouldn't be, but I'm not picking up any dark energy.When the line finally ends, Jaxon goes to mingle with the other Alphas. Since Zion is safely sleeping in the bassinet, I decide to walk around the building searching for the source of my anxiety. As I grab a flask of sparkling cider from one of the Omegas, I hear a familiar voice behind me. "Luna Melanie, it's nice to see you again," he rumbles, snapping me from my thoughts. It's Alpha Raeden with his mate at his side. "This is my Luna, Caroline."I smile warmly at her. "It's a pleasure to meet you.""Likewise. Your son is so beautiful, I'm still hoping that one day we'll be able to have a baby.""Thank you, and I hope you can too!"Raeden's eyes hold a quiet sadness, a reflection of the pain he must have felt w
Mel’s POVToday is Zion's grand debut with the pack. I dress him up in the most adorable little black suit and hand him over to Jaxon so I can get myself ready.The first few weeks of his life have been hectic, but I have enjoyed every second of it. When Jaxon and Ameer are busy with pack business, Bliss comes with us every time we leave the house. I don't mind the extra protection, plus I get to hang out with my best friend all the time.As I put on my dress and minimal makeup, my eyes are fixed on Jaxon cradling our son. The look of pride on his face is undeniable as he lovingly bounces him up and down, creating a gentle rhythm.I wish Damon would have ever looked at me that way, but I'm so grateful that Zion has a daddy that loves him unconditionally.Our son's adorable coos echo in the air and he has his tiny hand wrapped around Jaxon's finger. His smile widens, "that's right, Son. You're going to meet your pack and a few of our allies today," he says softly, "well, right after we
Mel's POVJudging by his erection, I assume he's excited about this confrontation. Maybe this was intentional, like he wanted to lure us out.There's a smug grin on his face as he gets closer, his yellow eyes twinkling with amusement."Take one more step and I won't hesitate to kill you," I warn callously. Nina flashes in my eyes, but that doesn't seem to deter him.He roars with laughter. "Aww, what are you going to do? I bet you can't even fight your own battles, huh Princess? Got those two men to be your body guards while you pretend to be the big bitch in charge?" he taunts.He couldn't be more wrong. Unlike Ayla, I can fight my own battles. They're just here for backup. But I don't need to prove shit to him.The other rogues are all gathered silently watching the show. They obviously don't want to get involved, or simply not stupid enough to do so.The rogues' leader narrows his brown eyes in recognition."Wait, aren't you that bitch that killed Alpha Kellan? When Alpha Magnus to
Mel’s POV"Jaxon, no fair! You know I'm carrying around a big-ass watermelon!" I growl, missing the volleyball for the twentieth time as he spikes it with all his strength.Ava bursts out laughing. "We win again!" She gives her brother a high five before running over to the ice chest and grabbing a juice box.Jaxon has a huge, cocky grin on his face as he makes his way over to me. "Sorry baby girl, you told not to take it easy on you unless I don't want to touch you for the rest of your pregnancy." He leans down to my ear. "Two months without that beautiful, tight pussy would kill me."I shudder at his words, pleasurable shivers going up my spine. His grin widens at the smell of my arousal. "Although, I'm sure you would've given in before the day was over."I scoff. "No, I wouldn't have."He raises his hands in surrender and takes a step back. "I won't be stupid enough to argue with my gorgeous, pregnant Luna."I shoot him a scowl but can't resist taking his hand as we walk along the
Jaxon's POVI shift and take off into the woods, ensuring that she's right behind me. Once we reach the packhouse, we quickly change into our evening attire and head to the dining hall to join our pack. It Looks like everyone is having a great time!Melanie kisses me passionately before heading off to find her sister and socialize with the rest of the pack. I grab a beer from the bar and sit at our table, watching my amazing mate surrounded by our pack with admiration.I can sense the incredible joy and pride radiating from her. Being embraced by a pack that used to treat her poorly means the world to her. They now accept her as the fierce, determined firecracker she is.Our Luna is perfect, Shadow purrs.She always has been and always will be.Ameer sits down beside me. "Y'all were gone for a while. I was about to send a search party out," he teases, throwing back a shot of whisky."I'd prefer my warriors not be traumatized like that," I chuckle lightly. Although, I'm sure everyone w
Jaxon's POVMy tongue plunges into her mouth, swallowing every whimper, moan, and cry as I pound into her mercilessly. The sound of our bodies clashing together echoes throughout the cave and it's hot as fuck. With one hand tightly gripping her waist, I close my other around her throat. I pull away from her mouth and slow down my pace to look at her. "I'm so proud of you," I breathe, "you're so amazing in every way and I'm grateful for every day that I get to call you mine."I can see the emotion in her eyes, and I know my words have touched her deeply. After what happened with Ayla, I know her heart was bruised from being used by someone she cared about and looked up to. But she knows my praise is genuine and out of love. She's everything to me, and I'll forever prove to her just how much she means to me.I don't know if she realizes it or not, but she's my saving Grace. She saved me from being a monster like her father. She saved me from the letting the darkness of losing both him a
Jaxon's POVI follow the lingering scent, leading me into a dark cave. My eyes quickly adjust to the lack of light, and I can practically feel the heat rolling off my mate from the other end of the cave. With my head hanging low and teeth bared, I close in on her like a predator about to pounce on its prey. Her eyes dart around, searching for an escape, but she quickly realizes there's no way out. As we both shift, I close the gap between us. She kneels, gazing up at me in the dark. A smirk forms on my face as I say, "Looks like you lost, baby girl. Better luck next time."Her eyes trail down my body until she reaches my throbbing erection. "Pity. Thought I could've gotten you a little more worked up first." Her tongue darts out to lick her lips. "Are you going to breed me, my dear Alpha?"My dick jumps at the idea. She'll grow a big, round belly with our pup, but she won't be in the kitchen. My fiery girl will be on the battlefield.I close my eyes, savoring her intoxicating scent. H
Jaxon’s POVIt's been three days since peace was restored in our world. We've got eleven packs without Alphas, but with Mel's help, Dusk and Rubeus are finding worthy replacements to preserve the peace we fought so hard for. Not only has she proven her worth to the pack, but she eliminated the most corrupt Alphas there were and prevented Ayla from literally taking over the world.Goddess, I can't even describe how thrilled I am that the bitch is dead. The moment she stabbed Melanie, she signed her ticket straight to hell. I'm grateful to both Dusk and Rubeus for being able to see past her bullshit and save me. They had me worried for a minute, but they came through in the end.Today is my mate's big day. She's combining her Luna ceremony and the recruits' graduation ceremony, and tonight we're having a huge feast to celebrate.After the recruits swear their loyalty to me and the safety of the pack, Melanie sinks into the water beside me. The thin material of her white dress hardly con
Mel's POV"B-But how?" Ayla stammers, still in shock."In a dream, the Moon Goddess granted me the Eternalbane dagger,” Dusk explains. “I never expected to use it, but she revealed the growing darkness within your heart. I was too blinded by love to believe it. It wasn't until Jaxon uncovered your role in my mate's death and you erased his memories, I knew that it was time. I would never let you do to Melanie what you did to me!"My mouth drops open. When did she erase Jaxon's memories, and how did I not notice?He quickly helps Rubeus to his feet. "You okay?"He winces, watching Ayla whither on the ground in agony. "I'll be fine. I thought she couldn't die?""The dagger only ended her immortality. Melanie will be the one to finish her off." There's a murderous intensity on his face as he hands me the blade. "Kill her and make it painful."Jaxon's fingers press against my waist, a gentle squeeze before he reluctantly releases his hold. "I can't argue with that," he mumbles.I draw clo