05| SAFFRON.

I am still grappling with the enchantment cast by my cursed mate, as I strive to stand tall and unleash my full potential. 

She commands us to halt, and we obey as if she were our Alpha, our superior.

Never have I beheld a male surrender to his mate without bearing the mark of two souls being one.

The mere thought of Blaze and I being mated to the daughter of our arch-nemesis is beyond my wildest imagination. 

Surely, the Moon Goddess cannot expect us to accept the destiny she has woven for us.

Not only that, but the thought of sharing my mate with my best friend and future Alpha does not sit well with me as a burning, possessive sensation slivers up my bare spine.

“So, she is your mate too?” Blaze snarls with a menacing tone as he locks eyes with me as if it were fated to happen upon me capturing the sight of her for the very first time. “If the thought of you touching her sends violent visions of me ripping your throat out with my bare hands is... reassuring, then yes. My inner wolf is howling out to her as he craves her sweet scent more than his next breath.”

“If that is the case, then we must learn to accept our fate as three. The Moon Goddess gifted us with a mate and granted us one last chance to try to save our pack. We will accept her wishes and abide by the laws.”

“She is a witch,” I growl with distaste, unfazed by Blaze’s words of wisdom and acceptance.

Truth be told, I am nothing like Blaze. I am all the evil that he does not possess, and he is all the good that refuses to enlighten me.

Perchance, the Moon Goddess bonded us for a reason, for we are a perfect match, and our combined traits are unyielding.

“Speak of her in such a manner again, brother… and I will have your heart.” Blaze snarls in a tone that makes me shiver with goosebumps.

Blaze is my future Alpha and if he were to attack me, I would make no attempt to defend myself.

Not only because he is my future Alpha, but he is the closest shifter I’ve had to a brother, and our bond is something that I cherish dearly.

“Please… just let me go, and we can pretend that this,” my naive mate waves her hand back and forth between the three of us, “never happened.” Her voice is filled with disarray, trepidation, and alarm, which creates a very potent scent that can be deadly under a Blood Moon.

“Luna,” Blaze says her name like a prayer.

Luna. A perfect name for such a fitting woman, if she wasn’t a filthy witch with an evil mother.

“You have to release us and try to contain your emotions.” Blaze continues to plead with her in a gentle voice, which surprises the hell out of me.

Who knew my best mate, who is a beast on the battlefield can conjure such a soothing tone?

She slants a quizzical look toward us, “Release you? I… I-”

“You ordered that we stop coming any closer to you, and our inner wolves submitted to your demands.” I let out a fierce growl, channelling the power of my wolf to lift me from the ground. 

But my efforts are in vain, as the ground beneath me seems to have a life of its own, pulling me deeper into its icy grip like a hungry beast.

The mystical hazel green shade of her irises transforms into enchanting swirls of purple and silver as she tilts her head back and gazes up at the radiant moon. 

Her hair, as dark as the night sky, is adorned with shimmering silver strands that dance and twirl in the midst of a powerful gust of wind.

Her ethereal beauty is amplified under the crimson glow of the enchanted moon, and the very fabric of time seems to bend to her will as we bow in awe. 

 She gradually lowers her head, locking eyes with us as a mystical purple aura envelops her. 

There is no denying that Luna is a mystical creature, her beauty, and power captivating me. 

A yearning swells within me to bridge the gap between us and to declare her as my destined mate under the moonlight. 

Visions of an enchanting melody made up from her ecstatic moans casts a spell on my senses, bewitching every rational thought in my being like a curse.

My wolf claws at my heart, trying to tear through the layers of skin on my chest just to get to her. “MATE…” I hiss possessively, turning my head to the side as I glare at Blaze, matching his sentiments.

His broad shoulders heave with emotion as he struggles to break his gaze from her enchanting presence. For ages untold, Blaze has yearned for but one true purpose in his being—to discover his destined mate. 

Now that he has discovered her, I am certain that he will never release her from his grasp.

How do I know this?

Because I can feel his emotions permeating the surrounding air, being carried away by the wind as he stakes his claim on our Luna.

Luna’s eyes quickly grow wide with alarm as something behind us catches her attention. The soft snarling grows louder as footsteps approach us in a calculating manner.

“City wolves.” Blaze snarls viciously as his voice enters my head – his gaze still pinned on Luna.

“Wo…wolves,” Luna whispers in a shaky voice, pointing behind us.

Unexpectedly, the weight anchoring us lifts and I can finely suck in enough air to fill my lungs.

“Do you trust us?” Blaze says quietly, rising to his full height.

Frantically shaking her head, “No,” Luna spits out with her gaze trained on the wolves behind us.

I discreetly turn my head to the side, listening as I use my wolf senses and pick up on how many wolves and how close they are to us.

“Four wolves, grown males… About thirty feet behind us… Territorial wolves… All Omegas…” I inform Blaze through our mind link, keeping my cool as I activate my Serpent shield.

“I can sense you lying, peach,” Blaze whispers with one side of his mouth curling upward into a cynical smirk. “You can sense our emotions now that we are linked. You also know that we will lay our lives on the line to save you, and no harm will ever come to you.”

Her pink tongue darts out of her mouth as she sweeps it over the bow of her top lip, and she nods her head.

“When I say now, run to your car and drive away,” Blaze instructs as he widens his stance, preparing himself for battle.

“I’m sorry,” Luna squeaks on the verge of tears, and I snarl with a sense of rage consuming me.

 “They are circling us, Blaze,” I warn him through our mind link, curling my hands into fists of fury on the ground as I remain in a crouching stance.

“NOW!” Blaze roars.

Luna pushes off the ground with her left foot, and she makes a run for it to her car, as fast as her legs will allow her.

A spine-chilling howl echoes through the misty atmosphere as four ominous wolves dart toward Blaze and me. 

With a sudden burst of energy, I soar through the air, executing a perfect backflip before shifting into my wolf form. 

A haunting howl escapes my lips, echoing through the night.

As I gracefully touch the ground, I sense a ghostly presence and catch a fleeting glimpse of Luna's car disappearing into the night with an otherworldly howl.

Blaze hasn’t bothered to shift into his wolf. He likes to stay in his human form and dish out a good-ass whooping before he shifts. 

He also likes how fluid he can duck and weave out of the way when a wolf lunges at him in his human form.

As a supernatural being, I enjoy the art of shifting. I relish the sensation of transforming into my wolf form as if it were my true nature. 

My senses become keener and my instincts sharper, allowing me to navigate the world with ease.

A mighty wolf, with fur as dark as the night sky, pounces towards me with its razor-sharp claws extended. 

With lightning-fast reflexes, I dodge its attack as it narrowly misses my face. 

As the wolf's paws touch the ground with a resounding thud, I shift into my true form, a fierce wolf, and pounce at him with all my might. 

My razor-sharp teeth sink deep into his thick fur, piercing his neck with an angry bite.

After extracting my fangs from his neck and injecting a potent dose of venom into his veins. 

I observe as the wolf whimpers and stumbles on his paws for a moment before collapsing onto the ground like a worthless sack of fur.