Chapter 2

Nathaniel’s POV 

Phoebe pulled her arm away quickly.

“I don’t know this Alec guy you’re talking about," she said, her voice steady.

I stared at her, unable to look away. There was something about her—her sharp eyes, the stubborn tilt of her chin, the way her voice stayed calm even though I could tell she was nervous. My wolf stirred inside me, growling softly in approval.

There was an undeniable pull between us.

I gulped and  asked, my voice low. “You felt it too, didn't you? We are mates.

Phoebe’s lips pressed into a thin line. “I know what I am,” she said, meeting my eyes. 

She looked away from me, rubbing her hand unconsciously.  I wanted to hold her hand and tell her to relax.

“It’s impossible for someone like me to be your Luna. I’m an outcast. I’m ready for your rejection.”

She said suddenly.

I didn’t see that coming. I did so much to get her to come to me, that's not what I wanted to hear. When I thought about all this because of Duncan, I started to get angry. But I'm one of the culprits.

I tried to calm myself down, but her scent filled my nose. All I want to do now is hold her in my arms. My wolf Kean was more excited than I was. 

He, growls louder, urging me to mark her, to claim her,

 “You’d better mark her soon. I can’t wait.”but I held back. “This was not the place nor was it that time for that.”

“Be patient,” I told my wolf and myself.

I didn’t realize how close I was to her until the scent of her hair hit me. It was soft, a mix of lavender and something sweet. My wolf practically purred in delight. I didn’t answer her directly. Instead, I said, “Despite what you think, this pack is more tolerant than you know. Why don’t you train with the others?”

Before she could reply, my sister, Elizabeth, walked in. She stopped in her tracks, her eyes narrowing as they landed on Phoebe.

Phoebe took the opportunity to step back.

“I have something to do,” she muttered before leaving.

Kean howled in disappointment as I watched her walk away.

“Who is that? Wo-oh, you brought a girl here. News. Am I interrupting something?” Elizabeth raised her eyebrows.

I didn’t answer her question. “What do you want today?” I asked, my eyes still fixed on the door Phoebe had just walked through.

Elizabeth followed my gaze and raised an eyebrow. “Let’s go to your study,” she said.

Once we were inside, she started talking about a popular author called Cela she was obsessed with. She pointed to the full set of the author’s books on my shelf.

“Cela is going to have a fan meeting soon,” she said excitedly. “I need to bring an out-of-print book for the meet and greet. Can I borrow one from your collection?”

I shook my head. “I can’t give you the book. But if you want an autograph, I can get one for you.”

 “Oh c'mon, Elizabeth pouted, crossing her arms but didn’t argue. After she left, I walked over to the bookshelf and took out the book she wanted. Inside, there was an old photo tucked between the pages.

The photo was burnt around the edges, but it was still clear enough to see the face of the girl in it—Phoebe. I had saved the photo from about two years ago where I led a search of Duncan's pack  immediately after the retreat. Someone had tried to destroy it, but I managed to get it repaired. There were still a few flaws, but it didn’t matter, she would be mine soon. 

A knock came at the door. One of my men stood there, looking uneasy.

“Nathan,” he called, “Phoebe’s cousin is bullying her again. He’s with a group of guys this time. Do you want me to send someone to help?”

Kean my wolf growled angrily. “See? You really need to do something about that guy” I knew Phoebe could handle this, But she never fought back. The thought of her standing there, taking the hits without defending herself, made my blood boil.

I slammed the book shut and stood. “I’ll handle it myself,” I said, storming past him.

When I arrived at the place, Phoebe’s cousin and his sidekicks were already gone. Phoebe was sitting on the ground, pretending to clean her wounds. I could see what she was doing—she was slowing her healing so no one would notice.

Even with her efforts, her arms were covered in bruises, and there was a cut on her cheek. 

I looked at her from a distance before running through the woods, locking onto the scent of those bastards. Soon, I found them. They were laughing, bragging about what they had just done, their arrogance making my wolf rage.

The moment they saw me, their smug expressions vanished.

“You think you’re tough, ganging up on someone who doesn’t fight back?” I growled, stepping closer. “Cowards.”

“Alpha, we—” one of them began, but I raised my hand to silence him.

“You don’t get to explain,” I said coldly. “You all stood by and let this happen.” My gaze locked on Phoebe’s cousin. “But you, you instigated this.”

Before anyone could react, I grabbed his arm and twisted it sharply. The crack of bones breaking was satisfying. He screamed, clutching his broken arm.

“This is your only warning,” I said. “And if anyone asks, you fell down the stairs. That’s all”

They all nodded frantically, their fear evident as they trembled. Without another word, I turned and walked away, my wolf Kean still snarling in my head.