Raya's POV"What have you been up to today?" Cruz asked, breaking the silence as I sat on the small leather loveseat in his office. I remained silent, refusing to look at his face or utter a single word to him. It had been three weeks since he declared me his chosen mate. Every evening, he had me come in to talk and supposedly get to know each other better. During the first week, I pleaded with him to reconsider. The following week, I begged him to at least allow Garret or Amaya to touch me. He reluctantly agreed to Amaya, but that was the extent of it. This week, I decided that if my words and opinions meant nothing to him, then I would no longer grace him with my voice."Raya, you can't just keep ignoring me. The moon festival is tomorrow, and if I don't find my mate, you'll be marked as mine at the end of the night. Please, I want you to be comfortable with the idea. The mark will help, but I would like to know that at least some small part of you is okay with this," he pleaded, re
Raya's POV The pack house buzzed with activity, teeming with new faces that had flooded the entire pack lands. Tents were set up outside, lanterns hung, and fire pits were prepared for tonight's festivities. It was all hands on deck, all hands but mine. I was to stay by Cruz's side while the others worked.Amaya was off making her own preparations for the night. She had mentioned that during the festival she could harness the moon's power to perform divinations. So, currently she's gathering her stones and setting up her area. She asked me to pry myself away from Cruz and get a reading at some point. "Tonight's the best night for it, Raya," she'd told me before she left my side. Garret, on the other hand, was ordered to check on security. I was surprised to learn that he was in charge of keeping the other wolves of the pack disciplined. It was hard to imagine him in such a serious role, especially when he himself is so playful. However, according to Amaya, Garret excelled at keeping
Dane's POVIn just five minutes, the Sunfire Pack would arrive, carrying our last glimmer of hope for my best friend's search for his true mate. Throughout the entire month, I've been grappling with anger, irritation, depression, and fear ever since Cruz announced his choice of Raya as his mate.Under no circumstances would I allow him to mark Raya. Lucian and I made a pact that if we couldn't rescue her in time, we would do the one thing we swore we wouldn't do: challenge Cruz for the position of Alpha. I couldn't bear the thought of Raya being marked by him. The mere image of them together, in his room, on his bed, overwhelmed me. Every time I imagined it, I had to go for a run to prevent myself from attacking anyone and everyone.To make matters worse, Cruz had forbidden anyone from touching her. This made it even more difficult for me to control my anger, so I started avoiding her to avoid losing control. However, I would always end my day with her by the river. That moment was th
Raya's POV "I've missed being able to hug you without it causing pain," Garret expressed as he held me tightly, his head resting atop mine. "Seems like I wasn't the only one." "You're lucky I'm in such a good mood right now, or I would have given you a smack," I retorted. He chuckled at my response before continuing, "Trust me, I can tell you're more than just happy. You're turned the fuck on." A blush spread across my face at his comment, and I couldn't help but slap his chest, frustrated that he could sense my emotions so easily. "Am not," I lied, only to have him chuckle and lean down to whisper in my ear. "Then why are your nipples so hard?" I felt a mix of embarrassment and arousal flood through me. "Shut up, no they're not," I protested, attempting to shield them with my arms. However, Garret held me firmly against him, refusing to let me hide. "They totally are, but I'll make sure they're concealed until they're back to normal. Can't have these wolves ogling you like th
Dane’s POV "You can't let them take her!" I snapped at Cruz, who seemed to be actually considering their offer. "You were the one who told her she was not allowed to leave!" "They offered us the best silver armor for our whole pack. I'd be an idiot not to consider it," he snapped back. "I'm your Alpha, not your friend right now. Don't get it confused, Dane. Don't question my decisions, or else," he growled, but I wasn't having it. In the past, I would have listened, not because he intimidated me, but because I respected him enough to follow him. Lately, however, I had been losing that respect, which meant I would not tuck my tail and blindly obey. "You can't let that Alpha be her mate. You said it yourself, whoever mates with her will be stronger for it as she is Goddess blessed. Is that really what you want? For the Alpha of the Silvercrest Pack to be stronger than us?" I argued, trying to make him see that allowing this to happen would be a mistake. "I know that. That's the only
Raya's POV His question was one I was not expecting. Certainly I had hoped for it, but with Garret's words in my mind I was weary. Could I live with the fact that perhaps one day Dane would leave me for his true mate if he ever found her? As Garret's words echoed in my mind, thoughts of Orion and Selene's legendary love also flooded my thoughts. They had only one precious year together, but they made every moment count. Their love was profound and everlasting, and I couldn't help but wonder if Dane and I could have the same kind of love. Perhaps we could seize the time we have together and create something extraordinary. Who knows? Maybe his true mate will never appear. Is it wrong of me to think that? To wish that? "Do you really want me as your chosen mate?" I asked, needing to confirm what I had heard. "Yes, Raya. I want you, and only you. I've never felt such a strong connection, such an irresistible pull towards a woman before. You are what I desire for most," he responded,
Raya's POV Roman stood, blocking my path to the pack house. He was still a good distance away, but I learned from last time that he could close that space in an instant. I froze as I stared at him, wondering what to do. Dane wasn't here to save me this time, and it seemed that most everyone was engaged in a battle of their own. My eyes frantically searched the area for anything I could use to fight him off with. I knew it would be useless as he'd just overpower me, but it didn't mean I wasn't going to try. Just a few feet ahead of me was a fire pit with a thick stick poking out of it. I would grab that and burn him to death if needed. Vampires can burn, right? "How are you here?" I stupidly asked, feeling that immense fear growing inside me. "Don't worry about that, kitten. Just know I'm here for the taste I’m due." He smirked, inching closer. I looked at Amaya in hopes she could help, but she was still busy fighting the warlock. He had all her attention as she struggled to bo
Dane’s POV Leaving Raya behind was difficult, but Garret's advice was sound. If I didn't leave now, I risked not making it in time. I had to find out if the spot Amaya marked on her map was truly my birthplace. Before fully entering the woods, I stole one last glance at her beautiful face, then shifted with Lucian. The rush of cold wind against our hot fur was exhilarating, and with the moon on my side, I felt unstoppable. For a terrifying moment, I caught a whiff of the unmistakable scent of death, the kind only vampires carry. But just as quickly as it came, it vanished. Without time to investigate, I pressed on, knowing the wolves on patrol would handle any rogue vampires daring to approach our pack lands. As I ran towards my destination, the woods grew less dense until I reached a spacious clearing. It wasn't large enough to be considered pack lands, but it could accommodate a decent-sized house. As I approached the spot Amaya directed me to, I noticed the clearing led to a stee