"You?" Selene looks at Jackson in surprise, who currently occupies her entire frontal view. Her brow furrows, and for a few seconds, she seems incredulous about what is happening. Saya is also watching attentively from Selene's eyes, but when Connor slowly arrives at her position and stands in front of his cousin, her heart races like never before.
"Mate!" Saya chirps inside her mind, almost surfacing, but Selene doesn't give her space. The young woman opens her mouth but fails to say anything at all.
Connor looks directly into her eyes, and from his expression, he seems as confused as she is. When he tries to take a step towards her, Selene transforms and runs towards the path, quickly disappearing into the dense forest. Connor makes a move to transform as well to follow her, but a hand on his shoulder stops him.
"Give her some space," Ethan says, looking sternly at what he now knows is his sister's destined mate. He felt it when Connor passed by him a moment ago to reach her. He had imagined this could happen and didn't hesitate to follow him to prevent any mishap between them.
By the time Connor and Sorem calm down a bit, there are already several people around them, including Katrina and Uriel. The alpha of the Alba Noctis pack glances at her father, and he gives her a brief nod. Some things she had heard from her father's mouth a few months ago now start to make complete sense. That's why she had insisted so much on inviting him, even though he had declined her invitation on other occasions.
"She and I..." Connor doesn't manage to finish his sentence due to the turmoil in his chest. Sorem is restless, and this escape from their mate is not a good sign for them. Is she rejecting them?
"I'll go talk to her," Ethan adds. "She needs some time to process this."
"Time to process? There's nothing to process. She's our mate," Sorem complains in Connor's mind.
Ethan walks away and transforms before entering the forest to follow her. Connor remains fixed on that spot for longer than he's aware of.
"Let's go to my office to talk more calmly, Alpha Connor," Katrina's sweet voice interrupts Connor's troubled mind. He turns to look at her and nods before following her.
"Stay vigilant. If you can approach and make sure she's okay, do it," Connor instructs his beta and cousin, Jackson, through the mental link.
"I will, Alpha," Jackson confirms and joins a group of young wolves heading towards the forest.
Katrina and Connor head to the spacious office. She offers him a drink, and to her surprise, he refuses. It's a good sign that he doesn't like alcohol.
"You can take a seat, Alpha Connor," Katrina indicates to Connor before taking her own place. "As you may have noticed, Selene is our daughter with Ragnar. It's a great surprise to me that the goddess has predestined them."
"Selené? Our mate's name is Selené, like the Moon goddess," Sorem exclaims excitedly.
"So her name is Selené?" Connor seems lost in thought as he asks. When they met three days ago, she hadn't been indifferent to him or Sorem, and now he understands why. Even when she was in his lap and clung to his waist all that time, their bodies seemed to have recognized each other more than they themselves could understand.
A brief smile appears on his face as he remembers how she had called him "Mr. Carrot" and the urge he felt to spank her at that moment to teach her respect.
"Yes, she's our eldest daughter, twin of my son, Alpha Ethan. As you may have noticed, she's a bit confused and..."
"Confused? Why would she be? I'm her mate, end of story. There's not much to comprehend."
"Well..." Katrina clears her throat before continuing. "They haven't fully accepted each other yet. So technically, she's not your mate yet, even though the Moon has destined her to you," This makes Sorem growl. "You can still reject each other if you want to sever the bond or..."
"Why would I do such a thing?" Connor stands up angrily from his chair and walks to the window. His eyes start to shine, and the hairs on his hands grow. He knows Sorem is on edge, but he doesn't want to cause any problems with his mate's mother and in his own pack. He takes a deep breath and tries to focus on what's really important now.
"I'm not saying you should, Alpha Connor, but my daughter, well... she's quite a challenging young woman at times, and it might take a little effort to convince her."
A smile creeps onto Connor's face, which Katrina doesn't see because he's facing away.
"I know," he responds, causing intrigue in Katrina and approaching her again. Do they already know each other? That's technically impossible due to the distance between both packs, and Connor had never attended their mate-matching parties until now. "I'll let her come to terms with it tonight as Alpha Ethan requested, but my beta will be nearby to make sure she's okay in the meantime, if that's alright with you, of course."
Katrina nods.
"I request an audience with you and your husband tomorrow before lunch to officially claim her," Connor adds, and Katrina agrees. "We must leave for Redwood Wolves by tomorrow night at the latest."
Connor heads for the exit, leaving Katrina somewhat worried about what might happen tomorrow. Connor Blazeheart is an Alpha, and no one can stop him from claiming his mate if that's what he has decided, but will Selene accept it?
"Wake up, little rebel sister," Rouse pulls the tangled blanket off Selene's body before going to open the curtains in her room, a threatening growl is Selene's response when the sun hits her face. "They're waiting for you in the office. Come on, hurry up, it's the third time I've been sent to fetch you.""Leave me alone, Rouse! I'm sleepy," she complains, covering her face with a pillow. "Tell them I'm not going. It's barely dawn.""No, Selene. I won't leave you alone because Dad said he would come for you if you didn't come down in the next fifteen minutes. Besides, it's already noon.""Dad's back already?" Selene sits up abruptly, rubbing her eyes and yawning."Yes, he arrived early this morning. Alpha Connor and his beta have been meeting with him for two hours now.""I'm not going. I don't care what they have to tell me, I've already decided, they're not going to change my mind."Selene lies back down, and Rouse sighs at her sister's words. No matter what they've told her, she's
Selene's gut clenches, and her hands start sweating. Mr. Carrot stands up and looks into her eyes, making her feel extremely drawn to his gaze, to his scent, and wanting to feel that warmth again that emanated from his body when he held her the other day. What will she feel when he holds her again? It's likely that when that happens, they'll be alone, and that idea scares her a bit, although she doesn't entirely dislike it.As if something were pulling her, she takes a step toward him, and Connor smiles slightly. He can see it in her eyes; she's feeling the bond as strongly as he does. Too bad they're in front of so many people, or he would have taken her in his arms, just like at the clinic.Selene takes another step and another, and to Connor's surprise, when she reaches him, she walks past him and goes to Ragnar, her father."Father, I didn't know you were back already," she says as she approaches and gives him a lingering kiss on the cheek."I arrived in the early hours, princess,
“Let’s get this straight, Mr. Carrot, I…”“Connor,” the alpha growls, interrupting and pulling her back onto his lap.“Whatever. I’ll go with you… Connor, because I have no other choice since my family signed that alpha agreement with you, but that doesn’t mean you can mark me or mate with me against my will.” Connor frowns at her words.“We can come to an agreement regarding mating, but as for the marking, I don’t think…”“You don’t think anything,” Selene tries to get up again, but Connor wraps both arms around her waist, holding her in place. “You will not force me; I won’t allow it. I do not agree with this bond, and I’ve told you already. No forced marking and no forced mating.”“And how long do you think you can resist?” Connor brushes some strands of hair from her face before running his fingertip along the tip of her nose. Selene’s lower abdomen tightens, and Connor can sense her turmoil. The hair on her arms stands on end, and she mentally curses herself for being so weak at
Selene sits on the couch while Connor takes a shower before their trip. They are already at the hotel, and Jackson has picked up Connor's belongings. They are only waiting for him to be ready so they can leave for North America.Just as she gets up to look out the window, the imposing figure of Connor emerges from the bathroom, filling her view as he dries his mouth. He's wearing only a towel around his waist, revealing almost his entire body—well-defined muscles, creamy skin, and the chest hair that forms a trail disappearing into his V-line. Yes, for a few seconds, she wants to reach out and trace that trail with her finger to the limit.He walks past her, and she can’t help but turn to look at him. Her cousin was right; Connor is definitely the wet dream of quite a few girls, and that will end up being a problem.“If you don’t close your mouth, you’ll drool on the floor,” Connor teases with a mischievous smile. Even he is surprised at himself for joking and playing with her, as it’
Jackson clears his throat, catching Connor's attention. He instantly lowers Inés to the ground, realizing what had happened."Sorry..." says the young woman, looking down as she notices the conflicted look on the alpha's face due to the fleeting kiss she gave him. The truth is, she isn't sorry at all. The days that Connor was away were the worst of her life, and she missed him terribly."Brother, welcome back," Clarisse and Carla, Connor's mother, come out of the house to greet him as well. Both seem quite pleased that he has returned. "How was your trip? Did you have fun?""Sister, mother," Connor hugs and kisses each of them. "The Amazon is beautiful. I will definitely go back there often.""We're so glad you're back, son. You must be very tired. Come, I'll have a warm bath and a sumptuous breakfast prepared for you before you can rest."Carla winks at Inés, and she knows what it means. Both take Connor by the arm to lead him toward the door, but he evades them before reaching out h
Saya growls in Selene's chest and unsheathes her claws at her mate's display of affection. Connor anticipates what's coming and grabs Selene's wrists, managing to restrain her fury. The alpha knows his mate is upset about what happened earlier, but he's determined to show her that it was just a misunderstanding and not what she's thinking.Slowly, he enters the room with her and closes the door with his foot. Selene is trembling, trapped in his huge arms, like a small wild animal wanting to be set free to cause chaos."That young woman..." she growls, but Connor interrupts her with a loud kiss on her cheek."Why...?" she tries to say again, but is once more interrupted by a kiss, this time longer and louder than the last."Damn you..." she pants as her mate turns her around and leaves a soft kiss on her lips, leaving her dazed for a few seconds.She takes a moment to process what just happened, and the fact that she is now completely at his mercy makes her even angrier. How dare he ki
"Alpha, you should come see this, it's urgent." Jackson's voice mentally interrupts the meeting Connor had planned in his office with Inés and his mother, who are about to arrive."Can't it wait? I need to resolve some matters here with my mother," he responds immediately."Maybe you should come see this before anything else. I'm in the parking lot," Jackson cuts the link with Connor, and he sighs before getting up from his seat."When Inés or my mother arrive, have them wait," Connor instructs Beltrán, who acts as his secretary when he's in the office to handle pack matters. "They must not leave. We need to clear everything up before lunch.""It will be done, Alpha."Connor heads to the parking lot. He has no idea what could be so important and urgent that Jackson needs to show him, given all the matters he needs to handle right now. Work has piled up due to his trip to the Amazon, and if he doesn't catch up, it will be worse.He reaches the parking lot, and Jackson greets him with a
Selene takes a few steps back and looks at her work with a huge smile. "We did very well," Saya says in her mind, and she agrees. It was hard work, but she finally managed to arrange her things just the way she likes.She does a 180-degree turn and observes everything with great pleasure. Her dresses next to Connor's suits, her home clothes next to his, her sleepwear and underwear sharing half the same drawer as Connor's, and even their shoes."I can't wait for Mrs. Carla to see this," Selene starts to laugh, imagining her face."She'll probably have a fit. I hope our mate doesn't get angry," Saya responds, watching closely through her eyes."He said I could change whatever I wanted, and that's what I did. These colors even match," Selene jokes, looking at the pastel blue tones of her clothes next to Connor's browns. It's true that their styles are completely opposite, as different as water and oil, but they don't have to agree on everything, do they?All this work made her very thir
The alpha watches Selene and knows something is wrong with her. Her hair moves in the same spiraling motion it once did when she was very angry in her room, and a whitish aura emerges from her body. Something is about to happen, and the sharp gasp from Alexia at his right confirms it. His gamma can feel every one of her emotions. Suddenly, Selene opens her eyes, and although she says nothing, Connor senses that she’s trying to warn him, so he speaks to all his members present through the link. “Everyone. Down. Now!”Immediately after that, a strange but powerful explosion knocks everyone down; a hellish noise, a blinding light, and a strong tremor spreads across several meters in diameter. The alpha lifts his gaze slightly, still dazed and with a piercing headache from the impact, and he can see Saya crushing Augusto beneath her massive, furry body. The tables had clearly turned. The rain falls even harder, but everything is still visible thanks to the light radiating from her
A terrifying silence spreads through the entire forest for what feels like an eternity, one that makes Carrie hold her breath, anticipating the impending disaster. Until the first movement happens. A massive orange wolf with white ears growls fiercely as it leaps and positions itself just inches from Selene. Carrie lets out a small gasp, startled, but it's too late. As she brings her hand to her mouth, Sorem can see exactly where she's hiding, and he makes it known by flashing his powerful and terrifying fangs. Before the huge orange beast can react, a black, unpleasant-looking wolf, though equally large, lunges at him, and they both begin tumbling through the underbrush. At that moment, a pair of female wolves surround Selene to protect her as an all-out battle breaks out just a few meters away from her. Several wolves, all renegades, attempt to get close to Selene, but none have any real success against the beta and the Redwood Wolves' guardians.The noise in the forest is i
Carrie waits for just the right moment when Augusto and his henchmen move far enough away to dart out of her hiding spot. She needs to reach Selene before Augusto does. Twice, in the past two days, he’s come dangerously close to her. Even though he can’t see her due to the protective bubble, he might sense that someone is nearby and realize something is off.After running non-stop for several minutes, Carrie finally reaches Selene. She makes sure no one has followed her before taking a closer look.Selene is curled up in a fetal position, her face twisted in pain, softly whimpering."I’m sorry, but tonight I have to break your bubble," Carrie whispers near her. Her brow furrows, it's not what she wants to do, but she has no choice. Selene needs care while she remains unconscious, and another storm is predicted, bringing even colder temperatures. She also overheard Augusto talking about what he’d do if he found her, and she simply won’t allow him to hurt her. If Alpha Connor finds her
"That’s enough!" Clarisse shouts, seeing Connor completely out of control, hitting Jackson for the thousandth time for neglecting the security near the ceremony. "This isn’t his fault! What had to happen, happened. Period. You need to get a grip, brother, in this state, you’re not going to achieve anything.""I just…" Connor’s voice is barely a squeak, his exhaustion evident. "…I just want to find her. Damn it!"It’s been more than 48 hours since Saya ran from that place, and none of them have been able to track her. A storm hit the following morning, but even then, the alpha didn’t rest from his search, nor did he allow anyone else to. He’s exhausted, as are the others, but the weight of losing his mate, combined with the pain he’s feeling in his chest, is hitting him harder than anyone else."I already told you," Jackson gasps, looking at the large wound on his side after trying to fight off Sorem just moments ago. "Everything was covered. I personally checked every spot for a week,
The freezing air hits Selene's face as she takes a few steps toward the room. She's shivering, even her jaw starts trembling uncontrollably. She has no idea what's happening to her, but she doesn’t feel well. Nothing here feels right.There are double doors open, curtains swaying in time with the wind, torches and scented candles, creating a romantic atmosphere from every perspective, except hers. She can hear murmurs from the back of the room, then laughter hers, Inés’s.She stands still for a few seconds and takes a deep breath before continuing. It doesn’t matter what’s in there; she has to see it, face it.As she gets closer, Inés's voice becomes clearer, but she hears nothing else except grunts from the person with her, followed by strange noises, gasps, moans.She reaches the door, which is only covered by curtains, and with a trembling hand, she pulls them aside just a bit to see. It's a room, she already knew that. It’s lit by many candles, the floor is polished wood, and ther
A chilling cold washes over Selene as she keeps a steady pace on this path she’s never explored before. In fact, the alpha had once told her that it wasn’t allowed to go this way. Yet here she is, heading toward an uncertain, unknown destination as night falls, her heart racing, but her mind set on discovering the truth.She’s already covered several kilometers, too many, in her opinion. She’s tired and sweaty, but she can see a glimmer in the distance. Could that be the place marked on the map?Moving cautiously for a few meters, she spots several guardians spread out across the area. She decides to climb one of the tallest trees to get a better view. If there are guardians here, they must be protecting something or someone.Once at the top, she carefully surveys the entire area. There’s a structure a few kilometers away, with lights and movement. That’s where she needs to go—it’s the point marked in the note; she has no doubt.With great concentration and using a technique her grand
"I don’t know what happened. I just got here and went into the water for a few seconds, and then you arrived," Selene explains, her brow furrowed. She’s confused too. Falling asleep underwater isn’t an option, especially not for so long, or she would have drowned. So what happened during all those hours she’s been here?"I’m sorry..." she whispers softly, seeing the distressed look on Connor’s face. He can’t resist her scent and kisses her. He kisses her so passionately that Selene moans at the urgency of her mate. Within seconds, the space between them disappears, giving way to an erotic and romantic dance under the beautiful and brilliant moonlight. Since their wedding night, there hasn’t been a single day they haven’t given themselves to each other. But today… now, it feels different. It’s as if every part of this nature is joining them both.Back at the mansion, they both head to the shower, much calmer. It’s almost dawn. After a shower full of kisses, they go to bed together to s
The days pass with excruciating slowness in Redwood Wolves. Connor has spent most of the week working with Jackson and Beltrán, while Selene has been helping with administrative tasks at the clinic and the daycare.She hasn't heard anything from Inés since the last time she left that note in the bush, and Selene still hasn't told the alpha about it. She’s not sure if she should go to that place or not. It could be a trap, but it could also be the truth, and it’s gnawing at her mind."We should tell your grandfather," Saya says in her mind, but Selene disagrees. The last time they spoke, two days ago, he was very agitated, even worried about something she didn't know. Burdening him with this seems unnecessary.Selene walks through the training field, heading toward the border. Some of the guardians glance at her, but they don't say anything or stop her. Taking care of the children at the clinic has been her main task these days, and fighting with the doctor and nurses, who think they'r
"Luna..." Clarisse sits beside Selene on the bench. "My brother told me I could find you here. I came to see if you needed anything.""You don't have to call me Luna, Selene is fine," Selene replies, her gaze fixed on the field where a group of three children are playing. There's a fourth child watching the game from a few meters behind, sitting on the grass. He looks pale and downcast, his expression quite lifeless."My brother is the alpha, and you're his mate, my Luna. I can't call you anything else.""Formalities aren't necessary between us, Clarisse. I consider you like a sister. Besides, you're one of the few people who’ve treated me well since I arrived here," Selene responds.Selene's eyes don’t leave that little boy. He looks about eight years old. She saw him in one of the photographs in the mansion and recognized him quickly when she took this seat half an hour ago, although, to be honest, all those children look quite similar.A middle-aged woman walks up to the boy and gr