Chapter Five

Ricardo 

I'm completely stunned. 

Air whooshes in my ears and my blood is pumping at an extreme pace, my heart threatening to stop completely. Daemon is howling and jumping inside me like he has lost all sense of rationality. 

She is indeed the most exquisite thing I have ever seen. 

When Sebastian said she was exceptionally beautiful, I thought she was model-like, someone who could grace magazines, but she is so much more than that. 

Her hair is the color of finely spun light-gold, her eyes the lightest of blue I have ever seen, appearing almost ice-like. Her nose is slim and straight and her cheekbones high, her lips are full and tinted a natural pink. I want to feel those lips underneath mine immediately, but I'm too shocked to do anything. 

Could it be? Could she be... 

It's not possible, is it? She is only seventeen and wouldn't be able to find her mate until she turns eighteen. Could it be that I know she's my mate before she does? 

Oh Moon Goddess, is that what you saved for me? 

There is complete silence in my office, Harry and Sebastian's eyes darting from me to the girl, but our eyes are firmly locked on each other. 

Can she feel what I'm feeling? 

Harry clears his throat. "I'm Harry, the Beta, and this is our Alpha, Ricardo, from the Dark Moon pack. We're pleased to welcome you." 

He's having good judgement and doesn't approach her to shake her hand, because Daemon would then surely take over and kill him. I'm struggling to contain my wolf as it is right now, he wants out and he wants to lick the angel standing on the other side of the room. 

"Well, I have to go, I still have a flight to catch tonight." Sebastian says and turns to envelope his sister into his arms. 

Daemon is going crazy now, completely irrational and I shove my hands into my pants' pockets so I don't go over there and choke the living shit out of Sebastian for touching what is mine. Her arms go around his waist and she hugs him back, the blood rushing straight to my head now. 

In my haze of anger, I can see Harry in my peripheral vision, he's shuffling his feet awkwardly and scratching his head, probably feeling the waves rolling off me. Luckily Sebastian takes a step back before I lose all sense of control and strolls over to me. 

Instead of merely shaking my hand, he pulls me into his body, thumping me on my back. "I saw that, thank you brother. Please take care of her, I trust you." 

I merely nod, words evading me. He walks over to Harry and clasps his hand firmly before going to his sister again. I can see the adoration in her eyes as she looks at him and I want her to look at me that same way, like the stars and the moon arises whenever I look at her. 

He kisses her softly on the forehead and then leaves, the silence now stifling. 

"Well, I hope you enjoy your visit with us miss." Harry says, unease rolling off him. I detect some jealousy and I narrow my eyes at him, to which he slightly nods his head. "Will I see you tomorrow? "

There's a question in his voice. We have a standing tradition to meet up with our group of friends and drink until the early morning hours on Saturdays. It doesn't seem so appealing to me right now from where I'm standing. 

"Maybe." Comes the first word from my mouth since the girl entered. 

"Okay then." Understanding flashes in his eyes. "I will see you then." 

He nods politely at the girl again before he too leaves. 

He said he hopes she enjoys her visit here. This will not simply be a visit anymore, I don't intend for her to have any other home besides where mine is. She might not know this yet, but I don't intend for her to leave when she turns eighteen, if I have to handcuff her to me then that is what I will do. 

"Would you like a drink?" I ask and immediately regret the words. Of course she doesn't want a drink. She's not even eighteen yet and from what her brother said, she has been sheltered. I'm sure she didn't sneak off in the middle of the night to a party with her friends. 

"No thank you, I would just like to rest." 

Holy Goddess! Her voice is like a sweet melody to my ears, and I'm not a sentimental man. I want to hear her voice every second of every day. 

I stumble over my own two feet like a drunken idiot in the haste to get to my drawer that houses my keys, wallet and phone. I even fumble trying to get the damn thing open. I quickly stuff everything in my pockets and walk towards her. 

Goddess, but she is beautiful, like the sun rising and setting on the horizon. 

I instictively take her hand in mine and to my surprise she lets me, holding onto me. I take her suitcase in my other hand and roll it behind us on our way down to the parking garage. When we reach my SUV and I open the passenger door for her to get in, she seems reluctant to let go and I can feel my face heat. 

I have never felt this way before, not even when I was a teenager and I found my wolf, not even when I started to show an interest in the opposite sex, who I might add was more than willing to explore sex with me. 

The ride to my house is quiet, I always have the radio on, but the silence between the two of us is calming and I enjoy it. I take brief glances at her, she's staring out the window in absolute awe, a pink blush on her cheeks. 

I usually stay in the packhouse, it's much more convenient for me to get to and from work, but there's no way I'm letting her stay there with a bunch of unmated male wolves. I understand Sebastian's sentiment perfectly now. 

My house is at the edge of town on a sprawling property that I inherited from my parents. It's right next to the woods and has a small lake in the front of the house. When my father died, my mother said it's time I made it my own because the place was too big for her. I completely renovated the front of the house into a wood and glass structure. I love the light and the view of the lake in the early mornings. 

"Wow," Breathes out of her mouth and a sense of pride overcomes me. Apart from family members, no other female has ever entered my home. 

I didn't know I was saving it for my mate until now. 

I take off my jacket and hang it onto the coatrack. 

"Can I take your coat?" I ask, glancing at the big thing she's wearing. "I can get the chef to make you something to eat." 

"No thanks." She shakes her head subtly, her eyes shyly moving away from mine. I want to grab her chin and keep those blues trained on me, but I can't scare her yet, I have three more months of waiting to do. 

Three months seem like an awfully long time. 

"I would like to take a bath and go to bed, if you don't mind." The blush on her cheeks darkens and I want to stick out my tongue and lick it. 

"Of course." Comes out of my mouth instead. "Please follow me." 

I lead her up the stairs to my side of the house, opening the bedroom right next to mine. 

"You have your own bathroom, please just come downstairs if you need anything." 

She nods again and goes to close the door behind her, but I halt the action. 

"Wait, I don't even know your name." 

Her dazzling eyes meet mine, shining brightly and a small smile grazes her lips. 

"Ianthe."