Ch. 2 My obsession

Renzo’s POV

To say my little Saoirse was blooming into a beautiful woman would be an understatement. That girl was touched by the Goddess herself. At her age, most girls had to worry about pimples or braces and shy, tight-lipped smiles. But Saoirse? She was perfect. One day, she would be my mate—I knew it as surely as I knew my own name.

Tomorrow would be her fourteenth birthday, the age when most teenagers gain their wolves. I still remember the day I got mine, four years ago. Saoirse had loved him instantly.

---

Four Years Ago

Saoirse had been in awe of Blaze from the moment she saw him. He was a massive silver wolf, his coat shimmering with a faint blue sheen. He stood proudly while she buried her small hands in his fur, her eyes glowing with wonder.

“You’re beautiful, Blaze,” she whispered. “You and Renzo will be the best Alphas in the world when Alpha Lorenzo passes the title to you.”

From that day on, we were inseparable. I carried her through the forest on my back while she clung to my neck, laughing as the wind whipped through her hair. She did her homework by the lake and napped with Blaze curled protectively around her. With her parents always busy at the hospital, she spent most of her time with me—and our families encouraged it. After all, I was the future Alpha, and her parents were gifted healers. Together, we would make a powerful pair.

---

“Hey, Renzo.” Shane’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts as I headed to pick Saoirse up from school.

“Everything okay, Shane?”

“Not really.” He rubbed the back of his neck, looking uncomfortable.

“What’s the problem?”

“Renzo, you're leaving for Alpha training the day after tomorrow, and you haven’t even packed. I told you last week about the gathering tonight—unmated wolves from the neighboring pack. And here you are, babysitting again. Don’t you think it’s time you put the Pack’s interests first instead of hers?”

My vision went red. “Fuck you, Shane! An Alpha is nothing without his Luna. Saoirse is my mate—or she will be, one day. Don’t forget that. I’m spending as much time with her as I can before I leave for two years. I don’t give a damn about your gathering. She’s the only one for me, and I don’t need a crowded hall to tell me that.”

“You’re stubborn,” Shane muttered. “Obsessed. That doesn’t mean she’s your fated mate. I get it—she’s gorgeous, but—”

I had him pinned against a tree before I even realized I’d moved. My claws pressed into his shirt, my eyes blazing.

“You dare comment on her looks? Do you make a habit of checking out what’s mine?” I snarled.

“What the hell, Renzo! That’s not what I meant!” His voice rasped under my grip. “Look at you—you lose control over a simple comment. Even if she is your fated mate, your wolves haven’t recognized each other yet. That bond hasn’t snapped into place. Right now, this is obsession, not the mate bond.”

I released him and stepped back, forcing air into my lungs. Shane was my best friend and future Beta—my voice of reason more times than I could count. But never when it came to her. Never with Saoirse. She was the storm in my head and the calm in my chest, the fire and the peace. I needed her. Two years away from her would be hell.

“She’s mine,” I said flatly. “Fated or not, bond or not. As my Beta, your job is to support me and protect this Pack. Remember that. She is my sanity. My peace. Don’t ever question it again.”

Shane straightened his shirt, shaking his head. “For all our sakes, Renzo, I hope she truly is your fated mate.”

I ignored him and walked away.

---

I felt her before I saw her. When I turned, there she was, walking toward me, sunlight dancing over her. My smile came without thought. She wore a white summer dress that brushed her knees and little cowboy boots. Her hair, wild and alive, looked like fire itself.

In a heartbeat, I was at her side. I grabbed her by the waist and spun her around. Her laughter rang through the air—music, pure and sweet. When I set her down, she ran her palms over my chest and abs, and I almost groaned aloud. It was getting harder and harder not to kiss her breathless, not to ruin her innocence before it was time. Alpha training couldn’t have come at a better moment.

She would be sixteen when I returned. Old enough for us to start dating. And when she turned eighteen, I would announce her as my Luna, mate her, and mark her. Fated bond or not, she was mine. The only thing I prayed for was that her wolf would be strong—strong enough that the elders couldn’t object. Not that I’d care if they did.

“I’m sorry I was late, little one,” I murmured.

She sighed, her chest rising, and I fought the urge to lose control right there. She loved it when I called her that.

“It’s fine,” she said softly. “I know you get busy sometimes. You’re leaving for Alpha training soon anyway. I’m just glad you’ll still be here to meet my wolf before you go.”

Her mismatched eyes shimmered with unshed tears. My chest cracked at the sight. I cupped her face in my hands, pressing a kiss to her forehead, then the tip of her nose.

“Don’t be sad, little one. We’ll email all the time. Once you get your wolf, you’ll start training. Before long, you’ll be Luna of this Pack. The time will fly by.”

I said it for her, but it was as much for myself. Two years without her was going to shred me.

Her voice was small, but it lit a fire through me. “You’ll make me Luna?”