Chapter 003

Vivica’s POV

Moon-Crescent was something out of the ordinary.The tall towers, tarred streets, and lush greeneries gave the pack, which looked more like a city, a sophisticated and  tranquil atmosphere.I moved in my seat, my eyes roaming the environment in utter awe as the car passed through gate after gate, finally halting in front of a massive white mansion.

“Welcome to your new home,” Adrian announced.

I looked away from the window, staring at him for the first time since we entered his territory.“You own all of this?” I asked, unable to hide my astonishment.

“Mhm” he nodded. “Let’s go inside.The elders are waiting for us.”

“The elders? Why?”

“Why not?” He squinted. “You are my mate, and I’m the Alpha. It’s only normal that you meet them.” 

“Well…I…”

“I know this is all new, and probably overwhelming. But I want you to know that you aren’t the same Vivica from an hour ago. You are with me now, and whoever is with me gets nothing but respect and honor. You are special, Viv. Embrace it.”

My eyes welled up at his words.I hid my face and quickly wiped my tears.

“Shall we?” 

“Yes,” I nodded.

Again, Adrian opened the door for me, an act that made me uneasy.But if that was all it took to fit into this new world and never go back to Red-Bone then I’d do it.

“Your Majesty,” the guards positioned at the fleet of stairs leading to the main entrance bowed.

Adrian only gave them a curt glance before leading me  inside.

My eyes accessed the interior— a mix of modern design and the renaissance. The walls were incredibly high. Expansive artifacts and oil paintings hung against  cream-colored  walls, and the marble floors were  so clean I could see my own reflection. 

Suddenly, a  girl with bouncy black curls and sparkly brown eyes ran toward us.

“Dane!” her shrill voice cried out as threw herself at Adrian. 

Tisha, my wolf, churned inside—a clear indicator that her territory had been bridged and she didn’t like it. As much as I was happy she had finally awakened, it bothered me that she might land me in trouble if I didn't control her. Why was she getting jealous over a man we barely knew? 

“It doesn’t matter how long we’ve known him,” Tisha growled in my mind. “He’s ours.”

“Who is this?” The questioned, unable to hide her disgust.

Adrian pulled away from her, something he should have done immediately.

“This is Vivica Hale. My mate” The statement rolled off his tongue so effortlessly.I suppressed the silly smile that threatened to break out on my face.“Vivica, this is Arella, my cousin”

Oh. She’s his cousin.

“Your what?!” Arella shouted, startling me. “Is this a joke of some sort?” she scoffed.

“It’s not a joke, Arella. We’ll finally be having a Luna,” Adrian stated proudly.

“Your Highness” A male voice called out, and a man who was almost the same height as Adrian came into view.

“The elders have been waiting for a while now” he stopped, then quickly added. “You must be Vivica Hale.”

With a subtle hint of confusion I peeked at Adrian’s face for answers.

“This is  Theo Reeds, my Beta,” Adrian introduced him.

“Nice to meet you,” I mumbled.

“Same here.” He  gave me a toothless smile and stepped aside. “Shall we?”

“Sure,” Adrian took my hand in his without warning, and I flinched. He gazed at me—a stare  meant to reassure me that he had everything under control.

Guards were positioned throughout the expansive hallway; every single one of them gave a bow as we passed.We arrived at the entrance of the council room. I exhaled loudly, a breath I didn’t even realize I was holding. 

“Relax. As long as we are together no one is going to harm you.”

I nodded, and his Beta pushed the door open. The room suddenly went quiet  as every eye landed on us,m—on me, to be precise.

“Your Majesty!” They chorused.

“I apologize for the delay,” he  muttered.

I just stood there, awkward and clueless. The only times I had  ever been to the gathering of pack elders were when I needed to serve drinks or food, and it had ended in chaos every time. Adrian pulled me toward the table, drawing out a chair right next to the  seat of honor at the head.

I sat down uneasily, every fibre of my being  screaming at me to get up and flee.You don’t belong here. You have to leave! The voice persisted.

Adrian took his seat, and immediately one of the elders spoke.

“We were told you went to the mating ceremony at the other pack,” the man—whom  I later found out was named Tristan— said,  his eyes strained on me even though i

He was talking to Adrian.

“Yes. And as fate would have it, I came back with my mate,” Adrian announced gleefully.

“A mate? From a rival pack? Your Highness, is this a—”

“I have told you a million times that Red-Bone  does not possess what it takes to be tagged a ‘rival’ pack.” Adrian snarled. “Do not piss me off, Elder Santos.”

“Forgive me, Your Highness. It’s just that marrying outside of our perimeter is unsafe for us. You have spent years building this ethereal territory; why risk losing it by bringing in an intruder?”

The rest of the elders mumbled their approval of Elder Santos. 

“Vivica is not an intruder. She is my mate, my fated one,” Adrian emphasized, his voice echoing through the room. “It might take you all a while to adjust, but you have no choice but to accept her.”

“But Your Highness—”

“One more word and I’ll have you out of this territory for good.” His voice was calm, but  it carried an underlying tone that sent shivers down my spine.

“This gathering is over,” he declared.

The elders grumbled  among themselves, but no one dared to speak out.They all rose and were about to leave when the door flung open and Adrian’s cousin marched in.

“Wait!” she yelled. “That woman!” She pointed at me.

My heart sank into my stomach at  her words, and every head in the room  spun in my direction.

“That woman isn’t just some lowly intruder like you all think” Arella sneered, her fingers pointing at me accusingly. “That’s Vivica Hale! The daughter of a renowned traitor from two decades ago!”