Episode 5

Chapter five

Selene pov

I peeled my eyes open slowly, blinking against the warm sunlight filtering through the window. Where...where was I?

This wasn't the dark forest floor I remembered. The sheets beneath me were crisp and clean, the room airy and bright. I inhaled deeply - the air smelled of dried herbs and a faint wisp of woodsmoke. Definitely not the musty stench of my usual surroundings.

Moving cautiously, I pushed myself upright. A twinge of pain lanced through my ribs, but it was distant, dulled. Like whatever nightmare I'd endured was finally fading into a bad dream.

Throwing back the covers, I swung my legs over the edge of the bed. The plush fur rug tickled my bare feet as I stood on shaky legs. What was this place?

The door stood ajar, a tantalizing glimpse of the world beyond. Throwing caution to the winds, I crept across the room and peered out into the hallway.

It was...a house. Not just any house, but one of those sprawling wooden lodges, the type only the most revered of alpha families would inhabit. Intricate carvings adorned every surface, woven tapestries and mounted buck heads lining the walls.

"Whu...?" I started, only to hastily clap a hand over my traitorous mouth.

My mind raced, trying to make sense of it all. Had I been captured? Was this some twisted game my tormentors wanted to play? No...surely not. The air didn't carry that stale scent of long-captivity.

A noise from the other end of the hallway made me stiffen. Quickly, quietly, I slipped through the open doorway and moved in that direction.

It was...a kitchen? At least, it looked like one of those rustic cooking areas the packs favored - all heavy beams, dangling iron pots, and a large brick hearth along one wall.

A woman stood at the long prep table, her back to me as she fussed over a tray of dirty dishes. Slender, with dark hair twisted up in an intricate braid. Her simple beige dress suggested a servant or maid.

Biting my lip, I debated whether to make my presence known or turn back the way I'd come. Before I could make up my mind, the woman spun with a start.

"Oh! You must be Logan's new maid."

Her tone was polite if slightly befuddled, like she hadn't expected me there. Then again, why would the alpha's personal help go unattended?

"Um...aye?" I replied, the word twisting into more of a question on my tongue. "I mean, yes...ma'am?"

The woman chuckled, shaking her head bemusedly. With a deft hand, she scooped up the tray of dirty plates and utensils and thrust it toward me.

"Well, you'd best get to work, then! Logan always abhor tardiness." Her eyes sparkled with a hint of mischief. "I'm Gina, by the way - his younger sister. And you are...?"

She trailed off expectantly. I squared my shoulders, forcing myself to meet her warm gaze.

"S-Selene," I replied, taking the proffered tray between my hands. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Gina."

Formality was safe. Expected, even, when dealing with the upper echelons of a pack's hierarchy. I could play the role of demure servant until I sussed out the truth of my circumstances.

"Just Gina is fine, dear," the woman replied with an airy dismissal. "And don't fret - I'll make sure my bully of a brother treats you well. Can't have him terrorizing all the hired help now, can we?"

She chuckled again at her own little joke. Before I could formulate a response, Gina placed a companionable hand on my arm.

"You look a mite pale, Selene. Perhaps a bit of fresh air would do you good once you're finished with those dishes?" She gave me a reassuring squeeze. "We needn't stand on ceremony while Logan's off attending to pack matters. You and I, we can be friends."

I blinked owlishly at her, struggling to process her unexpected candor. Was this...was this truly the way the elite class behaved toward their subordinates? I'd never encountered such blatant kindness from one of their lofty station.

"I...thank you, Miss G-" I caught myself just in time. "Gina. That's very generous of you."

Another warm chuckle as she released my arm, planting her hands on her hips.

"No need for such stuffiness, Selene! We'll have you-"

The rest of her words were cut off as a booming baritone rang out from the hallway.

"Gina! What's this I hear about you harassing the staff again?"

We both started as an absolutely massive figure filled the kitchen doorway. I straightened instinctively, my grip tightening on the tray as I registered the man's sheer size and raw, commanding presence.

That was no mere servant, but an alpha in his prime - all rippling muscle, chiseled features and an aura of quiet menace that made my breath catch in my throat.

He cut an imposing figure in a simple white linen shirt, the fabric stretched taut across his broad chest. His tawny hair was tousled, as if he'd just risen from sleep or a vigorous workout. But the burning intensity of those amber eyes missed nothing as they swept over the scene before him.

"L-Logan!" Gina stammered, hastily taking a step back. "I was just having a friendly chat with your new maid, that's all!"

My heart pounded as those molten eyes found me, holding me immobile as a rabbit before a hungry wolf. The alpha - Logan, his sister had called him - arched one dark brow, his expression turning predatory.

"Is that so?" His voice was a low, resonant rumble that raised goosebumps along the nape of my neck. "Well, Gina, I hate to be the bearer of ill tidings, but I'm afraid you've misjudged the situation."

Gina's brow furrowed in confusion as Logan's burning gaze bored into me.

"This woman," he proclaimed, in a tone that brooked no argument, "is no mere servant." One side of his full mouth quirked in the barest hint of a smirk. "Selene is...my mate."

His words hung in the air between us, as heavy and tangible as the thick oak beams overhead. I felt my jaw drop open in shock, only Gina's squawk of surprise cutting through the sudden stillness gripping the room.

"Your...mate?" She twisted to look at me, her eyes wide and owlish behind a loose tendril of hair. "But Logan, that's hardly appropr-"

"I'll thank you not to question me on this, little sister," Logan interrupted smoothly, never once breaking eye contact with me. "Selene's place at my side has been preordained - by the Moon Mother herself."

Gina exhaled a frustrated huff, throwing up her hands in a gesture of exasperation.

"Well! I certainly wasn't told of any new...developments." She fixed me with narrowed eyes, as if reevaluating me through this new lens of 'alpha's mate.' "Does Mother know about this?"

"What Mother needn't know won't hurt her," Logan drawled, taking a measured step farther into the kitchen. "Unless you'd like me to share a certain...incident, from our childhood, hmm?"

Gina's mouth snapped shut so quickly, I could have sworn I heard her teeth click together. She shot a sour look at her brother before turning on her heel in a swirl of skirts.

"You play a dangerous game, Logan," she tossed over her shoulder as she strode from the kitchen. "I'll not be the one to invoke the Willow Matriarch's wrath when she discovers your..." she waved a hand vaguely in my direction, "...indiscretion."

And with that parting shot, she disappeared down the hallway, shoulders stiff and arms hugged tight across her middle.

I watched her go, feeling like the world had abruptly tilted on its axis. What in the name of the Goddess was happening here? One minute, I was being treated as a lowly servant...the next, this alpha behemoth was naming me his...mate?

My legs felt unsteady beneath me as a wave of disorientation washed over me. The tray of dishes slipped from my suddenly-numb fingers, ceramic shattering in a cacophony against the stone floor.

A heartbeat later, Logan was there - a warm, solid presence at my side, bracing one massive hand against the small of my back. I sucked in a sharp breath, my gaze shooting upward to find his rugged features just inches from my own.

"Easy there, love," he murmured, that smooth baritone sending shivers cascading along my spine. "Let's get you off your feet, shall we?"

With surprising gentleness, he guided me across the room and into the nearest chair. I sank into it, my mind whirling as he crouched before me to retrieve the fallen shards of crockery.

"I-I don't understand..." I stammered, struggling to make sense of the maelstrom inside me. "You...you called me your mate?"

Logan paused in his clean-up efforts, piercing eyes lifting to capture my own.

"Yes, Selene. That I did." His voice lowered to an intimate rumble as our gazes locked.

My breath hitched in my throat as his calloused knuckles brushed my knee - whether inadvertently or by design, I couldn't tell.

"I know this must all seem dreadfully confusing for you," he went on, not breaking our shared trance. "You've been through an ordeal most heinous, one that very nearly ..." His jaw tightened almost imperceptibly. "Well. Let's simply say your survival is a miracle few could scarcely understand ."

One of his hands snaked out to caress my cheek, the pad of his thumb tracing my cheekbone with exquisite tenderness. I shuddered, feeling lightheaded in the onslaught of foreign sensations - his warm caress, the smoky rasp of his voice, the sheer intensity of his proximity.

"I felt it the moment you drew your first breath in my presence," Logan husked, his gaze smoldering with a naked yearning that made my pulse gallop. "A connection, forged in the ether bythat which crafted the very heavens themselves. You, Selene...are my destiny incarnate."

Rational thought fled in the wake of his reverent words. I could only gape at this leonine paragon of masculine power as he rose to his full, towering height before me. My breath came in shallow pants, a demure flush staining my cheeks at the unmistakable heat flaring to life in my core.

"So I hope you'll forgive me for speaking so boldly in front of my younger sister," he continued, extending one broad palm in a silent entreaty. "I have absolutely no intention of being circumspect where you are concerned, my darling mate. You are mine...as I am yours, now and for all the days to come."

Every fiber in my being thrummed in reverent concordance with his decree. As if my very soul had been awaiting this moment since the dawn of time itself. Trembling, I placed my hand in his, allowing him to pull me to my feet.

"Yes, Alpha," I whispered, thrilling at the dark promise blazing in those amber depths. For I knew, with a bone-deep certainty, that my path was forever entwined with this fierce, magnificent male.

My mate...my destiny...my everything.