Chapter Twelve

Tara

Mac decided to stay for a few more days, and on the second day, I made up my mind—I was going with him when he left. I couldn’t imagine staying without him. The power of the mate bond was undeniable; he was like a drug I couldn’t get enough of. My heart was all in, waiting for my head to catch up.

Cindy would be leaving with us, as well. She was staying in the Pack House with Wesley, and to my amazement, he was unfazed by her antics. He tolerated her eye rolls, her feigned indifference, and her over-the-top theatrics with a patience resembling amusement. The Moon Goddess apparently had hope for her, so I ignored her jealous glares and snarky comments.

By the time our first day as mates was over, we were both so tired we crashed out as soon as we hit my bed. Waking up with him still felt like a dream, but I was starting to believe.

“You’re going to be fine, Tara,” he said over coffee that morning, leaning against the balcony railing like a perfectly sculpted statue. “You’re strong, you’re intuitive, and you don’t let people intimidate you. It’s exactly what a Luna should be.”

I snorted into my coffee. “I don’t let them know I’m intimidated. And how many Lunas run away and scream into pillows after seeing their name trending on WereTok?”

He chuckled, that low, velvety sound that made my knees go wobbly. “Every Queen has her process.”

I finished my coffee, setting the cup down decisively. “Then let me show you mine.”

“I thought we already did that, but if you insist—“ he began, and I shook my head.

“We can do that later, but I’m talking about a different skill set. Come with me to the training grounds. I want you to see what I can actually do.”

“You want to spar?” he asked, amused.

“I want to surprise you.” I grinned, tossing back the rest of my coffee. “Unless you’re scared.”

Trinity cackled in my head. “Oh hell yes. Let’s show Mr. Muscles what we’ve got now that we’re fully powered up.”

Mac gave me a look that was part intrigued, part “what have I gotten myself into?” and followed me down to the Blue Moon training fields.

Birds sang conversations as we walked along, the day warm with the promise of spring.

“Is it true that you have a dog sanctuary?” I asked.

“Yes. We have eleven dogs, with plenty of room to run, and climate-controlled dog houses. One of the dogs is Alexander’s, his name is Flappers.”

“Flappers?”

“He’s a yellow lab mix; he got his name when he stuck his head out the window. His lips were flapping in the wind, and we laughed so hard we almost cried. I thought he was going to fly away.”

“That’s weirdly adorable,” I said. “I’ve never seen a real dog.”

“Oh, they’re amazing,” Mac’s eyes lit up. “The unconditional love they give is humbling; I can see why people love them so much.”

We rounded the corner, and I was surprised to see a small crowd gathering. Apparently, word spread quickly that I would be demonstrating my fighting skills. Not many outside of my training group knew how good I actually was, but there were rumors. And rumors were enough to draw a crowd.

By the time I’d laced up my boots and pulled my hair into a high ponytail, half the Pack had wandered down to watch. A few of Mac’s warriors lingered on the edge of the circle, skepticism etched into their expressions as they sized me up.

“She’s Beta William’s daughter,” one of them muttered. “She’s supposed to be good.”

“Sure,” another said. “But that was before she bonded with the King. She’s probably gone soft now.”

Mac folded his arms and gave them a look so sharp the guy flinched. “You’re welcome to find out just how soft she’s gone. Tara?”

“Bring it,” I said, and the warrior shrugged, smirking at his two buddies.

“If you insist,” he said smugly. I saw members of my training group starting a betting pool. Jason winked at me, giving me a thumbs up.

I stepped into the center ring, feeling the heat of the sun on my back, the weight of expectation pressing into my shoulders.

Trinity stretched inside me, her Lycan edge gleaming like a blade. “Let’s make them eat their egos.”

I faced my first opponent, a Lycan warrior named Bret. He was tall, fast, and clearly underestimated me. He lasted forty-three seconds.

Two dodges, one sweep kick, and a sharp elbow to the ribs, and he was flat on his back staring at the sky. I extended my hand with a smile and helped him to his feet. He squinted at me, speechless, like he was staring at an impossibility.

The crowd gasped. Mac let out a low whistle. My training group hid smirks behind their hands, as the others in the betting pool began to eye them warily.

“Next?” I asked sweetly.

The second warrior stepped up, and I knew this time I wouldn’t have the advantage of being underestimated. Still, I took him down with ease.

The third one came at me with determination, and he landed a hit, sideswiping my arm as I dodged a flurry of punches. I spun, then tuck-rolled under him, quickly turning and extending my leg to knock him down before he could blink.

I was surprised at how easily I wiped the floor with them. The Lycan strength that flowed through me had turned me into a beast. My punches were sharper, my reflexes quicker. I could feel how my muscles had shifted, grown leaner and stronger after the shift, the mate bond, the mark. This wasn’t the same Tara who trained for years under the radar.

This was Queen Tara. Luna-Beta-Boss of the Battlefield.

My father winked at me, his pride on full display, as he told everyone, “that’s my girl.”

Jason and the others smugly collected cash from disgruntled pack members. “That,” he said, “is how to fight like a girl.”

Even Cindy, lurking near the edge in a pair of booty shorts and a crop top, stopped mid-eyeroll. I caught her muttering, “Okay, that was… decent,” before storming off, Wesley cheerfully trailing behind her. I noticed she didn’t have a mark yet. I chuckled to myself. She was probably having trouble dealing with being one of my “subjects,” although I was trying my best not to think of her that way.

When I stepped out of the ring, panting and grinning, Mac handed me a bottle of water and shook his head in disbelief.

“You just beat three elite guards in a row.” He eyed me suspiciously. “Are you sure you don’t have a magical fighting gift?”

“Is that impressive?” I teased, chugging water. “And no, I’ve been training to defend my sister when she takes over as Alpha for a long time. I don’t know who will do it now.” I hoped Christian would. I heard he was an excellent fighter, and I was sure he would do anything in the world to protect Talia. “So I did well?”

“It’s sexy as hell,” he said, grabbing me by the waist and kissing me right there in front of everyone. The crowd definitely cheered for that. I was proud to show him the results of my years of hard work.

Afterward, we sat on a bench under a tree, our fingers loosely entwined. The training ground was quiet now, the adrenaline replaced by a sweet, buzzy contentment.

“You really were a champion before this,” Mac said.

“Yeah. Just no one ever noticed.” I smiled faintly. “Guess they will now.”

“Power like yours doesn’t need to yell,” he said. “It speaks for itself. But there’s something else I want you to learn.”

“Like what? How to throw a royal tea party?”

He laughed. “Actually… conflict resolution.”

I raised a brow.

He gestured toward two of my pack mates, who were arguing across the field, gesticulating wildly. They looked like a gas can dancing with a pack of matches.

“Handle it. Like a Luna would handle it.”

I blinked. “Seriously?”

“You can fight. I’ve seen that. Now show me how you lead.”

I took a deep breath, squared my shoulders, and walked over. They quieted as I approached, their gazes uncertain.

“Hey, guys, before you tear each other apart, how about telling me what’s going on?” I smiled, keeping my voice calm. I wanted to show them that I wasn’t there to police them or be a referee, that I actually wanted to help.

I listened as they described their dispute. The argument turned out to be over a flirtatious comment one of them made to the other’s mate at the bar last night. Aiden and Cameron. They graduated a few years ahead of me, and I remembered seeing them together a lot.

“He said ‘if you ever decide you want a real werewolf you just give me a call, sweetie,’” Aiden grumbled.

“Let me guess, was alcohol involved in this incident?” I asked calmly.

“Well, yes, I was drunk, that’s what I was trying to explain to this meathead here, I didn’t mean it, I was joking. She and I used to flirt all the time before they mated,” said the other, Cameron. “We were good friends. We flirted a little, but it never went farther than that.”

“So it sounds to me like maybe Cameron is a little sad that someone he really liked, someone that he considered a friend, no longer has time for him?” I asked, and he nodded.

“And you two are good friends, I know that, I’ve seen you hanging out together for as long as I can remember. It would be a shame to lose a friendship over some silly drunken comment,” I said, and they both looked at me, then at each other.

“What are you saying?” Aiden asked, “that I was right and he was wrong?”

I sighed. “That doesn’t matter. Maybe you two could agree that, going forward, Cameron will be respectful of the mate bond, and Aiden will be respectful that there was a friendship, probably among all of you before this happened. Don’t lose that friendship over this.”

“I’m sorry,” Cameron said. “I didn’t realize you’d take it seriously, it was rude. I don’t know what it’s like to have a mate, bro.”

“Well, the thing about a mate bond is that it makes you feel possessive, jealous, really sensitive to anyone insulting your mate.” Aiden explained.

“That’s true,” I agreed, “par for the course with my limited experience, but it is powerful.”

“It’s okay, though, she’s right. We’ve been friends since we were pups. You’re like a brother to me, and brothers flip each other shit all the time.” Aiden smiled, and Cameron looked relieved.

“I feel better just knowing you aren’t going to beat the crap out of each other.” I said, pleased with the outcome. They shook hands and walked off the training grounds, talking animatedly.

“Well done!” Trinity said. I smiled at the praise from my wolf. “See? You were made for this. You just don’t know it yet.”

I walked back to Mac. “Thank you,” I told him, “that wasn’t so bad. It was actually very satisfying. I feel like I actually helped them.”

“See?” he said, smiling proudly. “I told you. You’ve got this.”

And for the first time since this wild, wonderful, chaotic mate bond began, I believed him. It wasn’t just luck that led me to be mated to a King.

I was Tara. Warrior. Leader.

Maybe even….Queen.