~Declan~I stared down at the fuming girl before me. She was so mad, she would turn me to ashes if her eyes could shoot fire. Red flames tainted her cheeks, and molten gold swirled in her eyes. She clenches her hands too tightly, enough to draw blood from her palms.I sighed and turned to Jared and H. “Give us the room.”‘I need to hear this, Alpha,’ H spoke to me through the mate bond.‘Later, H,’ I answered him.H can wait, but this angry little werewolf can’t.As soon as Jared and H were out of the room, I turned back to the window and admired the view of Embercrest, calming my weary mind.“How old are you, Ara?” I asked, keeping my voice calm and friendly, and as an alpha, I am never friendly. I am always in business mode unless I’m with Jared.“Don’t change the topic,” the fumes of her anger slithering towards my neck. She has already harnessed the power of the alpha blood in her system. She could command a regular wolf when she’s mad.I tilted my head in her direction, plasterin
~Serena~Time stops. My heartbeat slowed as I waited for his reaction.He took his time, casually surveying my face for a hint of a lie, and when he found none, he shot up from his seat and stared down at me through the tip of his nose. He didn’t need words. It was clear in his eyes—the pain of my betrayal, the confusion, and his anger.“Vi…” I shook my head, pleading with him to sit for another moment and talk things over. His response was a pursing of his lips, a tight clench of his hands, and the rough grinding of his molars. On the other table, Spade’s shoulders were tense, watching Viggo carefully. He was ready to jump in at the first sign of danger, but it didn’t come. Viggo removed himself from the booth and walked out of the cafe, his form crestfallen.“Vi…. Shit!” I cursed as I dropped the payment for our untouched coffee. The brunette server looked utterly relieved that we were leaving their place. She could feel the tension rising at our booth, and she was more than happy
~Serena~I have a lot on my plate, and I thought I still had time. I thought I could delay this conversation, but here we are. Viggo sat across from me at the 24-hour coffee shop in the city. Spade sat two tables down from us, and it’s not for privacy, but to keep Viggo from tearing this place apart.He had just sat down in the booth. His nostrils flare, and gold swirls in his eyes as he stares at Declan’s mark on my neck.“You’re marked,” he said, molars grinding.The server, dressed in a plaid, white, and pink dress, hesitated to offer us a coffee. I wanted to applaud Viggo’s control when he smiled at the young brunette, letting her fill two cups with coffee as she smiled hesitantly when she handed the menu.It’s already one in the morning; the cafe has fewer than ten diners. The light was dimmed and calm; a raspy voice of a local singer crooned from the speaker, a stark contrast to the beating tension in our booth.“I found my mate,” I murmured, playing with the ear of my cup. Ther
~Declan~I never expected her to get a whiff of my scent right away. Her sense of smell is stronger than that of a bloodhound.Ara is not from Embercrest. She’s here as a favor from the Alpha of Silveridge, Aki, who is a good friend of mine. Aki asked if Ara could study how we manage the hospital in the pack. He wanted to put up one in Silveridge. Although werewolves rarely catch diseases or get sick, Aki saw the need for doctors and hospitals in case of another rogue attack. Once school starts, he’ll be sending Ara to study medicine at a human school.I kept my eyes locked on the door where Ara had just barreled through. Jared and H were doing their best not to salivate at her creamy thighs. She struts around the pack in skimpy skirts, short shorts, and tiny crop tops with plunging necklines. She's got a great body, and her body was her rules, but I know she's just doing this to get my attention, which I refuse to give her. She made it her mission to get my attention since she arrive
~Declan~“Stop scratching,” Jared sighed. “You’ll rub the tattoo away if you keep doing that.”I grunted, dropping my hand on my lap as we crossed the boundary of Embercrest and Hallow Forest. We had to stop by a tattoo shop on the way here, plastering a temporary ink over Serena’s mark on my neck.This was necessary to keep our plan a secret, but my body was rejecting the tattoo.Embercrest was home. Wherever my anger and revenge took me in the last five years, I always felt safe and calm the moment I set foot on the pack’s property. But now, something has changed. The usual calmness I feel as I cross the boundary wasn’t there. There’s a longing in my heart that seeks Serena’s presence. So, this is how it feels to be marked and mated. She becomes my home, my solace, my peace.“My body is repelling the ink,” I uttered. Jared slid a gaze to my neck, and worry blanketed his face. He was behind the wheel, and his eyebrows were knitted when he turned back to the rough road.“I don’t think
~Serena~Alpha Seth had mixed emotions when he saw us in their mansion. He and his mom, Cora, were delighted to see that Declan and I had marked each other, but they were guarded when they realized we had a rogue with us.The guards wouldn’t even let us into the compound until Alpha Seth had told them to let us through.“Serena,” Cora pulled me into a tight embrace. “Congratulations. You two finally made up.”Alpha Seth did one of those brotherly hugs with Declan, grinning ear to ear as he teased me. “You've got dirt on your neck, Heart.”Declan growled, shoving Alpha Seth.“Serena. Please, call me Serena from now on, Alpha Seth.” I’m grateful that he still calls me Heart after everything that happened.“Serena,” he tested my name. “That sounds better than Heart.”“I’m glad you made it back!” Lucas barreled down the grand staircase and gave me a hug, with Nala behind him, lolling her tongue out and wagging her tail in excitement. Spade walked casually behind them. His reaction was pa