Luna Ariel's POV again
As I turn off the dirt road of Eclipse Howl onto the highway, I drive at top speed.
With the car windows down, I skim past the dense forest along the roadside. The cool wind blows my long locks out of my face, forcing me to put on sunglasses to protect my eyes. It is a two-hour journey to Midnight Moon, a rival pack bordering our territory to the west.
In the past, these two packs were often at odds, accusing each other of stealing land. But this ended when the Council issued a ruling that the packs reluctantly accepted. After that, a kind of cold war remained, but thankfully did not turn into war.
Gorgio told me earlier that there has never been a high-ranking member of the Eclipse Moon visiting this pack before. With my arrival, we are showing that we are good and willing to at least maintain a civilized relationship with them. We did a background check on the new Alpha who was appointed a few months ago. He studied in Europe and returned to succeed his father.
I glance in the mirror and see the three following cars right behind me. Gorgio takes no chances with my safety, especially in Midnight Moon. The drive is soon over and I turn into the car park of the hotel where the conference is taking place. I had deliberately not announced my arrival time in advance; I wanted every opportunity to observe the surroundings at leisure, without too much etiquette.
As I jump out of the car, the Head Warrior walks up to me.
"Luna, do you want to check in right away or eat first?" he asks me. "We can go to the restaurant if you like. I smile, everyone in Eclipse Howl knows by now that I appreciate good food and like to try new dishes. The breakfast I had a couple of hours ago was not much and my hunger is already on the rise.
"Let's hit the restaurant first. Although I can have room service come but you know how much I love being among people". He nods, grabs my suitcase from the back of the car and follows me into the hotel. A receptionist hurries to meet us.
"Luna Ariel, welcome to Midnight Moon. You just missed the Alpha, we didn't know exactly when you would arrive. He otherwise would have greeted you personally." I smile and nod.
"Thank you. No, don't worry about me. We will first go to the restaurant and check out my room later. My Head Warrior will take care of it all." Alvin walks off with her, while two other warriors go on with me. The restaurant is almost empty, except for three men sitting in a corner. I can tell from their aura that it's an Alpha with his Beta and Gamma. I frown, wondering if this Alpha had left his pack to fend for itself.
As I take a seat at a table in the other corner of the room, a waitress comes over to me with the menu. I gesture for the two warriors to order as well, knowing they won't miss this opportunity for a free meal.
Suddenly I hear a commotion in the direction we just came from. The warriors get up, head for the door and stand at a distance to see what is going on. Since the corner where I am sitting does not offer much of a view into the lobby, I am unable to see what is happening. A few minutes later, the warriors return to their seats.
"The Alpha demanded the list of visitors from the receptionist. I don't know what went wrong, but he stormed into the lift," explains one of the warriors. I shrug, organizing such a big event like this can be stressful and the Alpha is probably out of his normal routine. As I finish my meal, Alvin arrives at the table.
"Luna, are you ready to go to your room? I have already checked us in, so you can walk straight to your room. Get some rest, the conference starts in two hours. I understand that most of the invitees have already arrived".
I agree and am soon back on my feet. Just as I am about to get into the elevator, the receptionist rushes over to me. "Luna, I would like to verify this information with you personally, just to be sure. You are the mate of Alpha Gorgio of Eclipse Moon, aren't you?" Alvin growls low behind me. Before he can intervene, I approach the woman.
"Yes, I am Luna Ariel. Is something wrong?"
She shakes her head. "No. Not at all. We're looking for an unmated she-wolf. But you're the only one who came last," she explains. Her eyes move curiously over my frame. I toss my hair back so she can see the full length of my neck. "Look, this is the mark of my mate. Fully mated here".
She's convinced of me now, turns around, and steps back to the counter. With the warriors on my heels, I get into the lift. We get off at the third floor. As we walk down the corridor, Alvin looks at the electronic key card in his hands.
"My goodness, I think we got lost. We have to go up at least two more floors," he muttered annoyed. We walk straight down the corridor, but as we round a corner, I bump hard into a she-wolf. She's tall and curvy, I don't recognize her as an Alpha of any pack.
"Aaah, sorry Luna. I should have been more careful," she whispers guiltily. I grab her shoulders and steady myself.
"No, it's me, I'm to blame. I was looking at the numbers on the doors and wasn't paying attention," I assure her. "Are you also here for the conference?" I asked her politely.
"Yes, I am Amelia, daughter of Crescent Moon Alpha," she smiles. "To be honest, I couldn't care less about the conference. I'm here to win Midnight Moon Alpha. I can't wait to be his Luna," she whispers to me. "He is so manly." I chuckle and think back to a few months ago when I was still unmated. Of course, I was eagerly waiting for my perfect mate, but I never went hunting for him like this she-wolf.
"Are you two fated?" I ask her.
"I have yet to find out. Wish me luck. Then you can join us for tea sometime."
I smile and shake my head, waving to her as I walk with the warriors to another lift at the end of the corridor..
Luna Ariel's POV stillWhen I wake up, I stretch my body to the max. That one hour of sleep was great. After my phone conversation with my mate, I jumped right into bed. But now it's time to get ready, I have an immense task to accomplish. I must succeed, the welfare of the Eclipse Howl depends on the outcome of today's calculations. First, I have to speak to the King and Queen, I have an appointment with them before the conference starts. I freshen up and get dressed. Again, I keep it all very formal. I look in the mirror and am pleased with the result. Then I grab my briefcase and leave the room. The Head Warrior is waiting for me and we walk down to the main floor.A lackey of the Kingdom approaches me."Luna Ariel? The King and Queen are waiting for you. Please follow me." The man opens a door and I see the royal couple sitting at a desk. Queen Rain comes up to us. "Luna, how happy I am to finally meet you. Alpha Gorgio spoke so proudly of you, he s
Alpha Zane of Midnight Moon POV Claw has been restless all morning. He sniffs around, dances merrily and sometimes looks at me with his eyes flashing. He's clearly upbeat, and if I were a gambler, I'd swear I'd hit the jackpot today. But since he and I are one, his enthusiasm affects me very much. After days of hard work preparing for this conference, I could really use some positive motivation to start this day. So, I drain some of Claw's energy to fuel my human body.I am dressed to the nines as I leave my suite in the packhouse. My mood is at its best thanks to my wolf, and I know I am ready for anything that might come out of this meeting. All the Alphas are present, some of them having brought their Betas, against the rules. Alpha Gorgio is sending his Luna, Eclipse Howl is dealing with the humans who are about to destroy their forests and contaminate the sources of fresh water in their lust for the precious metal. T
Alpha Zane’s POV Even before I see her, I know she is on the other side of the door.Her scent hits me in the face like a warm blanket, I can't wait to see her face, to walk up to her and take her in my arms. My mate!I still can't believe that finally, after three years of waiting, she is here. With me, where she belongs. My pack longs for her, like my subjects, I want my fated and no chosen. A fated mate makes us much stronger, mentally and collectively. And tomorrow I will make them happy when I announce that the Luna has arrived. I know this party will last a whole week and Eric is already making preparations.Claw howled with joy to the wide door, waiting for her appearance to tell me the good news. She must appear quickly now before I suffocate here with my bated breath.'Zane, what's taking her this long? Maybe you should face her, this is taking too long,' my wolf complains. But Eric is right in front of me, obstructing my every mov
Still Alpha Zane's POV Desperately, I break the door open.I can't believe what Claw is telling me, we're mates and she needs to be with me. I need her, my pack needs her. "Eric, Claw says she's not here anymore, she's gone." I can't keep the frustration out of my voice. We run inside. The bed is neatly made, probably by the cleaners. In the walk-in closet were two complete sets of official clothes and shoes. When I opened the drawers, I saw underwear lying around. I take a blazer off the hanger and smell it. Yes, this is the scent I've been craving, she's my mate. Back in the bedroom, her toiletries are still on the dressing table, as well as a small jewelry box."Eric, she is definitely my mate. But I don't understand how I could pick up her scent so strongly when she's already mated to Gorgio. I can't imagine that she hasn't waited for me and accepted to be someone else's chosen mate," I explain pained. "She
Still Alpha Zane's POVWith the breath of the Council now on my neck, my position within my own pack is becoming increasingly stark.Never before in the history of werewolves has a fully mated wolf appeared to have a second mate. Once marked and mated, it should be final. But the Moon Goddess has clearly decided otherwise today, and everyone in this room will have to come to terms with that. Because if there's one thing I know for sure, it's that I'm not giving up on Ariel. Gorgio will just have to find another mate, but Ariel is mine, marked or not.So here I am, with the Council and the King and Queen surrounding me."She went missing from your pack, so it is your duty to inform Alpha Gorgio of what has happened. And avoid escalation, this conversation will not be easy," warns the Council President, Alpha King Petric, who is also Ariel's father. I put my phone on speaker and dial Gorgio's number. We have never been friends, even though the Council forced us to sign a
Stubborn AlphaStill Alpha Zane's POVI am by no means a coward. Gorgio will find in me a formidable opponent.But I cannot make the same mistake he did. In fact, I am taking advantage of his grave miscalculation to declare war on me now that the King and Queen are in my pack.And judging by the look on King Jasper's face, the Alpha will not get away with this shown disrespect so easily. I bolt from my seat and walk out of the hotel with great strides. I leap behind the wheel and Eric quickly throws himself in the passenger seat. At high speed, I race to the gates of my pack. Behind me, I see the Limousine with the Royal couple and some Council members, followed by the Alpha King in his Maserati.As I arrive at the gate, I see my Head Warrior Kensley waiting there. Concerned, he comes over to me, obviously unaware of what has happened in the conference room. "Alpha! Thank God you're here! There is increased activity just outside our border. It looks lik
Again from Alpha Zane's POV "You're a liar!"Gorgio yells in my face, hurling all sorts of accusations at me. Since we arrived in my office, his temper has been all over the place. He seems unable to control himself, and his wolf often gets the upper hand. It is the King's Lycan aura that keeps him from shifting. "You've been eyeing my mate for a long time, it seems. You're jealous of our relationship because you can't find a fated yourself. And this is your trick to steal her from me," he shouts furiously. "You know my wolf will weaken without her. And then you think this is your way into my land. But you are in for a surprise, Alpha Zane. Promised!"My confession that Luna Ariel is also my fated mate only meets with resistance from the man.He cannot fathom that he must now share his Luna with me. Many of my attempts to come to an arrangement as grown men failed. Alpha Gorgio continues to grumble, and the Alpha King and King Jasper become despondent. Qu
Alpha Gorgio's POVI can't believe an Alpha is trying to steal my mate.I cannot allow this, it must never happen. There must be something this scum has pulled out to manipulate my Ariel. Maybe he even hired a witch to take her away from me to weaken me.Never before has a fully mated wolf, still active in the relationship, been paired with another wolf. There are cases of up to three males having to share a she-wolf, but they were all unmated. Damn sure, Alpha Zane is playing dirty here. And I won't let it go on, I'll go to war if I have to. In any case, I feel that the King is not unwilling to understand me, he also loves his woman with all that is in him. Ariel! My only love.No man will ever touch her as I do. She is mine, all of her. Her heart, soul and body. The Moon Goddess sanctioned our bond at our joining ceremony and I will hold her to it. And I am sure Ariel will never deceive me, we are one body and soul and there is no room for a third mate. We don't need