LEANDER'S POV
"Why?!!!" I roared out my frustration and prowled across the room like a caged animal, then back again, stopping only to hurl a bottle of hundred-year-old Scotch across the room at a bookcase. I watched the glass break, amber liquid saturating the books and yelled at the top of my lungs, "Why her?! Why couldn't it be anybody but her?!" Clearly, the Moon had it out for me, the sly bitch. Because there was no more hilarious mistake than making that female my mate!
My father sat reclined in a comfortable chair, utterly unaffected by my foul mood. When he could get a word in edgewise, he asked evenly, "Are you ready to tell me why you're having a temper tantrum like a two-year-old and destroying the study?"
I growled and flashed fang.
Instantly, he was on his feet and in my face, a sustained growl reverberating in his chest. Even in his fifties, the man was cut with rugged bulk and muscle, hewn and cultivated over thirty years as Alpha of Adamant Moon. He was respected, and he was feared.
And I wasn't sure if I wanted to duke out my frustrations at the present moment. I could beat him, but it would be painful. And bloody. I sighed heavily, a signal that I was currently not interested in a fist fight, but I might take him up on it later, should my frustration push me over the edge.
He gave a short nod as if understanding all of that nonsense in my head without me speaking, and returned to his chair. He sipped his whiskey and used the back of his hand to wipe away any remaining droplets of alcohol from his salt-and-pepper beard.
I stared at him in contemplation.
Dark eyes glazed over, not seeing the glass in his hand as he absentmindedly brought it to his mouth. He was a contradiction-brute strength, yet irreparably damaged. Because no matter his continued powerful physique, the loss of his mate, my mother, haunted his eyes and vexed his soul, leaving him a shell of his former self.
At least, he'd had a mate he loved, I thought bitterly. The joke was on me. I had no love for my mate. Just a festering disgust and distaste in my mouth that I wanted to spew out, but couldn't quite get rid of. What the hell was I going to do with her when I finally had her? I was so fucked.
And then I stopped, my mind rolling over potential scenarios.
A wicked smirk curled on my face.
I might hate her, but I also might get delicious satisfaction in using up her hot little body to satisfy my deepest carnal desires. Maybe I'd keep her on a pretty little collar. Leashed to my bed. She didn't have to be my mate. She could be my little whore instead.
And when I was done using her until she gave me the only thing she was truly good for, an heir, I would toss her aside or kill her, or whatever was convenient for me at the time.
Yes, that was a much better idea.
Of course, I could do none of that until I captured her. And then, I would also have to wait until she became of age for anything physical, because no matter how big of a prick I was, I had zero interest in touching juvenile shewolves.
Fuck. At this point, I didn't even know her name, let alone her age. She had to still be in her teens. Her innocence had been too evident, too pronounced to be otherwise. I wondered if she'd even shifted yet. My Wolf rumbled his appreciation. He liked her untouched innocence. He licked his lips at the thought of running his tongue over that sweet flesh when we made her ours. I rolled my eyes and told him to get a grip. We still had years to wait.
However...that didn't mean I couldn't enjoy torturing her in the meantime. Nothing too painful for now. More humiliation than anything else. Maybe the collar idea wasn't so bad. Not chained to my but I could find some suitable place to put her on display as my little pet. Hmm...so many possibilities.
My father pulled me out of my dark fantasies. "Do you want some company for the conversation you're having in your head or not?"
I turned to face him, voice razor-edged with sarcasm, "Okay. Here it is. My mate. Wanna guess who she might be?"
Intelligent eyes narrowed as he studied me.
He may have willingly stepped down from his Alpha position, but his intense gaze was still a bit unnerving, particularly when he knew and understood everything about me. I shifted my stance.
After a moment, he said slowly, "So, you've finally found your mate. Why so distressed?"
I grunted a humorless laugh. "Distressed is a teensy bit of an understatement. Livid might be a more accurate portrayal of the chaos in my head right now. Because the young lady in question is none other than the daughter of the late, great Alpha of the Diamonte Pack!"
That caught his attention.
He sat forward, dark brown eyes boring into mine. His anger and fury glimmered on the surface, a result of our longtime feud with the Diamonte Pack. He'd fought against them many years before I had.
A slow, tense moment when by, as if he was waiting for me to admit it was all a sick joke. I wish. When that didn't happen, he sat back and he exhaled heavily, "Shit."
"Indeed," I snapped.
He was too angry to be concerned with my sarcasm now.
He ground his teeth together. "Leander, you have to reject her. Send her away, or imprisoned her if you can't kill her. But she cannot be your mate."
I spoke softly, the burden of the situation wearing hard on my shoulders, "You know I can't do that. It isn't just my future at stake here. You know the potential for the pups that could be conceived through the power of our Claiming Ceremony. Not just mine, but mated pairs who might otherwise never have an opportunity."
He shook his head, lip twisted in a snarl. He hated the idea as much as I did, but he remained silent. He knew I spoke the truth.
This opportunity was rare. It came around once every generation. And only when the Alpha successfully claimed his rightful Luna- no other Wolf would do.
It was the one, and only, time the mated pairs of the pack could conceive without their females being in heat-pure magic for those wolves who were unable to achieve heat or had tried multiple times without success.
And the pups conceived during the Claiming Ceremony were different. They were more powerful, had more strength. Some even had unique gifts. All pups were cherished, but these pups were coveted. Even just a handful of them could change the future of the pack.
The process was physical and raw and messy but a responsibility I took seriously.
As soon as I marked my female, the clock started ticking. She would go into heat exactly four weeks later. When her heat began, we would be sequestered and alone in a small cottage. There was no need to reinforce it to keep out any unmated males because the entire pack of mated pairs would gather around the exterior, protecting and waiting.
Listening. And when they heard their Luna's first cries of orgasm, their celebration would begin.
Inside the cabin, my Luna and I would engage in a three-day fuck-fest. Not only would I come inside of her to create our pup, but we would work to ensure that our combined essences, hers and mine together, were spread over our skin. Arms, legs, torso, everywhere we could.
From my father's description, the texture and scent would be different during these three days -sweet, not salty, and silky smooth, not sticky. We'd rub it in like some supernatural magical lotion and let it dry.Outside the cabin, the mated pairs would feast and dance, day and night, excitement building, looking forward to the final night when we would emerge. And when we came out, we'd literally be swarmed, the females to her and the males to me, eager to transfer our combined essence of love-making from our skin to theirs. And the more they gathered, the better chance they had of conceiving, so it usually became quite physical.When we had transferred all we could from our skin to theirs, the mated pairs would break away and copulate. Hell, most of them probably wouldn't even make it home before they coupled together. Sometimes in fur. Sometimes in skin. Or a combination of both.The scent of our sex would be so thick in the air by that point, it would drive their primal natures wi
I motioned toward one of my enforcers. "Get her down and do as I promised. Prepare her body. Find out if she has any family who wants her remains. If not, we'll include her in our mourning ceremony." Not a ceremony I was looking forward to. Many of our wolves also perished in the battle. I hated losing any Wolf, but the events of today needed to happen.I waited until they removed her body from the room. And then focused on the remaining two men. The taller one had dirty blonde hair and glared at me in the same fashion as the female had. But he didn't have that rare special spark of loyalty she had. Still, he would be the more difficult one between the two to break.Getting right in his face, I made sure he paid attention and fully understood my words. "I'll give you one chance-and one chance only-to tell me what I want to know. How can I find her? Where would she go? She couldn't have just disappeared. I have wolves combing through the woods, and there's no trace of her. Surely, a ju
**Three Years Later**Hycinth (age 18)"Lucky..." I groaned, sounding a bit too close to a whine for my preference. I cleared my throat and began again, edging my voice with firmness, "Luca Diamonte, you need to pull yourself together. We have clients in less than an hour." A muffled voice came from behind the bathroom door, "Patience, Cinn."Growling under my breath, I turned on my heel and paced into our small kitchen. Coffee was clearly necessary today. I placed the single-use pod inside the Keurig and settled my favorite mug-white with black polka dots and a startling orange and red chrysanthemum flower- on the little stand. I set the machine to brew. Two minutes later, my coffee was ready, and Lucky wandered into the kitchen. I gathered the mug and climbed onto a tall stool next to the granite island.Dressed in his usual attire of dark jeans and a T-shirt, he smelled fresh and clean. The scent of his shower gel hit my nose, spicy and aromatic. I breathed in the familiar smell, m
Careful attention was required today. Both tattoos we were working on today were complex with a lot of intricate shading. Complete focus was required for the quality of work we'd become known for.It was the reason we were able to afford our tattoo shop and the loft we lived in above it. After doing a sleeve and chest work for the President of the Grimm Motorcycle Club a year ago, word had spread quickly, and bikers from several states made appointments for custom artwork.I'd always loved to draw. My first job after we'd fled was with a local tattoo parlor. With an ID in hand that said I was eighteen, I certainly hadn't looked it, not with the fresh face and innocence of my true fifteen-year-old self at the time. The owner had been suspicious, but after some trial sketches, he liked my work enough to hire me anyway. I smiled at the irony-I wasn't legally old enough to get a tattoo, but there I was, madly writing in permanent ink on the flesh of every type of client under the sun.Of
Tommy ignored him and continued, "So, the Club is having a little party on Saturday night. Any chance I could convince you to join us? I promise to show you a really good time," he said seductively, his voice low and deep, and suggestively grabbed his crotch for emphasis as if I wasn't already clear on his meaning.Luca snapped, "I swear, you better not have a boner over there...or I'ma throw you out on your ass."Tommy laughed, "Don't worry, I'll keep it in my pants...for now." Tommy was a badass on his own merit, the Grimm MC's Sgt. at Arms, respected and feared. But all humans could sense Luca's animalistic danger. They didn't know what made him different, but they felt the predator inside, and no one provoked him. It was probably another reason we'd garnered so much respect from the surrounding motorcycle clubs.Without warning, an unmistakable smell hit my nose-Wolf!One I didn't recognize!Terror crashed through me. My spine went rigid. Lucky had also caught the scent and was sn
LEANDER'S POVTEXT: We got her. ETA 4hrs.When the text came in almost fours hours ago, I'd stared down at my phone in disbelief. Three long years of searching had gone by, and I was beginning to think I'd never find her. My little mouse had been clever in hiding herself, indeed.But not clever enough.Now she was mine.My brain spun, anticipation lighting up every cell in my body. She would be there any minute. Finally!I wondered what she looked like now. I'd only had one fleeting glimpse of her as she hid behind her father in the middle of the chaos, fire, and hatred burning in equal measures. Heart shaped face and pert nose, strawberry blonde hair whipping about, caught up in the rushing wind of the flames. And those eyes-deep blue with iridescent flecks like a mountain lake whispering the reflection of the moon.That one glance had been seared into my brain.So innocent.So young.But she wasn't a juvenile anymore. By now, she'd shifted, and was a fully matured shewolf.No longer
"Shit!" breathed Ever."Motherfucking bitch!" The eyes of his Dagger's Wolf glowed black, menacing. He raised his hand to smack her."Do it and lose the arm!" I snarled fiercely, my body now vibrating with fury.How dare he raise a hand to her?I wasn't playing. If he hit her, I had no doubt I would remove his limb from his body. As it was, it took everything in me to hold my Wolf back from shifting and ripping out his throat.Again, Dagger's shocked expression met my feral one. He put his hand down, but the fury didn't leave his features.The little mouse bounced lightly on her toes like a boxer, eyes darting all around, calculating her next move. Even my father sat forward in surprise as he watched her.I wasn't sure what to say to calm her down, so I focused on Dagger again, looking at the claw marks on his face and blood on his shirt. His nose also looked a bit distorted. "What the fuck happened to you?"Tension rolled through his large frame. His jaw twitched as he spoke through
HycinthThe feeling of being in his arms overwhelmed me, shocked my senses, rattled my brain and made a funny flicker of excitement run up and down my spine, right into my core.I hated it. I hated what he did to me, what the bond did to me. Because I hated him.And the feeling of his obvious desire, stiff and hard and shockingly bigger than I wanted to consider, pressing against my belly, was enough to make my Wolf wantonly moan. Her thoughts were clear. Want him. Want our mate. She was ready to go belly up or ass-up or whatever position he might want us in. All of them were good to her.She'd been slowly dying, suffocating, without the love and family of a pack. She needed no coaxing. She was happy to let him lead. She flourished and came alive under his dominance.I, on the other hand, hated him.I tried to remind her that it was his fault we had no family and pack. He'd destroyed our mother and father...with his bare hands. And he'd demolished everything else until there was nothi