Chapter 6

Samantha’s Pov

I gulped as I listened to his words.

“You knew we were mates, didn't you?” I asked.

He studied me for a while before nodding.

“Why didn't you say anything?”

“Would you have listened?” he countered. True… but he had no right to keep it from me.

“Let's get you back to the castle.” Alpha Luca carried me in his arms, and we left the woods.

‘So much for escaping. This is our mate, Sam. The moon goddess has granted us a second chance, mate.’

‘Our mate rejected us and left us with the despair of our children. Alpha Luca might be mean and not who we wanted, but the moon goddess must have a reason. We should stay here, get stronger and better,’ Aldrina finished.

If I stay here in the Silver Rose Pack, I won't know what my fate will be—or what could happen. How do I act around Luca? How can I be sure this is not just a measly mistake from the moon goddess herself?

“Get down,” Luca instructed, snapping me out of my thoughts.

“What?”

“We're back at the castle.” I looked back at the back door I had run out through minutes ago. My hands still clung firmly to Luca’s neck, and I turned my gaze back to him.

“Get down, Samantha.”

“Oh, right.”

I stood on my feet and reached for the knob but was stopped by his large hand on mine. “Let's run through some ground rules.”

“You are a stranger in my pack and, surprisingly, my mate. My people have no idea who you are, and I don't plan on informing them.”

“What’s your point?” I snapped.

“You act like my muse while you stay here, and keep your sharp mouth shut.”

“What do you mean ‘act like your muse’?”

“My lady of the night…”

“So, your personal whore then?”

He grunted and cornered me by the door. “Yes, if that’s easier to understand. To everyone, you are my muse—the King's woman or whatever you want to call it. But to both of us—we are mates.”

“So, do we have sex?!” His eyes trailed down to my exposed cleavage and snapped back up immediately.

“No. Although… if you want that-”

“I’d rather be mated to a tree.”

He chuckled. “Vepetta, if that’s your kink, then you don’t have to hide it with me-I’ll understand. Are we clear?”

“Crystal.”

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We finally found our way back into Luca’s chambers, and with me sitting on the bed, he looked unbothered as he searched through his drawers in silence.

“Am I going to stay locked up in here every day?”

“No,” he said, turning to face me with cotton wool and antiseptic in his hands. “Sit still. Your wounds need to be treated.”

He approached the bed and sat down in front of me, holding out his hand. “Your leg?”

I stretched my left leg out for him-giving him space to do his thing. He rested my leg on his hips and poured the antiseptic onto the cotton wool with graceful movements. Alpha Luca doesn't scare me—he excites me, but in a dangerous way. The way his fingers felt on my skin as he applied the first aid—not rushed, but rough and warm. The way his eyes scanned my bruise—inspecting—as if he’d missed a spot that needed cleaning.

The tingling feeling I got when he did that.

‘I know he's sexy too, girl. This man is fine!’ Aldrina screamed in my head. My wolf is probably the most sex-starved wolf I have ever come across.

“There… all done,” he said, smoothing the plaster in place.

His fingers brushed my thighs, and I lost all sense of speech. This is crazy… this sudden attraction I have for him. It must be the mate bond, it has to be.

The door swung open, and a blonde woman in royal attire stood there, staring at both of us with wide eyes. “You brought her back!”

Luca eyed her, unperturbed, and stashed the items away in the first aid box. The woman closed the door and walked over to the bed.

“You told me you were going to get rid of her!”

“Plans changed.”

She laughed hysterically, her eyes darting between me and Luca. “What plans?! That wasn’t what we discussed.”

“You didn’t come to my room to shut down my kingdom, did you? Plans changed. I didn’t dispute what we discussed.”

“What discussion?” I asked.

Luca looked back at me. “Oh, mind my manners. This is my sister, Melissa. Melissa, this is Samantha-my muse.”

Melissa’s eyes went wide in shock, and she looked back at Luca. “Your muse? As in, your lady of the night? You don’t have muses!”

“I have one now. You’re not being very nice to my guest.”

“Oh God, Luca! If this gets out and the council and people find out about this, they won’t be pleased!”

“I know. Now leave. I’ll come find you later,” he acknowledged.

Melissa looked back at me with eyes full of spite and hatred before turning to the door and leaving the room.

“Your sister doesn’t like me at all.”

“You can't blame her. It's not like people from Black Rose like her much either. Don’t worry about it; she’s not mad at you.”

“How do you expect people to react to the news about me being your muse? From what your sister said, you don’t have muses.”

“I do… just not every day,” he paused. “In this sense, I usually have muses for the night—ladies I’m drawn to after every party. I take them into my room and…”

“Sleep with them,” I finished.

“More than that. I can do anything I want with them,” he said, looking at me dauntingly.

“Things like what?” I whispered.

“You’ll find out tonight… You have to get ready.”

“What? What’s happening tonight?”

“I choose my mate, as our tradition says, but we made a deal, and I’m not one to go against my word.”

“So?” I pressed.

“I won’t be choosing a mate in front of my people tonight—I’ll be choosing a mistress, a muse, my lady of the night. I’ll be choosing you instead.”