Chapter 4

Axel’s POV

When the Goddess’ blessing descended on Hannah and Jax, I let out a sigh of relief that I did not know I was holding.

The impending mating with Hannah had been a thorn in my side that I could not get rid of.

She was loud, flirty and flashy, constantly rubbing in everyone’s faces that she was going to be the next Luna and Father had not made me the official heir yet.

But I had not argued with Father because I knew better.

You can not argue with the Alpha’s orders.

Then Chloe rejected mating me right to my father’s face.

“Must be nice to be Jax,” my best friend and future Beta, Tony said as we watched the chaos unfold from the balcony. “Having two beautiful women fighting over him.”

Chloe had already lost the battle. There was nothing she could do to insert herself into a mate bond that the Goddess had already blessed.

“Another poorly raised daughter,” I remarked as she kept refusing Father’s order. She really did not know when to stop.

Father only grew angrier and I wanted more than anything to tell him to stop. He could just find me another mate from one of our many allied packs.

But I knew he was acting in the interest of the pack.

So I stayed silent on the balcony, waiting for the outcome of the mess.

When Father decreed their punishment, Tony sighed. “I knew that was going to happen. What are you going to do now, Axel?”

“Someone from the clan leaders, I guess,” I replied, the idea settling in my chest with discomfort.

Marrying one of the daughters of the clan leaders meant a lot of extra politics. Just thinking about it gave me a headache.

I had wanted one of David’s daughters because despite all their attitude problems, they were less likely to have ulterior motives for approaching me.

Besides if they ever tried going rogue, their family and friends were right here in the pack, within my control.

“I guess that is that,” I said, straightening. My eyes were still glued to Chloe as her and her parents were led away.

Rather than fear or panic, her face was the epitome of determination. I could even go as far to assume I saw a hint of victory.

“Where are you going?” Tony asked.

I waved him to stay at the party with his mate. “Home. I have some work to finish up.”

***

My wolf could not sit still in the office so near midnight, I found myself walking into the forest.

“You have thirty minutes,” I said, taking off my clothes.

He burst out of my skin with urgency and started to run through the trees.

Tension that I did not know that I was clinging to eased off my body. We were about to circle back when I caught the hint of terror in the air.

I followed it until I emerged near a hidden lake that I had never been to in all my time in the pack.

Three men stood in front of the rogue over a young woman on the floor. I instantly recognized her scent, despite the blood mixing with it.

Chloe.

Instantly, the rogues pounced on me instantly. When the first blade cut me, I knew that this was going to be a problematic battle.

I was no longer healing as quickly as they continued to slash at me.

Just before one of the blades could find my heart, the person holding it was knocked down by a medium-sized brunette wolf. She tore into him with pure rabid instinct.

When he was finished, she turned on the next person. Slowly, we finished off the rest of the rogues.

As she finished off the last one, I let myself drop to the ground.

Around me, I could hear shuffling then a wet snout nudged my stomach. My eyes opened when she tried to push me into the water.

My wolf bristled like a fly was bothering him as he walked to the water. I shifted and was cleaning off the blood on my body when she fell into the water.

“Is she mad?” I muttered and lifted her from the water. If she could not swim, why did she enter the water at all?

When she started to help me clean my wound, I was willing to admit that I might have misunderstood her. She did not seem like an idiot who would challenge authority just because she could.

I could swear she had laughed when I asked her if she had feelings for my brother.

My gaze went to the rogues for the umpteenth time. She has handled herself so easily, nothing like the weak girl he had been told about.

And I needed a Luna for the Alpha banquet. If not, it would be a disaster like the years before this with everyone throwing their daughters at me.

Chloe’s performance fighting the rogues tonight took me by surprise; she was nearly the strongest unwed female in the pack.

If Chloe proved herself to be capable at the banquet, it would pave the way for me to get to Father's title.

“Why don't you give our bond a chance?” I blurted before I could realize what I had even said.

She turned around and looked at me, her eyes searching my face to see if I was serious.

I could almost hear the wheels turning in her head as she thought about my offer.

“Okay…but I want it in writing.”

I caught my smile before it appeared on my face.

These were trivial matters, and I would grant her such small wishes.

When I left the lake, I remembered that she had shifted.

Wasn’t she seventeen? How could she shift already?

Tony waited for me when I walked through the door of my mini suite in the pack house. He looked up from his videogame. “Huh. Where did you go?”

“Forget about that,” I said, slipping on a shirt that hung on the back of one of the chairs. “Tony, what do women like?”

My best friend leaned closer. “That is not a question I expected you to ask.”

“Answer me,” I insisted.

“Depends.” His smile grew wider. “If you tell me what it is for, I can give you an idea.”

I felt like I was digging myself into a ditch but he had a mate. He probably knew better about things like this.

“I want to give Chloe a courtship gift.”