What The Moon Made Me Do

By the time we reached Silverclaw Pack, I had already grown tired of people staring at me.

The guards at the gate barely acknowledged Freya before their eyes shifted to me. I ignored them and followed her into the sitting room, where she left me waiting.

I hadn't been there long when the room fell silent.

Alpha Tristan Silverclaw walked in, dressed in black, his expression cold and unreadable. His dark aura filled the room, and his Alpha energy pressed against my senses. Everyone seemed to feel it. The servants lowered their heads, and even the men accompanying him stood a little straighter.

My wolf stirred inside me, suddenly restless.

Tristan barely glanced at the room before turning to Freya. There was no warmth in his eyes, not even the courtesy of a smile.

“How was the journey?” he asked.

“It was fine,” Freya replied, though her posture stiffened under his gaze. “My mother has gone to see to the wedding arrangements. The ceremony is in two days, so everything should be ready on time.”

“See that it is.”

His response was brief and cold. Freya instinctively leaned back when he stepped closer, then quickly straightened as if annoyed with herself for reacting.

I almost smiled. Freya loved making other people uncomfortable, but apparently, her future husband could do the same without even trying.

Tristan's gaze shifted to me, and one eyebrow rose.

Freya followed his eyes. “This is Ariella Vale, the surrogate I told you about. She'll stay here until the baby is born, and she won't interfere with our lives.” Her gaze swept over my body. “Though, with her size, I hope staying out of the way won't be too difficult.”

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Insulting me seemed to be Freya's favourite hobby.

Meanwhile, my wolf was becoming increasingly restless. She paid no attention to Freya's insults, keeping all her focus on Tristan.

What's gotten into you?

She didn't answer. She only grew more agitated beneath his powerful Alpha presence.

I blamed intimidation. Tristan was the kind of man who could make an entire room nervous simply by walking into it. Surely my wolf was just as overwhelmed as everyone else.

He gave Freya no further attention before turning and leaving with his men. The room seemed to breathe again once he was gone.

Freya relaxed her shoulders and smoothed her dress, pretending she hadn't been affected by him at all.

I glanced toward the doorway, still struggling to settle my wolf.

Whatever her problem was with Alpha Tristan Silverclaw, I hoped she'd get over it soon.

****************************************************

I tossed around in bed for hours, unable to sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw my mother’s face. I kept thinking about the house we’d left behind, the bills we still couldn’t pay, and my younger siblings, who had no idea how close we’d come to losing everything. I’d tried to convince myself that coming to Silverclaw had given us a chance, but the guilt wouldn’t go away. I missed them so much that tears slipped down my cheeks before I could stop them. Eventually, I gave up on sleep and climbed out of bed.

I pulled on the short nightdress I’d packed without thinking, then quietly left my room. The estate was silent, and I didn’t expect to run into anyone, so I followed a narrow path through the gardens until the trees opened up ahead of me. There, hanging above the trees, was a huge, bright full moon. I stopped and tilted my head back, closing my eyes as the cool air brushed against my skin.

The moon always stirred something inside me. My wolf rose beneath my skin, restless and eager, and I let her share in the strange rush of energy filling the night. For once, I wasn't thinking about my family, Freya, or the wedding. I was simply enjoying the moment when something hit me hard enough to knock me onto my back in the grass.

My eyes flew open.

Blood-red eyes stared down at me.

Tristan.

Except, he didn't look entirely human. His Alpha wolf was closer to the surface, and its power was terrifying. I barely had time to gasp before he caught my wrist as I tried to scramble away.

“Alpha,” I whispered. “I was only taking a walk. I'm going back to my room.”

“You're not going anywhere.”

His voice was low, but there was no mistaking the command in it. I swallowed, struggling against his grip.

“Please let me go.”

Instead of releasing me, he stared at my face. Something changed in his expression, and his entire body went rigid, as though his wolf had suddenly recognized something neither of us understood.

“Ariella.”

“Alpha, you're frightening me.”

“I know.” His jaw tightened. “But I'm not letting you leave.”

He leaned closer, his forehead nearly touching mine, and his Alpha presence washed over me. My wolf reacted instantly, rising beneath my skin, but it wasn't fear that drove her. It was recognition, so strong that I sucked in a sharp breath. Tristan did the same, his red eyes locked on mine.

For a moment, neither of us moved. Then his grip loosened, giving me the chance to pull away. I didn't. Instead, my fingers curled against his shirt, and whatever restraint he had left seemed to snap.

He kissed me.

The kiss was intense, catching me completely off guard, but my hands found his shoulders instead of pushing him away. My wolf answered his with a force that left me breathless, and suddenly, I couldn't think beyond his scent, his warmth, and the strange pull between us.

When he finally lifted his head, his forehead rested against mine.

“Tell me to stop,” he murmured.

My heart hammered against my ribs. I knew I should have been afraid of what I didn't understand, but when I looked into his blood-red eyes, all I could manage was his name.

“Tristan.”

His eyes closed briefly before he kissed me again.

“Tell me to stop.” he said agai, even though i knew he had to be struggling to even speak...

I couldn't respond...

Fuck it... why wouldn't my wolf listen to me? This is not the time to be making this kinds of mistakes. 

He pushed inside me in one deep thrust, stretching me until my back arched and my fingers dug into the grass. He paused, forehead pressed to mine, before moving in a slow, controlled rhythm that soon grew harder. I wrapped my legs around his waist, pulling him closer as pleasure built between us.

“You feel like you were made for this,” he murmured against my cheek.

I couldn't explain how long we had been there... like that... under the moon...

At some point, I wasn't sure I was the one there...it was almost like my wolf completely took over my senses...

My body tightened around him as my climax hit, leaving me trembling beneath him. He slowed briefly, then picked up the pace, his control finally slipping. With a few more deep thrusts, he buried himself inside me and came with a low growl against my neck.

He stayed close, breathing hard, his forehead resting against mine. The grass was cool beneath my back, the moon bright above us, and neither of us spoke for a long time.

For the first time since arriving at Silverclaw, I wasn't thinking about Freya, the wedding, or the family I'd left behind. I was thinking about Alpha Tristan and what the fuck we just did...and whatever  connection there was between us.

Because fuck... Nothing could undo what had happened between us.