Chapter 10: More Than a Charity Case

The Lycan Enforcer ~

~ANNABETH'S POV~

He moved his hand to the buttons of his shirt, tearing them open in a haste. As he pressed his bare chest against mine, rubbing his lower body against me, the sensation was overwhelming. The heat of his skin against the thin fabric of my shirt was too much. I wanted to be closer. I wanted to disappear into his strong arms that traced every part of my body, I wanted to feel every part of his manhood on me but I also wanted to fight this strange feeling off. I couldn't let him do this to me. This was wrong. I hated him.

But just as he moved to pull my shirt over my head, a loud bell rang, the sound echoing over of the whole place and I shuddered, realization hitting me in what I was doing. What I was about to let him do to me.

"No!! Get off of me!" I tried to push him off from me angrily and he obliged without fighting back.

He got up and wore his shirt back, buttoning it up just below his chest.

A loud ringing echoed through the stone walls, followed by an unknown voice that made my blood run cold.

~KAEL'S POV~

The stone walls of my lair usually offered me a cold, silent clarity. But tonight, they felt like they were closing in, accompanied with the sweet sound of Annabeth’s heart.

Ever since I had stepped out of the SUV at the Red Moon Pack, and scented the air around her, my Lycan had been clawing at my ribs. The mate bond's pull was like a physical ache, a magnetic force that made every inch of my skin crave her touch. I had lived a century as a cold, calculating Lycan, but with just one whiff of strawberry and lavender, it turned my strong discipline into dust.

In the forest, when I saw that rogue wolf circling her, my control was at the brink of slipping. I wanted to tear the world apart for daring to frighten my fragile mate.

Now, inside the dim glow of the lair, I almost lost control.

Her scent was like a drug to me, thick and intoxicating in the small space. As I pressed her into the bed, my Lycan roared, demanding I claim what was mine. I tore my shirt open, needing to feel her skin against mine, needing to erase the distance between us. My lower body brushed against hers, and the friction sent a jolt of primal lightning through my spine. I leaned down, my teeth grazing the sensitive skin of her throat, my mark screaming to be placed.

I was seconds away from changing both our lives forever when the brass bell of the perimeter gate shrieked through the room.

The sound was like a stab through my chest.

"No!! Get off of me!" Annabeth’s voice was sharp, filled with a sudden, panicked clarity that cut through the haze of my desire.

I recoiled instantly. My Lycan snarled in protest, pacing behind my ribs, but I forced my muscles to obey. I stood up, my hands trembling as I fumbled with the buttons of my shirt. I felt like a man waking from a dream, flushed, raw, and dangerously close to taking what was mine.

The communicator on the wall buzzed. I stalked over to the landline, my voice a hissing snarl as I picked up the receiver.

"I told you never to ring this line," I barked.

"Enforcer, it’s the North Gate security," the guard’s voice crackled, sounding small and distant. "Alpha Lincoln of the Blue Moon Pack has sent an urgent missive. There’s a border dispute on the eastern ridge, and many blood has been shed. He’s requesting the Enforcer's presence at first light to mediate before it turns into a complete bloodbath."

I closed my eyes, leaning my forehead against the cold stone. "Tell him I received the message. I will be at the Blue Moon borders by dawn. Do not call this line again."

I slammed the receiver down and turned back toward the door. I needed to leave. I needed the cold mountain air to settle the fire in my blood before I did something we both regretted.

"Stay here," I said, my voice sounding hollow even to my own ears. "You’ll be safe in here until I return."

I reached for the heavy metal bolt, but a small, soft hand caught my wrist and I froze.

"Don't leave me here," Annabeth whispered. Her eyes were wide, still clouded with the remnants of the heat we had shared, but there was a new, raw vulnerability there. "Please. It’s too quiet. It’s... it’s like a tomb. Don't leave me alone in here."

I looked down at her. Usually, I would have brushed her off. I was the Enforcer, I didn't take requests. But the bond flared, not with lust this time, but with a deep, crushing wave of protective instinct. For the first time, the connection didn't feel one sided. I felt a flicker of something from her, a tiny, fragile spark of trust that she was trying to hide from me.

My Lycan went still, pacified by her touch.

"Fine," I growled softly, my hand covering hers on my wrist for a brief second. "Come. You’ll be coming back to the mansion with me then. But you have to promise to do everything I ask this time."

I saw the defiant look in her eyes while her mouth spoke, "Fine."

I knew she was lying.

~~~

The walk back home was silent. By the time we reached the glass walled foyer of the mansion, the moon was high up already.

My werewolf friends, Chad and Victor were waiting by the grand staircase, their arms crossed. They took one look at me, disheveled, shirt half-buttoned, and then at Annabeth, who was practically swallowed by my oversized cardigan, in my arms.

Victor let out a low whistle, a suspicious look in his eye. "Back so soon, Kael? And you brought your 'pet' back to the main house? I thought you both would never return."

Chad stepped into my path, his expression uncharacteristically serious. "Kael, forgive me for asking but... what is going on with you? Look at how you’re holding her. You’re being... affectionate. This is more than just a charity case, isn't it? What is this girl truly to you?"

I came to a dead stop at his question. The air in the house grew heavy as I flared my aura, a warning for them to back off. I looked at my two oldest companions, the only wolves I truly trusted, and saw the genuine worry in their faces. They weren't judging, they seemed genuinely confused.

I remained silent for a long beat, the truth sitting on the tip of my tongue. "It is for the best if no one knows the details," I finally whispered. "Not yet. I'm pretty sure the Council is already looking for a reason to find a weakness in me since my appointment by the King."

Victor’s eyes widened as the realization hit him. He looked at Annabeth with a new sense of awe, a slow smile spreading across his face. "Goddess... a mate. You finally found her."

Annabeth hid her face behind my clothes, shying away from their stares.

~~~