4

Artemisia

Before my panic can rise drastically, I calm myself down, as his scent must have been enough for me to spot him as my second chance mate. And even if his scent is mouthwatering, it isn’t screaming mate.

“Is that a quirk of yours?”

I look at him confused, finding him smiling.

The hell?!

“Erm… what?”

“You do that pretty often. Also, during the ceremony.” His eyes fall to my lips, and I remove my hand swiftly.

“Oh, yes. Sorry, it’s… I do it without thinking.”

“Don’t worry.” He says, directing his eyes back to the lake as he leans back on the bench. “It’s adorable, actually.”

My heart beats so fast, that I risk deafening at the loud thuds in my ears. “Oh… Thank you.”

I’m glad that he is looking at the lake as I must be looking like the most embarrassing tomato on earth.

As I risk a look, I find him watching the surface of the lake concentrated. And I must say that he is quite the eye-catcher. It’s not only that he is tall and broadly built but also his squared jaw, the dark expressive eyes, and the high cheekbones that must set every she-wolf under a spell. The way the moon shines on his features has him looking even more gorgeous.

And now you are drooling.

He clenches his jaw shortly before he turns to me, lifting his brow. The action tears me out of my daydream, but I guess it is too late to regain some of my decency.

Goddess, he must be able to hear my heartbeat go crazy.

So embarrassing.

“You are the daughter of Alpha Franco, right?”

“Yeah.” I spit out, maybe a bit too loudly.

As if I was answering the question of my favorite teacher enthusiastically.

“I’m his favorite, actually.”

Goddess, can’t you stop me?!

His chuckling anew makes me feel less stupid, even if it doesn’t take my wish for a black hole to swallow me this instant away.

“I bet on that.” He jokes, making my heart sing.

“But honestly, I’m so lucky. My brothers are the best, even if they are too protective most of the time.”

“Well, if I had a sister like you, I would probably lock her up somewhere to keep her from all the creeps around.” I laugh out loud, and he shakes his head. “Seriously. I would have nearly started a war at Ricky-boy just breathing in your direction.”

I’m fighting for air as I crack up while he just smirks at me. “Oh, Goddess!”

I push out a deep breath and wipe a tear from my eye. “I don’t think anyone wants to risk a war with you, Alpha Blackwood.”

“Cayden.” He growls, making me stare at him wide-eyed.

He didn’t really ask me to be on a first-name basis with him.

‘And we will be thankful for this opportunity and not decline it to bring shame upon ourselves and our pack.’ My wolf says disparagingly, and I gasp as I haven’t heard from her since the day we were rejected.

“Sure, erm… Alpha Cayden.” I feel my face heat up as he leans in, growling. “Drop the Alpha.”

Oh, dear.

Caressing a strand of hair behind my ear, I push down Cassy whimpering in my head.

“I’d be honored to, Cayden,” I say, feeling as if my tongue had become numb.

“All my pleasure, Missy.”

Shivering pleasantly, I force myself up to escape this situation before I do something to trouble my parents even more.

“Do you have a place like this on your pack lands too?”

As he catches up with me leisurely, my heart starts beating faster in my chest.

The moonlight touches the surface of the lake, creating a romantic scenery. His face gets kissed by the rays of light that illuminate his left side, taking my breath away.

It takes me a few seconds to realize that his looking at me as well. We stay silently for what seems like an eternity, and at one point I think that I must be dreaming. His eyes get black, leaving just single golden flecks to swirl in his irises.

I gasp, and as I’m about to take a step back, he is faster to stop me from it, grabbing my forearm gently. I get captured by his intense gaze, losing myself completely.

As he takes a step forward to stand even closer, I gulp. I’m a bit confused that I don’t feel any sparks on my skin as his touch feels heavenly.

“Cayden?” I whisper, watching him leaning closer.

But he stays quiet, his lips nearing mine slowly. My heart hitches in my throat, and I close my eyes waiting for his lips to touch mine. I feel his warm breath fanning me, making me heat up even more.

His lips have barely grazed mine as a loud growly tears me out of my trance.

Cayden seems unfazed by the threatening roar as I look at him but looks just deadly annoyed. Turning my head to the origin of the sound, I find one of my brothers clenching his fist with his chest heaving.

“What the fuck, Blackwood!” He shouts, his wolf fighting for dominance.

Cayden straightens his spine unimpressed, while I panic.

And what stupid timing, idiot!

‘Go away, idiot! What are you doing?’ I mind-link him, getting his angry expression to turn on me.

“Don’t dare to talk to me like that after I found you in such a bad position!” He roars, making me mewl.

So embarrassing.

But Cayden chuckles, apparently unaware that my brother is about to attack him. “Chill, Guerrieri! You are interrupting! Don’t you have some cake to eat?”

Oh, you can’t be serious.

Seeing my brother about to pop off, I stand in his way, trying to calm him down. “Zeno, please. You have to calm down. Don’t…”

“Don’t tell me what to do!” He growls, charging past me.

“No!” I shout panically, as I turn around, not able to stop my brother, who is shifting midair.

Turning around, I’m just in time to see Cayden blocking my brother and swinging him into the lake as if he were made out of hay.

He didn’t even shift partly, turning to look at my now struggling brother swimming in the lake back in his human form.

I run to stand next to him wide-eyed as my brother reaches the shore on the other side of the lake slowly.

“Oh my God! I’m so sorry! He is such an idiot!”

Cayden flashes me a gorgeous smile, his canines flashing in the moonlight. “Don’t worry. You told me you were their favorite!”

That makes me smile, and I shake my head while lowering my gaze to prevent him from seeing me blush. As my eyes set on his arm, my breath hitches.

“Oh, no! You are hurt!”

He clicks his tongue, lifting his arm. “Ah, no. It’s just a scratch. Don’t worry.”

I slip my stole from me to wrap it around his arm.

“Really, Missy. Don’t worry. There is no need to ruin your dress!”

Pressing the cloth to his wound which probably has already closed by now, I feel strangely agitated.

“Really!” He repeats, laying his hand on mine. “Missy.”

Taking a deep breath, I feel his touch calming me, and slowly but surely this is creeping me out.

He smiles as I look at him, feeling excruciated.

“You smell nice.” His husky whisper, hits me right in the heart, making my chest squeeze.

A clearing of a throat gets me to jump once again, meeting my brother’s eyes. “Are you alright? What happened?” Giorgio asks worriedly.

His eyes narrow as he sees Zeno walking back around the lake slumped and dripping wet.

“It’s my fault, Alpha Guerrieri,” Cayden says, and I look at him surprised. “I made a stupid joke. And he just wanted to protect his sister’s pride. I’m sorry for the fuss I created!”

Giorgio doesn’t seem to be convinced about what Cayden is saying, but he knows better than to accuse an enemy pack’s alpha of lying.

“No worries, Alpha Blackwood. I’m sorry if my brother wasn’t able to react like a grown adult to a joke.”

After a lot of diplomatic back and forth between the two, Zeno finally reaches us.

“Chiedi scusa!” I hiss at him, making him distort his face. [Apologize!]

Zeno sways back and forth, acting childishly, but as more and more people join us at the lake, he finally gives in. “I’m sorry, Alpha Blackwood!”

“No, please. I apologize as well.”

Cayden taps my hand gently before he steps away to meet his pack members standing a few steps away from us.

I watch him, rooted to the ground while Giorgio is reprimanding Zeno. As the group of men has reached the side of the house, about to disappear, I detach myself from the ground and run towards his broad back.

“Alpha Blackwood.” I cringe internally, as I call him, reaching him with fast steps. He turns around looking at me unamused, and I get immediately what angers him.

“Cayden, sorry.” While he smiles lightly, my stomach turns at the hateful glances I get from his entourage. “Thank you. For what you said to Giorgio. I hope you can forgive my brother and not think that badly of us.”

“Of course, Missy.”

He is about to open my stole bandage when I stop him. “No, please. You can keep it. I won’t be wearing this dress anymore anyway.”

I force a smile as he sighs happily, “What a pity. It looks stunning on you.”

“Oh, thank you,” I say, feeling my cheeks heat up.

With another smile and a slight bow, he turns around, his baritone seeping through my skin.

“Good night, Missy. Thank you for the tour.”

I blink several times before I get myself to speak. “All my pleasure, Cayden.”

“Good night,” I add in a stutter, hitting my leg with my fist repeatedly.

So, embarrassing.