4. Red-haired woman

Blake

-A Week Ago-

When I woke up the morning after the party and took a deep breath in, I stretched my arms, and the burn from my romp the night before remained. It was good ache, one that had really put a smile on my face. Just thinking about what we’d done bringing the heat and longing for my mystery date right back, causing me to tingle from head to toe.

To his credit, David—my beta—had really outdone himself this time with my birthday bash. Not only had kept the drinks flowing as we’d danced with all the hottest babes from the pack…but he’d brought me a she-wolf from outside our circle that had really caught my eye. Her scent more inebriating than any other that had ever wafted my way. And the best part about it is she’d made it to my bed.

Mmm, maybe she’ll be down for round two, I’d thought to myself as I rolled over, expecting to see her there. However, as I turned over to say good morning and tried to work my magic, I was met with an indent on the bed where she’d been, her scent lingering, hanging in the air and teasing my senses.

Confused as to why she’d leave without saying a word—especially after the night we’d had—I checked the nightstand for a note or a number, and found nothing. Frustrated, I I jogged down the hall to the bathroom, hoping to possibly find her there, but just like my bed it was cold and empty.

I sighed to myself as I looked in the mirror, a disappointed frown on my face. She was gone…the woman of my dreams, vanished into thin air. And the worst part? We’d been so drunk, I never even caught her name.

I scrambled back to my room, quickly shuffled through my pants, and pulled my phone from my pocket. It was still pretty early in the day, but there was this pull, this yearning and hunger for that she-wolf that had left so much as a goodbye. I had to know who she was. It wasn’t just a want at that point, but a need.

“Blake?” David mumbled sleepily from the other line.

“Hey,” I said, suddenly realizing that I had to get the info without sounding like an overexcited pup. David may be my best friend, and my beta, but there’s no room for any sense of weakness in our pack. We may have fun as Blood Moons, hell we may be a little less traditional than most. But a pack alpha foaming at the mouth over some woman would make me sound like I’m losing my edge. The problem was, however, that everything inside of me screamed that this wolf was my mate, my wolf felt it too… and there was no way I could just let her walk away.

“Is everything alright?” David asks, letting out a loud yawn.

“Oh, uh yeah,” I replied. “Just wanted to thank you for that vixen you brought over last night.”

“Oh the redhead, yeah she was a complete smoke show,” David said with a little chuckle. “I’m guessing it went well?”

“Better than well,” I replied with a toothy grin. “What about you?”

“Eh, I got a little too hammered,” David chuckled. “I’m going to be feeling it for a while.”

“Yeah, I feel that,” I agreed as I took out a piece of paper, picked up a pencil, and began to draw her as we spoke. “I need a favor.”

“Can it wait until tomorrow?” David asks. “I am in no condition to be out and about.”

“Actually….no,” I reply. “I hate to do this to you, but it’s really, really important.”

“Alright,” David sighed. “What do you need boss?”

“I need you to find that girl you sent over,” I replied, and the line went quiet for a minute. “You there?”

“Y-yeah,” he stuttered ever so slightly. “It’s just… I kind of just found her while I was out one day and invited her.”

“What? Really?”

“Well yeah,” David said. “I looked around, prowled some bars and stuff… I know red heads are your type.”

“You know me too well,” I replied. “You didn’t happen to catch her name, did you?”

“The girl? Nah,” David replied, and I felt my heart drop. I had no name, no pictures…

A picture!

I rustled through my desk drawers next to my bed, found my sketchbook and pencils, and sat down in my office chair.

“Let me call you back, “I said to David.

“Take your time,” he said with another big yawn before letting me go. I set down my phone and I began my drawing of the wolfen goddess I’d been with, looking over her shoulder at me like she had the night before when I’d taken her from behind.

As I drew her, I’d thought about sketching in the crescent moon birthmark on her back, but it was a little too low. It felt far too intimate a detail to share with anyone else, especially when I felt so strongly she was mine. I just wanted to make sure the drawing was good enough to help him identify her by her face anyways.

I took a picture of it, and sent Damien a text:

This is her. Find her ASAP.

You got it, he texted back, and the search was on.

David scoured high and low, infiltrating every pack around, looking for the girl in my sketch. He’d even gone so far as going to the royal city and asking around there, but unfortunately he’d turned back up without much luck—which wouldn’t do.

I was starting to lose hope in those few days, my mind a whirr as I waited impatiently, trying to put my trust in David that he’d find her as they seemed to drag on for an eternity. I knew I needed to just ride it out and have faith, and when he’d finally returned, I was shocked at the results of his intel.

“She’s Leopold’s daughter,” David said as he slid my drawing across the kitchen island towards me, causing me to drop one of the grapes I was snacking on into the bowl.

“Leopold? As in the Alpha of the Silver Moons?”

“The one and only,” David replied. “Her name is Raven.”

What a lovely name, I’d thought to myself, thrilled she was found but still in shock about the discovery of her family line. I didn’t know whether to hold tight to that excitement, or be disgusted, given our families long lasting and at times bloody rivalry, going back what seemed like centuries.

“You’re fucking lucky I’m good at blending in, or else I could have been ripped to shreds at the dive bar I got the answer from,” David said as he took a seat across from me on a stool.

“I can’t believe you invited a Silver Moon here, David!” I replied incredulously, a mixture of shocked and embarrassed that I felt so strongly about one of them. Could I really be in love with a Silver Moon whelp?

“Well, I didn’t know,” he’d said with a shrug. “It’s not like they wear jackets advertising it.”

“Ha, ha, so funny,” I replied, rolling my eyes. “Well, there’s no helping it then.”

“Helping what?” David asked.

“Obviously, I’m going to have to go talk to Leopold,” I said as I put the grapes in the fridge, and when I turned back to David, he looked like I had two heads.

“You want to talk to Leopold?”

“Yes,” I said. “Is there a problem?”

“Besides the fact that he wants you and all of us dead? Nah, nothing wrong at all,” David replied sarcastically as he reached into the fridge and pulled out a bottle of wine.

“It’s noon,” I said.

“The world is going tits up right now,” David replied as he went to the cupboard and got a glass, pouring the ruby red liquid into it. “I think I deserve a drink.”

“David, I know this seems crazy…”

“Seems is an understatement,” David replied. “More like is.”

“I can feel it David,” I said quietly, feeling a bit embarrassed.

“Feel what exactly?”David asked, sipping his wine.

“She’s my mate. My Luna,” I replied, feeling a bit nervous even saying it out loud.

“Really?” he asked. “You’re sure that some random rival pack chick is the one?”

“Do you really think I would talk to that piece of shit otherwise?” I snarled, and David’s eyes widened a bit.

“I’m sorry,” David replied. “I don’t mean to argue against your truth, Blake, it’s just—“

“—Trust me, I know,” I replied. “But she’s all I can think about. I need her.”

Silence fell upon the room once more, and then David gave a little nod.

“Alright, I’ll see what I can manage,” David groaned. “But it won’t be easy.”

“We will do what we have to,” I insisted. “Raven must be mine.”

***

“I want ten shipments of your finest weaponry,” Leopold said as we sat down as his desk, the point of which to negotiate his daughter’s hand in marriage. It had taken nearly a week of begging for an audience with him for him to accept, but finally, there I was. Right in front of one of the deadliest wolves in all the land.

“Ten?” I asked, shocked at the amount.

“Yes, ten,” Leopold replied rather smugly. “You are asking for my daughter’s hand in marriage, after all. And our packs aren’t exactly friends.”

“Ten it is,” I said with a smile, extending my hand out ready to shake his. But he just stared at it.

“I’m not done,” Leopold growled in annoyance. “My daughter is worth far more than ten shipments of weaponry.”

“Name your price, and I will pay it,” I replied, making sure to match his energy, wanting him to know that I was still a rival alpha, and I wasn’t intimidated.

“Anything?” Leopold asked, a shit eating grin on his face.

“Within reason,” I replied, and his smile dimmed ever so slightly.

“I also want costal trading rights in your territory, including near the prime marketplace at the edge near the royals,” Leopold continued. I hesitated only for a moment. The thought of having his ships so close to my people, floating and competing amongst us seemed harrowing. But if it meant having Raven for myself? I was willing to do it.

“Deal,” I said, and Leopold stuck out his hand and shook mine tightly. “Hopefully this will start a new age for us, Blake.”

“I should surely hope so,” I said with a smile as Leopold let go of my hand and clapped loudly to the side of his head, a maid quickly shuffling into the room and bowing at the doorway.

“Yes, Alpha Leopold?”

“Be a dear and bring Raven out,” he replies, his gaze her way very cold and emotionless. I had heard from many he was considered the “ice alpha”, and I was starting to get the feeling that the stories about him weren’t just fairy tales.

“As you wish,” she replied, scurrying off down the hallway, her heels clicking quickly with each step.

As I waited there with Leopold in his massive office in strained silence, I found myself buzzing from head to toe. Only a few more moments and I’ll get to see her again, I thought to myself. As the minutes ticked by, it seemed like an eternity, until finally she appeared.

Her red hair was up in a messy, braid wrapped bun, ringlets framing her freckled face. Once I saw her, all the longing I’d felt, all those yanking hunger pains crying out to just be near her were quelled. Fed purely by her presence, warmth, and beauty.

“This is Raven,” Leopold said, and Raven bowed to me, but her smile seemed strained.

“Afternoon Alpha Blake,” Raven said to me, and her awkward smile widened. What was most odd though, was when she’d looked at me, her eyes did not seem to flicker with one iota of recognition.

“Afternoon, Raven,” I replied happily, thought I was unsettled by the look on her face. One would think after the rambunctious and intense night we’d had, and with the grin my own face, she’d return the energy. But she stood there, politely smiling back, and that was it. But despite the awkwardness between us, the sparks inside myself felt inside were still real.

I found it a little odd, but to be fair, we had both been really drunk that night—and I imagined that she didn’t want to signal to her dear old dad that she knew me before that moment. So, I decided to indulge her as I stepped forward, took her hand in mine, and gave it a gentle peck.

“It’s nice to meet you,” I said, and as I pulled away, her aroma wafted into my nose… that same spicy aroma I had smelled before, but somehow… different. It was only slightly, however, and I chocked it up to the booze from the night before tainting her scent when we’d met.

“You as well,” Raven said, her soft smile the same as I’d seen during our night of heated passion, momentarily shooing the apprehension out of my brain. All I knew was Raven had to be my Luna, my mate to claim, as and I was going to do whatever I could to win her heart.