When twenty-year-old Jane Albright arrives at the unwelcome conclusion that her life is absolutely aimless, mundane, and downright futile, she makes a rash decision to leave all she's ever known, along with her human zone, in search of a fresh start...
"Ah...of course, silly me," she enunciates dryly, ripping another chuckle from me. "It's not funny. Exploiting another being's thoughts, actions, and memories with your words is dangerous and invasive."
"I wholeheartedly agree, which is why I rarely use it unless absolutely necessary." She cocks her brow in disbelief. "On my love for you, I'm telling the truth. I have not once used it on you or anyone in decades." Her mouth drops open while her brows furrow. "It is dangerous, and I strongly discourage my shifters from using it—unless—"
"—absolutely necessary. Got it!" Jane smiles and returns to my hair. "Alright. You've got me guessing again. She was swooned by your persona and called out MATE! for all to hear?" she laughs, thinking she's made a joke, as I remain serious. Her eyes catch mine—"C'mon! No!" she huffs in disbelief. "And you just allowed her to claim you like that?"
"Yeah, I did." I scoff at the dumbfounded look. "Without needing to go into great detail that quite frankly is irrelevant at this point, it was necessary to play along. Besides, the story she conjured up was quite comical."
"Such as?" The aura around us shifts while I moisten my lips, biting back a smile.
"In private, away from wandering ears, she told me she always knew I was her fated. That our connection was unique, and the calling came to her."
"Calling?" her lips twitch as her eyes search mine. "I don't recall learning about a custom regarding some calling."
"Well, it's rare indeed," I snarkily reply, reaching to run my hands up the back of Jane's shapely legs. A million fireworks alight while a soothing hum emanates from my Luna. "It's the one I received when you were born." My lips move to kiss her between her plump breasts. "It's comical for several reasons, but mainly because I knew I was already fated, and it sure as hell wasn't with Reeva."
"And yet you played along?"
"Wouldn't you?" I fire back. With a huff, she nods, agreeing. "Reeva was well-rehearsed, feeding me such obscenities. Saying she was my fated Luna and that together we would conquer the rest of our country and the world—thinking I was power-hungry—"
"You're not?" Jane's teasing tone has me smiling as she continues to clip away as I hold her tightly.
"I associate power-hungry with evil. I do not think of myself as evil but rather as an Alpha wanting to do right by his people. I did not conquer lands because I wanted more but because the packs were mainly mistreated and in dire straits. Eventually, my sights turned to the human zones, only to find lacking leadership and biased patriotism." My lips twitch as her eyes tear ever-so-slightly. "I never imagined I'd become the Alpha of the North, but once I started to see the turbulence, I couldn't stop. I couldn't, in good conscience, face my fellow Alphas, knowing the harm they were bestowing on their people."
"So, you're a vigilante?" Another snip as my lips tip into a ghost of a grin.
"Naw, I've killed for the fuck of it..." She pauses and looks down at me. "Just not the innocent." Her hum has me smiling more as her eyes leave mine—another snip before I feel her fingers threading and pulling at my locks. "Jesus, that feels so good," I purr. "I've wanted to cut it for fucking years—decades, really."
"Why didn't you?" she questions before snipping once again.
"The time has finally come," I answer truthfully, leaving Jane guessing from the look she's casting me. "There is a force who has been plotting against me for some time due to my unorthodox ways. Now that you've entered the mix and the Swinish Spawning is quickly approaching, it'll be sooner than I thought before they make their move." I sardonically smile, eagerly awaiting the redundant birth of the next battle—a battle that will lead to unnecessary death and the demise of many allies.
"Silas..."
"Do you understand why I've danced around your questioning?" I slowly stand once Jane steps back to eye me. With a tiny nod, I smile. "I will keep you safe and protected, Jane. Once my world has returned to normal, I will come for you only to announce to our people who their rightful Luna truly is. We will live a long and fruitful life together—this is my solemn oath to you."
"And if you die?" I want to laugh, but I won't. Her overall persona is fragile as a million thoughts surely run through that brilliant mind of hers.
"Then I'll come back from Hell and avenge you."
"That's not funny—"
"—I'm not laughing." Taking a deep breath, our atmosphere shifts from serious to thick with heroism. "I will come for you, come hell or high water, now that we've found one another. It may take a month, year, hell—who knows, but I will come for you, Jane."
"What if I run?" her big eyes flutter up to mine. "If it becomes too much."
"No amount of distance or obstacles will keep me from you. Your scent is etched deeply in my soul, and I will find you." The music softly swirls around us, as does Jane's heavy breathing as her eyes stay deadlocked with mine. "Don't test my wolf, Jane. He will mark you; once that happens, you belong to us indefinitely."
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