《Spellbound》 Prologue 1 Luna Penelope was wandering around the home she shared with her husband, Alpha Daniel. "Baby, come sit down. You''re making my wolf anxious." "Ican''t,Dan! I''m dying of boredomsince you asked me to step back from doing as many Luna duties during this pregnancy. Which I still do not forgive you for, by the way. I am going stir crazy." "Alright, alright. you haven''t taken one of your nighttime walks in a while. Why don''t you take a short walk? Would that help?" "Really?! Yes, it would help a ton. I won''t be long, I''m sure this little boy will be bouncing on my bladder soon anyway. I''ll stay away from the border, don''t worry about that. I''ll probably just go walk around the lake behind the house and come back. I love you!" Daniel just chuckled and shook his head as his wife hurried to put her shoes on. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "I love you, too, Baby. Be careful." --------- Penelope was practically vibrating with excitementby the time she reached the lake. This was exactly what her and her wolf, Melody, needed: some fresh air under the moonlit sky. She sat down to rest her feet and enjoy the peaceful night. She was so relaxed that shedidn''tnotice the presence beside her until it was too late. ------ Daniel glanced at the clock andnoticedhis mate was gone for longer than he expected. He was starting to worry. She knew how protective he became after they found out she was pregnant, and he knew shewouldn''tstay out very long. He got up off their couch and walked out the door to go look for her. He stripped his clothes and tied them to his leg before shifting into his light grey wolf. Tracking her scent, he headed towards her favorite spot. Reaching the edgeofthe water, he lost her scent. No, hedidn''tlose it. Itjust vanished. He ran around the lake twice, hoping to pick it up along one of the other banks, but when hedidn''t, he began to shake. How could she just disappear? He threw his head up towards the sky and let out a long, sorrowful howl. His mate was gone. His mate, pregnant with their first pup, was gone. Prologue 2 "Talia! Can you quit staring at my brother for 30 minutes and help me finish this project? It''s due tomorrow." "Carly, can you not embarrass for once? The guys are sparing, and I was taking mental notes..." "Don''t act like it''s some big secret that you have a crush on my brother. It''s been this way for our entire lives. Can we finish the project?" Talia Lawrence has had a crush on Carly''s brother and soon-to-be Alpha, Cameron Michaels, for as long as she can remember. It truly isn''t a secret, even Cameron himself knows it. He makes no unnecessary comments when Carly brings it up because he sees how uncomfortable it makes Talia. He''s uncomfortable, too, but for an entirely different reason. He doesn''t like that Talia is embarrassed, but he can''t help but love how her cheeks flush and she pouts out her bottom lip at his sister every time. Cameron has a crush on Talia, too, but he''s done a fine job at hiding it. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. At least, he thinks he has, no one has ever said anything to him. He wouldn''t admit it, of course, because werewolves tend to not date before finding their mates. It''s just makes things awkward when someone turns 18 and isn''t mated to their current significant other. There are exceptions, of course, but Cameron isn''t one of them. He has waited this long for his mate, he can wait a little longer. With his 18th birthday right around the corner, he will soon be able to find his mate, as long as she''s also 18. But Cameron is secretly hoping it''s another 2 years before his wolf finds his other half. In 2 years, Talia will be turning 18, and for the last few years, he''s been hoping she''s his mate. He can hold out that long. She''s worth waiting for. -- Meanwhile, a young woman sits just behind the tree line, watching the exchange between friends. She''s had her eye on the future Alpha for years now, and if she has anything to say about it, he will be hers, mates be damned. She''s not strong enough yet, but she will be soon. She just hopes it''s before he finds his mate, because that will make things a lot more difficult. Authors Note Hi!! This is my first story ever. I love constructive criticism, so please point out any spelling errors, plot holes, etc. but please be nice! I''ve been getting back into reading werewolf stories, and I had a dream one night about a story like this. So I decided to try my hand at writing. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. This story is completely my own. Any similarities are coincidence. Any images I use are not my own, they were gotten from Google. This story is only posted on Wattpad and Royal Road. I hope you all enjoy! I don''t really have a plan for a schedule for this. I will try to update twice a week, but will most likely be releasing chapters as I finish them. This story was started on Wattpad so I will release quite a few chapters all at once. Then it will slow down after I''ve released all the chapters that I''ve released on Wattpad. Chapter One - Talia "Come on, Talia, you know I''ve liked you for a while. Why won''t you just go on one date with me?" Warren asks me. Warren is the son of the current Gamma. It''s a good thing the Gamma position isn''t a birthright in this pack, because he is so not Gamma material. Cameron already has his Beta and Gamma chosen, and, if I didn''t know any better, I''d say Warren is still grouchy about not being picked. He seems to be more insufferable since that announcement was made 2 weeks ago. Cameron is set to become Alpha in the next few week after his father steps down. I let out a sigh before responding. "Warren, I''ve lost count of how many times we''ve had this conversation. I. don''t. date. period. Have you ever seen me even so much as show interest in a guy? I''m waiting to find my mate. Why is that so hard to understand?" It''s really not a hard concept. I just wish he''d get it through his thick skull. "Oh, please. I''ve seen you show interest in someone, alright. The same person you''ve been obsessed with since we were in diapers. You really think Cameron is going to be your mate?" Well, shit. "Fuck off, Warren. Just because I had a little crush on him when we were younger, doesn''t mean I''m obsessed with him. And I''m choosing to ignore the back-handed insult that I''m not good enough to have an Alpha as a mate." I snap at him. He doesn''t have to know he''s right. I''ve gotten used to defending myself against comments about Cameron. I was just trying to enjoy some peace and quiet by the training field with my best friend, Carly, before we start our evening training. I guess that''s over. Carly, being the awesome friend she is, finally comes to my aid. "How about this? A little wager, since training is about to start. You go a round with Talia, first thing. If she wins, you leave her the hell alone about going on a date. If you win, she''ll go on one date with you. Tonight." My jaw almost hits the ground. Did she just offer me up to this idiot without running it by me first??? I am so gonna kick her ass. There is absolutely no way I am going out with Warren. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! You are the Beta''s daughter and on track to be the top female warrior in your class. Why are you concerned? My wolf, Elea, retorts. It''s just the principle of it, El. But I know you''re right. There''s no way he can take us. That''s my girl. Now, let''s show him who''s boss! Leave it to Elea to be my voice of reason while also getting me pumped for a fight at the same time. Glad to be of service. She says with a wolfy grin. "Oh, you absolutely have a deal, sweetheart." Warren says with a creepy smile. "Ew, do not ever call me that again. Gross. Talia, how about you? Sound like a plan?" Carly looks to me, waiting for me answer. "You have yourself a deal, Warren." I hold my hand out for him to shake, and he pulls me to my feet and up against him. I think I even yelped in surprise before shoving him away from me and turning towards the training grounds. Elea is right. As of right now, I am the top female warrior in my class, with only two males ahead of me out of around 40 of us. Warren is not one of those two. I''m pretty sure he''s near the middle. He has the potential to be better, but he doesn''t take it seriously. He only has one more strike to stop goofing around, or the current Alpha is going to be pissed. I''m almost positive he doesn''t know how good I am, or he wouldn''t have agreed to the deal. As we reached the field, Carly turns, "Alright, so the rules are that you obviously can''t kill or seriously disfigure each other. You can fight in either form, human or wolf, but you both don''t have to be in the same form at the same time. And you can''t let your wolf take full control at any time. This is a match between the two of you, not your wolves. Get into the middle, and let me know when you''re ready. I''ll call it." I walk over and stretch a little. I don''t need much, but I''d rather not be sore for graduation tomorrow or my birthday the day after that. Werewolf healing works for almost every non-fatal injury, but doesn''t help at all with muscle soreness. If I''m lucky, I''ll be finding my mate at the graduation party, which just so happens to be on my birthday. Warren struts onto the field, cocky as ever, and stands there watching me. I finish us my stretches and signal to Carly that I''m ready. Warren looks at me, "Are you thinking about where you want me to take you on our date tonight? Or are you maybe thinking about what fun we might get into after the date?" he says with a wink. "The only place you being going after this is the pack hospital." I reply with a smirk. His smile turns into a scowl as he looks at Carly. "I''m ready to get this over with. Let''s go, call it." And she does, with a loud whistle. Warren immediately shifts into his brown and grey wolf, and charges towards me. Chapter Two - Cameron As the future Alpha, I need to be the top warrior. Which means training, training, and more training. I even train outside of the designated times my dad, the current Alpha, has scheduled for me. Which is why I''m currently on the training grounds before dinner, sparring with my chosen Beta and Delta, even though we''re scheduled to train before lunch and after dinner. My Beta, Tyler Greene, gives me a run for my money. He''s a damn good warrior, as he needs to be. My Gamma, Ian Hunter, is near the top, too, but not as close as Tyler. They both train like I do, wanting to be the best of the best. We''ve grown up together, so we''re all extremely close. Tyler is the more laid back of us, goofy and knows how to make someone laugh, but I pissed him off once, and I will never make that mistake again. Ian is always so serious. I think I can safely say I''ve only seen him smile maybe a dozen times. It''s not that he doesn''t have fun, he just doesn''t outwardly show it. I''m hoping he lightens up when he meets his mate. And then there''s me. A good mix of them both, I would say. I can laugh and goof around, but being serious and calculating come easily. My dad raised me to be an Alpha, so I didn''t have quite the same upbringing that other wolves did. I didn''t get to sneak out to parties, barely got to do an extracurriculars in school, girls were never on my to-do list. Even if I would''ve wanted to date, I never had the time. I wouldn''t change a thing, though, because this is who I was born to be. Then there''s my sister, Carly. We''ve always been closer than most siblings. I get shit for it, but we hang out together a lot. I do love my sister, but I''d be lying if I said her best friend didn''t have something to do with that. Talia has always had an interest in me, and I can''t say I haven''t noticed her, too. She''s beautiful with long strawberry blonde hair, and gorgeous green eyes. She''s tall, long legs and just the right amount of muscle. She loves to train and knows how to hold her own, but she''s also kind, compassionate, and funny. I''ve kept my crush on her to myself for a few years, secretly hoping the Moon Goddess made us mates. "Yo, earth to Cam!" I guess I''m a little wrapped up in my head today. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "Sorry, Tyler. What''s up?" "I said, ''you may want to go check out area 3. Carly and Talia just walked up with Warren and his goons.'' I''m not sure what''s going on, but it looks like something is happening." I sighed. "Okay, let''s put a cap on sparring right now and go see what''s up." We grabbed our shirts and threw them on before walking over. We arrived just as Warren shifted and ran towards Talia. I struggled to remain impassive, not wanting to get in the middle of whatever this is. I''ll intervene if I need to. I watched as Talia spun out of the way of Warren''s wolf and swiftly kicked him in the side. He lost his balance and stumbled sideways, but quickly regained his footing. That gave Talia enough time to swing her left hand and punch him in the side of the face. He shook it off and snarled at her, but she didn''t flinch. I could see blood dripping from his mouth. He took off towards her again, and this time, she stepped to her left side, grabbed his scruff and jumped over his back. Using the momentum, she pulled him over towards the right. She landed on her feet and spun around just as Warren hit the ground on his right side. Talia wasted no time extending the claws on her left hand and holding them to Warren''s throat. She had him pinned and he knew it. He bared his neck, signaling that she won, and she backed away with a small smile. He huffed, jumped up, and headed towards the infirmary. I''m sure that kick Talia gave him broke a rib or two, she might''ve even broken his jaw, and he''ll probably be healed by tomorrow, but all of our wolves know they need checked if they have any broken bones. We like to make sure our pack stays healthy, that includes making sure bones set correctly after being broken. Talia stood there and watched him walk away, but before he got halfway to the infirmary, she yelled, "I better not hear you mention wanting to take me out on a date again, Warren. I won, and a deal''s a deal. Leave me alone, or I''ll kick your ass again!" Tyler roared with laughter and I swear I saw he corners of Ian''s lips twitch upward. I''m surprised. Not that she won, but that this whole thing was just about her getting Warren to quit bothering her. I had no idea he was pestering her, I''ll have to ask Carly about it later. Talia watched Warren until he entered through the infirmary doors before turning and beaming in our direction. Good thing I know how to keep my cool, because otherwise, that smile would''ve had me weak in the knees. Okay, so maybe it''s a little more than just a crush. I need to pull myself together. In two day, I''ll know if we''re fated mates. If not, well, I haven''t thought that far ahead yet, so I guess I''ll cross that bridge when we get there. For now, I''ll be a good friend and "baby Alpha" as Carly calls me, and figure out what happened. Chapter Three - Talia "I better not hear you mention wanting to take me out on a date again, Warren. I won, and a deal''s a deal. Leave me alone, or I''ll kick your ass again!" I yelled after him. I''m sure he''ll leave me alone now. I kicked his ass in front of his friends, so his pride is probably damaged. He won''t want to take me out anymore, now I''ll have to deal with him talking shit about me. Whatever, I''d rather have that than feel like he''s checking me out every time we cross paths. I saw Cameron come over right before Warren charged me, but I didn''t let him distract me. If anything, it made me want to show off. At least my racing heart and flushed face can be written off as having just sparred. Small victories, Carly won''t tease me about her brother making me nervous now. I told you we''d win, Talia. You didn''t even have to shift! I know, Elea. You were right, blah blah blah. I internally roll my eyes at her and she snorts. She puffs her chest out before laying down, content with our match. I take a big, deep breath, taking in Cameron''s campfire and evergreen scent, two of my favorite smells, and turn around with a big smile on my face. I quickly take in Cameron''s tall, muscular build, his dark hair, bright blue eyes, and pink pouty lips curved into a smirk. Goddess, he''s beautiful. I looked towards Carly and saw a smile matching mine on her face. I jogged over in between them and swung my arms around both of their shoulders. I don''t even care if I''m sweaty, I''m proud and feeling myself right now. I felt Cameron chuckle under my arm. "Well somebody is proud of themselves," Cameron said. I tried not to shiver at the sound of his voice. "Hell yea, Ren," I said, "I''m tired of him not respecting me when I tell him no. I had to teach him a lesson. It was Carly''s idea, and I''m still not happy about her suggesting it, but hey, it turned out alright." Carly has told me I''m the only one Cameron lets call him Ren. Even their parents aren''t allowed to call him that. So of course, I use it every chance I get. It makes me feel special. I don''t care if that makes me lame. "I''d say it turned out more than alright, Talia. You should have seen the looks on his friends'' faces. It was priceless!" Carly mimicked their shocked faces, mouths wide open and eyebrows raised as high as they could go. "Alright, well, since you just demonstrated your capability, I''ll let you skip training tonight. Go ahead and take a shower, get ready for dinner," Cameron said. Well I didn''t expect that, but I''m not one to look a gift wolf in the mouth. I spared a glance at Carly and she was pouting. I let out a loud laugh and pulled my arms back to my sides. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. "Well thank you, Alpha, I think I''ll do just that," I replied, before heading back towards the pack house. I heard Carly huff and Cameron chuckle behind me. I decided to let Azrai out to run back to the house. I was wearing old training clothes, so I shifted without stripping and took off running. Normally, wolves don''t move into the pack house until they''re 18, but since my dad and the current Alpha are close friends, he told me I could move in a few weeks ago. My dad is the top warrior for the pack, and has known Alpha Daniel since right after he became Alpha. My mom has always been from the Silver Night pack, and she met my dad when his previous pack came to aid Silver Night in a war with a neighboring pack that was attempting to take their land. He was barely 19, but already on his way to top warrior before moving here to be with my mom. He had lost his family a couple years before meeting her, so there was no reason for him not to transfer here. I was approaching the side of the pack house, and heading towards what we call the Shifting Shed. About a year ago, I went to Luna Penelope with an idea. Most of the male wolves are comfortable with nudity, but I know a lot of the females and newly shifted aren''t, so I proposed a little building be put up near the pack house. It''s a long, one story building with 5 stalls that have a curtain in the front for privacy. The stalls are just big enough for us to enter in our wolf forms and shift back to our human forms or vice versa. We keep a half dozen or so robes in each stall, so when we shift back to human, we can grab a robe to put on for traveling into the pack house. There are only a small group of us that usually take advantage of it, so we each have a robe we typically reach for. I headed into the first one, grabbed the curtain with my teeth, and pulled it closed. I shifted and reached for my usual cream colored robe, but hesitated when I saw Cameron''s hanging next to mine. Without thinking, I grabbed his, put it on, and ran out of the stall. Only to run face first into a smirking Cameron. "Talia, is that my robe?" "uh..." Well, this is embarrassing, "...no?" "Did you forget to put yours back in the stall?" He asked, with a knowing look. "Or are you stealing my robe?" "I''m not stealing your robe if I put it back, Ren." I mentally smacked my forehead. Now I all but admitted that I knowingly put his robe on. "Mine is kinda dirty, so I''m borrowing yours, since it''s clean." "Uh huh. So why didn''t you grab yours and take it with you so you can wash it?" I blinked. "What is this, 20 questions? You told me to go shower, and now you''re holding me hostage." I put my hands on my hips and tried to look irritated. Knowing what he does to me, it didn''t come across that way. I know my face is flushed, and my heart is racing. I''m standing in front of him practically naked! And if I don''t get out of here, the images my mind is coming up with are going to get me in trouble. He sees right through me. There''s no way he''s not going to point it out. He chuckles and shakes his head, looking at me with dark blue swirling in his normally bright blue eyes. Wait, what? The only time I''ve seen males look at females like that is when they''re trying to fight their wolf''s lust. Does he feel the same way I do?! "Alright, Tal, I''ll give you a pass. You can borrow my robe, just make sure you bring it back. Don''t trouble yourself with washing it first... I won''t mind." He winked, turned on his heal, and headed towards the house. What just happened! Chapter Four - Talia "No your didn''t take his robe!" Carly gasped, "And then ran right into him!" I groaned, "Yes, Carly, that''s exactly what I just told you happened." We were sitting in my room the following day, Friday, getting ready for our graduation ceremony. "And what did he say?!" "He asked me why I was stealing his robe instead of wearing mine, I told him it was dirty even though it''s not but that it wasn''t stealing if I put it back. He asked why I didn''t grab mine to wash it, and I asked him why he was interrogating me. He laughed and told me it was fine, that he didn''t care if I borrowed it, then he told me to make sure I bring it back, but not to worry about washing it. He was looking at me weird when he said it. Like he wanted me not to wash it. His eyes were swirling." Just thinking about that makes my heart flutter. "Wait, his eyes were swirling? You''re sure???" "I''m positive, Carly. I wouldn''t be able to forget that if I tried." Which is true. I''ve always been attracted to him, but I''ve never gotten even a hint that he felt anything towards me, too. Except in that moment, I felt like he did. "No offense, but my brother doesn''t show interest in females. Not that you aren''t a looker, because you''re hot, but I''ve never seen him give anybody the time of day. Although, now that I''m thinking about it..." She trailed off, not finishing her sentence. I looked in her direction, her eyebrows were scrunched together, like she was deep in thought. "What? What is it?" "He did seem particularly interest in watching your fight with Warren yesterday. Like he couldn''t take his eyes off of you. Even when Warren left and headed towards the infirmary." "Don''t do that, Carl." I said, using the nickname she hates. I saw her flinch. "Don''t add fuel to the fire. Don''t make me feel like there''s evidence he has feelings for me, too, because I don''t want that. I only have to wait one more day to find out if we''re mates or not, and I don''t want to spend it anxious. Only to be disappointed when we aren''t mates. I''m already worked up enough." Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. "Sorry, Tal, but you asked me to finish my sentence!" "Only because you started the sentence." I rolled my eyes at her. "Alright, alright, I''m sorry. I know how worked up you are about tomorrow. I shouldn''t have said anything. How cool would that be, though, you two being mates. I mean, once I get passed what being mated to him actually means," she shuddered, "it would be super cool to have you be my actual sister! Well, sister in-law, once you tie the knot, but that would be awesome." I chuckled, "Trust me, I know. I''ve thought about that, too. Let''s finish getting ready, so we can get this ceremony over with." ----- Graduation went off without a hitch, thank goodness, and we were free! High school was behind us, and I couldn''t be happier. Not that I had a terrible experience there, but I was glad to be done. I was ready to start the next chapter of my life. At first, we were going to have a big pack BBQ, but with my birthday being the day after graduation, my dad asked Alpha Daniel if we could just wait until Saturday to do it, instead of having 2 separate parties. Silver Night always has a BBQ for pack members on their 18th birthday. Sometimes, if birthdays are close enough, we wait until after they''re all passed to do it. So if there are 3 birthdays within a week, we''ll just wait and have the party on the Saturday after them. Otherwise, there are times we would be having BBQ''s 3 or 4 times a week. Our pack is pretty big, which means lots of kids. To say I''m nervous is an understatement. I honestly don''t expect to sleep at all tonight. "Hey, would you want to have a girls night tonight? We can grab a bunch of snacks, watch scary movies, whatever." "Oh my gosh, we haven''t done that in forever, that''s a great idea. But I have a feeling it''s not because you miss me. I think it''s because you''re too nervous to sleep, and you don''t want to be up all night, laying in bed, and by yourself." Carly knows me so well. "You caught me. Guilty as charged." "Knew it. I''ll be there at 8. And I''ll bring all my stuff to get ready in your room tomorrow, so we can get ready together." "You brought it over today, and left it scattered all over my room. How much else could you possibly have to bring?" Organized is one thing Carly is not. There is make-up, hair products, and her clothes all over my floor. I''ll be surprised if I don''t break my neck on my way to the bathroom when we get back. "You''re right, I''ll just have to grab my dress." We made it back to the pack house and she veered off to her parents house. Her dad offered to let her move into the pack house early, but she wasn''t ready. She was enjoying being the only child home, since Cameron moved into the pack house a few years ago. I sighed and made my way upstairs to try and put my room back into some sort of order. ----- Carly showed up at 8, and before long, we had demolished all of our snacks and watched 2 scary movies. With Carly snoring in my bed beside me, I finally drifted off to sleep. Chapter Five - Talia I was rudely woken up by a hand smacking me across the face. My eyes shot open and I realized Carly had rolled over and flung her arm towards me, her hand connecting with my cheek. I groaned at her loudly. "Caarlyyyyy!" "Yes, I want donuts!" She shouted, still asleep. Uhm, okay. I rolled over and glanced at my phone, checking the time. I shot straight up. "Carly! It''s 1 o''clock, get up! We missed breakfast!" I paused. "And lunch!" "Ugh, five more minutes, Mom..." She mumbled, still mostly asleep. I grabbed a pillow and smacked her with it. She jerked and threw herself right off the bed. "Ow! What was that for?!" "We missed breakfast and lunch, dude. It''s 1 o''clock. We need to shower and start getting ready." I threw the covers off, stood up and stretched. "Why don''t you go see what''s left over from lunch, grab us something and come back. I''ll go take a shower first while you eat, and then you can shower after me. I know the party isn''t until 5, but it''s gonna take me a while to get ready. I''m not looking like a bum if there''s a chance..." I didn''t finish that sentence. Carly knows what I didn''t say. My heart start to thunder in my chest. There''s a chance I find my mate. There''s a chance it''s Cameron. There''s also a chance it''s not Cameron. "If there''s a chance you might end the night in my brother''s room?" She said, wiggling her eyebrows at me. "Ew, that''s a mental image I didn''t want. ANYWAY, yea, I''ll go get us some food. be right back." I wasted no time heading to the bathroom. This is going to be an everything shower, I''m pulling out all the stops. I turned on the shower to warm up while brushing and flossing my teeth. With the water hot, I stepped in and sighed. Nothing like a scalding hot shower to calm the nerves. After shampooing twice and conditioning, I shaved, exfoliated, washed my body, rinsed everything again, and turned off the water. Stepping out, I grabbed my towel and dried off before putting on my lotion and wrapping myself in my robe. Walking out of the bathroom, I saw Carly on the floor, eating a sandwich and chips. And, of course, making a mess of chip crumbs. I swear, that girl is the messiest person I''ve ever met. "It''s about time you came out, you''ve been in there for like 45 minutes. This is my second sandwich and I was starting to eye the ones I made for you." Honestly, I''m probably too nervous to eat anyway. "But also..." She reached behind herself and pulled out a cupcake, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" She yelled. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. "Thank you! But where did you find that cupcake?" She shrugged before answering. "I stole it from one of the containers they have set out for tonight. I figured they''re for your birthday anyway, so why not." I can''t say I''m surprised at that. If there are food or desserts, Carly will take them. I don''t know how she stays in shape with how much she eats. "Of course you did. But I''m going to go out on a limb here and say that you didn''t only take one?" "Who, me? Psh, I don''t know what you''re talking about. It''s your birthday, why would I take one? I didn''t take one. There might be two missing but it wasn''t me." I laughed loudly. I knew it. "Okay, Carly, I believe you." I said, shaking my head. "Thank you again. I appreciate you." I took the cupcake from her, and took a bite. It''s my favorite: red velvet cupcake with cream cheese icing, the best combination. I walked over to the window and opened the curtains to let in the sunlight. I might as well start getting ready. I can''t put it off forever. I finished my cupcake and walked back over to my vanity to start on my hair. I have my hair dried and straightened when Carly finally wandered out of the bathroom, done with her shower. She''s lucky she has naturally gorgeous curls and doesn''t have to do anything except brush it. I''d kill for hair like that instead of my naturally frizzy disaster. She plopped down in front of my mirror to start her make-up. I decided to just go with a natural look. I don''t normally wear much make-up, it feels too heavy on my face. So I ended up with just a light smokey eye with mascara, light blush, and nude pink lipstick. It should match my dress. I decided on an ankle length white dress with a black curvy line all over it. The spaghetti straps and cut out sides shouldn''t be a problem, since it''s late May and fairly warm in the evenings now. I paired it with a set of strappy black wedges. I looked over at Carly after exiting my closet and took in her outfit for the night. She decided on a baby blue romper with a scoop neck and long, lace sleeves. The bottom half had ruffles, and she paired it with white, strappy sandals. She''s bigger on make-up, so she had some dark blue glitter eyeshadow on her lids, with white shimmer above it, winged eyeliner and mascara, contoured cheekbones with light blush, and dark nude/pink lipstick. I went to stand beside her in the mirror. "We look amazing! Now let''s go!" She was bouncing with excitement, but my stomach was in knots. We headed out to the party. It was a nice evening, not too warm but not chilly either. There were maroon and silver directions everywhere, our school colors. The tables to the right of the field were covered with all different kind of food, and the tables to the left of the field were surrounded by chairs. a stage was set up at the front, with speakers for music, and tons of room for dancing. There was a bar set up somewhere, but I''m not a drinker, so that wasn''t a concern for me. We were walking through the dance area when I noticed Cameron standing near the stage on the left. Well, here goes nothing. As we walked towards him, a slight breeze came from behind us and I watched Cameron freeze. He turned to look around, and his wide eyes met mine. I was faintly aware of Carly stopping in her tracks beside me, but I didn''t care. I finally reached Cameron, and stopped right in front of him. It was like we were the only two people there, everyone else faded from around us. My heart was pounding and I could hear his racing, too. We stood there staring at each other for at least a full minute before we both opened our mouths to speak at the same time. "Mate." Chapter Six - Cameron I spent way longer than I care to admit picking out my clothes for tonight. I stood in my closet for probably close to 30 minutes, looking through my clothes. My wolf had been acting anxious since watching Talia go up against Warren on Thursday, pacing back and forth in my head, but not saying anything about why. Well, other than ''I don''t know'' when I ask him what his problem is. Osiris, if you aren''t going to relax, I''m gonna block our connection. You are making me jumpy. I''m sorry, Cam. I don''t know what has gotten into me. I''m nervous about something, but I don''t know what. I''ve never felt like this before. Alright, well just try to keep the pacing to a minimum, please. Is it a bad nervous feeling? I do not believe it''s a bad nervous feeling, no. I''ll curl up and take a nap. Maybe that will help. Let me know if you figure out the cause of your unease. With that, I went back to searching for what I was going to wear. I think I''ll settle for something simple. I grabbed my black bootcut jeans and a black t-shirt. I grabbed my dark orange button-up, put that on over the tee, and rolled the sleeves up to my elbows. I slipped on my black combat boots and laced them up, fixed my hair, and I was ready to head down to the party. I left my room and saw Tyler leaving his room at the same time. He was wearing light wash ripped jeans, a dark blue collared shirt, and dark blue sneakers. His curly, highlighted hair was actually styled nicely for once instead of unruly and everywhere. He loved these parties. He always drank too much and ended up on the stage, dancing like a fool. Everyone tried to slow him down, but by the end of the night, without fail, he was drunk. And that''s saying something because werewolves need a lot of alcohol to get to that point. I''m sure tonight is going to be no different. "Hey, man. What''s up? You have that look on your face," Tyler asked. I pulled my eyebrows together in confusion. "What look? I don''t have a look." If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "Yes, you do. You make a certain face when you have something on your mind. Something is bothering you." "I don''t know. It''s not really anything. My wolf has just been pacing in my head for two days and it''s driving me insane. He doesn''t seem to know what''s wrong either, just that he feels uneasy. But he says it''s not a bad uneasy. He''s never acted like this before and it''s kind of freaking me out," I told him. "Hmm. Wellllll, let''s go get drunk and then he won''t be able to stand, let alone pace!" He suggested. That''s a hard pass for me. I''m going to be Alpha soon. Heavy drinking is a big no-no for me. Hell, it should be for him, too. But I''ll let him have his fun now because when we are sworn in and he becomes Beta, there will be no more partying like this for him. "You know what I''m going to say, Ty. I don''t drink and you know that. And you better enjoy it while it lasts because after the swearing in ceremony, you won''t be drinking anymore either. You know the Beta has to be on his A-game. Unless you''d rather party, then I can find myself another Beta. Or maybe I''ll ask Ian if he wants your-" "NO! No way, Cam. I''m not planning to touch the stuff after we''re sworn in. Which is why I''m having my fun now. You don''t have to worry about that," he promised. We made our way out through the big wooden doors of the pack house and around the back where the party was being held. My Mom always enjoys planning these. They never look the same either. She''s always had a knack for decorating and this party was no different, with beautiful white and maroon flower centerpieces, tables lines with silver tablecloths and maroon table runners. She had several dozen arches placed around the entire field with white, silver, and maroon balloons. Tyler and I walked up to the front by the corner of the stage to meet up with Ian. He had his usual jeans and dark grey t-shirt on, with black combat boots only half laced. He was wearing his usual stoic expression when he greeted us, but I completely missed what he said because, right at that moment, the wind shifted and I caught her scent. I froze. Talia. Except, it was different. She''s always smelled sweet, like vanilla and cinnamon, but this time, it practically made my mouth water. I could feel Osiris prancing around in my head. Human! I figured it out! Mate! I was anxious because we are going to find mate! I can smell her! I was vaguely aware of Ian asking me if I was okay as I turned my body towards her. She was staring at me, with her big, beautiful green eyes. I''m sure my expression mirrored hers. She was walking towards me and I felt like I couldn''t'' move. Osiris wanted me to go to her, but my feet felt rooted to the ground. She walked up to me and stopped. We stared at each other for what felt like forever. My bright blue eyes, swimming dark as Osiris tried to come out, staring into green eyes swirling with gold as Elea tried to take control. I could feel my heart beating out of my chest as I tried to find something, anything, to say. We both seemed to find our voices at the same time, and the only thing we could think of to say was, "Mate." Chapter Seven - Third Person Cameron reached his right hand up to brush a piece of hair back off her forehead and tuck it behind her ear, the sparks tingling both his fingertips and her face as he did. He cupped her face and let his eyes roam over her expression. Talia stood there, soaking in the tingling as his hand dusted down her face to stop on her cheek. She had never felt happier, never expected the mate bond to feel like this. Her entire life felt meaningless before this very moment, like she was living in a fog, and now the fog had lifted. Everything seemed brighter, even as the sun was setting. She felt her eyes fill with tears. "Talia..." Even her name sounded different, rolling off his tongue. "Cameron," she breathed out. "You have no idea how long I''ve been waiting for this moment. No idea how long I''ve been hoping you were my mate." Cameron finally admitted it. He didn''t have to hide it anymore, and it felt freeing to admit. He heard Talia suck in a sharp breath. "You... You''ve wanted this, too?" She whispered. "Yes. For a few years now. When I turned 18, I actually prayed I wouldn''t find my mate any time soon. I had no interest in looking for her because I wanted you, so I decided to wait until you turned 18. That way, if it was you, I wasn''t wasting my time looking for someone who wasn''t out there. It''s also why I never showed any interest in anyone else," he explained. Talia let her tears fall. He cupped her face with his other hand and used his thumbs to wipe away her tears. Talia reached her hand up between his arms to slide it behind his head, into the hair at the top of his neck. Her eyes danced around his face, taking in his adoring expression. She believed every word he said. She thought back to every time she caught him looking at her, or how he always seemed to be nearby when she was with Carly. How he''d always sit near them at dinner or would offer to take them into town. They were aware that everyone was watching them, the music had even stopped, but they didn''t care. Talia leaned her head back a little and stood up on the balls of her feet just as Cameron bent his head towards her. Softly, their lips met for the first time, and it was like nothing else mattered as warm tingles erupted across their skin. They pulled back and rested their foreheads together, just enjoying this moment. Talia could feel Cameron lowly rumbling under the hand she had placed on his chest. They pulled away and smiled at each other just as Carly, Tyler, and Ian came up beside them, goofy grins plastered on their faces. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. "Now you know why Osiris was acting weird early, Cam. He knew, subconsciously, that this was going to happen," Tyler said. Cameron chuckled before responding. "Yea, and I thought that was irritating. Now he''s howling in my head because he wants me to give him control. Not the time or place for that." "I''m trying not to think about the implications of what that means," Carly shuttered as she spoke. "I do think you need to let Mom and Dad know, they just got here so they missed this whole show you just put on. Talia''s parents have been watching from across the field, so they''re plenty aware already, but I''m sure Sara and Ryan are dying to talk to you, Tal." "Alright," Cameron said, grabbing Talia''s hand, "we''ll make our rounds. I''m sure they aren''t the only ones wanting to congratulate their future Alpha and Luna." Talia had thought about what it would mean, being mated to the future Alpha, but now that it had actually happened, she was internally freaking out. They walked over to Cameron''s parents and Cam yelled, "Surprise!" as he held up their conjoined hands. The look on their shocked faces was priceless. Penelope squealed as she grabbed Talia and hugged her. Daniel took a second to register what was happening before a slow smile spread across his face. "Son...you found your Luna. And she couldn''t be more perfect for the job. I''m happy for you." He said, grabbing his son and hugging him. Penelope finally released Talia and ripped Cameron from his fathers arms. "My baby boy finally found his mate! I''ve been waiting for this day." She turned to her mate, "Honey, give it to them!" Cameron and Talia wore matching expressions of confusion. "Give us what, mom?" He asked. They watched as Daniel reached into his pocket and pulled out his set of keys. He grabbed two gold keys on a separate ring and worked it off the main key ring. Handing it over to Cameron he said, "We''ve been waiting until you found your mate to give you this. Consider it a mating gift. These are the keys to the cabin by the lake, the one we always went to for weekend getaways when you were a pup. When we stopped going, your mother and I decided we''d keep it for you to have when you found your mate. We had it upgraded right before you turned 18, so everything is more modern and up-to-date now. Congrats, you two." "Wow. I don''t know what to say, Alpha... Thank you doesn''t seem like enough." Talia spoke up first, noticing Cameron was at a loss for words for the second time tonight. "Oh please, Talia. We''re family now. You call us by our names. No more of this Alpha and Luna business." Penelope insisted. "Thank you, Penelope. Thank you, Daniel. I remember going to that cabin with Carly when we were young, but it''s been quite a while since I''ve been. I remember it was beautiful, and I loved going." "Mom, Dad... Are you sure?" Cameron asked, finally finding his voice. "This is a huge gift." "Cam, you need a place to enjoy your mate and grow your family. This cabin is the perfect place for that." Penelope explained. "Now, go. Stop and speak with Talia''s parents, and then go check out the cabin. Come back to the party whenever, we''ll see you later!" And with that, they were gone, mingling with the rest of the pack. "Well," Cameron started, "let''s go see your parents, and then check out our new home, mate." Cameron wrapped his arm around Talia''s waist and they headed in the direction of Talia''s parents. Chapter Eight - Third Person "Oh my baby!" Sara, Talia''s mom, yelled, grabbing her daughter into a hug. "Hi, mom. I guess you saw, huh?" Talia chuckled. Cameron glanced at Talia''s dad, Ryan, and noticed him squinting at him. "I know you''re the future Alpha and all, but you know the drill. If you don''t treat my daughter with respect-" "Dad!" Talia cut him off, turning out of her mom''s arms. "What? Isn''t that what I''m supposed to say? I have to make sure my baby girl is going to be taken care of." He said, his expression going from serious to happy. "I''m just messing around. I''ve watched Cam grow up, I know the kind of man he grew up to be. I know he''ll treat you right, sweetheart." "I will. You don''t have anything to worry about. She''s my mate, and I will spend the rest of my life proving how much she means to me." Cameron responded. Talia turned towards him, beaming. "My parents gave us the cabin on the lake, a gift for finding my mate. I guess they''ve been planning this since I turned 18. We wanted to stop by and talking to you before heading to check out the upgrades they made." "Of course, we''ll leave you to it then," Sara said. "I''m so happy for you two. I know how Talia has felt about you for years, I''m sure she''s dying to get you alone." "Sara, I''d rather not think about them being alone. In a house. With a bed." Ryan said, glaring at his mate. "Ryan, don''t act like you didn''t throw me over your shoulder and take me to your room the very second we met. You didn''t even know my name before we marked and mated!" "OKAY, MOM." Talia yelled, cringing. "On that note, we are leaving." She grabbed Cameron''s hand and quickly dragged him away. "Have fun, sweetie!" Sara replied, much to the dismay of Talia''s cringing father. Talia and Cameron walked hand in hand, in silence for a few minutes, not knowing what to say. Cameron was worried Talia would feel pressured now, after her mom''s statement about marking and mating. He didn''t want her to feel obligated to do anything, if she wasn''t ready. Hell, he wasn''t even sure if he was ready yet. So he broke the silence. "Talia, I''m not sure what you''re thinking, but I want you to know that I''m not expecting anything from you. I don''t want you to feel like you have to do anything you aren''t ready for, just because of what your mom said. We can go at whatever pace you want. I''m with you no matter what." Talia chuckled before answering. "Cameron, I''m going to say this once, even at the risk of embarrassing myself. I have imagined us marking and mating more than once. I''m ready if you are." Cameron''s eyes almost bugged out of his head. Well he wasn''t expecting that. He felt his face heating up at the thought of marking and mating with her. "O..okay," he stuttered, "I wasn''t sure if I was ready, but hearing you say that you are, quickly changed my mind." Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. "Ren, if you aren''t ready, don''t let my desires cloud your judgment of what you want. If you aren''t ready, we''ll wait." She shrugged. They walked in silence another minute or two, Cameron contemplating what she said. He''s been waiting for this since his 18th birthday. Finding his mate, marking her, claiming her as his. And now that she''s actually here, next to him, he''s nervous. Worried he''s going to do something wrong. Embarrass himself. Cam''s wolf spoke up. Come on, Cameron. You''re overthinking it. If you''re too nervous, let me out. I''ll handle our mate. That settles it. Cameron wasn''t going to let his wolf be the one to claim her. That''s his place, not Osiris''. "I''m ready, Tal. I''m just nervous. What if I don''t live up to your expectations?" Talia stopped and turned towards him. She grabbed his face and leaned up for a quick kiss. When Cameron opened his eyes, he saw her smiling. "That''s cute. The big, bad, future Alpha is nervous." He rolled his eyes at her. "Don''t be nervous. It''s just me. We''ve known each other our entire lives. There''s no reason to worry. Don''t forget this is my first time doing any of this, too. We''ll figure it out together." Cameron nodded his head in agreement. "Well then, let''s go." He put his arm around her waist and pulled her close. "I just have to clarify something though." He took a deep breath and asked, "you...can only get pregnant during a heat cycle, right?" "Yes. We don''t have to worry about that for another few weeks though. Marking will trigger them to start, but the first one won''t start until four weeks after, and then they''ll happen once a month. We''ll just need to be careful and use protection during the two days I''ll be in heat." The trail ended and opened up to a beautiful lake. Off to the right was a waterfall raining down off of huge rocks. Talia fondly remembered Cam playing in the ''secret cave'' behind the falls. The small lake was calm, reflecting the moon and stars from the sky. To the left of the lake sat the huge cabin where she remembered staying when she was a pup. The front of the two-story cabin is almost all windows. It has a covered wrap-around porch that held outdoor furniture, a grill, and a tabletop firepit, with huge tree trunk pillars on either side to support the porch roof. The pair walked up the steps, Cameron unlocked the front door, and they stepped inside into the entryway. Through there, the huge kitchen was to the left with the living and dining areas to the right. There was an office and a bathroom located on the first floor. They continued up the stairs, and opened the first door, a bedroom. The door after that opened into a bathroom, the next door was another bedroom. Finally, they opened the last door, the master bedroom. It held a huge king size bed, a small loveseat in front of a large flat screen, and two more doors. Cameron opened the walk-in closet while Talia opened the bathroom. She backed out, closed the door, and when she turned around, Cameron was standing right in front of her. She stood against the door and he moved until he was close enough that she could feel his breath on her face. Talia could feel the heat radiating off of Cameron''s chest. She could hear his heart racing, and glanced up at his face to see him staring back. Talia reached both of her arms up and wrapped her hands around the back of his neck. His hands found their way around her waist and he pushed his body up against her. Cameron ducked his head down and his lips met hers softly. She kissed him back like that for a moment, then slide her tongue out to tease his bottom lip. He groaned as he opened his mouth and his tongue found hers. His grip on her hips tightened and she pulled him impossibly closer. His hands moved down over her butt, and he crouched down to pull up the bottom of her dress. Grabbing her thighs, he picked her up, holding her against the door, kissing her as if his life depended on it. She gently pulled the hair by his neck and they broke apart, breathing heavily. Talia pulled back to see his face, and could see how flushed he was, eyes black with lust. Chapter Nine - Talia "I can smell how much you want me, Talia. Can you tell how bad I want you, too?" He pushed his core up against mine, and I gasped. "Take me to bed, Cameron," I whispered. He turned and carried me over to the edge before laying me down gently, holding himself up on top of me. I could tell he was hesitating, like he wanted me to make the first move before doing anything. Making sure I wanted to continue. I reached down in between us and grabbed the hem of his shirt, pulling it up. He let me pull it up over his head and I threw it beside him on the floor. He pushed my dress up to expose my bottom half and I lifted my hips so he could push it further up. I pushed against his chest to move him back a little, and sat up. He grabbed my dress and pulled it up over my head, exposing me. Now all I had on was my underwear and heels, and I felt extremely exposed. He tossed the dress to the side, never taking his eyes off of me. They roamed over my entire body and I fought the urge to cover myself. He knelt down to remove my shoes, placing kisses on the inside of my thighs while he worked to take my shoes off. He stood back up and kicked his shoes off, too. I reached forward and started undoing his belt and jeans. I unzipped them and pushed them down over his butt. He took over and pulled them the rest of the way down, removing his socks, too. He followed me as I crawled backwards up the bed to lay my head on the pillows, and he nudged my legs apart with his knee. He placed each of his knees behind my thighs to keep my legs open, and propped himself up on his elbows. I closed my eyes as I felt his lips trailing down my neck, leaving soft kisses, until he reached the spot his mark will go. He sucked, hard, and I arched my back off the bed. He growled, feeling my breasts brush against his chest. His hand brushed over my left nipple and down my stomach until he reached the edge of my underwear. Sliding his hand inside them, he brushed his finger over my slit. "You are so wet," he said, voice heavy with lust. He slipped his middle finger inside me, slowly pushing in and out. I let out soft moans as he did, encouraging him to keep going. He added a second finger next to the first, curling them upward inside me, and I moaned louder. "So responsive." I ran my hands over his back, scratching lightly, causing him to speed up his movements. I could feel the pressure building in my core, and when he sucked hard, again, on that spot, I came undone. Arching off the bed again, I rode out the waves of my orgasm as he worked me through it. He pulled his fingers out, and rested back on his elbow. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. He kissed me once and leaned back to look at me. "Do you want to keep going?" He asked. I nodded, not trusting my voice. "I need to hear you say it, baby." Instead of answering him, I slid my hands down to the edge of his boxers, and pushed them down as far as I could reach. I grabbed ahold of him and rubbed my hand up and down over his length, brushing my thumb over the tip. "I want you inside me, Cameron. Claim me, mate with me, make me yours." I said quietly. He pulled back and made quick work of removing his boxers, then sliding my underwear down my legs, tossing them both onto the floor beside the bed. He leaned back over me, and lined himself up with my entrance. Putting his hands under my arms and grabbing my shoulders from underneath, he leaned down to kiss me. This kiss wasn''t gentle. He was rough, wanting access for his tongue immediately, which I happily granted. When he pulled back, I knew my lips would be bruised. "I know this is going to hurt a little, but I want you to tell me if it''s too much, and I''ll stop." He said. I closed my eyes and nodded. "Open your eyes, I want to see you." I looked up at him, and he thrust half his length inside me. I sucked in a sharp breath as he tore through my barrier, and he paused, giving me time to adjust to the intrusion. He leaned down to kiss me, but this kiss was nothing like the last. It was gentle, full of emotion. I reached my hands down and grabbed his thighs, pulling him the rest of the way into me. He broke the kiss and it was his turn to suck in a sharp breath. He slowly started thrusting in and out of me. Reaching down, he grabbed my leg, pulling it up over his hip, encouraging me too wrap my legs around his waist. His hand moved under my lower back, pulling me up to meet him, changing the angle and hitting that spot inside me on every thrust. I was moaning louder as that familiar pressure began to build again. "Faster, Ren." I begged him, and he obliged. It only took a few more thrusts before I was tumbling over the edge again, calling out his name, raking my nails down his back. Coming down from my high, I leaned up and kissed him again as he rolled us over until I was on top. He scooted back, and up into a sitting position, giving us both easier access to each others necks. With my hands on his shoulders, I began rolling my hips and he groaned out my name, urging me to keep going. His grip was tight on my hips, guiding me back and forth. "I''m close, baby, and I want to mark you." He said. I leaned closer to him and bared my neck. He reached his hand up, placing it on the back of my head, and guiding my lips to his neck. I could feel his canines scraping along my neck, and I felt mine descending from my gums. As soon as I felt the pressure of him marking me, I bit down on his neck at the same time. Pain and pleasure exploded all through my body as our orgasms tore through us both. I could feel the bond snapping into place as all of his emotions flooded through me and my emotions through him. I retracted my canines and licked his mark closed as he did the same to mine. After marking and mating, we laid next to each other, enjoying the warmth and tingles dancing across our skin. He kept his face hidden in my hair as he whispered, "I love you..." I couldn''t help the big smile that spread across my face. "And I love you, Ren." Chapter Ten - Cameron "Do you think we should go back to the party?" Talia asked me, crawling out of the bed and heading towards the bathroom. I have no idea how long we''ve even been gone, but I couldn''t care less. I was still on cloud 9 after marking my mate. I mind linked my dad. Hey dad, is the party still happening or has it died down? We were thinking about heading back. His replay came almost instantly. Don''t worry about coming back, unless Talia wants to. Carly is still here, but she was talking about heading home, Talia''s parents turned in already, and Tyler is about one drink away from ending up on stage, no surprise there. Alright, we''ll just hang out here tonight, then. One more question: now that I''ve found my mate, when should we have the Alpha and Transfer of Power ceremony? Your mother and I discussed that after you and Talia left. Next Thursday is the full moon, and it''s best if we do it then. We can wait another week or two, if you''re not ready, but the night of the full moon is your best option. It will boost the power transfer and add to the power you will receive from me. We were also thinking about doing the Luna ceremony at the same time, if Talia is ready. I''m good with next Thursday, I''m ready. I will ask Talia about the Luna ceremony being the same night, and let you know. But since we''ve already marked each other, I''m sure she won''t object to it. He mumbled the last part and his face flushed as he recalled what had just happened between them. He heard his dad chuckle through the link. Everyone could feel the small blip in the mind-link when it happened, signaling their future Alpha marked his Luna. There was no hiding it. Everyone is excited. I''ll let your mom know your decision about the ceremony, and let me know what Talia decides. I shut off the link as Talia emerged from the bathroom. "My dad said we should just hang out here for the night. Carly is heading home, your parents already left, and I don''t want to deal with Tyler''s shit." "That''s fine with me," she said, "but I was hoping maybe we could go for a run. Elea is itching to run with Osiris now that we''re mated." I chuckled. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. "Osiris is driving me nuts, too. Let''s go, I want to show you the cave me and the guys used to hang out in." I stood up and grabbed her hand, practically dragging out down the stairs and out the front door. Jumping off the porch, I shifted mid-air, landing on four feet instead of two. I shook out my fur and turned to look for Talia. She was still standing on the porch watching me. She walked down the stairs and stopped in front of me, reaching up to scratch behind my ear. "I''ve always loved how your wolf looks. You don''t look like any other wolf I''ve seen. Beautiful chocolate brown fur everywhere except this little white marking on your forehead." She traced the upward facing crescent moon. I leaned up and licked her face from chin to temple, "EW Cameron!" and I huffed out a laugh. I nudged her with my nose and backed up, signaling she should shift too. I watched and she started to shift. Elea was a beautiful solid cream colored wolf. It seems fitting, she''s the light to my dark. I watched as her eyes changed from green to gold, showing that Elea had complete control, so I gave Osiris the reigns to run with his mate. I watched from the back of my mind as they ran, nipping playfully at each other. I chuckled as Elea jumped on Osiris'' back, and they tumbled to the ground, Osiris pinning her beneath us. He licked her face and she closed her eyes. I want to mark Elea, Cam. Ask her if she wants you to, make sure Talia is okay with it, but don''t be disappointed if it doesn''t take. Wolves don''t typically mark in this form because the Moon Goddess rarely allows it. If she doesn''t sanction the wolf form marking, the mark won''t take. It will heal, and fur will grow back over the previous wound. I haven''t done enough research to know why, but as I think about it now, I''m curious. I''ll have to search the library for books about it. I just don''t want Osiris to get his hopes up if the mark doesn''t end up taking. It''s placed in about the same spot as in human form, at the base of the neck, but for a wolf, it ends up being right above the shoulder blade. If it stays, our bond will be twice as strong and we will be twice as powerful as Alpha and Luna. It''ll prove that we are in the favor of the Moon Goddess. I really will have to look into what that means. I watched as Elea bared her neck to him, and he opened his mouth, puncturing her shoulder. He pulled back and licked her wound. The wound healed, and no fur grew back. Osiris moved us off of Elea and laid down, baring his neck for her to place her mark. I could feel the slight pinch as Elea marked us, and enjoyed the warm tingles that spread through our body. Elea licked the wound closed, and I could feel the extra power surging through our veins. The Moon Goddess approved it, and I could feel Osiris vibrating with happiness. Elea stood back, allowing us to stand, and I watched as her wolf began to grow slightly larger. I could feel my bones begin to elongate, proving that what was happening to Elea was happening to Osiris and I as well. Now we''re double marked, and chosen by the Moon Goddess. Chapter Eleven - Talia Elea took off running in the direction of the lake, testing out her larger body. This is incredible. The Moon Goddess allowed them to mark in wolf form. It''s almost unheard of, for wolves to have their own mate markings. I wonder what it means, that she allowed their marks to stay. We felt more powerful, faster, more agile. We ran through the trees, jumping over logs and ducking under low hanging branches. She skidded to a stop at the edge of the lake near the falls, and dipped her head to get a drink. Osiris and Cameron trotted up beside us to do the same. I took back control, Cameron did the same. I could feel the breeze shift, blowing through our fur. I froze when smelled a foreign scent. I glanced to Cameron, noticing he smelled it, too. Witch. I heard him say through our link. I''m going to follow it, stay close behind me. It smells faint, two or three days old. I felt Elea roll her eyes in the back of my mind. Our mate. So protective. We can handle ourselves. I huffed. Not against a witch, Elea. The trail led us to the back entrance of the cave, where the scent was stronger. Cameron glanced back at me before shifting to human form, and I followed his lead. We stood outside the cave to discuss the situation. "I haven''t been here in about 6 months. I spent some time out here, running electric, because I was hoping to bring my mate, bring you, here on a date. I hung lights, set up a table and chairs, brought a firepit out, there''s even a bed." He explained, rubbing the back of his neck, as if he was embarrassed to tell me this. "I want to go in and look around. I know I can''t talk you out of going back, and I''d rather you stay close to me instead of out here." "That''s really sweet, Cam. Once we get all this figured out, we''ll come back out and have that date. Once we replace everything that smells." I said, wrinkling my nose. "Let''s go check it out." Cameron grabbed my hand and we walked through the doorway. The lights were off, so Cam flicked them on and I was shocked at what I saw. The table he told me about was pushed up against the rock wall, and was covered in all kinds of spices, herbs, and jars of different colored liquids. There was a large bowl in the center of it all, but it was empty. The bed had clearly been slept in, the covered bunched up near the bottom. Next to the bed sat the two chairs. They were stacked with clothes, some folded and some hanging on the backs. Cameron walked over to the table and started to reach for one of the jars. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "No, Cam, don''t touch anything!" I hurried to tell him. I watched as he jerked his arm back, inches from having grabbed the jar. "I''ve read that some witches enchant their things to harm people that touch them. We don''t know anything about this witch or what she''s capable of doing, so I don''t want to take chances." "I didn''t know that. I''ll keep my hands to myself then." He paused, thinking, "I''m concerned on so many levels. What does she want, why is she here? How did she get past the border undetected? We need to tell my dad." "Mind link him and tell him to meet us by the entrance to the trail. Tell him to bring a bag, preferably a plastic one." I said, stepping back through the opening. I looked around outside for a minute until I found what I was looking for. Stepping back inside, I used the stick I grabbed to pick up a small shirt from the back of the chair. "We''ll take this back with us. That way, we''ll have her scent in case she comes back and notices we''ve been here. I don''t want her to pack up and wipe any trace of her presence without evidence that she was here." "That''s a good idea, baby." He said, coming over to kiss the top of my head. "My dad said he''s on his way. He asked a few questions, but I told him we''d explain when we got there. We should probably throw our clothes back on before meeting him, though." I startled a bit. Until that moment, I had forgotten we were naked. "Yea, I''d prefer to not be naked in front of your dad." We made quick work of getting back to the cabin to get our clothes. Cameron didn''t want to leave the shirt outside and I didn''t want to take it inside, so he held the stick while I went in and grabbed our clothes. We each got dressed, passing the stick between us so we didn''t have to set it down, and starting make our way back towards the pack house. The Alpha was waiting for us when we got there, and he immediately started asking questions, but Cameron held us his hand to stop him. "Slow down, dad. Let us explain and I''m sure we''ll answer your questions. Talia, do you want to tell him?" I looked at Daniel and launched into the story. "We were running in our wolf forms, and when we stopped to get a drink near the falls, we both caught the scent of a witch. We followed it to the cave Cameron used to hang out in, and we found that a witch has taken up residence using the furniture Cam recently put there. She has a bunch of stuff that looks like ingredients for spells. I told him not to touch anything, and I grabbed a stick to carry this shirt back, with her scent on it. That''s why we had you bring the bag." "That''s... very unsettling. How long ago did you put the furniture there?" He asked, turning to Cameron. "About six months ago. It hasn''t been that long, but I haven''t gone back since I moved it all in, so she could''ve showed up any time after that." He answered. "We need to figure out who she is. We have no idea what kind of magic she is practicing, what she wants, how she got inside our border unnoticed." I shivered at Cameron''s sexy Alpha tone. What can I say, I''m a newly mated woman. I can''t help it that I find his authoritative voice attractive. "Alright, you two. I think we should head to Evelyn''s. She will hopefully be able to help us. Let''s get that shirt into the bag, and we''ll go. She''s always been a night owl, so she should still be up." We worked at putting the shirt in the bag, careful not to touch it, and closed it up. Then, we started the walk to the other side of the territory, to the house of the only witch in the pack. Chapter Twelve - Cameron We were about halfway to Evelyn''s when my dad glanced over at Talia and me. He looked like he was studying us, and I''m sure I knew why. "Just ask your question, dad," I signed. I know he was sensing the new power buzzing between us. "I know you and Talia solidified the bond, but that doesn''t explain the power I feel rolling off of you. It feels as if we already did the transfer of power. How?" "Osiris wanted to try marking Elea. I told him he could attempt, as long as Elea and Talia were okay with him trying, too. I made sure to stress that he needed to not get his hopes up." I could see my dad''s eyebrows shoot up to the middle of his forehead. "Well, long story short, Osiris marked Elea, Elea marked Osiris, and now we are double marked." Not much surprises my dad, but I could see the shock all over his face. "The Moon Goddess left the marks on your wolves? That''s incredible. I''ve only ever met one pair of double marked mates. Your mother and I attempted it, but they faded right after healing." "We haven''t really had the chance to talk about it, but I do know a little about that," Talia said. "You do? How?" I wondered. Talia look rather embarrassed to tell us. "Well, when I was 16, I wanted to know if there was any way to trigger the mate bond early. I was... embarrassingly obsessed with the idea of being your mate, so I scoured the library for books to see if it was possible for me to trigger it at 16." I laughed so hard that I had to stop walking. She is so damn cute. "ANYWAY, I found a section in one of the books about double marking. "The Moon Goddess does not allow it to happen freely because the excess of power it can provide can be dangerous in the wrong hands. She only sanctions it for special reasons, certain circumstances, time of desperate need for the wolf population, things like that. So, my best guess, is that there is something coming that we are supposed to prevent or be a part of. I have no idea what, but the more I think about it, the more it freaks me out. I hope Evelyn can provide some answers." "I wonder if this witch has anything to do with it. It seems like too much of a coincidence that there is a witch on our land around the exact time that you two end up receiving the Moon Goddess'' blessing." A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. "I think you might be onto something with that line of thinking, dad. This all has me a little on edge. It doesn''t help that I feel drawn to the cave. I feel like I need to go back, like something is pulling me to go back. It''s making me uneasy, and Osiris has been eerily quiet since finding the witches things." I''m still here, Cam. I can''t explain the urge to go back, but I felt it before we ever left. It was like I never wanted us to leave. It almost felt like wee belonged there, but I don''t know why. I''m just as in the dark as you are. Evelyn might have answers. We''re almost there, let''s just try to not get worked up before we know anything. "That makes me uncomfortable. I don''t feel that way, I wonder why it''s just you. Elea is worried because Osiris isn''t talking to her either." "He opened our connection back up as soon as I said he was quiet. He feels the pull to go back, too, and it has him worried. That''s why he''s been quiet. He usually paces back and forth in my head when he''s anxious, but he never blocks the connection. That''s what has me the most worried. He isn''t acting like himself." We had finally arrived at Evelyn''s. My dad walked up to the door and knocked while Talia and I stayed in the front yard. It didn''t take long before she answered the door. At only 4''11", she was a short woman but she had piercing violet eyes and an aura about her that would make even a human nervous. It''s why she tended to keep to herself. Most people were scared of her, even though she is one of the kindest, most gentle people I know. "Alpha? What are you doing coming by so late, is everything alright?" Evelyn asked. "No, Evelyn, not exactly. Do you know the cabin Penelope and I used to take the kids to when they were younger?" She nodded her head that she did. "Cameron took Talia to the cabin after finding out they were mates, and then they stumbled upon a witches lair in the cave behind the falls there. I believe we need your help." Evelyn''s eyes grew dark as my dad finished recounting the story. "They didn''t touch anything, but Talia carried this shirt on a stick, in case we needed her scent, and I thought maybe it would help you." "That was extremely smart, dear, not touching anything. I need to visit this cave, see if I can pick up any signatures from her things. Come in, make yourselves at home, and I will return momentarily." And with that, she teleported herself to the cave and was gone. We entered her little cabin and I was in awe at how it smelled. It was a pleasant earthy smell, with tons of herbs and spices underneath it. I suppose that wasn''t surprising, considering the amount of fresh and dried herbs lining her kitchen counters and hanging from the ceiling. Not to mention the dozens of jars on shelves. By the time we all walked inside, closed the door, and situated ourselves at her kitchen table, Evelyn had poofed back into the living room. We all look at her expectantly. All she said was, "We have a problem." Chapter Thirteen - Cameron "What do you mean, Evelyn. What did you find?" My dad asked. "I don''t know if you know this but when witches perform magic, it leaves a signature. It''s not specific enough that I can tell who this witch is, but I can tell that she doesn''t have good intentions. Her magic is dark, and it concerns me that she casted no spells to hide herself. She also had this," she said, holding up a shirt. "It smells like Cameron, so I''m assuming you are the focus of whatever she''s doing." "I lost that shirt about 2 months ago. That''s probably when she arrived on our territory. But how did she get through when you have a magic barrier up that alerts us when someone crosses the border?" I felt my unease grow, knowing that she had something of mine. "And since you were able to touch something, does that mean we were safe while we were there and she wasn''t?" "Oh no, dear. She had her things coated in magic that would''ve paralyzed you the moment you touched anything. I''m a very powerful, very capable witch, though, so I was able to touch some of her things and use them to feel her aura. It''s dark. Darker than I''ve seen in many years." "Could that be why Cameron is feeling drawn to the cave?" Talia asked. "She had something of his. Could she be doing something, some sort of spell, that''s making him want to be there?" "It''s possible, but the magic signature on this shirt feels more complex than just a summoning spell, or something to draw you to her." She explained. "If it''s alright, Cameron, I''d like to try something. I want to search your soul, see if there''s anything tied to you. See if she somehow was able to use your shirt as a sort of link." "If it''ll help, I''ll try anything. What do I have to do?" "Nothing. You just come here and sit on the floor in front of me, facing the wall." She said, taking a seat in her couch. "I will place my hands on either side of your head. Just try to relax, and let me do my thing." I hesitated before standing and walking over. I know I needed to do this, and I will, I''m just worried about what she might find, and what it will mean. Or, even worse, she finds absolutely nothing, and then we''re back to square one. Sighing, I pushed myself up from my chair and made my way to her. I sat down and crossed my legs, trying to clear my mind. I felt her hands touch the side of my head and then, nothing. Everything went black. I tried to breathe, telling myself this was normal, everything was fine. Just as I started to panic, my sight came back but instead of sitting, I was laying on the floor. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. "What happened?" I asked, standing up and taking note of the concern on my dad and Talia''s faces. I turned to look at Evelyn and she looked pale and out of breath. "Someone say something!" "Son, I''m not sure what she saw or what is normally supposed to happen when she does this, but when she touched your head and closed her eyes, her fingers started to turn black almost immediately. Then, tendrils of black started creeping across your forehead, towards the middle. She jolted, and that pushed you away from her, which is how you ended up on the floor. The whole thing lasted maybe two minutes." "Alpha, has Cameron ever come into contact with a witch other than myself?" "No, not that I''m aware of. Penelope would have told me if he had when I wasn''t around. Have you, Cam?" I shook my head. "You are the only witch I''ve ever knowingly met." "What did you see, Evelyn?" Talia''s voice was shaking as she asked. "I was nervous before we got here, but I just watched blackness spread across my mates face, and I''m bordering on panic right now. What can you tell us?" "I''m not exactly sure what I saw, to be honest. There was a wall I had to break through, one put there magically. The signature was a little different than the one in the cave, so it wasn''t the same witch, but it wasn''t completely different. That leads me to conclude that the witch who put up that wall is related to the witch we have here. The wall seemed old, as if it was put up a long time ago, which is why I asked if he''d ever seen any other witches. "Once I got past the wall, there was almost nothing but darkness, which is what I''m assuming presented itself on our skin, a defense mechanism of sorts. There were only two things I was able to find in the darkness. Neither one of them put us any closer to figuring things out. Cameron," she said, turning to me, "your wolf is special. I don''t know why, but when I saw your wolf in your head, he had an upwards facing crescent moon on his head, which I know your wolf has, but he was also surrounded by a shimmering white aura. Do you see that around him in your head?" "No, I don''t. He has the crescent moon, but no aura surrounding him. What does that mean?" "I''m not sure exactly what it means, but the feeling I got was... almost indescribable. He emanated power, and I felt the need to submit to him. I''m not a wolf, I don''t submit to wolves, that''s why he seems special. He holds power that rivals mine, but in a different way. It''s hard to explain." ...I feel it, Cameron. What do you feel, Osiris? I feel different since she knocked that wall down in our head. I don''t know what''s different, but I know I don''t feel the same. I felt a little light headed, so I finally made my way to the kitchen chair and sat back down. I grabbed Talia''s hand and pulled her up out of her chair and onto my lap. I buried my face in her neck, using her vanilla and cinnamon scent to calm me down. "What was the second thing you found?" I heard my dad ask. "The second thing I saw also involved Cameron''s wolf. I saw the white aura around the wolf, but there was a red line attached on one side to his crescent moon marking. The other end of the tether was attached to a black upwards facing crescent moon. The black marking was on the forehead of an all white human shaped figure. They were standing right next to each other. They were connected." Chapter Fourteen - Talia "When this connection was made or placed... Is it something that Cam would''ve had to be physically present for? Or could it have been placed from afar?" I had to ask. Evelyn probably couldn''t tell from the small amount she could see. "If I had to guess, it would have been done to him directly because the tether feels solid. If it was done over distance, it would be weaker. A direct connection when placing a bond like this is always the preferred method." She explained. "I know that I''m probably grasping at straws because this rarely happens, but did anything ever happen to Cameron when he was little? Did he ever... I don''t know, run off, get lost for a while, anything like that where someone could''ve gotten to him in the time he was gone?" Everyone sat in silence, waiting for the Alpha to speak. When he did, I wished he hadn''t. "Oh, Goddess... Could this," he paused, taking a breath, "could it have been done before he was born? While Penelope was still pregnant?" "I supposed it could have, yes. If the witch that placed it had direct access to the Luna. Is that a possibility?" Evelyn stared at Daniel, searching his face. He rubbed his hands over his face before speaking. "No, no, no... I didn''t know. I didn''t know what happened to her when she left..." He stammered. "Dad, what is it? Did something happen to mom while she was pregnant with me?" Daniel looked at his son with a pained expression. "Yes. We never told you, because there really wasn''t anything to tell. We didn''t know exactly what happened." "Well tell me now, dad. Because it could be the answer to what is going on inside my head, could help us find this witch." "I don''t know that it will, Cam. There''s not much that I know." He sighed before continuing. "When your mother was about 4 months pregnant with you, she went for a walk one night. She loved night walks, but she hadn''t taken one since finding out she was pregnant. I was extremely protective and didn''t want her going out. One night, I told her to go because she was pacing around the house, but she was gone for longer than she normally was. I started to get worried when she didn''t come back, so I went looking. I followed her scent to the lake where I lost it." "What do you mean you lost it? You''re one of the best trackers, always have been. How did you lose it?" Cameron asked. I could feel the tension in his shoulders, so I started rubbing his back in small circles. He relaxed a little, and tightened his arms around me. "I mean, it was just gone. I circled around the lake, thinking maybe she got in the water and came out somewhere else, I searched 100 yards in every direction, I got the rest of our trackers to come out and search for her scent, but it was just gone. It was like she vanished into thin air." His voice was starting to waver, and none of us wanted to push him to continue, but when he was silent for a few minutes, I spoke up. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. "Then what happened, Daniel? You obviously found her, because she''s here now and so is Cam." "That''s just it. We didn''t find her. I spent most of my days after that just sitting by the lake. I prayed every day that she''d be there waiting for me when I got there. My Beta took over running the pack because I just couldn''t do it, not without her and my unborn child. One night, your dad came looking for me. When he found me, he didn''t say a word, he just sat on the ground next to me while I broke down and cried. "I have no idea how long we sat there, but eventually I heard your dad frantically saying my name. I opened my eyes and looked at him, but he was staring across the lake. I followed his eyes, and Penelope was stumbling through the bushes on the other side. I have never run so fast in my life. But after we took her to the infirmary to have her checked, we had more questions than answers. Physically, she was fine. Mentally, she didn''t remember anything. She didn''t even know she was missing. She woke up in the woods thinking it was still the day she left for her walk. She was missing for an entire month." He turned to Cameron. "A month later, you were born. Heathy and perfect. We don''t know where she was, or what happened to her, but now... now learning what we have learned tonight, I have a feeling her disappearance is connected to what ever is happening now." "Alpha, it would explain the forced bond I saw. If Luna Penelope was kidnapped by witches, they could have placed it on Cameron in utero." Evelyn concluded. "And to keep her from searching for a way to remove it, or telling anyone what happened, they wiped her memory." "So, now what?" Cam asked, quietly. "Now, I think we need to speak with the Luna. I think we need to tell her everything we''ve learned tonight, obviously, and then we need to see about recovering her memories." "I think you''re right, Evelyn. She needs to know about all of this anyway, but I''m worried about bringing it up. I''m worried about what recovering her memories might do to her." I said. "We don''t have any other option, though, Talia. I feel the same way, but if recovering her memories can help us figure out what is happening, we need to try. She''ll want to try." Daniel''s voice shook a little. Seeing the Alpha look so scared and worn out was not something I was used to seeing. He''s always been so strong, so put together. Seeing him now, though... It was heartbreaking. His wife needing to relive her kidnapping, his son being bound to a witch, I''m sure it''s taking a toll on him. And I''m scared of losing my mate after just finding him. "I know it seems impossible, but I think we all need to get some rest. Alpha, go home. Go back to your wife. Tell her about what we''ve learned her, but get some sleep, and we''ll start again in the morning." Evelyn said, softly. She turned to Cameron and I next. "You two, stay away from the cabin for now. It''s too close to the cave and we don''t know when that witch will return. Stay at the pack house for now." I nodded and stood from Cam''s lap, and he followed, standing next to me. He walked over to his dad as Daniel got to his feet. He grabbed his dad and wrapped his arms around him. They stood there for a moment before stepping away. We were silent as we exited Evelyn''s house, Daniel stopping before closing the door. "Thank you, Evelyn. You have been a great help. We will see you first thing in the morning." He promised. She nodded. "I''ll be waiting, Alpha." Chapter Fifteen - Cameron The walk back to the pack house was quiet. It seemed like even the night wildlife could feel the tension and unease because there wasn''t even crickets chirping. The party had died out, and everyone had found their way home. The field filled with empty tables and no people just added to the eerie feeling. My dad had veered off toward the house he shared with my mom so it was just Talia and I now. I was holding her hand tighter than I realized as she wiggled her fingers to loosen my grip. "I''m sorry, did I hurt you?" I asked, taking my hand from hers and opening the pack house door for her. "No, Ren, you didn''t hurt me, but I was starting to lose feeling in my fingers. It''s okay, I can feel your emotions through the bond, I know you''re worried." She was exactly what I needed right now. My mate. I''m glad I found her tonight of all nights, even though all it did was drag her into this mess. If I didn''t have her, I don''t know how I''d feel right now. She''s keeping me grounded. But being bonded to a witch and mated with Talia... I''m scared she won''t want me now. "Cameron, our link is wide open, and you''re practically projecting your thoughts at me. You can''t honestly believe I''d want to leave you because of this." I looked at her sheepishly as we climbed the stairs and headed to my room. Our room now. "How can you be so calm about it? I''m your mate, but I am forcefully bonded to another. A witch, at that. Aren''t you upset, disgusted?" I opened the door and we walked in, closing it behind us. She went to the closet, grabbing one of my shirts before coming back out and stripping her shoes and her dress off, replacing it with my shirt. She looked good in my clothes. "I''m not exactly thrilled about the forced bond, but it''s not your fault. It''s not anyone''s fault except the people who did this to you." She said, coming up to me and cradling my face in her hands. "You are my mate. Mine. Do you understand me? I have wished for you for years, and a little hiccup in our relationship isn''t going to be enough to scare me away." I shook my head and chuckled humorlessly. "I wouldn''t call this a little hiccup, but I appreciate what you''re trying to do." I said, placing my hands over hers on my face. "You are the best thing to ever happen to me, you know that? I don''t know what I''d be doing right now without you." "I know, I''m pretty great, aren''t I?" she asked, a cheesy grin on her face. Goddess, she''s perfect. I leaned in and pecked her lips, not wanting to push her for more, in case she wasn''t being honest about still wanting me. Not that I think she''d lie, but I just don''t understand how she wasn''t just a little put off by me. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. As I leaned back, she wrapped her hands around the back of my head and pulled my lips back to hers, kissing me harder this time. I grabbed her waist, pulling her body flush with mine as I kissed her back. I felt her flood our bond with emotion. Love, appreciation, desire. She broke the kiss, resting her forehead against mine, her eyes still closed. "I think we could both use a little... distraction. Some stress relief. What do you think?" She asked. My nostrils flared as I smell her arousal. "I think that sounds like a great idea." I replied, picking her up and carrying her to the bed. ******* Placing her on the edge, I quickly stripped down to my boxers. I reached down and grabbed the hem of my shirt she was wearing and pulled it up over her head. I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her up the bed with me as I crawled up to the pillows. Laying her down, I wasted no time placing kisses all over her neck, paying special attention to my mark. I could hear her softly moaning as I made my way down to her breasts. Taking one nipple in my mouth and teasing it with my tongue, I rolled the other one between my fingers. Her fingers pulled at my hair when I switched sides. She was arching her back off the bed, and I let my hand travel down her stomach, teasing her clit over the fabric of her underwear. She was so wet. "Cameron..." She moaned, and I growled as I ripped her underwear off. I leaned back and flipped her over onto her stomach, taking my boxers off and throwing them on the floor. I leaned back over her, placing my body flush with hers. I teased her entrance with the tip of my cock and she pushed herself backwards, trying to get me inside. "Cameron, please," She begged. "Spread your legs for me, baby. I''ll give you what you want." She did, and I wasted no time sheathing myself to the hilt in one thrust. I groaned at the feeling of her tight, wet heat surrounding me, tingles from our bond heightening the pleasure. I paused to let her adjust before pulling back and thrusting into her again and again. She pushed back against me, using her hands to force me back. I leaned back and pulled her up onto her hands and knees in front of me. Slamming into her over and over, I reveled in the sounds she was making. I reached forward and wrapped my hand around her neck, pulling her up so her back was against my front. Her right hand was on the back of my thigh, her left hand on the back of my head, pulling my face to her neck. "I''m close, Cameron. Mark me again." She said, causing my grip to tighten on her hips. I felt my canines descending and I scraped them along her neck before sinking them in, remarking her. I felt her walls tighten around me and it only took two more thrusts before I was spilling my seed inside her. I retracted my teeth and licked the wound closed as I pulled out of her. We collapsed onto the bed and I pulled the blanket up over us. I curled myself around her back and slipped my arm under her head, holding her tight. I felt her smiling against my arm. "Best. Distraction. Ever." She said. I chuckled before kissing the back of her head. "I love you, Ren." "And I love you, baby." I replied, before slipping into a peaceful sleep. Chapter Sixteen - Talia Despite the events that transpired at Evelyn''s, I woke up feeling refreshed. When I opened my eyes, I noticed the bed was empty but it was still warm. I rolled over and saw Cameron opening the bathroom door, peaking his head out. "I''m going to take a shower. Care to join me?" He asked, his eyes dark. "I''m in the mood for another... distraction." I rolled over and checked the time. It was only 7. "If we hurry, I don''t want to keep your dad waiting." - An hour later, we shut the shower off, having spent more time in there that I planned on. I had to borrow Cam''s robe to run to my room for clothes. After throwing on a pair of leggings, a t-shirt, and my sneakers, I met Cam in the kitchen to grab breakfast. We sat down to eat, and I thought I should mention what I''ve been thinking about. "I think we should involve Carly. I think she deserves to know what happened to her mom, and now what''s going on with her brother. It''s also not something I want to keep from my best friend." I said, around bites of my bagel. Cameron sighed. "I''ve been tossing around the idea of telling her, too, along with Tyler and Ian. They should know what''s going on with me, since they''re going to be my 2nd and 3rd in command in less than a week." He paused before continuing, "If my dad still thinks it''s a good idea to go forward with the ceremonies, that is. He sounded sad about that, as if he thought his dad wouldn''t want to hand over the Alpha title to him now. "I think it''s a good idea to pull them in as well. But you need to stop with the negativity. Sure, this situation isn''t ideal, but that''s no reason for you not to be Alpha." "I''m just worried he''s going to want to postpone it because he thinks I''m not in the right state of mind for it, with all of this going on. He may tell me it''s not a good time, to wait until we have this sorted." He picked up our plates and carried them to the sink, returning to grab my hand and lead me to the stairs. "Where are we going?" I asked. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "My dads office. I linked Tyler and Ian to meet us there immediately. I''m going to have my dad fill Carly in, and then we''ll all meet at my parents before going to Evelyn''s." We walked in silence to the office. I heard Tyler and Ian coming out of their rooms behind us. "Hey, guys, what''s up?" Tyler asked, throwing one of his arms over each of our shoulders, squeezing his way in between us. I heard Cameron growl at him, glaring at the arm Tyler had around me. "Alright, alright." He said, holding his hands up in surrender. I like it when he gets all possessive. Elea purred in my head. I mentally rolled my eyes. You would. But it does kind of turn me on a little bit. SEE?! You''re just as into it as I am, don''t judge me. What do you think of all this, El? Have you talked to Osiris? I''ve tried, but he hasn''t really said much. I think the insecurity Cam feels is being fed by Osiris. He doesn''t want to talk to me because he thinks he''s tainted, and that he isn''t good enough for me so I shouldn''t want him. We reached the office and Cameron opened the door, stepping inside to let us all through before closing the door. That makes sense. I''m doing my best to reassure him that isn''t the case, but it''s hard. I hope we can figure out more today. We''ll talk later. Cameron sat behind the desk and motioned for me to sit on his lap. Tyler and Ian each took a seat in front of the desk. He buried his face in my neck and took a deep breath before pulling back and launching into the story, updating the others on what happened last night. "So, the plan is to meet up with my dad and Carly, then head to Evelyn''s again with my mom, to see if my moms memories can be recovered." He finished. Tyler and Ian were silent, and shock was written all over their faces. Ian was the first to recover. "Let''s go get started then." He said, standing up. "The quicker we get going, the sooner we can start figuring this shit out and find the people that did this to you, and to the Luna." We all stood and headed for the door. Tyler still hadn''t said a word, but he followed us out of the office. I''ve never known Tyler to be speechless, but I guess there''s a first time for everything. I''m sure he''s just working through what Cameron told him. "I''ll meet you guys at Evelyn''s in a bit. I want to stop in the library for a little bit." I blinked at Tyler, surprised. "What? I like books. I''ve spent a good bit of time in the library, thank you very much. Which is why I need to stop there. I remember reading something about wolf auras and I want to see if I can find the book. It might have some insight about what Osiris'' aura means." Cameron nodded, "Okay but try to be quick. I don''t want to have recap everything we''ve done in your absence, if you take forever." and with that, Tyler took off towards the library, and we headed towards Daniel and Penelope''s house. Chapter Seventeen - Talia Carly came bounding down the stairs as soon as we got close to the house, and practically tackled Cameron in a hug. He caught her, chuckling as he set her back on her feet. She turned to me and wrapped me in her arms, too. "I guess dad told you everything, then." "Yes, and I can''t believe they kept that from us, about mom. How are you handling it all?" "Well, Talia provided me with a pretty good distraction last night, and then again this morning, so I haven''t really had much time to think about it." He said, smirking at me. I elbowed him in the ribs as I felt my face heat up. "Okay, ew. I don''t want to hear about my brother and my best friend''s bedroom activities, Cam. But I did notice your marks! Oh! And dad said your wolves marked, too?! That''s awesome." "What?!" We all turned to look at Ian. "You left that part out, dude. What the hell? You''re double marked??" Cameron shrugged. "Yea, I forgot to mention it. It really wasn''t relevant to the whole ''witch-on-our-land, my-mom-was-kidnapped, and my-soul-was-forcefully-bonded'' story." "You still could have mentioned it. That''s huge, Cam. A big deal. Not just something you ''forget to mention''. Tyler is going to shit his pants when he finds out." Ian said. Daniel and Penelope came out of the house and walked up to us. "Are we ready to go? Is Tyler coming with us?" Penelope asked. "He''s going to meet us at Evelyn''s, he stopped at the library. He said he remembered reading something about wolf auras and wanted to see if he could find it." Cameron explained. We headed towards Evelyn''s, and you could feel the tension and nervousness rolling off of every one of us. We stayed silent because what was there to say? Evelyn was waiting for us on the front steps when we arrived. She stood up when we approached and we all walked inside. Penelope and Daniel sat down on the couch, Ian and Carly at the dining table, Cameron sat down on the oversized chair and pulled me onto his lap. Evelyn shut the door as she came in the house and went into the kitchen. She started crushing up different spices and adding them to a mug, then grabbing her kettle off the stove to add hot water. She brought the mug to Penelope and held it out for her to take. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. "This is a calming tea. We don''t know what kind of emotions your memories will bring up, and I don''t want you too upset. Drink this, and it will help you stay calm no matter what you end up remembering. Once you''ve finished it, we will get started. "Daniel, I want you to stay next to her the entire time. Preferably holding onto her. If you want, we can do this in my bedroom, on the bed, so you can lay with her in your arms. It will help keep her grounded, being able to breathe in your scent. She will be able to tell that you are with her, and the memories are just that: memories." Daniel nodded as she finished. "I think that sounds fine. What will you have to do to bring her memories back?" "I say a small spell, which will put her into a sort of waking sleep, kind of like how it feels right as you doze off when you''re trying to fall asleep. Then, I''ll preform a larger, more complex spell, unlocking the portion of her brain where any blocked memories have been stored. They weren''t technically erased, just locked away where she has no access to them consciously. They will flood her brain all at the same time and that can be overwhelming, which is why she needs you with her to keep her calm." We all sat there quietly, listening to Evelyn explain the process. Ian stood and walked to the door to open it, letting Tyler in. He was carrying 2 books with him. "Did you sign those out?" Cameron asked. I gave him a pointed look. Really, he''s worried about the library books not being accounted for right now? "Uh, no... You told me to hurry!" He huffed out. Cameron rolled his eyes. "Well, what did you find?" I asked. I''m curious and I need to know if he found anything. Our ''distraction'' may have worked last night and this morning, but now we''re in the middle of it, and my anxiety is growing by the minute. The sooner we can start answering questions, the better. "Okay, so, there''s not much, but I did find something. These two books both mention wolf aura''s, but it seems like it''s super rare, so basically it''s just a lot of speculation. This one," he said, opening the smaller of the two books, "says that wolves can develop soft auras after becoming double marked. But it says these auras are almost invisible, even to those with magic that are able to sense them." "No, this aura was strong. And a double marked aura wouldn''t explain the otherworldly power I felt when I looked at Cameron''s wolf." Evelyn said. "Well maybe this will then." Tyler opened the bigger, older book. "I almost didn''t bring this one because it seemed like the least possible of the two, but now that you mention extreme power, it might actually fit. It reads, ''Many moons ago, there were several Gods that owed the Moon Goddess a favor. In order to repay these favors, Selene wanted these Gods to bind themselves to several of her wolves. These wolves would receive the power of those Gods along with parts of their personality, but not their magical abilities. She asked this of them, so, in the future, she would be able to provide certain worthy humans a powerful wolf, to protect the werewolf population if need be.''" Chapter Eighteen - Cameron Osiris, did Tyler just say there''s a possibility you are part God? It sounded that way, Cam. Do you feel that powerful? Like you could be part God? We''ve always been stronger, faster, more agile, but I just thought it was the Alpha genes. I don''t feel that our ability is... ''Godly.'' "Does it say anything else, Tyler?" My father asked him. "Um, not really. It lists possible Gods that it was thought the Moon Goddess was involved with, but nothing concrete. It doesn''t say how to confirm it or anything to look for in terms of signs that you have one of these godly wolves. It just says that ''the aura of a demi-god wolf will be powerful, and will cause others to feel the need to submit, no matter the wolf''s rank or status.'' Oh shit." He swore. "What is it?" Talia asked. "Cameron, your wolf''s name is on this list. Osiris is on the list of possible Gods affiliated with Selene." "All of this is just bringing up more questions. We find an answer to one question, and two more questions pop up. I feel like we''re going in circles." Carly said while she rubbed her temples. "We are getting somewhere, Carly. We''re starting to put the puzzle together, we just don''t have all the pieces yet, honey." My mom answered. She looked at Evelyn. "I''ve finished the tea, I''m feeling quite relaxed. I''m ready when you are." Evelyn nodded. "I will reach out to a few old friends of mine. Those who might know more about power being locked away, and one of them might know more about the demi-god wolves. She took a special interest in the Gods and Goddesses so she might be able to tell me something we haven''t found yet. Let''s go get started on recovering your memories." My mom and dad stood up and followed Evelyn. "Mom," I said, stopping her, "if you can, leave your link with me open. I need to know what happened to me." "Cameron, I''m not sure that''s a good ide-" "Please, mom. I feel like I''m drowning here. This is all happening and I have no control over any of it. It''s difficult, being of Alpha blood and having no control. Dad, you know what I mean. Please?" I begged. "Penelope, I have to agree with Cameron. I know this is difficult for you, but he''s bound by something he had no control over. Try to give him this closure, he should get to see first hand how this all started." The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. My mom sighed, but eventually nodded. "I will try to leave the link open to you, but you need to close off your bond to Talia. If you get flooded with my emotions, I don''t want them bleeding through the bond to her. And go lay down on the couch. Take Talia with you. Use her scent to ground yourself." "Be careful, Cameron. We don''t know if recovering these memories will do anything for your wolf. I don''t know how the witches who created this bond could''ve done this, but it''s possible they blocked Osiris'' power from being discovered as well. The more I think about that possibility, the more probable it seems. They could''ve figured out a way to block it to keep you from accessing that power before they were ready for you to harness it for whatever they have planned. Just be careful." Evelyn said before disappearing into her room behind my parents. I moved Talia off my lap and stood up. Taking her hand, I walked to the couch and laid down on my back. Talia crawled up on the couch and laid on her stomach, on my chest, her legs between mine. I''m sure it wasn''t exactly comfortable for her, but it was the best way for her to be close to me. I felt the link with my mom open wide. I could hear everything Evelyn was saying and I felt my mom drift off slightly. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I could sense everyone watching me, waiting to see what would happen. After a few minutes, my mind exploded with vivid memories, and they were rushing by extremely fast. Almost too fast for them to register. Almost. I was seeing everything through my moms eyes. She was standing by the lake. She heard something. She looked around but didn''t see or smell anything. Her vision went dark. She woke up to bright lights above her head. Hands on her belly. Chanting. The hands glowed and so did her stomach. She tried to reach down and push the hands away, but she was tied down. The hands left and someone else brought in a baby. They laid the baby on my mom. The person from before placed a hand on the baby, and a hand on my mom again. More chanting. More glowing. My mom screamed. More darkness. My eyes flew open. I scrambled to push Talia off of me. I had to get out. I needed out. I faintly heard her ask me what was happening, but I couldn''t answer. I stumbled to the door and flung it open before practically falling down the stairs. My stomach was churning, threatening to bring up my breakfast. I tried to breathe, tried to stop shaking, but I lost the battle and felt myself retching, emptying the contents of my stomach into the grass. I felt Talia kneel down beside me, I felt her rubbing circles on my back. I turned towards her and grabbed her in my arms, breathing her in. She ran her fingers through my hair and whispered words of encouragement and love in my ear. I eventually calmed down enough that I was able to stand. She guided me back into the house and onto the couch, while Carly brought me a glass of water. Talia sat down beside me and put her hand on my leg. Carly sat down on my other side, resting her head on my shoulder. Osiris, have you always had that marking on your head? I don''t know. When we are placed with a human, and that human dies, we lose all memories of our life with them. Wolves don''t remember any time spent without a human either. The Moon Goddess made it so the only time we are conscious is when we are bound to a human soul. We only remember our current human and current memories, nothing else. It''s that way so we aren''t aimlessly waiting, potentially for decades, to be reborn with a human. The baby in my mom''s memories... It had the same marking on its'' forehead. Except it was black. Chapter Nineteen - Cameron Evelyn emerged from her bedroom and we all glanced up at her. "Your parents needed a little time to process. Your mom is fine, just a little worked up, which is to be expected. I assume you saw everything also?" "I saw what I needed to. Were you able to see the memories, too?" I asked her. She shook her head, so I started to recount to everyone what I saw, but hesitated when I thought of something. "Evelyn, if you know the spell that was used to block Osiris'' power, can you undo it?" "Theoretically, yes. Why?" "Because I think I saw them preform the spell. I watched everything happen through my moms eyes. I saw her by the lake, then everything went dark, and when she woke up, she was strapped to a table, and there was someone standing with their hands on her stomach. They started chanting, their hands started glowing, my moms'' skin started glowing as well. I think that was them blocking Osiris from being able to feel his power. "They stopped and someone else brought in a baby. The baby was placed onto my mom, the person from before placed a hand on the baby and my mom, and started chanting again. The glowing returned, my mom screamed, and darkness took over before I could see them finish. I assumed my mom blacked out. The baby... It had the same marking as Osiris. The upward facing crescent moon on its'' forehead, but it was black." I looked at Evelyn. "Just like you saw when you looked inside my head." "Can you look inside his head and see the memory for yourself? That way you would hear the spell, be able to reverse it after listening to it first hand." Ian suggested. "Yes, but I need you to understand that I may not be able to. I don''t want you all to get your hopes up, especially Cameron. I''m a very powerful witch, but even some things are beyond my ability. I will take a look." She turned back to me, "Just like before. Close your eyes, you''ll feel my hands on your head, just relax." I heard her walk around the back of the couch, and then darkness. She pulled away only seconds later. "It''s powerful, dark magic, but I should be able to reverse it. Before I do, though, I think we need to speak with the Alpha. Also, what concerns me is what will happen after that power is released. I worry that it will be too much for you to handle all at once." As much as I just wanted to get it over with, I knew she was right. This was huge, and my dad would want to be a part of this decision. As if right on cue, my parents came out from the bedroom. Carly jumped up off the couch and hurried towards our mom. My mom looked at me. "I''m sorry, Cameron. I should''ve been more careful, I never should have let them take me." She looked so sad. I stood up off the couch and made my way over to her. Carly stepped back and I hugged my mom. "It wasn''t your fault, mom. There was nothing you could do. I saw the memories, you didn''t even see them before they grabbed you, and I felt you trying to break the restraints to stop them. It''s not your fault. I don''t blame you for any of it." Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. She sobbed into my shoulder. "I know, but if I would have stayed home, not went for a walk, they wouldn''t have been able to take me." "You don''t know that." Carly said. My mom pulled back, releasing me from her arms. "If you didn''t go out that night, they would''ve just waited for another opportunity to take you. They had a plan, and they were going to figure out how to complete it, regardless of what anyone did." "She''s right, sweetheart. No one blames you. And if they do, they can leave right now. Walk out that door and go home." My dad said. Nobody moved a muscle. "See? Everything is going to be fine. We''re going to figure this out." "Alpha, Evelyn thinks she can remove the spell on Osiris. We didn''t want to do anything without speaking to you first. She said there''s a possibility it could be too much power all at once, and Cam might not be able to handle it." Tyler spoke up for the first time since telling us about the auras. Talia spoke up next. "But what if we waited until after the Alpha, Transfer of Power, and Luna ceremonies? We wanted to talk to you anyway about your thoughts on continuing with them as planned. I have thoughts..." I walked over to her and crawled behind her to sit, placing my legs on either side of her so she was between them. She leaned back into my chest and rested her hands on my legs. "I''d like to hear them, baby. I''m all ears." I said. I kissed the side of her head and she smiled up at me. "Okay. Well at first, I wasn''t sure it was a good idea to continue with them. I was concerned that transferring the Alpha power to Cameron would be a bad idea considering we don''t know what the witches have planned. I worried that it was exactly what they wanted, for him to have the power, and that they''d take him for whatever the next part of their plan is. "But now, I think we should continue with them because they probably weren''t counting on us figuring any of this out, especially not figuring out what Osiris is. The concern right now is that releasing Osiris'' power would be too much for Cameron. I agree, I''m concerned it would be too much now, but it won''t be as much of a concern once he has the power of the Alpha. I also think this is why the Moon Goddess approved of our wolves keeping their marks, it gives Osiris extra power to withstand the reversal." I saw Tyler''s eyes almost pop out of his head as she mentioned the wolves marking, but he had enough sense to stay quiet. I''m sure I''ll hear about it later. "So, I think we should continue with the ceremonies, as planned. We act like things are normal, act like we know nothing, and once we complete the transfer, we come back here and do the spell to release Osiris to his full potential. By hiding the power in the first place, I have a feeling they weren''t planning to release it until they were ready. If we do it, we''d not only have the upper hand, but the power of a demi-god." I leaned in until my lips brushed against Talia''s ear and whispered, "My mate... so beautiful, so smart..." I''m sure everyone heard me, but I didn''t care. It was worth it to feel Talia shiver slightly against me, and watch the goosebumps pop up on her arms. "That should work." Evelyn nodded. "Alpha, Luna? Thoughts?" "I agree with Talia. We''ll continue with the ceremonies. Oh, and I don''t need to remind everyone that everything that happened in this house today and last night, stays in this house, between only the people who were here. I will mind-link the pack and let them know we''ve found evidence of a witch on the territory, to keep an eye out and be careful, but they are to know nothing else unless absolutely necessary. Understood?" A chorus of "Yes, Alpha" was heard around the room. "Daniel, will you be informing my dad and the Gamma about all of this, too?" Talia questioned. "I will be filling them in as soon as we leave here, they''re waiting in my office. I assume your parents will try to speak with you about it, which is fine, but just make sure it''s kept quiet. I don''t want the pack questioning whether or not Cameron is fit to receive the Alpha title." "Understood." And with that, we all stood up and went our separate ways. We had a party to plan. Chapter Twenty - Unknown Somewhere outside the Silver Night territory... "NO! We were too late! I knew we should have taken him when we had the chance! Hell, you should have kept the woman until she gave birth and raised him here, raised him to be a part of this from the beginning!" "We''ve talked about this. We needed him to have the Alpha power first. We knew there was a possibility of him finding his mate, but it was a necessary risk. We can remove his mate bond with the girl, it will just take a little extra time. Now, the wolves marking... that could prove a little more difficult. That was... unforeseen considering the rarity. We will have to force a shift, and remove it that way." Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. "You better know what you''re doing. You can''t afford to mess this up." "It would be wise for you to watch your mouth, little one. I''m still the one with all the power, remember that." "Please. You keep it up, you''ll be the first to go after it''s all said and done. Trust that." "You don''t scare me, child. Now leave. You have a job to do." Chapter Twenty-one - Talia Cameron and I barely saw each other over the next week. If I wasn''t training, I was with Penelope. She was teaching me the ins and outs of being a Luna. Starting Sunday, the day we left Evelyn''s, she crammed so much into my head for three days and I have no idea how I''m going to remember all of it. I knew she handled a lot, but I had no idea it was this much. I will be handling all the family matters within the pack which means I manage the schools, find housing for new mates, plan mating ceremonies and all other parties the pack will hold. I also handle new intakes to the pack and transfers out of the pack, I will have to hold monthly meetings where pack members can voice concerns or make suggestions, and I serve as a mediator for any issues between pack members. Outside of the required duties, I also need to make myself available for personal matters, too, such as visiting families with new pups or those who have lost someone to offer support. I''ll need to visit the schools often to speak with teachers about any concerns they may have and speak with the children about different topics. And all of that is just the tip of the iceberg. I''m not sure how Penelope handled it all on top of being a good mate and mother. My eyes were starting to cross with all the paperwork I was sorting through when Penelope spoke. "Why don''t you and Carly head to the shops and look for dresses for the Ceremony. It''s already Tuesday, and the ceremony is only the day after tomorrow. You need a break anyway, I can tell I''ve been overwhelming you." I was up out of my seat before she finished. "Thank you, Penelope. I''ve been enjoying learning all of this, it''s just so much in such a short time. My brain is tired. Me and Cam haven''t seen much of each other the last few days either, so my wolf is anxious and driving me nuts." I miss my mate, human. We''re newly mated and should be spending all of this time together, preferably naked in a bed, so excuse me for feeling antsy. I miss them, too, Elea. I''d love nothing more than to be locked in our room together 24/7, but you know we need to be doing this. "Go find him, Talia. He can take a break from what he''s doing for an hour and spend some time with you. Then you and Carly can go dress shopping. If you''re feeling this way, imagine how a possessive, newly mated Alpha male wolf is feeling." She chuckled. "Tyler and Ian are probably sick of it, too." She said, causing me to laugh. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. "They''re probably ready to skin him alive. Thanks again!" She smiled at me as a left. I could feel Elea bouncing around in my head at the thought of seeing our mate for more than just the time it took for us to fall asleep at night. Cameron was training right now so we made our way to the training grounds. Walking up, I noticed Cam standing beside his Beta, watching Ian teach one of the younger wolves how to spar in his human form. My mouth practically watered at the sight of him. Shirtless, sweaty, arms crossed in front of him, exuding power. Oh how I''d love for him to be using that power to dominate me right now, all sweaty on top of me in bed. Just as I cut off my dirty thoughts, trying to keep myself from getting more turned on, his nostrils flared and his eyes snapped over to mine. Oops. He started walking towards me and met me halfway, grabbing the back of my head and smashing his lips against mine. I kissed him back just as rough, putting all the built up tension behind it. We broke apart as Tyler whistled at us, and yelled at us to get a room. ****** Short explicit scene ahead. "You know what, Tyler, that''s a damn fine idea." Cam said, eyes never leaving mine, as he grabbed my hand and started walking away, leaving the other two to lead training. Instead of heading back towards the pack house though, he pulled me into the woods. "Where are we going, Ren? I thought we''d go back to the pack hou-" He turned and pushed me up against a big tree, causing me to squeal. He covered my mouth with his and pinned both arms above my head with one of his hands. His other hand pulled up the bottom of my sundress and ripped my underwear off. I broke the kiss and came up for air. "Cameron did you have to rip them off?" I complained breathlessly. Instead of responding, he released my hands and spun me around to face the tree. I planted my hands against it as I felt him lean against my back. I could hear him unzipping his pants. "I need my mate." He whispered against my ear. He pushed my feet apart with his foot and pulled my dress up over my butt, rubbing his tip against my entrance. "And it feels like you need me, too," he groaned as he pushed himself inside me. All my worries of someone seeing us left my mind. He wasn''t gentle as he rammed into me over and over, his grip on my hips so tight that I''ll probably bruise. This wasn''t meant to be anything other than us releasing our frustrations and I was totally fine with it. I pushed back against him to meet his thrusts. He started to lose his rhythm as he approached his orgasm. I was getting close, too, and when he whispered, "come for me," I lost it. He growled as my walls clenched around him, and he spilled inside me. Coming down from our high, he slipped out of me, turning me back around to face him after tucking himself away. "I didn''t hurt you, did I?" He asked. I smiled up at him and he brushed some hair out of my face. I shook my head and leaned up to kiss him, softly this time. "My hips are probably a little bruised, but they will heal fine. You didn''t do anything I didn''t want or enjoy." ****** Scene over "Being newly mated and spending so much time apart has been driving me insane." He sighed. I nodded again. "Me, too, but after Thursday, we should have more time together. Just try not to rip Tyler''s head off in the meantime." I chuckled. "Let''s head back. I need to get cleaned up. Carly and I are going to get our dresses for the Ceremony, your mom gave me the rest of the day off. Good thing, too, because my head was about to explode." I slipped my hand in his and we headed back out of the woods. Chapter Twenty-two - This was it, it''s time. The doors opened and we walked through. My eyes immediately found Cameron, only to see he was already watching me. He had a huge smile on his face and his eyes were swimming dark. Osiris was watching, too, and I could feel Elea pushing forward a little. You are absolutely stunning, my mate. As beautiful as you look in that dress, I will enjoy taking it off of you later. I heard him say in my head. The feeling is mutual. You look incredible, but those clothes will look much better on the floor. I answered. As we reached the stage, my dad kissed my cheek and released my hand. I walked up the stairs and stood next to Cameron, off to the side of his dad who began to speak. "You are all gathered here to witness my son receive the Alpha title and Talia receive the Luna title. We will perform the Alpha ceremony first, transferring my title and power to Cameron, then Penelope will do the same for Talia. Let''s begin." We walked to the middle of the stage and stood in front of the table placed there. It contained a narrow dagger, two bowls, and an ancient book opened to an empty page. Daniel and Cameron stood face to face. Daniel picked up the dagger. "Cameron Michaels, do you swear to lead this pack, protects its'' members, lay down your life for them if necessary, and uphold the laws of our world?" "Yes, Alpha, I do." Cameron held out his right hand to his father and he drew the blade across his palm. He did the same to his own hand and put down the blade. They placed their hands together, and held them over the first bowl. Their blood released a gold smoke, signaling the Moon Goddess approval. Then, they held their hands over the open book and a few drops of blood fell onto a blank page. "I, Alpha Daniel Michaels of the Silver Night pack, transfer my title and my power to you, Cameron." Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Cameron closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he felt the power flood his body. I could feel it through our bond, along with his happiness, he felt complete, content. They let go and stepped back, each grabbing a cloth to clean their hands. Penelope and I took their place. "Talia Lawrence, do you swear to lead this pack, protects its'' members, lay down your life for them if necessary, and uphold the laws of our world?" "Yes, Luna, I do. We repeated the process of slicing our hands and holding our hands over the second bowl, watching as the gold smoke rose again. We added our blood to the book, and Penelope stepped back, wiping her hand. I turned to Cameron. "Alpha, I''d like for us to perform the ancient blood binding ritual." I said. Cameron started at me in shock and I heard murmuring through the pack. This was something I spoke to Evelyn about yesterday. I had read a little about it while searching the library for ways to protect ourselves against the witches. The use of blood magick for binding isn''t widely used within the werewolf community due to the fact that we are already bound to our mates with the mate bond, but doing the ritual isn''t frowned upon either. It''s not dark or black magic, and when done with positive intentions, it''s seen as a good thing. Evelyn helped me gather the ingredients. Do you trust me, my mate? I asked Cam through our link. Of course I do, Talia, but I don''t know anything about this... The cliff notes version is that it''s going to help protect us and our bond from the witches. We bind ourselves to each other with our blood and a ritual, similar to the one we just did, and boom. Evelyn saw no reason not to do it. Trust me. Cameron walked over and stood in front of me. "What do we have to do?" He asked. I pulled a small burlap bag containing a few crystals and the ritual plate out of my pocket. I placed the plate on the table and arranged the crystals onto it. They each sat in an indent around the outside. The indent in the middle remained empty. "We bind our hands with this rope," I reached into my other pocket and pulled it out. "We say vows, place a small cut on our hands and hold it over the plate. Our blood will flow towards the crystals, and then we''re done." He nodded and I held out my left hand. He took it and I wrapped the rope around our hands. "Repeat after me: As our hands are bound together, so too, are our lives." "As our hands are bound together, so too, are our lives." "Your blood is my blood, I give myself to you, the two of us will live as one." I continued and he repeated. "I promise to protect you and love you without restraint, in this life and the next." I finished the final part, he repeated it also. We held our hands over the plate. I picked up the dagger and slid it in between our hands, slicing the skin. Our blood dripped onto the middle, and traveled towards the crystals. We watched as the crystals began to glow and I could see Cameron''s eyes grow wide. As the glowing stopped, we turned to look at each other, and I smiled. I replaced the dagger on the table and untied our hands. I glanced up at the shocked face of Daniel and Penelope, an expression I''m sure is mirrored on my parents and Carly, and nodded my head. He walked up to us, "I present to you, the new Alpha and Luna of the Silver Night pack!" Cameron and I turned to each other, leaning in and placing our lips together in a kiss filled with emotion as the pack clapped and celebrated us. Cameron turned back towards the crowd. "Thank you, everyone! We are grateful for your love and support. We have food, drinks, and music outside. Go out and enjoy the rest of your night!