The moon sat like a silver coin atop the canopy, bleeding light through the pine needles to illuminate the trail ahead. A sharp, autumn breeze cut through the lingering heat of the day, carrying the crisp scent of damp earth and oak. Every breath of the forest air settled into my lungs, easing the tension in my muscles as the shadows grew long. As I continued to walk forward, I could hear the slight crunch of the fallen Autumn leaves with every step I took. I could also hear the soft murmurs of the crickets and the other animals moving in the forest, but at a distance from where I currently was. The moment I stepped into this forest, the other animals could sense my presence, and no animal is stupid enough to want to get themselves killed, so they tend to stay away from me, all except bears, but I've yet to see any tonight so far. But among the sounds of the forest, I can also hear rushing water, and I continue to walk forward, heading in the direction of the sound of water.
I followed the sound of rushing water until the trees broke, revealing a river that transformed from violent rapids into a deep, tranquil pool. Even in the dim light, the water was transparent; I watched moonlight dance off the scales of fish swimming below. I leaned down, the scent of pure freshwater hitting my nose before I drank my fill. The chill chased away the dryness in my throat, leaving me refreshed. Gazing at the moon's reflection in the still surface, the peace of the clearing felt like an invitation that I happily abided by.
The water was a sharp bite against my paws, but I didn't hesitate. The cold had never been a deterrent; my thick, white coat was built for this, trapping a layer of heat against my skin that kept the autumn chill at bay. I waded deeper, feeling the current swirl around my heavy muscles until the riverbed dropped away. With a powerful shove of my hind legs, I let the water take my weight. I swam in slow, lazy circles, my tail acting as a rudder behind me. Here, in the center of the pool, the trees couldn't reach; the moon was a brilliant, unobstructed eye watching me from above. I took a moment to just float, my head held high as I breathed in the scent of wet stone and pine.
Eventually, I struck out for the shore, my claws finding purchase on the submerged rocks as I hauled my heavy, dripping frame onto the bank. I stood at the edge of the forest and gave a massive, full-body shake, sending a spray of silver droplets flying into the air. I was ready to continue my trek when the world suddenly went silent. The crickets cut their song mid-note. The rustle of small rodents in the brush vanished. My ears flattened against my skull, and I dropped into a low crouch, my belly fur brushing the damp leaves.
The silence wasn't empty; it was heavy, vibrating with the sudden presence of predators. I didn't need to see them to know they were there. The air shifted, bringing the pungent, musky scent of wolf-not the wild, thin smell of a forest scavenger, but something thicker. Heavier.
Werewolves.
I didn't move a muscle, staying coiled and low to the ground as a massive black wolf stepped from the shadows. He was large, but even as he bared his teeth, I felt a flash of feline disdain. He was no match for a white tiger like myself, and he seemed to know it. He didn't charge; he circled, a calculated move to keep my attention fixed on him. Then came the others. They trickled out from between the oak trees like ink blots in the moonlight, moving in a practiced flank. They were trying to surround me, cutting off my path back to the river. I suppressed a chuff of amusement. Their attack plan was textbook, predictable, and-given who they were facing-suicidal.
The first wolf, the one who smelled of authority and old pine, paused. He cast a lingering, hateful look at me before retreating behind a thicket. When he emerged, the wolf was gone. In his place stood a man-broad-shouldered, standing over six feet, with the kind of muscular build that came from a lifetime of combat. Even in the soft moonlight, the tattoos winding down his arms looked like jagged shadows. He had short, dark brown hair and eyes the color of light brown eyes with flecks of gold, though they were currently narrowed into slits of pure hostility. He wore only a white T-shirt and black shorts, seemingly unbothered by the chill in the air.
He crossed his arms over his chest, his scowl deepening as he took in the sight of me-a shimmering white beast dripping with river water. He tried to project the aura of a leader, but I could smell the sharp tang of his unease. He knew exactly what I was, even if he didn't yet know who I was. He stood a few feet ahead of his pack, trying to stare me down. I didn't give him the satisfaction of a growl. Instead, I simply sat back on my haunches and blinked slowly, the ultimate feline insult.
He stared at me for a minute, trying to hold back his own anger, before he cleared his throat, demanding, "What are you doing trespassing on our land?" I growled in my throat as I refused to let anyone talk to me like that, and the moment I growled. He jumped slightly before growling back at me, "You are on our land! You will tell me what you are doing here! And you will not growl at us if you value your life!"
I rolled my eyes as I knew if they wanted a chance at beating me, they didn't have nearly enough wolves with them to even have a chance at beating me, and even if they did, most of them wouldn't survive the battle against me. I snarled as I stood up, showing my teeth as a true form of intimidation, but not moving an inch, as I had no intention to kill anyone tonight unless I had to. Most of the wolves crouched lower to the ground and growled while the one in human form moved closer to the wolves, but still stood at the front of the formation, standing tall, but every muscle was tense. All of a sudden, one of the wolves in the back of the formation charged forward towards me, and from the look of their surprised expressions, I could tell it was not planned. He was too slow with lightning-fast reflexes. I pivoted, caught him by the scruff of his neck with my jaws, and sent him flying through the air. He hit the dirt at the Beta's feet with a pathetic whimper. The wolves bristled before they immediately charged forward. The one in his human form looked shocked as he tried to get the wolves back into formation, but they ignored him. It still didn't bother me as I knew none of them would be able to even lay a scratch on me.
*
*
I ran my hands through my short black hair as I stood in the middle of my office, feeling completely worn down, as I had just finished the last meeting for the evening. I sighed before I walked over to the couch in my office and lay across it, intending to relax for a few minutes. I placed my arm over my eyes, and the moment I felt my muscles begin to relax, I suddenly heard my beta's panicked voice in my head, "Kayden, we need to get down at the river's edge immediately." I sat up immediately, and I immediately mind-linked my beta, and I could hear the urgency in my voice as I said, "What's wrong, Luca?" I could tell he was distracted as he spoke, "There is a tiger shifter at the river, and I lost control of our pack as they are now engaged in a battle with the tiger shifter, and it appears that we are losing."
I growled deeply into my throat, and it vibrated into my chest, and I made sure Luca could hear it through the mind-link to know that he was not pleased with his behavior one bit. I jumped to my feet as I felt my adrenaline begin pumping, and I no longer felt tired in the slightest anymore. I walked to my window in my office window and, without even thinking twice about it, I opened the window and jumped out of the three-story window. Before my feet even reached the ground, I shifted into my large, pitch-black wolf. The moment my feet touched the ground, my wolf took off in the direction of where Luca and the others were currently fighting. "What the hell were you thinking, Luca?! You should have contacted me the moment you learned there was a tiger shifter on our lands!"
"You were still in the middle of a meeting, and I thought I could handle it." I rolled my eyes "Obviously not well enough. Hang on, I'm almost there."
*
I stood at the edge of the river without a single mark on my body, but the wolves, on the other hand, were scattered about the clearing, some lying on their sides or stomachs, breathless and whimpering. While some were still able to stand, they stayed away, growling, but were too afraid to move, or they couldn't move as they all had different wounds, and due to some of the wounds, they wouldn't be able to move easily. But luckily, none of them are dead, just injured enough that they won't or can't try and attack me again. The leader of this group of wolves stood a few feet in front of me in his wolf form again, and he was crouched low with his ears back against his head as he growled at me as he was preparing to attack me. I simply rolled my eyes at him, as you would think he would have learned his lesson when not even one of the other wolves could land a single attack on me. A few of the injured but still standing wolves joined his side, even though most of them were limping to his side as if preparing for one final attack.
I rolled my eyes again at their behavior as I simply sat down again, and they all growled at my behavior as they didn't appreciate being looked down upon. The leader of the group was about to take a step forward when a deep and powerful growl stopped him in his tracks as they looked back toward the woods where the growl came from. The moment the growl permeated through the woods, I suddenly smelt the most delightful scent of sandalwood and forest rain permeate the air around us. I felt my body tingle with excitement as my tail swished slightly behind me against the ground. My tiger practically purred in excitement as every cell in my body was screaming at me. Mate!
He stepped into the clearing, a massive silhouette of midnight-black fur. Piercing silver irises cut through the dark, ringed with a thin band of black that made his gaze feel like a physical weight pressing against my skin. He didn't just walk; he claimed the ground beneath him. This wasn't just another wolf. He was the true Alpha of this pack, and there was no denying it. He had a small pack of wolves that followed so closely behind him that they were practically on his heels.
I saw most of my men lying on the ground, whimpering in pain, and a few of them tried to stand when they heard me growl, but immediately fell back down. A few of them were standing by Luca, who was currently in wolf form and ready to attack the tiger until I stopped him. With one look at them, I could tell that even though they were about to attack the tiger, they were all injured except for Luca, by the way they were standing. The fact that they were prepared to attack again, even though they were injured, makes me proud, but I still won't tolerate their disobedience.
I looked at the tiger shifter and felt my breath hitch in my throat as, even though she was not in her human form, I could tell she was breathtaking. She was a Siberian white tiger, and her white coat was the purest white I had ever seen. Her fur looked like that of freshly fallen snow that seemed to reflect the moonlight, making it appear as if her fur was shimmering in the moonlight. This only makes her pure black strips stand out even more than your average white tiger, but despite that, it still blends in well. But it's her eyes that I can't seem to look away from, as they are the most beautiful shade of electric blue, the color of lightning trapped in ice. They didn't just reflect the moonlight; they seemed to generate their own, glowing with a predatory intensity that made the surrounding forest seem dim by comparison. Her wonderful scent of vanilla and honey was filling my nose, making my mouth water, and driving my wolf crazy with the desire to go over to her and claim her right now. I couldn't believe I had finally found my mate, but my mate was one of our mortal enemies, a tiger shifter.
I felt my anger rise as I looked at the damage she had done to my pack warriors and my mate, who didn't appear to have a single mark on her, let alone a speck of dust anywhere on her body. Part of me was proud that my mate is obviously strong as well as skilled to take on my pack of wolves, even if it was only a small portion of my pack of wolves, while the other part is pissed that she would do this to my pack members. As I walked forward, the pack members who followed me began to get into formation as I walked towards Luca.
I growled in my throat as I reached Luca, and he immediately bowed his head as he backed up and got into formation with the others. I looked back at my mate, who sat perfectly still looking at me, and when I growled, she wasn't fazed in the slightest at all as she simply tilted her head to the side. I growled again, this time louder, with more power attached to it, and heard some of my wolves whimper from the power of it, while others were forced to bow their heads, but my mate didn't even flinch as she simply raised her eyebrow and flicked her tail. I felt extremely impressed by my mysterious mate, as I was aware that I was a very powerful alpha who could overpower other alphas if I wanted to.
I couldn't take my eyes off his silvery ones as they stood just a few feet in front of me, and I continued to watch as one of his fellow wolves dropped some clothes at his feet before going back to the formation. The moment they were back in formation, he quickly transformed into his human form, and as with every transformation, he was completely naked. Some of his wolves looked away, but I had no such ability, as I couldn't look away even if I wanted to.
He was incredibly handsome and ever so sexy as he had short black hair, high cheekbones, as well as a chiseled jaw, and long, thick black eyelashes that only seemed to highlight his enchanting eyes. His eyes were the color of a mountain storm—a heavy, turbulent gray that shifted from polished silver to dark charcoal as his emotions flared. When he looked at me, the steel softened, turning into the color of morning mist over a lake He was much taller than the other wolf shifter, as he probably stands at six foot eight with a very well-defined muscular build with tattoos all over his body. There wasn't a part of his body that wasn't well-defined, as even his legs were sculpted to perfection. Although it wasn't his legs that caught my attention, as couldn't help but stare at the one area I knew I shouldn't, but it was calling my attention. He was bigger than I ever thought he would be, and I could tell he was slightly hard already despite the cold air.
I watched as his muscles flexed as he grabbed the clothes from the ground and began to put on the brown T-shirt and black baseball shorts. He looked incredibly sexy with or without those clothes on, and without thinking, I let out the most animal sound as I suddenly chuffed at him. I watched as he raised an eyebrow, and his lips quirked up in an amused smirk. I took a step forward as my tiger, and I wanted to be closer to him, but the moment I did, some of the wolves growled, and I immediately growled back at them, putting more power into my growl, causing them to shut up. My mate raised his eyebrows in surprise, and I simply sat back down and tilted my head in anticipation.
He cleared his throat, and when he spoke, his voice was deep as well as clear and ever so enchanting as the rest of him. "What are you doing on our land?" I raised my eyebrow at him but said nothing "Do you intend to challenge us for the land? Or are you just looking for a fight?" I rolled my eyes as I shook my head and gave an expiated chuff as a response. He looked skeptical as he said, "Then why are you here?" I simply raised my eyebrow at him once again as he looked frustrated by my lack of communication. He ran his fingers through his hair before he spoke in a demanding voice. "You will answer me!" I don't care that he is my mate, as I refuse to be told what to do by anyone, so I growled at him as I bared my teeth, causing him to look surprised. Some of his wolves tried to growl back at me, but I quickly snapped at them, causing them all to become quiet instantly.
My mate narrowed his eyes at me and waved his finger at me as he said, "You will not growl at me!" I growled again before I opened my mind, and with my magic, I reached out to his mind, and with my telepathic abilities, I spoke into his head, "You will not speak to me like that! Mate or no,t I will not tolerate it!"
The moment I heard my mate's soft and demanding voice, I nearly groaned in pleasure at her beautiful and musical voice, as it nearly sounded like an angel speaking to me. In the back of my mind, I could feel my wolf wagging his tail and closing his eyes from pleasure upon finally knowing our mate's lovely voice. "And in what way is that my little mate?" I spoke into the link she had opened as I would speak to another one of my pack members in our mind-link. I watched as she rolled her eyes "I am not a member of your pack, and if you try to continue to speak to me like that, you will not like the outcome." I growled, "Don't threaten me, little mate!" Her laugh echoed inside my head, and it was even more lovely than hearing her voice, even if it was meant to be threatening instead of joyful, but yet I still felt my cock tightening at the sound as my desire for her was only growing. "Aww, do you actually believe you or any of your pack members can stand a chance against me? Or do you not see your fellow pack members scattered on the ground in pain? None of them could lay a finger on me. Do you honestly think any of you could?" I clenched my teeth as I said, "If you lay a single finger-" She cut me off as she said, "If I truly wanted them to hurt them, they would be dead already, not incapacitated." I felt truly surprised as I looked around at my pack members, and for the first time, I was looking at them. "What do you want then? Why did you come into our territory? Better yet, how did you find us?"
I rolled my eyes before saying, "What kind of dumb question is that? I walked in the woods like I always do. I had no idea I was going to walk into your pack. I didn't even know a pack was in this area." His expression showed he was shocked, but it also darkened as he began to get lost in his thoughts. I enjoyed watching him; I could feel everyone's eyes on us, still looking on edge but confused as they had no idea why we had become so quiet. I roll my eyes "As much as I enjoy your attention, shouldn't you start getting some medical attention for your pack members?"
I felt my blood run cold at the mention of getting medical attention for my pack members, as I should have thought of that. But I was so focused on her that I completely forgot about the pack doctor I already had on standby waiting for my orders to move. I cleared my throat "How do I know you won't attack the moment I mobilize the doctor?" She rolled her eyes "If I wanted to go after any of you, I wouldn't wait until the doctor got here to do so. I would just kill you all without the slightest bit of mercy and then continue to my next target." I felt a shiver run down my spine at her words, and I knew she was telling the truth.
I watched as he nodded to one of his wolves to his right, and I watched as one of the wolves took off into the woods, and when he came back, he was in his human form. He had short-styled black hair with a square jaw and high cheekbones. He had a thick neck, broad shoulders, and a wide chest that showed he never skipped training his body, although his muscles weren't as well-defined as my mate's or the other guy's. He was tall and lean, but he also had an air of sophistication about him as he rushed over to one of the injured wolves. He was wearing a black T-shirt and blue baseball shorts with brown sandals and a white lab coat. As he walked over to one of the wolves, he carried a black doctor's bag that carried all their emergency tools.
The pack bends down next to the wolf, facing my direction, and he begins to look at me nervously before looking back at his alpha and my mate. I rolled my eyes as my mate nodded his head to the doctor to continue, and the doctor looked back at me as if he was still very skeptical about everything. I rolled my eyes at his behavior and chuffed before lying down in boredom as well as a way to show that I had no evil intentions. My mate raised his eyebrow and smirked at my behavior while the others looked shocked, including the doctor, before he decided this was as good of a time as any to do his job.
I watched as my mate rested her head on her front paws as she watched everything in front of her through a bored expression. My fellow pack members looked at one another with confusion written all over their faces as they were chatting with one another in the pack's mind-link, as they all felt uneasy by her nonchalant behavior.
The pack doctor hopped from one wolf to the other, being sure not to get too close to me as he always looked up at me, making sure I hadn't moved an inch. I also noticed when the doctor looked up at my mate, and I noticed when his gray eyes appeared to gloss over as they were communicating through their pack mind bond thing. All werewolves can do so as long as they are in a pack. His expression changed when his eyes focused on m,e and sighed inwardly as I could sense that whatever was about to happen, I wouldn't like it in the slightest.
I watched as he crossed his arms over his chest, he stood a little straighter as he raised his head, his head ever so slightly. I tightened my jaw as I knew he was about to try that I'm in charge because I'm the alpha, and you would do what you were told, stance. I've seen that stance many times in my past, and it never worked, and he will be no exception.
I could see anger flash across my mate's expression as the fury ignited in her bright blue eyes, and I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and exhaled before opening my eyes again. "My men don't feel comfortable with you around. Even if you are in a non-threatening position," I said through the mind-link to my mate. I noticed she rolled her eyes "And I should care why?"
I watched as he clenched his jaw in frustration "Because the doctor needs to take my pack members to his clinic where he can get help taking care of them to ensure that they heal properly and that no one dies tonight." I looked around at his pack members and rolled my eyes as I couldn't care less about any of them as they weren't my problem, nor did I care about their feelings. I could take them all without breaking a sweat and leave any time I want, but the only thing that was keeping me here right now is the fact that my mate is here, and I want to find out more about him. I looked at the pack doctor and noted that he was now examining another wolf closer to the ring of wolves standing behind my mate. "And I repeat. Why should I care?" His frustration became ever more apparent on his face at my obvious disregard for his pack, but I couldn't bring myself to care about anyone who attacked me first.
I couldn't believe my ears at my mate's less-than-caring attitude towards my fellow pack members. She is my mate, which means unless we reject one another, she is technically the Luna of his pack, even if she is a tiger shifter. I watched as she stood up and stretched in a true cat-like fashion, and she yawned as she was completely bored with this conversation. I felt my pack members tense behind me, and even the pack doctor, Damion Fairfield, stopped moving and watched my mate nervously, as he was afraid that she would attack him at any moment. My fists clenched at my side as I watched her sit back down, like when I first saw her a moment ago. She stared at me with a look as if she was daring me to say anything. I felt my anger rise, "How about because you are the reason they are injured and require immediate care in the first place?!"
I rolled my eyes "No, they are in like this because they attacked me. None of this would have happened if they had just left me alone."
"Well, they wouldn't have attacked you if you weren't on our territory."
I rolled my eyes as I stood up, and I bared my teeth in anger at him as I felt my tail swish in anger behind me "I already told you I had no idea I was walking into your pack territory. And I had no plans on staying in the first place, so if they had just left me alone, I would have continued moving forward, and you never would have had to meet me." I noticed that he flinched slightly as I said that, as I know how important finding one's mate is to the wolves, but I also know how much wolves despise tiger shifters. I've been around many werewolves to know well enough that they all view our kind as their mortal enemies and will attack first and then ask questions later. "They might not have attacked you if you hadn't shown such heightened disregard by ignoring them."
I shook my head and chuckled lightly, "Can you honestly say that with a hundred percent certainty? Because I think we both know they still would have tried to attack me no matter what I said. And if you weren't my mate, you would have attacked me already instead of trying to talk to me right now." He looked away from me as his jaw clenched, as he rubbed the back of his neck while saying nothing. I scoffed in satisfaction, although it came out sounding very animalistic as I made a chuffing sound before saying, "See, that's what I thought. Even you don't know what you would have done if I weren't your mate. You came out here prepared to protect your pack from the big bad tiger, and I respect that. But I can't condone the fact that you were ready to come in here, ready to immediately jump into battle without trying to do anything to negotiate either. You can avoid a lot of fights if you try talking things out first, but only if you do it respectfully, not demandingly, as your kind tends to do. Yes, sometimes, charging headfirst into a battle can save a life, but sometimes, talking can save everyone before the battle even begins. You will end up getting many of your pack members killed that way."
He growled deeply in his chest, "Are you saying I'm a bad alpha to my people?!" I rolled my eyes "That's not for me to say, as I'm not a member of your pack, nor do I know anything about you to judge that for you. All I was saying is that if you don't change that bad habit of yours, it could very well lead to not only your downfall but also that of your pack's." I watched as he closed his eyes and as his chest rose and fell as he took a deep breath and then exhaled. I could tell he was trying to calm the rage he was feeling by responding as he knew that what I said was the truth, even if he didn't want to admit it.
I watched as my mate continued to stand across from me, just watching me closely. Her head tilted slightly as she watched me with curiosity twinkling in her bright blue eyes as she awaited my next reaction. Part of me knows that I shouldn't feel anything towards her, as she just pointed out her kind is our mortal enemy, and there are many people in my pack who will reject her very being. No matter what the goddess's decision was for pairing us together. And there isn't a wolf out there that hasn't felt a sense of loss because of a tiger shifter. They have killed many of our kind, which is why we consider them our mortal enemy, for that very reason, as they cause nothing but chaos in their wake. So, I know I should reject her right now and get it over with and force her to leave this land and have her never step foot on our land again. Even though she has angered me greatly, I still find her incredibly fascinating and amusing, which makes me want to get to know her even more and keep her by my side. I gritted my teeth together in anger at my tormenting thoughts, and I newly felt the need to curse the moon goddess for putting me through this, but I held myself back as I took another deep breath, trying to dispel my anger.
I could feel my pack's uneasiness as they looked between my mate and me; they didn't know what to expect as they waited for my next order. I could also hear their nervous chatter amongst themselves through our pack-link. I sighed before focusing on the link in my mind between my mate and myself, before saying, "Fine, will you be willing to assist me in fixing the unrest in my pack's mural so that they would be more willing to assist the doctor in getting the injured to his clinic, where he can assist them better?"
I watched as a hint of mischief flashed in her eyes, and her ears perked up slightly "Oh, and what do I get out of it?" I rolled my eyes and raised an eyebrow as I felt amused by her unpredictable behavior "And why do you need to get anything from it?"
"And why shouldn't I get something out of it? We've already established that I don't care how your pack feels about me. So, what can you do to entice me to make me want to help you ease their fears about me?"
I could hear a playful tone in her voice as she spoke, "Well, what would you like in exchange?" I watched as she took a step towards me "Hmmm, how about you sometime in the future at my discretion, you have to do or give me whatever I want, no matter what it is." I crossed my arms over my chest and, with an amused smirk on my face, I asked, "And why should I give you something so valuable as that, kitten?"
I couldn't help to smirk internally at his lack of an imaginative nickname and raised an eyebrow as I took another step toward him, "Kitten, really? Not very original." He smirked and shrugged his shoulders "I like it." I rolled my eyes "Of course you would. But anyway, I've already told you the reason, and I won't accept any other bargain as you don't have anything I want. Unfortunately, you don't have much of a choice in the matter, as your men need treatment, and your men refuse to be valuable around me and won't shift into their human form around me to help carry the injured back to the pack's clinic. So, what will it be? Will you be at my mercy and accept the deal? Or will you try to keep your pride intact and risk the well-being of your fellow pack members and wait to see how you can hold out until I break? And I assure you I can sit here all night and day waiting if you like, as unlike you, I have nothing to lose here, but you, on the other hand, do."
I clenched my jaw and narrowed my eyes in irritation as it irritated me that everything she said was spot on, and I had no room to refute anything she said. I indeed knew nothing about her as I just met her tonight, so even if I wanted to, I don't know what she likes or wants to try bargaining with her. And it is completely a one-sided deal if she doesn't help me; I won't be able to get my pack's full cooperation to get my injured men out of here. Without her, I might be able to get a few men to do so, but they are so worried about her presence that she could attack them or me at any moment. They would most likely rebel against the order even if I tried to command them to do so. Honestly, I feel rather irritated that she used that against me, but at the same time, I also feel a sense of pride fill my chest that she can make one hell of a deal like that, which isn't a bad trait to have for a leader to possess.
I watched as his eyes showed his inner turmoil before he sighed and then said, "Alright, you win. I will owe you one, but only if you do as I say." I smiled triumphantly even though I knew he had no other choice but to accept, and I took another step towards him. I watched as his eyes followed my every movement as I walked up to him and walked around him in a circle. As I walked around him, I kept my eyes on him, not paying attention to anything or anyone else. As I walked around him, my tiger rubbed my head up against the back of his legs as I made a pleased chuffing sound. When I rubbed my head against the back of his leg, he looked at me with amusement twinkling in his eyes as he smirked, showing his amusement at my actions.
I walked around him, and I was standing in front of him again, so I looked at him again and smiled at him "We have a deal then." He smiled at me as I took another step towards him, intending to rub my head against him again as my tiger desired to rub my scent all over him and to claim what was rightfully hers. But the moment I went to do so, I heard movement towards my right side of me from behind me. The moment I turned my head slightly to look behind me was when I noticed one of his wolves charging at me, intending to attack me. He appeared to be aiming towards my leg to weaken me, but the moment he attracted my attention, it was too late for him.
The moment he got close and tried to bite my leg, I quickly jumped up, which caused him to fall forward just lightly before I landed on top of him, pinning him to the ground. I could see my mate's eyes grow wide with shock the moment he noticed one of his wolves attempting to attack me, and I even noticed he took a step towards us, intending to either stop the wolf or push me out of the way. But he never got that chance before I pinned the wolf to the ground, and with him pinned underneath me, I could see the fear in his eyes as I bared my teeth and roared in anger at his insolence. His wolf whimpered in fear and tried to move beneath me, but I didn't let him budge, and I could see the fear on all the other wolves' faces as their entire bodies tensed as they prepared for a fight.
I watched as my mate was just as tense as the others, as he feared what might happen next, but he held his hand up, keeping the others in their places and not allowing them to go on the attack. He stood straight as he looked between the wolf and me under me, I suddenly felt Kayden's power roll off him in waves. "Release him!" Kayden's voice cracked like a whip. "Speak to me in that tone again," I sent the words slicing into his mind, "and your little pet won't live to see the sunrise." Kayden's jaw corded, and I could practically see the battle behind his steel gray eyes "You will release him this instant."
"Is your pride worth his life, Alpha? You think that because the stars paired us together, you can control me? I am not a member of your pack. You have no control over me, and you never will." I dipped my head, opening my jaws wide over the warrior's jugular. I watched as anger and fear flashed across my mate's face as the wolf underneath me radiated fear so strong that I could smell it so clearly that it was almost intoxicating as he whimpered and struggled beneath me.
My tiger wanted nothing more than to kill this insolent wolf beneath me and taste his fear, but I held back as I watched the others tense even more as they wanted nothing more than to save the wolf and attack me just as much. They looked between their alpha and pinned wolf with confusion on their face about why their alpha wouldn't give the order to attack, and from the look on their faces, I could tell they were getting tired of waiting, but they knew they couldn't go against their alpha. I watched as my mate's jaw ticked as his anger increased, but he was trying not to let it show. Kayden took a frantic step forward when I lowered my jaws even closer to his jugular. "Fine," he snapped, his shoulders dropping. "Please. Just... let him go."
I reluctantly turned my head to look at him and tilted my head slightly as I licked my lips. "Much better," I purred. "Trust me, you don't want to do this. If you do this, there is no coming back from it. I can't protect you if you kill him," he said aloud as his voice dripping with concern. I rolled my eyes "First of all, I don't need you to protect me. You and your pack of wolves are hardly a threat to me. And trust me when I say that if I truly wanted him dead, he would be dead already."
I felt my anger rise at her words as she said my pack and I were not a threat to her, yet somehow my wolf and I knew deep inside that she wasn't lying. I should reject her right here and now but yet I could also feel a sense of pride at her strength and confidence. And even though I know I shouldn't feel this way when she is threatening my pack, I can't help but admire how beautiful she looks in the light of the moon, even though she still looks like she is about to murder one of my pack members. Damn, the moon goddess and her damn mate bond; it makes no sense why she would do this to me. It makes absolutely no sense to me why she would pair the two of us together.
I clenched and unclenched my fist, trying to control my anger "Fine, can you please release him then? I will make sure to punish him accordingly, as he ignored my order and attacked you on his own accord." I watched as she raised an eyebrow at me, "And why should I trust you to do so?" I closed my eyes as I pinched the bridge of my nose, and I felt the start of a headache forming from all the stress of the night. "Why can't you just trust me and listen for once?" I heard her scoff in my head before she said, "How about because I don't know you. We just met, and you have given me no reason to trust you. Just because I know you didn't order him to attack me doesn't mean I am going to trust you immediately. And mate or not, you will have to earn my trust just like everyone else."
I sighed before opening my eyes again to look at her, and the moment my eyes met hers, I was still awestruck at just how blue they were. I had to stop myself from wanting to walk towards her and run my fingers through her fur. My wolf wants to claim her so badly it is taking everything in me to keep him reined in, so I don't transform and do something stupid. I sighed, "Fine then, if you release him, you have my word that not only will I punish him, but I will owe you whatever you want, whenever you want it, just like our previous deal. So, I will have not only one but two things you can demand of the alpha of the Shadow Moon pack. Not many people can say they've ever achieved something like that."
I rolled my eyes and raised an eyebrow at him, "So his life is only worth one extra deal too." I chuckled, "Wow, I would have thought the lives of your pack members would mean more to you than that." His jaw tightened as his fist clenched at his sides "Fine, how many will it take for you to release him?" I smirked and shook my head before stepping off the cowering wolf with one fluid, cat-like motion. The moment I did, I saw my mates' and everyone else's shocked expression. The wolf didn't take any time as he immediately took his chance and ran off to hide behind my mate's legs. The wolf then looked back at me to see if I took off after him as he cowered behind his alpha. "Next time you go to make a deal, make sure it is a fair deal, as it should be worth the same equivalent of worth. Luckily for you, I never had any intention to kill, and I would have let him go sooner and for nothing if you hadn't talked to me in that tone. So next time, watch what you say to me and how you say it, or I won't be so nice the next time. And also, keep a shorter lease on your pack members next time, or I might very well kill them next time."
My jaw clenched in an attempt to keep my emotions in check. As I did so, I couldn't help looking behind me at Jackson Fairfield, who was still cowering behind me. He is currently one of the youngest warriors here at this moment. He shouldn't have even been here since I knew he wasn't ready for something like this. But the moment he saw me running to get here in time, he started following me despite my telling him to go home. He ignored my explicit orders when he decided to follow me anyway. I didn't have time to deal with him and force him to turn around, and now I wish I had dealt with it before coming here. When he saw me looking at him, he immediately looked down in shame and whimpered before turning around and walking back to the others with his head and tail down in shame.
I shook my head and sighed before turning back towards my mate, who was staring at me with interest, and I nearly groaned as my wolf's desire for his mate intensified. My wolf was clawing at the back of my mind, trying to demand I take her this moment, not caring one bit that she is a tiger, not a wolf. All my wolf cares about is that she looks so majestic standing there under the light of the moon and watching us like that. I clenched my jaw, trying to keep my wolf under control, and once I was sure he was under control, that's when I said, "Thank you for releasing him."
I sat back on my haunches, tilting my head as I watched Kayden. He looked at me like he wanted to murder me and kiss me all at once. The tension between us was a living thing, humming with the weight of centuries of hatred wolves have harbored against us, tiger shifters- and a bond that didn't care about history. I shrugged nonchalantly, "I told you before, I didn't come this way to kill anyone. Nor did I come here expecting to run into your pack. And if I had known there was a pack here, I wouldn't have come here in the first place. I would have saved myself some trouble that way."
I felt my heart tighten with disappointment as she said that, even though I knew I shouldn't feel this way, and I coughed awkwardly to try to distract myself from my unexplainable emotions. "Still, not least, thank you for sparing his life. He's just a pup who doesn't know what he is doing and thinks he is invincible. And hopefully, this experience has taught him something, so he won't act so recklessly in the future."
I felt shocked and slightly skeptical as I listened to him, and even though I wanted to ask questions and find out what he meant by that and criticize him for allowing a child on a battlefield, I kept my mouth shut, as it had nothing to do with me, and simply listened. "Anyway, is there anything I can do to thank you?" I shook my head"A deal is a deal; just respect it, and there won't be a problem." He looked at me with disbelief "I am an alpha, and I am always true to my word." I nodded, "Good, then we won't have a problem."
He still looked skeptical, but didn't say anything else, but I did watch as his eyes glossed over as he spoke to one of his wolves through their link. I then watched as one of his wolves ran off to the woods and returned with some clothes gripped in the wolf's teeth. I watched as this wolf walked towards us, and from the smell of this wolf, I could tell it was a female. As she stepped towards us, my inner tiger surged forward. A vicious and possessive growl tore from my throat, sounding deep and primal.
I watched as the wolf froze, her ears flattening in submission instinctively. Even if I knew she was only a messenger, my tiger still didn't want another female anywhere near her mate. My mate's lips quirked into a half-smirk as a flash of amusement in his eyes. My mate gave a quick nod to the wolf, but despite that nod, she still looked skeptically. She tried to take another step toward us, but was stopped immediately as I bared my teeth at her. I could sense her uneasiness and her fear as she looked between my mate and me. She looked back at my mate, and he tilted his head towards the pack. She looked relieved as she dropped the clothes a few feet away from my mate before she went to take up her position back in the pack's formation.
My tiger puffed up her chest as she felt immense pride and satisfaction at causing the female to run away from us and leave our mate alone. I heard my mate chuckle, causing me to turn my head back towards him to see his chest rising and falling quickly. His deep chuckle sounded so wonderful and ever so incanting to me that my tiger wanted to purr at the richness of the sound.
He appeared to be amused as he picked up the clothes before he took a step towards me, causing the scent of sandalwood and forest rain to intensify. I looked up at him and then the clothes in his hands before looking up at him with my eyebrow raised slightly. He chuckled at my reaction and, with a smile still on his full, kissable lips, he said, "Now, kitten." His voice was husky as it dropped an octave lower with intimate vibration. "Keep your end of the bargain. Help me relieve the uneasiness of my pack so I can remove the injured out of here. So transform for me now." I held his gaze for a heartbeat longer than necessary, just to show I wasn't obeying a command-I was granting him a favor.
The shift was fluid as a shimmering, iridescent mist rose from the ground to surround her body. The mist helped to mask the snapping of bone and stretching of sinew. I felt my heartbeat speed up at the excitement and anticipation of seeing what my mate looked like. I still couldn't make out what she looked like until she stood up. As she began to stand up, the mist slowly started to disappear, and I felt my jaw drop upon seeing just how truly breathtaking my mate was.
When she stood up to her full height, I could tell she was taller than most females, as she was definitely six feet exactly. Her eyes were a much darker shade of blue, but they were even more lovely as they looked like the ocean at night when the moon was shining on it just right. Her human eyes were no less striking, a deep sapphire that held the weight of an ocean at midnight. They were framed by silver lashes that made the blue pop like a flame against the darkness. Her hair was so long that it reached her mid-calf. Her hair was such a lovely shade of silver that it almost seemed to glow under the light of the moon. And she had such lovely pale skin that she didn't have a single flaw or blemish in sight.
As she stood completely naked in front of me, I couldn't help but as my eyes wandered to take in every inch of her wonderful body. Her long hair covered her breasts, but from what I could see, they were just so plump and perky that my body ached to squeeze them and taste those perfect globes. Her stomach was flat, but you could see a hint of her defined abs that showed just how in shape she was, as there wasn't an ounce of fat on her body. And she has such an amazing figure with slightly wide hips and perfectly shapely legs.
I heard my mate's sharp intake of breath, and as our eyes met, I noticed his eyes darkening, turning the color of a stormy sea. They traveled slowly, hungrily down the length of my body as he didn't just look, he appeared like his eyes were trying to devour me. I felt a flush that had nothing to do with the chill in the air. I felt the urge to cover my body with my hands, but I ignored it as I stood there watching him.
Just looking at her has my mouth watering and my groin hardening as it took everything in me not to reach out and pull her towards me and to find out if she tastes as good as she looks. Instead, I ignored the pain of my tightening groin and held the clothes out towards her to put on, even though I much preferred to see her naked. I watched as she tilted her head to the side slightly, as she seemed confused by my actions.
I heard the sharp intake of breaths and a few gasps from behind me from several of my men and other pack members. A surge of rage coursed through me as I turned around to glare at my warriors. A roar erupted from my chest- a warning, "Eyes Down! Turn! NOW!" My men were obviously confused by my reaction, but they knew better than to question me, and they quickly scrambled to obey, turning their backs in a frantic hurry.
When he turned back towards me, his jaw was clenched, and I could see it ticking with an intense anger. As our eyes met, the air between us was practically electric and thick with a sudden, overwhelming desire that made my pulse thrum in my ears. The clothes that the wolf gave him were clenched tightly in his hands as he stepped towards me. I kept my eyes trained on his as he stepped into my personal space. I could feel the heat radiating off his body in waves; I felt the hair on my arms suddenly stand up as a shiver ran down my spine.
Without taking my eyes off of hers, I lifted the shirt in my hand and put it on over her head. She looked surprised but allowed me to put them on without a problem, and then I assisted her in putting on the shorts just as I had done with the shirt. The moment she was dressed, I took a step back as I did that, she pulled the hair out from the shirt, but I couldn't help the growl that escaped my throat as I looked at her. The tank top was low cut and left nothing to the imagination as it clung to her like a second skin. When I growled, she tilted her head and looked at me with confusion on her face. Her eyes grew wide as she watched me pull the T-shirt I was wearing over my head. Her eyes filled with hunger and desire, and I couldn't help but smirk at her reaction.
He moved with a strange, careful reverence as he lifted his shirt in his hands before guiding the material over my head. The fabric was soft as it brushed against my skin, and it still retained the warmth. The shirt was saturated with his scent-the deep, earthy aroma of sandalwood and the crisp chill of forest rain. My heart hammered against my ribcage as my skin practically buzzed upon contact. His fingers brushed against my shoulders, causing sparks to dance across my skin. As I looked up at him, I noticed just how close he was standing that I could see his eyelashes casting shadows against his chisled cheekbones.
His hand slowly traveled from my shoulders to where his hand lingered at the nape of my neck. I could feel the tiny white-hot needles of pleasure as he gently began to trace the line of my jaw with his thumb. My eyes grew heavy as they threatened to close from the pleasure of the sensation it was stirring in my body. For a second, the rest of the world seemed to fade into nothingness. There was only the heat of his from and the sensations he was stirring to life with his touch. "So," I whispered, my voice sounding breathier than I intended. "Is this more to your liking than?"
A chuckle vibrated through my chest, unable to stop myself, although it didn't stop my wolf or me from the pleasure that coursed through me upon hearing my mate's voice aloud for the first time. It was so lovely, and I could tell she had an accent from her voice, but I couldn't tell from where, as it sounded like a mix of things. I could see she was looking at me with a slight smile on her face, and without thinking, I reached out and cupped her face with my hand as I smiled back at her. She leaned forward, and just as our lips were about to meet, someone faked a cough to interrupt us. I sighed as I pulled back, and I heard her growl lightly, causing a smirk to spread across my lips in amusement. I turned around to see Mia standing behind me in wolf form as she looked at my mate skeptically.
I watched as my mate turned toward the female wolf, and I felt a strong urge to launch at the female for interrupting us. Mostly, I wanted to scratch her eyes to ensure that she could never look at my mate again, but I knew that was irrational, so I held back. I looked away from the female as I saw the other wolves turn back around to face us. They looked between my mate and me, and they still looked uneasy, but the majority of them disappeared into the woods and returned in their human forms as they joined the doctor to get the injured back to their pack's clinic.
They still looked pretty uneasy as they picked up the injured wolves, but completely ignored my presence as they got to work. But I noticed one of the men coming towards, and as he got closer, I noticed it was the same man who was leading the first group of wolves in place of my mate. I growled upon seeing him, and he immediately tensed at hearing the growl. He looked between my mate and me nervously. I looked at my mate, who had an amused smirk on his face as he looked at me with adoration in his eyes. The moment I saw the adoration in his eyes, I felt myself melt slightly, and my heartbeat quickened a bit as I smiled at him.
He suddenly grabbed my hand and pulled me against his side as he put his arm over my shoulder, holding me close to him. Everywhere his skin touched mine, I could feel the mate sparks everywhere it touched me, and it felt even more amazing than I ever could have imagined. His scent completely enveloped me between his shirt I am wearing and now with him holding me against him, it made my tiger want to purr in pleasure. I couldn't help myself, and the moment he pulled me close to him, I snuggled against him, and I rubbed my face against his chest before burying my face in the crook of his neck as I inhaled his scent. I felt him shiver slightly at my actions before I felt his chest rumble slightly as he chuckled lightly in amusement.
I watched as my beta, Luca, and Mia looked at my mate with pure shock on their faces as she rubbed her face against my chest before she snuggled closer to me. She wrapped her arms around my waist as she buried her face in the crook of my neck. My heart swelled in appreciation as she looked absolutely adorable as she clung to me. I couldn't help but smile down at her as I ran my fingers through her beautiful, silky silver hair. The moment I ran my fingers through her hair, I heard my mate purr ever so slightly. The moment I heard her purr, I felt my cock tighten, and I groaned as my desire for her increased.
I heard Mia gasp, which caused me to look away from my mate and look over to her, and Mia was now standing in human form. Mia has long, straight blonde hair that reaches the center of her back with bright green eyes. She is much shorter than my mate, as she is five foot ten and has a heart-shaped face and tan skin. She was also in very good shape, as she is one of our top warriors in the pack and a good friend of mine. I've known Luca and Mia since we were children, and we grew up together. She was wearing a low-cut black tank top and white shorts, which were nearly identical to what she gave my mate. The only difference is that it didn't look nearly as scandalous on her as she has a smaller chest than my mate, so her breasts aren't nearly spilling out of the tank top. Mia is not flat-chested, but they most definitely do not have the same size chest by any means.
Mia's eyes were wide as she had her hand over her mouth in shock, while Luca looked between Mia and me in confusion, "Holy shit, she's your mate, isn't she?" The moment those words were out of her mouth, Luca looked at me with his eyes wide in shock "That can't be true. There is no way that is true, right?" He looked at me expectantly, and I sighed, "Yes, she is." Anger flashed in Luca's eyes "How is that possible? She's a tiger shifter for fuck's sake. Do you know how many of our kind they've killed?!" I felt my chest tighten in sadness, but before I could say anything, I felt my mate turn her head slightly towards Luca before she growled. "Watch what you say, your filthy mongrel. I will not stand for you to speak badly about my kind. And if you upset my mate, I won't hesitate to rip your head off your shoulders."
I felt my chest swell with pride at her protectiveness over me. Luca's eyes grew wide with shock while Mia just raised her eyebrow as a slight smirk of amusement appeared at the corner of her mouth, even though my mate just threatened hers. Luca looked between his mate and me with pure shock on his face "Are you really not going to do anything or say anything after she threatened me?" Mia sighed, "Do you honestly expect us to do or say anything to a tiger shifter? Tiger shifters are known to be incredibly stubborn and extremely reclusive, so what do you expect one of us to say or do? Not only that, but she is also the mate of your best friend, so I can't help that you were dumb enough to insult them." His eyes grew wide with shock as he gasped at the cruel words of his mate, "How could you say that to me?" She simply rolled her eyes, and I couldn't help but laugh at their ridiculous banter as they continued to banter back and forth.
I felt my mate shift against me, and I looked down at her I noticed she was looking at the two of them and then back at me with confusion on her face, and she looked uncomfortable. I smiled down at her and cupped her face in my hand "You okay, kitten?" She tilted her head slightly "I'm not the one you should be worrying about right now." I chuckled slightly, "They are fine. They are normally like this. They are mates, after all." Her eyes grew wide in shock for a moment "Well, that's good to know." I raised an eyebrow and smirked, "Oh, and why is that now?" She smiled seductively before saying, "Because that is one less female that I will have to kill later." I felt shocked by her statement before my heart swelled with pride and happiness at her possessive behavior. God, there is truly nothing about this woman that I don't seem to like, and it's truly frightful as I know I shouldn't feel this way, but I can't seem to help it.
I felt someone staring at us again and sighed before turning away from my mate to see who was staring. I looked up to see Luca and Mia have stopped bickering and are now staring at us "What?" I said with my irritation leaking from every syllable of the word, and Luca's eyes grew wide in shock at my reaction, while Mia just ignored it. "So, what do you plan to do?" I sighed as I felt my mate's shoulders slightly tense, and I felt the need to reassure her, but I knew I couldn't do that. I sighed before answering honestly, "I don't know." She nodded in understanding, "Yeah, this might be a little hard to explain to the pack."
"They will never accept her!" Luca rudely chimed in. I growled lightly as a warning to him, and he quickly shut his mouth. "So what do you want to do, alpha?" I sighed and rubbed the back of my neck "I really don't know what to do. I didn't come out here expecting to meet my mate. I came out here expecting to fight a tiger shifter, and if it survived the battle, then we would have locked it up until a punishment was set, just like we always do. But now I don't know."
"You can still reject and hope the moon goddess gives you a better mate, and maybe this time it will be an actual wolf. That is always-" Before Luca could finish his sentence, Mia punched him so hard in his stomach that when he doubled over, he crumpled to the ground. Right as Mia punched him, I felt my mate move, and just as she tried to launch herself at Luca, I caught her and pulled her to my chest. She was still struggling against me, trying to get to Luca as her blue eyes were filled with pure, murderous fury. I tightened my grip around her as Mia started yelling at Luca before turning back towards us. She looked at my mate and bowed her head slightly "I'm terribly sorry about his behavior, my Luna. I swear he was dropped on his head when he was a baby, which is why he is so stupid, and it would explain why he doesn't know when to shut up. He tends to say and do whatever he wants without thinking of the repercussions."
I felt my mate stop struggling as she stared at Mia in mild curiosity, and the moment Luca tried to say something, Mia quickly shut him down by kicking his shin, which caused my mate to smile in amusement. Mia looked at me as I loosened my grip slightly on my mate, but not completely, just to be careful since Luca can be so unpredictable. "I'm sorry, Alpha, but we are running out of time as they are nearly done transporting the bodies, and we need to know what to do before they get back. God knows what they will expect you to do." I felt a sense of panic and a need for more time, but before I could say anything, my mate said, "Just do what you originally planned. It's not that hard."
I felt my mate tense as he tightened his hold on my waist, pulling me closer to his chest "What do you mean?" I rolled my eyes "The moment I found out you were my mate, I decided to stick around instead of tearing through the lot of you and leaving I never expected a warm welcome. So just put me in a cell like you would have originally done that way you all can feel safer, and your pack will be happy knowing I'm locked up." I felt my mate tense even more at my words, but before he could say anything, the she-wolf stood in front of me and looked me in the eyes before saying, "Do you know what you are saying? Even if the pack doesn't like it, you are still technically the Luna of the pack as long as you are mated to our alpha." I rolled my eyes "I'm not a child. I have dealt with it far worse than staying in a prison cell. Your tiny prison cells don't scare me, nor does your pack scare me either." The she-wolf smiled before looking up at my mate, "Well, that might make things easier, don't you think, Alpha?"
I felt shocked, angry, and in disbelief at the conversation between my mate and Mia "How does this make things easier? How do you expect me to put my mate in a prison cell for God knows how long just to get my pack to accept her?! Those cells were built to house criminals, not my mate." Mia rolled her eyes "We aren't going to keep her in prison as long as you are thinking just for a few days. It will give us more time to come up with a game plan, and if you are so worried about it, you can check on her at any moment. She will be closer in a cell for you to see anytime you want, then letting her go off somewhere as you try to convince the pack that she won't kill them or come after them when they are sleeping." I still felt unconvinced and concerned when my mate turned to look at me with those beautiful blue eyes of eyes. She looked at me with a soft smile on her face "It's fine. Besides, your pack is terrified. If you take me to your bed tonight, you'll have a mutiny before dawn."
I shook my head, "Those cells are no place for someone as delicate as you." I watched as she looked at me in disbelief before she raised an eyebrow and narrowed her eyes at me in irritation "I took all of your warriors that fought against. I would hardly call that being delicate."
"You didn't take me down!" Luca added, which caused Mia to kick his other shin, causing him to groan in pain. My mate simply rolled her eyes before sneering at him, "That's because you didn't fight me. You stayed back like a coward and watched the chaos after you failed to keep the wolves in line." Mia raised an eyebrow at her comment, but chose not to comment on it.
"I didn't say you can't handle yourself. I just can't lock my mate in one of those god-awful cells. How could I live with myself after doing so?" I smiled at him as I admired his sweet and caring behavior before getting on my tippy toes as I kissed his cheek. After I kissed his cheek, I stepped back and out of his arms. As I looked up at him, I could see a soft smile on his face as he looked at me with a tenderness I hadn't seen in a long time. I turned around to look at the she-wolf "Are you able and willing to lock me in a cell?" She smiled confidently, "I am willing to do whatever my Luna desires of me." Just as I took a step towards her, my mate suddenly grabbed my elbow, pulling me back towards him. He twirled me around so he could look at me as he said, "There's no way I can allow you to do this."
I placed my hand over his, where it was gripping my elbow, and I looked him in the eyes before saying, "Let them feel safe tonight knowing the 'beast' is behind bars. It's not a defeat, honey-it's a strategy. That's all this is." He sighed deeply as his shoulders sagged with defeat, just as I managed to slip my arm from his hand. "Fine. But you won't be in there for a second longer than necessary." My lips curved into a wicked grin before sedutively adding, "I'm counting on it." A flash of pure hunger flashed in his gray eyes, but before he could say or do anything, I turned to the female wolf who was watching with respect. "Good then, lead the way. I'd like to see if your formidable prison of yours." She smiled at me before hooking her arm in mine and leading me towards the pack and to the pack cells as our mates followed quietly behind us.