Luna On The Run!

Alpha Zane’s point of view

My position in this whole affair is deteriorating by the minute.

Both the King and the Council are against me, and in retrospect, the idea of the choker was outright stupid. Gorgio, of course, repeatedly uses it against me, which only increases the King’s anger. And now Alexis joins in to rub salt in the wound, I now have three opponents.

I have to figure out how to save myself and my pack.

Gorgio wants my head, and we all know that only if I’m dead will there be peace in his relationship with Ariel. I am the troublemaker, always demanding my place in this triangular pairing.

Eric! Didn’t he say Alexis was his mate? This is my only chance to change things drastically. ‘Eric, to the gates. Hurry, the survival of our pack depends on it.’ And within seconds I catch his scent and breathe a sigh of relief.

As soon as he sees Alexis, he runs to her and takes her in his arms. They are mates, thank God. I have never been so relieved to hear this news. They stare at each other lovingly, with no intention of letting go any time soon.

‘MATE!’

“Alpha Zane, is that your Beta holding the Alpha princess?” the King inquires.

I nod in the affirmative, pleased with myself and the outcome of my Beta’s arrival. Both the King and the Alpha King look at the couple doubtfully. They must be calculating how any sanctions for Midnight Moon might affect the two. The Moon Goddess couldn’t have given me a better tool to save the situation.

“Yes, that’s Beta Eric. Alexis’ mate, Alpha King Petric’s second daughter”.

“That complicates things. But Alpha Zane will not escape punishment. I take the matter of the choker seriously, especially since Luna Ariel complained about it to me personally,” the King insists. His warriors move forward, waiting for the King’s signal. I know I have no chance against just one of them, and now they come five at a time.

Kensley, man. Where are you? The pack is in a critical situation and you’re nowhere to be seen. Eric and I are dealing with the King and Alpha King. I managed to distract them briefly, but not for long.

I can’t imagine that my Head Warrior is absent in this time of imminent war. He should be on the front line here, but he fails. I roar in anger at the pack link.

‘Calm down, Zane. You know I’m very thoughtful,’ he replies into the mind link. I have just heard from one of our spies that Ariel is on her way here. She is returning. But I don’t think you had anything to do with her decision to come back.’

I stiffen, not quite sure if Ariel’s presence will be to my advantage. She will definitely be angry about what I have done to her. But she still needs me to make a new deal. I am her mate, if Gorgio kills me and my pack, she will feel it in the mate bond, however weak it may be. I admit she will recover quickly with Gorgio’s help, but then I will have at least half an hour to make my case.Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.

‘I’ve sent some warriors to accompany her. She is not really happy about it, but at least the car is moving at high speed towards our pack. A few more minutes and she will be here.’

“My King, I have just heard from my chief warrior that Ariel is on her way here. It is only a matter of minutes before she arrives. I suggest we wait for her and listen to her explanation.”

“And what do you think will change for you, Apha? Ariel hates you for the way you treated her, that’s for sure. Don’t really expect anything from her,” Alexis bites at me. My eyes turn pitch black and Claw snarls menacingly at her public disrespect. Alexis may be the Alpha Princess, but as my Beta mate, she will be under my authority in a few days.

The least I expect of her is to address me with respect, especially in front of third parties. A she-wolf will not earn me the label of a worthless leader.

“May I remind you that Ariel is my mate? And she will not be able to stay angry with me. But you, on the other hand, should be careful with your tongue. Don’t forget that Eric is my beta,” I remind her.

Before she can respond, a car screeches to a halt.

Ariel jumps out, her eyes sweeping over us until they land on Gorgio. She ran towards him, shouting his name, and he caught her perfectly. I could tell he was being careful, but he still held her tightly.

“My Luna, at last,” he breathes into her neck. “I was getting desperate. But I wanted to shatter this excuse of a pack so that you could return safely and without fear. Aaahhh how glad I am to see you, Xander is going crazy with happiness in my head”.

They clung to each other like drowning men until Gorgio whispered something in her ear.

With a jerk, Ariel turns to face the King and salutes him. Staring at the woman before him, the Lycan relaxes noticeably and pats her on the head. “I’m glad to see you back safely, Luna.”

Then she walks over to her father and embraces him. “My daughter, how worried I was. But thanks to Selene, you are back”.

And then I saw it, small but undoubtedly there.

Ariel is indeed pregnant. Not with me, but Gorgio’s. Another setback, now I wonder if this mating was meant to hurt me. A pang of grief rips through my chest at the sight of my mate pregnant with another.

And then she comes to me.

“Accept my rejection, Zane. Now!” Her authority washes over me, I don’t want to give in. I’m her mate, we’re equals, and she shouldn’t be bossing me around. But then I realized that this is a lost cause, Ariel can never be mine. She will always be on the run if I force this mating. Especially now, Gorgio would rather kill me than share her.

“I accept your rejection, Ariel. You are free to live your life as you wish”. The pain that coursed through me stopped me from breathing for a few seconds. I threw myself against the pillar of the gate, gasping for air. Then suddenly I heard it somewhere, a familiar exclamation.

This day was full of surprises…