Chapter 23: Chapter Twenty-Two

DAX

“Man, it’s like a full moon,” Brody said, attempting to turn my face for a better look.

I swatted his hand away, already weary from the attention it had garnered since lunch. Sure, I’d never seen a mark with a full moon, but Savannah was different. She’d never shifted before.

Brody rolled his eyes at me, preening in the full-length mirror, adjusting his tie. I sat on my childhood bed, elbows resting on my knees, suit jacket spread out beside me, holding my tie in my hands.

Brody caught my gaze in the mirror and turned to look at me. “Dude, relax, it’s fine. It’s unique, and cool. I’m just surprised.”

“Yeah,” I said, leaning back on my palms. “So is everyone else in the pack. Mom and Dad have been whispering all day about it. I’m sure they’ll drag Grandma into it soon.

I’m just ready for the coronation to be over so we can go back to the university.”

“So everyone can stare at you there?”

I tossed a shoe at his head that he barely dodged. Someone knocked on my door, opening it before I could respond. Braxton peeked his head inside, a wide grin on his face, dressed in a suit and tie.

“Finally, right?” he asked.

I chuckled, stood up and pulled him in for a hug. Braxton pulled back, catching a glimpse of my mark peeking above the top of my button-down. “What in the world… “

I threw my hands into the air, and sat back down, holding my forehead in my palm. “Let me see it again,” Braxton said.

“No, I’m done with this.”

Braxton shoved his hands into his pockets, and frowned. “It’s a full moon? I’ve never seen a mark with a full moon. Was yours a full moon?”

Slowly, I shook my head. “No, it was a crescent.”

Braxton nodded slowly, a thoughtful look on his face, like he was deep in thought. “I’m sure it’s nothing, we all know Savannah hasn’t been raised the same as the rest of us.”

I stood up abruptly, feeling agitated, and began to adjust my tie, fighting back the urge for my wolf to surface.

~“Tell them to piss off,”~ my wolf said. ~“She’s our mate and I’m tired of hearing about it.”~

~“Me and you both,”~ I said.

Braxton turned me to face him, his graying hair combed to the side, his eyes sincere and innocent.

“I didn’t mean to upset you. People are going to be surprised about it, so get used to commentary, but that doesn’t change that Savannah is your mate. I’m happy you found her, and I’m thrilled she finally came to her senses.”

Reluctantly, I smiled. “Thanks, Braxton.”

“Your mother sent me up here to tell you the coronation starts in thirty minutes. The other neighboring packs have arrived, there are tons of people downstairs. Including a very quiet Randi.”

“Randi came?” I asked, shocked. “I wouldn’t have expected her to after what happened before we left.”

“What happened?” Braxton asked.

“Well, Mom originally asked me to bring Randi because her car was in the shop, but after the incident with Savannah fainting and their encounter, I decided that we wouldn’t bring her.

She showed up anyway. She and Savannah had words, and… Randi ran away. She looked scared, Braxton.”

“Of Savannah? A newbie. That’s… odd.”

“Yeah,” I said, sliding into my loafers. “Very odd, but Savannah had no idea what it was about.”

“Maybe her wolf is strong and Randi could sense it?” Brody asked, shooting a wadded sock into the basketball hoop on the back of my door.

~“Mate is strong,”~ my wolf said.

I bit my bottom lip, trying to understand everything, but it only made my head hurt. I didn’t need a headache during the coronation, nor did I need to figure this out right away.

Savannah and I had forever.

***

The house looked like it belonged to royalty, with flowing champagne glasses, a giant white cake, food galore, and of course, hundreds of wolves.

My jacket covered my mark, which made it easy to avoid awkward conversation. I was nervous enough about Savannah’s entrance since I could sense her fear from the upstairs bathroom.

Mom walked down in a gown that trailed behind her, her hair tied in a braid that reminded me of pictures from her wedding day. She cleared her throat, causing the room to grow silent.

“Thank you everyone for coming to the Legion House to celebrate the welcoming of our newest luna. My son, Daxton Allaire, found his mate, Savannah Harper.”

My heart rate quickened at the sight of Savannah making her way down the hallway and toward the top of the staircase.

She looked beautiful. Her full-length gown trailed behind her in a swirl of gold and red. Her gaze moved among the wolves until they landed on mine.

She let out a breathy sigh, lifted her chin, and descended the stairs like royalty. I tuned out the sounds of chatter and applause, meeting her at the base of the staircase, offering her my arm.

Savannah took the last step, her gaze lifted to mine, my mark on full view for everyone to see because of the deep v-line in the front of her dress.

“You’re gorgeous,” I whispered, letting my mouth touch the shell of her ear. “I can’t believe you’re mine.”

She chuckled softly. “Ditto, Alpha.”

I led Savannah to the grand hall nestled between the kitchen and dining area, where we planned to dance and relax for a while.

As the night progressed, Savannah’s initial nerves seemed to melt away. We ate, sipped champagne, and danced until my body was the only thing keeping Savannah on her feet.

As the night grew late, the crowd of guests began to thin. Savannah excused herself to the restroom while I gulped down a much-needed glass of water.

Feeling a tap on my shoulder, I turned to find a visibly worried Randi standing a few feet away, as if she was hesitant to come any closer.

I faced her, trying to decipher the concern etched on her face and her darting eyes. “You made it…”

“Daxton, I think you need to reconsider this. I tried to reach you earlier, but they wouldn’t let me upstairs. I couldn’t call you because I was afraid she would answer.”

I tugged at the collar of my shirt, my attention drawn to Braxton engaged in conversation with a shewolf I didn’t recognize, near the front door.

“What are you talking about, Randi? Reconsider what? Savannah and I are mated. We’re bound.”

Her gaze dropped to the collar of my shirt, but she couldn’t see my mark unless I removed it.

“Oh God,” she mumbled, rubbing her forehead with her fingertips. “Listen, when I spoke to Savannah before you two left, she…”

“Daxton!” Braxton’s voice echoed across the dance floor. He gestured for me to join him, the she-wolf peering at me from behind him.

“Listen, Randi, we can talk later—”

“No,” she interjected, trying to hold me back, but I slipped out of her grasp. “Just ~listen~.”

I shot her a stern look, then continued toward Braxton. As I approached, I noticed the worry lines etched on his forehead and the way the she-wolf swayed on her feet.

“Where is Savannah?” Braxton asked as soon as I was within earshot.

I gestured over my shoulder. “She’s in the bathroom.”

“Get her, and meet me out back. We have things to discuss.”

Stunned, I watched as the two of them retreated to the backyard.

~What is this about?~

I hurried upstairs to find Savannah, discovering her admiring her mark in the hallway mirror, a radiant smile on her face. Somehow, I had a feeling that smile wouldn’t last much longer.

Something was happening.

“Hey, sweet girl,” I murmured, planting a kiss on the side of her neck. “Braxton wants to talk to us. Come with me.”

She turned to me, her eyes filled with love. “Lead the way.”

We descended the stairs, passing a few wolves leaving the party, and stepped out the back door. The crescent moon hung high above the tree line, a humid Louisiana breeze brushing against my skin.

Braxton stood by the tire swing under the large oak tree, the same she-wolf from earlier by his side. Savannah looked up at me. “Who is that?”

I shrugged, rubbing my thumb against her fingers. “I have no idea.”

The she-wolf stood next to Braxton, her honey-colored hair pulled back into a ponytail. Her outfit reminded me of a character from Tomb Raider, complete with a knife tucked into the top of her boot.

“What’s going on?” I asked, trying to gauge the situation. “Who is this?”

Braxton glanced at her, then at Savannah. “This is Amber Hardy. She said you contacted her.”

Savannah stiffened. “Oh, I wasn’t expecting you here.”

Amber cleared her throat and stepped toward Savannah, a faint smile on her face. “You look just like your mother,” she whispered.

~Oh, that Amber.~ The Amber who had saved her on the night of the lycan attack.

Savannah shifted uncomfortably, waiting for Amber to continue.

“I tried to call you back but…”

“Jorey broke her phone,” I interjected. “I was going to take her tomorrow to get a new one.”

Amber nodded, pulling something out of her back pocket. It was a folded piece of paper, but she didn’t hand it over immediately.

“Your mother and I were friends. When everything happened… she made me promise to get you to safety if the lycans came, and as you know, they did.”

Savannah nodded, lifting her chin in a way that suggested she was trying to keep it together. “Right.”

Amber let out a shaky breath and slid her palm down her face. “This isn’t easy to tell you, but your mother thought it would be better if ~I~ told you, rather than you read about it in her diary.”

“What is it?” Savannah asked, a hint of irritation in her voice.

Amber’s gaze landed on Savannah’s mark and her eyes widened slightly. “You’ve already marked each other?”

“Yes, why?” I asked, suddenly defensive. Why was it such a big deal for mates to mark each other all of a sudden?

Amber closed her eyes. “Can I see Savannah’s mark?”

I didn’t move, keeping my fingers interlaced with Savannah’s, locked in a silent standoff with this stranger.

~“Tell her hell no. This is her coronation day,”~ my wolf growled.

“Why?” I asked slowly.

Braxton sighed. “Show her, Daxton. She knows Savannah’s bloodline. Let her see.”

I tensed, feeling cornered. My wolf was itching to be let out, but I knew better than to shift now.

Savannah tugged on my hand and looked up at me. “Just show her,” she whispered, her hazel eyes glowing in the moonlight.

Reluctantly, I tossed my jacket aside, untucked my shirt, loosened my tie, and unbuttoned my shirt. I tilted my head to the side, allowing her to see.

Amber’s gaze landed on Savannah’s mark, and she closed her eyes softly.

“What’s the deal?” I demanded, my patience wearing thin.

“Daxton,” Braxton cautioned.

“No,” I retorted. “I’m sick of everyone dancing around this. What does it mean? What’s going on?”

Amber’s fingers tightened around the pages she held, and she extended them to Savannah, who took them with a hesitant hand.

“Your mother wanted you to have these when the time was right, Savannah. She loved you dearly, as did your father.”

I could feel Savannah’s pulse quicken, the wave of sorrow washing over her.

Amber reached out, taking Savannah’s hands in her own. “But your father wasn’t your biological father, Savannah.”

Savannah tilted her head to the side, a look of confusion crossing her face. I knew then that there were only two possible outcomes to this conversation, and neither of them were good.

“Your mother was mated to a man from The Calhoun Pack. They were ruthless, cruel, and terrifying. He kept her locked in a basement with the other she-wolves for an entire year.”

Savannah let out a choked sob. “So the man from The Calhoun Pack is my real dad?” she whispered.

Amber shook her head. “No. Your mother was released from the basement when lycans attacked.”

My heart skipped a beat at her words.

“And your mother fell in love with one of them, but because she wasn’t a lycan, they couldn’t mark each other. But… that doesn’t mean they couldn’t mate.”

Savannah recoiled from Amber. “Are you telling me that a filthy, cruel, lycan impregnated my mother? That a lycan is my father?”

Amber clasped her hands together. “He wasn’t cruel to her, Savannah. He loved your mother deeply.”

Braxton met my gaze, trying to gauge the situation. Wolves and lycans were mortal enemies. I’d never met a lycan that wasn’t an asshole, but I hadn’t met all lycans.

“How…” Savannah pressed her palm to her forehead. “Why didn’t she stay with him? Why did she end up with…,” Savannah’s voice trailed off, unsure of what to call him.

Amber cleared her throat. “She was given a second mate. Not all wolves get that, but your mother did. When she chose to go with him… Liam, your biological father, he became cold. He orchestrated the attack on our pack.

He never intended for your mother to get killed during it. He doesn’t know about you. She never told him she was pregnant. He never knew his mother raised you, because she was human, and they didn’t speak once he went rogue…”

Savannah released my fingers and wrapped her arm around her stomach as if she was trying to hold herself together. “Grammy knew this entire time what I was? Grandpa was a lycan?”

Amber shook her head. “No. It skipped a generation. It was in his bloodline, but he wasn’t a lycan.

When they discovered that Liam was a lycan, your grandfather took him to the nearest pack, and they helped raise him, so he would understand what he was. Your Grammy was sworn to secrecy.

And if your biological dad were to ever reach out, she was instructed to hide you. But he didn’t. He went rogue after your mother was killed.”

~Oh my God. That explained why her Grammy didn’t want a werewolf near her house, just in case a lycan showed up. Or her own son.~

“So… so, I’m half lycan?” she cried. “What does that mean? I thought they hated each other.” She glanced up at me for clarification, for reassurance, and I’d be damned if I didn’t give it to her.

“Savannah,” I whispered, cradling her face in my hands. “Everything is okay,” I reassured her. “You’re fine. We’re fine. You’re still my mate, and I love you.”

~“Damn straight,”~ my wolf agreed.

She buried her face in my chest as a quiet sob escaped her lips.

Amber frowned. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that’s not all. If the lycans discover that she is half lycan, they will want her even more, Daxton.”

When Savannah tried to pull away, I held her tighter against my chest until she relaxed. “Why? What does it mean to them?”

“You know how lycans are. They are territorial, domineering, and ultimately ruthless. They won’t like a wolf mated to one of theirs.”

“She’s not theirs,” I said, my voice rising. “She’s mine. And I won’t let anyone take her.”

Braxton rubbed the heel of his palm against his eyes. “This means we need to take extra precautions when we get back to the university. She may not even need to go back—”

“We’re not hiding,” I interrupted.

Braxton gave me a look that said ~calm down~, but I didn’t feel calm. I felt furious. Savannah was my mate, my forever, and I wouldn’t let them take her.

Savannah pulled back and wiped underneath her eyes. “Maybe Braxton is right. Maybe I can just stay here…”

“You deserve your education just like everyone else,” I insisted.

Amber stepped forward and clasped her palms around Savannah’s face. “Read the entries when you have time. I’m going to be around if you need me. There is a lot in the entries that you’ll want to read, okay?”

Savannah nodded. “Thank you.”

As Amber began to leave, a lone wolf howled in the distance. It sent a chill down my spine, and my wolf stirred.

It was meant for us to hear. It was a warning.

Lycans were near.