Before I even opened my eyes, I became aware of the strange weight on my stomach. My first instinct would have been to lunge into a defensive position, if it weren't for the flares heating up my skin. Only one person could have such an effect on me.
I opened my eyes to find myself lying on my back, on the left side of the king-sized bed. My every muscle instantly tightened in alert.
My body's position wasn't the problem. It was the fact that I was lying on the bed. I could clearly remember Hunter backing off last night and agreeing to me taking the couchâhe had offered to let me have the bed, but the couch turned out to be too short for him. And Edria would have never let me live it down, if I had forced our mate to sleep in such an uncomfortable position.
I turned my head to the side and came almost face to face with Hunter's sleeping features. Opposite to me, he was lying on his side with his right arm draped over my stomach. Instead of the boyish expression I expected to find, I was met with a flat line that was his mouth. Apparently the word relaxation didn't exist for him even in his sleep.
He must have moved us during the night, Edria spoke my thoughts. How dare he.
What? Weren't you the one who insisted on sharing the bed with him?
That was then. Now, he should've respected our decision to stick to the couch. We need to teach him a lesson.
Before I could form another thought, she took control over my body and lunged. She spun Hunter around, so he landed on his back, while she straddled his hips. Next she grabbed both of his wrists and pinned his hands on the pillow on either side of his head.
You're welcome.
Without warning, she snuck back into the back of my mind and left me in control.
Alertness swam in Hunter's eyes as he snapped them open. While I expected the rigidness to leave his body the moment he realized who was hovering above him, I didn't expect the lopsided smile that crooked the left corner of his lips.
"Why aren't you resisting?" I pinched my lips together. "You're an Alpha. You should be furious because of the submissive position and trying your best to switch us over."
"I don't mind the position as long as it's you hovering above me." The smile now extended to the other side of his mouth and took my breath away.
I continued to persist in the position for a moment longer and then gave up. Edria's plan to get back at him had failed miserably.
Before I could make a single move, however, he tore his arms out of my grasp. His quick movement made me lose my balance, but I was quick enough to steady myself on my elbows.
Our faces were now only inches apart, and before I could even take in a deep breath, he snuck one of his hands around my neck. Then he nudged my head down, until my lips landed right on top of his.
My body lit up with an electrifying heat as his lips brushed against mine. Without thinking, I moved my lips to mimic the slow movement of his.
Our first kiss, Edria squeaked inside my mind.
I had always known that nothing could compare to the touch of one's mate, but this was even beyond my imagination. An all-consuming fire ignited inside my body, which willed me to wrap my arms around Hunter and never let go.
This was heaven.
The first time he slid the tip of his tongue against my bottom lip had me gasping in surprise. He used the opportunity and deepened our kiss. His tongue brushed against mine, which curled my toes in delight.
This was magic.
"We have to stop."
He pulled his lips away from mine and rolled me back onto the bed.
"Why?" I turned onto my side. "There's no need to stop. We're mates."
"Don't tempt me." He cupped my cheek, which sent another round of sparks shooting through my skin. "We have a meeting in ten minutes, and I'm guessing you don't want to make a bad impression on the Alpha King and the Luna Queen by being late."
"Bloody moon." I jumped off the bed. "How could I forget? I need to get ready. I can't allow Blue Moon's name to be blackened because of me."
I crouched in front of my duffle bag and pulled out the outfit I had chosen would be suitable for an official meeting. A pair of black high-waist dress pants, a white shirt and dark blue blazer that represented my pack.
When Hunter and I exited our room eight minutes later, we found Sasha and Dyson already waiting outside.
"Morning, you two. Why are you here?" I asked. "Are you going to join the meeting as well?"
"No," Sasha answered. "We're here to wish you good luck. And to see a little more of the castle."
"Then let's go." I hooked my arm around hers and led us down the red carpet, which covered the entire length of the hallway. "Don't you find the entire place too quiet? I don't think I could live in such an empty home."
Our mates walked right behind us, but I ignored them. I was too busy taking in the luxuries surrounding us.
"I don't know," Sasha said. "I bet there are lots of empty rooms I could use as workshops."
"Rooms no one would mind if they'd get blown up." I couldn't help but remark, which earned me a glare from Sasha. "Sorry, you know I had to. Then again, Naia and Jared already forgave you, so..."
My voice trailed off as a swirling mass materialized five steps in front of us. With my arm still linked around Sasha's I forced us into an immediate stop. While the blue mass continued to expand, I tightened my muscles and waited for any sign of danger.
When the strange material shaped itself into a circle, two witches and a human stepped through. The first witch was draped in a black lace dress, which clashed with her light blonde hair. Immediately upon entering the hallway, she turned backwards to face a human that had followed behind her.
The human was a young woman, with massive curly hair. She reminded me a little of the other humanâthe one who had showed us to our room. Then again, it was probably only because both of them were human.
"Again? What in the name of the Spirit were you thinking about?" the witch asked.
"I swear I was thinking about the throne room." The human was clenching a weird blue stone in her right hand and shook it in front of the witch's face. "There's something wrong with this portal stone. I was definitely thinking about the throne room when I spoke those words."
"Vivian, Kasey. We're not alone."
The third female voice came from a towering woman, whose legs were never ending. She was the last one to step out of the blue mass, which vanished a moment later.
One glance at her and I immediately knew who she was.
Lu... Luna... Luna Queen, Edria stammered.
"Luna Queen," I whispered aloud, not believing this was really happening.
I had seen photos of her and heard Naia's description, but just like with the Alpha King, this was the first time I was seeing the Luna Queen in real life. And she was beyond what I had ever imagined.
She glanced in my direction, and then flicked her eyes over to Hunter and Dyson who were still standing right behind us. She spared us nothing more than a fleeting glance, which was understandable. After all, who were we to be in the presence of such a powerful woman?
The last person her eyes traveled to was Sasha, who looked just as awestruck as I felt.
"High Priestess." Sasha inclined her head.
For a second I had almost forgotten that while us werewolves saw the Luna Queen only as such, she was also the High Priestess, the leader of all witches and wizards.
"Sasha Fasil?" The Luna Queen sounded almost breathless. "Sweet Spirit, it's really you. It's such an honor."
My eyes almost budged out when the Luna Queen jumped forward and grasped Sasha's hands into both of hers.
"High Priâ" Sasha's eyes widened into round circles.
"Call me Gabriela."
I glanced at the other witch and the human, only to find them looking just as confused as the rest of us. Apparently no one knew what had gotten into the Luna Queen.
"I can't tell you how long I've been wanting to meet you. I'm a big fan of your creations, especially the potion that masks one's scent as a mere human. You have no idea how much it has helped me."
"So, she's the reason why I suffered thinking you were a human?"
All of us froze at the unexpected male voice. A heartbeat later the Alpha King rounded the corner and stopped when he was standing right beside the Luna Queen.
"Still having trouble with the portal stone, Vivian?" he asked the human.
I almost chocked on my own saliva when the human poked her tongue at him. For a moment I thought he would kill her right then and there, however, the Alpha King only shook his head and turned to peck the Luna Queen on her cheek.
I stared at him with wide open eyes, not believing what was going on. Wasn't he rumored to have a temper worse than a spoiled child?
"Welcome back." He smiled down at the Luna Queen, who finally let go of Sasha's hands.
"It's good to be back." Her lips stretched into a wide smile that made her look even more breath-taking. No wonder she had been destined by the Moon Goddess to become the Luna Queen.
"The meeting." The Alpha King cleared his throat. "We can't let the other Alphas wait too long."
He took a hold of the Luna Queen's hand and steered them in the direction he had come from. I waited for the other witch and the human to follow them first, but they explained that they weren't joining the meeting. As did Sasha and Dyson, who wished us good luck and then motioned for us to go on.
With Hunter right beside me, we followed after the Alpha King and the Luna Queen, at a respectable distance, of course. We made our way down the hallway, until we reached a circular staircase and then ascended it up to the fifth floor.
On the said floor the Alpha King and the Luna Queen entered through a double door on the right. I moved to follow them, but Hunter's strong grip on my hand had me pausing on the last stair.
"No matter what happens, don't do anything rash. Okay?" He whispered into my ear.
"What?" I turned to face him, having no idea what he was talking about. "Jared didn't mention anything dangerous happening during a meeting. What's going toâ"
"Promise me."
The intensity in his voice had my stomach sinking down onto my large intestine.
I have a bad feeling about this, Edria said. Don't make any promises.
"Please, Molly."
The word please sounded wrong on an Alpha's lips.
"I... I promise." Although the word tasted bitter on my tongue, I still forced it through my mouth. "But that doesn't mean I'll sit by, if someone starts to threaten Blue Moon. Or you."
The room we entered was shaped into an elongated rectangle. All the way across from where we entered stood two gold-covered thrones raised on a small podium. Instead of the two thrones, however, the Alpha King and the Luna Queen sat down at the head of a long table, where the other Alphas were already gathered around.
After a brief scan, I caught Blake sitting close to the middle and pointing at the empty chair next to him. The chair meant for the Alpha of Blue Moon.
Hunter and I shared one last glance before I walked over to Blake, while Hunter made his way farther down the table, to the spot meant for the Alpha of Black Moon.
"I didn't know Blue Moon found a new Alpha," an Alpha sitting directly across from me said the moment my butt touched the cushioned chair.
He looked to be in his early thirties, with ripping muscles squeezed into a white dress shirt. What drew most of my attention, however, was the yellowish tone of his skin. A ghastly color.
"We didn't." I used Edria's strength to ignore the aura of dominance he was emitting. "I'm Alpha Braxton's sister. Molly Braxton."
"So, you're the fast she-wolf?" His eyes raked over my body with a new gleam.
"Maybe." I fought the urge to pull the blazer tighter around my body. "Or maybe not. Who are you?"
"You're a joker as well." The Alpha laughed with a nasal laugh. "Everyone knows who I am. I am Alpha Brie of Yellow Moon."
"Quiet everyone!" The strong voice had us inclining our heads. "I'll go straight to the point of this meeting. Over the past couple of weeks there have been numerous disappearances of werewolves and magical folk. We suspect that it's the work of hunters."
I glanced at Blake and the Alpha on my right, to find both of them with scowls carved on their faces. They were giving me no clues if I was the only one who had no idea about any of this. Jared was, after all, the one who dealt with such matters in Blue Moon.
"We also found out that one of our packs has been working with them. The humans." The Alpha King spat the world human out like the darkest curse, which earned him a nasty scowl from the Luna Queen. "I mean, hunters."
"That's impossible." The Alpha next to me jumped off his chair. "None of us would work with scum like that."
"He's right," a Female Alpha said from the other end of the table. "There must be a mistake."
"There isn't." The Alpha King shook his head as the double door opened and the Beta of Silver Moon and another warrior entered the room. "We already know who the traitors are."
In a deadly silence we watched the two new arrivals make their way to our table and stop behind one of the chairs.
"Alpha Tate."
The Alpha King's voice rang in my head, while I sat frozen watching the two figures standing behind Hunter.
"We know Black Moon has been working with hunters. You will be kept in our prison, until we figure out how many of your pack members are involved as well."
***
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