Chapter Twelve

ASH

He gave a silent thanks to the moon goddess that the rumors about his people were so persistent. For the first time in his life, they were actually to his benefit.

If the idea was already in her mind, maybe it would be easier for her to accept. He studied her blue eyes, seeing the confusion in them.

“The truth is not so sinister,” he began. “There is no dark magic. But there is magic, of a sort.” He watched her carefully for her reaction.

She was still confused, but there was no fear in her eyes. He stroked her hand with his thumb softly, seeking to keep her relaxed.

“Keyara,” he said. “The world is not necessarily as you know it. Some of the people in it are more than human. It may seem strange for you to hear, but in time it will seem as normal to you as it does to us.”

“I am not a king,” he continued, his eyes locked with hers. “I use that title among your people, but to my people I am addressed as ~Alpha~. We are not a sovereign nation as your land is. We are a pack.”

She watched him as he spoke, furrowing her brow. “A pack of what?” she asked him softly.

“Werewolves,” he replied.

Her eyes flashed with what looked like anger, and she withdrew her hands from his sharply, turning away from him. “My lord, you mock me.”

~I’m losing her~, he thought. He moved toward her, clasping her face softly between his hands and turning her around to face him.

“No, my lady, never. I would never mock you.” She refused to meet his gaze. “Look at me, Keyara.” He caressed her bruised cheek gently until she met his eyes.

“We are but one pack of many, but our proximity to you humans requires my pack to interact with your kingdoms, while the others do not.”

“And you lead this pack? Of werewolves?” she asked him. There was disbelief in her voice, but her question seemed sincere.

“Yes,” he replied. “I am the alpha. The leader. Luca is my beta, my second-in-command.”

“And all those men that you brought with you. They are werewolves as well?”

He nodded, and her expression became nervous. “Yes, they are mostly gammas, warriors,” he explained.

“And you, Keyara,” he continued, as gently as he could, “you will be my luna. My mate.”

She looked at him, shocked and clearly speechless.

He kept one hand on her cheek, moving the other behind her head until their foreheads met. She was tense but did not resist him. He felt the heat spread from where their bodies met, warming him all over.

The feeling was irresistible, and her openness at his words made him almost lightheaded. “Do you still feel that?” he whispered to her.

She hummed in acknowledgement.

“That is the mate bond.”

He slowly leaned down and let his lips press against hers. The desire seemed to multiply tenfold at their kiss, and he felt her gasp beneath his lips.

KEYARA

Even though she should feel nothing but disbelief at his words, she could not help but hear the ring of truth to his explanation as well. It felt true, deep down, no matter how nonsensical it sounded.

The feeling of his touch was impossible to resist. When his lips met hers, she felt nothing but fire, and gasped.

Key wrapped her arms around his neck, and in spite of her inexperience in such matters, returned his kiss. The kiss deepened until she found herself in his lap, pressed against his broad chest.

She suddenly regained control of herself and pulled away, putting her hand up to stop him. He stopped immediately.

She moved away from him, and he watched her carefully, his eyes filled with obvious desire and the remnants of that odd black mist that seemed to fill his eyes at times.

“I want you to show me,” she stated. “I cannot believe it from words alone, but if it is the truth, you can show me, right?”

She knew seeing it with her own eyes was the only way she could truly comprehend what he’d explained to her.

He studied her face carefully for a long while before nodding. He stood slowly, reaching for her hand. She took it tentatively.

“We have to move away from the horse, into the woods,” he explained. “I do not wish to spook it.”

She let him lead her away, into the trees. When they were some distance away, he stopped, dropping her hand. He began to unlace his breeches. Had he lured her away on a pretense? She gasped and backed away.

He paused, watching her. “Relax, Keyara,” he said quietly. “I have to take them off to shift.”

She nodded, wrapping her arms around herself.

He started to pull them off, and she looked away, too nervous to see what was under his clothes. She watched the leather breeches hit the grass, his shirt and overtunic following shortly.

“Watch me, Keyara,” he said to her. “My back is turned.”

She looked back at where he stood, his bare back facing her.

His skin was tight over his muscled back, and she briefly took in the scars marking his skin. One long one over his left shoulder, another small one curving around one of his hips.

Before she could study him intently, or feel embarrassed by his naked form, his body started to change. His back hunched, but he grew taller at the same time.

She heard cracking, like bones breaking, and indeed his limbs changed shape drastically right before her eyes. Hair began to sprout from his skin.

It happened so quickly her mind could barely comprehend what she was watching, but in a matter of seconds there was no longer a man standing before her, but a giant white wolf the color of snow.