Chapter 12

Spencer

"What's wrong?" I asked the next afternoon. I was curled onto my side against Axel. After a sleepless night, we slept all morning, and we had now just woken up. He was slowly running a hand on my bare back when he stilled and stiffened. I pushed myself up a little, hovering over him. I ran my hand through his hair, making him shiver. "Do you regret -"

"No!" His eyes shot open, and he gripped my waist tightly. "Never in a million years." He placed a kiss against my shoulder. "Idris just contacted me to tell me how it went yesterday." I kept stroking his hair, waiting for him to continue. "They put up a fight, trying to persuade our men that you were the one who bewitched me." He snorted. "They had forgotten that they all grew up with you, none of them believed them. But..." He took in a shuddering breath. "They made a promise. To get revenge... on you." He leaned his head against mine, I felt his fingers shake on my waist. "I can't lose you, baby."

"Hey," I stroked his cheek, wiping a single tear away with my thumb. "I'm not going anywhere. Let them come and try to take me away from you. They won't succeed. Kai is strong, and so am I." I gave him a cheeky grin. "You don't think I've been sitting on my ass for five years, do you?"

He pulled me on top of him, grabbing my ass in his large hands. He growled. "Your ass has always been perfect. This ass," He slapped it firmly. "Has kept me up more nights than I care to admit."

I chuckled, grazing my teeth against his Mark. "Do you feel better?"

"A little." He said as his hands messaged my bum. He sat up straighter, leaning against the headboard, pulling me closer. "I reinforced the border patrol just in case. And King is shadowing them to see what they will do."

His stomach rumbled, breaking the serious tension between us. I chuckled. "I guess we worked up our appetite."

"We sure did." He leaned forward and kissed the space between my shoulder and neck. "And after I get you breakfast, we will do it again."

I trailed a finger down his chest. "I do like the sound of that but first I need a shower." I jumped off his lap and walked over to the bathroom, slow and seductively. I had only taken a few steps before Axel growled and swept me up in his arms and carried me to the bathroom.

That night when we came down for dinner, I stood in the doorway shocked. The table was set for two, lit candles were the only thing that eliminated the room.

"Surprise."

I turned to a beaming Alpha. "I thought we were having dinner with the others."

He wrapped his hands around my waist. "I persuaded them to wait until tomorrow. I wanted a full day alone with my Luna before pack business will keep us busy."

I turned in his arms, curling my arms around his neck. "Who would have thought you to be such a romantic."

"I have more up my sleeve, baby. So much more." He gave me a chaste kiss before guiding me to the table. He filled my plate with my favourite food like he never forgotten a single thing.

"I have to go back to London soon." He froze, a spoon of carrots and peas hovering over my plate. "To sell my apartment and see which clients I can transfer here."

He blinked at me. Then let out a deep breath. "You scared the shit out of me, Spence."

I chuckled. "I'm sorry." I grasped for his hand. "But I need to go back for a while to get everything sorted."

He intertwined our fingers together. "How long do you think it will take?"

"I have a friend in real estate, he can deal with the sale. But for my work... A week at least, probably two."

"I hate to let you go, especially after the threat Marianne and Eveline made on you. Promise me you take my father or Idris with you."

A flicker of hurt tore at my chest that he didn't suggest coming with me himself, but as Alpha I understood. "I promise."

After dinner, he brought me to the garden. Twinkling lights hanging in the trees, on the fences. Music played softly in the background. He held open his hand. "Can I have this dance, my Luna?"

"It would be my honour, my Alpha."

He pulled me close in his arms, swaying softly to the music. "Tomorrow we will inform the pack about our bond, about their new Luna, who will have as much say as me." He whispered in my ear. "And next week, I want to hold a ceremony for all the see."

A ceremony? In our pack, we didn't do ceremonies for the new Luna. Before I had a chance to ask, he twirled me around. His hand didn't let go of mine but when I turned back, he was on one knee. His hand trembled in mine. He looked so nervous, and my heart was beating so fast in my chest, some might say it was unhealthy. He didn't have to be nervous at all, never in my right mind would I say no.

"I don't want to miss another day without you at my side." His voice shook. "Not only as my Mate or my Luna. But as my wife. I fell in love with you at fifteen and I never stopped, how much people have tried to keep you away from me, I have always loved you. The only thing I want in this life is you." He brought my hand to his lips, kissing it softly. "Spencer James, will you marry me?" He took out a small box from his pocket and clicked it open, his mother's diamond engagement ring rested inside.

I fell on my knees in front of him, cupping his cheeks and kissed him with everything I had.

"Is that a yes?" He breathed against my lips.

"Is that even a question?" I smiled. "Of course, I will marry you, you doofus."

A few tears rolled down his cheek as he slipped the ring on my finger. We made love right then and there in the garden for a long while before we let our wolves out the rest of the night.

The next day, Alex invited the whole pack for a meeting. They all came into the garden and sat down on the chairs provided for them. In the front row sat our friends, all beaming up at him. Axel stood on the raised dais with his father and brother. I stood on the side, nervously looking at the pack members coming in.

Come up here, baby.

I looked at Axel, his eyes already on mine. An easy, happy smile on his lips. I shook my head. No, not before you explain everything. It would be improper for me to be up there right now instead of Marianne.

And since when is anything I do proper? The smile turned into a secretive grin.

You have a dirty mind, young Alpha.

He laughed inside my head. You know you love it.

I did love it. I smiled at him before looking back at the last people that walked into the garden. I twirled the pendant on my neck with my ringless hand. The hand with my ring was hidden inside my dress pocket.

"Thank you all for coming on such short notice. But things have happened that you all should be aware of. Eveline and Marianne are from yesterday forward no longer part of the pack." Silence met him. Not a gasp or whisper to be heard. "Thanks to my father, our former Alpha and Spencer, it came to light that Eveline and her niece had planned for her to become my Mate. They poisoned me and Spencer for years, pushing back the true bond." Eyes shifted to me, and I saw my parents gasp, clasping their hands over their mouths. "They used belladonna to make it look like Marianne was my mate and did the same to Spencer so she wouldn't recognize me as hers. We confronted Marianne and Eveline and banished them from the pack. I also informed the other packs of their doings. They face death if they attempt to return, and so will anyone who helps them." He met the pack with an icy stare.

He looked at me, his eyes full of love and a wide smile stretched on his face. He held out his hand. My hands shook a little as I placed it in his and he pulled me up the dais, next to him.

"Spencer James, my true Mate." He kissed the back of my hand. "The love of my life." He looked to the crowd. "Our true Luna."

I didn't expect the explosion of cheers and clapping. I blinked as the pack rose to their feet in excitement. Axel leaned down and whispered. "They always loved you, Spence. None of them liked Eveline or Marianna. And apparently, half of the pack figured you were my Mate."

He didn't wait for an answer as he straightened back up and raised his hand to calm the pack. They quieted down instantly and sat down.

"Spencer as Luna will have the same authority as me. She is my Mate, but more so my equal. You will treat her with respect and listen to her like you do to me." He raised our hands, the one with the engagement ring on. "To our true Luna and my future wife!"

A stunned silence for barely two seconds before they exploded again. Cheers, clapping, laughter and howls filled the air. But it all faded when Axel turned to me, tilted my chin up with his finger and kissed me. I let myself fall into his embrace and into the kiss and forgot we had an audience, forgot my parents were among them. The only thing I could focus on was him. Axel.

Axel

The gathering turned into a large celebration as people sang and danced all night. Coming over to me and Spencer to congratulate us. Bowing before their new, slightly flustered, Luna. Some said they knew for over a decade that this would happen. I was happy nobody mentioned Marianne or Eveline, but all decided to focus on the positive, on the new bright future ahead of us.

The week flew by with the preparations for the wedding. We only had a week, but that wasn't the reason we kept it simple. It was just as cliché as it sounded, but we only needed each other. All the other things were background noise. With the bond in place, I knew what people talked about feeling insatiable, feeling like your heart would explode if you couldn't by near your Mate or touch them. Spencer only left a few hours ago to go dress shopping with Lore but I already felt restless. I couldn't focus on the papers in front of me.

Idris chuckled, pulling me out of my thoughts. "It will get easier, I promise."

"It's not just the bond." I said, rubbing the Mark on my neck.

"King still has eyes on them. They aren't anywhere near LA."

That settled me at least a little and I tried to focus back on the papers. I didn't know how much time had passed when her scent filled every fibre in me. My blood thrummed through my veins and my cock hardened just from that.

Idris cleared his throat, he sounded amused when he said. "That's my cue." And he slipped out of the room. "Luna." He said to Spencer just outside the office. I heard her slap his shoulder and he laughed as he walked out of the house.

When she appeared in the office, her blue eyes were already dark and full of lust. She didn't wait, she just pounded on me before I had the time to stand up. She ripped the shirt from my body as she kissed me. I groaned as her tongue swept across mine. I grabbed her ass as she straddled me. Fuck, she was going to be the end of me. She ground against me, digging her nails deliciously into my skin. Then her lips travelled south, going lower and lower until her teeth yanked on my belt buckle. She undid my belt and with one swift pull, ripped it from the loops. I didn't think I was breathing as she popped open the buttoned and unzipped my pants, all the while her eyes were trained on me. I nearly came from the sight of her on her knees in front of me, her dress open, her breasts on full display.

I swallowed as she took my cock out and traced her tongue over the tip. "You -" A moan stopped my sentence. "You don't have to." I breathed.

Her tongue swivelled over it again. "I want to, Ax. I've wanted to for years."

"Fuck." I groaned as she took me fully in her mouth, hollowing her cheeks like she wanted to suck me dry. My hands gripped the side of the chair, turning my knuckles white. Spencer took one of my hands and placed it on the back of her head. "Spence."

She didn't answer, nor did she stop her ministrations. I curled my fingers in her hair and let her do her thing because fuck me, she didn't need any help in this. She didn't need any direction. The thought of her doing this with other men made my grip her hair tightly. She moaned around my cock, sending vibrations through it. Fuck! That was it, I couldn't hold back anymore. I exploded.

She swallowed, licking up every last drop. I had her on the desk in seconds, even though my legs were still weak. I didn't want to voice out loud how jealous and possessive I was at the thought of her with other men. I couldn't resent her for that, but that didn't help my jealousy. There was one way to resolve that. Fuck her so damn good she forgot every male that ever laid a hand on her. Make her feel so good, she can't walk for days. I laid her on the desk, her dress already sprawled open around her. Her breasts, fuck her breasts. They were on full display, and I latched on. Nipped and sucked on her peaks as my hand ripped her nickers in pieces.

She chuckled. "I think I'll soon be out of underwear." She gasped when my finger flicked her bundle of nerves.

"I don't see any problem in that," I said against her breast. I saw her smile from the corner of my eye. I let go of her nipple with a pop and gripped his waist before I lowered my mouth to her sex and feasted.

Two hours later, we lay on the ground of the office catching our breaths. She turned to her side and ran her fingers through my hair. "You don't have to be jealous, you know."

Of course, she had noticed the shift in me earlier. "I know I said I didn't want to know, but sometimes it just pops up and I get so jealous I want to kill every man that kissed you, made you moan his name. Or even looked at you with such an intention."

She kissed my jawline. "Trust me when I say, nobody has made me moan like you do." She kissed my brow. "Nobody makes me feel weak in the knees with one look like you do." Her lips brushed over my nose. "Nobody has ever made me feel the way I feel about you."

I believed her. Every word she said was the truth, I could hear it from her heartbeat, but the truth was just written across her face. I cupped her cheek and leaned my head against hers. "I feel the same you know. The things you do to me." I growled and she chuckled before kissing me deeply. Then I said something, I never thought I would say out loud. But with her, with my Mate, I felt like I could tell her anything. "What you did before... nobody ever did that for me."

She blinked. "Worship you on their knees?" Her lips curled. "I doubt that."

I laughed. "You know what I mean. Mari –" I stopped. I didn't want to utter her name unless it was necessary. "She never did that."

Her finger curled around a strand of my hair, her breasts brushing against my chest as she breathed. "Well, -" She smiled. "I guess we still have a few first left then."

"Many." I corrected. She tilted her head in confusion. I smiled at the cute movement. "Not a few. Many, many firsts together, baby." I kissed her softly. I couldn't get enough from her lips, from the taste of her.