Chapter 20

I pressed a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth, my fingers tugging at the waistband of his shorts. I could feel his arousal straining against the fabric. My lips trailed down his body, kissing his collarbone, then his chest, and finally his sculpted abdomen as I finished undressing him.

Pulling back, I looked up at him, a low moan escaping his lips. I held his gaze, my eyes peeking out from under my lashes. I took him in both hands, and when my lips wrapped around him, he let out a roar.

“Scarlett,” he groaned out my name, his voice rough and desperate. That was all the encouragement I needed. I took him in deeper, moving rhythmically while Christopher moaned with each breath.

Suddenly, he couldn’t take it anymore. He gently pulled me up and laid me down, positioning himself at my entrance.

“I need to feel all of you,” he panted, entering me. Our hands were clasped together, fingers intertwined, limiting my movements. He left me with nothing to do but feel, and I screamed in pleasure.

Then, I understood what he meant.

I felt whole, unique, satisfied, and his. Not in a possessive way, but in a sense of belonging. Like he was my destiny, what I was born to be.

With each thrust, pleasure and peace washed over me. Something was building inside me, and with each movement, an electric shock ran through me, bringing me closer until I reached climax. I moaned loudly, opening my eyes to meet his.

As soon as our gazes locked, he followed suit.

We showered together, and as I was drying off, Christopher’s phone rang.

“Yes, you can schedule it for today,” he said, checking himself out in the mirror and running his hands through his wet hair.

After he hung up, he turned to me. “I set up a meeting with legal to plan our trip to the council; is that okay?” he asked, pulling on a pair of pants and a shirt.

“Yes, we need to address the prophecy issue, right?” I replied, reaching for the same pants and T-shirt I had been wearing earlier.

“Exactly. It’s going to be a long journey. We’ll have to pass through the southern territory, which involves legal and political issues.” He paused in his dressing when he saw me in the same outfit. “I told you to leave some clothes here, Scarlett.”

“I’ll ask my mom to bring more things,” I said. “I was thinking it’s probably time for me to learn more about how things work around here,” I added, gesturing to the pack house.

Christopher looked at me deeply, a smile playing on his lips.

“So, are you really considering being my luna, Scarlett?” he asked, pulling me close by my hips.

“I am. I’m really thinking about accepting the invitation,” I replied. “I was worried at first about what I would be leaving behind. But being with you has shown me that what I’ll be gaining is so much more. We’re a team, and we need each other. The pack needs us.”

“You make me so happy, Scarlett,” Christopher said, leaning in to kiss me again, as if sealing our fate.

I pulled away from him. “We’ll have plenty of time for that later. Now how about showing me around?”

“Today is going to be a busy day, but I can ask Hensen to show you the sectors at least,” he said, pressing a kiss to my neck and sending shivers down my spine.

“Thanks,” I said, smiling as he released me.

“Come on, let’s go, future luna,” he said, extending his hand to me. I couldn’t help but smile. The idea of becoming luna was starting to take shape in my mind.

We descended the stairs, and Christopher led me to his office. When we arrived, a man of medium height with blond hair and green eyes was arranging some documents on Christopher’s desk. As we entered, he straightened up, adopting a formal posture.

“Alpha,” he greeted with a small bow before handing the papers to Christopher. I recognized his voice. He was the one who had called the alpha when he was taking me home from Tyler’s after Mathew cheated on me. He was the one who had announced the invasion of the exiles.

Christopher accepted the papers with a nod.

“Thank you, Hensen,” he said. He turned to me before continuing. “This is Scarlett, my mate. I would like you to show her around the pack house.”

I shivered when I heard “mate” on his lips. We hadn’t said it out loud to anyone. But it felt so right.

“Of course, Alpha,” Hensen replied. “Nice to meet you, Scarlett.” He extended a hand to me. “Come, I’ll show you around.”

I was about to follow Hensen when two strong hands pulled me back. I collided with Christopher’s chest before he spun me around and cradled my face in his hands. His lips met mine in a gentle kiss, and when we pulled apart—

“I’ll see you later,” he said, turning to get back to work.

I followed Hensen through the corridors. He opened each door, showing me everything. I began to understand the layout of the pack house a little more. The fourth floor housed the alpha’s room, four large rooms, and five smaller ones. The third floor had the kitchen, a huge dining room, the living room where I had stayed, along with the library and a meeting room. The second floor was home to the legal, administrative, and counselor Carl’s office. The first floor housed the logistics sector, the reception, and a guard’s office. The guard had its headquarters outside, but there was an administrative office inside as well.

By the end of the tour, I was in awe of the size of everything. Almost an hour had passed by the time Hensen showed me each room. He showed me the garage entrance and pointed to a large, carved wooden door next to the guard’s office.

“This is the first-floor meeting room,” he said.

When Hensen opened the doors, a meeting was in progress. I locked eyes with Christopher at the other end of the table. He was reading a document. When he looked up and our gazes met, I knew I had interrupted something important.

“Alpha, I apologize. I didn’t realize you were in a meeting. I was just showing Scarlett around,” Hensen explained.

I glanced around, attempting to make sense of the situation. I noticed some leaders seated at the table, my father and Christopher to the right of the end. I felt a powerful gaze on me—it was heated, intense, but it wasn’t from Christopher.

My heart seized when my gaze swept over the table and landed on Mathew. His face drained of color, turning ghostly pale as our eyes met. I stared at him, and memories flooded back. But this time, I felt nothing.

I conveyed through my gaze that we were okay. He was here for the pack, and I understood that. Christopher’s commanding voice echoed in the room, drawing my attention back to him.

“No worries, Hensen. You two have perfect timing. Come in, Scarlett, join us.”

I hesitated, swallowed hard, but mustered up all my courage and walked toward him.

Every eye in the room turned to me. I noticed some people craning their necks to watch me as I walked toward Christopher. I passed Mathew, who sat frozen, watching his former mate enter a crucial pack meeting, summoned by the alpha himself.

After his declaration that no one would want me, the surge of satisfaction I felt was overwhelming. When I reached my father, I placed a hand on his shoulder, and he covered mine with his own, smiling at me.

I let go and took a few more steps to reach Christopher. He rose just as I arrived, took my hand, and turned me to face everyone.

“Council, meet your new luna. Hensen, find Scarlett a chair,” he commanded, and I watched as the blonde man’s eyes widened before he dashed off to find a chair.

Christopher remained standing until Hensen returned clumsily with a heavy wooden chair. The alpha himself pushed it toward me before taking his seat.

He cleared his throat and placed a folder in front of me, while he pulled out another and began to speak.

“We were discussing the best date for the trip to the council, the optimal route, and the legalities we need to address first,” he explained. I flipped through the first few pages, trying to comprehend the information.

“The route for last week’s trip was through the south because it was closer, correct?” I asked, still engrossed in the papers.

“Exactly,” a familiar voice responded. I looked up to find Bob on the other side of the table. He was in charge of logistics, so naturally, he would be at this meeting.

“But the legal landscape was different then,” Alef, the head of legal, chimed in.

“Now, if we took that route, we’d be passing through enemy territory,” Christopher added. “They might not grant us passage, or we risk an attack. We’re considering skirting the borders or circumventing the land entirely, which would extend the trip by two days. But neither option guarantees our safety. We can’t use helicopters or planes due to council law. We have to travel by car.”

My brother had mentioned this before. The council housed the Temple of the Moon, a place steeped in tradition and magic. After a few mishaps, they discovered that the potent, ancient magic interfered with aircraft navigation systems. So, a law was enacted prohibiting air travel to the council. We would have to make the entire journey by land.

It was a tough decision. There was no clear right or wrong, and everything posed a risk. And of course, the biggest risk was me and the baby.

Suddenly, an idea flashed in my mind.

“How many guard cars do you have like the one that brought me yesterday?” I asked Marquardt directly.

“I believe about ten,” he replied.

“Perfect. We only need five. And you would have five blonde guards, correct?” I asked, adjusting myself in the chair. I noticed Marquardt frowning at me, while in my peripheral vision, I saw Christopher watching me, legs crossed, back against the chair, hand on his chin.

“Yes, we should have, but why?” Marquardt asked, clearly confused. I could feel the curiosity of everyone at the table.

“I propose we form a convoy with five identical cars, randomly distributed among the other guard cars. We place a blonde guard in each of them. I would ride in one of them. The cars change order every hundred miles. Even if we were attacked, they wouldn’t know which car I was in. We don’t even have to enter their territory; we could skirt the border, but the trip wouldn’t be as long as going around the entire land. Two extra days of travel could pose more risk than benefit,” I suggested.

When I finished, I realized what I had done. I’d just proposed a plan, essentially taking over the alpha’s job. I nervously turned to Christopher. “Just a suggestion, of course.”

“I like your suggestion,” Christopher said. He turned to his men. “Robert, analyze the feasibility. Coordinate with the guard on logistics and provide us with potential dates. We need to make this trip as soon as possible. Meeting adjourned.”

After Christopher spoke, everyone stood up. He remained seated, watching everyone leave. I started to rise, and the alpha patted his lap twice.

“Come here,” he said, pulling me onto his lap.

I sat on his lap, staring straight ahead. His hands brushed my hair away from my neck, and the sensation of his fingers on my skin sent shivers down my spine, leaving me in a trance, my skin exposed, at his mercy. Christopher gently kissed my neck.

“Did you enjoy the meeting today?” he asked, his breath hot against my skin, sending more chills down my spine. “I think you did very well.”

“The meeting was fine,” I replied. “What did you think? Did you enjoy watching me take charge?” I asked, teasingly.

“If you’re asking if I enjoyed watching you strut around, showing your jerk of an ex-mate who betrayed you that you’re now with me, then yes. And even more so, you have an incredible mind. I loved it,” he said, still leaning back in the chair, elbow resting on the back, hand on his chin.

I smiled, adjusting myself on his lap, positioning my butt exactly between his legs, feeling his arousal growing. I turned my back to him and heard him sigh.

“Damn, Scarlett,” he whispered huskily, as his hands moved to my hips and he pressed against me.

“Hold on, I still have things to figure out,” I said, standing up quickly.

“You’re going to drive me absolutely insane,” Christopher said, running his hands through his hair and smiling. “But I kinda liked the meeting. Could see myself getting into it,” I said, flicking my hair over my shoulder.

“God, you have no idea how good it feels to hear that,” Christopher replied, his grin growing wider.