Chapter: twelve

A sudden noise jolted Aylin awake in the early morning hours. She moved to the window and saw a face she’d rather not see at the edge of the woods.

She scanned the area. No warriors in sight. Not Quill, not Angus, no one.

Glancing at her sleeping mate and knowing her first mate was outside, she realized she couldn’t avoid the situation.

She slipped on Ezekiel’s T-shirt and tiptoed downstairs. The house was empty. “They must be on patrol,” she murmured to herself.

Approaching the cracked back door, she saw Daemon still standing there, waiting.

Aylin hesitated. The fear of Ezekiel waking up and finding them together was a heavy weight on her mind.

Their link was severed, and they couldn’t communicate anymore since they were no longer part of the same pack.

Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and stepped into the darkness. She halted at the edge of the patio, refusing to go any further. “What do you want, Daemon?”

“You didn’t let me speak—”

“What’s the point? You made your choice. Now I’ve made mine.” Aylin’s words were firm, so much so that the alpha was taken aback.

“You’ve changed,” he observed.

She scoffed at him, crossing her arms. “Is there a point to this? Remember, there’s a sleeping alpha and king in this house. Be quick.”

His shoulders sagged a bit. “I didn’t want to reject you, Aylin. I swear it; I was pressured to choose a mate who was strong, smart—”

“You mean you were pressured to choose a mate who wasn’t a disgrace to the pack? Don’t lie to me, Daemon. I’m not stupid.

“You think I don’t know what these wolves think of me? You think I don’t know they see me as some sort of outcast, a useless waste of space? I know it all.

“So, don’t stand there feeding me lies and bullshit.” Aylin’s chest heaved with anger, her fists clenched. “It’s too late now. I love Ezekiel, and he loves me. Go back to your whore. We’re done here.”

As she reached for the sliding door, Daemon’s voice echoed out. “What happened to the quiet, shy girl? What happened to you, Aylin?”

She turned back to him, tears in her eyes, and spoke nothing but truth to the alpha. “You broke me.”

Back in the kitchen, Aylin aimlessly searched the refrigerator for something to eat. Finding nothing, she opened the cupboard just as heavy footsteps thundered down the stairs.

“I’m in the kitchen, Zeke.” Spotting double-stuffed Oreos, Aylin popped one in her mouth.

Ezekiel entered the kitchen, looking visibly upset.

“What’s wrong?”

“You weren’t in bed.”

“I was hungry.” She offered him the package, smiling sweetly. “Want one?” She watched his expression, hoping she could get away with her brief encounter with Daemon.

Taking one, he gave her a sidelong glance. “Did you have another nightmare?”

“No, I was just hungry. You, Mr. Alpha, kept me from eating,” she teased, playfully smacking his chest. “That’s probably why none of the boys are here.”

“Let’s go back to bed.”

She nodded, putting the Oreos back in the cupboard when she felt two large hands on her waist. Instant shivers ran down her spine. “What’re you doing?” she asked, her voice shaky.

He buried his nose in her hair, and Aylin could feel Ezekiel’s chest rumble against her back. “That smell,” he murmured. “It’s familiar.”

Panic set in. Thinking quickly, she turned in his arms, planting a small kiss on his chest. “I’m sure you’re just imagining things. Come on, let’s go to bed.”

She took his hand and started toward the stairs but stopped when Ezekiel didn’t move. Looking at his face, she saw suspicion.

“Are you going to tell me the truth?” He pulled his hand away and crossed his muscular arms.

Sighing in resignation, Aylin knew she was caught. There was no talking her way out of this.

She retreated a few steps and sat on the stairs, taking a deep breath. “I heard something outside, and when I looked, Daemon was there.”

Ezekiel’s eyes darkened instantly. “Rather than cause a scene tomorrow, I came down and talked to him for a moment. He was trying to apologize, but I cut him off and came inside.

“The part about being hungry was true, though.”

Her attempt at humor didn’t make Ezekiel laugh.

After a few more moments of heavy silence, Aylin stood before her mate. “Goddamnit, say something, Zeke. Please.”

~“Mate is furious,”~ Kaia noted.

~“Don’t help,”~ Aylin snapped back.

Pinching his nose in frustration, Ezekiel turned his back on his mate. “He wanted to apologize?” He scoffed as he turned back to her. “What kind of bullshit is that?”

Aylin cocked her head in confusion. “Huh?”

“If that motherfucker wanted to apologize, he should have done it a long time ago. I swear to the Goddess, he is such a worthless piece of shit. And to come here in the middle of the ni—”

Aylin raised her hands, silencing Ezekiel. “Wait a minute here. You mean you aren’t mad at me?”

He took a large step toward his small mate and wrapped his arms around her. “Of course not. You didn’t do anything wrong.

“You were right to tell him off, Aylin. You didn’t let him get away with his crap. You stood up to him, your first mate, and told him where to stick it. I’m proud of you.”

He leaned in to kiss her forehead, and Aylin’s smile was radiant. Ezekiel paused, looking deep into her eyes. “I don’t want us to keep secrets from each other.”

“Can we go to bed now?”

He chuckled and nodded.

“Bet I can beat you there!” Aylin teased, giving him a playful shove. She took off running, and behind her, she heard a playful growl.

“You’re in for it now, little wolf,” Ezekiel called after her.

***

The next morning, Aylin woke to find the other side of the bed empty. She sat up, hearing the shower running.

She flopped back down on the pillow, her mind drifting back to the previous night. Ezekiel had been angry, but not at her.

That surprised her. She’d expected him to lose his temper, maybe even punch a wall.

She pulled the blanket over her head as the sound of the shower stopped. She tensed, wondering how he would emerge from the bathroom.

Now that they were fully mated, all Aylin wanted was to show Ezekiel how much he meant to her, even if they were in her old pack.

Everything around them was a part of their past, and that’s where it needed to stay.

The thought of the upcoming meeting at the pack house filled Aylin with a sense of dread. ~“Kaia, I could use some advice.”~

~“Oh, now you want my opinion?”~ Kaia shot back.

~“Should I go with Ezekiel to the meeting?”~

“Aylin, it’s time to get up,” a masculine voice interrupted.

She groaned and burrowed deeper under the covers, still pondering whether to bring up the meeting. The memory of the last one made her shudder.

What if there was more to the story that Daemon hadn’t mentioned? She wouldn’t be able to defend herself. “Do I have to get up?” she whined.

“Don’t make me come in there,” he teased.

“Try me, Mr. Alpha!”

A low growl made her tense under the comforter. “You’re going to regret that, kitten.”

Feeling the bed dip, Aylin braced herself for whatever Ezekiel had in store for her.

A knock on the door interrupted them, and they both groaned in disappointment.

As she emerged from under the comforter, her eyes landed on her mate, clad only in a towel, his hair still damp. Without thinking, Aylin licked her lips.

“Yes?” Ezekiel answered, sounding annoyed.

Quill’s voice came from the other side of the door. “Alpha Morris wants to know when you’re coming to the pack house for the meeting. What should I tell him?”

Ezekiel rubbed his forehead, looking frustrated. Aylin reached out and touched his hand. He looked at her and gave a small smile. “Tell him we’ll be there in an hour. And tell him Aylin will be there too.”

Aylin’s eyes widened in surprise. “Are you sure?”

He chuckled and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Absolutely. You’re my mate, my luna, my queen. You have a right to know what I know.” He stood up, his bare chest on full display.

She crossed her legs, unable to hide her arousal. The trust Ezekiel had in her made her heart race.

“Sweet pea,” Ezekiel purred, “control yourself, or we’ll never make it to that meeting.”

Embarrassed, she looked away. “Sorry,” she mumbled. She climbed out of bed and headed to the closet to find something to wear.

She heard him follow her. She was still embarrassed, so she kept her eyes on the clothes in front of her.

“What’s wrong?”

She didn’t answer right away. She didn’t know what to say that wouldn’t give away her embarrassment.

“Aylin!” he said, a little more forcefully.

“Hmm, oh, it’s nothing,” she lied.

“Then why are your cheeks as red as a tomato?” he teased. She turned back to the clothes, ignoring him.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and whispered in her ear. “When we get home, we’re not leaving the bedroom for a while.”

He kissed her cheek gently and went back to the bedroom to get dressed.

She quickly picked out an outfit and rushed past Ezekiel to the bathroom to shower before the meeting.

Seeing his mate dash past him, Ezekiel smiled. He was still amazed that the Moon Goddess had blessed him with a mate like Aylin.

He knew she was nervous about going back to the pack house, but he also knew that it would be good for her to start attending meetings like this.

He went downstairs and found Quill and Angus eating breakfast. “Morning,” he greeted them.

“Majesty,” they replied in unison.

“Where’s Aylin?” Quill asked.

Ezekiel grumbled. He didn’t like his brother showing so much interest in his mate. “She’s in the shower.”

“Relax, Zeke. I was just asking.” Quill tried to reassure him, but he could feel the tension and anger through their link.

Ignoring everyone else, Quill mind-linked Aylin. ~“You should come down before Zeke loses it.”~

~“Why would he do that?”~

~“Because I asked where you were.”~

~“I’ll be right down. I need to talk to him about this. He can’t freak out every time you or someone else asks a simple question like that.”~

Aylin was flattered that Ezekiel was so protective of her, even if it was a bit inconvenient.

Aylin skipped down the stairs, her eyes landing on the three men quietly eating breakfast at the kitchen counter. A smile tugged at her lips. “Good morning, gentlemen.”

“Morning, Aylin,” Quill replied.

Angus just grunted, which made Ezekiel growl. “Show some respect!”

She laid a hand on his arm, and the king softened under her touch. “It’s okay, Zeke. It’s early,” she soothed.

Ezekiel stood, planting a gentle kiss on her forehead. “He needs to learn to respect you,” he murmured.

Laughing lightly, Aylin said, “Respect is earned. I get why he’s like that. I’m not mad.”

“You’re too forgiving with him, kitten.”

“Maybe it’s because she’s stuck with you as a mate,” Quill chimed in.

Aylin shot Quill a playful glare, but couldn’t help laughing at her mate’s expense. She moved to the refrigerator and grabbed the milk for her cereal.

The rest of breakfast passed in relative silence. The thought of facing her first mate again made her forehead bead with sweat.

As they climbed back into the car, Aylin clung to Ezekiel’s hand like a lifeline. Despite her sweaty palm, he held on just as tightly.

“Don’t worry, love.” Ezekiel’s voice pulled Aylin from her thoughts. “Once we get what we came for, we can go home. You’ll never have to come back here again.”

She leaned her head on him, letting out a sigh of relief at his words.

Once they returned to the pack house, they were led to Daemon’s office. The alpha was seated behind his desk, a stack of files in front of him. “Welcome back, Alpha and Luna Malin.”

“Alpha Morris,” Ezekiel responded curtly.

“I understand Ay—Luna Malin will be joining us this time?”

Ezekiel grumbled slightly. “Yes, she will. As my future queen and wife, she’s privy.”

“Please have a seat,” Daemon offered, and Ezekiel and Aylin settled into the brown leather chairs across from him.

Daemon slid a manila folder toward Ezekiel. “I heard a demon entered your territory. Did anything happen?”

Ezekiel shook his head, recalling the incident. “As far as I know, it was just scouting my eastern border. It put up a fight before we captured it.”

“So, it’s dead?”

“We had no choice. It threatened the queen,” Quill interjected.

“Silence!” Ezekiel roared.

“What did it say, exactly?” Daemon looked almost worried.

Ezekiel sighed, his shoulders dropping. He couldn’t hide it anymore. He glanced at his mate. Her eyes were wide with shock. “He told me to keep her close.”

A wave of anger washed over Aylin. “Why didn’t you tell me? I deserve to know when I’m threatened!”

~“Aylin, don’t,”~ Quill’s voice was cautious. ~“Let him explain later.”~

She relented, and a sense of calm replaced her anger. She took the manila folder from Daemon and opened it. The images from the past attack were horrifying.

The world around her seemed to go silent. Daemon and Ezekiel were trying to get her attention, but Aylin continued to flip through the pictures from the attack.

The last one brought tears to her eyes.

“Aylin!” Ezekiel watched his mate’s reaction as she went through the pictures in the file.

She looked up at her mate, her cheeks wet with tears. “Here,” she whispered, handing the folder back to him with shaking hands.

“When the attack happened, the whole pack was in the backyard. It was our annual gathering.

“They were everywhere, calculated, and they had a target. I’ll never forget that.” Daemon leaned back in his chair, his gaze sad as he looked at Aylin. “They wanted you, Aylin.”