Chapter: seven

Aylin swallowed hard, deciding to be honest with Ezekiel. “A few years back, when I was with my old pack, we were attacked by demons.

“We were all gathered at the pack house when they stormed in. No one knows why it happened. I managed to escape, but my parents weren’t so lucky.

“They fought bravely, but we lost so many that day. After that, things changed for me in my old pack.

“My dad was one of the top warriors in the pack, and people thought it was shameful that his daughter ran away.”

“Which pack was this?”

“Dark Moon.”

“Alpha Stephan Morris?”

“His son is in charge now.” Her voice wavered as she thought of Daemon. “Dark Moon is known for its strong warriors. Running away is seen as a sign of weakness. That’s why they treated me so poorly.”

Ezekiel’s jaw tightened. “That’s no excuse for their behavior,” he said, his voice low and gruff.

She brushed away a tear. The memory of her parents still hurt. “So, you’re not mad at me?”

His face softened. “Of course not. I appreciate your honesty. I’m sorry you had to relive such a painful memory.”

She managed a weak smile in response.

“I hate to ask this, but we need to go back and find out what they remember about that attack. We need to know what we’re up against.”

Aylin’s heart pounded at the thought of returning there.

She felt a wave of panic at the thought of facing Daemon again, but she knew Ezekiel wouldn’t want to leave her alone, especially with that dangerous woman still in the castle.

But the thought of going back there, back to her past, filled her with dread.

“Don’t worry. We’ll be together. No one will bother you,” he reassured her. “I’ll call him and we’ll plan to leave tomorrow.”

Nodding, Aylin left Ezekiel and retreated to her room.

Ezekiel could see how anxious she was about returning to her old pack. Probably because she would have to face the mate who had rejected her.

He didn’t want to cause her any more pain, but they needed to find out more about the demon that had been caught on his land. It would be a quick visit; Ezekiel didn’t like being away from his territory for too long.

~“Quill, get Alpha Morris on the line,”~ Ezekiel ordered through the link.

~“On it,”~ Quill replied.

***

Meanwhile, Aylin was pacing her room, worrying about what would happen when Ezekiel found out that her first mate was Daemon.

He would surely reject her if he knew. He would go back to that other woman, thinking that if an alpha had rejected her, why should a king bother with her?

The thought made her heart sink. If Ezekiel left her, she didn’t know what she would do. She was still surprised that he had accepted her, and she was slowly starting to trust him.

But all that would be for nothing if he changed his mind.

“Aylin?”

A familiar voice came from the door.

She opened it to find Quill standing there with an empty duffle bag.

“I thought you might need a bag.” He handed it to her and she took it silently. “Are you okay?” He was starting to worry about her silence.

“Yeah,” she lied.

He gave her a skeptical look. He could tell she wasn’t being honest when she looked away. “Talk to me.”

“I don’t want to go back to my old pack,” she admitted quietly. “I don’t want to see him.”

“See who?”

“Daemon.”

“Daemon Morris? Why?”

She looked up at Quill, her eyes filled with tears.

Without her saying a word, he understood why she didn’t want to go. “He was the one who rejected you?!” His voice was filled with anger.

She flinched, but it wasn’t his anger she was afraid of. “Please don’t tell Zeke!”

He sighed, reigning in his anger. “I won’t, but you should.”

“What if he rejects me?”

He shook his head and laughed, placing a hand on her shoulder. “I can promise you he won’t. You’ve done something to him, something no one thought was possible.”

She looked at him, confused.

“You’ve made him happy.”

Quill’s eyes glazed over for a moment as Ezekiel communicated with him. “He wants to see you in his office. Do you remember the way?”

“Yes.”

“Go on. Relax, nothing will happen.”

As Aylin made her way to his office, the journey seemed to take twice as long as usual. A sickly sweet smell hit her nose.

Suddenly, that woman appeared from around a corner, holding a knife.

Her hair was a mess, her makeup was smeared, and she looked furious. “You ruined everything!”

The woman lunged at Aylin with the knife, but Aylin dodged her. The woman tried again, and Aylin grabbed her wrist, pulling it forward and kneeing her in the nose.

The woman cried out as her nose broke.

After pushing her to the ground, Aylin stepped back from the bloody, hysterical woman.

Quill and Ezekiel came running from opposite ends of the hall, looking at the woman writhing in pain on the floor.

“What happened here?” Ezekiel demanded, his voice filled with anger.

“S-she attacked me with a knife,” Aylin stammered.

“You did this?”

“Well, duh, Zeke. Did you think she was just going to let Ana stab her?”

Ezekiel growled at his brother, then turned back to his mate. “Are you okay?”

“I’m the one bleeding on the ground here!” Ana spat.

“Get her out of here!” Ezekiel ordered.

Quill picked up Ana and carried her away.

Ezekiel quickly checked Aylin for any injuries, relieved to find none. He guided her into his office, his arm wrapped protectively around her shoulders.

Once inside, he locked the door. He didn’t want any interruptions. The sight of her taking down someone bigger than her had stirred something in him, but he wouldn’t act on it.

There was something he needed to discuss with her before they set off for the Dark Moon Pack.

Aylin settled onto the couch, a piece of furniture she hadn’t noticed during her previous visit. It was a plush, black leather piece that looked inviting.

Ezekiel took a seat next to her, trying to figure out how to bring up the topic. “Ay, we need to talk about something before we leave tomorrow.”

He gently rested his hand on her leg, hoping the conversation wouldn’t push her away. “Before we head to the Dark Moon Pack, I’ll need to mark you.”

Aylin paused, remembering a conversation she’d had with her mother when she turned fourteen.

Her mother had explained that when a female finds her mate, the bond is so intense that the male usually marks his female within the first day or two of them being together.

The bite is said to be pleasurable, and once it heals, a tattoo appears on the female’s neck. The initials of her mate are proudly displayed for the pack to see.

Usually, the female marks her mate too, showing other unmated females who her mate is.

Once the two are united, their scents blend together, strengthening their bond. The final step in the mating process is sex, a step Aylin was not ready for.

Just thinking about the conversation made Aylin nervous. She focused on the pain of the bite, blocking out the rest of her mother’s explanation.

Ezekiel noticed her distant look.

“Aylin?” he asked.

She snapped back to the present, shaking off the memory of her mother’s words. “I know about marking. I’ve heard it hurts.”

Ezekiel brushed her hair off her shoulder, revealing the spot on her neck he planned to bite.

“Actually, it can be quite pleasurable.” He ran his index finger over the spot on her neck, causing Aylin to tense up.

“I know it’s a big ask, but when we go to your old pack, they need to know who you belong to.”

Aylin’s anger flared at his words. “I don’t belong to anyone!” she shouted, jumping up from the couch and moving away from him.

~“We belong to him!”~ Kaia squealed.

~“No, we don’t!”~

Ezekiel watched Aylin’s sudden silence, knowing she was arguing with Kaia. He found it endearing that she was so resistant to the idea of belonging to him.

She accepted that they were mates but didn’t want to accept that she belonged to him. He knew she felt something when he touched her shoulder.

If he was the man he used to be, he would have forced her down and marked her. But that was a distant memory now.

Aylin moved to the other side of the room, as far away from Ezekiel as possible. Her heart pounded in her chest.

She pressed herself into the corner of the room, feeling Ezekiel’s gaze on her.

He rose from the couch and approached her, like a predator stalking its prey. His heavy footsteps echoed in the room, and she felt a warmth spreading through her.

Ezekiel stood in front of her, his arms on either side of her, trapping her. He leaned down, his nose brushing her shoulder as he inhaled her scent.

Instinctively, her hands clung to his shirt. Aylin lifted his head and saw his eyes turn black.

He moved her hair off her shoulder, his fingers briefly twirling it. He pressed himself closer, sliding his leg between hers.

Her grip on his shirt tightened. His head dipped down again, and a moan slipped from Aylin’s lips.

“Please don’t hurt me, Zeke,” she whispered.

“Never,” he murmured against her skin.

He wrapped an arm around her small waist, his other hand cradling the back of her head. Ezekiel felt his canines extend.

As he lightly grazed her skin, Aylin groaned. He kissed the spot on her neck, and Aylin arched her back.

Ezekiel bit down, and she yelped. Her arms immediately wrapped around his body.

Aylin was overwhelmed by a mix of sensations; the initial pain of the bite quickly turned into pleasure.

“Zeke,” Aylin moaned.

Ezekiel released his bite, his canines retracting. Seeing his mark on her, he licked the remaining blood.

She tilted her head towards him, her eyes still closed. He moved his hand from her waist to cup her cheek. “You okay, baby?”

She finally opened her eyes, finding Ezekiel’s face close to hers. She swallowed hard, her hands moving to his chest. “I’m okay, Zeke. I promise.”

He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, smiling down at his little mate. “Now everyone will know who you belong to.”

His stubble tickled her skin as she ran the back of her hand along his jaw. He purred at her touch and kissed her forehead.

His lips felt soft against her skin, sending a shiver up her spine.

“What does it look like?”

“Let’s go see.” He took her hand in his, leading her out of the office and into his room.

In the bathroom, Aylin moved her hair aside, looking at the fresh mark on her neck.

It was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen. A wolf with a crescent moon and his initials just below it.

Ezekiel stood behind her, his fingers lightly tracing his mark. Even the slightest touch made Aylin shudder. She gripped the sink tightly, a chuckle escaping from Ezekiel.

“Does that feel good?” His voice was a low purr in her ear.

Aylin shivered, unsure of how to respond. The mark on her neck stirred unfamiliar sensations within her, but she couldn’t quite identify them.

“W-why do I feel like this?”

“Because you’re feeling for me. Our bond is growing stronger. When we make love, the feeling will intensify. We’ll even be able to communicate through the link.”

She looked at his reflection in the mirror. His mischievous smirk told her what “it” meant. “Wait, we have to…?”

“Of course,” Ezekiel replied, “but not right now. If that’s what you’re worried about.”

And truth be told, seeing the look on her mate’s face, that was exactly what she was worried about.

She feared she would let him down in every possible way. No man had ever touched her before, let alone had sex with her.

The thought scared her. What if he rejected her afterward? Aylin squeezed her eyes shut and lowered her head.

“What’s wrong, Aylin?” Ezekiel’s voice was laced with worry.

A lone tear trickled down her cheek. “It’s nothing.”

Ezekiel spun Aylin around to face him, looking her straight in the eye. “Talk to me, sweetheart.”

“I’m just scared—”

“Of what?”

All Aylin could do was rest her forehead against Ezekiel’s chest and let the tears flow. “Scared I won’t be good enough!”

Without a word, Ezekiel lifted Aylin into his arms and gently laid her on the bed. He lay down beside her, wrapping an arm around her.

Instinctively, she snuggled into his large form, enveloped in his warmth.

“You don’t need to worry about that right now. I promise we’ll wait until you’re ready. Not a moment sooner.”

“I don’t just mean that.” Her voice was muffled against his shirt.

“Then what do you mean?”

Aylin fell silent at his question.

“Are you worried you aren’t good enough for ~me~?” He felt her nod against him.

He tilted her chin up to meet his gaze. Her tear-streaked cheeks broke his heart. “There’s no need to worry. I want you, and only you.”

Tucking her head under his chin, Aylin closed her eyes, comforted by the solid warmth of her mate.