Whispers among the guests had escalated after the future Luna had escaped, the spy's death and Alpha Xavier had abruptly left the pack house without explanation. Not to mention the howls of a wolf intruder in the woods. Close friends of the twins and members of the Sirius Bright Pack were concerned and upset, while several ceremony attendees were unsure if they should return to their homes following the dissolution of the marriage.
It was futile to be there in the absence of the bride and groom as there was no longer a ceremony. But who had the courage to approach the Alpha, whose eyes were boring a large hole in the woods where his brother had disappeared earlier, for permission to leave? There was a weird peace that had settled over the wood after the howl of that enigmatic and unknown wolf. If there were an attack, the entire pack would be ready to fight, and the twin Alphas' friends, who were the Alphas of their packs were ready to join them.
Backstabbers found it difficult to move past the heinous scene of the spy's execution. Two men had hauled the lifeless corpse out the back door, while three Omegas had cleaned the blood-splattered floor. Their expressions were devoid of dread or panic. It seemed as though such horrifying killings were commonplace in Sirius Bright Pack. Xavier's actions had terrified his adversaries. Zander never looked back at the guests, instead, he stood at the door, mind-linking Xavier. Tyler had been standing behind his Alpha awaiting orders, so the twins had been constantly conversing.
"Mr. Stephen," one of the guests, approached the old man who had been invested in chatting with Beta Kaiden.
"I think we should leave," the man modestly informed the elder, noting the scowling faces of the Beta and Gamma couples.
"No one is leaving anytime soon," Zander's calm yet threatening voice resonated in the hall as he walked away from the door and stood in the center of it.
"But… Isn't it true that the evening is over? That the ceremony can not possibly continue? The Luna and Alpha are not here, so..." He shuddered, perplexed and terrified by the evil grin that flickered over Zander's lips as he diverted his sight towards the door that welcomed his brother.
"Who said anything about it being over?" Everyone in the hall focused their attention on the entrance, where Alpha Xavier had walked in with his beautiful mate in his arms. Dean remained on the surface of Xavier's human form, watching everyone who probed about his marking. When the attendees saw the marks on Kiara and Xavier's necks, their eyes lit up with awe and surprise. Some people's features grew pale, but the majority of them were delighted. The blood on their throats had dried, the evidence of their unbreakable bond was right there in front of everyone's eyes.
"The Alpha and Luna are back!! Welcome back and congratulations Alpha!!" The Sirius Bright Pack burst into a gleeful celebration once again when they discovered Xavier and Kiara had become one. It had actually happened. The most awe-inspiring moment. Stephen wore a warm proud smile as he finally revealed the reason for his calmness to the other elders of his pack. Everything had been kept under wraps amongst the ranking males. The white-haired Grandfather had complete trust in his grandson and knew he would never let his Luna escape his grasp. The elder stared proudly at his grandkids. Back in those days, the old wolf was well-known for telling stories about his mate. Grandma had also been an adversary's daughter. The twins had inherited that from him. Like grandpa, like grandchildren!
"You might have told us that you wanted to mark your Luna in private. We'd follow you to Hell like creeps just to watch that lovely moment," after Zander's remark, the entire ceremony hall laughed hysterically. Their Grandpa concurred, laughing, while the other twins' buddies continued teasing Xavier, who gave them all a bored expression. What the HELL were they thinking? His entire group of friends, including his brother, were jerks!
"Congratulations brother!" Zander threw a wink at Xavier instead of the big brotherly hug he had wanted to give him but couldn't due to the fact that the Alpha wolf was quite possessive of his unconscious mate still clutched in his arms. Kiara's eyes were closed. On the way to the pack house, she had been opposed to entering the ceremony hall naked, but she had collapsed from exhaustion. Even though she was a werewolf, she disliked displaying her body to anyone. Especially with Grandpa and Zander around. Her magnificent body had been covered by the black coat that Xavier had worn to their wedding. Kiara had picked an expensive yet unique suit for him. It had fallen to the middle of her thighs, not enabling her to display any of her skin to the others, but Dean still despised other men's gazes at her smooth long legs.
He wished he could yank their eyeballs out. To avoid the second murder of the day, Xavier dashed upstairs with Kiara in his arms, leaving everything to his younger brother, who was fully prepared. Zander's earlier words had already given everyone the impression that the marking ceremony had been neither a joke nor a drama. Xavier and Kiara had marked each other in the woods, the Luna had not fled. Following that, he was going to tear up anybody who dared to propagate those rumors as part of their evil scheme. Everyone turned to watch Xavier as he walked up the stairs, then their eyes moved back to Zander in the center of the hall.
"My brother seems desperate to have a good night's sleep with his mate. I'm curious as to who sleeps so early," Zander wondered loudly, causing everyone to laugh. He chuckled along with the others, which had been partially artificial, entirely changing the environment into one that should have been comfortable and pleasant from the start. His smile reached his dark green eyes, as he glared at the gossipers and some bitches who had been overjoyed that Kiara had run away. Their intentions had been thwarted when they had seen Kiara and Xavier's marks. That had been the goal of the marking ceremony. The entire world now knew that Alpha Xavier had a Luna and a mate. Now that Kiara was with him, Xavier was more powerful as an Alpha. They wouldn't think of betraying the Sirius Bright Pack now. Thanks to these gossipers, every small and large pack would be able to hear this wonderful news.
"As I said, no one can leave right now," Zander declared. "Because it's party time!" The Alpha announced once again, reawakening the guest's joy and zeal. The lights suddenly dimmed as the music grew louder, and the hall became magnificent once again. Those who wished to dance were welcomed onto the stage, while the rest of the guests made their way to the buffet after drinks and chit-chat.
***
Xavier kicked his room door open slightly to enter, only to find that Jennifer and Lena had tastefully adorned the room. Had they hired a professional? It was the preparation for their first night together, but Xavier's thoughts were not on the events of two years ago. He'd never had the opportunity to spend those precious moments in his own bed with his first mate.
Xavier spent his first night with Petra in a hotel suite arranged by her father, Alpha Roman, as per her request. The place had looked like something out of a fairy tale, and it could have easily put anyone in a bad mood. Xavier had been irritated because he hadn't wanted to spend his first night as a married couple in a hotel room like a weirdo, no matter how big or fancy the hotel was. He wanted to feel like a spouse, a mate, and make love with her in their own bed, but he couldn't win when Petra began to beg him and began to make out with him in the hotel corridor. He hadn't been able to stand it any longer and they ended up in the hotel bed, even though he hadn’t wanted to be there. Petra had not just enjoyed staying at the pack house, she had continually been looking for a reason to leave.
Today, his room was adorned for a newlywed couple. Not to mention, the large bridal bed was covered with rose petals. The Alpha's gaze fell on his new bride in his arms, whose eyes were still closed. He wondered if she had been aware of all of this in advance, or if she suddenly found herself in a different atmosphere, which was nothing more than preparation for her first fuck, she would undoubtedly freak out.
Instead of going to bed, he went into the bathroom, only to discover that a bath had already been prepared. It contained a lot of little scented candles, much like the bedroom. The water had exquisite rose petals and a faint aroma that was being utilized to ease weariness from those experiencing it. Kiara's exhausted small body sank into the cool water, luring her out of her daze. She sighed, stretching her breast up, relishing the cold water while enticing the man who had begun to undress while intently observing her every move.
The naked beauty in the water slowly opened her eyes to find the attractive, sexy, and shirtless Alpha staring lustfully at her breasts and princess part. Under the water, her pink nipples seemed ripe and juicy. She didn't try to hide her pussy from his eyes this time. The last time he had seen her in the bathroom she had hit him with the shampoo bottle to hide those goodies from him.
When Kiara began to act oddly, Xavier's pulse increased unexpectedly. She began to spread her legs to offer him the finest view of her virgin pussy, causing the already aroused Alpha to unzip his pants.
"Aahh…" Kiara whimpered, biting her lower lip and giving Xavier an alluring look as he realized her wolf had taken control of her. It was the reason she had been acting out of character. It was her wolf's fault, not hers. She would have no idea that she had been such a naughty girl. Dean's passion rose as his hand went out to delicately touch her soft skin, only to be dragged into the bathtub by Kiara.
Xavier wiped his soaked face and ran his finger through his wet hair as he crept closer to her. The Alpha had not anticipated such a bold move from the woman who always showed her shy side to him. He let his wolf take control of him in order to relieve the thirst that had been building inside of them for years. Dean leaped on Venus in search of ravenous kisses. The excited woman's fingers curled around his neck quickly, openly inviting him to devour her as thoroughly as he desired. Fortunately, the bathtub was large enough for both of them, but the Alpha had completely caged the small figure under him, pressing his hard throbbing monster on her exposed pussy. Her shift earlier had already ripped her garments, which she had lost somewhere in the woods, making his hungry wolf's work easier. It wasn't easy to hold himself back from fucking her right away when they had laid eyes on her in the woods.
"Ahh…" When his large hand began to play with her sensitive nipples, Venus hissed in discomfort and excitement.
"What is your name, my little one?" Dean's voice was deep and authoritative, he knew what was in his arms was all his. Only his. He latched his lips onto one of her nipples, eager to hear the sweet noises she would make.
"Venus," when he sucked her nipples without warning, she shrieked and reached for a corner of the bathtub. She wanted him to grab every inch of her body wildly and roughly. Animals liked their sex to be a mixture of pain and pleasure, wild and messy. Venus had been getting what she wanted. His tongue tormented her nipples, taking a large lick and sucking the same spot over and over.
"Call me, Dean," the Alpha Wolf raised his face up, letting her red and purple nipple fall out of his mouth as he reached to take his erect monster out of his pants, which had been dying to penetrate his woman's hot, small, awaiting hole. Her legs were already wide apart, prepared for his powerful thrust.
Xavier skillfully stroked his cock a few times before fingering her to make sure she was moist. Yes, she had been aroused, but due to his length and thickness, she needed to be wet or she would bleed unnecessarily. Kiara's eyes had once again fallen closed as his finger moved to touch her pussy. What the fuck! Dean snarled. In frustration, Xavier reclaimed control of the situation. How could this woman sleep when he'd become rock-hard to fuck her to death? She was the one who lured him, dragged him into the bathtub, and now slept like a child?!
“Urgh!”With a groan, Xavier withdrew from the bathtub. Her shifting had certainly screwed with his brain. It required all of her energy and mind. Fuck! Did she have a clue what she was doing to him? He stood beneath the frigid spray of the shower, staring at her while she slept.
He should not stop now. He had brought her into his life for sex and to have a pup with her. He should take her as he pleases, whether she had been sleeping or not. She had been the one who had initiated it. Since she signed the contract, a hand job was out of the question. Xavier's arms reached out to take her from the tub. They entered the bedroom where Kiara's innocent figure rested on the comfortable bed. She struggled to open her eyes as she saw Xavier climb over her and kiss her lips. She struggled to stay awake but couldn't. She fell back into the blackness of sleep once more.
***
"Zander, your guess was correct. There was a sudden large sum of money deposited into the traitor’s bank account." Tyler took a seat opposite Kaiden as he handed the investigative report into Zander's hand. It had taken some time, but he had to get it done right.
"Did you find out from whose account the money had been sent from?" Kaiden inquired, pouring a glass of wine for the exhausted Gamma, who drank it down in one go. The party had ended much sooner than intended. After all of the guests had left, all the rank males except for Xavier had assembled in the garden to address pressing issues.
"Actually, the transfer was done from a Swiss bank, therefore it is impossible to obtain that information," Zander tore his calculative eyes from the papers to fix them on Tyler in bewilderment. It had been the only way to apprehend that individual.
"What did that spy's SIM card reveal? Who was he speaking with?" The Alpha questioned, tossing the papers aside, since they were no longer useful to them.
"Unfortunately, whoever it was used a burner phone, so I couldn't acquire any information there either," the Gamma explained, a little annoyed that he couldn't dig up any information as he had hoped.
"It implies that there is someone wealthy and powerful behind this plot. Perhaps that individual thought we'd capture the spy at some point, so they didn't leave any proof behind and continued spying on us with that in mind." Zander let out a long sigh as he pondered today’s events, attempting to connect them and reach a conclusion.
"Xavier," Kaiden noticed other Alpha approaching them. It was late at night. Nobody had anticipated that the groom would leave his bed before late morning. Tyler promptly handed him a drink.
"What's going on here?" Xavier joined them, avoiding drinking tonight.
"Nothing was found on the SIM or with the bank account. We were just talking about that, but what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be exercising in bed?" Kaiden cracked a joke. Xavier appeared to have had a bath and changed his clothes.
Zander concurred, but Beta and Gamma saw that this time the younger brother hadn't even grinned at their remarks, nor had he poked at his sibling like usual. When Kaiden and Tyler detected some unseen tension in the air, they shut their mouths. The younger brother appeared solemn, watching his elder sibling, who was lost in thought.
"So what's the real issue, Xavier?" Zander's hands were clasped together as he leaned forward, staring at his brother's expression. He had wanted to ask him that all evening, but events kept coming up. The Beta and Gamma glanced attentively between the Alphas.
"Kiara is my mate," Xavier revealed. He never expected to say the word 'mate' after his rejection again, but the fact remained and it was too much for him to digest. Dean could not have mistaken something like this.
"What?!" Zander was flabbergasted. Was his brother insane? What kind of nonsense was he talking about? A second chance mate was rare. In horror, Kaiden's eyes grew larger while Tyler's face had lost all of its colors. The man who had never wanted to date a lady in his life had been given a second chance mate?! What the fuck had the Moon Goddess been thinking?!
"You mean…" Zander paused for a couple of seconds, clearing his mind before he continued.
"Are you saying your surrogate is your second chance mate?" Zander inquired, emphasizing the words surrogate and second chance mate to convince himself that he hadn't misheard.
"Yes, she is," Xavier's palm was partially over his mouth while his gaze was locked on the wine as he tried to gather his thoughts. These three guys knew everything about him. This issue had to be revealed as well. Zander turned his head to the other side, finally understanding why his brother had been acting strangely when he spotted Kiara at the marking ceremony. The cause for his illness and abrupt departure has also been explained. He hadn't been able to endure the Moon Goddess's surprise, a second chance mate. All of his actions were to be anticipated from a man who despised women, but he had thankfully returned to the ceremony.
"Did you mean you marked your own mate?" Kaiden questioned, perplexed. This Alpha had made a pledge never to cross a female shadow again, but now he had marked his mate. Fuck! Everything had gone completely wrong.
"I didn't have a choice. The marking ceremony was essential to the growth and security of our pack. Rumors were threatening to demolish the pack's reputation. By marking Kiara, I have removed the most serious crisis from the pack."
"But what will you do now? You have marked your own mate, and both of you have also signed that contract about surrogacy as well. Have you thought about that?" Tyler asked, completely confused. "Will you terminate the contract?" he added.
"Never. I am going to adhere to the contract, she will be leaving after she gives birth to my child," he announced. "It's all about fucking, planting my seed in her, getting her pregnant, and that's it," he stated. Zander remained silent, simply listening to his brother. It was difficult for him to overcome his hatred for a mate and women. He also didn't want his brother to go through the same torture if Kiara turned out to be the same as that bitch, whore! Petra had also played innocent all the time, but her true face was hideous.
“And what about the mate bond? Will you be able to ignore it? It is like a drug, Xavier. You can't avoid it,” Kaiden suggested, only to get a growl from Xavier.
"I'm no longer interested in playing the Moon Goddess game. I have no desire to strengthen the bond or allow it to rule me. My surrogate will not be able to become my mate. Though we have marked each other, I have no plans on mating her, it will only ever just be sex between us. In this life, I will be alone. I refuse to succumb to the mate bond, that's the end of it," he said, closing his Beta and Gamma's mouths. They looked worriedly at Xavier, then at Zander, who gestured to them not to disturb his brother any more with their suggestion.
"But Xavier, if you only had sex and not mate, then you know what mess would be coming," Zander reminded Xavier, which made him blink his eyes.
"I have already been rejected once. What more mess could come?" He said coldly. Xavier's piercing gaze returned to the moon, and everything was silent once more.
"If you don't mate, then the Moon Goddess will again play her game to put both of you together. I doubt you can escape from mating," Zander said as he also gave thought to his own words. Xavier's heart started to beat fast to hear about his mating, as only Kiara came to his mind. Her all seductive move that she played in the bathtub and on the bed.
“What was that?” Kaiden asked when he heard a woman weeping. Everyone turned to look towards Xavier's window, followed by the Alpha, whose eyes were already burning a hole there. They watched him walking back to the packhouse. What was going on?