Sage stared down at me with a smile on his face, “Should we play more games before heading back?”

“Luna Ava.” I heard a voice in my head.

It was Lena, one of the senior warriors in the pack.

“The Alpha King is here. He arrived earlier than expected. He’s in the council hall already.”

I stiffened, and Sage immediately noticed the shift in my energy. “What is it?”

“He’s here,” I said breathlessly. “The Alpha King is in the territory.”

Sage cursed under his breath. “We have to get going.”

As we neared the pack estate, Lena’s voice echoed again.

“He’s asking for you, Luna.”

My breath hitched. My first impression was going to be bad, because I was already late. 

Sage’s hand brushed my lower back protectively as we sprinted up the stone steps, our boots pounding against the wooden porch. Lena opened the door as soon as we got to the door.

“He’s waiting.”

The meeting had already commenced when I stepped in with Sage. We did a small courtesy bow to the Alpha, then we looked at him. 

It was him. The guy in the forest. 

Diego Pierce.

Alpha King, and my fated mate. 

My eyes widened in shock. 

I had never met the Alpha King, and so I didn't know what he looked like. 

He had a smirk plastered on his face. 

He sat relaxed on the couch, the black suit perfectly tailored to his broad shoulders.  His piercing blue eyes stood out even more. He looked like someone who didn’t need to speak to command attention; he did it effortlessly. If I hadn’t seen him before, I would have said he just slipped out of a magazine. 

"The alpha of the pack coming late for the first meeting with her King?" 

"I wonder how she takes good care of the whole pack."

He pushed himself forward in his seat.

"I’m sorry I’m late for this meeting. "I didn’t know you were coming this early."

"I take good care of my pack, and I know it," I said defensively.

He shrugged, “Okay, if you insist.”

“I just went out with my fiancé to get some things for the kids. We weren’t going to take long.”

I decided to give him a taste of his own medicine. I knew that as the Alpha King, he would be more possessive of his mate than any other wolf. 

His nostrils flared, and we stared at each other for a few seconds before he spoke up.

“Please have your seat, we were in the middle of the discussion.” He rested his back on the comfy couch.

I took a last look at him before taking a seat beside Sage.

I didn’t pay much attention in the meeting. 

How could I possibly focus when the only thing I was thinking of was those lips on mine or how I would run my hands down his back or how he would get inside of me, and I would be screaming his name all night long.

There weren’t any pure thoughts, not even one.

I tried to snap out of the unholy thoughts, but I found myself drowning in them the next second.

“Please excuse me,” I stood up and went to the kitchen to get some water. 

I took a deep breath, and wrote a prayer to the moon goddess to help me stop thinking about Diego. 

The kitchen door glided open. I heard a pair of shoes walking behind me as I opened the fridge. I felt a presence behind me. I tilted my neck to see who had caged me with his hands. He was close enough for the warmth of his body to brush my back. Then he leaned in, keeping his head on my shoulder, and breathed slowly.

"I can't get enough of you," he whispered. 

He gently turned my body to face his, and placed his head in my neck again. 

His lips touched my neck softly, and deliberately. My breath caught in my throat. I arched my neck to give him more access. 

He sucked the places he kissed, giving me light neck kisses. 

I pushed him off a bit, "You chased me away some hours ago, and now you're trying to do what? "Get into my panties?" I hissed. 

"I know it must've looked weird, but you don't understand. "I'm trying to keep you safe." He pulled me closer, and continued his soft kisses.

"Why don't you make me understand?" I traced circles behind his neck, as I closed my eyes to savor the moment.

"Will you trust me?" he asked. 

I kept quiet.

He kissed my forehead, and kept his forehead on mine. He looked at me like I was his whole world, and it made me terrified because part of me wanted to believe it, even if it was just for a second.

The door opened, and Sage walked in.

I tried to pull away from Diego, but he didn't budge, he held me in that spot. 

Then they turned to Sage, "Excuse me. You are interrupting. Can you please excuse us?"

Sage's eyes darted from me to Diego, and back. His jaw clenched, the muscles in his face went rigid with fury.

"With all due respect, Alpha King, she is my fiancée." 

"I would like you to stay away from her." He grabbed my wrist roughly and pulled me to him.

"I'll be waiting for your response, Ava," Diego smirked as he left the kitchen. 

Sage dragged me out of the kitchen.

He pulled me into one of the empty rooms and slammed the door shut behind me. 

He stood in front of me- standing tall, furious, eyes glowing with that deep golden fire I had only seen when his wolf was surfacing.

“Sage.” I started, but he cut me off.

His hand gripped my wrist, not hard, but firm.

“You smell like him,” he growled, his voice low, thick with rage. He bent his head and sniffed my neck. His face churned in disgust. 

"I can smell him all over you. So this is how you behave? Do you go around satisfying other men's desires? You're just a filthy wh*re!"

My back hit the wall before I could blink. His body pressed close, his breath hot against my cheek.

I stared up at him, my pulse thudding in my throat. My breath came out rugged. 

"Me? Cheating?" 

"I’m definitely not like you." My voice was sharp.

That must have hit him.

His jaw tensed. His grip loosened slightly, confusion flashing in his eyes.

 “And what do you mean by that?” he asked, barely a whisper now.

I stared right into him. Into the part of him that knew exactly what I meant.

"You think I don’t know what you’ve been doing?" 

"Who have you been with?" I said, my voice shaking now, but I refused to look away. 

“You don't get to accuse me of what you’re guilty of.”

He leaned in and kissed me roughly.