Jace cleared his throat, pulling me from my thoughts.

“Zane, I’ve spoken with the Beta. He confirmed that his daughter has been missing since yesterday. She was indeed playing with some other pups in the woods when they lost sight of her,” he informed me. “He’s on his way here with his mate to pick her up. They’ll arrive in about two hours.”

He paused, then added.

“Don’t you think you should call Alpha Ahri and let him know about this as soon as possible? That would ease up your path.”

Of course. I’d completely forgotten.

 The sheer joy of finally having my mate here with me had consumed my every thought. I grabbed my phone and scrolled through my contacts until I found Ahri’s number.

“Alpha Ahri, this is Alpha Zane from Midnight Moon. I’m calling to inform you that we’ve found your Beta’s daughter near our border,” I stated.

The response on the other end was a low, menacing growl.

“Alpha Zane. Yes, my Beta informed me. This matter requires thorough investigation. A pup doesn’t travel that many miles in a single day. There’s more to this.” His tone was far from friendly, but I hadn’t expected anything different.

“I agree. I also detected the scent of your pack within my territory. This means some of your members entered my lands without permission,” I answered him. “That’s a punishable offense. I’ll be sure to include this in my report.”

He sputtered something unintelligible but didn’t directly address my accusation.

I decided not to push the issue. My current situation was delicate, I was, in a way, at his mercy regarding my personal life.

“There’s something else I need to discuss with you. It’s…unusual, but we can’t question the Moon Goddess’s decisions,” I began carefully, trying to choose my words wisely. “Mercedes is my fated mate.”

I dropped the bombshell.

“What?!” he barked into the phone. “You so much as lay a finger on that pup, and I’ll tear you apart! You pedophile! I’m coming for her with my warriors. You make sure she’s safe at the border. I’ll kill you!” he raged, his voice thick with fury.

His harsh breathing rasped through the speaker, and I could practically feel his anger radiating through the phone.

“              Alpha Ahri, I assure you, I am not a pedophile. Mercedes’s parents are on their way and will have their daughter back safe and sound,” I reassured him calmly. “I have no intention of claiming her yet. I’m well aware of the Werewolf Laws. I want to discuss this rationally and reach an agreement with you.”

“Agreement? About what?” Ahri snarled.

I sighed deeply.

“Listen. Mercedes is my fated mate. The Moon Goddess has decreed it, and I accept that. All I want is free access to be able to visit her in your pack and for her to visit me here, so she can become accustomed to my presence and my pack. After all, she is the future Luna of Midnight Moon.”

I heard him swallow hard several times, the news was clearly difficult for him to accept.

But this exceptional circumstance was something I had to accept as well.

“Alpha, the law forbids third parties from intervening and keeping mates apart,” I reminded him. “I assure you, she’ll always be safe here. My Beta and Head Warrior will act as her personal protectors.”

After a long, tense silence, I heard him take a deep breath, desperately trying to regain control.

Ahri was known for his volatile temper, it took a lot to reason with him. At past Alpha meetings, he had proven himself to be impulsive and unpredictable, few Alphas wanted to deal with him. But I had no choice, my mate belonged to his pack.

“Her parents will be there shortly. Talk to them. If they agree, I expect you in my pack within two weeks to discuss this further,” he finally conceded, his voice still tight with suspicion. “But I still find this suspicious. Too many coincidences. First, the girl goes missing, then she turns up miles away in your territory, and now she’s your mate.” He paused, emphasizing his next words.

“Are you sure you had nothing to do with her disappearance?” he asked, his voice laced with doubt.

Good heavens, no!

Could this man not think logically for once? Even Mercedes had shown more sense than her Alpha!

My patience was wearing thin. I suppressed my annoyance, I didn’t have time to waste on this fool.

“Then explain to me what my motive would be?” I countered. “She’s already my mate. If I knew that beforehand, I would have simply contacted her parents and then you, as I’m doing now,” I explained slowly, as if speaking to a child. “Why would I go to the trouble of kidnapping her first and then make myself look suspicious?”

Ahri seemed to recognize the logic in my words, his tone shifting slightly.

"What are you implying?" he asked, now edged with a different kind of tension. "Are you saying it's impossible? People do all sorts of things to get what they want. What makes you any different?"

I had no patience with this nonsense.

“Listen, Alpha. As agreed, I’ll discuss this with her parents, and I’ll be at your pack in two weeks. I’ll let you know when I’ll arrive. I look forward to hearing the results of your investigation.” Before he could say anything else, I ended the call.

Jace and Cleo stared at me with expressions of pity.

“Yes, that reaction was to be expected. The man isn’t exactly known for his intellect,” Jace sighed wearily. “I could tell he was ready to go to war even before he had all the details in front of him."

“That would be a grave mistake on his part,” Cleo chimed in sarcastically. “Underestimating Midnight Moon and acting against Werewolf Laws will be his downfall one day.”

I walked over to the liquor cabinet and pulled out my most expensive bottle of wine.

There was certainly reason to celebrate, albeit in a complicated way. Midnight Moon had found its Luna, I had ultimately found my mate. It wasn’t how I’d envisioned it, but that didn’t diminish my happiness.

I poured a glass for each of us and raised mine in a toast.

“To a new beginning for Midnight Moon. With a Luna, we are stronger, invincible,” I declared in my most commanding Alpha tone.

Jace and Cleo nodded, their eyes meeting mine with a shared sense of determination.

The bubbles in our glasses rose to the surface as we stood together, united.