When They Touch Me (New Edition)

Artemesia

I’m the daughter of Alpha Franco of the Blood Moon Pack, today is my twentieth birthday.

I woke up before the sun, heart racing, body felt like it was on fire, because today was every single wolf waits for. I will find myself the happiest wolf in the world with finding a mate on my birthday.

My wolf stirred, restless and excited, whispering his name into my soul like a prayer.

Riccardo.

Ricardo was my best friend, my childhood sweetheart, the boy that I loved since I was fifteen. We had been lovers after he stole my first kiss in high school, I gave him my everything as we went to college.

For me to be fated to him, despite all, what could have gone wrong, That was something that I was happy about.

I had waited patiently for this day, and now it was here. Now I can just be his and he can be mine.

I believed it. Stupidly. Naively.

Little did I know things were just going to take a turn that I did not know. Things were going to end up backfiring on me in a way that I did not calculate.

The pack was throwing a celebration for me, I thought Riccardo will come to mark me and claim me.

But he didn’t even come timely.

Long time passed, he finally appeared, he looked like a stranger in my mate’s skin. No flowers. No kiss. No warmth in his eyes.

I pushed through the crowd to get to him, heart thundering with anticipation, nerves fluttering. I wanted to be by his side.

“Rick?” I asked softly. I extended my hand and brushed it over his own, trying to understand what was going on. “Is everything alright, Riccardo?”

He stepped back. Just one step. But it felt like the ground cracked beneath my feet.

“I, Riccardo Saviano, future Alpha of the Gray Shadow Moon Pack, reject you, Artemisia Guerrieri, daughter of Alpha Franco of the Blood Moon Pack, as my mate and future Luna.”

The silence in the room was deafening.

The silence of the pack members who were watching, listening, even looking at the two of us made me feel smaller than I ever did.

My breath caught. I waited for him to laugh. To say it was a joke. But he didn’t. His expression was carved from stone. And my wolf felt it too. For a moment, neither one of us reacted, but then everything crashed on me like a wave that I refused to be able to swim in.

The rejection hit like a blade to the chest. My knees nearly gave out.

“You’re rejecting me?” I whispered. “You’re my… Riccardo, we’ve been…” My throat burned. “We’ve been everything to each other. Why?”

“I’ve already found my mate, my two kids and my pregnant mate are waiting for me at home.,” he said coldly.

Tears blurred my vision, but I refused to let them fall in front of him.

“You have kids?” I whispered. “You kissed me. Slept in my bed. Made promises. And now… you’re with another woman? Why?”

He didn’t answer. He didn’t have to.

I never thought I was betrayed and rejected on my 20th birthday.

***

Four years later

If there’s one thing I’m grateful for, it’s that even after my fated mate rejected me and left me broken, I didn’t give up on my studies. I healed well enough and managed to become a doctor at our pack hospital. But my heart never truly recovered. The pain of being rejected still lingers, heavy and unbearable.

“Missy!” I turn around as I see my younger brother kick a stone in his path. “Mom wants to talk to you about Gio’s coronation.”

I groan, picking up my shoes and getting up. “I’m going to help, but I won’t go!”

“You have to. Gio would be sad if you didn’t.”

My older brother would indeed be sad if I were to miss his coronation ceremony. He and his mate have been training for this moment for months and I know exactly how nervous he is.

But the worst part is that Riccardo will also be attending Gio's coronation ceremony. Even though I boast about being over Riccardo at every possibility I’m given, I fear the moment of meeting him at the ceremony. Also, facing him without a mate by my side is always the worst thing to live through.

Walking back with my younger brother, who talks non-stop about his sparring classes at school, I reach our pack house pretty fast.

I find my mother in her office and knock at the open door, making her turn to me with a big smile. “Ah, Missy, there you are.”

“Hey, Ma. Is there a possibility I could help without having to go?”

She chuckles, moving her glasses up her nose by pinching their frame.

“Honey, we have already discussed it. We all must show your brother our love and support. What will people think if you don’t show up?”

I take a piece of paper that she is handing me over her desk and slump into the seat standing in front of it with a groan.

“I need you to memorize the names of the guests, so we can make a good impression.”

“Mom! These are hundreds of names!” I shout, looking at her agape, but she just waves dismissively.

“Oh, I’ve highlighted the important ones, and you have a few days.”

Scrunching my nose, I check the list and murmur, “You have to be kidding me.”

She is humming along happily as my eyes fall on a special name.

“Blackwood?” I whisper to myself, attracting my mother’s attention.

“What was that, honey?”

I turn the page for her to see and she squints her eyes at it. “You invited the Blackwood heir. From the Blood Fang pack?”

Artemisia

You may not know, that the Blood Fang Pack has signed a peace pact with us, but they are too powerful, they can break that useless pact at every given moment. So I was very surprised that my mother invited Blackwood.

I look up as my mother nods and she lifts her glasses to read better. “Yeah. We had to.”

“Why?” I ask, standing from my seat.

I hate Alpha Blackwood so much. I hate his insolence, his guts, I hate everything about him. He's rude, lacks respect even to the older alphas, lacks humanity and acts like he owns the world. The fact that other packs and my brothers idolize him makes me hate him even more.

Mother sighs, “The treaty that we have with them is really important for us. It is already unstable as it is. So we have to be extra nice to them. Imagine if they attacked us for real. That would be horrendous. Now, be a nice little lady, and help me pick out the flowers. Luna Diana showed you the dress she picked, right?”

“I can’t believe you all!” I yell at her,“No wonder they keep playing us like a violin! Those arrogant bastards don’t deserve to ruin his ceremonial coronation as well as everything else they show up for!”

***

I returned to my room feeling gloomy. The thought of having to please a pack that could bully us at any time made my heart feel heavy. I didn’t even notice my brother walking in.

Giorgio takes a step forward, tilting his head at me. “Is there something that is bugging you? To have you agitated like that?”

I scoff, rolling my eyes, continuing to sulk while staring outside the window. “It’s just not fair.”

“A lot of things aren’t!” He simply states, getting me to turn around to look at him.

“Aren’t you going to change something as the new Alpha? Will you allow them to continue to just act as they please?” I ask him, clenching the shiny surface of the sideboard I am sitting on.

“Missy,” he sighs, putting his hands into his pockets. “There is not anything we could do.”

Shaking my head, I raise my eyes to the ceiling, “Did you hear that they executed a wolfless She-wolf a few days ago?” I still cringe today whenever I'm reminded of that. And the innocent she-wolf is not their only victim. Blackwood and his proud triple younger brothers of course. They are so unhinged and merciless. They are brutal and ferocious, but Giorgio still goes ahead to invite them. The thought alone makes me sick. Why flatter them?

“Yes,” he answers, the corners of his mouth dropping. “But it is only a rumour going around. The council hasn’t found anything on it.” I scoff under my breath. Of course, they cover up their brutal acts so well. Why would the council find anything?

“But they are still investigating, aren’t they?” My voice reaches a high-pitched tone, nearly failing me.

Giorgio shifts his weight from one foot to another, “Yes, but-”

“No buts!” I scream, jumping off the furniture. “They act like monsters. We should stop doing as they please. Having them treat us as puppets to pull off a show with.”

In the blink of an eye, Giorgio is standing in front of me, grabbing my arm brusquely. “You will calm down and refrain from saying anything like this out loud ever again! Do you understand me?”

I whimper and pull my arm up, trying to cover from his intimidating fury. As I nod shyly, he growls, making me wince. “Do you. Understand. me?”

“Yes, Alpha.” I say lowly, finally getting him to release me.

I rub the spot pulsating painfully on my arm, pouting. “It’s not just us, Missy.”

Looking up at him, I see that his rage-filled expression has now morphed into the usual caring one that I normally get from my big brother. “It’s important that you know that all of us are in danger. Even if we were to attack them all together, the chances would be high for them to crush us with a tired smile on their faces. You can’t grasp the things that we saw, so please. Don’t risk it. Especially not in your condition.”

“My condition,” I murmur feeling crushed while still caressing my arm with my thumb.

He flashes me his canines as he grins at me. “So, care to change the subject, you will come to my ceremonial coronation, right?”

I wrinkle up my nose and shrug, “Sure. Wouldn’t miss it for no reason.”

“Thank you. I’ll set Zeno and Zack to your side. This way Riccardo will not dare to come close to you again.”

“That would be awesome, thank you. But I can defend myself, he is just a wimp, let the Zs enjoy their evening with their girlfriends.”

He sighs again, holding me by my shoulders. “We are a family, and they will understand. He has to learn that he lost you and has to let you be.”

“I’ll be alright. Don’t worry!” I say, with a grin.

He nods, and is already standing by the door as he turns around, “You aren’t wolfless, Missy! Don’t punish yourself for something you can’t control.”

I remain looking at the training ground, as I sigh, the first tears falling fastly.

***

Joyful laughter fills the air while a rustling rises from the floors below us. The preparations for the ceremony are running smoothly and still.

“Ladies and Gentlemen. Let ceremony begin.” My mother’s voice resounds in the hall.

Squeezing Diana’s hand, I wish her good luck before I leave the room with Caterina.

As we reach the ground floor, I halt just behind my mother and feel Zeno laying his arm around my shoulders.

I can feel how everybody is anxious but also extremely excited. My brothers and I stand there to face the first guests with a smile while my parents welcome them officially on our pack grounds. I stare in awe as the elegant representatives of other packs walk in dressed elegantly.

Everybody seems to be working tonight. The organization of the guards, the escorts from the boarders, and the logistics for the party bear witness to my mother’s skill as Luna.

We decide to move with the crowd and go to the back of the house. The big patio leading to the large meadow is now decorated lovingly with garlands and flowers. At the end of the field that is fenced with rose bushes, there has been set up a huge stage where the coronation will be held.

I squeal excitedly as I follow Zeno out to a few bar-high tables that are still free and start snacking on the hors d’oeuvres that are being served.

Zaccaria reaches us with fast steps, and I groan.

“Really, I don’t need your pity. Just leave me alone and go enjoy the evening with your mates.”

Zeno grins as he munches on pretzel sticks. “No can’t do, sis.”

“I brought you champagne.” Zaccaria beams as he stretches out his arms for me to get my glass.

“Thank you, Zack.”

Even before Zeno can take his glass from our brother’s grip, his expression darkens.

“The assholes are here.”

Zaccaria’s and my head whip to the patio, just in time to see five members of the Blood Fang Pack scanning the crowd with a frown.

Well, no, let me rephrase that.

One of them wears a frown. I can’t tell what the others are doing.

And what a frown.

His strong frame lets all the others pale in comparison. Even surrounded by the strongest wolves in the Southern Hemisphere, he seems to tower over everybody. He has his squared jaw clenched as he stares us lowlives down with his glacial eyes and I guess I could cut myself if I was to touch his face, due to his high cheekbones.

And why the fuck would I want to touch his face?!

For the first time after what seems an eternity, I feel my wolf stir and I gasp, tearing myself out of my trance. My heart thuds loudly in my chest and my heart begins to race as I turn restless. My wolf has been silent since Rick rejected me, but now she's uneasy. It's like everything around me has faded and time has slowed down for me. I feel multiple jolts of electricity go through my body and all my senses comes alive.

My brothers look at me concerned as I grab the material of my dress.

“What's wrong?”

“Cassy… She… I think she just moved.”

“Really?” Their sparkling eyes have my heart bleeding as I think that it might be for an entirely wrong reason.

“Mate.” I straightening my spine with a deep breath.

Artemisia

His scent overpowered everyone else’s easily and signaled me that he was near. Who is he? My second mate?

I chew at my thumbnail while my thoughts keep running wild about the fact that all of this just doesn’t make any sense.

How bothersome it would be to have a Blackwood as my mate.

So, why am I disappointed?

Joining the applause that drags me out of my train of thought, I beam as my brother and his mate step onto the stage. They look so excited and anxious at the same time at what is about to happen that it makes me feel butterflies. The best thing out of all is that it seems like they are happy to finally be able to see each other again the most. Even if in such moments the memory of my rejection hurts the most, I’m glad that the feelings of happiness that I feel for my family overpowers me.

Automatically, my eyes wander over the crowd to find the Alpha Blackwood already looking at me. My eyes snap back to the stage and I gulp.

So embarrassing.

As he is standing rather close by, I guess that the mystery of the mouthwatering scent that I’m smelling is resolved.

Goddess, why me?

As the elder finishes the ritual, and my brother goes to take his Luna’s hand, a collective gasp rises. I clench onto Zaccaria, and he puts his arm around my wrist to stabilize me on my feet, even though he must feel the uncomfortable feeling of our bond to our parents as leaders being strapped from us, before our links to our new Alpha and Luna click into place.

As another round of applause disrupts the air, I try to push through the crowd after my brothers to get to Giorgio and Diana to congratulate myself with them. But the people are just too aggressively trying to get there first that I get separated from my brothers and, as I seem not to be able to move any further, choose to step out to the side, waiting for everyone to just calm down after they had their chance to see the beautiful pair.

I take a deep breath and smile at a waiter who brings me a glass of champagne before my nostrils get assaulted by a scent that I had hoped not to smell again.

And just when I’m without my brothers.

“Hey, beautiful.”

Taking a sip from my champagne flute, I act annoyed while hoping that he will get the hint.

Even if he never does.

“Alpha Riccardo, good evening.”

“Come on, Missy. Come back in with me. Let’s talk.” He chuckles, trying to get closer to me. “No need to be so formal. After all we have been through?”

I push out a single laugh, trying to keep my voice down. “You are not really trying to hit on me while your mate is at home, pregnant with your third baby, Rick!”

“You always think too much. Missy, come on.” As he grabs my wrist, I snatch it out of his hold maybe a little too aggressively.

“Don’t you dare touch me!”

“Why are you acting so ha-” Riccardo is just about to open his mouth the wrong way as he gets interrupted by a deep baritone.

“Missy, is everything alright?”

I have to keep myself from physically shuddering as I turn around to look at the disrupter wide-eyed.

What did he just call me? And how does he know my name?

Blinking repeatedly as I am still recovering from his voice traveling through me like honey, I put up a smile and shake my head.

“Yeah. Everything is just alright.”

Alpha Blackwood clenches his jaw, his gaze moving onto Riccardo. “Where is your mate, Alpha?” His gaze, his cold and his tone firm. There is this domineering aura surrounding him and his presence alone sends waves of shock through my body. He's intimidating and Rick is intimidated by Blackwood, despite being an Alpha himself.

I nearly choke on my spit as Riccardo’s face pales, and he starts to stutter like an idiot. The way he pronounced his title mockingly, made me feel malicious joy. I like that Blackwood intimidates Rick and I like that Rick is no longer running his mouth and now looks so apprehensive.

“She wasn’t feeling well, so she stayed at home.” He stutters slightly and I noticed the way he flinched as he speaks.

Alpha Blackwood clicks his tongue, totally uninterested in what Riccardo just said, and leans in slightly to talk to me. My heart skips a beat at that moment and Casey becomes so restless that I find it hard to keep my cool. He's too close— and his smell. Fuck! Missy, why are you feeling this way?? I remind myself that I hate him, but I don't seem to at this very moment.

“Didn’t you want to congratulate your brother? I guess we could get to him now.” I do. I glance up at him in surprise. Blackwood is so good looking and why am I only noticing that now? My heart keeps fluttering as I look into his eyes.

A shiver runs down my spine as his eyes capture my gaze entirely, making me lose the sense of time and place for a second. Just as I see him lift an eyebrow I finally get my brain to start working again.

I jerk up slightly to look over the crowd and don’t see how we are going to make it as my brother is still closed in tightly by his admirers, but still chooses to go with his rescue offer.

“Oh, great let’s go. Bye, Rick.”

He nods his head at Riccardo with his signature frown, before saying, “See you around, Richard.” Richard??? Rick looks so embarrassed and I've never been so satisfied. I love the defeated look on his face. So satisfying.

I stifle a laugh as I pass the lawn to find an open space where we can get through, but there is no avail. I suddenly feel so grateful to Blackwood. He actually saved me from Rick. Getting away from him would have been an issue but Blackwood handled it in a matter of seconds. He still has that menacing look in his eyes and I feel the sparks as I walk with him. Maybe he's not so bad after all.

Alpha Blackwood just follows me leisurely and seems to watch me without wanting to help me.

“His name isn’t Richard,” I tell him.

“Really? I don’t pay much attention to names.”

“But you called me Missy.”

He shrugs nonchalantly. “He was practically screaming it all over the field. Didn’t like how uncomfortable he made you look.”

I let my shoulders slump and turn around to look at him with a smile. “Thank you!”

Seeing the corner of his lips twitch, has butterflies erupting in my stomach even though I don’t get the smile.

I’m such an idiot.

“Doesn’t seem like we will be getting anywhere near my brother.” I sigh sadly and purse my lips.

“Yeah.” He states frowning, staring towards the crowd, and I’m actually surprised that he is still around.

“Well, can’t be helped,” I say, turning around to face him. “Have you already had a tour of the grounds?”

My heart beats into my throat as I wait for him to crush my invitation like it would be appropriate for the lowlife, he must be thinking that I am.

“That would be lovely, thank you.”

“Oh,” I say, taken aback. “Nice, come with me then.”

We walk back to the pack house more or less silently. The silence is only disrupted by me commenting on the garden or the house. As we reach the front yard of my home, I gesture along the paths splitting in front of us.

“This way you reach the back of the house.” I look up at him, expecting his gaze to be directed to the house, only to find him looking at me.

And as the massive flirt I am, I blush terribly while I stutter, “Erm… There is like a garden with high bushes designed as a… well… like a… around a set of fountains…”

I remember my brother telling me how he saw Alpha Blackwood punish a warrior for having stuttered in front of him when he had visited the Blood Fang Pack territory. So, I’m a bit frozen at seeing a slight smile on his lips.

I press my lips together as I avoid his gaze to look at the path that leads to the lake.

This is so embarrassing.

Goddess, I’ve been engaged. When did I get back to act like a lovesick teenager?

We walk to a bench a few steps away from us and stare at the lake silently. I push down the urge to say something just to end the silence as it will definitely be embarrassing. Thinking about how it’s not awkward at all and how much I feel at ease with him, has me worrying. I bite the nail of my thumb thinking about the last time I felt like this in the company of a man. But seeing all the horrible dates I had after breaking up with Riccardo, there is really no surprise.

Oh, Goddess! He isn’t my mate, is he?

Artemisia

Before my panic can rise drastically, I calm myself down, as his scent must have been enough for me to spot him as my second chance mate. And even if his scent is mouthwatering, it isn’t screaming mate.

“Is that a quirk of yours?”

I look at him confused, finding him smiling.

The hell?!

“Erm… what?”

“You do that pretty often. Also, during the ceremony.” His eyes fall to my lips, and I remove my hand swiftly.

“Oh, yes. Sorry, it’s… I do it without thinking.”

My heart beats so fast, that I risk deafening at the loud thuds in my ears. “Oh… Thank you.”

I’m glad that he is looking at the lake as I must be looking like the most embarrassing tomato on earth.

As I risk a look, I find him watching the surface of the lake concentrated. And I must say that he is quite the eye-catcher. It’s not only that he is tall and broadly built but also his squared jaw, the dark expressive eyes, and the high cheekbones that must set every she-wolf under a spell. The way the moon shines on his features has him looking even more gorgeous.

And now you are drooling.

He clenches his jaw shortly before he turns to me, lifting his brow. The action tears me out of my daydream, but I guess it is too late to regain some of my decency.

Goddess, he must be able to hear my heartbeat go crazy.

So embarrassing.

“You are the daughter of Alpha Franco, right?”

“Yeah.” I spit out, maybe a bit too loudly.

As if I was answering the question of my favorite teacher enthusiastically.

“But honestly, I’m so lucky. My brothers are the best, even if they are too protective most of the time.”

“Well, if I had a sister like you, I would probably lock her up somewhere to keep her from all the creeps around.” I laugh out loud, and he shakes his head. “Seriously. I would have nearly started a war at Ricky-boy just breathing in your direction.”

I’m fighting for air as I crack up while he just smirks at me. “Oh, Goddess!”

I push out a deep breath and wipe a tear from my eye. “I don’t think anyone wants to risk a war with you, Alpha Blackwood.”

“Cayden.” He growls, making me stare at him wide-eyed.

He didn’t really ask me to be on a first-name basis with him.

‘And we will be thankful for this opportunity and not decline it to bring shame upon ourselves and our pack.’ My wolf says disparagingly, and I gasp as I haven’t heard from her since the day we were rejected.

“Sure, erm… Alpha Cayden.” I feel my face heat up as he leans in, growling. “Drop the Alpha.”

Oh, dear.

Caressing a strand of hair behind my ear, I push down Cassy whimpering in my head.

As he catches up with me leisurely, my heart starts beating faster in my chest.

The moonlight touches the surface of the lake, creating a romantic scenery. His face gets kissed by the rays of light that illuminate his left side, taking my breath away.

It takes me a few seconds to realize that his looking at me as well. We stay silently for what seems like an eternity, and at one point I think that I must be dreaming. His eyes get black, leaving just single golden flecks to swirl in his irises.

I gasp, and as I’m about to take a step back, he is faster to stop me from it, grabbing my forearm gently. I get captured by his intense gaze, losing myself completely.

As he takes a step forward to stand even closer, I gulp. I’m a bit confused that I don’t feel any sparks on my skin as his touch feels heavenly.

“Cayden?” I whisper, watching him leaning closer.

But he stays quiet, his lips nearing mine slowly. My heart hitches in my throat, and I close my eyes waiting for his lips to touch mine. I feel his warm breath fanning me, making me heat up even more.

His lips have barely grazed mine as a loud growly tears me out of my trance.

Cayden seems unfazed by the threatening roar as I look at him but looks just deadly annoyed. Turning my head to the origin of the sound, I find one of my brothers clenching his fist with his chest heaving.

“What the fuck, Blackwood!” He shouts, his wolf fighting for dominance.

Cayden straightens his spine unimpressed, while I panic.

And what stupid timing, idiot!

‘Go away, idiot! What are you doing?’ I mind-link him, getting his angry expression to turn on me.

“Don’t dare to talk to me like that after I found you in such a bad position!” He roars, making me mewl.

So embarrassing.

But Cayden chuckles, apparently unaware that my brother is about to attack him. “Chill, Guerrieri! You are interrupting! Don’t you have some cake to eat?”

Oh, you can’t be serious.

Seeing my brother about to pop off, I stand in his way, trying to calm him down. “Zeno, please. You have to calm down. Don’t…”

“Don’t tell me what to do!” He growls, charging past me.

“No!” I shout panically, as I turn around, not able to stop my brother, who is shifting midair.

Turning around, I’m just in time to see Cayden blocking my brother and swinging him into the lake as if he were made out of hay.

He didn’t even shift partly, turning to look at my now struggling brother swimming in the lake back in his human form.

I run to stand next to him wide-eyed as my brother reaches the shore on the other side of the lake slowly.

“Oh my God! I’m so sorry! He is such an idiot!”

Cayden flashes me a gorgeous smile, his canines flashing in the moonlight. “Don’t worry. You told me you were their favorite!”

That makes me smile, and I shake my head while lowering my gaze to prevent him from seeing me blush. As my eyes set on his arm, my breath hitches.

“Oh, no! You are hurt!”

He clicks his tongue, lifting his arm. “Ah, no. It’s just a scratch. Don’t worry.”

I slip my stole from me to wrap it around his arm.

“Really, Missy. Don’t worry. There is no need to ruin your dress!”

Pressing the cloth to his wound which probably has already closed by now, I feel strangely agitated.

“Really!” He repeats, laying his hand on mine. “Missy.”

Taking a deep breath, I feel his touch calming me, and slowly but surely this is creeping me out.

He smiles as I look at him, feeling excruciated.

“You smell nice.” His husky whisper, hits me right in the heart, making my chest squeeze.

A clearing of a throat gets me to jump once again, meeting my brother’s eyes. “Are you alright? What happened?” Giorgio asks worriedly.

His eyes narrow as he sees Zeno walking back around the lake slumped and dripping wet.

“It’s my fault, Alpha Guerrieri,” Cayden says, and I look at him surprised. “I made a stupid joke. And he just wanted to protect his sister’s pride. I’m sorry for the fuss I created!”

Giorgio doesn’t seem to be convinced about what Cayden is saying, but he knows better than to accuse an enemy pack’s alpha of lying.

“No worries, Alpha Blackwood. I’m sorry if my brother wasn’t able to react like a grown adult to a joke.”

After a lot of diplomatic back and forth between the two, Zeno finally reaches us.

“Chiedi scusa!” I hiss at him, making him distort his face. [Apologize!]

Zeno sways back and forth, acting childishly, but as more and more people join us at the lake, he finally gives in. “I’m sorry, Alpha Blackwood!”

“No, please. I apologize as well.”

Cayden taps my hand gently before he steps away to meet his pack members standing a few steps away from us.

I watch him, rooted to the ground while Giorgio is reprimanding Zeno. As the group of men has reached the side of the house, about to disappear, I detach myself from the ground and run towards his broad back.

“Alpha Blackwood.” I cringe internally, as I call him, reaching him with fast steps. He turns around looking at me unamused, and I get immediately what angers him.

“Cayden, sorry.” While he smiles lightly, my stomach turns at the hateful glances I get from his entourage. “Thank you. For what you said to Giorgio. I hope you can forgive my brother and not think that badly of us.”

“Of course, Missy.”

He is about to open my stole bandage when I stop him. “No, please. You can keep it. I won’t be wearing this dress anymore anyway.”

I force a smile as he sighs happily, “What a pity. It looks stunning on you.”

“Oh, thank you,” I say, feeling my cheeks heat up.

With another smile and a slight bow, he turns around, his baritone seeping through my skin.

“Good night, Missy. Thank you for the tour.”

I blink several times before I get myself to speak. “All my pleasure, Cayden.”

“Good night,” I add in a stutter, hitting my leg with my fist repeatedly.

So, embarrassing.

Artemisia

“They were kissing!” Zeno shouts, making me gasp.

“Liar!”

Giorgio groans, passing a hand over his face. “This is enough! Zeno, I’ll be thinking about an appropriate punishment for you, and you will apologize to Alpha Blackwood appropriately.”

After what had happened at the lake, and the members of the Blood Fang Pack retreating immediately after the protection of my pride, as my brother eloquently put it, Giorgio panicked.

He sent home everyone right away and declared the party as over.

Naturally, he used me as an excuse, telling everyone I was feeling unwell.

As if anybody cared.

Fearing a looming war because of my brother’s reckless behavior, he proceeded to execute his first agenda item as Alpha and ordered everybody into our living room.

Which had been the perfect thing to do. Because this way I could discuss directly with everybody in my family and the higher commanding staff in our pack, that I was caught by my little brother while I was trying to get some sugar from the enemy pack’s Alpha.

Cool. Cool. Cool.

“But I already did!” Zeno wails, having my brothers snicker around us.

“This was some lame excuse for an apology.” I snort, looking at him with my arms crossed over my chest.

He sticks his tongue out at me, “Well, thanks a lot, sister! I was just trying to save your dignity!”

My jaw literally hits the floor, and I slap his chest. “Don’t you dare!”

“Okay! I’ve had enough! Everybody out!” Giorgio shouts, and we all stand up to leave the room as he points his finger at me. “Not you!”

I hear my brothers snicker while leaving the room, my mother and their mates look at me with a pitiful expression.

As I get left alone in the room with my new Alpha and Luna, I sit back down with a sigh, while my brother takes a chair and sits down in front of me.

“Missy, what happened?”

I shrug, pouting. “Nothing! I showed him around the lands as we couldn’t get to you guys. And then we landed by the lake. But we were just talking.”

“Okay,” Giorgio says calmly, pressing his hands together. “And was he mean or aggressive towards you?”

I shake my head repeatedly. “No, he was very nice.”

Diana’s suspicious hum, makes me groan, and I throw my head back. “Listen, there wasn’t anything to it. He rescued me from Rick a few moments before, so maybe he got his protective sense reawakened. I don’t know.”

I throw my hands in the air, while Giorgio and Diana flash me the same confused expression. “He rescued you?”

“Yeah. Well, he saw me being uncomfortable with him and came to my rescue.”

I sigh as their expressions morph into shock. “Like I told you, he was nice.”

“What about what Zeno saw?”

Rolling my eyes, I chuckle awkwardly. “I don’t know what he saw, but I would have noticed if we were kissing.”

My heartbeat accelerates as they stare at me, and I clear my voice as if it could fool their heightened senses.

“Do you think he is… you know…” My brother begins to stutter.

Diana gasps, slapping him on his arm. “You can’t ask her like that!”

“He isn’t my mate,” I say with a sigh, and they look at me mortified. “I didn’t feel, smell, or sense something special.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, baby,” Diana says soothingly, making my brother hiss at her. “What are you sorry for, now? A moment ago, you were scared for her.”

They start bickering, and I slump back against the backrest of my chair.

If she was scared it is a good thing I hid the fact that I sensed Cassy stir.

“Look, I was just being nice,” I say while twirling the fabric of my dress around my finger.

Giorgio takes a deep breath, looking at me with a serious expression.

“Well, if it wasn’t just that we will find out soon enough anyway.” He says, making my heart skip a beat.

***

After reaching my room feeling drained, I let myself slump onto my bed.

“They must be fucking kidding me,” I groan, my face buried in my pillow.

The image of Cayden standing right beside me while he is staring at the lake, and the moon gives him all the advantageously light, appears before my inner eye.

Oh, I’m fucked.

Of all the cute or handsome partners I could find in the pack and our ally pack my wolf has to get fuzzy at the only Alpha who is off-limits.

Nice, Cassy. Thank you for that.

‘It is not my fault that his scent had me wake up from my nap.’

I jerk up as I heard her talking to me clearly.

‘Cass!’

‘Leave me alone.’ She simply says snippy, ‘Just try to not fuck it up this time.’

Turning around on my back, my hand goes to my lip automatically, and I gulp. “I must have misinterpreted what he was about to do. That is for sure.”

I chuckle to myself, but my head starts spinning before I can even stop my panicky thinking.

What did Giorgio mean when he said that we would find out?