CHAPTER FOUR

ZANE

When I stepped into the glass-walled citadel, it was already full. My footsteps resonated in the thick silence. I went past the tables of high-ranking wolves, past the other Alphas. I didn't look at any of them. I didn't need to. I could feel their eyes and the heat from their quiet rebellion, not just because my spy from amongst them had previously briefed me on what evil they were plotting, but because the air was thick with betrayal. I could smell it.

Rhett was at the center of the citadel, guilt on his features. I wanted to shred it with my claw because I knew what it was even from the entrance. A facade.

High Elder Dario stood up to address the council when I sat. Dario was the highest in the elder ranking.

"King Zane, I believe you know why we are here," he started, his voice sharp and conniving.

I folded my arms and smiled. "Just go straight to the point," I snapped, my jaw clenching. "I have other places to be."

"We all do," Dario began, cracking his knuckles. But that doesn't mean we should skip necessary protocols. If you want me to go straight to the point, I'll do that," he concluded, his voice deceptively even.

I knew he was intentionally trying to get under my skin, but instead of letting him succeed, I turned my head toward the window, looking at the sky in an attempt to contain my brewing rage before fixing the man with a stare.

"Then speak. Don't keep the King waiting," Kieran, my beta, said, his voice tight. Dario smiled- slow and poisonous, and I knew that whatever he had to say next wouldn't be good.

"By the binding of the Alpha Code, Rhett has been ousted as your heir since he can not have a Luna in the future, and the council will never accept a bastard child from a surrogate or lover. If you don't provide a legitimate heir of your own blood, you risk dethronement, and if you try to fight the binding of the Alpha Code, then you risk civil war." Dario said in one breath, and my ears perked and my lips twitched at his words; however, Rhett's voice cut in before I could speak.

"No, that can't happen. I can't be ousted as Blackwood heir. I'm my father's only son" Rhett queried, his once guilt-ridden face now awash with panic.

"You are your father's only son, but every Alpha requires a Luna. Since your sexuality prevents you from having one, the council has no choice but to dethrone you as your father's heir," Dario explained, and Rhett's expression soured as if this was someone else's fault.

All this shit wouldn't be happening if he hadn't cheated on his mate with a man in the first place. I had no problem with the fact that he was into men. My problem was that he kept quiet about it for far too long.

Dario turned to me, expecting to refute or flare out in anger, but I remained cool. After a moment of tense silence, Dario finally broke it.

"Alpha King, you need a new heir; to get one, you must take a wife." He paused, as if giving me a moment to let his words sink in. "For this reason, the Alpha Council has decided you must marry, and we will pick your Bride," Dario said, and I immediately uncurled from my position.

Pick my Bride? The question had barely resonated in my head when he continued.

"A decision has been passed. You will marry Eileen, my daughter. Effective immediately."

Dark, joyless laughter shook my chest. I could see what game they were playing. "You want me to mate your daughter?" I asked, my tone laced with amusement.

"Yes"

"I'd rather fucking mate a deer than anyone from your bloodline," I tipped my head in the direction of the rest of the elders and Alphas. "If this is your idea of a rebellion, you're a few centuries out of practice."

"This is not a rebellion," another elder said coldly. "It's a mandate..." I hissed, shutting him up.

"I will not take a wife; even if I do, it will be someone I choose."

Dario snarled, "You'll be stripped of your title! If you decline this mandate, you and your entire bloodline will be wiped out. You do not wish for that to happen, Zane."

I inched forward one step at a time. "You're threatening the Alpha King."

"We're doing what should be done," he snapped.

I felt my wolf prowling under my skin, growling. The air burned in my lungs. This wasn't politics-it was rebellion.

"You have no right to dictate what should be done for me! I make the decisions; you have no choice but to follow." I banged my hand on the table, and everyone around me flinched.

"I will not marry Eileen," I repeated, more loudly this time, a tremor of rage in my voice, yet somehow, low and leisurely cruel, keeping in mind what was at stake.

I moved forward, watching my Elders now. "If I'm required to produce an heir with someone I'm legally married to, expect one in nine months. As for my bride, expect my wedding tomorrow, but get one thing straight, I won't be getting married to Eileen."

The silence that followed wasn't simply stunned; it was scorched. Dario stiffened, jaw locked tight.

I stood up, and Kieran, my beta, and Nacho, my bodyguard, slowly followed suit, assuming their places behind me. The meeting with the Alpha Council had been unpleasant enough, but it was getting decidedly too long. I locked eyes with the Alphas and Elders gathered in the room and headed to the door, knowing none of them could stop me, and headed to my office.

The second I stepped into my office, the proverbial scale fell off my eyes. An heir in the next nine months and a wife by tomorrow? What the hell was I thinking?

I groaned and punched my fist at the wall. I clutched my hair tightly in anguish. I was having a breakdown.

I took my jacket off and undid another button on my black shirt. My entire body was breaking out with sweat even though the room was blasting with the coolness of the conditioned air.

Ryder, my wolf, was so angry; it was his pup's fault. If only Rhett hadn't dishonored us like that, those motherfucking elders wouldn't have placed me in such a tight corner.

My wolf growled, begging me to release his pent up anger and frustration. As if on cue, my cock stirred in my pants. I sighed, grabbing it through the fabric and squeezing hard.

But even after jerking off a few times, Ryder was still unsatisfied. He was still angry. He required a she-wolf to cool him off, so I sent for my beta.

"Bring me someone for my pleasure. The usual" I instructed Kieran and in less than a minute, five women, all-smiles, adorned in flimsy lingerie were walking my way in sky-high heels.

Fuck, I swore silently, my wolf purring at their physiques. Amongst them was my favorite woman to fuck-Adaline.

Adaline and I have been secretly screwing each other for years. We have an unspoken agreement to keep our relationship a secret because she was my late wife's younger sister.

No, I didn't cheat on my wife with her. Our relationship started after my wife's passing. My wife had passed immediately after birthing Rhett, and Adaline was the one who took care of him until he came of age. She is practically Rhett's Mom, and I guess that drew her to me- her striking resemblance to my late wife and her role in my son's upbringing.

Touching Adaline almost felt like touching my late wife, and each time I touched her, I envisioned my wife's face since they have the same blood flowing in their veins. Once, I proposed we make our relationship official and get married, but Adaline declined, saying she only wanted to be with me secretly, so I agreed.

Adaline approached me, her scent was intoxicating as always. A mix of sex and power. She gave the other ladies some instructions before placing herself between my legs. She swallowed hard, her enormous eyes fastened on my face, waiting for my command.

"Kneel," I growled. She did as she was ordered without hesitation. I purred, praising her submissiveness, and trailed a thumb along her lips. They parted obediently, her tongue tracing a line over her lower lip.

Naughty girl.

I unzipped my pants and my cock sprang from my brief, rock-hard and painfully stiff, then I pushed her head against it so my cock was resting against her mouth, lightly brushing over her lips.

"Open," I said, and she obediently opened her mouth. Wide, and I pushed my prick all the way into the back of her throat while holding her head so she couldn't move. I felt her choking on my hard flesh, and I thrust even deeper until her eyes bulged, then I slowed and uttered the word

"Suck"

At once, she clasped her lips around my cock, then she began sucking, twirling her tongue around my cap and length. I fisted her hair into a tight ponytail in my right hand, then threw my left hand at the back of my head and relaxed on the sofa, taking in all the pleasure from her blowjob.

At that moment, my declaration at the Alpha Council flashed in my mind, and driven by desperation, I thoughtlessly spoke.

"Marry me," I said, but she didn't reply.

I knew it was weird and foolish to ask at that moment but Adaline and I had never done things the normal way. Plus I thought it was only right that I asked her. I mean, we both had chemistry, and we'd been fucking for years, so I asked again. "Marry me, Adaline."

Again, no reply.

Angered, I gripped her harder until I could feel her fighting for a breath against my cock. I withdrew a fraction to allow her to breathe and spoke

"I asked you to marry me, Adaline," I growled, pulling her hair again.

"I can't marry you, Zane. I won't. I do not love you as a person. I only love fucking you." She replied, then continued with the blowjob.

"Fair enough," I replied. The truth was, I didn't love her. I hadn't loved anyone since my wife died. However, we both had chemistry and understanding.

Considering our history together, I thought she'd be willing to marry me, which was why I dared to make that declaration in the Alpha Council. Despite her refusal, I knew I couldn't force her.

I wouldn't.

I needed to devise a plan to buy me more time with the council because marrying Eileen, Dario's daughter, wasn't an option.

'I'd probably go to an audition and buy myself a wife.' Just as the thought came to mind, I felt a strange presence in my office.

Curious, I turned, and then I saw her.

I saw her tiny legs first. Yet the owner stood with such confidence. My eyes roamed her legs, then her body, and lastly, her face.

It was Aria Nightwind, my son's ex-mate.

Her scent saturated my office, but it wasn't just her scent-it was a warmth–a foreign heat that forced a ripple in the air, crashing against my world built on stone and slipping into my senses like an unspoken promise, igniting a pull I had never felt before.

My wolf reacted to her, stirring in a way it shouldn't for my almost daughter-in-law. I tried to school my thoughts, but I couldn't ignore how my wolf reacted to her presence. I couldn't ignore how her presence clawed at the recesses of my being-at all that I was.

I told myself it was nothing, but deep inside, I knew this moment meant something... something primal, something rooted to the core of who I am; in that instance, I knew fate had brought her back to Blackstone... to me.

The question was why?

I didn't know, but I would find out one way or another.

Chapter Five

Aria

"Aria Nightwind," a woman's voice called beside me at the entrance of the hall where I stood in an elegant white dress, adorned with the rarest onyx stones that sparkled like moonlight against a blade's edge, with a bouquet of lilies held tightly in my grip.

The dress was expensive, yet it was the farthest thing from a wedding dress in my closet, but I didn't mind. I couldn't bring myself to use the dress I had initially picked for my wedding because it reminded me of my ex-mate, and I didn't consider my union with Zane Blackstone a marriage. To me, this was another political and dynamic strategy meant to secure my birthright.

"So, you're the girl who crawled into Zane's bed." The voice taunted, and I scrunched my nose, swearing I knew that voice very well.

The fact that she addressed the Alpha king by his name had to mean she had a cordial relationship with him.

I turned slowly in the direction of the voice and saw brown eyes glaring at me with disgust.

The owner of the eyes was tall and elegant, dressed in a blood-red satin gown that clung to her curves like a second skin.

I recognized her immediately. She was Adeline, Rhett's aunt, the sister of the alpha king's dead wife, and the Pack's matron who sometimes acted in the capacity of the Luna.

She had moved into the palace less than a month after her sister's death to take care of Rhett, who was very young at the time.

Some said she moved on to take care of him as the alpha king refused to marry. Others claimed she had other motives in the palace. Like warming the alpha king's bed, for example.

The thought made me frown, which was quite odd. I wasn't supposed to concern myself with Alpha Zane's affairs. Our marriage was nothing but a contract.

"Adaline," I greeted and politely nodded before interlocking my arm around her elbow. Although I had requested that my brother not come to my wedding, my father was in attendance, but he couldn't walk me down the aisle because it was customary that the Pack Matron walk the new Luna down the aisle during her wedding.

"Adaline? Suddenly, you are on a first-name basis with me? By the goddess, every woman who plans to make her way through life by being a slithering snake needs to learn a thing or two from you," she spat bitterly, and it took everything in me to remain civil.

"I beg your pardon, Adeline. I would have to insist that you give me some respect. I will soon be Luna Queen," I said, my fingers clenching around my bouquet.

"I see. So tell me, soon-to-be Luna Queen, when Rhett rejected you, did it bruise your pride so badly you had to seduce his father to remain relevant?"

"You tried to have your way with the son, and when he saw you for what you are, you decided to dig your social climbing claws into the father."

My chest tightened, my nerves gnawing away at her sheer audacity. I knew she was trying to get under my skin and provoke a reaction from me, so I dug deep, turning my anger and irritation into strength, and took several tagged breaths.

Meeting her eyes, I modulated my voice so that only she could hear and whispered, "If I were you, I would watch my words and tread carefully."

Her eyes darkened, dragging over my frame with a frown, but I didn't bother to give her more of an audience. Instead, I turned away, ignoring the fire in my chest to focus on the man at the end of the aisle. He was impossible to miss in his perfectly tailored black tunic. His silver-streaked hair fell down his shoulders in loose curls.

Goodness, he looked so handsome...

His back was to me as I marched down the aisle, each step bringing me frighteningly closer to potential destruction or redemption.

My wolf stirred beneath my skin. Something about his scent and our close proximity called out to her, but I pushed it away, reminding myself that this was a contract and we shouldn't feel giddy or too comfortable.

"Aria," Zane rumbled when I stopped in front of him, short, simple, and formal.

I didn't miss how fierce and challenging his and Adaline's gaze was, but neither said a single word to each other.

The next moments move in a blur. An elder from his pack spoke, welcoming and thanking everyone who had gathered, or something to that effect. The ceremony began properly, and I paid no attention as the officiant drifted.

His voice was like a white noise backdrop to the troubled thoughts in my mind. I was still stuck on the reality of my wedding, not to the man I'd dated for the past four years, but to his father, and it didn't feel right.

On the officiant's instruction, Zane took my hand and focused solely on me.

"I, Alpha Zane Blackwood of the pack and the Alpha King, take you, Aria Nightwind of the Nightwind pack, to be my mate, my bride, and my luna."

His words were firm and final, as he spoke loudly for all to hear, and I couldn't help but draw in a shaky breath. It should have been Rhett saying these words to me, but here I was with his father, acting on uncertainty and impulse, hoping that if he was watching, it would hurt and break him just as much as his betrayal hurt and broke me.

Zane cleared his throat, pulling me back to reality, and I shook my head, my eyes closing as I focused on the task at hand.

"Uh-I, Aria Nightwind of the Nightwind pack, accept you, Alpha Zane, to be my mate, groom, and Alpha," I said softly, and my body instantly buzzed with electricity. I felt a weak connection form between us, and I inhaled sharply at the shock of it. I didn't realize that chosen mates could also feel sparks, and my heart fluttered. If Zane felt the same connection as me, he didn't show it. His face was expressionless, and I couldn't help but wonder what was going on in his mind.

Just when we finished the nuptial rites, a familiar scent caught my attention, and my heart stuttered when I saw Rhett, tall and sexy as always.

I was reminded of what had drawn me to him for a brief moment. He was a handsome man; his father's genes were present in his chiseled jawline and dim eyes that threatened to suck in whoever and whatever they rested on.

Although red, puffy, and full of pain, it surprised me how much power those eyes still hold over me as he watched me. I knew I shouldn't give in to his stare, but I was weak for Rhett, especially when he looked so helpless and vulnerable.

It hadn't been up to 48 hours since our rejection, and it took a month to heal completely from a broken bond. My wolf was calling for his, howling in my head to reach out to a man that was no longer ours.

God.

I wanted to go over there and hold his pale face until colour appeared on it. I wanted to scream and shout at him for ruining what could have been us.

Us?

There was no us!

We had our past, but now we exist as two separate beings. I was Aria, and he was Rhett, totally forbidden and off limits to me.

"If things didn't happen as they did, would you ever consider me forbidden?" I heard him loud and clear in the mind-link. 

Wait, did I say that out loud or did he just read my mind? I arched my brow questioningly at him and he spoke again

"This doesn't need to be the end for us. We can still fix this. We can still fix us"

Chapter Six

Aria

Fix us...

My breath caught in my throat.

The word almost cracked me open right there on the altar.

I hated Rhett, but I hated myself more. I hated how stupidly pathetically in love with him I was. How, after everything, I couldn't put him behind me. How I still thought he looked handsome. How I still wanted to kiss those adorable dimples of his and run my fingers through his curls.

Gosh, I was pathetic, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't ignore him.

My eyes lingered on his, and seconds bled into what felt like an eternity as I looked at his face, in thought.

His cladded chest heaved up and down as though the air from the hall was thin. His pleading eyes teared up as he tried to reach me through the mindlink without any luck, and the hurt in his eyes made me second-guess myself for a moment, but I reminded myself that I'd sworn his father as my mate.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and forced myself to meet his eyes. "It's too late, Rhett. You had your choice, but you blew it, and now I belong to your father."

His chin dropped in defeat, and his shoulders deflated when his father grabbed my hand to slide a ring through my finger.

The sight of him made guilt rip through my core, and I felt tears welling, threatening to spill down my cheeks.

"Are you really going to proceed with this, Zane?" Adaline roared, her voice echoing through the pews. Her fists were clenched and her eyes black in rage as she barreled towards us.

Zane loosened his hold on me, but not enough to put much space between us.

"You said you wanted to teach Rhett a lesson. Well, take a look at him. He looks like he'd learned a lot. Take back your claim on Aria..."

Zane laughed, interrupting her speech. He leaned closer to Adaline, who squared her shoulders, trying to look tough, but she reeked of fear.

"She was Aria, but from the moment I declared her as mine, she's become Luna. Your Luna" The way he worded his speech caused chills to form on my body. 

"She's manipulating you. She's trying to come between you and your son. She's trying to bring division to our pack." Adaline continued 

"Division to our Pack?" Zane said, sounding bored. He shot a menacing glare at his son before returning his gaze to Adaline. "Rhett did that all on his own," he growled, and she scoffed as though he was crazy

"You're choosing her over your own son? Don't you have any respect for his Mom, your late mate, and Luna?"

"I do, and that's the only reason I haven't exiled him from my pack yet. Notwithstanding, I have a new Luna. You must live with that; if you can't, the pack's gate is wide open for you to leave." Zane sneered, looking away like she wasn't worth his explanation.

"The same goes for whoever isn't okay with my decision. Aria Nightwind is the one and only Luna of the Blackstone pack. Whoever cannot accept this should leave my pack," Zane declared, addressing the entire audience in a warning tone.

He turned towards me and wrapped his hand around my waist, the telltale sparks zipping through me, causing me to shudder.

The panic in Adaline's eyes overtook her usual blue, and jealousy and anger clearly laced their way through her. She licked her lips before grabbing my hand and stepping closer to me. Zane growled in warning, but she ignored him.

"Rhett is sorry. He regrets his actions and would return to correct his mistakes if he could. You have loved him as far as I can remember. You still have time to rekindle the bond between you, too; all you have to do is take back your oath. Reject Zane," she said, still holding my hand.

My eyes drifted to Rhett, and I saw hope and remorse on his face as he ruffled his hair in frustration. My eyes grew soft and teary as I replayed all our good memories.

My heart yearned to be with Rhett and reignite our bond. My heart has beat for him for as long as I can remember. My skin longed for his touch, and my wolf called out for his.

For the second time tonight, I found myself second-guessing my decision. Did I do the right thing by saying yes to Alpha Zane? Could I really turn my back now and go back to him?

But the second the thought crossed my mind, Zane's face blocked my view of Rhett, and he reached out, taking hold of my chin with his fingers, ensuring he had my undivided attention.

"You are mine now, Aria. Look at him like that again, and I will not only exile him from my pack. I will plug his eyes out so the next time you look at him, there will be nothing to see," he whispered.

The threat was clear in his eyes as it hung in the air between us all. I forced myself to nod slightly, understanding his reaction to me looking at Rhett.

I was his luna, and looking at another man longingly was a slap to his face.

"My apologies for my uncouth behavior, Alpha Zane." I bowed my head to him, and he stuck a finger under my chin so our eyes levelled.

"I forgive you, but this will be the last time I will allow you to mourn the loss of your mate in the next one year. If you wish to cry, do so where I will never hear of it. Do you understand, Aria?"

"Yes, Alpha Zane," I murmured as his hand found mine.

"Zane, that's how you must address me henceforth," he breathed, his hot breath fanning my face, making my entire body tremble as our eyes locked. My skin crawled under his scalding gaze, and my cheeks turned a shade darker.

Suddenly, he leaned towards me, our lips barely an inch apart. It felt like the air was ripped from the room, like time had stopped completely.

Nothing else existed but the man in front of me. Silence engulfed me, and the beating of my heart became deafening, but it was soon overthrown by a thunderous chant.

"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" everyone cheered, and my cheeks grew red as Zane leaned closer and closer, his finger stroking my hand back and forth. My heart skipped a beat, and my breathing accelerated.

I turned my head and snuck a nervous look around the area, but the second I turned my face back to him, he grabbed my face and oh-so-carefully pressed his lips against mine.

"You taste so...different," he whispered, each word like an enchantment, and I flushed scarlet, although unsure of what he meant. I wanted to pry for an explanation, but memories of him getting a blow job from the day before came slowly to haunt me, and I recoiled. I was going to put some space between us when someone spoke.

"Come on, Alpha Zane, you can do better than that," a voice shouted from the audience.

Zane sighed heavily, and just as I convinced myself that he'd let the statement brush over his shoulders, he stuck a hand and gently stroked a fallen strand of my braided hair behind my ear. His eyes scanned me before he tenderly cupped my cheeks as if careful not to ruin my makeup, and his lips were on mine, and this time, he wasn't as careful as the last.

His lips explored my mouth while his hand grasped my chin, holding me in place. With grace.

Subconsciously, my hand flew to the back of his head, massaging his curls while the other rested on his chest, getting lost in the kiss, in his arms...against his heavenly sculptured body.

I moaned into his mouth, and he wasted no time in delving his tongue into my mouth, exploring inside with a perfected expertise. His teeth grazed on my lower lip, and I couldn't fight the series of moans that escaped my throat. He brought his hand down to grab my waist in a vice-like grip, pinning me against his thighs, and I felt his erection. I think

Someone cleared their throat behind us, and Zane pushed away from me in the blink of an eye.

What the hell just happened? Did I just....?

My heart rate was through the roof, but he...he looked so calm and collected.

"I would like to thank everyone who gathered to celebrate this union, but it's time we continue without the newlyweds, as our King would need some alone time with his Luna," the elder who officiated our nuptials said loudly. My cheeks reddened more than ever before. "Please stay and merry to your heart's content whilst they continue in the upper room"

The elder said, and the crowd broke into another wild cheer while my stomach twisted from the implication of what was expected of me. Of us.

I wasn't sure what the kiss was about, but the one thing I was sure of was that I wasn't ready to sleep with him just yet. Zane walked before me, his face impassive.

I wanted to tell him I wasn't ready for the next phase, but then I remembered that 'an heir' was the reason I was here in the first place.

Everything happened too fast. I didn't even have the time to process anything before a chambermaid came to chaperone me to where I presumed was I and Zane's bedroom.

"You can do this, Aria," I quietly said to myself, but the second the chambermaid opened the door and my eyes fell on the scene in front of me, I gasped because nothing could have prepared me for what I saw.