Jace clears his throat and takes me out of my musings.

“Zane, I've reached Beta. He says his daughter has been missing since yesterday. She was indeed in the woods playing with some other pups when they couldn't find her anymore,” he tells me. “He is on his way here with his mate to pick her up himself. They'll be here in two hours."

"Shouldn't you let Alpha Ahri know about this?" he asks.

Yes, I forgot about all that. The bliss of finally having my mate here has completely consumed my attention. I grab my phone and search my contact list for the number I need. “Alpha Ahri, Alpha Zane from Midnight Moon here. You must have heard that we found your Beta's daughter near our border," I let him know.

The man on the other end of the line growled. “Alpha Zane. Yes, my Beta informed me. This matter should be thoroughly investigated. A pup cannot run miles in a day. There is more going on here.” He doesn't sound exactly indulgent as I expected.

"That's for sure. I discovered the scent of your pack on my territory. That means that some members of you have entered my country improperly," I tell him. “That is punishable. I look forward to including this in your research.” He puffs something but doesn't respond to my words. I decide not to push things through, my position is highly sensitive now that I am at the mercy of his decision in my personal affairs. “There's something else I want to discuss with you as well. It's unusual, but nobody knows the deliberations of the Moon Goddess”, I try to introduce him carefully to the matter. “Mercedes is my mate”, I drop the bomb.

"What!!" he shouts into the speaker. “Dare you to put a finger on the pup and I'll make dogmeat of you! You pedophile. I'm coming for her with my warriors. And make sure she's safe and sound at the border. I'll kill you!" he rages on. His breathing rasps through the phone, I can sense that his anger has reached the top.

“Alpha Ahri, I can assure you that I am by no means a pedophile. And Mercedes' parents are on their way and will get their daughter back safe and sound”, I say calmly. “I don't intend to claim her yet, I know the Were laws too. I want to discuss this issue rationally and come to an agreement with you all.”

"Agreement? About what?" Ahri sounds aggressive. I sigh deeply. “Listen, Mercedes is my fated mate. The Moon Goddess has decided this and I accept that. All I want is to be able to visit her in your pack and have her here with me, so she gets used to my presence and the pack. After all, she is the future Luna of the Midnight Moon pack”.

I hear him swallow hard a few times, the news is clearly not easy for him to digest. But then there are two, I too have to get used to this unusual situation. “Alpha, you know the Were-laws too. It is forbidden to keep mates apart,” I remind him. "I can assure you that she is safe here, my Beta makes sure that she lacks nothing here".

On the other end of the line, I eventually hear him take a deep breath, frantically trying to calm himself. Ahri is known as a hothead, it takes a lot to rationalize him. In the past Alpha meetings, he has made himself known as lightheaded, and few want to get involved with him. But I have no choice since my mate is from his pack.

“Her parents are on their way. Talk to them and if they agree, I'll expect you in my pack within two weeks to discuss this matter further," he finally concedes. “But I think this is an extraordinary case. First the girl is missing, then suddenly she is miles away in your pack and now she is your mate”. He pauses to enforce his words. “Are you sure you have nothing to do with the kidnapping of the pup?” he asks suspiciously.

Goodness!!

Can this man think logically? Even Mercedes does a better job here than her Alpha. And patience isn't exactly my forte. I suppress my annoyance, I have more time to lose on this jackass. “Then explain to me what my motive would be? The girl is my mate. If I knew that beforehand, I would have just gone to her parents and then to you, as I do now," I explain to him as if I were talking to a toddler. “Why should I take the trouble to kidnap her first and then appear suspicious?” The Alpha notices my irritation and decides not to take it.

"What do you mean to tell me?" he sounds tight. “Why wouldn't that be possible? Nowadays people do everything to get what they want. Who tells me you are an exception?”

No, no, no, I'm not going to waste my time on nonsense. “Listen Alpha. As agreed, I will discuss the matter with her parents and be with you in a week. I'll let you know in advance when I arrive. I also hope to hear the results of your research.” Before he can say any more, I end the call.

Jace and Cleo stare at me pityingly. “Yes, this reaction was expected. The man is not known for his high IQ.” sighs Jace. "I can tell he was ready to declare war even before he had enough information about the situation."

“That would be a wrong decision on his part,” Cleo adds sarcastically. “Underestimating Midnight Moon and acting against the Were laws will be his end one day.”

I walk to the liquor cabinet and take out my most expensive wine. There are now plenty of reasons to throw a three-man party. Midnight Moon has found its Luna and I have a mate.

Maybe not quite the way I would like, but that doesn't affect my happiness.

I give my friends a glass and toast each. “To a new beginning for Midnight Moon. With a Luna, we are much stronger, invincible”, I say in a fiery Alpha tone. Jace and Cleo nod. The bubbles from our glass rise while we look at each other confidently....

"Zane, Mercedes' parents have arrived."

Jace entered my office, where I wanted to get some work done while my mate was asleep. I nod and get up from my chair. Together we enter the elevator to the Alpha floor. When we step into my bedroom, we see Mercedes sleeping like an angel on my bed. Seeing her like this fills my heart with so much love for her. I immediately swear to myself that I will always protect her and make her happiness my number one priority.

Elise has fallen asleep next to her but is up as soon as we arrive.

“She was drained. While bathing her, she was already falling asleep," my sister whispers, not to wake Mercedes right away. She's slept for about two hours, probably not nearly enough to rest fully. But her parents are waiting, I have to convince them that their daughter is unharmed. I am well aware that I am under strict surveillance, everyone will want to know how I maintain the relationship with my mate.

Carefully I sit down next to my mate.

“Little one, you have to wake up now”, I say softly, stroking her face lightly. Slowly her eyes open and a happy smile crosses her lips. "Zane". She sits up and wraps her arms around my neck. My wolf purrs with pleasure to have his mate so close.

"Did you sleep well? Go wash your face so we can meet your parents." I pick her up and put her on her feet. We wait for her to finish and then walk out of the room. Much to my surprise, she grabs my hand on her own and stands next to me in the elevator as we zip down. "Are you still hungry, shall I ask the cook to bring you some more?" I ask to disguise my pleasure in her act. She nods furiously, making us all laugh. Everyone knows by now that eating is her favorite activity.

I see Jace go straight into the mind link. “Well, the cook has counted on you to be hungry and has already prepared your Cereals,” he tells her. Immediately her face lights up as she looks happily at me.

When we are on the ground floor, we go straight to my office. There is a sitting area where Mercedes can entertain her Cereals while I talk to her parents. When we are all seated, a servant brings the food. Immediately afterward, the Head Warrior enters with the parents. We all get on our feet, I walk with outstretched hand to the Beta and his mate.

“Welcome to Midnight Moon, Beta”, I greet them. "As you can see, your daughter is safe here in my pack." I take them to the table where Mercedes is feasting on her meal. But when she sees her parents, she jumps around their necks in a gathered embrace. “Daddy, Alpha Zane is so sweet to me. He says I can stay here when I'm on vacation at school”, she exclaims enthusiastically. "I told him I would ask you first."

Her parents nod but remain silent. "Why don't you stay here finishing your meal while we talk to the Alpha, sweetie?" says her father. "Then we can go home." Mercedes glances at me before turning back to her diet.

The couple returns to my desk where I offer each a chair. “Beta Marc, Selin. We found your daughter at our pack site. We don't know how she got here, but I detected the scent of Silver Moon pack members on my land," I tell them. “I cannot confirm any connection to your daughter's disappearance. We are still investigating.”

Beta Marc looks at me intently and I resist his gaze.

“Alpha Ahri suggested that you kidnapped her and brought her here. And now you're claiming she's your fated mate," he declares in a high tone. His mate immediately takes his hand to calm him down. “Yes, as soon as my Beta informed me of his discovery, I went to the site. Never before has anything like this happened, at least I've never heard of a pup being found miles from home on its own.”

I deliberately ignore the Beta's subtle accusation. He knows it is not his place to make such a comment, but he now has the advantage of being my father-in-law. Any other lower-ranking who had made such a comment in my presence would be already on their way to the morgue.

“And I confirm that she is my fated mate. My wolf Jax recognized her as such. I hope he can convince your wolf too”, I tell him. “So, I have a proposal. You know that mates need to be together to strengthen their bond. Especially for me, it is important as an Alpha. My mate will not only strengthens me but also takes my pack into a better mental balance”.

“And what's your suggestion, Alpha? My daughter is just a pup. The mating is only possible when she is eighteen," her mother now says with concern. Mercedes is a miniature of the woman sitting in front of me now, albeit with a conspicuous birthmark near one ear. She is probably of Alpha descent, from a different pack than Silver Moon. It is common for sisters of Alphas to mate with Betas on their own or from another pack.

“I know that too. I don't have any plans to claim Mercedes before she's eighteen. Again, I'm a healthy man, not a pervert," I say dryly. “I propose to have Mercedes in Midnight Moon during the school and public holidays whenever there is an opportunity and she wants to. And I will visit her at your house. Until she's eighteen and she accepts me as her mate. Then we will have a grand Luna ceremony here in my pack”.

My thoughts drift to that moment. An adult Mercedes comes on stage, our hands intertwined, and is greeted enthusiastically by my pack as their Luna. In the meantime, we already have each other's marks. My heart is already beating at the prospect.

I hear someone laughing softly and when I look up, I see a smiling Beta female Selin. “Alpha, my wolf is convinced. And the look on your face at the prospect of my daughter accepting you at eighteen is priceless," she claims, before turning to her mate. “Honey, the Alpha's proposal is acceptable. If the Moon Goddess has arranged for them to meet this way, we shouldn't keep them apart. I do trust the Alpha.”

Beta Marc looks at his mate doubtfully. “Indeed, I've never heard negative reports about Midnight Moon with minors,” he admits reluctantly. “Let's let her come here on weekends first before she goes out for long periods,” he offers. Yes, that can do. I stare happily at my new in-laws. I stand up and shake hands with them both. “I assure you that you will never regret this. I will be in your pack in a week to confirm our agreement with Alpha Ahri.” In the mind link, I instruct Jace to prepare appropriate gifts for my in-laws while I have a meal with them in the dining room.

“Beta, I insist you have the meal here with me. You would want to know more of me, know who your daughter's mate is," I suggest. Thankfully they accept my offer...

Mercedes Three Years Later…

“Clarita, I'm not feeling well. My head hurts terribly and I have cramps in my stomach”, I tell my friend who is sitting next to me in the classroom. “This has been going on since last night. This morning I took some medication and thought it would be over by now.” I clutch my stomach again as a stab of pain pulls through. I can barely contain a cry.

Clarita looks at my miserable self.

“Go home quickly. I'll tell the teacher that you’re feeling sick”, she exclaims, already standing to help me out of my seat. Bending slightly forward, I walk out of the classroom. When we are outside the school building, Clarita looks around. “Is Zane coming to get you today? I don't see his car anywhere," she asks with interest.

I look at her from the corners of my eyes.

For a long time, I have suspected that she has a crush on my mate. Every time she mentions his name, I hear a longing undertone. At first, I thought I imagined it, but when I noticed she inquired about him almost every day, I started to pay more attention to her. Don’t get me wrong, I trust Zane completely, but I don't want a girlfriend who is ogling my mate.

Believe me, Zane surely is a panty-dropping gorgeous hunk.

Even though he’d said so many times that he's only mine, I still find it hard to believe. Every time I look at him, I see how irresistible he is with his long blond-brown locks and the colored tattoo on his neck. His masculine voice and confident demeanor draw all attention to him, especially from the women. Voluptuous, gorgeous women who know their stuff, not innocent young pups like me. But his eyes are always on me, following me everywhere I go.

I've noticed women lure him, but so far, he hasn't given me any reason to worry about his fidelity. Recently I've been taking his hand in mine when we appear in public, I think my hormones are starting to kick up. I’m marking my territory, showing every she-wolf that Zane belongs to only me.

And then I hate that time moves at a turtle pace. I already feel my canines itching, I want to mark Zane so desperately, tie him to me. But my wolf is still oppressed until I turn eighteen. And I already know that on that day, when the clock points only one second past midnight, I'll bite my fangs on that gorgeous neck of my handsome mate. Mark him as mine forever. Even now, every time he has an open shirt on, I stare at the crook of his neck where my mark will be in a few years.

In recent years I have noticed the strange looks people throw at us, but we have consistently ignored them. A man in his twenties with an underage girl at his side is not an ordinary sight. Plus, he's the alpha of a neighboring pack at it! But my parents clarified this matter in the pack and slowly everyone is starting to accept that Zane is my fated mate.

And so far, he is the perfect mate.

We have made agreements in place about our dealings with others. Zane is quite possessive and jealous. His Alpha genes, he once explained.

He understands my need to go to friends' parties and do other stuff kids my age do. But we are in a relationship and then there are limits to dealing with third parties. Thus, we agreed that no boy would touch my body and be at least one meter away from me. The same goes for the school canteen, where the boys often seek the girls' company. Zane explained that his wolf couldn't stand the scent of another man on me. He takes me to and picks me up from parties, no alcohol when he’s not around. If he is unable to attend, Jace, his beta, takes over from him.

A strict agreement is that I do not accept anything from others.

Zane gave me a credit card to buy everything I needed. This includes my food in the canteen, my shopping in the mall and school fees. My mother once told me that every month, he transfers an amount into my father's account as a contribution to my care. I was surprised by that at first. When I asked him about it, he stated that now that we know we're mates, he's actually completely responsible for me. And everything he owns is mine. If I weren't a minor, I would have lived with him in the packhouse in Midnight Moon a long time ago and been his Luna.

Well, I guess this is adult people's business, so I don't get involved. I enjoy every moment I have with my mate. Many of my friends tell me how jealous they are of me, I already know my life is well arranged. They have to wait until they are eighteen to see if the Moon Goddess hasn't mated them to the biggest ass in the pack. Every she-wolf looks forward to finding her mate, but at the same time, they are also hesitant about who that person turns out to be.

Yes, I feel lucky to have Zane too. He is always attentive, showering me with gifts and care, never misses a moment to show me that he loves me. And when I'm in his pack, Elise always involves me in the projects she's working on. She says she'll keep up with my work until I take the position of the Luna of Midnight Moon. Actually, I now have two packs and I feel happy in both of them.

Back to the present, I look around and indeed, Zane's car is nowhere to be seen. With difficulty, I take my phone out of my school bag and call him. He immediately comes in. “Little One, I'm on my way. Don't you have any more classes for today?” he asks me. The deal was that he would be at my parents' house this morning and pick me up from school later. There's a prom tonight where he wants to drop me off.

"I feel miserable. My head is buzzing and my stomach cramps terribly. I can barely concentrate," I sigh. “Come and get me, please. I'm already waiting for you at the school building”, I let him know. For a second, there is silence on the other end of the line. "Yeah, I sensed something was wrong with you but couldn't put the finger on it," he admits. “I'll be there in a minute. Stay where you are, love.”

Clarita helps me to sit on a bench. “Is Zane coming yet?” she asks expectantly. I turn to her. “Yes, my mate is coming to get me. He loves me”, I reply, looking straight at her. And of course, she blushes like a beetroot.

Busted!..