Artemisia

He can’t be my mate. His scent would have overpowered everyone else’s easily and signaled me that he was near.

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

Also, 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?

The coronation goes by quite dragging as I can’t seem to concentrate on the ceremony. I bounce on my heels as my insides won’t stop tingling because I keep sneaking peeks to look at Blackwood, finding him already looking at me.

Oh, God, maybe he feels that my wolf is dormant.

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.

How practical.

“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.” He chuckles, trying to get closer to me. “No need to be so formal. After all we have been through.”

I look over the crowd with my tongue pressed to my teeth, trying to spot my brothers, but all I find is a certain someone staring at me.

“If we were talking about what we have been through, it’s Dr. Guerrieri for you.”

I tear my eyes from Alpha Blackwood to look at Riccardo, who is grinning at me like a moron. And I regret it immediately.

“Come back in with me. Let’s talk.”

I push out a single laugh, trying to keep my voice down. “You are not really trying to hit on me while your wife 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?

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 wife, Alpha?”

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, making me feel malicious joy.

“She wasn’t feeling well, so she stayed at home.”

Alpha Blackwood clicks his tongue, totally uninterested in what Riccardo just said, and leans in slightly to talk to me.

“Didn’t you want to congratulate your brother? I guess we could get to him now.”

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 choose 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.”

I stifle a laugh as I pass the lawn to find an open space where we can get through, but there is no avail.

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

“His name isn’t Richard.”

“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.”

Trying to put up a non-awkward smile, I start walking out through a gap in the rose bushes.

“Be careful. They have nasty thorns.” I realize how stupid it must sound to say that to the strongest Alpha in the range of miles even before I hear him chuckle.

Well, at least he doesn’t take it as an insult.

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.

“And over there would be the lake.”

I clear my throat, trying to shake off the feeling of his eyes burning into my skin. “There are a few benches and flowers and a playground for the kids.”

Oh, Goddess. Shut up!

“It’s nice there.”

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

This is so embarrassing.

“Show me then.”

“Huh?” My eyes dart up to his, and he makes a small gesture with his head.

“Show me.” He says, his deep baritone making my heart skip a beat.

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

“Sure. This way, if you please, Alpha Blackwood.”

As I walk in front of him on the dirt path, I concentrate on not tripping over my dress with my high heels as I feel his overwhelming presence following me closely. Reached the lake, and I let go of my skirt to turn around to him. “Tadaaan,” I say a bit too enthusiastically.

“You really like it here, do you?”

I nod, making him chuckle.

Again, I find myself drawn to him as I think of how I could listen to him chuckling for hours.

Oh, no! Am I crushing on our tormentor’s Alpha?

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.”

“Don’t worry.” He says, directing his eyes back to the lake as he leans back on the bench. “It’s adorable, actually.”

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.

“I’m his favorite, actually.”

Goddess, can’t you stop me?!

His chuckling anew makes me feel less stupid, even if it doesn’t take my wish for a black hole to swallow me this instant away.

“I bet on that.” He jokes, making my heart sing.

“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.

“I’d be honored to, Cayden,” I say, feeling as if my tongue had become numb.

“All my pleasure, Missy.”

Shivering pleasantly, I force myself up to escape this situation before I do something to trouble my parents even more.

“Do you have a place like this on your pack lands too?”

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?