Page 37 of The Alpha Wolf's Bullied Bride

It’s not like I’ve received those gifts. Without a wolf, Lila won’t be able to unlock the side of me that will allow the Lycoan blood that’s withstood a century to give me those special powers.

After all, I hadn’t been counting on it, anyway. It would have been a useful tool to track the werewolves who had been kidnapped—now, between the six packs that have joined the alliance, we’ve instead formulated a strategic plan to ensure the protection of each border.

To do so, we'll have to train more wolves and get the younger males to volunteer for patrols. Despite Blood Moon’s special ops soldiers being well-trained for this kind of mission, I know I’ll have to bring more volunteers on board.

When the meeting is over, the Alphas proceed to leave Mysthaven, but I stay back to speak to Cyrus privately.

“Do you have any idea what this is about?” I ask Cyrus when we stand outside and watch the others leave, shifting into their wolf forms and crossing the Mysthaven borders.

“I have my eyes on Dorian, to be honest,” he reveals with a sigh. “Ever since being kicked out of Valley Walker, he’s been acting strangely. He might be Nighclaw’s Alpha now, but I don’t know if he can be trusted.”

I gulp hard, doing my best to remain calm when Cyrus mentions Valley Walker. It was on their territory that Finch lost his life, and Dorian supposedly got rid of the rogues who cornered him by running out of Rock Creek. Still, what happened that day was enough to get him kicked out of his own pack.

“Do you think he really did get rid of the rogues back then?” I ask, proceeding to tell Cyrus about Dorian’s visit to Blood Moon the other day.

“If he’s consorting with rogues, we’ll have to be very careful,” Cyrus huffs. “Perhaps the kidnapped wolves from his pack are just a cover-up for something else.”

Cyrus and I exchange a few more words before I head back to Zafra with Miles through the woods. With the unknown threat still looming over our heads, we have to get to work, recruiting younger werewolves to train in battle.

As soon as we cross the Blood Moon border into Zafra, my airways are filled with the sweetness of jasmine. I pause, taking a look around our surroundings as Miles shifts into human form.

Lila is nowhere to be seen out here in the woods, yet that distinct scent remains in the air so potently that it’s almost as if she’s right before my eyes. Reluctantly, I shut my eyelids and take on my human form, shoulders slouching as I stand beside Miles.

“You know…” he begins, crossing his arms and tilting his chin at me. “... We haven’t shared a drink in a while.”

I chuckle flatly. “There’s been a lot going on, bud.”

“Yeah,” he smirks, wiggling his brows. “You and my sister have—”

I grunt in warning. “Miles…”

He chuckles again, lifting his hands in a gesture of surrender. “Fine, we won’t go there. But I think you need a solid one after today’s meeting.”

“You’re damn right,” I snort, patting his shoulder and following him to his cabin, which he now has all to himself. The tension of today’s meeting with the Alphas of the region hangs heavily on my shoulders. With Cyrus being as suspicious of Dorian as I am, we have to ensure the safety of our pack, and I have to ensure the safety of my mate, who remains without a wolf. There’s a part of me that wishes I could tell her the truth, but I’m too afraid that it’ll be met with resistance.

It’s better to avoid her for now. After all, I only needed to name a Luna to step into my role as Alpha. Now that I have, I’ll stick to serving my purpose as the protector of this pack. Together with the other packs in the alliance, we’ll put an end to the threat and go on with our lives as they were meant to be.

I only wish I hadn't discovered that Lila is my fated mate. It changes everything.

Like the dire need to always be around her, even if she’s going to be cold toward me.

Chapter 13 - Lila

“There’s something different about you,” Valerie observes with a keenly raised brow.

I shrug diffidently as I throw salt into the pasta water, stirring the pot as Valerie pours the pasta inside. Thanks to my upgrade from Omega to Luna, I don’t have to follow Dorothy’s instructions anymore. I’m allowed to go in and out of the pack center without a schedule.

That’s why I can visit Valerie during her work hours and help her volunteer in the kitchen.

If Dorothy only knew that Alpha Flynn ordered me to stop working here…

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I lie, doing a quick taste test of the water to ensure that it tastes like the ocean. I haven’t been able to tell my best friend that I finally lost my virginity to the Alpha.

It’s too embarrassing to speak about, anyway. Just as embarrassing as it is to be anywhere near the Alpha who snatched my virginity and simultaneously snatched the rug out from under me.

His little fleeing act that night was heartbreaking. I knew I shouldn’t have given in, but it was almost as if I didn’t have control of my urges and the words that fell off my tongue. It just…happened.

Since that night, I’ve been avidly avoiding him, not wanting to see those horror-stricken eyes again. Even if horror isn’t still evident after that night, those amber eyes will only remind me of how much he regretted our passionate tryst.

---