Page 1 of Arion
Prologue
Four years ago…
“I thought I’d find you here.”
Arion didn’t bother glancing to the left to acknowledge his best friend’s voice. He’d known Brock for thirty-three years. They’d been born a few months apart to the Protectors. A privileged class in some respects. The Alphas of their pack.
“You like to watch her,” Brock stated.
“Yes. It’s hard to explain. I feel protective. I like to see her smile. I love that she’s happy.” Arion didn’t shift his gaze from the girl who would one day be his mate. She was only sixteen now. He had four more years to wait to claim her. But yes, he liked to watch her as she grew up. He’d come to this rock thousands of times over the years, hoping to catch a glimpse of her.
Today Jezebel was at school. It was her lunch period. She was sitting outside at a picnic table with her friends. As he watched, she tipped her head back and laughed.
Damn, Arion wished he could hear her laughter. He knew it would be music to his ears. But he’d never heard her voice. He was much too far away. All he could do was watch and keep his distance.
As a male past puberty, he had begun shifting more than twenty years ago. Adult males who had gone through the change had amazing vision—especially Alpha males born into the elite families.
Jezebel would develop improved vision too, after her change. The women in their society did not shift until after they were mated.
“Her hair is so pale it’s almost white,” Brock commented.
Arion gave his friend a hip check. “Get your eyes off my girl,” he joked. There was no need for jealousy. Jezebel was Arion’s. That had been determined at her birth. Arion had been seventeen when his mate was born with the birthmark on her inner wrist that matched the one on his.
It wasn’t unusual for the males in his family to find themselves a few decades older than their mates, but it was challenging and frustrating. The waiting.
“Damn, you can even see the sky blue of her eyes from this distance,” Brock continued.
“You know, you could pay attention to your own mate instead of mine.”
“Nope.” Brock shook his head. “Don’t want to know. I like surprises.”
Arion shook his head. “That’s just weird. I’m never going to understand you. She’s down there in the valley somewhere, and you’ve never looked for her.”
Brock shrugged. “I’ve watched you pine after this girl for years. I think my way is better.” He nodded back toward the object of Arion’s attention. “Her skin is creamy white, and she’s so petite. I hope you don’t break her.”
Arion finally jerked his attention away from his mate to glare at his friend. “Did you need something? Why are you here bothering me?”
Brock smirked. “The leaders are meeting this evening. Believe it or not, our presence has been requested.”
Arion lifted a brow. “Meeting about what?”
“How the hell should I know? I have the same status as you. We may be in our fourth decade and have the full responsibility of guarding the pack on our shoulders, but last I checked, my father hasn’t been communicating pack details with me ahead of anyone else. Has yours?” he joked.
Arion growled. “Of course not.” He sighed and turned back to catch a last glimpse of his mate as she finished her lunch, rose from the bench, tossed her trash in the receptacle, and followed her friends back into the school.
She was poise and grace and beauty. Most of her hair was loose today, the long blond waves falling almost to her butt. Like the other females in his pack, it had never been cut. She had the top pulled up in a cute bun with a circle of flowers wrapped around it.
Arion couldn’t wait until he could run his fingers through his mate’s hair, smell the scent of her shampoo, fist it in his hand to tip her head back so he could bare her neck.
He couldn’t wait to stare into her deep blue eyes, watch her mouth open in surprise, make her cheeks pinken with his words. Naughty words that would make her quiver and whimper and moan.
Four more years. It seemed like a lifetime. He hoped it would fly by.
ChapterOne
Four years later…
“Why do you sit here all the time?”
