-Adrian-
I adjust Ember's weight on my shoulder as I stride down the hallway, her furious squirming only making me tighten my grip on her thighs. Nox rumbles with satisfaction.
"Put me DOWN, you Neanderthal!" Ember pounds her fists against my back, each blow carrying genuine anger. "I swear to the Moon Goddess, I will make you regret this!"
"Looking forward to it, little wolf," I reply, my voice low and dangerous as I approach the guest room door. "But first, we're going to talk. Whether you like it or not."
"Talk?" she snarls, renewing her struggles. "You don't get to manhandle me and then demand a conversation! What is this, the freaking Stone Age? Put me down before I rip your spine out!"
"She's magnificent when she's angry," Nox purrs with approval. "All fire and fury. OURS."
I push open the door to the freshly prepared guest room, the crisp scent of clean linens a welcome change from Jasmine's contamination. Without ceremony, I drop Ember onto the bed, where she bounces once before scrambling to her feet, eyes flashing gold with fury.
"How DARE you!" she spits, launching herself at me with claws partially extended. I catch her wrists before she can rake them down my chest, holding her at bay as she struggles. "Let GO of me!"
"Not until you calm down and listen," I say, my voice firm but not unkind. "I know you're angry—"
"Angry?" She barks out a laugh that's all savage edges. "I passed angry about ten minutes ago. I'm somewhere between homicidal and apocalyptic right now."
"So fucking beautiful," Nox growls appreciatively. "Look at her fire."
"Listen—"
"No, YOU listen," she hisses, yanking her wrists from my grasp with surprising strength. "I am not some possession you can just throw over your shoulder and drag around whenever you feel like it. I am your Luna, not your plaything!"
"She's both," Nox argues possessively. "And so much more."
"Besides," She sneers, "I think I saw everything I needed to see back in your bedroom. Or should I say, your love nest with Jasmine?"
"WRONG," Nox snarls, clawing at my control. "KILL THAT IDEA NOW."
I step back, giving her space. "That's not what it was."
"Really?" Ember's eyes narrow dangerously. "Because it looked an awful lot like another woman waiting in your bed. Wearing crotchless panties. Calling you baby." She spits the last word like poison. "What was it then? A book club meeting? A Temple study? Please, enlighten me."
"If you'd give me two minutes to explain—"
"Explain what?" She cuts me off, pacing the room like a caged predator. "That while I was being manhandled by Tanner, you were busy fucking your way through the female population of Dark Pine? That you've got a revolving door policy for your bedroom that nobody bothered to mention to me?"
The accusation cuts deeper than it should, precisely because there's a grain of truth in it. Before her, there were others. Meaningless. Forgettable. But still there. But no one—NO ONE—since our weekend together.
"That's not fair," I growl, struggling to keep my own beast contained.
"Fair?" She whirls on me, eyes blazing. "You want to talk about fair? I left everything behind today. My home, my friends, my whole life. And the first thing I walk into is another woman in your bed? What kind of welcome is that?"
"Not one I planned," I say, my fists clenching at my sides. "Jasmine broke into my quarters. She wasn't invited."
"Oh, so she just happened to know exactly where your bedroom was? Just accidentally found herself in your bed? Wearing that?" Ember's voice rises with each question, her hands gesturing wildly. "Do you think I'm stupid?"
"Of course not," I growl, my patience wearing dangerously thin. "If you'd just let me explain—"
"Fine!" She throws her hands up in exasperation. "Explain, then! Tell me why there was a half-naked woman in your bed! And make it good, because right now I'm about five seconds away from calling Stella to come pick me up."
"NO!" Nox roars, the mere suggestion of her leaving sending him into a frenzy. "SHE IS OURS. SHE STAYS!"
I take a deep breath, fighting for control. "Jasmine and I had a thing. Casual. On-again, off-again for about a year." I hold her gaze, refusing to look away even as shame burns through me. "But I made it clear to her from the beginning it was just sex. Never anything more."
Ember flinches at my bluntness, her arms wrapping around herself like armor.
"I cut it off completely months ago when she started acting like she owned a place at my side," I continue, dragging a hand through my hair in frustration. "She's been... persistent. Showing up uninvited, trying to force her way back into my life, into bed. But I swear to you, Ember, I have never let her anywhere near my personal space since I ended things."
"She was in it tonight," she points out, her voice sharp as a blade.
"She was," I acknowledge. "And I've already taken steps to make sure it never happens again. She's under house arrest as we speak, and tomorrow she'll face formal pack judgment for her actions."
Ember laughs, a hollow sound devoid of humor. "So I'm supposed to just forgive and forget? Pretend I didn't see your ex-fuck buddy sprawled in our bed?"
"I'm not asking for forgiveness," I say, taking a step toward her, the need to touch her, to claim her, almost overwhelming. "I'm asking for a chance to earn your trust."
"Trust?" Her voice rises again. "You want to talk about trust? You want me to trust you after what I just saw?"
"Yes," I reply simply. "Because that's what mates do. They trust each other, even when it's hard. Especially when it's hard."
"Mates?" She laughs again, sharper this time. "I spent three years mated to a man who made my life a living hell. Forgive me if I'm not eager to jump into blind trust again."
"I'm not Tanner," I growl, frustration building in my chest like a gathering storm. "Don't compare me to him."
"Never compare us to that pathetic excuse for a wolf," Nox snarls, insulted by the mere suggestion.
"Why not?" she challenges, stepping closer. "Because you're an Alpha? Because you think you're better? News flash, Adrian—Tanner is an Alpha's son. He'll be Alpha one day too. That title doesn't mean shit to me."
"I would never treat you the way he did," I say, my voice dropping dangerously low. "Never."
"Pretty words," she says, crossing her arms over her chest. "But actions speak louder. And what I see is a man with a history of casual hookups who hasn't even bothered to set boundaries with his exes."
Something in me snaps. "You think I haven't set boundaries? I've been rejecting Jasmine for months! What would you have me do? Lock her up? Banish her? Because I'm two seconds away from doing exactly that!"
"Why didn't you do it before?" Ember demands. "If she was such a problem, why wait until now?"
"Because it wasn't worth the pack disruption!" I throw back, my own temper flaring hot and dangerous. "Because she's from a prominent family! Because I thought I could handle it without resorting to extreme measures!"
"So it becomes worth addressing only when I see it?" Ember's voice breaks slightly.
I drag a hand down my face, fighting for control. "That's not what I meant."
"Then what did you mean?" she presses. "Because from where I'm standing, it looks like you were perfectly happy to let her keep throwing herself at you until I came along."
"I was NEVER happy about it," I growl, advancing on her with barely leashed aggression. "I've rejected her at every turn since I ended things."
"Clearly not forcefully enough," she retorts. "Or she wouldn't have been in your bed tonight."
"What do you want from me?" I demand, finally losing patience. "I can't change what happened! I can't go back and make different choices! All I can do is handle it moving forward!"
"And how do I know you won't just find someone new when you get bored with me?" she asks, vulnerability bleeding through her anger. "How do I know I won't be replaced the minute something more exciting comes along?"
"Because you're my MATE!" I roar, my control slipping enough that my voice carries the Alpha timbre. "My TRUE mate! There is nothing—NOTHING—more powerful than that bond!"
"Words," she says dismissively, though I can see my outburst has rattled her. "Just words. I've heard pretty words before, Adrian. They don't mean shit when actions tell a different story."
"What do you want from me?" I demand again, frustration building to a breaking point. "I can't change my past any more than you can change yours! At least I'm not holding your relationship with Tanner against you!"
The moment the words leave my mouth, I know I've made a terrible mistake. Ember goes completely still, her face draining of color.
"WRONG THING TO SAY," Nox snarls, recoiling at my stupidity.
"My relationship with Tanner?" she repeats, her voice deadly quiet. "Is that what you think it was? A relationship?"
I take a step back, suddenly uncertain. "I didn't mean—"
"You think I wanted him?" she asks, her voice rising with each word. "You think I CHOSE him?"
I raise my hands in a placating gesture. "Ember—"
"I NEVER WANTED HIM!" she screams, the words tearing from her throat. "He was forced on me! I was his mate and he never wanted me! He made my life hell for three years while he fucked everything that moved!"
She's shaking now, tears streaming unchecked down her face. "And you know what the worst part is? You standing there acting like I have some sexual history I should be ashamed of. Well guess what, Adrian? I've only ever been with ONE MAN in my entire life—YOU! No man had EVER touched me except you!"
I freeze, her words hitting me like a physical blow.
"What did you just say?" I whisper, the room suddenly spinning around me.
She swipes angrily at her tears, chest heaving. "You heard me."
"But... Tanner..." I struggle to process what she's telling me.
"Had never touched me. Not like that." Her voice breaks on the words. "He made it very clear from day one that I disgusted him. That he wanted nothing to do with me."
"She's untouched," Nox whispers, his sudden reverence pulling me from my shock. "Purely OURS."
I replay our weekend together in my mind—her nervousness, her tight heat around my cock, her wonder at each new sensation. All the signs I'd somehow missed.
"You were a virgin," I say, the words barely audible. "That weekend in the city. With me."
She nods, wrapping her arms around herself protectively. "Happy now? You got to be my first. My only. Congratulations."
"Why didn't you tell me?" I ask softly, my anger completely evaporated.
"What was I supposed to say?" she asks, her voice raw with vulnerability. "'Hey, by the way, I'm twenty-one and I've never been touched because my mate thought I was repulsive'? Not exactly sexy pillow talk."
I cross the distance between us in two strides and pull her against my chest, expecting resistance. Instead, she collapses against me, her anger giving way to deep, heaving sobs that tear at something primal inside me.
"Little wolf," I murmur into her hair as she cries against me. "My sweet little wolf. I'm so sorry."
"You didn't know." she chokes out between sobs. "I couldn't tell you. I was too embarrassed. Too afraid you'd think I was pathetic."
I pull back just enough to look into her tear-streaked face. "There is nothing about you that could ever be pathetic to me. Nothing."
"OURS," Nox growls, the word heavy with possessive pride and fierce protectiveness. "Always only OURS."
I tilt her chin up, forcing her to meet my gaze. "I'm sorry I made assumptions. I'm sorry about Jasmine. I'm sorry about all of it. But most of all, I'm sorry I didn't realize what you gave me that weekend."
Her eyes search mine, looking for any sign of insincerity. "It wasn't planned," she whispers. "I never thought I'd give that to anyone, after being mated to Tanner for so long. But then there was you, and everything just felt... right."
"It WAS right," Nox insists with soul-deep certainty. "She was meant to be OURS from the beginning."
I press my forehead against hers, my voice rough with emotion. "It was right. We're right. And I swear to you, Ember, I will spend the rest of my life being worthy of you."
She looks up at me, vulnerability and hope battling in her eyes. "Promise me something?"
"Anything," I say without hesitation.
"Promise me I'll never walk in to find another woman in our bed."
"I promise," I swear, cupping her face between my hands. "I'm having the entire room gutted. New everything."
That finally draws a small smile from her. "That seems excessive."
"Nothing is excessive when it comes to making you feel safe. At home." I study her face, drinking in every detail like a man dying of thirst. "This is your territory now, little wolf. Your pack. Your home. And I will do whatever it takes to make sure you never doubt that again."
She nods slowly, considering this. "Okay."
"Stay with me tonight," I say, the words coming out rougher than intended. I clear my throat and try again. "Just stay. Nothing more." My voice drops lower, revealing more need than I'd planned. "I've spent too many nights without you already."
"Too many," Nox agrees, the separation having been as painful for him as for me.
She studies me for a long moment, her expression unreadable. Then, slowly, she nods. "Okay. But just sleeping. Don't get any ideas, Alpha."
"Wouldn't dream of it, little wolf," I lie, already imagining a thousand ways I could worship her body.
"Liar," Nox chuckles darkly. "We're already planning exactly how to claim her again."
She rolls her eyes, clearly seeing right through me. "Liar."
"Only about that," I promise, bringing her hand to my lips and pressing a kiss to her palm. "Never about anything important."
I cross to the dresser where I'd tossed my clothes earlier. "Here," I say, offering her one of my T-shirts. "Something to sleep in."
"Mark her with our scent," Nox approves. "Let everyone know she's OURS."
She takes it hesitantly, her fingers brushing against mine. "I'll just... change in the bathroom."
When she returns a few minutes later, the sight of her in my shirt, the hem hitting mid-thigh to reveal miles of smooth, tanned skin, nearly undoes me. I've already changed into sweatpants, leaving my chest bare, and I don't miss the way her eyes linger on my torso.
"See something you like, little wolf?" I can't help but tease, my voice dropping to a register designed to make her remember exactly what those hands she's admiring can do to her body.
"Shut up," she mumbles, her cheeks flushing adorably. "Don't flatter yourself."
"No need for flattery when the evidence is written all over your face," I say, unable to resist. "You're practically drooling."
"I am not!" she protests, but her blush deepens. "You're insufferable."
"And yet, here you are."
"Against my better judgment," she mutters, climbing into the bed and sliding under the covers, looking anywhere but at me.
I follow, leaving a respectable distance between us as I lie on my back beside her. The few inches of mattress separating us feel like miles, every cell in my body aching to close the distance.
"Adrian?" Her voice is small in the darkness.
"Yeah?"
"Would you... I mean... can you..." She sighs, frustrated with herself. "Hold me?"
"YES," Nox surges forward, nearly taking control in his eagerness.
I don't need to be asked twice. In one fluid movement, I slide my arm beneath her and pull her against my chest, her back to my front, our bodies fitting together like they were made for each other—because they were. She tenses for a moment, then relaxes into me with a sigh that sounds like surrender.
"Better?" I ask, my lips against her hair.
"Better," she agrees softly.
I hold her as her breathing gradually slows and evens out, sleep claiming her despite the emotional turmoil of the day. Only then do I allow myself to truly relax, inhaling her scent deeply, letting it fill my lungs and calm the beast inside me.
I stare down at her face, peaceful in sleep despite everything, and something shifts inside me—a tectonic movement of priorities realigning. The pack, the territory, even the vendetta that's consumed me for years—everything falls behind her in importance. My little wolf. My mate.