Blake POV
“What do you mean missing?!”
Alpha Donal was a fearsome man at the best of times. I had been doing my best to keep the fact that no one had seen Aiden since he left to propose to Ciara under wraps. But it had been 3 days now with no sign of him. As Aiden’s future Beta, it was my duty to break the news to Alpha Donal.
“I’m afraid that’s all the information we have Alpha. Aiden was last seen 3 days ago, by me, before departing to issue his proposal to Ciara as his chosen mate and future Luna. According to her, he never arrived and no one has seen or heard from him since.”
I flinched but tried to remain calm as Alpha Donal’s fist collided with the wall dangerously close to my face. I was a competent warrior, but no match for an Alpha, even an aging one. He moved in close, his menacing expression fixed directly at me.
“Find him pup. Do not find yourself in front of me again unless you have succeeded.”
He grabbed me by the scruff of my shirt and shoved me out of his office, my back colliding with the far wall as he slammed the door behind me. I knew why he was so furious. He suspected Aiden of abandoning the pack and his role as future Alpha. I didn’t agree. I knew Aiden, he was like a brother to me, he put his pack and his duty above all else. He didn’t want Ciara as his Luna, but that was something he would do willingly for the good of the pack. No, something was amiss here. If Aiden was missing, there was a damn good reason for it. Regardless, I was going to find him.
I took the path through the forest that led to Ciara’s cottage. I knew Aiden would have taken this route to attempt to calm his nerves. Declan, my wolf, had already picked up his scent and was leading me in the direction Aiden had taken.
“Stop,” Declan growled from my mind. “He shifted here. The scent changes from Aiden to Ronan. He ran north, off the path toward the dark corner of the forest. There’s another scent, distant and unfamiliar… yet, enticing. Perhaps he followed it?”
“I’m going to give you the reigns my friend. Take us to him.”
I shifted mid-run and let Declan loose. He was an expert tracker and an extremely cunning hunter. If Aiden was out here, giving Declan free reign was my best chance of finding him. It was risky. As much as Declan was a loyal wolf he was also unpredictable, I rarely gave him full control.
The forest flew past at warp speed as Declan sped after Aiden’s scent. Eventually, we came to a halt in a clearing, just off a ledge that looked down into a deep pool of water. Declan sniffed the air a few times before he spoke.
“He was here. And recently, hours ago, maybe less…”
His ears pricked up and he took us closer to the edge, with the heightened vision that came with our wolf-form I could just make out a silhouette behind the curtain of the waterfall. There were voices, muffled by the running water.
“How do we get down there?”
“Not sure. But this wolf doesn’t swim. If we’re going in the water, we’re doing it in human form…”
Declan relinquished control and we shifted back to human form. The downfall of an unplanned shift was always the ensuing nudity. I suppose the water would’ve ruined any clothing anyway. I dove from the ledge into the pool below hoping my splash would be hidden by the sound of the waterfall.
As I resurfaced, I swam toward the waterfall and carefully hid behind some rocks as I broke through from beneath the curtain. Trying my best to be silent, I remained in the water and moved toward the voices.
“It’s Aiden…” Declan’s voice echoed in my head.
“With… a woman?” I replied as I squinted and rubbed my eyes. I couldn’t quite believe what I was looking at.
There was Aiden, passionately kissing a beautiful platinum-haired woman. That seemed to perfectly match the description of the mystery woman he was so convinced was at the Harvest….
Selene POV“I think we should go back…”“And say what to him Liana? Sorry I freaked you out with my magic, and then disappeared into thin air like a crazy person?”“It’s a start… he’s our mate, he will forgive us.”“He shouldn’t have to… I handled that whole thing terribly.”I rubbed my temples and stared down into the pool. I’d apparated back to the portal entrance, but had been procrastinating about going back. The truth is, I didn’t think any of it was a mistake, and I didn’t want to leave Aiden. Liana was angry with me and I can’t blame her. I’d acted rashly and now I was alone, embarrassed and with no idea what my mate thought of me.“Selene…”I looked up to see a very naked Aiden, breathing heavily. He was starin
Aiden POVI kissed her feverishly. I knew we needed to talk, but that could wait. I wanted her more than I could stand.My eyes grew wide as she took a step back from me and unwrapped her dress, letting it fall to the floor and exposing her body to me. Every inch of her was perfect. Her full breasts rose and fell with her shallow breaths. Her arousal flooding my senses.As we collided again, I was doing my best to keep Ronan at bay. He wanted us to mate and mark her as soon as possible, but the human side of me wanted to pleasure her. I wanted to take my time exploring her body before completing the mate-bond. As my hand started to roam south, almost at her folds, my attention was torn from her at the sound of a familiar voice bellowing through the cave.“Aiden! What the devil are you doing!?”“Blake? What the devil am I doing? What the devil are you doing!?&rdq
Selene POVI suppose it was a good thing Aiden and I were interrupted before we could complete the mate bond. Obviously, there was much to consider, and the intrusion of the highlander was conveniently timed.I wanted Aiden more than I’d ever wanted anything before. But when Blake mentioned us going back to the pack and me being introduced as Luna, reality came crashing down around me. I was a deity, practically a goddess. Immortal. Aiden was a werewolf, a powerful one, but his life was as mortal as any human. We hadn’t even begun to consider what this union would mean for either of us.Was I to remain young and beautiful only to watch him grow old and eventually die? My heart ached at the thought of it. Or, if I completed the bond, would the gods force me to relinquish my immortality?There was too much unknown.Then there was Blake; he seemed completely oblivious to
Selene POV“As we enter the realm of the gods, as mortals, there are a few key things you must remember. One, assume that anything has the potential to kill you, even if it looks harmless. Two, trust no one other than me. And three, keep your wits about you, distraction could get you killed.”“Right, everything will kill us. Got it.” Blake said teasingly, typical highlander.“This is serious. Aiden is at risk from anyone who comes to learn what he is to me. But in particular, my mother and…. One other.”My mother would be an obstacle, but she was faithful to the old ways and the decisions made by the all-father. In time, I felt she would come to accept Aiden as my fated mate. I had grave concerns about Gabriel though. The archangel was deadly and made no secret of the fact that he was in love with me. How I’d managed to evade him these last few days wa
Aiden POV“Selene! What’s happening to him?”I tried to rush toward my Beta and best friend, but my mate held me back. She was a strong little thing.“You must give him space, the transformation has begun.”“Transformation? What do you mean transformation?”“He is a Highlander…”“Love, I’m quite aware of his roots, I need to know what the devil is happening to him.”I was beginning to panic. After Blake took a sip of the stream water he immediately fell to his knees. He arched back as the light began pouring from him in streams. He was screaming in what appeared to be utter agony. Shifting rapidly from wolf to human over and over. As if in some kind of internal battle.“No, He is a Highlander…”
Selene POVI wanted to follow Aiden but Blake stopped me.“Leave him, Luna. He needs to be alone….”“Was it something I said?”“Perhaps, not intentionally. I don’t think he likes needing to be protected, especially by his mate. He is an Alpha, Selene. He is always the strongest wolf in the room, second only to his Father.”“I understand….”I looked in the direction Aiden had headed when I sensed it. We were not alone, and whoever was with us was powerful.When I apparated, I found myself standing firmly between Aiden and a tense-looking Gabriel.“Selene, I had received word of your return, although I wasn’t expecting you to bring home a dog.”Gabriel cocked his head to one side and looked Aiden up and down. The growl that rumb
Aiden POV“Wait… You want us to mate? Here? Now?”I was looking at Selene and feeling dumbfounded. Wasn’t it her idea to hold off on mating until we understood the consequences of this pairing? All of a sudden after a run in with her ex she wants to rush in and complete the bond. Ronan was in a frenzy.“What are you waiting for? Claim her, mark her!” He growled from inside my mind.I used all of my willpower to keep him at bay. I wanted her as badly as he did. But something about this felt… forced.“If we present ourselves with an incomplete bond, we are vulnerable. Once the bond is complete we will be stronger. You will come into your full strength as Alpha, we know that much…”“And how could it affect you?”I didn’t miss the glance sideways she made before
Selene POV“Evangeline… long time no see, sister. Although, I find that we are at present seeing far too much. Do cover yourself.”This was Gabriel’s doing. My younger sister was the result of one of my mother’s many affairs. This one with a Sea-Centaur, making Evangeline herself a nymph. Her curse (or some may see it as a blessing) is that males of all species found her irresistible. Judging by the glazed expression on Aiden and Blake’s faces, that was precisely why Gabriel had sent her.To seduce my mate.She lifted her lips in a devilish smirk before brushing her hair away from her face, deliberately exposing her breasts. Her look of triumph faltered when she realised that Blake was the only one of the two men fixated on her. Aiden was looking directly at me, guilt devouring his handsome features. I couldn’t help but return a smirk of my