Avery sat in his office the following morning looking through the messages that he had previously received from Trevor. Things were a little rocky, he didn't know what was going on. He didn't trust this alpha of the Crimson Dusk, there was trouble ahead, but he didn't want to worry his mate before she took her first steps as his Luna. Roxie had enough to worry about without adding this to her plate. He hoped that she had fun with Avilene, he needed her away for a while so he could concentrate on finding the leak in his ranks. "Should we pospone the ceremony?" Trenton asked. Avery shot a glare in his direction. "No, but I do think we need to be prepared for anything. Inviting the local Alphas is protocol for situations like this, the unfortunate businesss with all of this is we don't always know who our friends are. Some might think that a young new Alpha like myself will be prime picking. No doubt they think me inexperienced with this role and that I can easily be moved, but there is n
Everything had been prepared for the big day. Roxie woke early from her slumber, but woke to discover that Avery had already left the room. His side of the bed was already cold, which made Roxie a little disappointed and underwhelmed. She moved to sit up in the bed and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. He was the light of her life and she appreciated him like another. She moved out of the bed to take her shower. She had just finished rinsing off and wrapping herself in a towel when she noticed Avery standing there with a tray of food. "Breakfast for our new Luna?" Avery mentioned with a cheeky grin. Roxie couldn't help but laugh at his corny behavior. She lifted onto the tips of her toes to lean up and kiss his cheek. Avery grinned happily. He didn't leave the room until Roxie was contently eating her breakfast. He made sure to grab a fresh omelet with her favorite fillings, as well as a side of hashbrowns and her favorite juice. He would be lying if he said that he wasn't a nervous wre
Mate! It was the first time since she discovered her wolf that Roxanna had actually really heard Vera stir inside of her like this. The unfortunate part of this situation was the fact that she was forced to look up at Alpha James as he stared down at her with disgust, rather than adoration or even acute interest. He looked angry. She had to think back at how she found herself in this situation. She had gone out to let her wolf out, and then she heard the call. The smell of everything she ever found appealing wrapped into one strong package. He smelled like a mixture of cinnamon spice, sandlewood and another natural earthy scent, and her heart lept in her chest, but her hopeful expression was soon to be crushed. James had barely noticed her existence in the pack. When he looked upon her at school, he simply avoided his gaze as if he saw nothing at all. She imagined that it was her size. The rumors were that her mother had been sickly during her pregnancy, Roxanna couldn't say for sur
Avery's POV He had been silent on his ride to the old pack of his birth. They had originally lived just outside of the Redwood Territory in adjacent shifter towns. He didn't really understand why he was coming back here, his parents had split when he was younger. His father had rejected his mother to follow some little she-wolf whore that had stolen his attention for the time being. He didn't understand those who would reject their fated mate, just to be with someone that would never truly make them whole. It was despicable, but it just showed to reason. Fated mates or not, there was no real loyalty in finding a mate. You could give someone the very best of your years, and they would still turn around and stab you in the back.His father was the Alpha of the Red Moon pack, had a fated mate, and beloved wife. Two children that adored him, and turned his back on them for some fling. It made Avery hate his dad with every breath he had in him. He didn't understand why it was important fo
Roxie could barely register what just happened. There was another mate. That same smell, the smell that reminded her of earthy tones and spices wrapped up into one yummy package. Unfortunately for her, the smell came when her highschool bullies had decided to gang up on her. Maddie and Taylor specifically had heard the rumors that James had rejected her, and the sideways glances he shot her somehow set them off. They had decided to take turns kicking and beating her into submission. Her white knight came for her then. The smell of him was beyond intoxicating, and he commanded a powerful and dominating pressence. The way he threw those girls was beyond startling, but beyond that. She knew that she had to look out for herself, and what he did wasn't actually helping her case. You rejected our mate! How could you do that to us?Vera didn't seem pleased. The last thirty minutes replayed in her head like a picture show and the true realization hit her. Shit. It didn't matter, she probably
Avery's POV This was absolutely insane. He had full intention of rejecting that girl on the spot, but he couldn't understand this feeling in his chest. Something about that look on her face when she looked at him, and those large doe eyes of hers had drew him in for a moment and made him hesitate. She had been attacked, and he suddenly felt the urge, an anger inside him that he didn't recognize. He wanted to protect her.We have to make her take it back! She is ours! His beast was stirring inside of him, going mad with what had happened yesterday. Avery didn't know what to think, he was trying to make himself understand. He didn't want a mate, or at least he didn't... until he saw her. She's so tiny. He had no idea who she was, or even acutely aware of her age. She could have been a freshman, a young teen. Did she have her wolf? She has a wolf! Don't be stupid. I could sense her.. and she sensed me.. I want her we want her! Make her take it back! Aries was actively screaming at him
It took some time, but eventually Roxanna's eyes fluttered open. With her renewed consciousness, came back all the pain from her ribs. Her head hurt the worst, but there was also this searing pain to her left side. That bitch Maddie had stabbed her with something. It was taking her wolf, Vera some time to get her healed up. Her broken ribs would heal in a matter of hours but when something like silver touched her skin, it seared and left a scar and took time to heal from the internal damage. When her eyes focused, she could smell him again. The smell of spice and earth... Her mate. As her eyes focused on him, she was finally able to take all of him in. From his eyes to his broad chest, to his facial features that looked like they were chisled by the Goddess herself. He was handsome. Painfully so, and the fact that she still felt the pull this strongly, it meant that when she rejected him, it didn't take. "Hi." The male said. She didn't even know his name. Had he once again come to he
Roxie's body grew stiff as her mother walked across the room and hugged her. Something was definitely off. If everything her father said was correct, the only reason that her mother would be back was because the man she chose over them was long gone. She was about to say something, when she heard someone clear their throat from behind her. She had almost forgotten about Avery. The pull her wolf had towards him, hadn't faded since her rejection. Perhaps it didn't take. Part of her wanted to reject him and get it over with, but the rest of her wanted to latch onto him. That was still something she needed to deal with. There was a confused look on her father's face, as Roxie stepped out of her mother's grasp. "If there are to be introductions. You must be Roxie's parents. My name is Avery Jackson. I'm the new Alpha of Red Moon. Roxie is my mate." There was a look on my mother's face. Recognition, disgust, but it was there only briefly. Replaced by a smile. "Oh, isn't that great, Collin?