by Jess Bryant
Him.
The big figure on the stairs finally stepped into the light and Luna hissed as the entire basement went electric all around her. No. Not the basement. Not around her. It took her a moment in her weakened state to put it together but when she did, she had to muffle another cry.
This time, it was one of relief.
It wasn’t Maddox. It wasn’t a threat. It was an angel.
The bolt of lightning was inside of her and it sparked the instant their eyes met. Recognition and heat, a flare of a bond. No, it was not just a flare. An entire wildfire ricocheted through her and settled deep inside her chest. It burned through her, eviscerating her despair and loneliness and replacing it with a hope that she knew couldn’t be her own.
It overpowered everything else, even her need to breathe. It felt like her heart stopped. Her vision dimmed and the world spun madly around her and she thought maybe it had. She thought she might be dying and the angel on the stairs was here to take her away from this world.
He was a beautiful last sight.
Big, tall, dark and handsome didn’t begin to describe the man that was in no way a normal man. He was a shifter, an Alpha. Power radiated off of him like a beacon lighting up his beautiful features.
He had short, dark hair spiked haphazardly and matching dark eyebrows over the most intense set of glittering gold eyes she’d ever seen. He had a firm, strong jawline trimmed in stubble around a full mouth. There were small creases at the sides, as if he was quick to smile, but there was no amusement on his face now. He looked at her as if he was as surprised to see her as she was him.
And then, she watched as his head tilted slightly and that smile she’d known was underneath broke free. Luminous. Perfect. Angelic. She tried to smile back at him. At her beautiful, incredible mate.
It was him. The man she’d been promised all her life. The other half of her wolf’s soul, it was him and he’d come to save her, but he’d been too late.
That smile was the last thing she saw before the world went dark.
Chapter 4
Michael Hudson was rarely shocked. He was a planner, a thinker. He didn’t jump into situations where he hadn’t calculated the odds and known all the potential outcomes.
He didn’t like surprises. He’d had plenty of those in his life. He didn’t need any more. Surprises were never a good thing in his world. The few times he hadn’t been able to plan, to foresee the outcome, he’d been blind-sided.
The first time he’d been surprised, he lost his entire family.
He’d been a teenage boy then. A whiny, teenage boy that hadn’t wanted to go on a stupid camping trip with him parents. He’d wanted to stay home, spend the weekend with his best friend, and yeah maybe he’d been hoping that with some time alone he and Zoey would become more than friends.
It had been against the rules. They weren’t mates. He was a born Alpha from the Hudson bloodline that ruled over the Moirae pack and she’d been human. He should have known better than to fall in love with her but he had, long before they’d known she wasn’t meant to be his. He’d just turned eighteen and he’d been so sure that when Zoey followed him into adulthood in just a few months time that she would be his forever. So he’d whined about being left alone since he was technically an adult and eventually, after his older brother Gabe had spoken on his behalf, his parents had relented.
It was a decision that had saved his life, but also changed it forever.
His parents had been killed on that camping trip. Rogue hunters had tracked them in their wolf form and slaughtered them. Gabe too. And Rafe, his other brother, Gabe’s twin, was the only one that had survived.
Though, that’s all he’d done. Survived. Remained breathing.
Rafe had been scarred that day, him and his wolf, both mentally and physically. So instead of staying and taking over the Moirae pack, which was his birthright as the eldest Hudson, Rafe had left. He’d left everything behind. Noir. The pack. Michael. He’d run away and responsibility that never should have been left to the youngest member of the family had fallen on Michael’s shoulders.
He’d become a true adult that day. The day his world fell apart. He’d become a Pack Alpha at eighteen years old and he’d spent the past four years putting the pack ahead of himself and what he wanted in every way.
The last time he’d been surprised, he’d lost Zoey forever.
He should have let her go before. He should have let her go as soon as she came of age and he realized they weren’t fated. He knew that. He’d always known that. But something inside of him had clung to her. She’d been his anchor for so long. He hadn’t known how to let her go. And then she’d turned eighteen too and his wolf had gotten involved. His wolf had twisted up everything that he felt for her because he’d had a bond with her, even if it wasn’t the bond. His wolf had refused to let her go. He’d wanted to protect her, keep her safe, keep her close. Even if they’d both known it was ultimately a crutch that would cripple them.
It had. It had swiped his legs right out from under him just last week. Because he hadn’t seen it coming.
Rafe had come home. After four years away, his brother had come back to Noir. It had happened fast. A phone call, a message that they needed to talk, and then Rafe had been there, in Michael’s house, and their happy reunion had imploded within minutes because Rafe had scented his mate and Michael had known there was only one female in the pack that it could be.
Zoey. His Zoey. Only, she’d never really been his. As much as he’d wanted her to be, she wasn’t meant to be his mate. She was meant to be his sister. Rafe’s mate. The bond between them had always felt familial and with Rafe coming home, claiming Zoey, marking her and turning her, it had all finally started to make sense.
Michael knew he hadn’t really lost Zoey. She was still his best friend. She was family now. No longer just part of the pack in name only, she bore a Moirae wolf thanks to his brother’s bite. But he didn’t accept change easily and he and Rafe were still trying to find their footing as two born Alpha’s on the same pack land.
And now there was this.
He’d thought his urge to attack the Crescent pack had been understandable. They’d attacked his pack first. They’d attacked him just last night and left many of his own injured. Leo DeLuca had come to him, as an old friend, and asked for the help of the Moirae pack in taking back what was rightfully his from a crazed wolf that had murdered his parents and kidnapped his sisters. It was a noble cause, one that Michael had been unable to deny. But now he knew exactly why his wolf his insisted he go now, tonight. No waiting. No plotting. No planning. His wolf had felt called here, he’d thought to help, but now he saw the truth. He’d been called here by a force bigger than himself.
Fate. Fate had wanted him here tonight. And she was the reason why.
Surprise of surprises, he’d found his true mate.
It had hit him like a punch in the chest as soon as he stepped into the room. He’d scented her before he’d even seen her. Had felt the heat unfurl in his veins. The first flash of the bond when he’d seen her had nearly taken him to his knees but something had told him it wasn’t as strong as it should be. Something was wrong. Something was wrong with her.
His mate was hurt.
A growl worked its way into his chest as he looked around. His mate had been locked in a dark, cold basement. His mate was lying on the grimy, dust-covered floor. His mate was dirty and bruised, weak and injured. Bleeding! And his wolf saw red when he scented it, wanted to find the person responsible and rip them to shreds.
Michael had to force himself to take a deep breath and push his wolf back down beneath his skin where he belonged. This wasn’t the place for more violence. Not when she was already hurting. She needed him and from the looks of it, he’d found her just in time. He made sure his claws were sheathed and his fangs were put away before he moved towards her cautiously and felt more heat fill his veins, felt the pull intensify as he gave in to it and moved to her side.
&nb
sp; She was unconscious and his guts twisted as he brushed her dark hair back from her blood-streaked face. The spark of electricity that flowed between them filled his lungs with even more anger when she didn’t respond at all. She didn’t wake, didn’t curve towards him or reach for him like she should have. If he couldn’t hear her heart beating in her chest, he would have thought she was dead and the thought alone sent bile rising in his throat.
Jesus, what had they done to her?
Her hair was matted with dirt and blood. There was so much blood. It was everywhere. He scowled as he searched her for the sources and found too many. A slice on her forehead, multiple cuts on her hands, a deep, sharp slice across her arm and more small cuts on her knees were just the start of it. They were all open wounds. Unhealed. Which meant she was too weak to heal herself, which meant that slow, erratic heartbeat he could hear was nearing the point of no return.
“Baby?” He murmured softly, stroking his hands over her, hoping to transfer whatever power he could to her through the bond that was only just beginning to form, “Baby, I need you to wake up. I’m here but I need you to wake up.”
Her lashes fluttered sending relief pouring into him, but she didn’t open her eyes. Michael grimaced as he stroked her cheek. It was bruised . Swollen. Had someone hit her? Hit his mate? He couldn’t contain his growl this time and it seethed out of him. His wolf was snapping at the end of the leash Michael had put him on, wanting out, wanting to wreak havoc on everyone in this Godforsaken pack that had let this happen to her.
Dark lashes fluttered again when his growl tore through the small space and this time, her lids parted, revealing deep, chocolate brown eyes that made something painful squeeze like a trap around his heart. Her lips moved but no words came out. Nothing but a squeak. She seemed to realize that she couldn’t speak then and he felt her begin to panic before she even began to squirm.
“Easy. Easy.” He hushed her with soft tones, “It’s okay. You’re not in any danger anymore. I’m not going to let anyone hurt you. I promise.” He brushed her hair back again and met her eyes, “Nobody is going to hurt you ever again.”
Her lashes fluttered slightly, her eyes rolling back, but she fought. He saw it. Felt it. His mate was stronger than he’d first realized because she fought back from unconsciousness and licked her lips. She shook her head.
“M-my… sisters.” Her voice was less than a croak, barely a whisper, and his heart broke as she swallowed hard and tried again, “No-Nova? Maya? Safe?”
Recognition sank in at her words and he realized he wasn’t just holding a Crescent female in his arms. His mate wasn’t just a mistreated wolf. She was a DeLuca. She was Leo’s sister. His oldest sister, his twin sister and littermate, and Michael knew her name.
Luna. His mate was named Luna. Luna DeLuca was a princess in the Crescent pack, but in the Moirae pack, she would be his Queen.
“You’re safe, baby.” His own voice felt hoarse with emotions he hadn’t expected from the bond, “You’re safe and they’re safe and I’m going to get you all out of here.”
“They’re… all… I have left.” She struggled to say and he shook his head instantly, holding her tighter despite the voice in the back of his head that said to watch her wounds.
“No. They’re not. Not anymore. You have me now.”
“Is this…” Her eyes flickered over his face, glassy and unfocused, “A dream?”
Michael swallowed hard, “No, honey. It’s not a dream. I’m here. I’ve got you.”
Luna made a small sound. A hum of recognition perhaps? And she softened in his arms, relaxing into his touch, letting him hold her. Michael gripped her tighter as her lashes fluttered down again.
“No. No. Luna, baby, stay with me. I’m here but you’ve gotta stay with me.” He shook her slightly, “You have to heal okay? Jesus, Luna? Why aren’t you healing?”
His throat felt tight with worry when she didn’t respond and he resisted the urge to shake her again. Resisted the urge to growl. He just barely resisted the urge to use his Alpha voice to get the responses he wanted out of her, to force her to wake up and talk to him, because he couldn’t be sure that wouldn’t do more damage than leaving her this way for now.
The bond was there, weak as it might be. She would heal even if he had to force every ounce of his own power through that tiny string of a connection. But he couldn’t do it here. He had to get her out of here. Get her somewhere safe. Moirae land. Pack land. He needed to get her home.
“Just hold on, Luna. Hold on for me. We’re going home.”
Chapter 5
Michael’s wolf was pissed. He was snarling and snapping. He wanted to be let free. He wanted to wreak havoc and destroy the people that had dared to harm his mate. His. She was his and he hadn’t been there to protect her. He was pissed at himself.
All this time. All these years and she’d been right here, practically under his nose. Not just a member of the neighboring pack but a DeLuca. Yet in all the years he’d been Pack Alpha, been allied with the Crescents, had meetings with her father, Joe DeLuca, and he’d never, not once, met Luna.
If he had, he would have known. He would have gotten her out of here before any of this happened. Her parents might never have been killed and she definitely wouldn’t have ended up covered in blood on the floor of a dirty basement.
God, he could barely breathe thinking of what else might have been done to her.
His hands tightened on her instinctively and Michael pushed his wolf back down. He had her. She was safe now. He wasn’t going to let anyone hurt her because he was never going to let her out of his sight now that he’d found her.
He knew that was the bond taking over but he didn’t fight it. He’d heard about the mating bond his entire life. He’d heard the stories of instant attraction, instant possessiveness, but he’d somehow convinced himself that it wouldn’t be that way for him. Not him,
He was a born Alpha, Pack Alpha and nothing came before the pack. He didn’t get to have things that were his and his alone. Every move he’d made for the past four years had been about the greater good, protecting the pack, making sure the pack was taken care of and thriving. The pack was his life.
But here and now, holding Luna’s unconscious body in his arms, he knew that he’d been wrong. He wasn’t in control anymore. He wasn’t the calm, rational man that he’d always been. He was a wolf with an injured mate and he would give anything to see her whole and happy.
He’d give up his pack if that was the deal that needed to be made to save her life.
He could feel it rooting and growing inside of him. The bond was there and it would only get stronger. And he knew, in that moment, just how stupid he had been to think he could break the bond between Zoey and Rafe.
There was no fighting this. It was fate. Magic. Two souls merging as one. Once the spark was lit, there was no putting out the fire.
He owed his brother another apology but that would have to wait. Right now, his entire world was transitioning. Everything was realigning inside of him so that Luna would be the center of his universe.
For most wolves, when they found their mate, the heat pressured a quick mating, but despite the fire in his blood and the pull in his gut, Michael only felt the need to protect her. Maybe it was because she was injured. Maybe it was because she was unconscious. He didn’t know and he didn’t care. He was just thankful that his mind was clear enough to know that wasn’t what Luna needed right now. She needed his strength and he could give her that. Once she was healed and stronger, then… only then he would seal the bond and guarantee that he never lost her again.
Michael pushed to his feet and started for the stairs. He needed to get them out of here. Needed to get her home.
He took the steps with her in his arms easily. She didn’t weigh a thing and he thought that even if she had, it wouldn’t have mattered. This was where she was supposed to be, meant to be. With him, in his embrace, skin to skin and heartbeats syncing.
The rea
lization that their hearts were finding the same rhythm nearly made him stumble and he gripped her tighter. He’d heard the bond did that but he’d always thought it was more about emotions than an actual physical response. But he could feel it inside him. Even unconscious, Luna’s heart had fallen into step with his own. It was faster than it had been when he found her and he took that as a good sign.
The bond was working. It would help her heal. She could use his strength, as much as she needed. It was hers. He was hers.
Michael pushed back into the small living area upstairs and the bubble he’d let cocoon him and Luna popped. A rush of anger had him gritting his teeth as he took in the mess he’d managed to put out of his mind for just a few minutes. Where the basement had been dark and quiet, the house itself was brightly lit and showcased the damage he and his men had wrought making their way inside.
The front door was leveled. Several windows were broken. Furniture was overturned. There was blood splatter across the floor and a pool of it on the couch that looked gruesome.
Similarly, where the basement had been empty save for Luna, this room was bustling with people and activity.
When he and the Moirae Enforcers had come into town, they’d done it stealthily. Leo had known that the crazed Alpha named Maddox was likely holed up in his own house and not the pack lodge so they’d headed here, trying to stay under the radar for as long as possible. They’d only been a couple blocks away when someone spotted them and the howl had gone out alerting the Crescent pack to their invasion.
They’d split up at that point, each small group heading for their target. Rafe had taken two Enforcers and gone for the DeLuca house. Leo had taken another set of Enforcers as backup and headed for the pack lodge. They’d each hoped to find the kidnapped DeLuca sisters, who Leo believed would be spread out across the compound rather than grouped together.
Michael had been on a mission to find the rogue Alpha and take him down before he hurt anyone else. He hadn’t been looking for Luna at all but he’d found her. He’d found his mate beaten and broken in the basement of that asshole’s house and he wished with every fiber of his being that he hadn’t let Darius kill that bastard because he would have done it himself, only much, much more slowly.