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It had taken everything in him to subjugate that side, learning to control his wolf. But then, not every child was going to face such aggression.
After all, most children weren’t alphas like him.
That’s when Adrian heard the snap of a twig in the distance.
Nobody should have been out this far into the wilderness. Immediately, his eyes turned to find the source of the noise, fangs bared, ready to charge whoever dared jeopardize the safety of his pack.
He watched readily, waiting for the source of the noise to identify itself. At first, he considered it might have just been his imagination, but even over the cracks of the fire, he heard it again. This time, it was much closer.
His enforcers looked at him in confusion as though confirming he hadn’t simply brought somebody else out. When they saw his readiness to attack and the uneasy look in his eyes, they dropped the wooden training swords, unsheathing their steel blades.
From among the dark shadows of the trees, a cloaked figure approached. Adrian had plenty of enemies. There was no way he was taking a risk.
He dashed forward, and before the cloaked figure could reach any member of his pack, he was already on top of them, knocking them to the dirt floor with a thud.
“You have about five seconds to tell me what you’re doing here,” Adrian growled. “So talk fast.”
He was very aware of the children nervously watching him. He didn’t like scaring them, but it was far better for them to be scared than dead.
From under the hood, he saw a single strand of long blonde hair, then the most radiant green eyes he had ever seen.
He threw off the woman’s hood, revealing what he considered to be the most magnificent beauty he had ever laid eyes on.
And something clicked within him as he regarded her and inhaled her scent. It was as though he had always known her. He wanted to give her everything … to protect her against the challenges of the world. Time stood still as they studied each other. Sound faded, visions narrowed. It was just the two of them. For the longest moment, nothing else existed.
“Buy a girl a drink first,” she hissed as she threw him off her.
But he couldn’t let his defenses waiver. He still gripped his blade, ready to attack at a moment’s notice.
“Who the hell are you?” he asked.
But he could tell she had felt it also. The world continued to stand still as they regarded each other. Shamefully, for a moment, Adrian wasn’t aware of the children or enforcers gathered around them.
“I could ask you the same question,” she said.
But even she must have realized she was in the wrong, looking at the lines of gathered children and pack enforcers.
“Is this woman causing you trouble, Alpha?” Herald asked, having sustained a few scrapes and splinters on his neck from childish aggression.
Adrian barely heard him. Whatever was between him and this woman pulled his attention, keeping it focused on only her.
“What the hell did you do to me?” the woman asked Adrian, her eyes wide.
Adrian said nothing, getting to his feet. He realized if the woman had intended to hurt the children, she would have done so already.
“Tell me your name,” Adrian commanded as he extended his hand.
Without taking it, she pushed herself off the ground. She didn’t answer at first. Adrian suspected she wanted nothing more than to flee the scene, and he was on edge, prepared to run after her and demand answers.
She dusted off her cloak and then turned to face him once more. “Luna.”
Hearing her name sent chills down Adrian’s spine as he regarded her beauty with fascination. She had been hurt deeply. Adrian could see it not only in her face but in the way she carried herself.
“What’s going on here?” Herald asked suddenly. “Do you know this woman?”
“I’ve never met her in my life,” Adrian replied. “But I think she’s my mate. Luna. I’m Adrian.”
The rest of his enforcers gathered around Adrian and looked on in confusion. The children, having no interest in the ongoings of the adults, sparred playfully among one another. In the cool breeze, Adrian could hear their grunts and squeals as they attacked each other with their training swords, clearly not understanding the magnitude of the situation.
