Healed

EMERY

I was rooted to the spot, watching this mysterious, dark man threaten my friend. I moved forward, almost on autopilot, and placed my hands on his arms.

His arm tensed under my touch, snapping me back to reality. I couldn’t use my abilities to soothe him. Not here. There were too many people around and this man was a stranger.

I quickly pulled my hands back and stepped away as I saw my father approaching.

“Alpha Damon,” my father said in a diplomatic tone as he walked over, “what’s happening here?”

“This pup was touching her,” he growled.

My father squinted, trying to understand the situation. His eyes widened as he pieced it together.

“Alpha Damon, Dr. Matt is a long-time family friend. I’m sure he didn’t mean to—”

“I know exactly what he meant to do,” Alpha Damon grumbled.

“Regardless, Alpha Damon, please let him go so we can talk,” my father replied.

Alpha Damon gave Matt a dark look before releasing him and stepping back. I helped Matt up before turning to face the intimidating man before me.

“What the hell was that f—” I stopped. Words failed me.

As I locked eyes with him, his bright blue eyes sending a jolt through my body. Then I was hit by the intoxicating scent of sandalwood.

“OUR MATE! WE FOUND HIM!~”~River screamed in my mind.

Once the initial shock wore off, panic set in again. “River, he’s not from our pack… He’s an Alpha from another pack… What if he—”

“Come with me,” a low voice interrupted my thoughts.

I looked up to see him staring down at me, his hand extended toward me. I hesitantly took his hand and followed him to a table on the far side of the field, my parents trailing behind us.

“Well, Alpha Damon, this is certainly unexpected,” my father said, clearly uncomfortable. I knew he had hoped I’d find a mate within our pack.

I glanced at my mother, who was struggling to hold back tears.

“We’re leaving tonight,” Alpha Damon stated bluntly.

I looked up at him, worried. “I can’t leave tonight. I’m not ready.”

He frowned at me before turning back to my father. “Fine. We’ll leave tomorrow morning, no later. I can’t be away from my pack for too long.”

With that, he stood and walked off to join the party, engaging in conversation with a group of men I assumed were from his pack.

I turned to my parents, my fear mirrored in their faces. “Mom, Dad, he’s a stranger. I can’t hide it for long. I don’t know if I can do this…”

“You have to. Alpha Damon isn’t someone you can say no to. He wouldn’t take rejection well,” my father replied.

I sighed before taking a deep breath, knowing I couldn’t calm myself the way I wanted to.

“Well, I guess I’ll just have to make the best of it,” I said, trying to sound confident. I looked over at Alpha Damon.

He turned and met my gaze. His piercing blue eyes seemed to be studying me. I looked away and said, less confidently, “Maybe he’s not as bad as he seems…”

My parents chuckled softly before we walked up to the pack house to start packing my things.

The next morning, I stood outside my home, hugging my family goodbye. My mother was crying as we said our farewells.

Alpha Damon stepped forward and placed his hand on the small of my back, the touch sending a shiver through me. “Are you ready?” he asked.

I nodded before turning to the car, casting one last look at my family, trying to memorize their faces. I didn’t know when I’d see them again.

I climbed into the large, black SUV and stared out the window, hoping no one would notice the silent tears streaming down my face as we drove away.

***

DAMON

As I sat in the back of the SUV on the way to the Red Mountain Pack, I let out a long sigh. I didn’t want to be here.

I had no interest in attending some party and watching some young she-wolf being paraded around by her father.

My Beta was supposed to go and keep an eye on the single males who were hoping to find their mates at the party.

But my Beta got food poisoning right before the trip and I was roped into going.

As we arrived, I saw the large crowd and took a deep breath before stepping out of the car. We were a bit late, and the men were practically falling over themselves to get out of the cars.

I reminded my pack that we were guests and to behave accordingly before heading to a quiet corner of the party.

I stood to the side, nursing a drink when I smelled her. The scent of vanilla filled the air and I shook my head, trying to clear my mind. I knew what it meant. My mate was here.

I ignored it, knowing that she wouldn’t know I was here unless she saw me. As an Alpha, my ability to sense my mate was much stronger than that of other wolves.

I stayed in the background, hoping she wouldn’t find me. I watched as everyone danced, laughed, and enjoyed themselves.

Then I saw her.

I could feel my wolf, Jax, spinning in circles. I pushed him aside, trying to shake off the thought. But when I looked up, I saw her again. Long brown hair and a bright smile.

She was petite and pretty, and of course, she had to be that Alpha’s daughter. I sighed before taking another sip of my drink.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t stop watching her. I watched from a distance as she danced and smiled.

I could already feel the pull of the mate bond. My eyes followed her as she made her way to the buffet, and I had to suppress a chuckle when she devoured a whole hamburger in two bites.

I watched as the wolf approached her. Their familiarity was evident in the ease of their conversation. I wasn’t thrilled about it, but I kept my mouth shut. My plan was to get through this party and head home without ever having to meet her.

But then he touched her.

“Rip his hands off! Kill him!~”~ Jax’s voice echoed in my head.

Seeing him move closer to her, I felt a surge of anger. Every fiber of my being screamed at me to pummel the little wolf.

The moment I grabbed him, I knew I’d messed up. Now she would know who I was. There was no avoiding it.

When our eyes met, I was almost lost. Her eyes were a warm, bright hazel. There was no turning back now, much to my wolf’s delight.

I was annoyed that I had to spend the night. I had intended to head home right after the party, not wanting to linger any longer than necessary.

Finding a mate was never part of my plan. Not ever.

***

As we drove away from her house, I noticed her trying to conceal her tears.

“Talk to her! Comfort her! Hold her!~”~ Jax’s voice echoed in my head as I tried to ignore her crying.

“Why?” I shot back.

“Because she’s our mate, you idiot.~”~

“If she wanted me to comfort her, she wouldn’t be hiding her tears,” I grumbled, hoping he would leave me alone.

We drove in silence for a while, the trees blurring past us as we navigated the winding mountain roads.

“So, you’re Alpha Damon, right?” she finally broke the silence.

“Yes,” I responded curtly.

“I’m Emery,” she said in a soft voice. We sat in silence for a bit before she spoke again. “So…which pack are you from?”

“Black Grass,” I answered.

She nodded in acknowledgment before turning to me again. “So—”

“Listen,” I interrupted, turning to face her, “you don’t need to know me. I don’t want a mate, I don’t need a mate. But my pack needs a Luna, so here we are. No more questions.”

Emery lowered her gaze, clearly disappointed. But I wasn’t about to let her believe this was anything more than it was.

The rest of the journey was quiet. She fell asleep halfway through and slept for the remainder of the trip, which I was grateful for.

I breathed a sigh of relief when we entered pack territory. We drove for another ten miles before finally arriving at the house.

“We’re here,” I said, gently waking her up. “Welcome to Black Grass.”