Luna On The Run!

Beta Eric’s POV

“Eric, Kensley, in my office!”

Zane is furious, his whole aura exudes it. Only Ariel seems numb to his mood. The drive back to the packhouse is in icy silence as she chats animatedly about anything and everything.

But now that we have arrived, he can no longer contain his anger and summons me to his study along with Kensley. Ariel climbed the stairs to their flat, impervious to the tense atmosphere. She still waved after us, her eyes fixed on me.

As the door slams shut behind us, Zane turns to me. His eyes spit fire and I see his claws erupt. His wolf, Claw, is on the verge and I know I have to be careful. There is nothing more dangerous than a jealous Alpha.

“Eric, what is it between you and my mate? I notice that she likes to engage with you, values your views and comes alive when she looks at you,” he snarls. “I want an honest answer. Is there something going on between you two?” I shake my head in denial before he’s even finished.

“Zane, Ariel is my Luna and you are my best friend. I would never put myself in that position. Besides, I’m waiting for my mate, I don’t want to get involved with other people’s women. There are plenty of single wolves in the pack I can cavort with if I need one.” I look straight at him, telling him the truth.

“And why does she talk to you as if you were her mate? She wants to know your thoughts on everything. A little more and she jumps on your lap.” His eyes are blood red now, just a little more and my head will fall off.

“Yes, I noticed that too, Zane,” Kensley comes in. “But I also noticed that Eric kept referring to you, reminding her that you were her mate. I think you should have a talk with her so she doesn’t get Eric in trouble.” I breathe out a sigh of relief but understand that I need to steer this discussion in a different direction.

“Zane, haven’t you noticed that there’s something not quite right about the Luna?” I interrupt him. “From the reports we have on her, I know that she is infatuated with Alpha Gorgio. The two are inseparable. But when she talks of her life before she came here, it’s all about her father, the Alpha King and his pack. But she has not lived there for a year. She never mentions the Alpha in her stories.”

Both Zane and Kensley stare at me thoughtfully.

I’m sure they’re reflecting on our trip. And then Zane nods in agreement. “Yes, Eric, now that you mention it. I haven’t heard her mention Gorgio since she’s been here. She hasn’t called him either, I check her phone every night,” he admits slowly. “Our intelligence reports that Gorgio has left his pack and is probably hanging out in Human Town. And that’s a bit too far away from Midnight Moon to have a mind link. Or he must be bivouacked somewhere near our borders to be in contact with her anyway. But I doubt it. Gorgio is not the kind of Alpha who would go into hiding”.

“No, not Alpha Gorgio. But her behavior is very strange. And sometimes she acts younger than her age, and sometimes quite mature. The way she slyly rebukes you is like a grown woman. However, when she is with Eric, she acts like his mate,” Kensley muses.

My goodness. I wish no one would feel the need to mate me with Ariel. First my wolf, then Zane, and now Kensley. Please, spare me! Again, I don’t share my women while we’re in a relationship. Besides, I do not covet my friend’s mate, she is not mine.

‘Yes, she is. She’s ours. She’s our mate, Eric,’ I hear Hunter chattering again.

‘Just a little longer and I’ll feed you wolfsbane. Then I’ll be rid of you for a while,’ I threaten him. He immediately retreats into the background. Wolves are terrified of wolfsbane and silver. Both weaken them within a minute, and a large dose of either can be fatal.

“But how are we going to find out what’s going on? She ignores me, sometimes I think she doesn’t even want me. Her behavior is not like a mated wolf at all, it drives me crazy. I’ve had so many sleepless nights because of this.” Zane runs a hand through his hair.

“She sat next to me the whole way, looking out the window. My wolf kept complaining, Claw wanted to take her in his arms. But she repels us. I don’t even know her wolf’s name. Claw says he can’t feel her, it’s as if she’s chained her wolf,” he cried in anguish. “Why is she doing this to me? Is it to avenge Gorgio? But what is my fault? It is the Moon Goddess who has created this situation, I did not ask for it”. Distraught, he stares out through the glass wall.

Kensley walks over and pats him on the shoulder.

“She does this on purpose. She sleeps next to me, but there is such a distance between us. Is that even possible between mates? Shouldn’t she throw herself into my arms and plead with me to love her? This is too much, I’m telling you. I just want to love and mate her. I want to leave my mark on her.”

Zane’s cry of grief is terrible to hear. No, Hunter is wrong, Ariel could never be our mate. I could never be a part of his deep suffering. But he did say something remarkable. Can’t Claw sense Ariel’s wolf? That is impossible; it is the wolves within us that forge the bond that makes us recognize each other as mates.

Ariel had sensed Zane as her mate during the council meeting and fled. Fact! Otherwise, she would have no reason to be untraceable and then still show up here later voluntarily.

There are too many loopholes in this mating between Zane and Ariel. And I’ll be damned if I don’t find out what’s going on.

“There’s only one way know what’s keeping Ariel from mating with you, Zane,” I hear Kensley say carefully. “She connects well with Eric. I suggest he befriends her and persuades her to trust him and pour her heart out to him. To avoid arousing suspicion, ask her out on a date and woo her, Zane”.

Terrified, I take a step back. “No! Why me? You do that, Kensley,” I burst out.

“I already explained that. Why are you resisting? What’s your problem, Beta?” Now the Head Warrior and Alpha are staring at me suspiciously.Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

Deep shit!…