Chapter 17: Chapter 17

VALERY

I wake up next to Alvarius and feel my cheeks burn, thinking of last night as he kisses my lips.

“Good morning, kitten.”

He kisses my mark and I whimper at the intensity of the heat inside me.

~“Mate.”~ My eyes widen in shock.

Alvarius looks at me, tilting his head in question. “Valery? What’s wrong? Are you in pain?”

“S-something… A voice…,” I stutter out, and his eyes widen, but he soon smiles brightly.

“That’s your wolf. She’s awakening.”

I frown at his words, and he gets up.

~“I’m so happy she does so well. Thank you, Moon Goddess. I couldn’t have wished for a more beautiful or stronger mate. She’s perfect.”~

I sit up in the bed and stare after him. Is this what he’s thinking?

Alvarius tenses and turns to me with a blushing smirk. “Oops. That will take some time to get used to.”

He climbs onto the bed and pulls me against him, kissing me deeply. I moan as heat instantly gathers at my core and Alvarius growls. He looks into my eyes, his gaze hungry. “As much as I wish we could spare the time, kitten, we have to get up. Training starts soon.”

He kisses me again, then again while his hands wander over my body. “Aww, screw training.”

***

Although we may have lingered in bed longer than intended, we still make it to training on time.

Dale is my partner again. He throws me to the ground as usual and pins me down. I groan under him.

~“Need more strength. Let me help.”~

Freezing momentarily at the sound of a voice in my head, I hesitantly nod. Suddenly, my body acts on its own, and before I know it, I roll Dale over and pinned him down instead. He stares at me in disbelief.

“Valery, you—”

“Oh my god! I’m so sorry! Are you okay!?” I ask as I gain control of my body again and jump off him.

He sits up and laughs. “Of course I’m okay. You did worse to me when we worked together. You just caught me by surprise, is all.”

I sigh out a breath of relief and laugh, too.

“Dale, let me take over.”

I tense at the demanding voice, and Dale bows his head.

“Of course, Alpha.” He steps away, leaving Alvarius looking down on me with his arms crossed over his chest. “Well then, kitten. Let’s see your fangs.”

~“Mate wants proof of how strong we are. Let him know.”~

I let my wolf take over my body again as Alvarius attempts to take me down, but I throw him on the ground and sit on top of him. He smirks.

“Not bad, but I’m done going easy on you.”

His challenging eyes sparkle golden, and he throws me off him and jumps up. I do as well and get ready to attack as he counters and throws me down. He pins my hands next to me, his lips grazing against his mark.

“Is that all you got, kitten? Disappointing.”

A growl escapes my lips, surprising me, but he smirks against my skin before dodging what he thinks is a counterattack. I tackle him from the other side instead and take him down, pinning his hands on the ground. I graze my lips against his neck, making him suck in a breath.

“You want to mark me? Go ahead, do it.”

I breathe in his sweet, intoxicating scent, feeling my teeth growing painfully longer and cutting into my lip.

~“Mark mate. Claim mate.”~

I hesitate, feeling overwhelmed by all this new power, which gives Alvarius a chance to free his hands from my grip and pull my hips down so I am sitting astride him.

“C’mon. Do it. I know you want to. Mark me, Valery, please. I beg you…” His desperate voice was a bare whisper in my ear, and I bury my teeth into his skin, inhaling his scent. He tenses under me, digging his fingers into my hips, his growl almost sounding like a purr.

“Your tiny teeth feel so good.”

I pull away and lick clean the blood dripping from the mark before looking into his eyes. He smiles as I regain control over myself and stare at him in fear. “W-what’s happening to me?” I whisper.

“It’s all right. Don’t be scared. You didn’t hurt me,” he murmurs back.

He brushes a tear away from my cheek, and I nod before he lets me climb off him. I didn’t notice that everyone had stopped their training to watch us, but they immediately bow their heads in unison.

~“They’re bowing to you, love. To their luna.”~

My eyes widen at Alvarius’s voice in my head, and he smiles at me proudly. I look around at all of these wolves, bowing—to me.

They raise their heads, revealing warm smiles, their expressions encouraging. I make eye contact with Dale, and he nods with his kind smile.

~“Say something to your pack.”~ Alvarius looks at me and then at them.

I take a deep breath. “Thank you, all of you, for accepting me as your luna. I still have a lot to learn, but I know, with your help, I’ll get there. I’ll do my best for the pack. Thank you.”

They cheer at my speech, and Alvarius pulls me to him and kisses my lips.

“Let’s celebrate in honor of our luna today!” Alvarius says happily, and everyone cheers again.

I look out at everyone with pride. This is my new home, my new family. With their embrace of my new role as luna, I am filled with anticipation, wondering about the mysterious abilities that will soon manifest. I don’t know what the future holds, but with Alvarius and our pack by my side, I can face anything. I’m ready.