Eclipsed Hearts

An Unexpected Offer

[Ian]

After the meal, I circulated with everyone. There had been a brief presentation and speech, but it was hard to focus when Mari was at risk of being hurt. Though, so far, Alpha Black hadn’t seemed aggressive while she was with him. At least, not to her.

He looked more like he was protecting her. That didn’t relieve my concern. But how much of that concern was for her and how much was because I wanted to be the one to kill her?

The feelings that had been growing inside me made me uneasy. She needed to die. Mari Damson was a threat to my family and my pack.

But….

I couldn’t get the feeling of holding her out of my mind. Nothing had ever made me feel so complete. And when I kissed her…. Goddess, it was a terrible mistake, but it felt so right. Nothing had ever felt so good.

Even though there was no way she knew Alpha Black before we got to the island, she was acting as if he was an old friend. Any time her hand rested for even a moment on his arm, I had to fight the urge to growl or go take her away from him. I shouldn’t be jealous, but I was.

There was a soft hum of voices around me, a blur of faces and laughter. But I couldn’t focus on anything except Mari, standing close to Alpha Black, her hand brushing his arm. It was a simple gesture, yet it sent a jolt of anger and desire through me. My wolf was howling in my head, demanding her back, claiming her once and for all, but I held back. For now.

Why did the Goddess make my enemy my mate? It was cruel to both of us.

I tried to calm my racing thoughts by taking a deep breath. I had to act like I didn’t care about Mari’s well-being. But her smoldering eyes and soft touch ruined everything I tried to do. She seemed so genuinely happy with Alpha Black. I wondered if she knew how dangerous he really was.

“You better stop eyeing the hunter,” Melo warned quietly. “If you piss off Keaton Black, it’s not going to end well for you.”

“I’m not threatening her or trying to kill her. I’m free to look. If he wanted to hide her, then he would,” I replied, heading to the bar for a drink.

Alcohol wouldn’t do anything to me, but it made it easier to blend in as a human. I ordered something I could sip and wandered the space, introducing myself by my fake identity and meeting other convention goers.

I could always find Mari, no matter who I was talking to or where I was. I was slowly heading toward her and the Alpha. He wanted to talk to me, so I had to find a place where it would look normal for us to be chatting. If I kept staring and he kept ignoring me, people might think I’m a stalker or something.

As I approached Mari and Alpha Black, I plastered a fake smile on my face and greeted them casually. “Good evening. Quite an interesting event, isn’t it?”

“Indeed,” Alpha Black said, extending his hand. “Keaton Black.”

I accepted the offered hand and shook it firmly. “Anthony Meier.”

He nodded and indicated Mari. “Have you met Demi Harris?”

She’d told him her fake name but probably didn’t realize he already knew who she was. I met his eyes with my own before holding my hand out to her.

Instead of shaking Mari’s hand, I pulled her away from him and held her against me. Mari stiffened in my arms but didn’t push away. There was nothing I could do. It wasn’t me.

For the first time in my life, my wolf took over and made me pull her to me. It was my wolf who wouldn’t let her go as well. She didn’t fight at all. Instead, she gripped my shirt.

I looked down at her and could smell her mild panic. She calmed herself down after a minute. I needed to keep it cool.

“You know who we are and what we do,” I said to Alpha Black.

He raised an eyebrow. “Indeed. I know quite a lot about both of you… Mr. Meier.”

“So more than the ‘hearing a little’ about me that you said earlier. Then you also know what sort of trouble you’re stirring up,” I continued, my eyes locked with his.

Alpha Black’s expression remained neutral, but a flicker of something passed through his eyes. Recognition? Amusement? It was hard to tell.

“It seems you have your reasons for being concerned,” he replied calmly. “But rest assured, I have no intention of causing any harm to your… interests.”

I tightened my grip on Mari slightly. He knew what she was to me. How did he know?

“It’s not just about me.”

“I am fully aware of that. No one truly realizes the extent of my knowledge, but trust me, I know quite a lot more than people might think. As I said, I would like to speak with you. Perhaps Ms. Harris may not be the best company for our conversation. Sadly, we may not have many choices to meet alone this week,” Alpha Black said.

Mari needed more protection this week. Most people here wanted to kill her. The werewolves knew better than to mess with her in front of the Blood Moon Alpha, but the human killers didn’t have a clue. Those were the ones who were the most concerning.

I saw werewolves whispering to people with weapon scents about who he was and the danger of messing with him. The smart ones backed off, but some were eyeing us like they were checking out the competition.

“Ms. Harris has accepted my offer to stay in my room with me. I know you don’t trust me alone with her, so I will offer you the same. Of course, there are only two beds, and, as an Alpha, I don’t like threats sleeping right next to me, so you will have to share,” he told me.

“Or sleep on the floor,” Mari added quietly.

With a look, I silently warned her not to mess with me. I really didn’t like it, but it was the safest choice we had. I gave a quick nod, my jaw tight.

“Fine. I’ll take you up on your offer,“ I said, my voice laced with tension.

Alpha Black simply smiled, his eyes gleaming with an unreadable emotion. It made my wolf uneasy, but I resisted the urge to growl at him. It wasn’t the right time to pick a fight I knew I couldn’t win.

“Let’s go get your things, then we will get Ms. Harris’ things. If the three of us go, then we won’t have to worry about someone being left behind and attacked. Now that you’re holding her, you’ve made yourself a target and drawn no little attention to yourself.”

I frowned but said nothing as I walked out of the room with Mari by my side. Gino shot me a look that said he was pissed, but he wasn’t gonna get involved. I gave him a nod, making sure I’m aware of what’s happening around me.

As we made our way to my room, I kept a protective arm around Mari, watching around us. Damn it. We were supposed to be getting Gino into a place where he would trust us enough to open himself up to an attack when we weren’t on this Goddess-forsaken island. She ruined everything, like she had since the moment I met her.

Inside the room, Alpha Black gestured for Mari to sit on my bed while he leaned casually against the dresser. I remained standing by the door, my eyes never leaving him. Despite his relaxed posture, tension was in the air, a silent acknowledgment of the power dynamics at play.

“So, Mr. Meier,” Alpha Black began, his voice smooth yet tinged with an underlying authority. “This is the time to gather your things. You will not be able to come back to this room during your stay, make sure you get everything you might need. ”

I narrowed my eyes, but did as he said. I didn’t know why I was acting like this to an Alpha, a real Alpha, but whatever was causing it would get me into trouble if I didn’t curb it soon. He didn’t posture or act aggressively. Instead, he stood by and watched me until I started moving.

“Ms. Damson, would you take your friend’s toiletry bag and start collecting his things from the bathroom, I would like to speak with him for a moment. I would appreciate you giving us some privacy,” he said in a tone that said he wouldn’t accept any answer but ‘yes’.

“Why shouldn’t I listen in? I know very little about him and even less about you,” Mari replied.

He picked up the bag off the top of the dresser. “Please. You promised to trust me and I do not break my promises. Let me show you that your father was right. We can be allies and even friends. Just like I needed to talk to you privately, I need to speak with him privately. The bathrooms here don’t have windows. It’s the safest place to put you while we talk. Will you please stay there?”

She looked like she wanted to talk back for a moment, then took a slow, deep breath, and nodded.

“Fine. But don’t think this means you won, Keaton.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.”

Mari glanced at me for a moment. At first, her expression was worried, then angry. She tore the bag out of Alpha Black’s hand and stormed off to the bathroom, slamming and locking the door behind her.

“Your mate is awfully dramatic, Alpha Ian,” Keaton said to me as I turned back to him.