Clara's POV
Ryder Black is much more handsome than Noah. He is taller and has an aura of authority about him. He's a man that knows what he wants. He is not indecisive and knows what he is bringing to the table. He knows he is attractive and that women cannot withstand him. Well, he is making one big mistake. He thinks I will fall in love again.
I want to become stronger. I want to be able to fight Zaria and kill her. I want her and Noah to feel the pain I went through. I would love to throw their bodies in the river while their hands are tied by rope dipped in wolfbane. I may even use silver handcuffs. But first, I want both of them to feel the pain I felt when I was betrayed and cheated on by my mate.
I know Zaria is in love with Noah, but Noah does not love her as I am his true and only mate. By rejecting me, he must have felt a little pain. I don't think you realized it. I think he thinks he can get back to me anytime he wants to if the pain gets too bad. He does not know that I have already met my second-chance mate. He is still blinded by his lust for Zaria to feel too much pain, but when I become Ryder's mate tonight and make love to him, I am sure Noah is going to feel every minute of Ryder being inside me.
I heard the werewolves running with their new Luna. I never experienced anything like that. My relationship with Noah was nothing but a farce. He used me and threw me away when he was done with me, but now is not the time to think about the hate in my heart. I have to get ready for the Luna ceremony.
"We brought you the dress. I don't think that you deserve it. I also don't believe you are Ryder's second-chance mate! You are nothing but a child! I am a woman, and I deserve this dress and to become the Luna of this pack." A she-wolf says from the door, standing with a beautiful golden dress in her hands. I feel the hate radiating from her.
"Ah, let me guess. You were his last lover. Ryder promised me he would have no more lovers after we became mates. You can put a dress on the bed and leave my room. Tonight, Ryder will be sleeping with me." I say, and I wonder when I have become such a b***h.
"I will kill you!" She says and storms at me, but my wolf is angry as I grab her by the throat and toss her into the hallway. I'm not as weak as Ryder thinks.
"What is going on here? Sarah, what are you doing here?" Ryder shouts from the door.
"Your mate threw me into the hallway. She grabbed me by the throat. Are you just going to leave it like that? Ryder, honey, you have to help me. She was so mean?" Sarah cries.
"Respect your Alpha! An Omega cannot call an Alpha honey. Now, get lost before I throw you down the stairs this time." I say. Ryder smiles, amused.
"Well, if you are this passionate in bed, I can only see us having fun tonight. Get lost, Sarah. If you disrespect me or my lunar ever again, I will kick you out of this pack." Ryder says.
"But, don't you love me? We spend every night together!" Sarah cries.
"Love? Get lost. You knew from the start that I would never love you. There was no bond between us. Go and find your mate. Forget about your ambitions to become a Luna as my Luna stands before me. You better finish, baby girl. The night is not getting any younger, and I want to spend the whole night with you. Let's get the ceremony over and done with," Ryder says.
A few minutes later, I leave the room, looking like a queen. This time, I won't take s**t from anyone. Now she-wolf will come near my mate. This time, I will show everyone who the boss is. I will spend every night with my mate, and I will not allow him to have any lovers. I'm not going to go through that time again. We may not love each other, but we are mates. We will be connected by our bond and feel the pain if one of us cheats.
The elders are waiting for us. The Golden Cup is in their hands. I never had a Luna ceremony. The only thing Noah and I had was the mark on my neck. It is gone now.
I walk forward, and Ryder joins me. Our hands are cut with a silver knife, and our blood unites in the Golden Cup. I feel his fangs burning in my neck. I returned the favor as I marked him. We all know what will follow. We will first have a feast with the whole pack. We will wait until the moon is at its highest, and then Ryder will take me to the bedroom and seal our bond forever.
I do not know what to expect as I am still a virgin. I do not know if Ryder knows it, but it embarrasses me. I called myself the Luna of the Storm Forest Pack, but my mate never made love to me.
Am I afraid of what will happen tonight? I do not know. My wolf assures me that she will help me through it. She will take away most of my pain. She does not want me to show any fear in front of the pack's members.
Many of them have gained respect for me after I threw Sarah out of my room. They know I will not take any nonsense. I may be young, but I am not a scared little mouse. I have been fighting my whole life. I've been fighting against rogues. I have been fighting my pack members. I have even fought my father. Nobody cared about me, and I had to protect myself. It was only the last couple of months when I thought I'd found happiness. Noah and our bond protected me, or so I thought. I will not make the same mistake twice.
We eat, drink, and celebrate until the moon is high in the sky. I look at my mate. He is handsome with his dark brewing eyes and his short dark hair. He takes my hand and pulls me up.
"It is time to seal our bond for good. You do realize that once I enter you, you are mine. There is no turning back. The only way our bond will be broken is when one of us dies. Are you sure your hunger for revenge is worth it? You will be stuck with an older man for the rest of your life. Are you ready for it?" Ryder asks.
"I am sure. You're not that old. Shall we go? I am ready to become your mate in every sense of the word," I say.
We walk to my room. I refuse to sleep in his bed where he has slipped with his beloved mate, and the Moon Goddess only knows how many other lovers. Ryder holds my hand in his as we walk up to my room. They provided me with many clothes since I had nothing with me when I arrived here, including the very sexy lingerie that I was wearing underneath this dress.
As we reach the room, Ryder does not waste time. He closes the door behind us and takes my dress off. He stares at my body in the sexy lingerie with hunger in his eyes. I stand tall and proud as I am not ashamed of my body.
Ryder removes the lingerie and his clothes. He picks me up and throws me on the bed. His thoughts kiss me and caress my body. I know this is not love. I know this is only s*x, but I cannot help enjoying the smell of him, his touch, and the touch of my hand on his rock-hard body. He is genuinely different than Noah.
My hands move to his back as he kisses me. I feel the scars on his back, and I know they are battle scars. It does not bother me as I sink my nails into his back as he enters me.
"You are a virgin. Noah is truly stupid for not taking you and your perfect body. Now, he or no man will ever have you as you are mine and mine alone." Ryder whispers.
I look up and see his eyes are darker than usual. I know it is his wolf speaking and not Ryder. Ryder will never admit to wanting me so badly. As he thrust himself into me harder and deeper, a lone wolf starts howling in pain in the distance, and I smile.
"How does it feel, Noah? I hope you enjoy every terrible pain you feel while I am having all the pleasure of my mate inside me." I think.
However, Noah quickly disappears from my mind. All I can think about is this man inside of me, making love to me. He has taken over all my senses. And I know it is because of my wolf who wants to be close to him. There is no love between us, but our wolves want each other, and we can not stop them from getting wilder with every thrust. We lose control, and I am glad that I feel pleasure after one second of intense pain. Willow, my wolf, helped me take away the pain as she promised. She is enjoying the pleasure as I do.