THE ALPHA’S VENGEFUL LUNA

CHAPTER 2: MINE

ICARIUS

"Come back to bed." Lana, the current woman I'm seeing for the week purred, holding my arms back from leaving. I've had various types of women on my bed over the last years, she-wolves and humans in all shapes and sizes, but Lana was one of the few who made s*x a bit exciting.

The absence of a mate meant freedom to sleep with whatever she-wolf I desire, but it got boring when I had been at it for over thirty years. My a hundred and thirty year reign as an immortal might be a dream come true to everyone else. No one had ever thought about the downside of it. Spending years alone, watching people I know grow old and die.

It was a gut-wrenching endless cycle.

"We've been in bed all day," I gave her a small smile and wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her closer to me.

"Five more minutes," she replied, eyeing my taut muscles before our lips met, kissing her greedily, passionately, with a hunger. I skimmed my tongue over her lips and she parted them, letting me explore her mouth with my tongue.

I got a good view of her French cut b*a and lacy panties when I pushed the sheets away, smirking at the view. Lana had always been one of the most sexually attractive she-wolf in the clan and she knew. I liked how self aware she was.

I continued to kiss the slender column of her neck and she tilted her head to give me a better access. She flinched when she felt my hard on cushion against her entrance. Her body trembled as she moved her hips desperately.

"You want it that bad, don't you?" I asked, cupping her breast.

Lana nodded as her body quivered. She was always one to be weak to pleasure. I couldn't help but want to tease her.

Just when I was about to slide the lacy panties down her legs, my room door busted open, startling the both of us. Lana scrambled to hide her exposed body with the sheets I had tossed aside, while Lewis, my beta, spun around immediately at the sight.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I didn't know you had company."

I had appointed the boy as my beta a few weeks ago and even if he erred sometimes, he was a good wolf.

"What do you want?" I asked, putting on my shirt.

"There's a situation."

"It better be important." I looked over at Lana who was now fully covered. "You can turn around now."

Lewis turned to see me scowling at him. Whatever the reason was for this disruption better be worth it.

"I found an intruder sneaking around the borders," he spoke. "I thought maybe you might want to check it out yourself."

Intruders were enemies I had instructed the clan to bring to my notice if any one of them were found. The world had evolved so much over the years but enemies remained constant. They were nothing but threats.

"Did they say who they were?"

"No. I only got her name."

Her? That was a new one. Women I'd come across warmed my bed, not pose as threats. "Very well, then. I will be down in a minute."

Lewis closed the door behind him as I pinched the bridge of my nose. My dungeons were already filled with too many intruders. I didn't mind adding one more to the list. They should know better than try to mess with me. It never ended well.

"Do you have to go?" Lana murmured behind me. "Just tell beta Lewis to throw her in a dungeon or something."

"You're not my mate. Do not tell me how to run my clan."

I didn't miss the look of disappointment on her face before I headed downstairs. No one would be able to replace my lost mate, and seeing them try only infuriated me.

"Where is she?" I asked Lewis who waited for me at the end of the stairs and he jerked his head towards a direction, my gaze going there instantly.

She was looking out the window when my eyes landed on her, the sunlight casting a warm halo over her face. Her dress was unusual because I hadn't seen anything like that since a century ago. Those days felt just like yesterday when hate and resentment were still fresh in my heart, when I murdered women and children for the sake of it.

I never once regretted my actions, but seeing the intruder now stirred some kind of polite reminder about how brutal I was. If I'm being honest, she stirred more than that enough to put my wolf in a frenzy.

"I hear you were lurking around my borders." She snapped her gaze away from the window and directed them at me upon hearing my voice. Her young face was hard to read, beautiful and well proportioned nonetheless. Those high cheekbones slightly moved. "Intruders are not welcome here."

"I'm not an intruder. I was on my way here."

One of my brows shot up. Did she really walk all the way here barefooted? For what reason? "What's your name?"

She hesitated a bit before answering. "Freya."

"Don't you have a last name?"

"I don't."

The way she stared straight at me with no atom of fear left me amazed. Everyone feared Icarus Donovan the immortal who was a ruthless murderer of women and children. And yet this girl seemed indifferent by my presence. It took a tiny bruise to my ego.

"I'm sure you don't expect me to believe you're not an intruder just because you say you're not."

Freya shrugged. "Believe whatever you want. I know my truth."

"Where are your family?"

"Dead."

I folded my arms across my chest, still finding it hard to believe her. "Are you saying you have no home?" She shook her head. "Nowhere else to go?" Another shake of her head.

"She did say she was lost when I found her," Lewis who had been standing quietly in a corner said.

A damsel in distress. Too bad I wasn't a gentleman who cared enough to take in a lost puppy. She was lucky enough not to be teared apart by wild animals in the woods. It would be cruel of me to send her back out there. But I had never been known for being nice. Quite the opposite.

I was engulfed by her scent when I took a step closer to her. It swirled around me and enveloped my body like a soft blanket as I inhaled deeply to analyze the aroma. She smelled earthy. A mixture of lemongrass and pine. My heart rate began to slow and I felt a sudden click in my brain.

It was my wolf howling in delight.

‘Mate, mate, mate’ he kept repeating to me.

I had never thought about getting another mate since my last one. What were the odds of my second mate coming unannounced to my clan in her own accord?

It felt like we were the only people in the room and I was just stuck there. I couldn't seem to move or look away. The air, tense and sizzling with electricity, doubled when I growled out, "Mate."

She appeared a bit confused too, nodding. "That's correct."

"This cannot be happening." I ran a hand through my hair, signaling for Lewis to come closer. "Get the pack’s priest. I need to be sure this is true."

"Yes, Alpha."

Lewis dashed out the door, leaving me and the girl to study each other. I've not had a mate in thirty years. Why now? "If the priest gets here and it turns out you are not my mate, I'll have you thrown in the dungeons for lying," I said.

"You felt it too, didn't you? What reason do I have to lie?"

"We'll know when the priest arrives."

"I have nowhere else to go. Throwing me in your dungeons would be doing me a favor. Mate or not, I get to stay here," Freya said so with a determination that let me know she was not joking around.

"If you're so keen on staying here, then you would watch how your tone and behave yourself. I'm sure you've heard rumors about me. They are all true."

"Yes, I've heard rumors. You murdered a whole village in the nineteenth century. Burned witches alive, let your wolves eat children. Are you proud of those?"

"I had my reasons." I saw no reason to explain my past behaviors to this strange girl. No one would truly understand me. She looked away for the first time and directed her attention back to the window.

It was when I looked closely at her I realize she wasn't staring outside the window. She was staring at the window like it was the most magnificent and fascinating thing in the world.

"Where did you previously live?"

She didn't still turn to face me at my question, focusing intently on the windows. I had this whole place refurbished every year to fit the modern world more and people are often surprised at the up-to-date designs anytime they visit. I might be over a hundred years old but I'm not old fashioned.

"Far from here," Freya replied.

"How far?"

"Very far."

Such a vague reply for a specific question. "Don't they have shoes where you're from?"

She hid her feet under her overflowing dress. "I lost them."

"So let me get this straight." I lean sideways on a pole standing in the middle of the room. "You have no home, no family, no last name, no belongings. And that's not strange to you at all?"

"Not at all."

This girl was beginning to make me go nuts. What was taking my beta and the priest so long? And why was she paying more attention to a window than someone she claimed was her mate?

"You know, I'm starting to think you came here because you had nowhere else to go and not because I am your mate. This clan isn't a charity organization for homeless people."

She smiled, so briefly that I almost missed it. "Clearly, you aren't thinking well enough."

The door opened as Lewis walked in, the priest following closely behind him.

"Sorry we took so long," the priest began. "I was picking up herbs in the woods and…"

I held up a hand to cut him off. "Save it. That girl over there claims we're mates. How reliable is that information?"

The priest’s eyes flickered between us, lingering more on her before nodding. "She's the one. She's your second mate.