CONNOR

The feeling of my fists pounding on the punching bag is a welcome distraction from my wolf's constant growling and whining. I saw her after so many years and the shock on her face is stuck in my head. I was sure that my eyes were playing tricks with my mind and not the other way round.

Fuck my life! Did it have to be her? Out of all the women in this country, she is the one? I'm screwed.

"Stop it, will you?"

I ignore the voice, my focus unwavering as I imagine myself as the punching bag and rain down a few more punches on it before stopping to wipe off the sweat on my forehead. Snatching the water bottle from Tatiana's hands, I drink the cold water desperately hoping that it will wash off all my sins.

"What's gotten into you?"

Again, I ignore her and start walking away from the gym and upstairs to the living room of my home. The little trouble maker trails behind me as if I am some mentally unstable kid who can't take care of himself.

"Stop following me, kid. Go harass your mate," I mutter in the hopes that her mate comes and takes her away. At least then she'll stop pestering me.

"Not happening. Zion has probably reached the school by now. He just came to drop me off," she says and I can hear the smirk in her voice.

That bastard!

"You can't do that. I am the Alpha of this pack and that means that I am to be informed about any guest visits," I growl and immediately hear her gasp.

Shit!

"How could you say that? This is my home, too," she whispers, her voice wavering a bit. I turn around to look at her sad face and curse myself. How and why do I choose the wrong words every time? I have the innate talent of saying wrong things at the wrong time.

"I apologise, Kotyonok. I have a lot of things on my mind right now. I shouldn't have said that. You can stay for as long as you wish," I whisper, petting her head and ruffling her hair. She slaps my hand away and then pulls me in for a hug. For a female she sure is strong. Perks of being an Alpha born.

Her scent has changed. She smells more like Zion now that they have officially claimed each other. She is now the Luna of Mystic Shadow but she still harasses me like the little minx that she is.

"I know something is wrong. Just don't worry, okay? I am hear for you," she whispers and then goes on her tippy toes to kiss my cheek. I smile to reassure her and kiss her head before releasing her.

"What's going on with Zion?" I ask, hoping to change the topic. If she notices, she doesn't say anything.

"We came here with the plan of staying for a couple of days but this morning he got a call from his dad. Something about elder Ernouf's death. I was tired so he went alone."

"Thanks for helping me out. You wouldn't believe that our father was a very slacking Alpha," I mutter, thinking about the piles and piles of paperwork and empty reassurances to the pack.

"No problem. Mom's also busy with her elder work and I think she's happy. Happier than the last few months. I don't think she was happy with dad," she says with a very sad look of her face and I feel my claws elongate when she talks about our father and his attitude towards her and our mom.

"I want him caught, Kotyonok. That night he was not happy. He was not happy with that Alpha King's rejection to mate you and our mom's decision to leave him. He is dangerous to both of you," I speak my thoughts. I have been on the search for my father for months. I guess I need a closure. I want his assurance that he won't go after mom and Tatiana. Both of them are happy, mom with her elder duties and Tatiana with her true mate.

Tatiana squeezes my hands, unwinding them and my claws retreat.

"He'll come around. He's suffering too," she says and I know she's talking about the broken mate bond between him and our mother but I can't get out the image of mom laying on the ground, clutching her head, screaming out dad's name.

~~~~

"What's up, brother?" I let out a breath that I didn't even know I was holding when I hear his voice.

"How's my mom?" I ask.

"She's fine. She's settled properly with her duties and is helping Sierra build a better library. They both have taken over my grandfather's archive and are cataloguing the ancient texts," explains Fenris. I am relieved. It means that she's found something to focus upon. Losing a mate especially when he's still alive can be very heart breaking.

Never experienced it but guess I might in the near future. Shaking off those thoughts, I ask my next question.

"What's with the elder Ernouf's case?" Elder Ernouf was an elder who was murdered by food poisoning during Sierra's rescue from the rogue Xavier's clutches.

"I think I found something. I've sent Elder Zacharias on that trail since Sierra wasn't feeling well. She's been very weird, extreme mood swings and I can't leave her in this state," he says.

"Yes, yes. The way you two were sucking on each other's tongues during your claiming ceremony, I can make out what kind of mood swings she's having," I exclaim, dryly. He laughs and I know that he's really happy. I am happy for him. For a long time, he didn't have anyone. I am his best friend but he's been more of a friend than I ever was to him, considering how my father loathed him, still does, probably.

"What's going on in Blue Moon?" he asks casually but I know what he's referring to. The many complaints against my father that he received from my pack members.

"I'm solving the complaints steadily. I need time to get used to it," I say. He's after all the King of Wolves of Recrania. I am answerable to him and I know that no one's better suited for the job than him.

"I get it, brother. We both are in the same boat," he says referring to his rescued Crimson Shadow pack.

"At least they didn't have a shitty Alpha like my pack," I say, shameful that it was my father who's faulty.

"No, but they suffered at the hands of Xavier when in captivity. The females more than the males. Males get physically beaten but females suffer from sexual abuse and that's what's troubling me, Connor."

"You'll figure it out. Sierra is a great Luna. She'll help the females," I say truthfully.

"Yes, she is. I called to inform that your mother wants to visit. Sierra will want to come too. Are you free the next full moon?" he asks and I count mentally. The next full moon's in two weeks. Yes, till then I can at least build a civil relationship with Catrina. I'll bring her here and then ask my mother about this situation.

I still don't understand how she's my mate. She's human! The Goddess is surely playing tricks with me or maybe it's just Karma biting me in my ass. After so many years and after moving out of that town where I went to high school, it's fated. She moved out of that town and walked into mine. It's not a coincidence, no way.

"Sure. Call me when you leave. I'll be there to pick you up at the airport," I offer.

~~~~~~~

"Hey, Maxim. How's your wife and son?" I talk into the phone desperately hoping that I can get some information about my mate. Thinking of her as my mate is so different and not as weird as I thought it would be. Having it confirmed now means that I'll have to work extra hard to get her back.

"Hey, Connor. They are both fine. Why are you calling?" he asks and we both laugh. He has always been honest and that's a quality I appreciate the most.

"Well, I hope you can give me some information about your wife's nurse," I ask a little nervous. I've never done this before. If I ever wanted to fuck, I just used to visit a club, pick a girl have sex and walk out after being sated but never did I follow any girl.

"Catrina St. Clair. That's the name. I hope your intentions are good? She seemed a good girl," he says and I sigh. I bet she's as socially isolated as she was seven years ago.

"She was my girlfriend in high school," I say.

"And you broke her heart?" he says sarcastically.

"It takes two hands to clap," I mutter.

"Hmm. What do you need from me?"

"Her number, address? Whatever info you have," I ask.

"Her number. Will text you. Got to go."

The phone clicks and I feel a sliver of hope at getting her back. Goddess! It's been seven years. I am hoping desperately that she's not dating anyone. Don't want to kill any man for her but the pain in her eyes when I ignored her in the hospital assures me that she still has some feelings for me.

The vibration of my phone brings me out of my thoughts and I quickly read the text. Saving her number, I send a message pretending to be Mrs. Ivanov. She might not reply if I tell her it's me but she'll surely reply to this message. I know my little sun well, very well.

My wolf curls around itself in my mind as I think of all those times when I fucked her. The need to mate and claim was so strong but I thought it was because she was my first virgin girlfriend. Now, I realise that was because she's my mate, my soul mate.

~~~~

Walking into the hospital and flashing a charming smile at the receptionist to know my Cat's location is quite simple and I hope that talking to my mate will also be that simple but that hope withers away when she glares at me from behind the desk.

Goddess!

She's still beautiful but now, she's fuller, her breasts have matured and are straining against her shirt, her nipples peaking and playing a game of hide and seek. Her face looks drawn as if she's pushing herself at work. Her cheeks are drawn, no longer highlighting the dimples in it but fuck, she's still the most beautiful girl I ever put my hands on and she's mine.

I take a deep breath, taking in her scent. She smells of chocolate and cream and fuck me she's delicious. I want to fuck her now. I look around and observe a camera, so maybe not. She never liked PDA but I still used to steal kisses knowing that she secretly craved them.

"Hi. Am I disturbing?"

"Yes. One might say that. After 7 years of disappearance." Her voice sends arousal spiking right into my dick and I can't help but want to bite her. She still has that temper. I give her my classic smirk and hope that it cracks some of the rage in her voice.

"Ah, still my fiery red headed temptress, I see," I say watching her eyes widen at my insinuation. She's mine and that won't change not even when I was the one who tossed her aside.

"Not your fiery red head," not anymore. I hear the unsaid words and a light tremble in her voice. All I want to do right now is pull her in my arms and bury my nose in her neck but that would be too forward and I don't want to intrude, not yet.

"You forgot "temptress". Did you get a message from Mrs. Ivanov, asking for your appointment details?" I ask and her eyes narrow a bit as she tries to feign disinterest but I know she's curious. She nods and starts walking towards me. I know that she's going to walk out on me so I drop the bomb.

"Save that number. It's mine." Her steps falter but she stops while her cheeks colour in anger and I have this urge to bite her there. My canines elongate, my wolf pushing to the surface.

"No, thanks," she mutters, that's when I pull her by the elbow and push her against the wall, wanting nothing more than to pull her legs around my waist and bury myself balls deep into her heat.

Shit! This is not how I imagined my reconciliation with her but damn, it feels good.

"Let go, Connor," she says, looking around and I watch as she sees the camera and the pulse in her neck starts beating wildly. My canines threaten to lengthen and plunge into the column of her slim neck, marking her here itself.

"No," I am smirking, trying to control myself.

"What do you want?" she tries to show her anger but I can smell a tiny hint of arousal.

"We need to talk."

"There's nothing left between us to talk about. Now let me go," she says. Her lips move in sync with her throat and I feel my head bending, my wolf pushing forward to sip at her lips. Just one taste never brought any harm. She's mine. I have the right to taste, lick and bite her.

"Go out for dinner with me," I say, huskily and lose my calm when her tongue peeks out to wet her dry lips. I want to do it but not yet. Fuck! I need to wait. Groaning and taking one deep sniff of her, I push myself off her and walk out of the room but not before warning her that I am not done. Not by a long shot.

~~~~~~~

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