Veer didn't move for a second. Just hovered over me—watching me. I was still breathing heavily, my vision still coated with the tears, and my body tingling at all the right places. I raised my hand to wipe my eyes but he stopped my hand midway. His wolf watched the tears still coating my eyelashes. His golden eyes and elongated canines were still evoking the wild need in me.

Then he lowered his head and with a growl so low it vibrated between my thighs, he licked the tear trailing down from the corner of my eye. Slow. Hot. Possessive.

I jolted.

"You don't get to cry without me tasting it," he murmured, lips brushing my cheekbone. "Not when every part of you belongs to me."

His licked the tear on the opposite side before his tongue dragged across my cheek and stopped at the corner of my lips. My soaking folds down below clenched as his wolf savored what's his. My swollen, sore lips wavered as I shivered from his hot breath fanning my skin. I slowly reached and grabbed his muscled arms. He didn't stop me but pulled back to look at me. "The wolf approves your surrender," he growled low. "He wants more."

I blinked when he planted a soft kiss on my lips. "My Luna." He looked into my eyes and asked, "Tell me what do you see?"

I grazed my hands along his arms, shoulder and neck until cupping his face. "My Alpha. My mate."

Veer closed his eyes and groaned. A brief moment later he opened his eyes and placed a kiss on the flat of my palm. "That's right, Moon. Your Alpha."

Then his head lowered into my neck and placed a tender kiss there. I squirmed when his mouth dragged lower. Veer kissed down my neck—tender, soft, wet kisses that left heat wherever they landed. He reached the curve between my collarbone and bit—not hard enough to hurt, but enough to claim. My legs instinctively parted when I felt the scrape of his canines against my skin.

He didn't pause.

He kissed lower.

Down my sternum, between my breasts, licking and teasing the softest parts of me as he descended. I felt his hands grip my hips, holding me down like he feared I might try to run. Only if he knew what was inside my mind!

His mouth reached my stomach.

Then lower.

He stopped at my navel, his tongue dipping in and swirling once—twice.

I whimpered. "What—are you doing?"

Without lifting his head, he whispered against my skin, "Undoing you."

I squirmed. My back arched off the bed, hand dug into his hair.

Veer moved lower. I heard the sharp intake of air from him when I felt his nose against my folds. It was not his voice, the sound was made by the wolf. Low, throaty, animalistic. He dragged his nose up the soaked slit with a guttural growl that made my inside quiver a little.

"Do you even know what you're doing to the wolf?" he growled low. "Since that night in the forest—I wanted you like this. Do you even know that, Moon?"

His hands pushed my thighs apart further. "And now, you're going to be my Luna."

His tongue came next.

And I jerked gripping his hair further tightly.

His hot and uneven breath fanned my core as he licked my slick folds, slower this time—deliberate, reverent. I gasped. My eyes shot open as my hands collapsed on the bed beside me. He licked my clit again and clenched the sheets helplessly. I unraveled under him because of the way his tongue worked on my needy heat. I ached down there while he took all the time in the world in my undoing. No rush. No mercy.

I moaned his name as my thighs instinctively closed until his hand clamped down on them opening them wider. "Hold still," he muttered in a thick voice. "Let your Alpha enjoy what's his, Luna."

My legs were shaking already. His mouth worked its way around me again, exploring, savoring, groaning against me as if the wolf was tasting heaven.

When I thrashed and arched unable to take the sensation anymore, he chuckled in a low rumble. He said nothing and continued with his torments.

I could feel it building again. My hip twitched as I moaned, "Veer...I-I...oh!"

He grabbed my legs and put them around his shoulder before digging his face into my dripping need again. My hand reached for his hair again, desperate for something to hold onto. I felt wrecked. I was severely panting as my thighs trembled around his shoulders.

"Veer—" I breathed, barely able to speak.

He only groaned in answer and gripped my hips harder, his tongue moving deeper, faster, dragging me over the edge with every stroke. And finally, I couldn't hold anymore.

"Ah—Alpha..." I screamed before I shattered.

My back arched off the mattress as pleasure tore through me, uncontrollable and feral. A strangled cry broke from my lips as my climax hit, body convulsing in his hold.

Veer didn't stop.

He licked through it, held me through it, riding out every pulse until I collapsed under him, breathless, exhausted. Properly claimed.

Veer pulled back with a groan. His lips were glistening, his eyes golden and wild. He looked triumphant. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and leaned over me again, pressing his forehead against mine.

"That," he whispered, voice low and raw, "was just the beginning."

I panted, unable to form any words as I closed my eyes while my chest heaved up and down erratically.

His fingers brushed my cheek, gentle now. "You okay, Moon?"

Half a second later, I blinked open my eyes and stared into his eyes. They were back to green now. The red rings were glowing furiously.

I nodded once, still catching my breath.

He smirked and placed a brief kiss on my sore lips. His canines have receded inside his mouth, but the thin coat of soft fur was still there.

He collapsed on top of me without another word and placed his head between my breasts. We stayed like that for a couple of minutes. No more teasing. No more games.

Just the raw heat of our bond thrumming in the silence.

Then he pressed a lingering kiss to the swell of my breast nearest his mouth, then unhurriedly sat up. Before turning away, he gave my head a soft pat—like I was the precious thing he owned that he'd just thoroughly ruined.

I noticed him getting off the bed.

"Where are you going?" I asked in a soft whisper.

Veer turned and gave me a wink. "To take care of something you just ruined."

I gave him an annoyed look. "I ruined?"

"Of course, Minx. You're the culprit." Then he smiled and leaned down. With a swift motion, he pulled the comforter over my bare body and kissed my forehead. "Stay here. I'll be back in a few minutes. You can't take it today. Or maybe," he smirked, "I'm just giving you a break... because I wouldn't want to ruin you completely... yet."

I sighed although a bit annoyed by his outrageous words. But I'm used to his nature by now. Besides, Ved said the same thing. It showed the significance of the mating ritual. I anticipated tomorrow night and wondered what was it they were so concerned that I couldn't withstand tonight. But I didn't contradict his words as he went to the washroom.

I turned to my side and curled under the soft comforter, completely satisfied and exhausted. It really didn't take long for me to fall asleep until I felt the strong arm wrapping around my waist and a sturdy chest behind my back. I stirred to turn but he held me tightly. "Sleep. No need to turn Minx," he murmured against my ear, voice thick with possessiveness. "I just want to feel you close." I felt his fingers moving up until it reached one of my tender nipples and rolled it between his thumb and index finger.

I hissed. "Veer...please."

He let go immediately and cupped my breast instead. "I like holding it. It belongs to me."

"But you need not to hold it all the damn time. Give me time to recover," I reasoned and regretted immediately.

He squeezed my breast rather harshly making me flinch at the suddenness. "Don't tell me what to do, Luna. You're yet to see my rough side."

Now, it was getting on my nerves. I plucked his hand away from my breast and forcefully turned toward him. As I did so and looked into his eyes, I noticed his pupils flickering between green and golden. I took a deep breath and cupped his cheek. "What's wrong? Tell me."

His gaze wavered for a second before he closed his eyes, moved his head a little and placed a kiss on my palm. He didn't respond so I probed, "Is it...Rhea?"

His eyes shot open almost immediately and turned golden almost immediately. "Don't speak of something you know nothing about."

"Then tell me. If I am to become your Luna, I need to know what's going on." I moved my thumb over his cheek while he pulled me closer and tangled his legs with mine.

"You don't have to know."

"Were you in a relationship?"

"No!" He practically growled. "I never was in a relationship with her. Don't you trust me? I already said that in the meeting."

"Yes, I heard that." I rubbed his bottom lip and added carefully, "But why would she claim to be your Luna?"

Veer pulled me flush against him and rumbled, "It's because of his father's position in Rudra S & I's board of directors."

I frowned. Rhea's father? A member of Rudra S & I's board of directors? I definitely didn't see that coming. "Who's her father? Haven't I met him yet?"

"No, you didn't. He's not here at the moment."

We fell silent for a while until I asked again. "But how is that connected with Rhea's claim?"

Veer sighed as his hand grazed on my back in a circular motion. "When my grandpa was the Alpha, Rhea's father, Suri, worked as his assistant. Next to Beta—your grandfather. When we were born, he mated with a werewolf from Nox pack, a pack residing in the mountains of China. And then Rhea was born when we were four years old. It was then your mother, Rusha, ran away with the fae prince Xanfire. Soon the fae queen declared war and we already told you about it. Suri fought alongside our Alpha until the very last. Although he couldn't save Alpha and Beta, he saved my father from losing his life in the war.

"When my father recovered, Suri approached him and my Granny, the then Luna and proposed Granny to become the next Alpha—as my father had lost his wolf in the battle. With Suri's support the pack was again gathered together and carried on. But he had other plans."

Veer sighed and tangled his hand in my hair. "He wanted his daughter to become the next Luna of the pack. Suri never had enough strength to snatch the Alpha's position, but he is very clever. So, Granny kept him as the advisor to our Bloodcrown pack. Until he proposed that idea to Granny. Granny tackled the situation cleverly. She told him to wait until we turn twenty-five. Then we could decide that for ourselves. But Rhea had been trying to get close to us, since we turned fifteen.

"First, she approached Ved. But you know how aloof and diplomatic he is. He didn't give her any attention. Since then, she has been trying to woo me. She brags to everyone that we're together and I'll make her my Luna. But I have never promised her such."

Veer massaged my head while he spoke as I listened to him quietly. When he stopped, I placed a kiss on his chest and looked up. "Do you regret that I am your mate—a weak, hybrid? She would've made a powerful Luna alongside you. She's sexy."

The corner of Veer's lips curled. "Is she? And what made you believe that you're not powerful and... sexy?"

"Of course, I'm not sexy like her. She's tall and she's got those abs. And she's a wolf."

"Are you jealous of her?" There was a tinge of amusement in his voice.

I scoffed. "Of course not! Why would I be jealous of her?"

"Good." He pulled me closer and I found my face flush against his pecs. "Cause, you need not to compare yourself with others. You're going to be our Luna. And that is the only thing that should be there in your pretty little head. You understand?"

I inhaled his pheromones and hummed quietly.

"Besides, you cannot break free from us once the mating ritual gets completed. You're bound to us till eternity, Urvi."

I let out an airy chuckle. "Don't exaggerate. No one lives for that long."

Veer's hand dropped to my nape as he gave it a firm squeeze. "But we do have longer lifespan. And you're stuck with us till the end."

I didn't respond. I just lay there in the warmth of Veer's embrace, his words swirling in my mind. The lemon and cinnamon scent comforted me in ways I hadn't known I needed. But underneath that comfort, a thread of unease stirred. I had asked him questions, but the answers only led to more questions, more fears. I didn't know if I was ready for all of this, but there was no escaping it now.

Being the twins' mate meant something more than I had bargained for while boarding that train. Moreover, I wasn't just some random woman they would share their life with. I was a hybrid I didn't know existed before I came here. And if I was meant to be the twin Alpha's Luna, I understood it wouldn't come with rainbows and butterflies. Luna is a position of power. But it was also a position of responsibility and vulnerability. I had understood that much.

First, I was attacked by Noraak—for my blood, and I still don't know why he said my blood was different. Because of my mother? Of course, I heard my mother, Rusha's blood was potent and caused excruciating pain from its usage. But how did that relate to my blood? My blood healed the Twins here. Especially, Ved. He recovered from death bed. I still didn't know many secrets I should've known by now.

But I knew, Noraak and the faes would try to attack me again. Noraak's son was successful in provoking my inner fae, and it came out just as they wanted. But this power display turned more fear-laced as I now know, what the other hybrid was capable of. There was something about him that unsettled me. I could sense his ruthless desire to outshine and overpower. He clearly would've that day, but something held him back. And I knew I was a potential damn reason.

And now, Suri and his daughter. It was like, before I could solve my problems with one of my enemies, the pile of enemies was ever-growing. Suri was after the pack's core power and control. Of course, he'd use his daughter in his conspiracy. But, the thing that was bothering me was, if the Rudras knew about his intention, why was he still a member of the board of directors?

I wasn't sure if I could stand against all these forces. But what choice did I have? The minute I accepted my bond with the Rudra twins, I had inherently accepted all of it. The power, the enemies, the risks.

I closed my eyes and rested my head against Veer's chest and felt his heart beating steadily now.

With power came enemies. And no matter how many I defeated, I knew there would always be another.