♦ ♦ ♦

Reign and I officially mated a week ago. Since we haven't done much except make love at any moment we can, go for runs just us two, allowing our wolves to be together with our new marks. Everything is different.

I can't leave her side for a second. It's like a new level of protectiveness I never knew I could hold. She's mine. Everyone in the pack knows it but with the mark still fresh, the bond growing faster than usual, I can't even think about anyone else touching her right now.

My scent covers from head to toe and if even Milo or Fran get too close to her, it sets something off inside me. Protective. Too protective but because I'm the Alpha and she's my Luna, it heightens things to a million.

Most mates are protective of their significant other but the Alpha genes inside me are built differently. I don't like being like this but I can't stop myself. Reign has been understanding, helping me with my unnecessary outbursts.

Soon my scent on her will end up being mixed with everyone else when we start training as a pack, doing things together but right now I need her all to myself or I'll explode.

"How are you feeling today?" Reign asks as she slides a hand over my arm and rests it on my shoulder. The second she touches me my skin is on fire, making me shiver down to my feet.

I stare back at her in the mirror, she's fresh out of the shower and she's shining. Like the sun, beaming back at me with happiness. I nod slowly. "Better than at the start of the week," I offer her a smile.

"You're not going to try and rip Jesse's head off for attempting to make me a tea, are you?"

A low laugh escapes my lips. "I'll try my hardest. But no, I think we're over that level of stupidity."

"Everyone understands," she murmurs before pressing a kiss to the back of my shoulder.

My eyes flutter shut at the contact. Her lips feel like a kiss from the heavens, silk and pearls. "I know," I nod. "I think I can let you go today. I know you've wanted contact with everyone else."

Reign doesn't say anything for a few moments and when I stare at her in the mirror, she's looking back at me with such tenderness that I know she understands this pain. "I know it comes from a good place and I know it's not going to last forever."

"No but things might not be the same," I admit.

She shrugs simply. "Well it's something we'll have to work with. As long as I can hug other people without you needing to tear them apart."

"You can hug who you want," I say slowly. "I'm not going to be a toxic asshole and tell you what you can and can't do, Reign. You are your own person and you are not physically tied to me."

"No," she kisses me again. "But we are bound by the heart."

I twist to face her, taking her cheeks in my hands. "Yes," I nod. "But that doesn't mean that you can't do what you want to. We are equals. I am not above you, I never will be. I might be your mate for life, but I want you to be happy."

"I am," she presses her cheek into my palm. "I will be happy. Forever."

When I dip my head closer to press a kiss to her forehead, she closes her eyes. "Actually..." she pulls back slowly, a devilish smile on her face. "You say I'm not physically tied to you but do you remember when you said that if I ever left you again, you'd tie me to the bed so I could never leave?"

My head tilts back and I exhale a laugh. Oh God. Why is it when you're the horniest you say the savagest of things?

"Yeah, wow," I exhale and swipe a hand through my hair. "Yeah, I did say that."

Reign's lips twist to the side as she raises an eyebrow at me, she's trying to act serious but her playful smile is poking through. "Is it true?"

I release a grunt and slide my hands against her waist, tugging her into me. "I mean if you're all up for roleplay, then I am too."

Her eyes sparkle like jewels. "I think the pack are sick of hearing us go at it this past week," she laughs to the floor. I tilt her chin back up, already missing those eyes of light.

"They were expecting it," I admit slowly. "And can they blame me? Look at you."

Pink spreads across her cheeks and I adore how easily I can make her blush. "Right," she huffs out. "Let's go downstairs. Fran wants to help us plan the coronation and I think we need some help because we've done absolutely nothing this week."

My fingers knead into her skin again, staring at her with hungry eyes. "You sure we can't go for one more?"

Reign's mouth falls open in sock. "If we go one more time, my vagina is going to rip in half. Is that what you want?"

I dip my head and chuckle into her neck, my breath tickling her healed mark. "What about your ass? I know it's been begging me to get fucked."

She gasps and jumps away from me. Her cheeks are no longer pink, they're red like rubies. "You are naughty," she points an accusing finger at me. "But I think I need the rest. It's midday and I'm already exhausted."

My hand reaches for her, I smoothe over the skin on her knuckles. "Okay, angel. I'll make it up to you later. Hot chocolate, ice cream and a bubble bath. Hmmm?"

I watch as she raises onto her toes and presses a kiss to my cheek. "Sounds perfect."

When we go downstairs, my eyes are solely on Reign as she greets Fran, Milo and Jesse. They're instantly talking about the coronation, what decorations they want, which three course meal along with what everyone should wear.

I sit back on the stool as Milo approaches me. "You chilled out a little more now?"

My eyes fixate on my brother. "A little bit. Yeah."

He flashes me a grin. "I almost didn't recognise you for a few days."

"Me either," I breathe harshly through my nose. "But my wolf is calmer."

I turn from Milo to look at Reign who is leaning over the counter on her elbow, listening as Fran shows her a notebook full of things for the coronation. I can't take my eyes off her for a few moments, I'm instantly drawn to her like a magnet in any situation.

"Glad to hear it," he slaps my back.

"How's things with you?" I tear my eyes from my mate.

Milo sucks in a breath. "Getting there," he nods. "With my therapy sessions I'm understanding myself better. With Nate, I'm not really sure at the moment. Trust isn't going to come overnight but I'm keeping optimistic."

"As you should be," I offer him a supportive smile. "He'd be silly to let you go."

His mouth opens to speak as I sense a presence behind me. A guard walks directly towards us but doesn't look at me, he's looking directly at Reign.

"Luna," he says loudly, all of us turn to look at him. Even Reign's eyes are bright and in shock, probably the first time anyone has addressed her as her title. "There is someone asking for you at the gates."

I frown at him instantly and can feel anxiety ripple into my body from Reign's.

"Said his name is Hector and he wishes to see you."

My eyes fly to Reign's instantly, everyone else is silent still. Her face turns deathly white, so white that I'm not even sure if she's breathing right now. Fran stares at her with concern as I keep my eyes trained on her expression.

I stand from the stool, trying my hardest to keep my inner rage together. She doesn't need to see this anger I'm about to unleash, she doesn't need to see any of it because he doesn't get to turn up here like nothing ever happened.

"Milo," I break the silence. "Take Reign upstairs."

"What's happening?" His voice dips with alarm.

I turn to my brother, jaw clenching. "Milo," I snap, my voice echoes across the walls and he flinches, I'm looking at my mate again and she's turned to stone. "Take Reign upstairs and don't let her out of your sight."

Milo does nothing else but nod, walking around to Reign where Fran is staring back at me in shock. He helps her off the stool, her eyes glassed over. She hasn't said anything, not one word.

I watch as he wraps his arm around her supportively and takes her upstairs. I wait for a few moments, regaining my anger as I clench and unclench my fists. Staring at the spot, Reign was just sitting.

"Ev?" Fran says apprehensively.

"Don't come outside," I warn her.

She does nothing but nod until I rip myself from where I have been standing and walk past the guard, straight for the gates at the front of our pack house. They're closed, two guards blocking the access into the house.

Bricks feel like they've fallen on my chest as I inch closer, approaching the gate until it opens and I'm standing facing the monster that took away Reign's life. He's in his late forties, his shirt ripped and blood covers his skin with scratches and grazes.

Just staring at him has my nostrils flaring with a new found emotion for brutal torture. Oh the joy it will bring me. This monster put his hands on my mate, he hurt her, he manipulated her. She was a child. I grit my teeth so painfully that my jaw almost shatters to pieces.

"Reign," he murmurs. "Where is Reign?"

Before I know what I'm doing, I've stepped forward and pulled back my fist. It swings around his face, he falls to the floor pathetically, crying out as he heaves into the gravel. "Don't ever say her name, you piece of shit."

Hector groans and tries to push himself up. I'm finding it hard to breathe, my chest moving crazy. I can feel the itch in my fingertips to end him right now but I don't want to make this easy for him, not when Reign suffered for years because of him and the sick things he did to her.

Those tears I pushed away that scattered her cheeks were because of his man, this vile creature that doesn't deserve to live, he doesn't deserve anything but pain. Slow, agonising pain.

"I just want to see her, I need her." He heaves, blood gathering in his mouth.

"You need to shut the fuck up," I land my foot in his ribs with such force I'm sure I hear the bones crack. "How dare you think you can turn up here and demand to see her?"

He groans into the dirt and twists his body on the floor, crying out in distress. "I want to see her. I'm sorry–" he wails pathetically. "I have nothing. She was my everything."

I'm going to lose it. Everything inside me has been set on fire and I'm about to tear everything down around me. "And she was a child, you sick fuck." This time I stamp my heel through his chest and he groans loudly.

"I-I never wanted to hurt her."

Red flashes before my eyes as I use all my weight to kick him again, another bone cracking. "You abused her, manipulated her, you did things to her that I will never be able to forgive. You're a worthless man. You're not even a man, you're a fucking pig."

I gather saliva in the back of my mouth and I spit down onto him, watching as it splats him in the face. Hector begins to wail and I can't take it anymore, another kick until he's bleeding and bruised.

For a second I take a step backwards and he stares at me through dark eyes, his gaze floating to the mark on my neck. His mouth falls open in shock. "She–" he cuts himself off to choke on his own blood. "You're her mate."

My feet take one step closer until I squat down to his level, resting my arms on my knees, studying him for a moment. "I'm her mate, she's mine. She'll never fall back into the hands of you. I will never let it happen."

Hector's head throws back to the dirt as he tries to catch his breath, wincing in pain.

The hairs on the back of my neck begin to stand as I raise to my feet again. It's itching at me and I take a quick breath.

"Stop, Reign. Stop."

I whip my head over my shoulder to find Reign walking straight towards us, eyes forward, dark and deadly. "Fuck," I curse under my breath and walk towards them, Milo behind her.

"I said to keep her in the house," I shout at Milo who looks distraught. Then I look at my mate, her eyes are trying to look behind me but I block her view. "Go back inside, angel."

"No."

Tears are building in the bottom of her lash line but she's not letting them fall.

"I don't want you to go through this if you don't want to, not when you don't have to." I reach for her carefully.

She's not looking at me, her eyes are still trying to look over my shoulder. "Are you going to kill him?" She asks coldly.

I grip her fingers tighter. "I'm close to, yes," I admit, forcing myself to take a breath. "But we can take him down to the warehouse. Torture him slowly if you wish. Whatever you want."

"I want to do it."

Her words catch me by surprise and I find myself blinking. "Reign. You don't have to do this."

Those angry hooded eyes find mind. "I said I want to do it. I want to kill him."

I almost don't recognise her voice as she speaks. Never has anything so deathly come from her mouth and I have no idea if she's mentally and emotionally prepared for killing someone, especially someone who has done unspeakable things to her.

My heart thumps with concern but I don't want to upset her when she's like this. I can accept that she needs closure, I don't want this to trigger her, haunt her. Not when she doesn't have to do it herself. I'll be pleased to.

"Let's take him to the warehouse," I suggest. "Get him secure before you're anywhere near him."

It will give her time to think this over, not when she's fuelled by adrenaline and anger.

But Reign shakes her head and stares me directly in the eye. "I've got a better idea."

♦ ♦ ♦

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Author's Note

Hey guys, I apologise for the late update when we reached 140 votes. It was my birthday on the weekend and I was taking a few days to recover!

BUT AHHHHHH Hector came to see Reign

I love Everett's protective side but I love Reign's determination to face him more!

What do you think her idea is? I'd love to know your thoughts!👉🏼👉🏼👉🏼

Don't forget to vote, it makes my day!🌟

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