I turned to face him and pulled him closer by his neck. Our lips met and everything inside me exploded. The mate bond hummed between us, alive and electric.
Jack kissed me harder and I matched his intensity. My wolf purred with satisfaction as I wrapped my leg around his thigh and circled my arms around his neck. I could feel how much he wanted me.
Heat pooled low in my belly. This was different from before. The first time I had been drunk and barely remembered it. The second time he had forced me without my consent. But now I wanted this as much as he did.
He pulled away suddenly and kissed my temple. I held him tighter.
"Jack, can we continue?" I asked.
His chest rose and fell rapidly. "I will not be able to hold back."
"Who said you should hold back? We have done this before." I pulled him down to kiss me again.
"You are still recovering," he mumbled against my hair.
"I am fine. Please."
The mate bond made everything more intense. Every touch sent sparks across my skin. Every kiss deepened the connection between our wolves. When he finally claimed me again, I cried out his name as pleasure washed over me in waves.
Afterwards, he pulled me against his bare chest. His heart beat steadily under my ear. The room was quiet except for our breathing.
"You are incredible," he said softly and kissed my forehead.
"Better than Clara?" The question slipped out before I could stop it.
He chuckled. "Sweeter than my late mate. But she had more experience than you."
My wolf bristled. "Do you wish she was here instead of me?"
"No. She is gone. You are here. I will teach you everything." His fingers traced patterns on my shoulder. "We are just beginning."
When I woke the next morning, his side of the bed was empty. I showered and dressed in a simple grey dress suitable for the kingdom offices. When I stepped out of the bathroom, Jack stood before the mirror styling his dark hair.
He turned and crossed the room to kiss my temple. "Good morning, my love."
Heat crept up my cheeks as memories from last night flooded back. "Good morning."
"When will you stop calling me Jack?" He returned to the mirror.
"Right now." I smoothed my dress. "I will be starting work at the kingdom offices this morning, darling."
His eyes lit up. "You will?"
An hour later, we walked out of the manor together. I stopped short when I saw all the guards and servants assembled in rows outside. Warriors in their black uniforms stood at attention. Household staff clustered nervously to one side.
"I need to make a public correction," Jack whispered to me.
He looked every inch the Alpha King this morning. His black suit was perfectly tailored. His hair was swept back from his face. His strong jawline was covered in dark stubble. His grey eyes were cold as ice as he surveyed the crowd.
"I pay you all to be loyal to me." His voice carried across the yard. "You have no idea how devastated I was when I discovered disloyalty in my own home. Who was on duty when Tayo breached the manor gates?"
"I was, Alpha. Jerome and I." George stepped forward with his head bowed.
Jack's stare could have frozen fire. "I will hold you responsible for that trespass. Jerome has only been with me for a year. But you have served me for much longer."
George said nothing.
"I was not on duty, Alpha," Jerome spoke up. "George sent me away on an errand when he knew she was coming."
"You left your post when George gave you an order?" Jack's voice was deadly quiet. "Who do you answer to?"
Jerome dropped to his knees immediately. "Forgive me, Alpha. I failed you. I will accept any punishment."
"Disarm him." Two warriors stepped forward and removed George's weapons. They took his uniform jacket, leaving him in just a shirt and pants. "Tell me what favor you wanted from Tayo that made you let her into my home."
George kept his head down. The silence stretched.
"You were also on duty at the hospital when she attacked my mate. Speak now or I will make you speak."
"I failed you, Alpha." George knelt. "Please forgive me."
Jack yanked him up by his collar and gripped something at his neck. I could not see exactly what but George gasped in pain.
"I hired you to protect me and my family. I paid you double what other warriors earn. But you chose to betray me. Your loyalty means nothing when you are sleeping with that woman."
Shocked whispers rippled through the crowd. My wolf growled low in my throat. George had been intimate with Tayo?
"You know what I do to traitors," Jack said quietly.
George's face drained of color. Every wolf in the kingdom knew the Alpha King showed no mercy to those who betrayed the pack. The punishment for treason was exile or death.
I stepped forward and placed my hand on Jack's arm. His muscles were tense under my fingers. Through our mate bond, I could feel his rage burning like wildfire.
"Please," I said softly.
His eyes met mine. For a moment, something shifted in his expression. Then he released George, who crumpled to the ground.
"You are banished from this territory," Jack declared. "You have one hour to leave. If any wolf sees you after that time, they have permission to kill you on sight. Your family will not be punished for your crimes."
George looked up with wide eyes. "Thank you, Alpha. Thank you for your mercy."
"Get out of my sight."
Two warriors dragged George away. The other servants and guards remained frozen in place.
Jack turned to address them all. "Let this be a lesson. Betrayal will not be tolerated in my pack. Disloyalty to your Alpha means you forfeit your place among us. But those who serve faithfully will always have my protection."
He took my hand. "This is Aurora, your future Luna. She is my true mate. Anyone who disrespects her disrespects me. Anyone who harms her will face my wrath. Is that understood?"
"Yes, Alpha," they chorused.
As we walked toward the car, I glanced back at the assembled crowd. They watched us with a mixture of fear and respect. This was the world I had chosen when I accepted Jack as my mate. A world of power and danger, loyalty and betrayal.
His hand tightened around mine. "Are you alright?"
"Yes." I looked up at him. "But what will happen if Tayo comes back?"
His jaw clenched. "She will not get past my guards again. I promise you that."
But even as he said it, a chill ran down my spine. Something told me Tayo was not finished with us yet.