Nicklaus POV
What should I do? If the bullet hits me, I might not survive this. I shut my eyes, thoughts of Gabriella and Estella flooding my mind. Will I die without being able to protect them? Moon goddess, please save me. There are things I must do to make things right. Gabby and my daughter need me, and the entire pack relies on my leadership. Amidst the chaos, I heard a loud gunshot, but when I opened my eyes, I was unharmed. Looking around, I saw a large figure falling to his death, his dark eyes still gleaming.
“What's going on here?”
“It's been a while, Alpha. I suppose I arrived just in time,” Jessica remarked.
“Jessica, you're here? How did you know I was here and in danger?”
“It's one of the mysteries of being a witch, but a simple 'thank you' will suffice. If I had been a minute later, you'd be dead by now.”
“Thank you,” I expressed my gratitude, and she smiled, asking, “Where's Mateo?”
“He's covering the other side.”
“Alright, let's find him and see what we can discover. Can't I run into you on a normal day instead of saving your life?” She playfully chided, and I chuckled, knowing she was probably being modest about her true intentions.
We scoured the deceased man's body and found a mixture of silver and wolfsbane—a deadly combination that surely would have killed me.
“Jessica,” Mateo's voice resonated, clearly surprised to see her.
“Hello, love. I was just passing through and happened to save your Alpha. I suppose I need a spot in your pack, like the Witch Beta,” she quipped.
“I'll keep that in mind. What do you think, Mateo?”
“I think it's not a priority now. But I've apprehended someone; I believe we can find Luna Gabriella,” Mateo informed us, reigniting my hope and gratitude to the Moon Goddess for sparing me.
“Where's the Luna?” Mateo demanded of the captive. The man's mocking laughter pierced the air.
“Go to hell. You'll never find her. And even if you do, she'll be dead by then.”
I delivered a swift blow to his face, sending him sprawling. “Tell us where she is right now, or I'll end you.”
“I'll take over from here,” Jessica intervened, clearly intending to employ her witchcraft.
“Are you going to reveal where you've kept our Queen, or do we have to resort to harsher methods?” she warned him.
“Go to hell, witch.”
“Then I'll send you there myself. En la ne tu abi la ng englus.” Immediately, he cried out in agony, confessing, “At the ex-military base.”
“Thank you. Rest in hell.”
“Please don't kill me, I beg you,” he pleaded, blood streaming from his eyes before he succumbed to death.
“They're still within our pack. How foolish of them. Let's go before they relocate them,” I declared.
“Yes, Alpha. But is Jessica accompanying us?”
“Yes, she is. As she mentioned, she deserves a place among us. Let's move, Jessica, and I want you to work closely with Mateo.”
“Alpha, I don't need her assistance,” Mateo protested, but I could tell he secretly appreciated it.
“You might not need it now, but you'll thank me for it later,” I assured him, winking playfully. He seemed a tad exasperated as Jessica clung to him, insisting on staying close despite his protests.
After a few hours, we reached the location, and Gabriella's scent was unmistakable. I was now ready to exact vengeance on those who harmed her.
“Jessica, you first,” I directed.
“Understood.” She attempted her spells, but nothing seemed to work.
“What's wrong, Jessica?” Mateo inquired.
“My powers are being blocked. My spells won't work here.”
This must be the reason Gabriella couldn't use her spells she had learned from Margaret to save herself.
“How is this possible?” I asked her.
“There is a particular leaf that can stop our powers' flow, but don’t worry, I can deactivate it,” she added, and we exchanged confident smiles.
She attempted again, and we heard the loud screams of the Black Blood Pack members. We seized the opportunity and attacked them, successfully rescuing everyone by the end of the day. I carried Gabby, whose eyes were still closed. My worry eased when Jessica cast a spell to revive her and assured me that she would wake up soon.
***
Nicklaus POV
Since it was already late, we couldn't return home yet. We decided to spend the night at a nearby motel and leave the next morning. I made sure Jessica and Mateo were paired in one room, while I shared a room with my mates. Additionally, I arranged for a larger room for the pack members who were with us, so they could rest for the night. Although Mateo protested, I told him to bear with it just for the night.
Returning to the room, I had a smile on my face, but seeing the cut near my mate's lips filled me with sadness and anger. I carefully tended to her wounds, and as she slowly opened her eyes, she asked, “Where am I?”
“Don’t stress yourself too much. You're safe here with me. I'm sorry I didn’t arrive earlier to save you.”
“Don’t say that; you did come to save me and the youngsters. Thank you so much.” She hugged me, and I stroked her hair. She continued in tears, “Thank you for being alive as well. I thought I would never see you again.”
“Stop crying. I'm here now. You don’t need to worry anymore. Nothing will happen to me, and I won't allow any harm to come to you or Estella.”
“What about the youngsters?”
“They're safe as well.”
“That's good to hear. I feel so helpless, you know. I couldn't even protect them from harm today. I don’t think I deserve to be the Luna of the pack; I'm useless.” I kissed her to quiet her and reassured her, “You're the perfect Luna, okay? You're not useless at all, even if you were just an Omega.”
“I know you're trying to encourage me with your words, but to be honest, those youngsters left in my care could have been killed because I'm not competent enough to save them.”
I gazed at her with compassion. It pained me to see her in this state. I wished there was something I could do to help her shift into a wolf like the rest of us.
“It's not your fault. It was a setup plan. Stop blaming yourself, and let's discuss ways to help you become stronger. I know Margaret has already trained you, but you need more training and preparation to handle situations like this.”
“I'm ready. I don't want to be a victim again, but rather the Luna who saves and protects her people.”
“I'll teach and guide you, and I'll also ask the witch I know to teach you how to deactivate whatever is blocking your powers from manifesting. Just in case, you might need spells to help yourself.”
“Sounds like a good idea,” she replied.
“Now, where were we?” I playfully tickled her, and she burst into laughter.
“I love you so much, my queen.” I kissed her slowly, gradually removing her clothes.
She winced due to the stinging sensation from her cut, and I paused the kissing to focus on her neck and caress her breasts. I kissed the spot where I had marked her, noticing her body shiver as if I had sent an electric current through her.
Eventually, she took the lead, riding me slowly, and we became completely lost in a world of passion and fantasy, continuing without pause.
The following morning, we all prepared to depart. News had already spread throughout the pack, and everyone was gearing up for war. I was certain the enemy would attack again. As we entered the mansion, my men got ready to attack Jessica. I shouted, “How dare you try to launch an attack on my guest?”
“We're trying to protect you, Alpha. She's the woman who tricked us and drugged our meal.” I was shocked, and so were Mateo and Gabriella.
“What do you mean, tricked and drugged? I just arrived, and I've never met any of you before,” Jessica defended herself. I felt torn, uncertain whether to believe her or my pack members.