Suddenly, there is a commotion outside. I swing open the front door, greeted by the tumultuous shouts of half the town.
'What's the problem?' I shout, trying to make myself heard above the uproar.
'There she is, the witch!' people scream, pointing fingers accusingly at Nina standing behind me.
My eyes narrow with anger at the crowd. 'This witch will soon be your Luna. So be careful what you speak!' I assert, defending her honour.
'We will never accept a witch as our Luna. She doesn’t even have a wolf!' Another voice from the crowd protests.
I cast a reassuring smile at Nina, silently urging her to shift. In an instant, she shifts into her wolf form, revealing the breathtaking sight of her unique wolf.
With my chin held high, I stare defiantly at the crowd. 'Your Luna is one of us! She may be half-wolf, half-witch, but you will all love and respect her as I do! Anyone who upsets or aggravates my fated mate, whom the Moon Goddess blessed me with and blessed you all with, to be your Luna, will suffer great consequences at the wave of her wand.'
'What consequences?' someone dares to question.
'Nina has my blessing to turn any of you into a frog if you disrespect her,' I declare, a mischievous twinkle in my eye.
Nina, attempting to stifle her laughter throughout the mind-link, knows the truth – she can't turn anyone into a frog. Not yet, anyway.
The crowd gasps collectively, visibly unsettled by the idea of being transformed into amphibians. In response, they begin to disperse, with welcoming words to Nina as their Luna of their congratulations that we are mates.
One week later, Nina and I stride hand in hand into the grand ceremony hall, the atmosphere buzzing with anticipation and excitement. The stage is adorned with the regalia of authority, and my parents stand tall, their expressions a canvas of pride and joy. We ascend the platform, standing before my parents, ready to step into our new roles.
'It is with great honour that I hand over my status as Alpha to my first-born child, Magnus,' my father proclaims.
'And it is with great honour I hand over my status as Luna to my son’s fated mate, Nina,' my mother adds, a smile gracing her lips.
My father looks at the crowded hall of our pack members. 'With that said, I announce your new Luna, Nina, and your new Alpha, Magnus,' my father concludes, and the hall erupts with cheers and applause. The sound fills the hall, echoing the approval and support of our pack.
I step behind Nina, my arms enveloping her in a warm, protective embrace. I press a tender kiss to the top of her head, feeling the softness of her hair against my lips.
Nina leans back against my chest, her eyes meeting mine with a radiant smile. 'You can let me go now,' she teases, a blush gracing her cheeks.
I gaze warmly into her eyes. 'Nina, I'll never let you go.'
Book three "The Alpha and the Vampire King."
Nina kisses my cheek and takes a seat at the desk beside me. 'Magnus, is there anything else I can do for you?' she asks with a smile that could rival the sunrise.
'Could you please hand me the Shady Crest status report?' I ask as I set aside a pile of paperwork I’ve just finished signing.
Rolling up her sleeve, Nina waves her wand, 'Lifto Levitatous', she says.
The report papers rise and swirl in a circular pattern, one page at a time, before settling in a neat stack in front of me.
'Nina, the report was literally in front of you. You could have just reached for it, you know?' I shake my head at her in disbelief.
'Well, where's the fun in that?' Nina gives a warm smile and shrugs.
'Do you suppose you could conjure me up a mug of coffee by any chance?' I tease.
'Magnus, you know that spell isn’t in my book, but maybe I could try and create it as a new spell to add,' she says and muses in thought.
'Honestly, there are still spells in that book I haven’t read yet. You should keep me up to date though with what you’ve learnt in case it comes in handy for me,’ I suggest with a smile.
'Well, you have to admit that seeing me cast spells makes everything far more interesting,’ she says, leaning against the wall.
'Very true, but it’s still a shame there’s no conjuring a coffee spell in that book,' I chuckle.
Our banter is abruptly interrupted by a disturbance downstairs. 'Where is he? Where is Alpha Magnus?' a man's voice demands. Hank storms into the office, slamming his fist on my desk before I can react. 'You liar, you cheat!' he shouts.
With composure, I cross my arms and lean back in my chair. Beside me, Nina takes her seat with a graceful smile. 'Hank, it's great to hear from you. How may I assist you?' I ask him politely.
Hank straightens himself at my words. 'How can you assist? I'll explain how you can assist! My sister Addison was supposed to be your Mate and the Luna of Shadow Crest. Instead, you betrayed our agreement and sought your fated mate.'
'Are you referring to the agreement you blackmailed me into? Where you threatened to reveal Nina's secret to everyone, knowing it would put her in grave danger, and did so anyway?'
Nina rises to her feet, her hands on her hips and glowers. 'Hank, are you aware of how ridiculous you sound right now? She growls. 'You're lucky we didn't toss you into the dungeons for blackmailing an Alpha! But seeing as you are here, I hereby exile you from Shadow Crest. Now get out, and don't ever come back here again!'
'Or what?' Hank asks, narrowing his eyes at Nina.
Nina casts a spell with a flourish of her wand. 'Repeliate!' she casts.
Hank is pushed back against the wall with an unseen force. Nina approaches him as he rises from the floor. 'Or I'll transform you into a frog,' she warns.
Hank’s mouth drops open and starts trembling before swiftly bolting out the door.
I approach Nina, 'Repeliate, hey?' I say to her. I give her a high-five and remark, 'I like that one,’ I smile at her.
'Me too,' she grins proudly, and I can’t help but pin her against the wall and smash my lips against hers.
As we passionately kiss, the warmth between us rapidly turns into a fervent fire of desire.
I could never get enough of Nina; I’d kiss her and hold her at every chance given.
I break the kiss and stare into her brown eyes. ‘You are so beautiful, Nina,’ I tell her, watching the subtle blush creep across her cheeks, but then my stomach grumbles loudly.
Nina smiles and attempts to stifle a laugh as I frown at my stomach’s rude interruption. ‘I guess it must be lunchtime?' I sigh.
Nina smiles. 'Yep, the last one downstairs is a rotten egg,’ she smirks as I gently move aside so she’s no longer pinned against the wall of our office.
I bring her hand to my lips and kiss it. 'Game on,' I reply in a husky voice, releasing her. I turn and rush out the door, only to hear Nina shout, 'Skedaddle Dash.' When I turn around, she's vanished.
My mouth hangs wide in surprise at her playful deception. I make my way downstairs to find Nina already seated with a smile. 'Oh, look, it's the rotten egg,' she teases, her grin widening. Zak, Pipsqueak, Flint, May, and Josie try to contain their laughter.
'Nina, you can't use your magic; it's cheating,' I frown, crossing my arms. Unperturbed, Nina shrugs, picks up her fork, and indulges in her lunch.
'We should have a bonfire tonight?' Flint proposes as I take my seat beside Nina.
'That sounds like it would be a lot of fun,' Nina says, her eyes glimmering with enthusiasm at the idea.
'I'll bring the marshmallows,' Josie squeals with delight.
'Well, that settles it, a bonfire it is,' I nod in agreement.
Finished with our lunch, I take Nina’s hand. 'Let's shift and go for a run,' I wink at her.
'Great!' My wolf has been pleading with me all morning for a run,’ Nina replies with a smile.
We exit the packhouse and remove our clothes outside the woods. Nina shifts into her black wolf while I shift into my white wolf. I approach closer to Nina’s wolf form and, with my large, slobbery tongue, lick her forehead. Nina headbutts me in protest but then nuzzles affectionately into my neck.
We race into the woods, side by side. As the wind whips through our fur, we leap over logs and fallen branches. We sprint in and out of the trees, trying to outrun each other. We don't stop running until we arrive at our favourite area, Shadow Lake. We both dive into the lake and shift back into our human forms before swimming back to the surface.
My heart is bursting with happiness as I gaze into Nina’s eyes. I'm so lucky she is my Mate. I could never be happier than I am right now.
I gently cup Nina’s face and kiss her soft lips. She smiles at me endearingly and takes my hand.