Angels POV
My birthday was only three days away, three days until I would find my mate. That's if he resides in this pack. We had been back to the waterfall a couple of times in the last week and had found the sexiest man we had ever laid our eyes on. He was easily 6ft2; he had tanned sun-kissed skin and short black hair that he combed to the sides. Ok, he had a smaller version of Johnny Bravos' hair, but it didn't stop him from looking hot. He looked like a muscleman with the most interesting tattoo on his chest. It was a wolf howling at the moon. Everything about him had my insides heating up. I don't know how, but I had this nagging feeling that he and the black wolf we had seen previously were the same.
'My goddess, I want to come out and play with him.' I chuckle as Star flutters her lashes, her tail wagging like a goddamn puppy. 'Ok, enough watching, let's go talk to him.'
'Star, we promised Uncle Nick we wouldn't expose ourselves.'
'You're getting softer as you get older.'
Ok, so now she's pushing me, knowing full well I wouldn't back down after being baited like that. The water looked just as clear as always and glistened like a thousand crystals sparkling under the sunlight. As I approached the man, he looked up at me with the most beautiful eyes. The way they sparkled could put the stars to shame. They were a similar blue to my own; I would most definitely get lost in them if I were to stare for too long.
"Who are you, and how did you find this place?" he growled, causing me to take a step backwards.
Wow, that voice was deep and husky, a real man's voice, if you know what I mean. It caused the burning sensation to reappear as goosebumps raised all over my body. He cocked his head to the side and sniffed the air; clearly, he could smell my arousal, only adding to my embarrassment.
"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to startle you. I'm a member of the pack. I live with my aunt and uncle. I was just out for a run and found this place, your beautiful, by the way... I mean, it's beautiful, not that you're not because you are, and oh my goddess, why am I still talking."
'Well, if he didn't think we were strange before, he sure does now. Good going, love.' Star just snickered to herself, causing my blush to redden even worse.
As he stood from the water and walked towards me, I couldn't keep my eyes from roaming over his body. He looked like the moon goddess herself had sculpted him. He caught me off guard as his hand reached out to move a strand of hair off my face, again asking me my name. But as he touched my skin, I could have sworn I felt hot sparks.
"Mate." That was all I heard him say before he shifted and ran back toward the pack, confirming that he was indeed the same wolf.
Jakes POV
I was relaxing at the bottom of the waterfall in my usual spot when I heard someone come out of the forest. My wolf had noticed someone watching us long ago but didn't seem to care. He didn't sense any threat from them, he was normally able to sense from a small distance if someone meant us harm, but neither one of us knew why.
"Who are you, and how did you find this place?" I had asked her, but before she could reply, I could smell something sweet.
I cocked my head to the side and realised it was coming from her. The blonde that stood in front of me was aroused. My first thought was that she was just another she-wolf wanting to become a Luna, but Hunter quickly dismissed the idea. Something I did know was that she was hot. She had long blonde hair, fair skin, and big blue eyes. Her lips were nice and plump. They reminded me of roses as they held the same subtle shade of pink; these I would love to try.
"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to startle you. I'm a member of the pack. I live with my aunt and uncle; I was just out for a run and found this place, your beautiful, by the way... I mean, it's beautiful, not that you're not because you are, and oh my goddess, why am I still talking."
She realised she was babbling away when a blush crept onto her flawless face. I could tell she felt embarrassed, but the blush made her look cute. As I exited the water, I could see her checking me out, her eyes taking in every inch of my body. As I stood before her, I don't know what happened; it was as if my arm had a mind of its own, moving some hair from her face.
"Your name?" I asked again, but as my finger slightly touched her cheek, I instantly felt the sparks.
"Mate." Hunter and I growled in unison.
I wanted to stay and confirm my thoughts when I got a mind link from a guard saying he had found traces of wolves camping outside the border to the eastern side. Taking a deep breath, I pulled away before I shifted and ran immediately to that location, leaving my confused and beautiful mate behind.
Benson met me at the wolf's campsite, but we couldn't find any other trace of them. They knew how to conceal their scent, which made me worry. If they were here to talk, they wouldn't need to conceal themselves, but as they had, they could be up to no good. I placed extra guards on patrol and cancelled training sessions for the next few days just in case of an attack. During my time as Alpha, I learned always to be prepared and expect the unexpected.
When I returned to the pack house and headed up to my room, I found Crystal lying on my bed in nothing but one of my t-shirts. The sight instantly caused my blood to boil.
"How the fuck did you get in here, Crystal?"
"One of the omegas let me in, so I thought I'd surprise you."
"Well, I don't need surprising, and I thought I made it clear when I told you to stay away from me."
"I know you didn't mean it, Jake; you were just stressed, and I get that. Can't you feel the attraction between us? I know I can." I walked up to her ripping my t-shirt from her body, and threw her clothes at her. Now that I had met my mate, the thought of my scent on any other she-wolf made my stomach churn.
"It's Alpha Jake to you; now get dressed and get the fuck out. You don't want me to have to tell you again!"
'Our mate is much more attractive than her. She's beautiful in every way. You cannot reject her. We must claim her. She's strong; I know you could feel the powerful aura she had surrounding her just as I could.'
'Hunter, you know I don't want one.'
'Having a Luna will make us stronger; you know that. Jake, do not let your stubbornness ruin this for the both of us.'
As Crystal left my room, clearly unhappy with the fact I had thrown her out again, I locked the bedroom door. Pushing Hunter to the back of my mind, I headed to the bathroom for a cold shower. Everything that had happened tonight was beginning to give me a headache.
After what felt like the best shower of my life, I exited the bathroom to find an older lady with blonde hair sitting on the edge of my bed. She looked to be in her early forties, but damn, she looked good for an older chick.
"How the fu...."
"Don't you dare finish that sentence, Jake! I think it's darn disgusting to use that kind of profanity in the presence of a female." I threw my towel into the linen basket and pulled a vest over my head. "Right, now I don't have long, so I will get straight to the point. You need to accept your mate." Here we go if my wolf was already giving me shit, and now some unknown woman was trying to tell me what to do. Why the fuck was everyone on my case!
"I apologise, but if you wouldn't mind explaining who you are, and secondly, why do you think I would do that? Because the last time I checked and no offence, but you're not my mother."
"My name is Selena. You know who I am; I know you can sense my aura. You, Jake, are gifted and in more ways than one."
"Moon goddess... but how?" We knew she existed because we were her creations, but seeing her in the flesh... was unheard of.
"The 'how' is not relevant; what is, however, is you doing as I ask. I have mated you with a very gifted, very special wolf. You come from a line of strong, powerful, loyal pure-blooded alphas. I also know I couldn't trust to mate her to just anyone. You may have strayed slightly over the years, but I believe that with the help of your mate, you will correct your path."
"But why me?"
"Because, my dear, she is my granddaughter."
My jaw hit the ground while all she could do was smile. Come to think of it, the girl from the waterfall did resemble the Moon Goddess. Hunter also said he could feel strong power rolling off her.
"Her life is in danger, and I need her bloodline and yours to continue. That will only happen if you accept each other and honour the sanctity of the bond." Suddenly a knock came from the bedroom door, and Selena had gone when I turned around to respond. Immediately I mind-linked Benson, it may have been early hours in the morning, but we needed to talk.
Bensons POV
"Wait, you're telling me that you met your mate. Not only did you meet her, but you didn't find out her name, and on top of all of that, she's directly related to the moon goddess." While my head hurts and feels like it will explode, he's just sitting there with a smug look on his face as if he's just won the fricking lottery. "Jake, are you sure it wasn't just some woman pulling your strings? Come on; even you have to admit it's weird timing. Firstly, we find evidence of someone hanging around where they shouldn't be, and now this."
"I'm telling you, mate; I could feel the aura surrounding her. It was powerful, like nothing I'd ever felt before. Timing or not, there's no way someone could fake that."
"Well fuck me. What will you do then because if it's true, it could change everything."
"I don't know; I'll tell you what though, she was gorgeous. I've never wanted a mate, you know, and not because I don't want to be committed to just one woman. If I could have my mate and be invincible, I'd jump for joy, but they are always targeted first. The only thing that sways me is the Moon Goddess said that she didn't trust her to be safe with anyone else."
"Ok... so let's say you do accept her. Do you know why her life is in danger or why she's so eager for both of your bloodlines to continue?"
"If I had to guess, I would say that the wolves camped outside my borders have something to do with it. Conveniently timed with the meeting of the Moon Goddess. I don't think so."
"Ok, well, you already know my vote. I think you should accept her regardless of who she is." Jake seemed deep in thought, almost as if he was weighing out the cons and pros of the decision he knew had to be made. I could only hope that Jake chose the right one and that he did it before it was too late.