Chapter 5

Eclipse

Alpha relaxed, and a blanket was covered over my torso down. I recognized this location; it was the middlemost part of the living area. “Thank you, Betta Conner, now fuck off.” Alpha said annoyed.

I didn’t see where he’d gone after that, because I looked down again.

I could feel all the eyes on me. But the one’s I feared were the ones I only saw in the dark when he took me from my home. I suddenly felt pain in my neck, it was rough, desperate.

/Now you/, I heard in my head. It was not Shimmer, it was ominous, and I shifted my gaze to the thin white sheet.

/I’m scared/ I tell the voice.

/You never have to be afraid of your mate’s wolf, now mark us that we be one./

He tried to sound gentle, but honestly it was more of a demand. He was Alpha long before I was born, and he most likely would have never accepted rejection. He was the one to complete me and I him. This was part of the most ancient tradition of wolves, to tell others that they were taken. To start the process of a lifelong bond. The goddess gave us only one. And I was his only.

His burly arms hoisted me up that I see his face, his Amber yellow eyes with red and orange flecks danced in the waxing moonlight. He was handsome, with thick black hair, a strong jaw and rugged features, but I was still afraid. His expression looked like he cared deeply for me, but his dominance submitted me.

I was his mate, and I was expected to mark him. He held me by the waist, barely keeping the sheet obscuring us, and he placed me near his mark spot, the crook of his neck, waiting patiently. I felt the rise and fall of his deep breaths, and I could feel his steady heartbeat against my body.

I hesitated at first, but I bit down as hard as I could.

I understood all the passion, aggression, his thoughts, and emotions. I was still terrified; he towered over me. He had dominance over me. I could taste the testosterone that oozed from him, because he was Alpha. I never expected to get marked by Alpha Kaiden, honestly, I just expected to be marked by someone my rank. I am his Luna now, and he is mine.

“Yes, I am all yours”, he said completely amused with himself. He pressed his lips to me, it was only a peck on the cheek, but it felt like a warm summer’s day with a cool breeze. I wanted more, but I didn’t say anything, because there was only a paper-thin sheet between us, and a crowd had gathered around.

He wrapped his arms around me, nearly taking the air out my lungs as he smelled my hair. He growled a rumble that shook me, but I didn’t like it… I didn’t understand it.

“Here me pack, this is my Luna, my everything. I will not hesitate to do as she says to you for punishment if you hurt her. Beta Connor….” The last part got less confident and more embarrassed.

“Yes, My Alpha and Luna.” he said with an eyebrow raised and a smirk.

“… Just get me a damn pair of shorts…” Alpha Kaiden mumbled. Everyone kind of giggled, and he blushed a shade of deep rosy red.

I took this opportunity to tie the sheet in a knot while he put on some bike shorts. They looked good on him if not for why he wanted them. The thought in the back of my mind, all my own sat there like an elephant on my chest. What was going to happen to me when I got to where he was taking me? I was already marked but I didn’t feel ready for the mating, the second part of the binding. I know he waited like 200 years for a mate, so what if he doesn’t care if I want to wait? Should I ask? I think to myself. If I do and the answer is ‘I decided not to eat you, I decided I’m going to sex you’ what am I going to do then?!

I let him pick me back up and carry me into the packhouse, the main living quarters of all the high ranking officers and their pups. It was a large 4 story white colonial building with a U shaped driveway. It was beautiful, and I had never been there before. It was in the center of the pack at the top of a hill, though the closest I’d ever gotten was the coffee shop. There were large windows with wide steps that led up to wooden double doors, with the crescent moon as handles.

The inside looked modern and open, the walls were off white with crown molding and each floor was accessible by a long white curved stairwell, there were many rooms on each floor, and I could see a few open doors that seemed to have offices. In the kitchen, I saw burly warriors clocking in and out, all nod at Alpha, who still carried me.

He took me to the top of the stairs with jeers and whistles blown behind us and just stood there. I was honestly afraid right now, that in his high of finding me, that he would do what he said. But would he really be that cruel? I glanced up at him to see him glaring at me and I immediately looked back down. I must have made him mad, or maybe he was good at hiding it.

Each step, he took after that terrified me more. But he didn’t say anything. My thoughts racing, my heart pounding. I’m glad that I found my mate, but all the stories I’ve heard, all the fear I’ve seen…. All the power I feel resonating against my entire body. All he has to do is want something.

The bedroom door opens, and he closed the door behind us with his bare foot...

------Kaiden------

Of all the things he had to say to her, and I was so stupid! I didn’t even correct it. Of all the things we’ve ever said, I think this is the dumbest. Yes, I want to have her right now, but I would definitely hurt her. /I want her now./ He growled, the heat in my pants also agreed but I had to keep control to see reason.

Also this was my fault. I scared the poor girl enough that I forced her to shift.

She went through her first change all by herself with no coach, so I know that was painful. She was terrified all night to the point to where all I feel is her shaking. She is honestly trembling, and she has been all night. She is so submissive; she thinks I am going to ravage her and kill her when I’m done. My wolf could not retort that, it was his fault thinking with our dick. And now she’s afraid to even go up the stairs.

She’s so new, I’m sure she doesn’t know I hear all of it. The bonding process links our fears and thoughts. The whole conversation Shimmer refuses to engage in. Shimmer is afraid herself, but more so because she is still a small thing. Hopefully it wasn’t too late to fix that. With good training and food, she might get stronger, being cooped up inside, never shifting is like being caged. The human form will stay the same, but the wolf will grow for a year or so if it’s not too late.

I heard an old wife’s tale about this. Aggressive men get frightened submissive mates. I deserve it. All I have ever been with everyone, is aggressive. And it’s my fault she’s so scared of me that she can barely keep it together. I look at her gentle, terrified face. Her hair is so odd… Not because it was gray, because our wolf’s color is the color of our hair… it was because I’d never seen a wolf with locks so silver speckled in with a base color so dark, almost black but not quite. Her face is so young, more like innocent, compared to mine… But honestly, I figured from the moment I got to her house that she would be scared.

If I say anything, I will probably make it worse, because then she’ll know I can hear her thoughts. I almost slipped up earlier. That kind of thing isn’t comforting, and it was something I hid from other pack members too. Knowing the person you’re talking about can hear your innermost private thoughts about them will not ever do anything, but cause anxiety until she learns how to block everyone out and realizes I’m not a threat.

This will also take time. Expecting her to trust me overnight is unrealistic… but maybe I could show her that I wasn’t as bad as everyone made me out to be…. It was so easy for Rakaam to just enter her mind. She is my sweet innocent babygirl that the moon goddess made me wait for….

Wait…. a. Fucking. Minute. “What is your name?” I blurted in a low whisper, I could feel her thoughts race and I set her on the bed gently and set next to her, inhaling her scent one more time. This also made it worse... Ugh I mentally scream! I’m so stupid! Normal shows of affection are not working! She was not taught wolfish things since I knew her parents. I think both of them were Omegas. They wouldn’t know much, and since she didn’t shift in school she didn’t either.

I hunted her down, carried her here, scared the fuck out her parents, and her, and my whole pack watched me walk practically hard as a pickaxe swinging for gold with her … and I don’t know her name….

“My name is Eclipse, Alpha Kaiden” she fumbled with her fingers looking down at my feet, a sign of submission. I picked her up and sat her in my lap.

“It’s beautiful.” I felt bad for letting Rakaam take over, she should have had a choice to want me.

/No./ He growled. /200 years, I will not be denied what is ours. She will love us./

I sighed; there is no reasoning with him. But for now, I ignored him and went back to our Luna.

“You are my Luna, and I am your Kaiden. You never have to look down at my feet, there’s nothing to see but my ugly claws.” I try to joke, it was terribly corny, but she genuinely smiled. “My wolf took over and marked you, afraid that since you were so terrified that you would reject us” I said trailing off at the end and shooting daggers at my wolf.

“I would have never-” she looked up and averted her gaze again. “…are you mad at me?” The submission she showed me was akin to an Omega, and I didn’t like it, but I would try to be gentler.

I raised an eyebrow, “Why would you say that?” I ask curiously concerned.