THE INVITATION
Vince and Siel were happily snuggling in his penthouse condo’s bed when the familiar sounds of footsteps brought them back to reality.
“They’re up,” the dark-haired divorced mom giggled, widely smiling at her mate.
“Then let’s go greet them. But before that… I’d like to invite you and the kids to join me at the packhouse for the next 24 hours or so. Since you all already know that I’m a werewolf and you have even met the higher-ranking members of my pack. We will be celebrating our traditional ‘After Christmas Bonfire’ later today, and I’d like to have you there since you will be the Luna of the pack, eventually.”
“A bonfire… and wait, what? Luna?” she asked, curiosity evident in her eyes.
“Yes, and I see it fitting that my pack gets to know you more. But if it’s too much to grasp right now, just tell me you’ll come with me… please?”
“When are we going?”
“Well, it’s kind of a long drive, so we’d need to pack and go, kind of immediately,” he confessed to her while getting up and quickly putting on his robe then rushing to his bedroom door. The concerned Alpha threw the double doors wide open to see his little Christmas angels, now roaming, playing and giggling in his massive.y furnished and elegantly decorated living room. V quickly joined them before anything happened to his mate’s adorable twins due to their very curious natures.
Meanwhile, Siel got up and dressed before joining her mate and babies, who were now playing gleefully on the living room’s carpeted floor. She silently admired him as he effortlessly swung a squealing baby Rosie up while managing to keep a cheering baby James hanging on to his broad and muscled back.
“Since we don’t have work for several days, dear CEO, we will be happy to go with you. I just need to go home to pick a few things for the babies and me after we have breakfast,” she agreed with a small nod.
“Really!? Awesome!”
Di woke up to an empty bed. Checking her phone, she noticed that she had slept throughout the morning, and it was about 11:00 AM now. She tried to wake herself completely, and the smell of freshly brewed coffee from outside the bedroom helped a lot.
“Good morning, love,” Aaron smiled as he peeked from the kitchen. “What do you like to have for breakfast?”
“I usually don’t have breakfast, so I’ll eat whatever you have. Wait, you didn’t cook for me again, right? Please don’t do that. You’re overworking yourself just to spoil me.”
“Candy cane, if I don’t overwork for you, then for whom should I?”
Di bit her lip since his answer took her by surprise.
“Ok, what do you have there? I’m now feeling hungry for some reason.”
Aaron laughed and removed his apron as he walked back into the bedroom, “Oh, I know the reason, Pecan pie. We can keep at it if you want, once we’ve finished our meal.”
She giggled aloud as he fell back into bed. He playfully hugged her naked body and buried his face into her neck, getting high on her scent of adenium and lemongrass. His wolf was going crazy at this point, and he had only one thing in mind…
Aaron, let me out! PLEASE! I want to be with Opal!
“Onyx is asking me to let him see his mate, cheesecake. What do you think about going for a run to get your wolf out for a while? There’s still enough time for that before the bonfire later tonight.”
“Well, I don’t think I should deny her seeing her mate since she has been shamelessly begging me for the chance since we have been at it for hours. So maybe after breakfast…”
“Only if you want to, cupcake. Not pushing you at all, okay?”
“Thank you. But it’s not you who’s pushing,” Di laughingly said.
It was an hour and a half later when they were finally running as wolves into the more forested area of the pack’s property. And of course, there were more things to do than just run…
As Onyx and Opal spent those long amazing hours together, one or two shadowy figures were positioned downwind from where they were. These hidden watchers were carefully taking shots, both video and images, of the two unsuspecting wolves.
Well, they didn’t stay unsuspecting for too long…
Wait, I smell someone nearby, Onyx mindlinked to Opal. And I don’t think I recognize them…
Instantly, both Aaron and Onyx merged and shifted to werewolf form!
This werewolf still sported Onyx’s dark brown fur and Aaron’s hazel eyes. His height and size, however, were obviously larger than either one. The same can be said about his fangs and claws…
And looking at his ferocious pose, it’s easy to see that he was ready to use them.
Meanwhile, Opal found herself whimpering behind her mate, memories of an attack in the far past suddenly crowding her thoughts. She was unable to shift to her werewolf form since her human was now huddled in one corner of their mind due to a paralyzing fear that her memories ignited inside them.
Diwa, please merge with me. I can smell danger in the air…
No, Opal. I never wanted to go back to wolf life… because of this. Please, don’t force me…
Suddenly, the she-wolf found herself in the arms of her werewolf mate…
And was now being carried against his wide, muscular chest while being swiftly rushed back to the packhouse.
Did you feel her fear, Aaron? asked Onyx worriedly.
I did, and it’s more like terror, Onyx, replied Aaron.
Later, upon arriving at his apartment, with the light-brown wolf still trembling in his arms, he immediately shifted back to human form and coaxed her to do the same. It took a while, but when she finally shifted back, Aaron carried her like a baby and placed her on the bed.
He then tossed a thick blanket on top of her then sat beside her on the bed, his hand feeling her forehead and face. She was so cold and shook like a leaf, so he decided to get warm compresses from his first aid kit to use on her.
However, as he stood up, the anxious Beta was stopped by five frigid fingers holding his wrist…
“Aaron…’ he heard her muffled voice pleaded under the sheets. “Can you please hold me…”
He was quick to obey, the worried look in his eyes very obvious to his terror-filled and trembling mate. Meanwhile, she was quick to embrace him tight, the panic-stricken look in her eyes very clear to her beloved.
“Diwa… shhh… it’s okay, I’m here…” Aaron whispered back soothingly. “I won’t leave you alone, don’t worry…”
“Is that a promise?” she sobbed, wide-eyed in terror.
“It is; angel cake. I swear it. And if I forget this oath, feel free to punish me for it. ”