The Rejected Luna’s Prince By Aurora Archer
Chapter 40 – Reforged Ties
(Caspien)
I walked back into my apartment. Loreli and Emmett were playing with his toys on the floor and the girls were lounging on the couch, Cali still in her robe.
“Where did you even find that?” I asked her.
She shrugged and flipped it behind her, “Holden has some weird s*hi*t in his place.”
Willa stood up and walked towards me, looking me up and down.
I looked down, realizing I had forgotten to change. Honestly, this was nothing compared to what we usually did, what I’m sure Holden was doing to him now. A bit of blood, a tiny bit, but nothing else.
“You’re okay.” She breathed, it wasn’t a question.
“There was never any question of that. I placed my lips to her forehead and breathed in the scent that was my home.
“Griffen is on the hunt and Holden is finishing up,” I told Nora and Cali, “Why don’t you order some food while we wait?”
“Already ahead of you,” Cali said, standing and brushing off her cloak, “The warriors don’t talk, but they eat so,” She shrugged, motioning to the dining room table where it looked like they had some taco bar set up.
“How?”
“You guys were down there longer than you thought, and we have to feed this one,” Cali pointed next to her at Nora, “She’s making a little wolf so apparently that requires eating every few minutes,” Cali frowned and Nora smiled at her, “I’m jealous honestly. Insatiable appetite and nothing happens to your figure.”
“A benefit of being a werewolf,” Willa said, taking my hand, “You got Emmett?” She asked the other two. They both nodded, but it looked like Nora was about to fall asleep at any moment.
Willa took my hand and tugged at it. I let her lead me up the stairs and into our room.
“Take off your clothes, get rid of them, or whatever you do,” She turned to the bathroom, the sound of water running started moments later.
I did as she said, placing them into the laundry chute in the hall instead of the hamper. I didn’t want Emmett to see it, even though I knew he probably didn’t miss it on my way in.
When I walked into the bathroom, steam filled the air and smelled like lavender.
“Get in,” Willa smiled at me, motioning to my free-standing bathtub.
“You’re not joining me?”
“Not this time,” She shook her head with a smile, pulling her midnight hair back into a loose bun.
I watched her, enthralled by the elegance of her simple actions. She was familiar to me, more so than anyone. In the relatively short time I knew her, she became so ingrained in every part of me.
I wanted a mate because I was told to, I wanted that unshakable bond, but what I had with Willa, was so much deeper than the initial attraction and sparks.
I took her lead and sunk into the bath. The warm water instantly calmed me and started easing some tension I didn’t realize I was carrying.
She pulled up a stool behind me and lathered soap on a large sponge, rubbing it down my back and slowly up and down my arms. It wasn’t s*e*xual, but it was one of the most intimate things I had ever experienced.
She sat next to me in silence. I stole a glance and her lips were pursed in concentration, steam dampened some loose tendrils of her hair making them curl a bit around her face. She was the most beautiful thing that ever existed.
Only after I was thoroughly washed did she move the stool behind me and laid my head back on a towel and ma*s*saged my hair.
I felt all the tension leave me. In between my mate’s attentive care and gentle touch, the warm water, and the lavender steam, I felt more relaxed than I could ever remember feeling.
I knew she wouldn’t judge me, not even for what happened in the basement. But to have her accept me completely and take care of me, was something I didn’t know I needed this badly. To have her see the parts of me that were still cold, that I couldn’t shake.
It didn’t scare me anymore, how easy it was to slip back into being that Alpha, how comfortable and natural it felt. But she saw all of me and didn’t shy away from it, didn’t hold it against me.
I didn’t have to be anything more than completely myself with her, and it was the first time that I knew who I actually was.
I took one of her hands from where she was ma*s*saging me and brought it to my lips, holding it there and placing a long kiss on it. Nothing I could do with or for her would ever match the scope of what I felt.
She wrapped her other arm around me, placed it on my chest, and leaned her head on top of mine. We stayed there for a long moment until she pulled back.
“Shower, my love.” She kissed the top of my head and I wished we had all evening to stay in bed. I just wanted to hold her.
Now that the fear and adrenaline were wearing off, I was terrified. I was so close to losing Emmett, and we got lucky. I never had anything that I was so scared of losing before. I never thought about it much.
My parents were always there, so were Holden and then Griffen. We never dealt with anything that could have taken them from me, and when my dad fought alongside his warriors, I was too young to realize that he might not come back, which, of course, he always did.
I stood up and got out, wrapping her in my arms. She didn’t complain that I got her clothes wet, she just buried her head in my chest and held me tight. I think she needed my embrace as much as I needed hers, or I hoped she did.
“I love you, Willa. That doesn’t even begin to cover it. You’re safe here, you both are, and I will make this right.”
“I know,” She squeezed me and let me go. When she pulled back, her eyes were starting to fill with tears. She wiped at her eyes before they could form.
I took her chin in my fingers, tilting her brilliant eyes up to mine, “I’ll be down in a few, and then I have to check in with Holden and Griffen when they’re back, if you guys are up for it, maybe we can meet here?”
“I know Cali wouldn’t want to miss it,” She shook her head, smiling, “There’s no way we’re getting that cape from her.”
“I’ll burn it if you want, she has to shower sometime.” I offered.
“And invoke the wrath of The Red Witch?” Her eyes went wide in mock horror, “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Is that what she’s calling herself?”
“It’s fitting, isn’t it?” She shrugged. I couldn’t deny that.
“We can’t teach her magic, but we can change her into a wolf, tell her that is where the fun begins.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” She gave me a smile and grabbed a towel offering it to me.
“Thank you, for this, for everything, for” I swallowed, “Seeing me and not shying away.”
Her eyes widened slightly and she stepped toward me, grabbing my arm and pulling me down, so our foreheads touched.
“I see all of you, even the parts you think you hide. I love them all,” My stomach tightened and I felt tears? Tears pricked my eyes.
Softie, I knew it
Shut up, I’m having a moment
We’re having a moment. She’s my mate too.
I didn’t know what to say to her, so I brushed my lips against hers, she met mine hungrily, opening her mouth and sliding her tongue against my lip. I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her towards me, feeling the curve of her round butt, pulling up her shirt so I could feel the warmth and goosebumps that pricked her back.
I’m coming up – Holden came into my mind.
I kissed her once more before I reluctantly pulled back, her breathing was uneven and her lips swollen. I loved seeing her like that.
“Holden is coming, please make sure that the children are out of his view,” I sighed. II knew that when you slipped into that place where you only saw red and revenge, there wasn’t room for logic, only instinct.
“I will,” She bit her lip and it took all my willpower not to lean down and bite it for her, she looked down at my hard length and one side of her lips tugged up, “I wish we had time for that.”
“You’ll be the death of me,” I rumbled.
“What does that even mean?” She raised an eyebrow, the smile not leaving her face, brightening her eyes.
“Honestly, no idea. I’ve heard it in movies, it seems to apply here.” I smiled back at her.
“I like that smile, it’s the one you only give to me,” I tilted my head. I didn’t know I had different smiles. I thought I had one. One that was genuine, and one that I forced.
She turned and left before I could stop her. I walked to the shower and turned it on, hoping an icy cold shower would help calm some of the fire for her that was rolling through me.
__________
I met Cali and Holden in the upstairs hallway. He looked awful. No shirt, and blood all over him and his face. He reeked of burnt skin and hair, a smell that never leaves you.
“Can we use the guestroom we stayed in this weekend?” Cali asked.
“Just please get him cleaned up before you guys do any witch roleplay on my nice sheets,”
A broad grin spread across Holden’s bloody face, his white teeth a stark contrast, “Where’s the fun in that?”
“You’re paying for anything you touch, you sick f*uc*k.”
“Hey,” Cali cut in.
“I apologize, you sick f*uc*ks, happy?”
“Delighted,” She raised an eyebrow and tugged him past me.
“Take it out of my salary,” He called after me.
I walked downstairs and saw only Nora on the couch. She pointed to the kitchen and I headed that way.
Thankfully, Willa got the kids away from that blood-soaked mess that was my Gamma. Emmett and Loreli were eating tacos that they were pretending were dinosaurs. I guess I could see where they got that. Kinda.
“Griffen called Nora, you didn’t have your phone. He’s on his way back, nothing to report apparently,” She frowned but replaced it with a smile as she set down some water for the kids.
“Go sit with Nora, I’ll finish up here.”
“It’s fine-”
“Tea or wine?” I asked her, ignoring her protest.
“Both probably,” She smiled, and I squeezed her hand as she walked out.
I made Nora and Willa a cup of tea and a glass of wine for Willa. Cali and Holden still weren’t down by the time that Emmett and Loreli finished dinner. Nora read the kids books, and they were almost asleep on her bump by the time she was finished.
Griffen came in and melted at the sight, “We need to have more,”
“How about we get the first one out, then we can talk,” Nora responded, but a huge smile lit up her face.
She was gentle, loving, sweet. She balanced out Griffen in all the right ways. He was so focused on work, on proving himself, it wasn’t until he found her that he actually loosened up, if only a tiny bit.
Cali came down freshly showered, still in that s.tupid cloak and Holden was behind her, wearing my f*uc*king clothes.
“Hey, if you wanted me to come down naked, I normally wouldn’t say no, but there are children present,” Holden responded to my stare.
Cali gave Willa and Nora a look and they followed her upstairs with the kids. Griffen, of course, helped his mate up the stairs, claiming that since their apartment was one floor, she wasn’t used to stairs. Holden and I looked at each other, but we didn’t make fun of him. Not today, at least.
Griffen came back a few minutes later and took a seat across from Holden and me.
“I know Nora or Willa filled you in. It’s what we expected. We left pack territory, nothing happened. We were able to unlock his phone but nothing of note was on it. It was a burner phone, and any numbers on it were disconnected,” He shrugged, “Get anything else from Brady?” He directed his question at Holden.
“Didn’t really ask,” He shrugged, “He didn’t seem to know much anyways”
“The Silent a*s*sasin keeps himself well hidden, he rarely meets with clients or even his own a*s*sa*s*sins or contractors in person,” Griffen said thinking.
“Anything on our hit?”
“You took a hit on The Silent a*s*sa*s*sin?” Holden’s eyes were wide, he scanned the window as if he were expecting an a*s*sa*s*sin to be scaling the building.
I shrugged, “I need to talk to him.”
“You’re insane,” Holden said, staring at me.
“How else do we find him?”
“How did you find him the first time?” He asked.
“He found me. He wanted to make an alliance, I turned him down and made him agree to a blood pact instead.” I shrugged.
“You make it sound simple.” Griffen looked at me.
“It was anything but,” I admitted, “But it worked, and that was my last contact with him.”
“I hate to say it, but it seems almost impossible to try to find him. Even if we did, he wouldn’t give us anything, let alone the name of who took a hit on him. No matter who you are, he wouldn’t ruin his reputation by sharing confidential client information.”
“I just wish there was a way to figure out if it was Alpha Jasper,” I leaned back, “Confirm it,”
“We could send Rachel?” Griffen looked at me with his almost black eyes.
“Send her in to sleep with the Beta again for information?” I asked, “Some part of me thinks that might not be your smartest idea.”
“It’s not that bad,” Holden said, rubbing the short stubble on his chin, “Could work.”
“Let’s see where the hit gets us first. Then we can focus on sending in someone to coerce the enemy into bed.” I looked between them both. This was already messy and I wasn’t going to make it messier. There was no way I would send a spy in, it screamed weak, and as much as I wasn’t Rachel’s biggest fan at the moment, I wouldn’t risk her or any pack member like that.
Our mates came down and settled in. I got up and gave Nora and Griffen my spot on the couch and tugged Willa into my lap in a chair, draping a blanket over her.
We discussed everything with them, filling them in on what happened today, and our theories.
“I thought The Silent a*s*sa*s*sin was a rumor?” Willa sat up in my lap looking back at me.
“Nope,” I shook my head once, “I wish he was.”
“Well, well, s*hi*t.” She shook her head and leaned back into me. She was tense, more rigid than she was moments before. I knew she had finally grasped the weight of the situation.
“Willa?”
“Hmm?” She responded, but seemed far away.
“Become part of the pack that will protect you and Emmett from him by the blood oath.”
“Okay,” She sat up again, shifting to stare at me, “Right now.”
(Willa)
Maybe I should have made it a bigger fanfare, but I just wanted the safety. I didn’t think Emmett would mind missing it either. Caspien explained if I was part of a pack if I changed, then Emmett’s ties would shift as well. I hoped he was right.
“Can we do it here? If we’re skipping everything else,” I suggested, looking at the others.
Nora was leaning on Griffen’s chest, his head on hers as he stroked her arm. Cali and Holden were laughing about something, her legs on top of his lap.
“Sure,” Caspien said, “If that’s what you want.”
“Is that what you want?” I looked at him, “Did you want this to be a pack ordeal or?”
“I kinda figured it would be, but honestly,” He looked behind me, “This feels more right. I think doing it in front of the pack is what is expected, but I’m okay with new traditions.”
He got up and placed me on my feet, “If you’re sure.”
“Your safety, both of your safety, comes way before pack traditions and parties.” He brushed a finger across my jawline and gazed at me with a such gentle ferocity I felt like there was no one else on this planet.
“Okay,” I swallowed and nodded slightly, not wanting to break his contact with me.
“I’ll be right back.”
I sat back in the chair and pulled the blanket around me, watching everyone else and feeling completely comfortable at home.
Caspien came back sooner than I expected, or maybe I just fell into a comfortable haze.
“So, Willa is officially joining our pack this evening.”
Griffen and Holden smiled at me and Nora sat up clasping her hands together.
“Finally,” Caspien added, “I know this isn’t traditional but we’re going to do this now and then get back to, uh, sitting I guess.”
“It’s called relaxing,” Holden said.
“Yes, well, that,” Caspien said.
He took my hand, and we both sat on the floor by the fire, even though it was summer we had it on almost every night, it wasn’t hot really, I would have to ask him how he did that. I bet it wasn’t even real, some hologram he got as a prize for being rich or something.
“Wilhemina Balfour,” I saw Cali gag at my full name, but her eyes seemed to, “Do you promise to uphold the laws of Crescent Moon, to protect your Alpha and Luna and ranked members as they will protect you?”
“I do,” This didn’t seem like a big deal. But suddenly, my hands were shaking.
He took my hand in his and cut a small slit on my hand before doing the same with his. He joined our hands, and a drop of our mixed blood fell into the golden chalice he held beneath us. It was final, binding, and everything that I wanted.
Nothing else existed in this moment but us. His eyes locked onto mine, his dark hair seemed to move and a wind encapsulated us, some of my hair tugged from my bun. A warmth spread through our joined hands. Neither of us could look away, nor wanted to.
Everything and nothing happened at once after that.
I felt like there was something tugging back into place, something left me and came back to me. I felt warmth, respect, and happiness. I didn’t realize I closed my eyes until I opened them and met Caspien’s churning light blue ones. I was home.
Welcome Luna, sorry Willa – Griffen came into my mind.
Glad to have you officially here – Holden said
Welcome, we are so lucky to have you – Nora said, she seemed to be smiling even in my mind.
I looked at them all and smiled widely. I don’t know why I hadn’t done this before. I wish I did. I felt whole and complete. This was right. I don’t know if it was the bond or The Goddess or something else.
I felt like I found something I didn’t know I was missing, but nothing would ever be right now without this new bond.
(Nolan)
I felt more and more irritated this past month. The only thing I could attribute it to was Willa trying to get her revenge on me by making me claim her child. But it was more than that, it was this twisted feeling of unsettlement that I couldn’t pin.
My wolf was restless, and so was I.
Something felt off, but no matter how many times I f*uc*ked Camilla, I couldn’t find the satisfaction I was looking for. No matter how many times I checked to make sure my border was secure, I had a sense of unease.
I felt like I couldn’t figure something out like I was missing something.
“Babe, you’re going to need to get your tux re-fitted, we’re hosting the black and white ball before the conference, and I need my Alpha to look his best.”
Anxiety swirled through me, I couldn’t latch on to it though, I couldn’t make sense of it. I wasn’t used to this feeling.
I always knew where my stress was coming from—running this pack and all the s.tupid paperwork that came with it. Camilla droning on about parties and renovations, my mom complaining about Camilla’s choices, my son who wouldn’t sit down or stop breaking things for one moment.
But this, this was something else. Like something outside of me was trying to tell me something, warn me of something.
“Get over here,” I commanded her.
Camilla looked at me, tilting her head, “You didn’t answer my question.” She pinned me with a dead stare.
“I don’t care, I trust you. Come here,” I growled, and she stood up, obeying me.
I pushed her over the desk and pulled up her dress. I unzipped my pants, letting them fall before moving her underwear and swiftly entered her. The thrill of doing this on my desk was long gone, but I needed anything to distract me.
I thrusted into her. Hard. But I couldn’t find any satisfaction, any release. My mind roamed to Willa, and I let it. I imagined her beneath me, the sparks, her tightness, her innocence, and dedication.
I grunted and finished in a moment. Too soon, I wanted to drag out that lingering feeling of being with her, even if it was a memory. I pulled out, and my senses came back to me. F*uc*k her for trying to come back and use her son as a pawn.
No, I needed to see her. I wanted to. I would figure out how to reach out to her, she was still pining for me, and nothing would stop her from that. I would find her, and she would get on her knees in front of me and then lay back and let me f*uc*k her any way I wanted. It would be good for the pack to get out some of my tension.
Even my Beta and Gamma were feeling it recently. I would find her and keep her somewhere hidden, I could use her as I wanted, and she would let me. For the pack, for my wolf.
“That was fast,” Camilla straightened herself up, raising a perfect eyebrow.
“That wasn’t for you; that was for me.”
“As always,” She sighed, pushing her hair behind her back, “Now I need your approval-”
I groaned, a pain shot through me. It was a prickling pain radiating from my heart. It seemed to intensify with every heartbeat.
I grasped at my desk, almost falling over. Was this a heart attack? No, I was too young, healthy, and a werewolf-
“Ahh,” I screamed, the pain. I clutched at my chest, falling to the floor.
“Baby, babe!” Camilla’s face came into view, “What is it?” Her eyes scanned me.
As soon as the pain came, it was gone, along with the feeling of unease that hounded me these past few weeks.
“Nolan, baby.”
“Get out,” I pushed her off of me.
My heart was still erratic, but I felt fine, better than fine. I had no clue what it was tied to, but it was bigger than me.
Something was righting itself, but what did I have to do with it?