The night of our wedding anniversary
Claire’s POV.
My eyes fluttered to the bright light of the morning sun, I could still feel the warmth of my husband’s tongue between my legs, his hands when he fiddled with my breast, the rough demanding kiss on my lips, and how he held me to himself last night. The sexiness of his voice and how much he needed me, I didn’t want him to stop.
I turned on the side of the bed and saw a bouquet of deep red roses, nestled between the stems was a card with his handwriting. I smiled softly and picked up the flowers. The card on the bouquet read: Happy Anniversary My Sweetheart.
Tonight was my first wedding anniversary with Rory.
To outsiders, I was the envy of everyone, a once wanderer like me with no pack or roots married to one of the most powerful Alphas in North America. I was treated with courtesy and respect by the pack members the second I was brought to the pack as the Alpha’s mate. He held a mating ceremony and made me his Luna.
When I met Rory a year ago, it felt like a dream. I was attending a charity event in a remote town where I was studying on scholarship, and I saw him.
Alpha Rory, the high-flying Alpha who had recently lost his Luna. That was when I felt the mate bond with him, and he didn’t think twice before claiming me as his mate. He pursued me relentlessly, and eventually I got married into the wealthy Alpha family of North.
I was often asked what it felt like to go from being a street kid to marrying one of the most powerful Alphas. I could only smile and change the subject because inside the pack house, it wasn’t just the omegas who cooked and cleaned but also the pack members who lived there. They were all devoted to their Alpha.
But gradually I noticed how controlling Rory was, it became more apparent after we got married, he knew where I went, he knew who I was with, and what I was doing at a particular time or day. I never got to arrange my own schedule and everything was done by Danielle, Rory’s trusted Beta.
He was obsessed with me as his mate, and how much he tries to show that he loves me. It was normal for wolves to be that obsessed with their mate.
And I love Rory just like that.
‘Rory loves me so much,’ I said to my wolf Anne, through the mind link, persuading her to see Rory’s gesture towards me, and how he is willing to do anything for me.
‘He is healing us, Anne.’
I heard her weak growls from within, there was no movement from her, she was just still before the door opened.
“You got the flowers?”
My head tilted to the side of the door, and Rory was just coming in, he was brunette, muscular, and around six feet three tall. His hair was a bit messy, and his black t-shirt clung to his body, showing his muscular features. He hand ruffled through his hair, and he smiled.
I showed him the flowers. “I got them.” I returned his smile.
He strode towards me and kissed the top of my hair.
His blank pants were a bit stained, and his shoes were still on.
“Are you still feeling weak?” His hand held my face, staring at me intently.
I grew increasingly tired, and my wolf, Anne, went silent. I tried talking to her but she didn't respond, and sometimes I heard her whimpers and painful howls and my wolf stopped responding to me. “I don’t know what to do Rory.”
“It’s okay,” He coothed.
“I tried talking to her earlier but…” My voice croaked, and he pulled me into his chest.
“It’s weighing you down because of our bond and your wolf has to submit to me, but she will be fine as long as you keep taking your medication. Anne will be okay again.” He cupped my face in his hands.
I believed him, because he was right.
“You need to take more blood tonic, I made it specially for you. You know how worried I am.”
Rory has a drink session with me every night, he said it was a pack tradition and essential for our bond and for strength. So every night, he urged me to take the blood-tonic he had prepared himself.
Since I became weaker, he served the blood tonic sometimes twice in a day, because he was worried about me being sick.
“I’m leaving for training with the soldiers we need to secure the borders,” Rory said. There was a rogue found in the pack two days ago, and Rory had given orders to tighten the security in the pack, mostly around the border. He said it might be a threat to him by sending rogues disguised as spies.
“I’ll be back before 7pm,” He held my hands and kissed them affectionately.
“I will be waiting for you.”
“I don’t want you stressing over dinner tonight, everything is going to be sorted out, you just need to rest.” He placed another kiss on my cheek. I was supposed to sort out what the omegas needed for the month, the ones that worked in the pack house, check their supplies, and the storage rooms making sure we never run out of supplies which was my responsibility as Luna.
“You are unwell, and it’s my duty to take care of you. Get some rest,” He let go of my hand, and I couldn’t argue with him, Rory's words were final.
I nodded curtly. “Be home soon.”
“I will.” He went out through the door.
I was changing my dress by noon before I would be served lunch when I noticed a tiny red spot on the back of my neck as I looked in the mirror. I touched it with my finger, it didn’t hurt, nor was there any discomfort so I thought it was probably a mosquito bite.
I let down my hair and wore my dress.
“I want everything prepared before the Alpha comes,” I ordered the servants.
“Yes, Luna.”
Rory came back home three hours late, and the first thing he did was to hurriedly get the tonic for me to drink. He didn’t apologize that he kept me waiting on the night of our anniversary, we didn’t even get a meal together.
Before I woke up the next morning, he was gone. I doubt if he slept next to me last night, after taking the blood tonic I could barely remember what happened after.
There was another red spot, in the same place I had seen it yesterday. I started to take notice of it.
Every few days, a red dot the size of a pinprick would appear on my neck.
It would fade and then reappear as if it were following a pattern.
I wanted to talk to Rory about it, why there was a red dot that kept appearing on my neck, and if it was all part of the mating bond between us.
But at the same time, I noticed that my husband’s Beta Danielle, seemed to be watching me. So I let down my hair and never mentioned it.
“How are you feeling, my love?” I turned on the bed and saw my husband, his brown eyes staring at me calmly while he stroked my hair.
“I brought the blood tonic for you.” He whispered. His fingers were brushing through my hair. “You should take them so you can feel better tomorrow.” He muttered. His free hand held the blood tonic. I lifted my head from the bed and took them from his hand.
His phone rang, and he glanced at it. “Give me a minute.” He got up and left the side of the bed.
I drank only half of it and poured out the rest while Rory wasn’t looking. Rory came back with a smile on his face, and the smile suddenly felt like he was wearing a mask to me.
When the clock struck one in the middle of the night, I was awake instead of falling into a deep sleep as usual, and had no idea what had happened during the night. I lay in a half awake, half asleep state, I heard the door creak open, the tiptoe into the room, and hushed voices.
Then I felt it, the sharp sting of a needle piercing the back of my neck. Someone was drawing my blood.
I bit my lower lip, tried so hard not to make a sound, was this the reason for the blood tonic? Were they meant to replenish the blood drawn from me every night?
“I think we have gotten enough blood for the night…”
The voice.
“She‘s getting weaker, I need her to hold out long enough. I don’t want her to be entirely useless.”
I saw his face right before I passed out.
Rory, my mate.
He was the one taking my blood.
But why?
A cheating scandal
Claire’s Pov
The next morning, it was his face I had seen, smiling sweetly at me, his warm lips touched my forehead. He cuddled me in his arms. “Did you sleep well?”
I hummed, and brushed my eyes wearily.
I had a weird dream last night.
“Claire.” Rory stared at me with concern.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m just feeling a bit weak.”
He held me tighter in his arms and I snuggled closer to feel the warmth from his body.
“Get some rest, I will relieve you from some of your duties.”
“But I need to take charge of the omegas and give a report.”
“I will handle it, you matter more to me than any of that, and I need you to recover.” He pressed a soft kiss on my forehead, and wrapped his arms around me protectively.
I wasn’t sure of what I heard or saw last night in my dream, but I waved the thoughts off my head, it was only just a dream.
“I have prepared the blood tonic for you. I don’t want you looking so pale, I will bring it so you can drink. I want you to look healthy enough to bear our pup.”
I felt the warmth around him.
“It’s about time we have our own pup, darling.”
I smiled, holding his arms against me, he lowered his head to my neck, and whispered that he loves me.
Then he went out to get me the blood tonic.
My fingers brushed against the back of my neck, and I found the red spot in the same place. My wolf stirred before I could react.
‘Anne?’ I called through the mind link.
‘Are you awake?’
She yawned and then stretched. ‘Claire.’
I heaved a sigh of relief when she responded.
‘I still feel very weak,’
‘I’m going to take the blood tonic and you will get better.’
‘Ever since you started taking the blood tonic, Claire I have been weaker, sometimes I get so weak I cannot even speak.’ I could hear the pain from her voice.
‘Maybe you should stop taking those blood tonic's.’
‘You will not get better if I stop taking it, Rory said it was because of the mating bond and…’
She cut me off. ‘What if he’s lying to you?’
I shook my head. ‘No.’
‘Rory loves me and he won’t lie to me. He does everything for our good, you should trust him.’
‘Anne?’ I called out to my wolf but there was no reply from her. I need to take the blood tonic to regain my strength with my wolf.
I came out of the room, looking for my husband.
I saw him at the end of the hallway, and I wanted to raise my voice to call him but tonight was difficult, there was someone else beside Rory, and his hands were on her waist, he was smiling sweetly at her. Their faces are inches apart.
It was Kate and I heaved a sigh of relief, she was my close confidante and I could tell her what was going on since she is Rory’s sister. Maybe she would stop Rory or do something about the situation.
And the thought of that gave me a glimmer of hope that Kate was here at least, and I could get to know what was going on.
The moment his hand went to the back of her head, her lips crashed over his.
My mouth parted but I couldn’t say a word except gasp, I rubbed my eyes and stared at her again. This time her legs had wrapped around his waist and he was taking her into a room.
I halted, my hand clenched tightly to my night gown. He kicked the door open with his feet, and they stumbled in with their lips still entangled. He didn’t bother to shut the door.
I stood by the door, overheard her moaning, and the sound of her clothes coming off her body. They kissed as if they had been starved, Rory’s voice came off hoarse, and deeply aroused.
They were kissing and making out. The light in the room was dimmed, and Rory was already taking off his clothes. His hands were all over her body, making love to her, her moans were loud, and she was calling out his name.
“Ah…ah..”
“Rory.”
“I don’t want anyone to take you away from me.”
“I will always belong to you. Kate.” His words sounded like a pledge to me, and something sharp twisted in my chest, stealing the air from my lungs.
Hearing those words from my mate, the one I called my husband, and…
I felt anger surging through my wolf. ‘How could he?!’ She flared.
‘He betrayed us, with his sister!’ She howled.
‘I’m going to tear him apart!’ She cried out.
I dragged my feet back, my eyes getting blurry, how long has this been going on? And then he comes to me with a smile and kisses my forehead, and talks sweetly to me, all for what?
My stomach dropped.
The sadness was weighing me down in my heart, I needed something to hold onto, I wanted to let my wolf out, run into the woods, scream and cry. It hurts so much seeing my mate with another woman.
Because this can not be happening.
I spun around blindly and accidentally bumped into something by the side of the door, it was a flower vase.
They stopped and I didn’t hear a sound from them. “Who is there?” Rory asked.
I didn’t wait for him to get out before I hurried back into my room, lay on the bed, and closed my eyes. I didn’t want them to know that I was awake.
The door opened, and I heard their footsteps inside the room, I could feel their skeptical glances in my direction.
“Do you think that was her?” Kate asked with so much annoyance laced in her voice.
“It can’t be.”
“She won't dare to spy on us.”’
I clawed on the bedsheet at my so-called husband’s voice.
“I’m sick of her already, can’t we get rid of her?”
“We can’t keep her here any longer, Rory.”
“We still need to get more blood from her, the only thing special about her is her rare blood type. Once we have drained all of it, there won’t be any point keeping her here.” He turned to Kate. “I’m doing all of this for you,”
“She won’t last another month.”
The smack was from a kiss, and a moan that came after, right in the same room that I was.
He didn’t care about me, he never did, everything was an act, every word was a lie.
“I want her out as soon as possible,” Kate muttered, and I could feel her eyes on my body on the bed. “I mean dead.”
The whole truth
Claire’s Pov.
I heard my mate fucked his sister all night when they thought I was sleeping. They didn’t hold back at all, I heard her moaning and Rory whispering into her ease as they made love. “Babe, soon I’ll get what we’ve been longing for with Claire’s blood.”
“I can awaken my wolf, and then you can truly mark me.”
Rory kissed her. “It’s worth all the trouble to find Claire. Thanks to the Moon goddess she has the same rare blood type as you.”
They were in it together.
I always knew there was something wrong with Kate’s wolf, and Rory has been trying everything he could to wake her up, and it turns out, I was the cure.
Such blood types are like one in a million, and I happened to be a perfect match with Kate, and now everything started to make sense to me.
Rory pursued me obsessively and brought me back to his pack, intending only to draw my blood at night to transfuse it to Kate. But if it was only just a blood transfusion, why keep it a secret from me?
My wolf whimpered softly. ‘Claire, it won’t be that simple, this evil ritual requires a massive amount of blood, once they begin, we’ll be drained dry, and we’ll die.’
‘That’s why Rory couldn’t tell you, he was never going to tell you about it, Claire.’
A chill ran down my spine, so that was his plan, I would die on the bed and Kate’s wolf would be awakened with my blood.
Everything he said to Kate, I heard, he thought I had taken the drink, that would have made me go numb, and sleep as if I had been dead. He talked so freely with Kate, made love to her on the couch, and this didn’t seem like it was the first time he did this.
Kate leaned lazily against Rory’s shoulder after they had just had sex. I saw the back of her head, and her hair that fell over her shoulders. “Couldn’t you have drawn more blood?”
“I’m sick of waiting.”
Rory soothed her softly, a different tone he used at her, he was not faking his smiles or affection nor was he lying through his teeth each time he talked with me, none of those things that he did to me.
“Why the rush, baby girl?” He kissed her neck. “Your body needs to fully adapt to her blood, I don’t want anything to go wrong. Okay?”
Kate nodded at him.
“Once your blood circulation has blended enough, the awakening won’t trigger rejection, remember the last time we couldn’t wait…” He removed his face from the back of her neck and tucked her hair neatly behind her ears. There was a pause from them.
And it made me curious, what was he talking about the last time?
He cleared his throat after the pause. “We can’t rush this time.”
Kate remained silent for a moment, and then she turned her face towards him.
“You are not falling for Claire, are you?”
“I don’t want that to be the reason you are hesitating, and I saw how you look at her and touch her, kiss her hand, and treat her like you adore her.” She said in spite and folded her arms. Rory immediately pulled her close, and his tone became firm.
“I did all that because of you.”
“If I hadn’t treated her like that, she would have suspected that something is wrong, you have no idea how much I felt disgusted by her, and I can’t wait to get rid of her, but I need her because of you, Kate.”
“You’re the only one I love, you have always been the only one.”
He confessed his love for her, and confirmed the thoughts I had in my head, everything had been a lie, all my life with Rory for a year, had been a facade. My hand reached out to my chest, sobbed quietly, my tears rolling down the pillow.
I thought I had found love in Rory, but I had been delusional, I was never the one he wanted.
Kate smiled, and her arms went around his neck. Her brows finally relaxed, she added casually. “Her blood type is rare enough, as long as you find a reason to get her more, keep her active, and make her burn through energy, it will be easier to draw blood once her body is weakened.” She stroked Rory’s face with her slender fingers, the corners of her mouth curving upward slightly. “Just keep her happy.”
“As you have always done.”
“I love how she stupidly calls me sister.”
“But don’t let her get suspicious, we need her so I can fully become yours, my Alpha.” She smiled seductively and placed a soft kiss on his lips, he kissed her back roughly before letting go, and Kate got up from the couch, he walked her to the door, opened it, and let her out.
I heard the sound of his footsteps as he made his way back to the bed, and gently climbed on it. He wrapped his arms around my waist, and I had to stay still even with my hand trembling.
I heard his breathing settle into a steady rhythm, and I lay motionless in the darkness, with the feeling of a wave of nausea rising in my throat, and I wanted to throw up so badly.
The next morning, I got up as usual, Rory was always up first, probably had gone to wish Kate a good morning before he came to me, speaking of him, the door opened. “Breakfast is ready.”
“Let’s eat.”
I forced a smile on my lips and nodded at him. “Give me a minute.”
“Do you need help getting ready?” He asked as if he cared.
I shook my head. “I’ll manage just fine.”
“Okay.” He uttered resignedly and went out. I heaved a sigh when he was out of the room and got dressed for breakfast.
“How are you, Claire?” Kate smiled sweetly when she saw me, she was seated at the dining table with Rory at the top of the table and her by the side.
She didn’t wait for me to give her a response before she turned to Rory and touched his hand over the table.
“You look pale, have you been taking your medication?” She asked when she turned to me for only a split second.
“Rory is taking care of me very well,” I said, I hated how my voice didn’t sound as sharp as I wanted it to.
She scoffed, and Rory interrupted. “Did you sleep well, Kate?”
A smile returned to her face, “I slept well last night, probably one of the best nights I’ve had in a while.”
Rory replied to her that his night was just as good as hers, and they chatted as if I was not sitting before them.
“I had a really nice dream last night. Rory.”
The smile on Rory’s face never left the whole time he talked with Kate at the table, and the way he looked at her, he never looked at me that way.
They looked so happy together.
I remembered that Rory had mentioned ‘the last time’ last night with Kate, and it was right here that it all clicked to me.
It was Rory’s late Luna, this was the same thing they did to her.
I clenched my fist underneath the table, a chill feeling running down my spine, they are going to kill me too.
The medical report
Claire’s Pov.
My mate and his sister were flirting and entwining their legs under the table.
My dinner table.
They didn’t look down, they didn’t stop either.
They were already seated that way right before I came and joined them at the dining table.
The pack house staff moved around the table, refilling cups and setting down plates, with their eyes forward and faces blank.
The omegas clear the dishes without looking up, everyone serving in the house has learned not to see or hear certain things.
Just the same way I had spent a year not seeing them either.
I pulled back my chair, Rory heard the sound, he looked at me, he must’ve forgotten that I was in the room with them, he stood up slightly, a small smooth movement. He reaches for the coffee pot before I can. “Let me get that for you.”
“You can sit, Sweetheart,” He tried to sound quite affectionate.
“I will pour you a cup.”
He set it in front of me with a quiet smile, “Here, you can have your coffee, honey.”
My hands wrapped around the warm body of the coffee cup, hiding my shaking fingers.
I stared at him, playing the attentive Alpha, the devoted husband, the one who would do anything for his wife. He does it so naturally that for a moment, it was in the way it used to be, it almost looked like love.
He sat back down, his eyes inadvertently went back to Kate, and the conversation went on within them on small things, the weather, the Pack schedule, if Rory had any training with the warriors, the warrior plan, and if Rory had thought of having pups, and his eyes darted to me.
“We are taking it a step at a time, ain’t we, Claire?” Rory asked and I responded with a faint nod.
His hand reached out to touch mine across the table. “I want you to fully recover, so you can have a successful delivery.”
Kate stared at me skeptically. “That’s if you recover sooner.” The sarcasm in her voice but I was choosing to ignore it. They continued their random conversation, and I slowly sipped from my coffee cup and responded at the right moment.
Under the table, I was certain their feet were still touching, and I started to hate myself for how long it took me to see it, that they played me a fool right under my very own eyes.
A year of mornings exactly like this one. He seemed completely mesmerized each time he stared at Kate, and then he glanced at me, was it guilt he felt?
Or he was trying to make sure I didn’t catch on.
After breakfast, Rory left for his study room upstairs and Kate said she was going to check on her flowers in the garden. One would have thought she was the sweetest soul.
That was what I thought.
When Rory came down again, he was leaving for a meeting, holding a scroll in his hand. He moved to place his soft lips on both sides of my cheeks. My cheeks didn’t turn red this time, but I made a faint smile appear on my lips. “I’ll be back soon.” He whispered and sauntered out of the front door.
I waited till the Pack House went quiet, before I made my way up to Rory’s private study and closed the door behind me.
For a full year, my Anne wolf, dark grey, larger than any Alpha Wolf I have ever seen, used to press hard against my ribs from the inside, restless and powerful, now it lies somewhere deep inside me, heavy, still, and barely breathing as if it has been caged.
I found the medical report with a lot of information, my rare blood type that matches with Kate, blood storage log and the minimum blood volume required to complete the awakening ritual.
At the bottom of the stack, there was a file with the name, Maggie.
This was her file and I quickly went through it, flipping through, it was the same blood type, same protocol but the blood adaptation window was too short.
Rory had pushed the ritual forward before Kate’s system had fully accepted the donor blood.
Kate’s body had rejected the wolf transfer, and Maggie’s blood was drained completely, but the wolf never moved.
I stared at the cause of death on the record, which was written in italics. Luna passed due to weakness. Treatment unsuccessful.
My eyes caught the calendar on his desk marked with a small ink. Ten days.
I clutched my fist over my chest, and let out a whisper. “What’s wrong Anne?”
Run.
That was a signal she gave but before I could move, I heard footsteps in the hallway, and the door suddenly flung open.
Danielle stepped in, Rory’s Beta, the most trusted and loyal one in his inner circle, caught me right on the spot.
She stared at me, her expression inaccessible. “Luna Claire, Alpha is waiting for you.”
I let out an estranged gasp.
I have been caught.
On the tenth day
Claire’s Pov.
“What are you doing? Going through Alpha Rory’s files?”
“How long have you been in here?” She attacked me with her questions, and narrowed her suspicions.
I have been going through the medical reports I found and lost track of time.
“I was arranging the files, it was a lot of time.”
“I made sure it was arranged last night.” She retorted sharply.
“What are you looking for?”
I could hear my heart thumping in my ear.
She glanced at her wristwatch, dressed in black pants, and oversized white sleeves, her hair was short and dyed red.
“I will help you find it.”
“No.” I interjected.
“I was about to leave.”
I couldn’t trust her, she worked for Rory, and what if this was all part of the plan, I don’t want to fall for it.
“Is there anything you want?” Her friendly tone felt like a threat to me. I gave her everything back and then smiled at her.
“I was just looking around,” I said dismissively. “…and making sure everything is intact.”
“Okay, you shouldn’t keep the Alpha waiting.” She didn’t push and then turned to leave the study.
I heaved a sigh of relief when she was gone but it doesn’t mean I was entirely safe. I stood alone in the study.
Danielle has a loyalty no one in the pack has ever questioned, and she would definitely report to Rory that I was found in his study. And, I have spent a year treating her like a surveillance camera with legs.
By the time I anxiously followed Danielle to the courtyard behind the pack house, I saw Rory, his presence seeking obedience from everyone around the pack house without realizing it.
Danielle moved closer to him, I saw her whispering something into his ear, and his gaze fell on me. I jelted at his intense stare.
Danielle stepped back with only a glance my way.
I discovered he had prepared a romantic candlelit dinner.
“Surprise!” He said with confidence, “It’s been a long time since we went on a date.” He held my hand and pulled me close, and I was still in a dazed state.
“What is the meaning of this Rory?” I asked timidly, his hand held my face, staring down at me.
“I’m leaving on a work trip tomorrow and I want to spend some time with you before I leave. I want to have a wonderful night, just for us.” He muttered and kissed the top of my hair, I heard the softness of his voice and I wondered what Danielle had told him.
His Alpha scent spread everywhere, a heavy, familiar, and dominant scent of a bonded mate that a werewolf’s body learns to read over time. Even though I knew what he planned to do to me, my wolf still responded to him.
The mate bond was both a blessing and a curse. It doesn’t care about what I know, it just wants my body to give in to him, to feel his touch, to rub his body up against mine, and stay within his reach.
He did everything in public for everyone in the pack house to see, the date night was perfect. A clear act to show how affectionate he was to his Luna in the eyes of everyone.
Rory is everything that a devoted Alpha should be with his Luna in public, attentive and possessive in the way that the Pack members expected, keeping me close in front of others.
To everyone watching, he was exactly what a bonded Alpha looked like to his mate.
“I don’t want you to ever doubt what I feel for you, Claire.”
For a split second, I thought I was seeing the Alpha from a year ago, the first time we met at the charity event, the first time that he had kissed me.
“Come join me at the table.”
I took his hand and followed him down to the table, he pulled out a chair for me to sit, and I sat down.
He poured a bottle of wine into my glass and gave it to me.
I held it and clinked my glass with his. He smiled tenderly and clasped his hand over mine. “I got a lot of seafood, some of which is your favorite.”
“Is there a special reason for this tonight?” I asked, drinking from a glass of wine.
“There doesn’t have to be a reason for you to feel special, you’re all I could ever ask for, more than enough, and I want to remind you of everything of how special you are to me.”
His words stung, and the wine started to taste bitter in my mouth.
“Can we enjoy the moment?”
“And I know you’ve been stressed out lately, I have reduced your workload as Luna, and you can take some time off.”
“You didn’t have to Rory.”
He gave my hand a little squeeze, “I love you, okay?”
After dining with him, he carried me to the house in his arms, my hands around his shoulders, studying his face. He looked genuine, as if he did love me.
Yet again, I gave in, the light in the room dimmed, and his fingers worked on the corset of my dress, and slipped it off my body.
His hand held me to himself, before he led me to the bed, stripping my clothes. I watched him take his clothes off, he never took his gaze off me even when he set himself above me.
His hands held mine above my head, kissing the side of my neck that bore his mating mark, and lowered down between my chest, and the flatness of my stomach.
I held back a suppressed moan, gripping tight to his hand, as his movement hastened, the sound of the bed squeaking, his body rumbling with sweat. He grunted and cursed beneath his breath at each thrust while I took in all of him.
My body followed the bond, this moment with Rory was great, I couldn’t deny it. His body pressed over mine, holding me tightly as if I were the only thing that mattered.
I almost asked him something or a question, because that night I saw him was all a dream, that maybe I was the one hallucinating.
“Hm..”
“I’m so close.” He mouthed, closing his mouth against the hard bud on my chest. I let out a pleasurable moan, and he thrust in deeper, putting me on the edge.
We had an orgasm almost at the same time, he held me close to his body, his arms wrapped around me, while his fingers brushed my sticky hair off my face. He kissed my cheek, tilted my face to the side, and placed a small kiss on my lip.
“I’ve booked a medical surgery for you.” He said in a relaxed tone.
“What for?” My voice was hoarse.
“Fertility treatment.” He remarked and kept planting soft kisses on my lips. “You don’t have to worry about anything, I will be there with you.”
“I won’t leave your side.”
In ten days, the pack doctor would be prepared for the medical treatment, and Rory would be back from his business trip before then. He promised me that he would be there, and he wasn’t going to miss it.
“It’s time for us to start a family.” His lips stretched out in a smile and he proceeded to kiss my forehead.
“And as I have said, I will be there with you and be your strength, I’m going to be everything that you need.” He muttered and stroked my cheek with his finger.
My thoughts suddenly count back to the calendar mark, ten days.
The day must’ve been special for Rory to have it marked in his calendar, like a day he has been waiting for.
I shook my head in disbelief.
It can’t be.
It wasn’t the date of the IVF procedure, it was the date of the awakening ceremony, and it was going to be a full moon.
It was my death day.
The Countdown
Claire’s Pov.
Rory was ready to leave the pack house for his business trip early the next morning. Around 4am in the morning, he was already getting dressed, and it seemed the business was quite important.
I held the front door and stared at him. I was still in my pajamas, and my hair was a bit messy. He leaned closer and kissed my forehead.
“I will be back soon.”
“Don’t forget to take your supplements before we meet with the pack doctor, and I’m going to be back before then.”
“Hope you won’t run home the next day because you miss me?” I asked because I wanted to confirm his words.
He chuckled softly. “I will miss you, but work is also important. I will have enough of you when I get back.”
“You promise?”
“I promise.” He kissed my hand, and pulled me into a warm hug, rubbing his hand soothingly against my back.
“Exactly one week I will be back.” He paused and then added. “I won’t even be a day late.” That was what I needed to hear from him. The whole night I couldn’t sleep. I thought of what I was going to do, and how to escape the claws of my husband.
He disengaged from me and picked up his briefcase. He walked down to the car. I watched him, where I stood at the pack boundary, and waved at him, as his innocent little wife. He waved back and blew a kiss.
He got in the car and closed it.
I felt the mate's bond stretched as he drove out of the pack house. The mate bond wasn’t strong as Rory was away. Though we were still connected, I was no longer under control of the mate bond because we were distant, and I had the freedom to do whatever I wanted.
And this was the time to run, to run for my life before Rory came back.
I had just seven days left.
“….the convo is leaving tomorrow morning to restock supplies. I want you to leave the gate open at six in the morning and in the evening.” I heard Danielle giving orders to the guard outside my door.
“There should be no mistake before Alpha returns.”
“The convo will be here tomorrow morning.” I heard her footsteps fading out of earshot.
A convo was coming to the pack house tomorrow morning for supplies. If I could slip into the convo, no one would notice.
I moved away from the door, pulled out a bag and threw everything that I needed into the bag.
I needed to get to Rory’s private study, but not with those guards outside his door. I couldn’t do that now because Rory just left the pack house.
The next morning, I sneaked around to Rory’s study, but I couldn’t find any of the guards outside. I overheard the omega workers in the pack house saying that they were given some tasks by Danielle.
I transferred some amount of money out of the shared account with Rory into my personal account.
When I came out of Rory's study, none of the guards were in sight; and that was on the sixth day. My heart was pounding loudly in my chest.
The fifth day was coming, and my exit window was the pack supply run, the convo that Danielle mentioned.
Anne howled in my head. “Hurry, Claire.”
“We are running out of time.”
The faint pressure behind my sternum gets stronger every morning, Rory wasn’t in the Pack house, and distance weakened the Alpha’s scent hold. Barely, but enough for my wolf to notice.
On the day before I escaped, I saw the supply convoy was parked outside the Pack gate, just as Danielle had said, loading for an early morning departure. I glanced through my window and saw it, and started to watch keenly how it moved. I set my timer to know how long it was going to stay, before it leaves.
My bag was packed, and my routes were memorized. I had walked over it a few times, and I was going to make my exit. The cash and documents were all intact.
The pack was focused on inventory, no one was watching me. I moved closer to the window and sat, I only have to go through this one more night.
One more night and I will be free from Rory’s hold, and he will never find me again.
By tomorrow morning, I’ll be free. Everything will go as planned, right?
...
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