Blood Moon: Lunar Eclipse
Ch3 - Mate

Logan

I stood behind the balcony doors, waiting for my parents to announce my presence as they did every year. But this year was a little different. This year, they will introduce me to the pack as the new Alpha.

I agreed with my father that after six years of training and searching for my mate, I would return and take the position of Alpha.

Unfortunately, I had no luck in the mate department, except I still had five years to replace her. Finding your Luna not only makes your wolf stronger but also your pack. Especially if that Luna is your destined mate, so the sooner I replace her, the better.

I heard my name announced. As I walked to where my parents stood, something overwhelmed my senses. My wolf grew with eagerness.

Then it hit me.

The sharp-tasting smell of arousal coated in cherry blossom and cinnamon.

It was as though I knew exactly where it was coming from as I laid eyes on a woman who possessed fiery red hair. Her eyes were a mesmerising shade of amber, resembling the flickering embers of a blazing fire.

A sudden prick of energy surged through me as our eyes locked, and the intensity of her arousal amplified. She struggled to catch her breath, her hands tightly clutching her stomach in discomfort.

I found myself unable to tear my eyes away. I experienced a strange yet strong sense of protectiveness towards her. The intensity of my desire to dominate her was so great that I almost felt my wolf shift, wanting to mark her there and then.

She doubled over in pain. A remote, almost inaudible, squeal left her lips. The glass she held shattered to the floor. My protective instincts kicked in the second I saw a man approach her. He spoke to her but almost immediately backed away after sensing the heat.

My mate, their Luna, transfixed all the unmated males in the room. She looked over at two unmated males in the crowd. They were about to approach her. I allowed my Alpha authority to break through, causing both males to freeze immediately. Now, no one would dare touch my mate, not unless they wanted their throat ripped out.

She glanced at me, shock and a hint of fear evident in her eyes.

She was still struggling to stay standing due to the overpowering urges of the heat as well as the intense discomfort which accompanied it. Then she parted her shapely lips and uttered the word “Mate” so breathlessly as though it almost pained her to say it.

That’s when her face contorted. Realising what was happening, she kicked off her heels, dropped her bag, ran through the pack house and into the night.

A gruff growl escaped my throat.

My mate just ran from me.

She didn’t submit like I had expected her to.

So I did the only thing my wolf would allow…

I jumped over the railing, landing smoothly on my feet and began the chase.

I had been looking for her for years, and now I had finally found her; she wouldn’t escape me so easily.

It looked like my mate was stubborn. But I was even more so, and soon enough, she would learn that.

The easy way or the hard way…

Ariella

“Mate.”

I felt the sudden desire to run to him, mark him and make him mine. But another part of me was petrified.

What if he dominated me?

A wolf of my rank would be easy to dominate, but an Alpha?

Not so much…

So, I did the first thing that came to mind. I kicked off my heels, dropped my clutch, ran through the pack house and into the thick forestry.

I heard Caroline call out to me, but once I started running, I couldn’t stop.

The heat was almost unbearable. I felt my muscles wane, and my legs started to give way until I sensed someone following me. Someone tough and formidable, accompanied by the overwhelming scent of rainwater and citrus.

Logan Kratos.

No no no!

I need more time.

My wolf was urging me to turn around. To stop running and embrace my mate. But my determination was too loud to ignore.

I could feel my movements start to slow; my legs became weaker as the discomfort deepened. Yet the ones behind me were gaining on me.

Fast.

I eventually stopped and leaned against a tree; my body could no longer move. I just wanted to curl up into a ball until the heat subsided.

The heat is like nothing I have ever experienced before: piercing, stabbing agony mixed with the extreme desire to be pleasured. I would rather undergo my first shift one hundred times over instead of going through this.

The footsteps that were behind me halted. The scent of my mate only grew stronger, almost soothing my heat yet intensifying it simultaneously. But it wasn’t the pain that intensified. It was something else…

Something needy…

Something ravenous…

Arousal!

Logan made his presence known by coming from behind a vast tree trunk. His stature was massive up close, virtually intimidating.

Those light grey eyes with hints of turquoise were now several shades darker. His wolf was close to the surface, trying to dominate me, overpower me and force me to submit.

But I refused.

I stood on shaky legs and strained to stand as tall as possible. Not that it made much of a difference with my 5’2 height.

The closer your mate, the more the pain is superseded by the impulse to mate. You would have to quench the craving; the need to mate and mark would become insatiable and extremely painful if you withhold from your natural instincts.

And right now, I was refusing to give in.

Our eyes locked in a fierce gaze, each daring the other to back down. Logan sensed my determination and edged closer.

“Submit,” he growled.

My body almost betrayed me as a tremor of waves flooded through me, making me buckle.

He took another step closer, leaning down until his hot breath caressed the side of my neck where my mark would most probably be.

I instinctively closed my eyes and released a shaky breath.

“You’re stubborn, but you will learn who’s in control,” he whispered in a rich, husky voice.

I sensed his Alpha authority emanate off him in belting waves.

He was too overwhelming, even for me.

I could feel my wolf submitting, slowly backing down in defeat and submission.

But I don’t want to!

I refuse to become his submissive!

My knees buckled as I hit the ground with a thud, causing my arms to fly out to prevent my collapse impulsively. I was now on my hands and knees, the heat still sending pulsing waves of anguish through me due to my continued defiance of the mate bond.

He stood above me, his eyes fixed with determination and ferocity. Yet I felt safe, even with his menacing glare and powerful physique.

I can feel my wolf slowly losing control, losing dominance to him. She’s fighting me, almost begging me to submit.

Then I feel it hit me like a ton of bricks…

His aura was so powerful a small whimper left my mouth. He tensed for a second but kept his composure resolute.

My wolf was struggling against me, fighting to take control. I fought back for as long as possible, but it was too much.

My wolf submitted.

The atmosphere grew lighter. The tension faded away. Then I saw his body crouch down to my level.

My breathing was still erratic from the constant ache and the utter vexation of my submission.

His large hand cupped my cheek, almost trying to soothe me. The instant he did, I felt hot sparks pierce my cheek and cloak my entire body in comforting warmth. The heat became more bearable. My rage dissipated.

His eyes seemed lighter than before; his wolf was satisfied.

I zoned in on his lips. Our bodies inched closer as the instinct to complete the mating bond was the only thing in our consciousness.

Unexpectedly, a scorching sensation took over my back. A shrill cry escaped my lips as my body fell forward into a refined chest; my fingers curled in the dirt.

Arms wrapped around me, supporting me. The electricity from the bond helped ease the burn, but I could still feel it. It formed at the top of my neck, then travelled down my spine and finally stopped at the centre of my back.

The mark of submission was scarring my body.

I fought it, which made the mark even more excruciating. Some would call me reckless or idiotic for even trying to fight it.

But I refuse to give up without a fight.

He could sense my struggle. His Alpha dominance grew fiercer, forcing me to accept the mark. Signifying I had no other option. No choice. Yet, even still, his arms around me tightened. Not in a threatening way, more so in a consoling way.

Then it stopped…

My mark of submission was complete.

I lifted my head, now cushioned in his neck, and immediately met his gaze.

He stroked some fallen hair behind my ear and gazed at me as though he had known me my whole life.

My eyes became heavy. My head limp. The constant fight had drained me of whatever energy I had. The pain from the heat was still present, only now it seemed like a dull ache.

I tried to lift my hand, but it was lifeless, just like the rest of my body.

I fought some more to keep my eyes open but failed as my head fell forward onto the same cushioned chest, allowing the darkness to consume me.

Logan

She fought for as long as she could. No other wolf could have resisted it for as long as she had, especially when it came to an Alpha.

But she did.

The fire in her eyes was intoxicating. I felt pride in knowing she was my mate, my Luna.

I could feel my wolf urging me to take her, mark her and complete the bond. But I couldn’t. Not with her passed out like this.

I cradled her in my arms as I returned to the pack house. Her feet were covered in dirt from her earlier escape. It amazed me how far she had run from the pack house in her condition.

She tensed up, and her face showed signs of discomfort. She curled into me further, fisting my shirt. We hadn’t completed the mating bond, so she would still be in pain, asleep or not. But being close to me would ease it, nonetheless. Her features softened as she nuzzled her head in the crook of my neck, taking a deep breath.

I reached the pack house and passed the throng of people who had yet moved from the same spot I had left them in. No one spoke a word. All eyes were drawn to me and the fiery red-haired woman in my arms.

I passed the same two males who had tried to approach her earlier. They were most definitely brothers, maybe even twins. They had stony expressions on their face, which slightly eased once they saw her pressing against me.

Could they sense she was my mate?

I gave them a stern glare but continued walking through the crowd, who had dispersed to the sides, creating a clear path for me to the spiralling stairs.

I passed my parents, who gave me questioning looks. I ignored them and made my way to the third floor.

I opened my bedroom door and laid her on my velvet black sheets. I heard her whimper as I removed her from my arms, so I sat beside her, admiring the woman who was my mate.

She softly shuffled along the bed as though trying to replace me to help ease the heat. Once she did, she laid her head on my lap and curled her body around mine, allowing me no escape.

This side of her differed from the stubborn woman from five minutes ago. It was as though she was a completely different person.

I instinctively placed my hand on her head and gently rubbed my thumb over her scalp, causing her to nuzzle her face into my lap even further. She was close to my crotch, too close; I could feel my wolf getting excited.

I shook my head, along with the thoughts that followed, as I scanned my mate.

She possesses a small frame, but her toned physique suggests she was fit and worked out consistently. Her lengthy, undulating tresses flowed down her back and unkemptly splayed out on my bed; the intense hue of her hair was somewhat intimidating against my black sheets.

The scarlet dress adheres to her hourglass figure, accentuating her semi-thick thighs in an almost full display. Her round, shapely lips were coated in a bright, seductive shade, even after all that transpired tonight. Her perfectly proportioned breasts appeared to yearn for liberation, and her sharp cheekbones lay natural. Her even breathing was light and soothing as she clung onto me for dear life with her long lashes flickering against her cheeks.

My mate was stunning; there was no doubt about it.

I felt my cock twitch as I studied her lying on my bed, looking so innocent, yet I knew there was such fire and ferocity hidden under her pleasing facade.

I saw a thin silver chain tangled along her neck. I untwisted it, but in doing so, I became intrigued with the unique design. It was of a Luna Eclipse with a name engraved on the back.

Ariella.

“Ariella,” I whispered her name. I felt my wolf stir as I was finally able to put a name to my mate.

I was disrupted from my thoughts as I felt my parents trying to mind-link me. Before they could hit me with 101 questions, I answered.

“I found my mate,” I stated.

“Oh sweetheart!” my mother gasped with enthusiasm through the link. “I knew you would replace her.”

“I’m happy for you son,” my father spoke proudly. “Your mother will make preparations for the mating ceremony soon after you become Alpha,” my father finished before severing the link.

My mother spoke one last time before doing the same, “When she wakes, take it easy on her. She’ll be a little… overwhelmed at the idea of being mated to an Alpha. I know I was.”

I studied my mate some more as I felt her nestle into me tighter. I noticed her dress was a little ripped at the back. As I was about to cover her up, I saw it…

The mark.

It is captivating.

I have never seen a mark quite like it.

The mark started at the highest point of her neck and extended down her spine, culminating in the centre of her back.

It was huge, much more considerable than any mark I had come across before. I felt my wolf bristle with pride.

The mark’s design is bold yet intricate, resembling a flickering flame. The medium-sized crescent moon emblazoned in the centre adds an air of mystique.

The mark was meant to represent the qualities of both mates. Ariella’s mark displayed fierceness, confidence, fighting spirit, and strength, all qualities befitting for a Luna but not a submissive mate.

I trailed my fingers down the length of her spine along the outline of her mark.

The mark I had given her.

The mark that tells everyone she belongs to me.

I could tell my mate was going to be testing. While she has the potential to be a worthy Luna, she needs to understand who’s in charge; I am the dominant mate, after all. But for some grating reason, I don’t think that will be an easy feat.

I felt Ariella stir, her eyelashes slowly rising and falling. I heard her mutter something inaudible, then watched as her eyes shot open. Amber-coloured eyes darted towards mine. Her breathing accelerated, and her body tensed.

The haze of the heat was finally gone.

Now we begin…