“You’ve been protecting me for as long as I can remember,”she pointed out. But she didn’t say anything else beyond that, nor did she interfere in any other way. Like us, she was aware the extra delay could cost us.
We didn’t bother shifting into our wolf forms. Our humanoid forms gave us a better reach against the bear, and the three of us had no problem tackling the creature and pinning it down. We moved together in perfect sync, and the angry bear really had no chance against us. It growled and tried to claw us, but we always stayed out of its reach.
It was almost sad to kill it, because if we were right, it was only trying to protect its cubs. But we didn’t have time to show mercy to an animal, not when it was in the way and it could delay us so badly.
Rowan ended up punching a hole right through its sternum and ripping its heart out. The bear went limp and collapsed on the ground. “Well, that took care of that,” Rowan said. “Hopefully, the smell of blood won’t attract Rufus here.”
“Your brother is already tracking down our scent,” Luna pointed out. “The blood shouldn’t make that much of a difference.”
I doubted things were that simple. Rowan had challenged Rufus on his own turf, and that alone would have infuriated Alpha Savage. I might have pointed that out, but Luna glided up to Rowan and took the still warm heart from his hand.
“Maybe this isn’t so bad after all,” she said as she bit into the organ.
Blood stained her silver hair and creamy skin, and to me, she had never looked more beautiful. The way she ate reminded me of the moments of passion we’d spent together, and if things had been different, I’d have happily fucked her right there, next to the body of the bear we’d slain. We could have skinned the animal and turned it into a nice trophy for our mate.
But unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be. Rowan tensed, and I instantly knew something was wrong. The image of a female Firewolf flashed through my head, and I realized someone had caught up with us.
“Your mother,” Luna said, sucking her fingers clean of blood. “I should have known she’d want to come after us. She hated me even when she thought I’d be Rufus’s mate.”
We could have tried to make our escape. Rowan’s mother—and whoever was with her—hadn’t reached us just yet, and we were fast enough to lose them if we hurried. But Rowan decided against it. “If Rufus sent her after me, it must be for a reason,” he said. “He knows she can’t actually beat me in battle.”
“She probably thinks she can talk you down,” I told him.
He nodded. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they blamed Luna for all this. The way we left… I’m pretty sure they don’t realize she’s my true mate.”
It was possible. The chaos was messing with everyone, and Rowan’s outburst had started a minor pack war. Come to think of it, if the Alpha hadn’t come after Rowan himself and had sent his mother instead, the pack must have been in imminent danger.
I’d long ago left all my attachments to the Wolfsbane Pack behind, but Luna still had family and friends there. I wasn’t sure if we could still do something about it just by talking to Rowan’s mother, but I supposed it was worth a shot. If nothing else, we could tell them Luna was Rowan’s true mate. They had to respect that.
When the group of Firewolves appeared, though, I began to have my doubts. I didn’t want Luna anywhere near those creatures. Even from the distance, I could tell they were emanating hostility. The female leading the patrol was staring straight at Luna, and the look in her eyes screamed murder.
I stepped in front of Luna, shielding her with my own body. “I hope you know what you’re doing, Rowan,” I muttered.
“Don’t worry. I won’t jeopardize Luna, no matter what it costs me.”
The Firewolves seemed to realize this as well, because they didn’t attack us. Instead, they shifted into their humanoid forms and approached us on foot. The female I recognized as Rowan’s mother—Alice—spoke first. “Rowan. I see you’re keeping less than desirable company.”
“I don’t think you have any say in the company I keep, Mother,” Rowan replied. “As always, you forget yourself.”
“You’re no longer in a position to argue with her, Rowan,” one of the males growled. “You’ve insulted and defied the Alpha, and for that, you have to pay the price.”
“If that had been true, Albert, Rufus would have come after me himself,” Rowan replied, waving his hand dismissively. “You’re wasting your time, chasing after me. I have my mate and you can’t take her from me. You should be back with the others, protecting the pack from the Wolfsbanes.”
Alice ignored Rowan’s advice and fixated on the comment that referred to Luna. “You’ve got to be kidding, Rowan. This bitch can’t be your true mate. She’s an Omega.”
“That didn’t really stop me from claiming your son, did it?” Luna drawled, walking around me to face the female Firewolf properly. “I did warn you. You shouldn’t underestimate a Wolfsbane, especially not one from the Clayton line. Omega or not, I’m stronger than you.”
Alice growled at her, but Luna didn’t back down. “This conversation is pointless. Just look at the sky. The chaos has guided Rowan and me to one another. I fully intended to marry Rufus, for the wellbeing of my pack. But things have changed now, and your dislike for me doesn’t matter anymore.”
“Luna is right, Mother. I’m aware that things went poorly when I left, but I’m not going to apologize or anything like that. I’m also no danger for Rufus since I have no interest in claiming leadership of the pack. So you can go back home and tell him to just leave us alone.”
I didn’t expect Alice to listen to them, and she didn’t. “Rowan, don’t do this,” she said, her voice now low and pleading. “I know we’ve been desperate because of the chaos’s disappearance. But that’s the whole point, isn’t it? Now that the chaos is back, you don’t have to settle for an inferior mate. An Omega can’t possibly be the right person for someone like you.
“I won’t deny that she has her charms, and I can understand why you might have been attracted to her. But there are other options. The chaos hasn’t ended yet. You can find someone better, I’m sure of it.”
I’d heard quite enough of this nonsense. “For your information, Luna is the perfect mate, and not just for your son,” I told her.
Alice turned toward me and shot me a furious glare. She couldn’t have missed our presence before, but she’d clearly decided to ignore it. “Who the hell are you?”
