Chapter 12

**Damien **

Still stunned by seeing a cat in Wolfgang's territory, I checked the boundaries before heading into town. I was still in search of the same scent and a glimpse of the white beast that had been roaming these lands. Was it possible that something so big could disappear before my eyes?

I had to tell Jared, but first I had to confirm that it was true. Roxanne was there, but she hadn't seen anything. She had only sensed it, as she had revealed before leaving in a bad mood.

I moved quietly when I suddenly caught the scent of another woman. Knowing that Roxanne had already left the forest, I immediately followed the new scent and found a female in her lupine form, cornered by a male from a different pack.

I couldn't understand why the two of them were so close to the borders of the territory. From a very young age, female wolves were warned never to cross the boundaries or to wander near them on their own, as they could be hunted down by males from neighboring packs. But there was no doubt in my mind that this wolf would pay for trespassing on the land of my pack.

Without hesitating, I ran toward her, snarling in warning as I saw the frightened and silent female freeze in the same spot. As she looked at the approaching male, fear was evident in her posture and the moment I got closer, I could tell she was an Omega, and that worried me even more.

She was not going to fight, and this male was going to subdue her in a matter of seconds if I did not stop him. Her scent of panic grew stronger and something inside me ignited. A possessive instinct kicked in and my wolf growled. Without any warning, I hurled my lupine head at the side of my opponent's body and with all my strength I was able to throw him a few meters away from her.

But even though he seemed to hesitate a little, he shook himself off, got up, and came at us again, threatening. My fur bristled, and I immediately positioned myself in front of the female. With a fierce growl, I showed my opponent a stance attack. The female's scent was more intense near me and disturbed me more than usual in a fight. At that moment, I couldn't afford to look back and analyze the one who had me completely captivated by her scent. Fortunately, even though Andrea's scent was too much of a distraction, I was aware of the importance of winning this fight. I wanted to have her admiration, to have her gratitude. The other wolf prepared to attack again, and the mere thought that another male could touch her, or worse, hurt her, filled me with insane rage.

Growling, I prepared myself for the clash, I was not going to move an inch. The beautiful wolf was right behind me and if I moved, she would take the full brunt. The other wolf attacked without preparation, driven only by rage, which gave me some advantage. As the wolf lunged, I propelled myself forward and threw myself into my opponent's body with my paws raised. We rolled quickly to the ground, putting the female out of danger and allowing me to concentrate on one fight. A fight that seemed like a challenge to find out who had the right to claim this woman. I became more and more tense as this thought penetrated deep into my mind and body. I fought not only because I wanted to protect one of our pack, but also because I wanted her for myself.

After a few superficial bites, I managed to find an opening. Without hesitation, I grabbed the male's neck and immediately felt the blood on my tongue. I growled loudly, my voice rising above the sudden silence that had fallen over the forest; all the birds and crawling creatures were aware of this fierce battle and had gone into hiding.

My lupine eyes were fixed on the strange male, who quickly gave in, exposing his belly in a surrendering gesture. I had won by being the stronger of the two; in wolves, that gave me the right to claim my prey, in this case, the female. Still alert, I growled and slowly let go of my opponent. My eyes remained on the defeated wolf as he retreated from Wolfgang's territory and away from my soulmate.

"Soulmate? "The words echoed in my mind, several times, and my body's reaction was immediate. My fur stood up and my wolf got excited.

Even after my opponent had disappeared, I inhaled deeply until I could no longer detect his scent. I had to make sure that there was no movement in the neighboring wolf-pack.

When I felt that all threats were gone, another scent began to take over me. It was stimulating and very close. When I looked back, I immediately saw the beautiful female coming towards me. My wise grandfather had told me that the wolf would be able to recognize my mate only by scent and by instinct. I would feel possessive and magnetically drawn to her. This was happening right then.

I had this feeling and so much more towards the female who was looking at me intensely with curiosity and excitement. With every movement she made, my body was vibrating with excitement.

Of all the women that I had met, none of them had ever made me feel this way. I had been cautious until now, and I would continue to be cautious until I knew for sure what I was feeling. Even though the female seemed to be shy, her captivating eyes were fixed on mine and the wolf growled inside of me. My wolf wanted to go over and bite her neck until she accepted my body.

I felt the urge to claim her there, in this place, at this moment, but I struggled to suppress my instinct. I stayed still, just watching her and letting her get to know me. Cautiously, she sniffed at my fur, and suddenly, she rubbed her body gently against mine. All the birds, who had been silent, scattered in fear through the sky, disturbing the silence that had been there before. Suddenly she flew away from me and a growl came from my throat.

I might have had my doubts before, but they were all gone at the sight of the female on the run from me. She was the one, and I wouldn't let my mate run away from me. Instantly I prepared for the chase of my life.

I tried to control my wolf so as not to frighten her, but it was impossible; if I were in human form, it might be easier to suppress the urge to show her that I was in control, but in wolf form, the lupine spirit was king. Growling incessantly, I chased after her, catching up with no difficulty.

I was much bigger and stronger than she was, so I tried to control my anxiety and only surrounded her for a few seconds before I changed my form. In seconds I was in front of her and the fascinating female stopped a bit confused. Her fur was beautiful, and her eyes were hypnotic.

I didn't want to scare her, I just wanted to know her. Immediately I had an idea. The best approach would be to change into human form, introduce myself and let her know who I was. After the female reluctantly stepped back, I changed into my human form, completely naked, which made me slightly tense when she looked at me appreciatively.

"Don't be afraid. I just need to talk to you!" I said, clearing my throat before I could add. "Please... change!"

**Andrea**

I didn't know what to do or say when I saw that this stranger suddenly appeared and saved me from getting chased. The neighboring pack had wanted an Omega for a long time, and I would have been an easy target for this male. There was no way I could escape without surrendering, and I would only be blamed for having gone too far. Relief washed over me, along with confusion as I found myself free of one male and wanting to be pursued by another. His scent was stimulating and delicious, and all I wanted to do was be close to him. I shifted, embarrassed to see him naked and to be doing the same thing in front of him. He was handsome, with a body that almost made me drool, but his eyes mesmerized me. There was something different about him. He aroused a desire in me that I had never felt before. I wanted to be with him, close and alone.

"Th-Thank you for helping me," I said carefully surprised at the man before me. Just the sound of his voice sent a shiver down my spine; his commanding tone heated my body and my inner wolf acted as if I should obey him without hesitation.

**Damien **

" No need to thank me," I said as I saw the female shift. In the same second, my body became tense and I realized that it had been a bad idea to see her in such a natural state as a human being. Desire consumed me and my body responded to hers. She was beautiful, with a perfect body, and her voice was like the most beautiful song of a nightingale! I tried to control the urge to touch her because that was the only fantasy and desire that I had at that moment. I had even forgotten what I was saying. What was I thinking when I told her to shift!"

"This is my duty and joy..." Without noticing, I moved closer. My eyes were fixed on hers as if we were both hypnotized by each other. "To protect you..."

Without wasting any time, I wrapped my arms around her waist and pressed my body against hers. In a voracious, hot and intense kiss, my mouth claimed hers. For a moment, I allowed myself to be carried away by the overwhelming and stimulating sensations until I felt her arms wrap around the back of my neck. My tongue became restless, exploring her mouth with intense caresses.

A painful need invaded my body, my member throbbing against her belly, the urge to be inside her driving me insane. I looked at her in frustration and stopped the kiss. It was time to take a step back and try to figure out these feelings and how to deal with her family, because now she was mine and I wasn't going to let her out of my sight, not even... for a second.