Chapter 276 RAW EFFORT
Percival
We haven’t talked. But I bet losing his mate bond with Annabel hit him hard, probably harder than he’d ever let on. He got soft, though, and that's what messed him up. Not firm enough when it mattered. It’s kind of hilarious, really—he drove me to turn away from my mate, and now here he is, in a cabin by himself.
The Moon got what she wanted in the end. Everyone paying for what they did. And since Dad was on the weak side when he came back, I put him straight to work—ordered him to start training again, the second he was fit enough to handle it. No special treatment.
Little dog teaching the old wolf some new tricks.
If he ever wants the pack’s respect back, he’ll have to earn it from the ground up. No shortcuts, no titles to hide behind. Just raw effort. That’s the only thing that matters now.
As I watched him work the bag, a couple of wolves passed by, sneering, their lips curling into low snarls. Even after all this time, they still can’t stand him for what he did. And honestly? I get it.
"Hey, X!" Gaspar called from my right, snapping me out of my thoughts. I raised an eyebrow, tilting my head but kept doing my push-ups, letting the nickname slide—for now.
Gaspar grinned. "I just wanted to say... You did the right thing with your dad." He shifted into a sitting position, arms resting loosely on his knees. "I know it’s been eating at you, but seriously, everyone got what was coming to them that night."
I scoffed, wiping sweat off my brow as I got to my feet. "You’re only saying that because you have Annabel." I grabbed a weight bar, setting it up for squats.
Gaspar chuckled under his breath, shaking his head. "Nah, man. I mean it." He reached over and grabbed the bar, forcing me to meet his gaze. "I think you’re exactly what this pack needs. You’ve got the strength now—and they can see it. They respect you. I respect you. Hell, even Maxim does, and you know how picky that guy is."
He paused for a moment, a grin tugging at his lips again. "You did what had to be done, kid. Takes guts to pull off what you did. Trust me, this pack? They’re gonna be what your wolf needs too—at least until you get your mate back."
I exhaled slowly, his words sinking deeper than I expected. Respect.
Could that really be enough? Could this pack—the one I’ve spent my life trying to figure out—actually be enough to keep me sane?
Like it could sense the weight of my thoughts, Dad glanced over from across the field. His sharp eyes locked onto mine, hard and unforgiving, just for a second. Then, without a word, he turned back to the bag, slamming his fists into it with renewed force.
Yeah. I’m not there yet.
Frustration bubbled under my skin, restless and hot. I needed to get it out. "Screw this. Let’s throw down."
I dropped the weight bar with a loud thud, the metal sinking into the worn grass underfoot. The clanging echoed through the field, pulling a few curious glances. Not that I cared. I needed this.
Getting the title didn’t change much. If anything, it just made things weirder. All those wolves watching me, waiting for my next move—it made my skin crawl. My wolf wanted to tear through them, show them exactly what kind of Alpha I was.
But I could feel it—slowly, piece by piece, I was starting to find my groove again. Settling into the role. My wolf was still wild, restless, but we were getting there. Slowly.
It won’t feel right until I find her, though.
…
Gaspar
Feeling all hot and sweaty, I dashed up the steps to William's old family place. Percival, or X as I like to call him, was totally cool with me crashing here with Annabel for now. I was just helping X out for two months, and after that, I would take her back to Dark Moon with me.
The little dude completely got the best of me today during training. It had been two months, and I ended up with a total monster on my hands. Man, what he did to his parents was pretty rough, but I was not about to dive into that with him. Besides, I finally got what I was after!
Getting back at someone.
X had let me take his mom, my true mate, breaking the bond she had with William, a wolf she did not even care about. That was a bummer. I really felt for that guy.
She had always been sneaky.
“Hey, I am back!” I laughed a bit as I strolled into the house, a big smile plastered on my face. I dashed up the stairs and into the master suite.
The view in front of me had my wolf totally loving it. My buddy was all tied up, her legs spread out at each post, her arms restrained as well.
The night of the challenges, I had driven her home and kept her close ever since. At first, I thought about being a total jerk to her, like really treating her badly but without crossing any lines. I wanted to put her down a bit. But then, after she went through the hurt of losing her connection with William and we started to build our own bond, my perspective shifted.
I still wanted to show her what was up. Don’t get me wrong.
But I also wanted to let her see how much I had grown.
I took off my clothes without a second thought about showering. My body was sweaty, dirty, and had some cuts and bruises showing on my skin and face. I noticed her blindfold was on tight, and a bandana was wrapped around her mouth.
Climbing on top of her bare body, she started to squirm around, doing her best considering that she was all tied up. Silent screams escaped her lips while I could not help but chuckle, pulling the blindfold away from her eyes.
Those serpent's crystal blue eyes stared at me—icy and unyielding. I just grinned at her, not even bothering to take her gag out as I settled in between her slim legs. Her muffled yells quickly turned into moans as I rubbed myself between her thighs, letting the sweat on my body roll onto her skin, my blood smearing over her creamy flesh.
I could totally sense her happiness since we finished the mate bond. I had pushed her into her wolf form that first night, and we both marked each other.
So, here we were.
My hands glided over her smooth thighs at a leisurely pace while my tongue traced a warm path up her neck. Right up to her ear, I whispered, “Your son is turning into a great Alpha, princess.” He is turning into the ultimate whiz kid. I laughed softly against her skin, sensing she was all set for me for the third time today. I slipped in without a word, catching her by surprise as she arched her back off the bed.
I was always pretty intense with her, giving her way more than she had ever experienced before.
After removing her gag, the air was filled with screams and the sound of skin hitting skin as I made her take everything I had. And she went for it without hesitation.
There is never a “no” in a buddy bond. You can always get the other person interested, making them crave what they desire.
“Hey, do not forget about Nelly!” I smiled at her, using the nickname I had given her back when we were just pups. I playfully tapped against her skin. “We have twenty-two years of this to catch up on.” I winked while her eyes rolled back in pure bliss and tiredness.
…
I just got out of the shower with my buddy, and the steam filled the air everywhere. I dragged Annabel along with me, drying her off with a towel while her sparkling eyes stayed glued on me, not a single word exchanged.
She knew I would not handle it well if she denied me.
I approached her curves, taking my time to dry them off before my lips met her skin, gently sucking on the peak as I noticed her react a bit. I let out a little laugh and stood up straight. I pushed her wet hair away from her face and just looked at her.
“You still look just as pretty as the day you turned me down,” I said, my tongue playfully brushing against her cheek. There was no chance I was ready to kiss her just yet. Not until I had marked every part of her body with my scent, pushing William out of the picture. Even though William had not been around for a while, I could totally tell by her scent that he was still on her mind.
She pulled back from me, her face twisting with disgust. That look stung, but it only fired me up. I let my wild side out—teeth bared—before sinking them into her mark again, making sure she knew exactly who was in charge here. My wolf demanded it.
Getting turned down by a girl for another guy? Yeah, that always stings. It burns deeper when you were her first, and she was yours. She had been all about me from the start… until Nyra died and she realized how close power was, just waiting for her to take it.
I should have marked her the night we first hooked up, all those years ago.
She stayed latched onto me even with my teeth pressing down on her skin, her body wilting against me like a delicate flower losing its bloom. Weak, but still trying to hold on. My arm slid under her, pulling her up, and her legs instinctively wrapped around me to steady herself. Slowly, I pulled back my teeth, leaving a fresh mark where hers used to be.
I carried her to the bed, laid her down carefully, and shifted gears.
She was not allowed to make any moves on her own. No way. That was the deal now. I was her buddy, and she was mine—but I was the one calling the shots until she turned into the wolf I knew she could be. Until that happened, everything was on me. She wore what I chose. She sat where I told her to sit. She ate what I handed her. No exceptions.
It used to be different. Back when I still wanted to humiliate her, I thought about making her watch me with other girls. I wanted to remind her what she lost when she chose someone else. But now that we were bonded? I just could not do it. My wolf would not allow it. Not anymore.
We were tight now.
After dressing her in a long-sleeved gown that brushed her ankles, covering every inch of her skin, I got myself ready. When she sat up, a single tear slid down her cheek. I felt a flicker of guilt. It was small, but it was there. Still, I brushed it off.
“Aww, sweetie. Don’t cry.” My voice was low as I trailed a finger up her cheek, catching the tear and tasting it on my tongue.
“We are going to have a great night tonight,” I said with a smirk, taking her hair in my hands. I tied it up casually into a loose bun, making sure everyone would be able to see the red mark on her neck. A reminder. I leaned down and kissed the spot, smiling against her skin when she shivered under me. Then, without hesitation, I lifted her up.
“The pack is ready for you to step up and make your first appearance as my mate,” I said, voice smooth but firm.
I gave her a playful slap on the butt, but she flinched harder than I expected. I cringed, instantly regretting it.
"My bad," I muttered, rubbing her back gently. “You are still feeling sore there, huh?”
She said nothing, just let out a small breath as I helped her down the stairs.
She does not talk much these days, not since those first few nights when she let all her anger out on me. But I have gotten good at reading her now. I know when she is feeling something, even when she does not say it aloud.
And trust me—she likes it when I am with her.