Chapter 3 MEETING HIM
AMBER’S POV
“You have got to be kidding me,” I say to Leonard, who has been walking beside me in complete silence for the past ten minutes, simply leading the way towards a direction that I don’t recognize.
“Where exactly are we going to Leonard?” I ask him, feeling uncertain about the pleasant ‘welcome home’ task my brother gave me.
“To the Malcrid,” he says simply, and I roll my eyes and shut up because what did I expect?
My wolf whines within me, and I sync with her discomfort at being denied a run, but we stay calm, knowing we don’t have a choice.
Friendly Leonard here doesn’t seem kind enough to shut his eyes and count to ten for us to escape from him and run anywhere suitable for a wolf form.
After walking for another ten minutes, we finally get to a strange building, one that has a strong magnetic pull to me, and my entire body itches to open the door and walk in, coupled with my wolf’s strange, growing hunger for whatever is behind the door.
“What is this place?” I ask Leonard, unable to look away from the door and its handle.
“This is Malcrid, milady. It is where werewolves come to find their mates after the ripe age of eighteen or nineteen. It’s highly unlikely not to see your future spouse in here,” he explains, but my focus is completely on the door as with each second that passes, I feel the need to go in increase.
“What’s this pull?” I ask, feeling overwhelmed as I take a breath, intending to calm myself, but failing.
“That’s the Malcrid’s charm, milady. What you are feeling is its pull for all mate-less wolves; it senses that a wolf is not mated and enhances a hypnotic allure that instantly drives a pulsing need within the wolf to walk inside,” he says, making sense of the strange feeling that becomes more compelling with each second.
“Fine then, let’s go in,” I say, already reaching for the handle of the door to push it open.
“I’m sorry, my lady, but I cannot set foot into the Malcrid because I already have a mate,” he says, making me alarmed.
“What? You expect me to walk in here, probably into a room full of weirdos alone?” I ask him, using my greatest willpower to step away from the door, but I am still unable to turn its knob.
“Yes. That’s how it is done, my lady. I cannot walk in with you, not because I don’t want to, but because I’ll slowly lose the essence of my mate bond with each second I spend within the walls. Regardless, no harm can come to you inside here; its magical properties ensure that no one besides your mate can engage with or lay hands on you, and your mate will never hurt you. That’s why it’s the only place where all werewolves, regardless of their packs, can coexist,” he says, making me even more uncomfortable.
“Wait a second, I’ll be in there with a bunch of people from all four packs and I’ll be alone and unguarded?!”
“You’ll be safe, Milady; no one will touch you besides your mate. It’s better to see for yourself,” he says with a note of finality in his tone before bowing slightly to me.
“Are you leaving?” I ask him, noting his stance.
“Yes, milady. May the moon goddess favor you,” he says, and with this, he turns to walk away, disregarding my concerns and protests.
I watch him leave and look at the door again, and for a moment I ponder if this is just a torture room my brother has sent me into just to punish me for what I did.
I trash the thought and simply put all my faith in Leonard, whom I just met today, and I open the door.
Taking my first step in, I crash headfirst into a solid figure and immediately lose my balance.
“Fuck,” I moan as strong arms wrap themselves around me, holding me steady. So much for no one being able to touch me besides my mate.
“Are you okay?” The deep timber of masculinity in a single sentence settles awareness within me, and instantly, all my senses become heightened and awakened.
The rich scent of wood and rain hits me so hard that it makes me dizzy, and the electric zaps I feel set my insides in sweet discord, while my body tingles with an intensity that makes me moan again, this time not in pain.
I freeze outwardly while my insides heat up as I slowly lift my eyes from the chest of the male in front of me to look at his face.
My eyes move slowly, taking in the details of his facial structure from his stubble chin to his defined cheeks up to his pointed nose, and finally settling on his forest-green eyes, which stare at me observantly as a lock of his jet-black hair falls over the side of his face.
“I’m–I’m fine,” I say, still not moving an inch away from him, because who would, with the level of thrill running through me as his eyes bore into mine?
“You are mine, aren’t you?” he asks, still keeping an intense look that short-circuits my brain.
I cannot find my voice as I replay his question over and over in my mind while trying to focus amid my wolf’s state of unrest.
I mean, she’s pining for him, growling and purring to portray her need.
I have a system reboot when one of his hands leaves my waist and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear so gently that my body aches with need while I press my thighs together, feeling bashfully aroused by him.
“Beautiful,” he says again, seeming in awe as he assesses me.
“Sexy,” I say in reply, not thinking for a second, and he smirks in response, which makes me blush as he runs his hand over my cheek, down to my chin, and lifts my face, while he bends slightly.
“I feel your body humming for me, mate,” he says with such a low tone that it lights me on fire as though I wasn’t burning a second ago. “Take what you want,” he orders, and all my instincts suc
cumb in obedience.
FEAST ON ME