Chapter 7 CHAPTER 7
Ava's POV
The ceremony continued despite Nathan's interruption, but the mood had shifted. As I cut my palm and let my blood drip into the chalice, I could feel the pack's uncertainty. They had just gotten a new Alpha, only to discover he had a twin brother worth billions who clearly had his own agenda.
Marcus drank from the chalice first, then handed it to me. Our eyes met as I raised it to my lips. Through our bond, I felt his promise: We'll face this together.
The moment I swallowed, power rushed through me. The Luna bond to the pack clicked into place, and suddenly I could feel all of them. Their hopes, their fears, their loyalty, and their doubts.
"It is done," the elder announced. "Alpha Marcus and Luna Ava now lead the Moonvalley Pack."
The celebration that followed felt hollow. Pack members came to congratulate us, but their eyes kept drifting to Nathan, who held court in the corner like he was already a pack member. My father was notably absent.
"Luna Ava," a soft voice said behind me. I turned to find Rachel Mitchell, Sarah's twin. "May I speak with you privately?"
I glanced at Marcus, who was deep in conversation with the pack's financial advisors. "Of course."
She led me to a quiet balcony overlooking the pack grounds. "I wanted to thank you. For believing Marcus. For helping expose the truth about my sister's death."
"You don't need to thank me. Justice needed to be served."
"Still." She studied me carefully. "I should warn you. I've been investigating more than just my sister's death. Nathan Stone... he's dangerous."
"You know him?"
"I've been tracking him for two years. He's been acquiring companies that directly compete with Marcus's empire. Every move Marcus made, Nathan countered it. It's like he's been preparing for this moment."
"Preparing for what?"
"To take everything from Marcus. The pack, his business, and..." she looked at me meaningfully, "his mate."
A chill ran down my spine. "That's ridiculous. We're mated. You can't steal a mate bond."
"No, but you can break one. There are ways. Dark magic that some wolves practice."
Rachel pulled out a photo from her pocket. It showed Nathan with a woman in a dark cloak. "This was taken last month. The woman is a witch who specializes in severing supernatural bonds."
Before I could respond, strong arms wrapped around me from behind. I tensed, then relaxed as I recognized Marcus's scent.
"What are you two discussing?" he asked, his chin resting on my shoulder.
Rachel quickly pocketed the photo. "Just girl talk, Alpha."
Marcus didn't look convinced, but before he could press, Nathan appeared in the doorway. "Brother, there you are. We need to talk business."
"It can wait," Marcus said coldly.
"Actually, it can't." Nathan's smile was sharp. "You see, I own forty percent of the companies that supply this pack's essential resources. Food, medical supplies, construction materials. I thought you should know, as Alpha."
My wolf snarled. This was a threat, barely veiled.
"What do you want?" Marcus asked.
"Just to be included. Family dinners, pack meetings, the usual." His silver eyes found mine. "And to get to know my new sister-in-law better. After all, Luna, you're mated to both of us in a way."
"Excuse me?" I pulled away from Marcus, anger flaring.
"Twins share everything, don't they? DNA, appearance, and in rare cases... even mate bonds." Nathan stepped closer. "Haven't you wondered why the bond formed so suddenly? Why it wasn't there before but appeared during the challenge?"
"Nathan," Marcus warned, moving between us.
"I'm just saying, the Moon Goddess works in mysterious ways. Perhaps she meant for Ava to have a choice." Nathan winked at me. "Think about it."
He left, leaving us in tense silence.
"Is it possible?" I asked quietly. "Could the mate bond be connected to both of you?"
Marcus's jaw clenched. "No. You're mine. Only mine."
The possessiveness in his voice should have annoyed me. Instead, it sent heat through my entire body. "Prove it."
His eyes flashed gold. In one swift movement, he pressed me against the balcony railing, his body caging mine. "Careful, little Luna. We're supposed to be taking this slow."
"Maybe I'm tired of slow." The words escaped before I could stop them.
His hand tangled in my hair, tilting my head back. "You don't know what you're asking for."
"Then show me."
He kissed me, and it was nothing like the kiss at the challenge. This was fire and possession, dominance and need. The mate bond exploded between us, and I could feel everything he felt. His desire, his fear of losing me, his determination to keep me safe.
When we broke apart, we were both breathing hard.
"My room," he growled. "Now."
We barely made it through the bedroom door before he was kissing me again, my back against the wall, his hands everywhere. The wedding dress that was meant for Garry was torn from my body by Marcus's claws, and I couldn't bring myself to care.
"Mine," he growled against my throat, his teeth grazing the spot where he would mark me.
"Not yet," I gasped, pushing him back. "We said we'd take this slow."
He stepped back immediately, his chest heaving. "You're right. I'm sorry. The bond, Nathan's words, they made me..."
"Crazy? Possessive? Alpha-like?" I teased, though my body screamed at me to pull him back.
"All of the above." He ran his hand through his hair. "This isn't how I wanted this to go. You deserve better than jealous claiming."
I picked up his shirt from the floor and slipped it on. It smelled like him, pine and winter storms. "Maybe we should talk about Nathan's claim. About the twin bond."
"There's nothing to talk about. You're my mate. I feel it. You feel it."
"But what if he feels it too? What if he's right and the Moon Goddess is giving me a choice?"
Marcus's eyes went dark. "Then you'll choose me. Because whatever game Nathan is playing, I won't let him have you."
"I'm not a prize to be won, Marcus."
"No," he agreed, moving closer. "You're my mate. My Luna. My wife. And tomorrow, when he tries to get close to you again, you'll remember that."
"Is that a threat or a promise?"
"Both." He kissed me again, softer this time but no less intense. "Stay with me tonight. Just to sleep. I need to know you're safe."
I thought about the photo Rachel had shown me, about Nathan's veiled threats, about the danger closing in from all sides.
"Okay," I whispered. "But Marcus? We need to find out what Nathan really wants. Because I don't think it's just family bonding."
"I know," he said, pulling me into bed and wrapping his arms around me. "But tonight, let me just hold my mate."
As I fell asleep in his arms, feeling safer than I had in years, I couldn't shake the feeling that this was the calm before a very dangerous storm.