His Wolf Wants Me

Moonlight poured across the Blackthorne territory like silver spilled from the heavens while wolves from every bloodline gathered around the ceremonial grounds where the Moon Ceremony had been held for generations beneath the gaze of the Moon Goddess. Bonfires illuminated the clearing with golden light and soft music drifted through the cold night air carrying laughter excitement and restless anticipation through the enormous crowd as unmated wolves waited for the possibility of discovering the person fate had chosen for them. Elena Vale stood near the outer edge of the gathering wishing she had never come. The discomfort had settled inside her chest long before the ceremony even began because everything around her felt painfully out of reach. Beautiful daughters of noble bloodlines moved confidently through the crowd dressed in expensive gowns while powerful wolves surrounded them with admiration and attention. Elena meanwhile remained half hidden within the shadows of the trees, wearing a simple dark dress and hoping nobody noticed how completely out of place she felt among them. She should have stayed home. Nothing good had ever come from wanting things she could never have. Her gaze drifted unwillingly toward the elevated stone platform standing near the center of the clearing where members of the Alpha bloodline would soon appear before the ceremony officially began and immediately her heartbeat betrayed her. Adrian Blackthorne had not even arrived yet and already she could feel herself becoming nervous. Elena lowered her eyes with quiet frustration because she hated how easily thoughts of him affected her even after years spent convincing herself that feelings for the future Alpha were foolish fantasies destined only to hurt her. Adrian belonged to an entirely different world from hers. He was feared respected untouchable and born to lead one of the strongest packs in the region while Elena had spent most of her life surviving quietly at the edge of pack society where low ranking wolves learned quickly not to dream beyond their place. Still her heart refused to listen to reason whenever Adrian entered a room. A hush spread gradually through the crowd. Conversations faded one after another until silence settled across the ceremonial grounds beneath the crackling sound of firewood and distant wind moving through the forest surrounding the territory. Elena looked up instinctively. Adrian Blackthorne stepped into the clearing surrounded by several members of the Alpha family yet somehow appearing separate from all of them at the same time because power itself seemed to follow him naturally wherever he walked. Tall broad shouldered and dressed entirely in black he carried himself with calm dangerous confidence while firelight reflected faintly within his silver eyes and sharpened the already intimidating angles of his face. Every wolf present felt his presence immediately. Women stared openly while younger wolves lowered their gazes respectfully as he passed through the crowd because Adrian radiated the kind of dominance few men ever achieved naturally. Elena quickly looked away before anyone noticed the warmth spreading into her cheeks but the moment she lowered her gaze someone suddenly brushed past her shoulder hard enough to force her slightly off balance. “Oh forgive me.” A male voice sounded beside her. Elena turned and found one of the younger warriors standing there with an apologetic smile while his hand lightly closed around her wrist to steady her before she could stumble completely. The moment his skin touched hers everything changed. A violent growl tore through the clearing. The sound was so savage and sudden that the entire ceremony froze instantly beneath it. Elena’s breath caught painfully. Across the crowd Adrian stood completely motionless with silver blazing unnaturally bright inside his eyes while something terrifying moved beneath the surface of his calm expression. Another growl echoed from deep within his chest. The warrior beside Elena released her immediately and stepped backward in alarm because every wolf present could feel the overwhelming aggression rolling violently from the future Alpha. Adrian’s wolf had surfaced. And it was furious. Shock spread rapidly through the crowd as Adrian began moving toward them with dangerous controlled steps while several nearby wolves instinctively retreated out of his path. The pressure surrounding him became suffocating enough that Elena struggled to breathe properly and confusion crashed violently through her mind because none of this made sense. Why was he reacting like this Adrian stopped only a few feet away from her. For one unbearable moment silence stretched between them while silver fire burned inside his eyes and every muscle in his body looked painfully tense as though his wolf was fighting desperately for control beneath his skin. Then the invisible force slammed into Elena’s chest. Heat exploded violently through her body while the world around her seemed to disappear beneath the overwhelming connection suddenly tearing through every part of her soul. Mate. The realization struck instantly. Her heartbeat stumbled painfully as shock rooted her completely in place because the bond wrapping itself around her entire existence belonged to only one person standing before her. Adrian Blackthorne was her mate. Whispers erupted around them immediately. The tension in the clearing became unbearable. Elena could barely process what was happening because the bond felt so intense so overwhelming that even breathing became difficult beneath its crushing force. Yet what frightened her most was the savage possessiveness pouring from Adrian’s wolf as he stared at the male who touched her moments earlier. The young warrior stepped backward again visibly pale now. “Adrian,” one elder said sharply from nearby. The future Alpha did not respond. His attention remained fixed entirely on Elena while his wolf pushed violently against the surface hard enough for everyone present to sense the instability surrounding him. Hope bloomed inside Elena before she could stop it. Then Adrian shattered her completely. “I reject you.” The words fell coldly into the silence. Pain exploded through Elena’s chest so violently she physically staggered beneath the force of it while horrified gasps spread through the crowd surrounding them. The mate bond twisted like something alive being ripped apart from the inside and for one unbearable moment she thought her knees would collapse entirely beneath her. Adrian’s expression hardened further despite the obvious strain in his body. “You are not fit to stand beside me,” he continued quietly though every wolf present heard him clearly. “I will not bind myself to weakness.” Humiliation burned through Elena hotter than fire itself. The entire territory was watching her break apart beneath the moonlight while the man her soul recognized looked at her as though she disgusted him. Yet the worst part was not the rejection. It was the fact that Adrian’s wolf was still fighting against it. A low furious growl continued vibrating inside his chest while silver blazed dangerously within his eyes as though the beast beneath his skin violently disagreed with every word leaving his mouth. The contradiction terrified everyone present. Then Selene Voss stepped gracefully to Adrian’s side. Beautiful poised and perfectly composed she slipped her hand around his arm naturally while her green eyes settled briefly on Elena with calm satisfaction hidden beneath their elegance. The message was painfully clear. Elena suddenly understood exactly why Adrian rejected her. Someone like him would never choose someone like her when women like Selene existed. Whispers spread rapidly around the clearing. “She is the rejected mate.” “His wolf almost attacked someone for touching her.” “Something is wrong with that girl.” “Elena Vale cannot possibly be Luna.” The humiliation became unbearable. Elena forced herself to turn away before the tears burning behind her eyes could fall in front of everyone watching and she barely noticed how violently her hands trembled as she pushed through the crowd desperate to escape the crushing weight of their stares. Nobody stopped her. Nobody defended her. Yet just before she disappeared beyond the edge of the clearing another furious growl echoed behind her powerful enough to silence every whisper instantl y. And this time the sound did not come from Adrian. It came from his wolf.