Moon God Mates 2

Chapter 19

Luke’s POV:

My body jolts awake after years of feeling numb. Emotions flood through me with her kiss. Every worry slips away in this moment—even though I know it’s not right. This is exactly what I feared: getting our hopes up.

The kiss starts gentle, but once Ellie settles in, it grows hungry. I can’t explain it—it feels like kissing is foreign to her. Not that she’s inexperienced, but like she’s never been kissed before. Is this her first kiss? Did she waste it on me?

If this is our first kiss, I’m going to make it count. No matter how much I know I have to pull away, I can’t. My hands grip her hips, pulling her body into mine, giving her everything I have with just this kiss. The intensity of our lips pressed together pulls a low growl from me—my wolf begging for more. Begging for all of her. I slip my tongue into her mouth, and it doesn’t take long before hers dances with mine. I’m hooked. There’s no way I can exist without Ellie now that I’ve tasted her soft, sweet lips. I’m drowning, and I don’t want to come up for air.

My hand threads through her hair as I bite and suck on her lips. Her sweet moans make me lose more control over my wolf. Her hands are undoing my pants, and I know I shouldn’t let this go any further, but I also know she has all the control here. I can’t pull away. I’m at her mercy, and it feels so damn good.

Her delicate hand slips into my jeans, gliding against my member, hard as it’s ever been before, aching for her—for my mate—and I can’t help the groan that slips from my lips. She takes me in her hand, and I nearly come at the contact. Her scent alone has me so worked up I need to take her right here on the countertop.

Then sirens start blaring through the house. I know what that means.

I pull away quickly, my wolf clawing at my insides from the loss of warmth, but my instincts kick in.

“Go to James’s room. Don’t come out no matter what.” I pull Ellie down from the counter, flattening her wild hair before using my thumb to wipe the smudged lipstick from our heated kiss. I grab a rag from the drawer to clear my lips of red. I can’t risk anyone finding out she’s my mate. The mate of the Alpha of the Blue Bloods? Yeah, that wouldn’t end well.

She doesn’t move, watching me with sad eyes as I wipe her color from my lips and button my jeans. I just can’t risk her getting hurt—or my son. I was stupid for bringing them here. For bringing them out of Moon Pack territory.

“Ellie, go!” I usher her toward the room, and finally, her feet start moving on their own. As soon as the door closes, I make a run for the front door. Whoever’s trying to breach my territory won’t get far.

I scan the woods before me and give my wolf control. Two… no, three wolves are headed toward the boundary. No way they get in without a skilled witch. But I won’t risk James or Ellie’s safety.

The wolves come closer, fast. I wait for their appearance, ready to confront them. But instead, Kimberly steps out from behind a tree, with Declan on her heels. They shift back into human form.

“I had to tell him, Declan! He was going to kill you!” Kimberly hisses.

Realizing they aren’t a threat, I listen in. I don’t want to reveal myself by crossing the boundary. I left Kim alone in the woods a few miles away—there’s no leaving the packhouse without her. I’m beginning to think the elders or Declan installed a tracker on her. That’s why I’m forced to bring her along. But I didn’t expect her to come looking for me—with him!

“You should have let him!” Declan yells at Kimberly. “What about you, huh? When are you going to tell him why you’re at his side twenty-four seven?”

“Declan, shut up! I don’t want to deal with that right now. I’ll tell him when the time is right.”

They’re definitely talking about me, but I don’t care to hear this bullshit. I turn to head back to the house, when Declan yells again.

“When will the time be right, Kimmy? Huh? The elders are forcing you guys to mate when he’s already found his! He will never accept you!”

That’s why the elders forced Kim to always be at my side? They wanted me to mate with her? Why? And I know better than to trust my secret with Kimberly. If she told Declan, who else knows?

“He has to!” Kimberly steps toward Declan, who’s sitting on a rock, head in his hands. “We all want the same thing, Declan. We’ll get her out of there.”

Declan shrugs her off and stands. “It doesn’t matter anymore. She rejected me. She’s not my mate.”

“She’s your mate as long as you don’t accept her rejection. And we both know you haven’t. It’s been eating you up inside ever since! You’re turning into them! What we promised to protect each other from! Just reject her back or snap the hell out of it! I want my brother back!” Kimberly sobs. For a moment, I swear I see sadness in Declan’s eyes, but it quickly darkens.

“Luke and I will mate and have an heir before the next full moon. I swear it.” Kimberly approaches Declan again, but he backs away.

“Someone’s here.” He looks around while Kimberly and he stand alert. They couldn’t sense me through the boundary—maybe it’s the third wolf I sensed when they arrived.

A huge grey wolf steps from the trees—lighter on his feet, probably from the hunter abilities Iris passed to him when they marked each other. I’d recognize that wolf anywhere. Mason.

Declan doesn’t bother to shift. He senses Mason’s authority and knows he can’t win. But it’s unlike him not to be rebellious. Maybe he cares for his sister and didn’t shift for her safety.

Mason must have stuck around for James and Ellie’s safety. I don’t blame him—Iris would kill him if he left her son in the middle of the forest. Mason growls a warning, and Kim grabs Declan’s arm, pulling him to run the opposite way. Declan resists, but finally gives in—the stubborn asshole.

When they’re far enough, Mason shifts back, sliding on jeans tied around his leg.

I stand at the boundary, moving a rock holding it open to let Mason in. Once inside, I replace the rock. The boundary is back up. Only my touch can move the rocks.

“Sorry to crash the party.” Mason looks around the house. When I follow his gaze, I see Ellie standing in the doorway with James on her hip. That simple scene makes me want her even more—if it’s even possible.

My feet move on their own to hold her. To hold them both in my arms. But when I look into her eyes, I feel it—she’s angry. No, she’s pissed. And from the glare, she’s pissed at me.

“Macey!” James jumps down and runs to Mason, who thankfully senses the tension and takes James to the small playground.

Once they’re far enough, I turn back to Ellie. “Are you mad at me?”

“I’ll just gather his things!” She ignores me and yells to Mason.

“What did I do, Ellie?” I approach, reaching for her hand. She pulls away. “You brought Kim?”

Shit. “No, I didn’t! Well, yes, I did, but I didn’t bring her anywhere near the house!” When she stays silent, I continue, “You don’t get it. I don’t have a choice. The elders won’t let me leave without her.”

“No, I get it!” She turns back inside. I try to follow but she slams the door in my face. How much of Declan and Kimberly’s conversation did she hear?

I decide it’s best to leave her alone. She’s not going to hear anything with how mad she is, and I don’t want to make things worse. This is the first I’ve heard about me mating with Kim, but that won’t happen. No f*****g way. I wouldn’t be able to look at another girl now that all I want is to live and breathe Ellie. I’m ruined—and I love it.

“What did you do to piss her off?” Mason’s voice comes up behind me.

“What I always do, I guess. Exist.”

“Ah, you’re probably right.” Mason laughs, putting his hand on my shoulder.

I grab his hand, ready to slam him to the ground for thinking this is some brotherly bonding moment. We’re good now, but I want him to know I’d still kick his ass if it came down to it. But he’s quicker—he slams me down first, then laughs.

I get up and dust myself off. “I guess Iris did pass you her hunter abilities.”

“Not all of them.” He shrugs it off like it’s no big deal—that he’s half wolf, half hunter. Potentially the deadliest thing in our world…

I’m ready. Ellie appears at the front door, Mason goes to gather James. She doesn’t even look my way, but I can feel her fighting the urge too. I don’t want to let her leave like this. I don’t know if this will be our last good day together.

I stand directly in front of her. She still won’t meet my eyes. “Ellie?” I grab one of her arms as she crosses them in front of her, looking anywhere but at me.

I try something I’m not sure will work—since she doesn’t have a wolf and we’re not mated. But it’s something I’ve always dreamed of doing with my mate.

Don’t be upset with me, baby.

I kiss her forehead after closing my link.

Could she hear me?

James jumps onto my legs, and I turn to pick him up.

“Macey says I gotta go! I don’t want to go!”

“It’s alright, bud. I’ll see you soon.” I hug him as hard as he hugged me, leaving him giggling for air.

“Promise?” He holds out his pinky, and I’m not sure what to do. I glance at Mason, who holds his pinky up to show me.

“Promise,” I say, and we pinky swear.

I let James down, and Ellie takes his hand, walking to Mason without so much as a glance my way.

Once they reach the boundary, I turn back to the house. I need to grab a bag to bring back to the packhouse to make my trip believable.

Just as I turn to close the door, a small voice echoes in my head.

Bye, Papa.