Moon God Mates 2

Chapter 15

Luke's POV:

I think walking away from Ellie the first time is hard. This time, it’s so much worse. My wolf is clawing at my insides just to keep me at her side. The way she rests her hands on my chest makes me wonder if she can feel how badly I need her touch right now. And maybe she does. She’s my mate after all.

I brace my hand on a tree as we make our way back to the packhouse. My heart aches. This is what it feels like to be away from your mate. I wonder if Ellie is hurting too. I turn back toward her — I should go back and check.

“She’s okay, Alpha,” Kimberly says, turning back for me. “You’re a full werewolf. The effects of being apart are stronger on you.”

I stare at her, shocked. Does she know?

“Only someone without sense wouldn’t notice her effect on you,” she says with a small, sincere smile.

This is bad. Am I showing too much? Am I putting Ellie in danger? I don’t even trust Kimberly fully. Could I trust her with this, or did I need to end her to keep Ellie safe?

She must see the anger in my eyes because she chokes out, “I won’t tell anyone, I swear it!” Her voice drops to a whisper. “No one would want to hear me anyway.”

Exactly what I want to avoid. I don’t want to drag Ellie into this mess any more than she already is. I’ll deal with Kimberly later.

We make the rest of the walk back in silence. Kimberly shuts down after someone frightens her — my look must’ve done the trick because she doesn’t even glance my way.

Thoughts of Ellie cloud my mind. I won’t lie, the condition she gave me — that she wanted time with me — took me by surprise. But it’s a good surprise. I’m expecting her to ask for blood, money, protection — witches always want something like that. But she wants me. My witch wants to spend time with me, to know me. I’m her condition. It feels good knowing she feels what I do. I was nervous at first, worried that as a hybrid she wouldn’t feel our connection at all.

But now, pulling up to the Blue Blood packhouse, all that comfort fades. I’m heavy again. Maybe it would be better if she couldn’t feel our bond — then I wouldn’t have to bring her into this hell or fear for her life. I’m already hiding my connection to James. It’s hard enough pretending I’m nothing to him. My son doesn’t even know who I am. And now I have to hide her too.

The only thing getting me through each day is telling myself they’re safer without me. That Lilah would be too, once I get her out. Maybe Ellie will introduce Lilah to James, and they’ll tell him how I died saving the pack. Maybe they’ll tell him I was finally a good man, so my son won’t grow up thinking I’m a monster.

It’s only wishful thinking. I’ve lived too dark a life to ever be a good man.

Kimberly takes a deep breath and lets me pass her up the steps to the house. There’s blood on the front steps. “What the hell?”

I push open the door. Chaos. If I didn’t recognize some of these rogues, I’d think the place was being ransacked. Two men are fist fighting in the living room while a blonde sobs in the corner, clutching a baby. More people are cheering from the kitchen. Silas just sits at the table like there isn’t a goddamn circus happening right in front of him.

“What is going on!” I roar, but no one stops.

A pack member is on top of a rogue, smashing his face in. “That’s enough,” I growl behind him. Nothing.

“That’s enough!” I let my alpha aura pour out. To my surprise, he freezes, fist mid-air.

He crawls off the rogue, who’s passed out on the table, and stands before me with his head hung, chest heaving with rage.

“You two!” I bark at rogues snickering in the corner. “Clean this s**t up! The rest of you, get the hell out.”

Who lives like this? Everyone acts like this is normal. The brown-haired pack member finally calms down and turns to comfort the blonde.

“Shh, it’s okay Emily,” he whispers, rubbing her back.

I notice her shirt is ripped and there are scratches on her chest. She and the baby — they belong to Blue Blood, I can feel it.

“Emily, go get cleaned up. Take the child.”

She looks up at me with wide, terrified eyes. “B-but… but…” Her gaze flicks to the rogue on the table, then to the man.

“He’ll be out for a while. Go to the Alpha’s quarters — no one will bother you there.” I look at Kimberly, still by the door. “Kimberly, take them.”

“Yes, Alpha.” She smiles at Emily, then leads her and the baby upstairs.

“I don’t regret what I did! So give your punishment!” the man says, meeting my eyes. He looks my age — 23 — but he’s just as worn out. We’ve both lived too long already. Emily looks younger. His face is scratched up, clothes torn and bloody, but from the way he handled that rogue, I know the marks aren’t from this fight.

“What’s your name?” I ask.

He studies me, then says, “Joey. I’m the gamma. Third in command.” The accent — Italian.

“What’s the gamma doing brawling with a rogue in the living room?”

“He tried to touch my mate! I don’t give a s**t what the rules here say — no one lays a hand on her!” His voice cracks, loud with fury. “No one!”

“Emily is your mate? And the baby?”

“My son. We’re mated. She’s no longer a rogue — she’s mine.” His words are defiant, like he expects me to try taking her away.

I get it. If someone tried to touch Ellie, I’d do more than beat them on a table. They wouldn’t have hands left.

I glance around. The rogues I ordered to clean are still standing there. “Go with Emily. We’ll finish this later.”

I stalk toward the rogues. Their laughter stops.

“Alpha?” one says, mock respect dripping from the word.

“I told you to clean this s**t up.”

“Yeah, we’ll get right on that,” he sneers. “After we get on Emily.”

His buddy laughs.

I grab his head and snap his neck so fast he drops like a ragdoll. “Now you have more s**t to clean.”

The second rogue pales, nods frantically, and starts dragging the body away.

I face the room. “No one touches Emily. Or any mated wolf. Ever.”

Finally, Silas lowers his paper and stands. “Any woman here is for the taking. Mated or not.”

I stare at him, disgusted. “No one touches Emily.”

“That’s how we grow our numbers. We take what we want now to gain what we need later. After they bear children, they’re done with. It’s how the Alpha has always run things.”

Done with? Who talks like that?

“Well, where’s Madoc now? Dead. I’m the Alpha.”

I wait for him to challenge me. Nothing.

I head to my room. I pause at the door. I hear Joey and Emily inside. s**t. Maybe I shouldn’t have given them my space.

“You can use mine, Alpha. I’m just next door,” Kimberly says softly behind me.

“It’s fine, Kimberly. I’ll figure it out.” How pissed would Ellie be if she knew I stayed in another girl’s room?

“I insist. I won’t be there tonight anyway.”

“And where will you be?”

“Declan trains late. I’ll be in the courtyard with him.”

I hesitate. The only thing keeping me from trusting her is how much she loves her brother. That’s what scares me.

“Your brother is an animal.”

“Aren’t we all?” She gives a tired laugh. “He’s just been doomed in his role longer than we have. He’s a good man, deep down. Like you.”

She steps closer, opens a side closet, and hands me a towel. Her fingers brush mine.

“He’s a good man, Alpha. Just like you.”

I pull back fast. I hate how close she is. It feels wrong — like a betrayal to Ellie.

“You put too much faith in people. I’m not a good man.”

“Maybe…” She gives a small smile. “Goodnight, Luke.”

I step into her room. It’s tiny, just a bed with pink blankets, books and stuffed animals on shelves, and a dresser covered in photos. It looks like a little girl’s room.

I study the pictures — Kimberly and Lilah, hugged by my mother. More of Kimberly and Lilah together, then one of Declan, Kimberly, and Lilah. The way Declan looks at my sister throws me. That’s not the monster I know.

I shake it off and step into the bathroom. I strip and let the cold water hit me, bracing for the next time I see Ellie. It’s the only thing keeping me from losing myself completely.