Homecoming Luna

Chapter 9: Duty Report

• •• •••Merlara's POV••• •• •

With great effort, I blink away from Alpha Daen's eyes into Farr's.

"Uhhhh . . .that's the Alpha."

Farr isn't subtle about looking over his shoulder at him. "Yeah, I can see that."

"Why is he here?"

My question must sound stupid because he gives me a look of amusement.

"He was invited. Clearly."

"I thought this was. . ."

"Was . . .?"

". . .just a party." I summarize.

Beyond my control, my eyes return to Alpha Daen who's now turned away.

My eyes trail over every inch of him. From his leather jacket shades lighter than his hair to his jean-clad powerful thighs and legs that go on forever. He's always looking coiled tight in a ready-to-strike poise.

He's sure attractive in a dark way.

I spend a lifetime just admiring the work of art that is him. Then my eyes gravitate downwards to the globes of his fine ass.

Damn! The sight ignite series of thoughts that has me feeling my pebbled n*****s against the material of my bra.

Then I realize Farr is saying something.

". . .tame. You think he spends all day inspiring nightmares and just being insufferable? You really should see him when he gets into his party boy self. It'd be hard to take him seriously after that."

My eyes cut again to the supposed 'party boy'. He's off to the side, but still surrounded by people. Looks like ass-kissing in progress. I try to picture him partying it up, and fail woefully.

"That's very hard to imagine."

"Understandable." Nodding his head, Farr gives me an indulging smile. "The f*****g bastard can be a real piece of work without even trying. It's like a sport to him."

I raise a questioning brow even as my lips twitch.

"Do you know him or something? Cause my uniform kinda obligates me to cause you bodily harm or s**t right now for saying a disloyal word."

Total bullshit. If we were obligated to drop everyone who has something not-so-great to say about the Alpha, there'll be no pack left. People respect him immensely, but are terrified of him. The sheer amount of power he wields. The horrors he could wreck. Yet, the respect is massive.

"But I like you too much." I draw close and on tip toes, whisper into the crook of Farr's neck. "And I kinda agree with you. He can be a real asshole. I've found it comes very natural to some."

Farr looks at me for a solid second, then bursts into a laugh.

"Okay, I did like you before but now I LIKE you. Hartson is gonna f*****g love you."

I just smile. "Who's Hartson?"

"A friend. You'll like him. Has some asshole-ish tendencies but he's on the good side."

Bless my luck because just then, Alpha Daen decides to join us. I haven't even seen him approach.

My spine snap straight as he coolly regards me then Farr.

"Hey man," Farr greets him with the universal side hug, shoulder slap guys use. Casually. Too casually.

I look between them, puzzled.

"You . . . know each other?" My eyebrows are practically shooting off my face.

It's Farr who answers.

"Yes, love. We're best friends. Every fight this dumbass lost as a kid was lost to me." He gives me an easy smile like he's just shared a piece of info that makes no difference.

"You wish." Alpha Daen replies calmly but I see his lips lift a fraction. "Best go get Lhuli. She's at it again."

"f*****g hell." Farr mutters as his smile vanishes, already turning towards the house.

"Upstairs. In the drawing room." Alpha Daen's eyes remain on my face even as he calls after Farr.

For what feels like eternity, our eyes stay glued and my breath, further quickening with each heartbeat.

Then he asks in that velvety, smoky voice of his, "What are you doing here?"

With the question comes a shutter over his face, effectively rendering it blank. I'm quickly learning his imperturbable face can get even more dispassionate if he so wills it.

"I'm on duty tonight." I mumble, still holding his eyes.

"Is that right?" He nods his head consciously, only to deliberately shake it a moment later, reprimandingly. "Because I can't tell."

What do I say to that?

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• •• •••Daen's POV••• •• •

Women are playthings up for my taking. I'm known to indulge and indulge a lot, especially since I'm still unmated. Lots of fish in the ocean so why the hell not.

But this woman right here is nothing like I've had. Hell, she's not even in the ocean.

Why then does my chest tighten whenever I see her?

Being around her is like a fuckin' drug. An effect I'm constantly wrestling with. I've stayed away for that reason and much more. Yet my pansy ass is still trying to figure out how to act around her.

I knew of her arrival thunderous heartbeats before she set foot here. Smelled her from a mile off. Actually held my fuckin' breath.

All the motherfuckin' perplexes.

As she came in, my eyes saw her and nothing else. The long tail of red-blonde hair swinging as she'd looked around. Her thick mane of hair tied up, had exposed the creamy length of her delicate neck.

And her uniform—the damn thing is like a second skin. Makes me want to demand something drab be exchanged for the body clinging excuse. But I know she'll look gorgeous even in that.

In an attempt to stifle a groan, I take a sip of my drink.

But the taste is lost on me as my eyes hold hers. The star character of all my thoughts lately. How that has come to be is completely beyond me.

I say something and she looks at me with those eyes that could undo any man. She has the most expressive eyes that always glint like a lucky charm.

Those eyes. . . What I wouldn't do to explore the fire in those astonishing grey eyes. That fire will be the bane of my existence.

My eyes trace the delicate features of her exceptionally beautiful face, from the soft curls of her baby hairs to the arch of her brows, lingering on her plush, pink lips.

She's a breath of fresh air. With a strong aura that always seems to make my wolf restive. Raider always has a s**t ton to say. I do a fast work of suppressing him. "Fuckin' behave."

I clench the hand in my pocket and around my beer bottle to stop myself from doing something stupid like tucking the errant tendrils of her hair behind her multiple pierced ear. Or tracing those damn lips. See if they're as soft as they look.

Or drawing her in to feel those well-rounded curves against me. Curves that are etched onto the inside of my eyelids, making appearances wherever and whenever.

Her eyes blink away from mine to look at the people milling around us. Makes me want to nuzzle that neck. I don't know what she sees but I catch the ends of her lips flex then relax like she's fighting a smile at something she sees.

She's goddamn sexy. My silly heart's doing flips in my chest just being this close to her.

Hell, is this what it feels like to be sissy over a woman?

Stubbornly, I inhale her intoxicating scent only to feel my brows draw together in a deep frown.

She reeks so much of Farr.

It infuriates me that she's got my cousin's scent all over her. Yeah, piece of s**t Mobby but I didn't enjoy seeing her and Farr together, or so close for that matter. It took me remarkable bouts of self-control and then some to keep me from stalking across to them and ripping his fuckin' arms off.

That, and clenching my teeth so hard I'm sure I heard a crack. My jaw still hurt from the exercise.

Bloody goddess!! What is this female turning me into?!

I almost admit to myself I'm scared of what being in this close a proximity to her could do to my head.

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• •• •••Merlara's POV••• •• •

Colour me mistaken, but I think I see something ignite and smolder in the depth of his eyes before it totally disappears in a nonchalant blink

I don't know if he feels it, but there's this crackling barrier between us. Invisible but it makes every nerve endings in my body go haywire when I'm around him.

I'm always struggling with my body's wild response to his presence. My body and my wolf, wanting all sorts of things they have no business wanting.

But his impassive face says it's just me being stupid ol' me. Since when does closed off face become a turn on?

More than that, I can tell when my presence is unwelcome and his next words confirm it.

He comes closer. I don't see him move but that's the feeling.

"Party's over, Thistle." He all but shoos me.

My heart squeezes in my chest.

Hearing him say my surname makes me realize I've never heard him address me by my name. Not in private and never in the open but then I've never been within a hundred feet of him in public.

I try to rearrange my face into something that wouldn't betray my hurt. Then turn to go only to be stopped by his gentle hand on my arm which draws a sharp inhale from me—from him too? My heart freezes for too long a beat, then gallops with vigor.

"And Sweet Mint," he leans his face closer to mine.

Swee—sweet Mint?!

His voice is gutteral as his breath teases my face. "When you turn in your duty report later tomorrow, make sure to include how you did nothing but cuddle up to my Delta."

What?

"Farr, my Delta." He supplies at my confused expression. He holds my widening gaze for a few seconds then adds, "And my cousin."

I feel my face drain a little of colour.

Shit!

Now, would be the best time for an earthquake to happen right underneath my feet and swallow me whole. What I wouldn't give to vanish into thin air right now.

I feel the large, warm imprint of his hand even after he releases me. I turn away from his reprimanding gaze and dazedly make my way towards the low gate before I freeze at his next words, mind-linked so casually.

Instantly—even as I feel a thousand pin pricks of heat travel up my chest to colour my face a violent shade of crimson—I swivel around only to be met with his receding back.

He'd mind-linked, "And top and center of that report should also be how you were eye-fuckin' me."

The words chase me as I scurry off. And without a doubt, I know he'd also heard me call him an asshole.