My Rouge Luna

Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Choices

Carlos’ P.O.V.

“When do you think Xavier will be back, Carlos?”

Selma’s voice cut through the haze of my thoughts. I had been drifting, imagining the peace that would come once I finally had the heads of those she-devils mounted as trophies.

“Soon,” I replied evenly, forcing my voice calm. “He was on his way to apprehend the targets last night. I’m waiting for his call — should be any moment now, once they’re in transit.”

My gaze shifted down to Selma, sprawled in the sheets beside me, her naked skin glowing bronze in the slant of morning light. Selma and I had been a secret since high school. I had never found my fated mate, and when she discovered hers, she rejected him without hesitation. Part of me liked to believe she did it for me. But the truth? Selma was ambitious. Always had been. She didn’t want the bond of destiny if it tied her to weakness — she wanted an Alpha’s crown.

And yet, when she touched me, I let myself believe.

Her fingers slid across my chest, nails grazing lightly, pulling me back into the moment. When I bent down to kiss her, the spark ignited instantly. Her lips parted, and the kiss deepened into something raw, something consuming. She swung her legs over me, straddling my hips, claiming control.

Selma was breathtaking — short curls framing her face, brown skin smooth as silk, thick thighs and full breasts begging to be touched. I cupped one, teasing her n****e between my lips as she arched her back, moaning softly. That sound alone set my blood on fire, my wolf pacing inside me, hungry.

I gripped her waist and slid into her. She gasped my name, clenching around me, her body slick with desire. She rode me in steady, urgent rhythm, her moans echoing in the room.

Ring. Ring.

The phone buzzed on the nightstand.

“Don’t you dare,” she panted, clawing at my chest.

I flipped her onto her stomach, pressing her down into the mattress, taking her the way I knew she loved best — hard, rough, my hand pinning her wrists while the other toyed with her c**t. Her muffled cries filled the room, her body convulsing as she came undone, juices soaking me. I pulled out just before release, spilling across the bed sheets.

Ring. Ring.

The phone buzzed again. This time, I froze. Xavier.

I snatched it up, breathless. “Xavier?”

A woman’s voice purred through the receiver instead. “Afraid not, lover boy.”

My brows knitted together. I glanced at the screen, but the number was unfamiliar.

“Who is this?” I demanded, voice sharp.

“You should know,” she teased. “You sent your cavalry for me. And now? I’ve got your sweet baby brother right here.” Her tone was mocking, almost sing-song. “Say hello, Xavierrrr.”

“CARLOS!” Xavier’s voice exploded through the line, panicked, raw. “Don’t come, bro! It’s a trap — this b***h will kill us both!”

My stomach dropped. My chest tightened. Ice flooded my veins as the room spun.

Selma sat up, alarmed. “Baby, who is it? What’s going on?” She tugged at my arm, but I shook her off, my jaw locking.

I steadied my breath, pressing the phone harder to my ear. “What do you want?” My words came out low, deadly.

The woman on the other end laughed. “Oh honey, what I want is you. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. There are rules. Listen carefully — I’ll only say this once. If you follow them, you and your brother will both be home by tomorrow morning.”

I said nothing, every nerve straining.

“You’ll meet me at the abandoned sugar factory outside Fort Worth. Bring five hundred thousand dollars. Cash. You have one hour. I’ll give you your brother for the money… and ask a few questions. After that, you and your pack leave me and my sisters alone. Forever.”

“I’ll be there,” I said without hesitation.

The line went dead.

I lowered the phone slowly, my hands trembling. “They have Xavier,” I whispered. “They took my f*****g brother.” My knees gave out, and I dropped to the floor.

Selma rushed to me, wrapping her arms tight. “What do they want, baby?”

“Half a million,” I rasped. “And a trade.”

Her eyes darkened, rage simmering beneath her skin until even her wolf bled into her stare. “Carlos, you can’t possibly be thinking of going alone.”

I stood, pulling her up with me, cupping her face. “Alone? Never. I need you with me. Xavier is our family. I don’t trust anyone watching my back but you.”

Her lips curved into a fierce smile. “You’re crazy if you thought I wasn’t going.”

I kissed her forehead, and for the first time, the thought hit me like lightning: once we got Xavier back, I would propose. Mate bond be damned — Selma had always been mine.

⸻

We moved quickly. Selma arranged the money while I showered and dressed, pulling myself together with armor of composure. From the pack, I chose two men I trusted with my life — Ricardo and Ramiro, twin brothers, nephews of the former Alpha, loyal to blood and bone.

With duffel bags stacked in the trunk, we hit the road. The drive dragged, every turn heavier than the last, until the rusted silhouette of the sugar factory rose against the horizon.

I climbed out before the car even stopped, striding forward with Selma and the twins at my back. A black truck sat abandoned outside, trunk wide open, soaked in blood. My pulse quickened. Please, Moon Goddess…

Inside, the air reeked of mildew and iron. I followed Xavier’s scent — strong, woodsy, uniquely his — until we reached a wide chamber. There he was, chained to a table, wrapped in silver, his skin blistered and raw. My wolf snarled inside me, claws breaking through my fingers.

And there they were. Two women. One with wild curls. One with fiery red locs. Just like the photos.

“Easy, dog,” the redhead said smoothly. “Your brother’s fine… for now. Where’s the money?”

I jerked my chin at Ramiro and Ricardo. They dropped the bags at the women’s feet.

The one with curls crouched, unzipping, thumbing through neat stacks of hundreds. “It’s all good.”

“Give me my brother,” I growled, voice low, vibrating with restrained violence.

I crouched, ready to strike, when it hit me.

The scent.

Roses. Candy. Sweetness laced with fire. It consumed me whole, crashing over my senses until I couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe. My wolf went still, ears straining, heart racing.

A voice purred from behind me. “Not so fast, lover boy. Why don’t you stick around for a while?”

I turned.

And saw her.

The world stilled. Her face, her presence — everything in me shifted. In that moment, there was no pack, no mission, no blood. Only her. I would live for her. Kill for her. Die for her.

My wolf surged forward, voice clear as thunder in my head. Mate.

I staggered, stunned. My mate — the woman who had kidnapped my brother.

Time fractured. My body ached with need, my c**k straining as though my very flesh recognized her before my mind did.

“Carlos!” Selma’s voice snapped like a whip. “Hello? Do you know this b***h?”

The trance cracked, and my wolf answered for me.

Before I could stop him, he seized Selma by the throat, lifting her off the ground, eyes burning with primal fire. His voice was mine, and not mine, when he whispered against her ear, “Watch your mouth.”

Tears welled in Selma’s eyes. The room fell silent.

And across from me, the dark-haired beauty — my mate — stared back, just as shocked, just as shaken.

No one moved.