The Red Moon's Daughter

Mate

-Leila's POV-

My paws were barely touching the ground. I kept forcing my legs to go faster, to go longer, to jump higher. My breath came out ragged and my lungs were burning. I felt my heart beating like crazy, pumping blood through my body.

I had been running for three hours now in my wolf form around the forest surrounding the cottage. This was my training first thing in the morning, and in the afternoon, I usually joined Carlota and Marie at the apothecary store. But today was my birthday, so I had all day to myself. I was turning 27 years old.

I stopped running once I reached the natural lake that was hidden deep in the forest. It was a surprise when I found it after a year of living in Lazuline. There was a huge tree next to it, and I had carved a small hole at the bottom of the trunk to hide some extra clothes in case I needed them – I liked to take a swim in the lake after my runs, so I would hide some white linen chemises to cover myself while swimming. Even though I had never encountered anybody during my runs, better to be safe than sorry.

I lifted my snout, enjoying the wind running through my white fur. I loved my thick fur, especially because it hid the patch of skin where my hair wouldn't grow back since Bill cut me too deep with the silver whip. When in human form, the scar could be seen from my hip to my rib.

I hid behind the tree and changed back to human form, put a chemise on, and walked to a huge rock on the border of the lake that created the perfect jumping point to dive in or the perfect seat to enjoy nature.

The water was so clear, I could see the rocks at the bottom and little fish swimming back and forth. I jumped, enjoying the shock of the cold water on my overheated skin. I swam to the center of the lake and let myself float, looking at the moving clouds and letting my mind drift.

Life was peaceful, but I felt a change coming. Carlota was being courted by an older man, a blacksmith with a soft heart and warm smile – Josiah was his name. Carlota kept telling us that he was just a silly man, and he was only being nice, but she fooled nobody. Marie and I smiled at each other every time they were together. There was a gentleness in the way Josiah treated Carlota that was crumbling her hard walls. And she liked him no matter how many times she refused it. I keep catching her smiling to herself while she worked in the lab at the back of the apothecary store, or when she was cooking dinner, or when she was sitting by the fire and pretending to read. I was happy for her and hoped that she would stop being so hardheaded and allow Josiah in.

Marie, on the other hand, said that she had yet to find the woman that would make her want to settle down – a surprise considering how many women she had dated in the past three years. I always received ugly stares from her lovers while walking with her around town until she clarified that I was her sister. They didn’t believe her at first, considering that I was as white as a cloud and Marie’s brown skin shined like gold, but then she added “she’s adopted”, gave me a coin, and told me to go buy myself something pretty while guiding her lover to a dark corner in an alley to ravish her. And I went… because I loved to buy pretty things for myself.

I sighed when I felt the water had finally cooled me down and started swimming back to the shore of the lake. Suddenly, a shadow to my right called my attention, making me stop and turn.

It was a man. A tall, big, brooding man, with strong, thick thighs and broad shoulders. He had hair as black as the night and deep electric blue eyes that were looking at me with so much intensity that a chill ran down my spine. I was enthralled. He was gorgeous. He was perfect.

And then his smell hit me and my world crumbled.

-Mate – I whispered while my heart thumped painfully.

-Clayton POV-

My five warriors, Raul, and I arrived in Lazuline during the morning, a day before the meeting. We were all dressed in trousers and white linen shirts to not call attention to ourselves. Nobody needed to know that the King of Wolves was here.

We rented some rooms in an inn that was right in the middle of town, to have easy access everywhere. I sent my warriors on their way to explore the town and have some free time, but to be careful of the people around them. I was sure that someone was going to be watching.

While Raul went with them to the tavern to get some food, I ventured into the forest looking for a quiet and private place to shift. I hadn’t shifted in a few days and my beast was annoying me. I kept walking, but even though I was already very deep in the forest, my wolf kept pushing me forward. It felt as if there was a place I needed to go to.

The sound of splashing water called my attention. Following the sound, I stopped when I had a good view of a lake, but I stayed hidden between the trees. Surfacing out of the water, a beautiful woman with blonde hair and fair skin let herself float on the surface. My breath got stuck inside my lungs with the amazing view. Her hair floated around her, her creamy skin collected drops of water where it was not submerged. Her eyelashes grazed her round, pink cheeks and a soft smile showed how relaxed she was.

My groin stirred when I noticed her n*****s through the white chemise that she was wearing, which was now soaked and did not provide any kind of protection against prying eyes – if that was the intention. The pink points were erect due to the cool water, being the peak of magnificent, round and full mounts that my hands were itching to touch. The chemise was sticking to her body, and although it was difficult to appreciate the rest of her body floating on the water, I knew out of instinct that it was perfect.

I was bewildered. I don’t think I have ever had a reaction like this to a woman before. My trousers were getting tighter by the second, but I refused to be even a bigger pervert and touch my c**k if it was only to re-arrange it to a more comfortable position. I could not move, I could only watch this heavenly creature and relax with her. My breaths started to match her own, my heartbeat slowed down, and the sound of the forest was a lullaby that encompassed us and made me feel as if we were inside a bubble for only the two of us.

I was not sure how much time passed when her stirring woke me up from my stupor. She was swimming to the shore of the lake and I felt panic about her leaving and not having the chance to talk to her. I walked out of the woods without thinking, startling her and making her turn around in the water to look in my direction.

Specks of gold. Her eyes were green with specks of gold. The same eyes that had been haunting my dreams. A connection was created instantly between us that sent an electric shock down my spine, all the way to my toes. My wolf howled inside of me, recognizing his other half. His destined pair. The being that will give purpose to our lives. My brain registered her smell then – she smelled like sweet flowers, citric fruit, rain, and sunshine, all at the same time. She smelled like heaven. She smelled like happiness.

The intensity of the feelings inside of me was so grand that it was difficult for me to act like the composed king that I was famous for being. My entire body was vibrating with the need to touch her.

Her big eyes were looking at me with shock, and her full lips whispered the word that almost made my knees buckle. It wasn’t a lie. It was not my imagination. The Moon Goddess was telling me the truth. My mate had finally come to me.

I took a step towards her, refusing to wait for a second more to go to her, and it sprinted her into action. She swam as fast as she could to the other side of the lake, away from me, and in my confusion at her apparent rejection, it took me a few seconds to react and run around the lake to reach the side where she was going to come out.

She jumped out of the water and started running towards the protection of the trees.

I yelled in panic, running after her. I could reach her and meet her on her right side, but she was really fast.

-Stop! Please! – I begged with pain in my voice and she stumbled and slipped, falling to her knees.

She turned to look at me, fear clear in her eyes, and my heart was squeezed with sorrow. I did not want to scare her. She was my life.

I knelt on the ground too, with my hands in the air.

-I would never hurt you – I whispered, not wanting to interrupt the silence that had befallen the forest. I looked her in the eyes, trying to show her my intentions. My feelings.

Her shoulders relaxed a little, but her eyes were still guarded. Her skin and hair reflected the sun, making it shine like a halo around her. She was beautiful. She was magnificent. Wet strands of hair stuck to the sides of her face, framing those possessing eyes. One of her shoulders, the one facing towards me, was exposed from her chemise falling to that side. Her rapid breaths matched the rapid beating of her heart that resonated in my ears.

My eyes scoured every inch of her, from her face to her hands holding the grass under her, to her strong legs that were faster than mine. A shadow called my attention through the soaked chemise that hugged her body – it was a scar. A large scar on the side of her body was proof that someone had hurt her. I was going to kill whoever touched her.

She kept looking at me, now with open curiosity, but her body was still tense, ready to jump and run.

-I’ve been waiting for you for a very long time, my mate – I whispered, risking it and crawling a little closer to her – Please don’t run away from me – I inched a little closer – I’m Clayton – I was almost next to her now and I was praying to all the Gods in existence to keep her there.

-Clayton – she murmured like tasting my name on her lips, and it went straight to my crotch.

-Yes – I almost moaned – And you are? – I inched a little closer and I was now right next to her, so I sat more comfortably on the grass, with my legs stretched around her.

Her eyes traveled up and down my body, evaluating my legs surrounding her, and looked back at me.

-I am Leila – her voice was a song from the heavens to me. It calmed me and my beast.

-Leila – I took a deep breath, thinking of the best way to make her trust me – I vow here and now to be with you always, to protect you and cherish you, to give you my all and to belong to you even after death claims our souls –

The same electric shock of our connection ran through my body, and I knew she felt it too because her skin got full of goosebumps and her face showed such raw emotion that she looked about to crumble. I took her in my arms, I hugged her tight, and fireworks exploded wherever our skin touched.

Someone had hurt her both physically and emotionally, and I was going to kill that bastard.

My wolf was in heaven inside of me, and I let him share control of our body so we could both hold our life in our arms.