Luna’s Mating Trilema

Chapter 6

Harry’s POV

Natalie was all curves in all the right places, but she also had the solid strength of someone who trained hard. Getting ready for the inevitable battle. I was already attracted to her, but seeing her put her skills to practice just increased my interest.

"Great, now all I have to do is not show up to any of the functions I told my dad I would. Then, beat an Alpha at a game of hide-and-seek for twelve straight hours," I thought to myself with a grin. "She's funny."

"Oh, and he has a homing device installed on me. Great.”

I chuckled to myself as I witnessed her anguish. As I suspected, she was trying to keep something from me.

“Natalie?" someone else chimed in.

I retreated into the corridor once more.

So your name is Natalie, I thought with a wry grin. Let's play your game, Natalie. I'll get you started early on this.

[Present]

I smiled and laughed softly, "It seems that hide and seek is not your best game."

She was defeated because I had finally caught up to her.

My laughter only added fuel to the flame that was threatening to consume her with its vibrations. I made a predatory advance toward her, moving slowly and deliberately. As though in response to my proximity, Natalie took a deep breath in.

She was immobilized, or more precisely, her body had rejected the concept of going anywhere but toward me.

"Fascinating," I encircled her while saying. "You can't deny the sensation. That I'm your partner goes without saying. However, you appear to be resisting it. Aggressively.”

Natalie gargled; she didn't feel confident using her voice. This was no longer her body to inhabit. Her entire body beckoned to me, and it just wanted me. Everything but her thoughts, essentially.

“Why?" I leaned forward and murmured next to her ear.

She let out a tiny whimper, something she'd never heard herself do before.

I beamed at her with a grin. The heat from my body was so close to hers that she could feel it, but I still refrained from touching her.

"Tell me," I groused in excruciating pain.

Our eyes met for the first time when Natalie gazed up at me.

She was prepared for the same icy reception she had received previously. After all, that was what made Alpha Harry famous. The icy wall he built as a defense against the outside world was the center of her knowledge of him. Hadn't she caught a glimpse of it?

But there was nothing cold or distant about those grey eyes; only the comforting familiarity of a place she belonged.

I said, "Natalie..."

My words hit her like a wave, forcing her to retreat.

When Natalie turned away from me, she saw she was against the wall. I was mere inches away from her. She placed her hand on my cheek as our lips came close together.

She had forgotten she had touched me.

"Tell me your reason," I said, my voice cracking with effort. "Why did you want to get away from me?”

“I…”

As a result, she was distracted. She could close the excruciating distance between her and my mouth by simply shifting her weight to her toes.

"Natalie, please," I pleaded with her, "you must have had a reason. I'm trying very hard to contain myself. Inform me."

The thought of kissing me made her want to touch my lips even more. A tear formed on her cheek as she involuntarily made her way closer to me.

Natalie was able to experience new emotions as the attraction of our relationship temporarily weakened

She stutter-started, "I..." Her eyes closed, and

I nearly fell to the ground but managed to catch myself in time. When I turned back to Natalie, I saw that she was crying. The anguish in her eyes caused me to hesitate.

To reclaim her independence from the impulse of her connection to me, Natalie took a few deep breaths.

"I have discovered my soul partner!" she sputtered out.

“What?" I answered, my voice increasing with the hatred I felt.

At this same moment, I was able to stand more erectly than I ever had before. I inhaled deeply once again and recalled Raymond in my thoughts.

"I already have a mate," she declared.

I gave her an unexpected growl and rushed over to her quickly. I backed her up against the wall and nuzzled her throat, taking a deep breath of her.

I am your soul match! I snarled down her throat," I said.

Deep inside, I could feel the increasing pain of my need and longing for her. She shut her eyes again, using every ounce of strength to drive me away. But I didn't give in this time. I didn't touch her, but I did stick my nose down her neck to smell her.

"You can't be," she said in a low voice.

“Why?" I enquired, standing still.

As the haze of our connection returned, she took a deep breath and forced it down. Her hands seemed to be making an effort of their own to reach out and clasp mine.

"My dad is the leader of the Winter Pack, Alpha Venom!" she shrieked.

I froze in place.

I kept saying, "Alpha Venom, of Winter," over and over again in my head.

Within me, a comforting sensation was beginning to grow. As I stepped away from Natalie, my hands slid back to my sides.

To which I replied, "Go," I said softly.

Natalie looked at me, tears welling in her eyes. She froze in place.

“Go!" I growled. My usual tone was far too deep, heavy, and crazy.

Natalie ran by me after she pushed by me. As I transformed into my wolf form, she heard the reverberation of my bones fracturing.

For the rest of the night, Natalie did not go out of her room. She was physically and emotionally spent after dealing with me. It wasn't hard to persuade Jane that she wasn't well. Her father had forgiven her absence after seeing her condition.

Natalie turned over in her bed and recalled the chat she and her father had had upon their arrival at the Blood Moon. All Natalie wanted to do at the time was sneak away with Raymond for a little while.

She recalled the moment with a laugh since her enthusiasm seemed so ridiculous now.

"I get it; I know how significant the Blood Moon Gathering is. I mean it when I say that. Ok, so let's be straightforward here. It used to be a major cultural event, but now it's more like speed dating.

The wine had scarcely left the man's lips before he coughed and choked. At last, he coughed and leaned in closer. The table looked like it was meant for a child next to his massive physique. His grey brow bush wrinkled in response to her remark, revealing his annoyance.

He sputtered, "Natalie" as his amber eyes deepened in color. "Dad, hear me out; I did mention that I recognize the significance. Me. "But none of the other people do," she stated emphatically.

He sat back in his chair and cleared his throat. They were in a dim nook of the room. His grey and white braids stood out brilliantly in the dim light that trickled in through the window. Like a crown perched on his head, it served to highlight his status as the leader of his people. He brought his chubby arms together across his chest and c****d his chin in my direction.

“Natalie—”

What I'm saying is," I started, biting my lips nervously. As I spoke, I stood up from the table and paced back and forth. While the historical occasion upon which this celebration is based is significant, the focus of the celebration itself has shifted to a search for romantic partners. Given that I have begun—"

“Natalie!" he slammed his fists on the table in frustration, causing it to split.

I froze in place and gave him a cautious glare.

“Sit. Down."

With a hushed, "Yes, Father," I returned to my seat. I looked around the room to make sure nobody had heard him scream at their own tables.

I thought to myself, "Definitely noticed," as I took in the eyes that tried so hard to avoid meeting mine. As they pretended they hadn't, of course.

I silently sighed, "Good plan."

A firm, "You are the daughter of Alpha Venom of the Winter Pack," was all he said.

I echoed my initial response, "Yes, Father," this time.

"You've got to be the face of our pack everywhere you go. As my daughter and as a member of the Cold Warriors."

"I know."

"If you had known, you wouldn't have asked for something so outlandish," he snarled.

I tensed up.

My dad was a real alpha—in fact, he was the Alpha. I bowed to him simply because he was there.

I hadn't turned eighteen yet, but my experience and knowledge well surpassed my years. At the tender age of eight, I had already undergone my transition, made it through the ordeal, and finished the race in front of my training partners. Even at the young age of eleven, I was able to confidently spar with the more seasoned Cold Warriors.

And yet, there I was, cowering like a little girl while my father scolded me.

He caught my gaze and said, "Besides," adding, "there is no point in your request."

He leaned forward in his chair again, this time thinking by placing his mouth against his fist while maintaining eye contact with me. When I thought I saw amusement in his eyes, I frowned in perplexity.

"I have already heard Raymond's request to be excused, and I have denied it."

I felt the heat seep up my spine and onto my face. As my father laughed heartily, I turned aside.

"Don't feel ashamed, sweetie. Yes, I get it."

Despite the pain in my cheeks, I decided I had nothing to lose by making the request.

To which the speaker responds, "If you understand, then why not—"

He replied, "No," and he meant it.

I looked away from him as I slouched in my chair and crossed my arms.

"Natalie, I understand the longing in your soul. I've felt the allure of a potential partner before. I get the rush that comes with first love. However, you are still underage."

"Almost," I said softly.

"But wait!" he snarled. "You are the one who is most familiar with our pack's customs and regulations. On the full moon after your eighteenth birthday, you will wed and have your first child. No, not yet."

"I know," I sighed. "It's not like we were preparing to run away. All we wanted to do was hang out."

"There's just too much at stake. Particularly during a Blood Moon, the need to mate might be overwhelming. We can't afford to have any blunders happen."