The Hockey Alpha's Second Chance Slave Mate

Revelations

Luna's breath quickened as she moved farther into the forest. The thick canopy above kept most of the moonlight out, but she didn't mind the gloom. She couldn't stop thinking about Marcus and the link she had with him.

She should've stayed at the event, where it was safe and the pack was watching. But her instincts, and him, had brought her here. By myself.

A noise in the bushes startled her out of her meditation, and she stopped, her senses alert. Before she could do anything, a figure jumped out of the darkness and knocked her down.

"Not where you should be, Luna," a rough voice said.

Luna's eyes got bigger as she fought against the rogue's weight. She started to panic, and her heart raced in her ears. She kicked to try to get away, but the rogue held on tight and his breath was hot on her neck.

"Get off me!" She shrieked, but the bad guy just laughed, his smile full of evil.

She heard it all of a sudden: the shattering of branches and the fast, heavy footsteps.

Before she could do anything, the rogue was violently pulled away from her and thrown into a tree nearby.

Marcus stood there, his eyes burning a fierce amber and his body giving out power. His eyes were fixed on the renegade, who got up quickly and snarled.

Marcus hissed, "You don't belong here," in a low, menacing voice. He walked near the rogue without being afraid of the menace.

Luna was amazed as Marcus moved with ease and strength that was too much for her to handle. For the first time, she grasped how strong he really was.

The rogue was gone in seconds, like a shadow in the night. Marcus stood over Luna and his breathing become steadier as his brilliant eyes relaxed and his typical intensity faded.

He murmured, "You're okay," and his voice was full of relief, but there was something more there, something deeper.

Luna's heart was still racing from the adrenaline, but she couldn't stop looking at him. His presence was strong and magnetic.

She muttered, "Thank you," her voice shaking. She didn't think anyone would save her, let alone him. It seemed as if he had always been meant to be there, because of how he filled the space between them.

Marcus nodded, but his eyes never left hers. He continued, "It's not safe out here," in a deeper, softer voice. "You shouldn't be by yourself."

Luna's pulse raced as she opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Her thoughts were all mixed up, full of confusion, dread, and want.

A couple steps. That was all it needed for him to get closer to her. He was so near that she could feel the heat of his body against hers. His breath was steady, yet his presence was too much.

"Are you okay?" Marcus asked in a voice that was barely a whisper.

She thought about it for a second, then nodded, although there was a lot of tension between them. She didn't know what to say because every part of her was telling her to stay.

"I'm fine," Luna answered, but her voice didn't even convince her.

Marcus grinned a little, as if he knew more than she was saying. There was no denying the tie, and it was bringing them together whether she wanted it or not.

The rogue's voice pierced the silence and carried it on the wind from far away before Luna could even think about moving.

Before Marcus stepped in, the rogue had stated, "You're not the one for him." Luna's stomach turned as the words rang in her memory. She hadn't really understood how serious what he said was, but her gut told her it wasn't just a threat.

She shook her head, trying to forget what the bad guy had said. But having Marcus next to her, with his tall body close by, made everything feel more real and more intense.

"What did he mean?" Luna asked softly, her eyes seeking his, not sure if she really wanted to know.

Marcus didn't answer right away. Instead, his jaw stiffened, and his eyes flashed with something that couldn't be read. It wasn't fury, but something else, something she couldn't put her finger on.

Marcus finally responded, "It doesn't matter what he meant," and his voice was steady. "He's a bad guy, and what he says doesn't matter."

Luna, on the other hand, couldn't shake the notion that there was more to it. The rogue's warning and the way he spoke with such confidence stayed with her. What if it was true? What if the connection between her and Marcus was more harmful than she thought?

Marcus moved closer and put his hand on her shoulder, which helped her feel more grounded. "Forget what he said," he added in a calm but forceful voice. "They don't matter."

But Luna couldn't let it go. Her heart was still pounding in her chest, and the air between them seemed thick and heavy with things they hadn't said.

Luna took a breath as Marcus turned to leave. Another wail resonated through the trees. This one was unusual; it was darker. And that made her heart rush anew.

Not only did the rogue's comments make her uneasy. She felt like something far greater was going on, something she wasn't ready for, and she wasn't sure if Marcus could keep her safe from it.

Luna's feet took her aimlessly over the pack's huge grounds, her head in a state of chaos. The sound of her shoes crunching on the gravel rang through the night, but it couldn't stop her mind from racing. The warning from the renegade. Marcus's touch. The draw that she couldn't resist.

A noise from the shadows made her look at the person coming out of the trees. Marcus.

"Luna," he said, his voice silky but urgent enough to make her stomach knot. "We need to talk."

She halted since she wasn't sure where to go. She felt her pulse skip a beat when she saw him—his broad shoulders, the way his muscles flexed under his black shirt, and the way his eyes, which glowed dimly in the dark, seemed to look right through her.

"Marcus, I've been trying to ignore this... this bond between us," she replied, her voice sharp even though she felt weak. "It's not possible."

"Exactly," Marcus said, moving closer and staring straight at her. "It's impossible to ignore, Luna, since it's not just fate bringing us together. "It's something bigger."

Luna's breath caught. She wasn't ready for this, not for him or what he said. "What do you mean?" she asked quietly, even though she knew she didn't want to know.

He paused for a time, then spoke with the heaviness of a fact he didn't want to face. "I didn't come here by accident. It's not just fate that brought us together; it's a plan.

Luna's heart raced and suddenly halted. "Strategic?" she said again, and the word tasted bad in her mouth. "What does that mean?"

Marcus moved closer, his face dark and his purpose apparent. "I'm the Alpha of a different pack." The Moon Goddess didn't make this alliance on her own. "It was planned."

Her stomach turned, and she stepped back, the realization hitting her like a slap. "Planned? "But you're not telling me everything."

Luna stood still, her head spinning. Every word he said was like a hammer hammering the wedge between them deeper. Strategic? Was that why she felt drawn to him all the time? Because an old prophecy had made her a pawn?

Her heart raced, and the space between them felt too little.

"Marcus, I don't know what you want from me," she continued, her voice seeming angry and confused at the same time. "I didn't want this bond, and I didn't want to be part of some... plan."

His expression relaxed a little, but the determination in his eyes stayed the same. He said gently, "I didn't ask for it either," and his voice sounded more fragile than she had thought it would. "But it's happening." And we can't act like it's not. "We can fight it or we can accept it."

Luna felt something change inside her, a small surrender, but she held on to it. "You don't understand. You don't know what it's like to be tugged in multiple directions. Marcus, I'm not a pawn on your chessboard. I have a life and a family, and I won't just give up everything because you think it's meant to be.

Marcus let out a loud breath and moved forward, their faces only a few inches apart. "I'm not asking you to give up anything. But Luna, you need to confront the facts. This bond is real. And no matter how hard you try, you won't win.

She wanted to get him away from her. Wanted to yell that it was too much, too fast. But she wasn't able to. She couldn't get away from how her heart raced when he was so near, how his breath moved her hair, and how her body hurt in ways she couldn't articulate.

Marcus leaned closer and spoke in a low, focused voice. "You don't have to like it, Luna." But this connection is real. You can't escape it.

Luna's breath caught in her throat as his words hung in the air. What he stated was true: there was an obvious draw that was both scary and attractive. She felt like she was drowning in it, and for the first time, she wasn't sure if she wanted to keep fighting.

She could feel her heart beating in her ears, and when their eyes met, she could see the storm in his eyes, which was the same storm that was going on inside her.

But could she believe him? Could she trust herself?