Moon Bound

Chapter 13-False Scents of Security

Codrin Lupesco straightened his tie and tugged hard on his jacket attempting to smooth out any wrinkles. He hoped it did a decent enough job covering his raging erection. Grigore simply continued to observe their surroundings for any potential threats regarding, or rather disregarding, Codrin's actions with the calm disinterest expected of a guardian. Codrin knew that if he asked him, Grigore would be full of opinions on the matter; but he wasn't in the mood for one of the testy guardian's castigations. When Grigore's keen eyes slid to Codrin he preempted any unwelcome comments with a Romanian fuck off.

Codrin silently chastised himself. It had been a mistake to kiss her so publicly! Anyone could have seen them. He knew the shadow pack had spies everywhere. It had been careless of him.

But fuck!

He'd been furious with her this morning, and when he saw her with Asher, the jealousy and possessiveness he felt was enough to make him want to kill the welp. Especially when he had taken so much liberty with her. Jealousy and possessiveness were not emotions a wolf like the Pricolici Prince had any experience with. Oh it was obvious enough she had no interest in the kid, but when Asher had kissed her cheek, the sight of another male's lips on his mate had just about pushed him over the edge.

A deep growl escaped him at the memory of it.

He had followed after her wanting nothing more than to erase every fucking trace of the other males scent on her, but then when they'd stood alone hidden in the shadows, and she'd been so vulnerable...

It had gutted him seeing the hurt in her eyes knowing he'd been the one to put it there. He understood then why she had come to him this morning. He'd underestimated how excruciating holding out would be for her. The mate bond was powerful and it wasn't meant to be denied. Even at his great age he was struggling to resist the urges...for her it must be torture. He instincts demanded he soothe her, yet she continued to provoke him!

frustrating female!

Her insistence that she didn't belong to him because he had yet to claim her clawed at him, shredding his insides and inciting a rage he could barely contain. He would be damned if he let her seek relief with another male, and he was fully aware of how fucking hypocritical that was. The very thought of her with someone else brought the beast snarling to the surface. His eyes flamed red with its fury.

A savage, Mine! reverberated through his head.

He ran a tongue across his aching canines his throat burning with the need for her blood, he was craving her in a way he had never craved another.  The taste of her still lingered on his lips and tongue and he nearly groaned out loud at the memory of her body pressed into his, Goddess the things he wanted to do to her in that moment. The things he might have done had he not sensed Grigore's approach. Tugging again at his tux jacket he ground his teeth, he couldn't decide if he should feel grateful or furious for the guardian's interruption. He couldn't claim her, he knew that, but—

If the fates were going to conspire against him, his mate shouldn't have to suffer too. There were ways—

Guilt at the direction his thoughts had taken soured his stomach. He was trying to do the right thing by her, but if she continued to push at him, he would be left with no choice. He considered for another moment how especially cruel it seemed to fate a wolf like him to a female who was so young and innocent. Codrin didn't know what game the Goddess was playing at, but it was a dangerous one. A dangerous game his gut was telling him he was going to loose.

The crowd parted for him as he made his way to his place at the head table up on the dias. His expression slipped into its usual mask of indifference, but he nodded politely as the wolves in his path bowed to him.

He hated this part.

He preferred his privacy to being on display. Even if a wolf had never seen him before, they knew him. They could sense the power that radiated from him. As the supreme Alpha he could have them under his paw at his whim. He had the ability to dominate every one of them. It was not a role Codrin took any pleasure in, nor had it ever been in the centuries of his reign, a power he yielded over others outside his own pack...but that didn't keep the fear or mistrust from their eyes.

Sins of the father and all that.

He eyed the table on the dias as he made his way up the steps. Selene was already in her assigned seat next to his, her ample breasts nearly spilling from her strapless black gown, a diamond and ruby choker sparkled at her neck. She glared sulkily at his approach.

"Where have you been?" she asked him testily in Romanian, her deep red lips forming a sultry pout.

He merely glanced at her as he unbuttoned his jacket and took his seat between her and Silas.

His attention was stolen by a sudden flash of gold in his periphery.

Willa.

She was weaving her way through the other guests in search of her own seat. His body thrummed with the awareness of her. In that golden dress she shined like a balefire that drew him in. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, despite all the competing scents in the large hall he could still catch a whisper of hers, both sweet and slightly spicy like wild thyme. He watched as she slipped into a chair at a table just below the dias where he sat.

Her eyes flitted up.

When they met his own, his cock twitched with need. He was close enough to see the wolf glowing in her eyes as he held her gaze. An arrogant smirk tugged at the edges of his lips as he narrowed his eyes on her. He knew he was the reason the wolf shone so bright and hungry there and it stroked his ego almost as much as his lust. A pretty pink flush colored her cheeks and she quickly looked down at her hands, fidgeting awkwardly in her seat.

His smirk turned to a small smile, then just as quickly was replaced by a scowl, as he realized just how fucking stupid he was being for letting down his defenses. He growled as frustration and anger flared in him, she was disarming him without even trying.

"Dangerous game," he growled a reminder to himself under his breath.

"What—", Selene's gaze followed his own and when she saw where his attention lingered she sneered in disbelief. "You were with her weren't you?" She demanded. She waited for him to respond, but when he just turned a cold stare on her she added, "I hope you know what you're doing Codrin, because if not, she is going to be the end of you."

"Or worse... I'll be the end of her." He snarled back at her.

"I can't agree that would be worse." She shot back her voice haughty. The disdain she felt for the young female was clear in her tone. He understood her desire to protect the pack, to protect him, but he didn't understand her obstinacy on the matter, why wouldn't she help him find a way to make this less complicated. Didn't she want him to be happy?

When he chose to say nothing. Her dark eyes flashed their displeasure.

"You'll have to excuse me, I've lost my appetite." She tossed her napkin down and stood to leave. "I'll see you later, hopefully by then you will have come to your senses."

"Female troubles your highness?" Silas said from the other side of him his brow was arched in amusement and a smirk played on his lips as he watched Selene storm away. Codrin's exchange with Selene had been in their native tongue, but he could imagine how it had come across to the Beta.

"You have no idea." Codrin replied flatly.

And he definitely didn't, because if Silas knew Codrin's real female troubles in anyway involved his sister —or if he even had a suspicion as to the wicked thoughts he had been so recently entertaining in regards to said sister...

Codrin doubted he would look so smug.

Chapter complete- editing