Moon Bound

Chapter 39-A Scents of Self-Preservation

"You're a bit of an arse, aren't ya' kid?" Marcel's icy eyes were narrowed on Silas from where he sat across from him. "How old are you anyways? Can't be more than a century."

"Seventy-six," Silas gritted out between clenched teeth.

"Right, well." Marcel pointed a wrinkled hand at Silas' chair. "Why don't you have a seat and let the grown-ups talk, now," He said, earning a few snickers from some of the older Alpha and Beta pairs and a vicious snarl from Silas.

Codrin rubbed at his temples, glaring at the bickering males before him. His head throbbed, and shooting pains were starting to develop behind his eyes. The muscle in his jaw ticked in time to the pulsing in his head, and it was becoming as annoying as fuck. His large dining area was currently serving as the unofficial war room for the assembled wolves, and the large open-concept living space left him few places he could escape for a few minutes of peace. Even in the confines of his study—or bedroom, his sensitive ears would still hear their incessant quarreling.

Codrin had listened to these alpha-holes arguing for the last few hours, and he'd had enough.

He longed for the comfort of his mate, a feeling that was entirely new to him. Willa should be beside him now. If she were marked and claimed, she would be. That was the expectation she seemed so unsure she could live up to. As his mate, she wouldn't be just a luna. She would be queen. She may not believe in her ability to fill that role, but he wholeheartedly did. She was young and had much to learn, but her humility and empathy—even her stubbornness would make her an excellent leader. She fought for the things she cared about and when she believed in something, she didn't back down. She was exactly what his people needed, what he needed. And something told him if she were here now, her rational way of viewing things would go a long way to muzzle these bastards. It made him hard just thinking about her bringing them to heal.

Goddess. She was fucking incredible, and she was all his.

'MINE!' The beast snarled in his head, followed by the howl of his wolf. It made his head pound harder, eliciting an actual growl deep in his throat.

Fine! Fuck! She is all 'ours,' he clarified. Goddess, it was beginning to feel like he had a split personality disorder. This is what happened when he had to keep so much of his true nature at bay. He was at war with himself, and it was only going to get worse until he could satisfy all of his cravings for her. His throat began to burn with thirst, and a throbbing in his gums joined the percussion in his skull. Codrin closed his eyes and laid his head against the hard chair back, resisting the urge to slam his head into it a few times, it would accomplish nothing other than to add to his already mounting discomfort.

Alaric leaned in from his seat to the right of him. "You've been awfully quiet, Your Highness," he said, speaking low enough that his words stayed between them.

Codrin's lips pulled into a tight, arrogant smile. "When they are all done pulling their dicks out and slapping them on the table for comparison, I'll speak." He opened his eyes, turning his gaze toward Alaric. "I don't need to pull my dick out, I know it's bigger." He said, his voice acerbic.

Alaric chuckled and shook his head, then mirroring Codrin sat back in his seat and continued to observe the pissing contest before them.

They were more alike than Codrin cared to admit. Alaric reminded him of a much less jaded and far more sensible, younger version of himself. In truth, he really liked the young Alpha. He reminded him a lot of Nicolae. A deep sigh left Codrin at the thought of his Beta. How much easier all of this would feel with him here. He had been checking in on him daily, and word from home wasn't good. His health was deteriorating, and the healers had warned him to expect the worst.