Moon Bound

(25) On His Knees |Regan's POV|

I kept watching the recording, drinking her image on the screen. Hungry for more, I'd pause the footage to stare at her face. That same face haunted not only my dreams but the hours awake. Like a mirage in a desert, it would appear before my eyes and give me hope then disappear the moment I extended my hand to reach it.

We set on the road. He didn't call again. The miles spread in front of me. The hours ticked by. Days and moon made my heart beat with anticipation.

A week after finding where she was, we finally reached the destination. A few of my men came with me no less but of their own volition. The pack stayed behind, not a word of argument reaching my ear. They knew this had to be done. She had to come back for them to decide if they were going to accept or deny her.

We arrived at the hotel a few hours ago, got ourselves comfortable. I got ready for battle.

Glancing down at the screen of my phone to find the connection cut, I wanted to throw it against the wall, break it to pieces. Her words stung on my heart. Both anticipation and anxiety climbed in levels while self-control slipped like sand through fingertips.

Standing up, I walked to the window and pulled the curtains back with a trembling hand. The skies were lightening, pale early spring light reaching the earth as a dull sun dragged itself up the horizon.

Turning toward the full-length mirror on the wall, I stared at my reflection. I'd had a change of clothes as soon as I got here but was I presentable enough to meet her?

Or was she going to laugh at my effort?

I didn't look like an alpha in my simple attire – a green v-neck shirt that showed the top of my chest, faded denim and a pair of white sneakers.

Was she still going to see an alpha under the clothing?

The beast stirred up inside me. Worry nudged at the corner of my mind.

I grabbed the keys from the table next to my bed then rushed out of the room only to stop in front of the one next to mine where Jason was staying. I raised my hand and rapped my knuckles against the wood.

A moment later, there were steps on the other side then my third-in-command opened the door.

"I'm going to meet her now," I told him.

Jason raised a brow. "Don't you think you're rushing things? Maybe you should wait for a few hours, rest and get yourself under control." His eyes looked me up and down.

"I don't think you're in a state when you should be meeting her or driving, Regan," he observed, his eyes stopping at the keys in my hand.

"That's why I need you to come with me. You can drive if you want too." I held up the keys.

"You'd let me drive your babe?" he asked, doubt sneaking into his voice.

"Just this once," I told him and placed the keys in his palm.

"I think I'm gonna cry." He grinned at me.

"Don't embarrass yourself in front of your alpha, Jase," I muttered and strolled toward the elevator. He followed right behind.

Once outside, we made our way to the parking lot but to find a folded note stuck on the car windshield.

"This doesn't look like a ticket," Jase commented, coming to my side as I unfolded the paper.

It wasn't a ticket, though, but a simple note that said, 'Meet us at noon.'

Just below, there were scribed directions.

"I guess word travels fast around here," Jason said, taking a look at the note. "Any idea who they might be?"

"Probably someone from the local community." I shrugged then slipped the paper into my pocket.

I had most important things to worry about instead of the no sender note. "Let's go."

We quickly slid into the car.

Half an hour later and probably several speeding tickets later, Jase pulled off the Lambo in front of the house.

"Wait here," I told Jason before exiting the car.

What stood in front of me was a two-story, white building suitable for a family of a few generations to live in and, in reality, from the exchange I'd heard over the phone, it was indeed a family that lived inside.

My family who gave her love and affection to others lived inside.

Once having climbed the front porch, I looked for the doorbell and finding none, I resorted to knocking.

During the minutes I waited outside, I listened to muffled voices talking quietly behind the closed door, my mate's one of them. Her voice brought tingles to my skin.

I could have listened to her voice forever but just a moment later the front door flung open and a tall, dark-haired guy emerged on the threshold. Carrying himself like an alpha would, there was an aura of power surrounding him.

A threat.

"You must be Alpha Greene. Please, come in," the man said, holding the door open for me as he stepped aside to let me pass.

I didn't know what would come out of my mouth if I spoke so instead I kept my mouth shut and nodded. There was something about this man that felt oddly familiar, I just couldn't put my finger on what it was. Yet.

Once I stepped inside, I found myself compelled to look at the figure standing a few feet away from me. My eyes glided to her on their own. My heart seemed to skip a bit the moment they landed on her.

Beautiful.

Her face had lost all hollowness. Her lips looked softer and fuller now. Her eyes gleamed brightly. Her skin was almost glowing with how healthy she looked. Her hair fell past her shoulders in a waterfall of wild ringlets.

Dressed in a leather jacket and tight fitted jeans, the months spent away from me seemed to have turned her into a woman. Her curves were now showing under her clothing, curves I was seeing for the first time and secretly wished to trail my lips over.

Uncalled images of my hands trailing over her body as my lips tasted her crept into my mind. My fingers twitched with the need to run them across her naked skin.

Her distinctive scent drifting in, my breath got stuck at the base of my throat as I fought the natural response of my body. I wished to keep it in, as much of her as she was allowing me to take, as much as I could take.

Patience.

Struggling against the urgency to reach for her, both man and beast stood frozen. Just staring at her, drinking her up, daring her to reach out first, the man willed her to take all which he was offering... on his knees.

Her stormy eyes full of caution, she pinned me under her gaze for a split of a second then, just as quickly, she whirled away and went farther into the house.

"This way, Alpha Greene." Cole motioned then bypassed me, following my Scarlet close behind.

Just then, the simple act of ungluing my feet of the ground seemed to require more effort than I'd have ever imagined. A moment later, I managed to fall in step behind the man.

She sat at the leather sofa while, following Cole's silent gesture, I took the spot opposite her.

"Would you like something to drink, Alpha Greene? I have coffee, tea, juice..."

I didn't even listen to him listing beverages. He never named the only thing that I wanted.

"Arsenic will be much better, Cole. Though I'm not sure what effect it has on werewolves, I think he'll rather have that since it suits his taste better," the person opposite me sneered.

That same person who was supposed to love and cherish me, to make me warm and whole, to take me as I was, she didn't even pretend to give a flying fuck about me.

Only people who cared would and she clearly wasn't one of them. And that hurt more than anything she could say.