Page 81 of Crystal Luna

He swallowed her cries in a deep, passionate kiss, her body twitching and tensing beneath him as she rode out her release. It was over far too soon, and she moved to get up before he’d had enough of her.

But she wasn’t his to keep.

So, he released her and sat on his heels, watching as she jumped to her feet and ran out of the gym, wiping her blood and tear smeared face.

The alphas were the first to step through his office doors the next morning. Velora was nowhere to be found. He’d hoped to have her here before them to calm her before the meeting. She’d been so upset when she’d left the gym that he felt guilty. Not because she was their mate but because he hadn’t intended to make this any harder on her.

One of them—he still couldn’t quite tell who—sat down on a chair before the desk, while the other stayed standing and simply stared at him. He had a busted lip, though it was quickly healing, but neither of them asked what had happened. They both seemed rather tense, though the one in the chair seemed less agitated than his brother. His eyes brightened as he looked out of the window and saw Velora approach. The one standing whipped his head around to get a glimpse, and his brows narrowed.

“What the fuck happened to her?” Finally, Heath deduced that Asher was the one with the short fuse.

“She got into a fight with one of our warriors.”

“Your men beat up women?” he growled.

Heath couldn’t hold back his amusement—they still hadn’t figured out that she was a wolf. “I assure you he looked far worse.”

They fell silent the moment the front door opened. When she stepped into the office, her eyes were cast to the ground. Velora knew that if their gazes met, the bond would be locked.

The one he assumed to be Isaiah leaned over the armrest of his chair to take her hand in his. Her knuckles were still bruised, one even busted open. “Vel, who hurt you?”

She wrenched out of his grip and slapped away the hand Asher was inching towards her jawline. “None of your business.”

“You’re hurt. Of course it’s our business,” Isaiah returned with a worried tone.

“Like you care,” she barked back.

“We do.”

“Anyone who touches you needs to be punished,” Asher added, which only earned him a sarcastic laugh from Velora.

“Please, look at us,” Isaiah asked, but Velora only squared her shoulders. “Look at us and you’ll see that we’re telling the truth. We’re not here to hurt you.”

“No of course you aren’t,” she spat. “You’re just here to take me back to my worst nightmare.”

“Things will be different,” Isaiah promised.

Velora only shook her head. “You two are still the same assholes I left three years ago. If it were different, you wouldn’t make me come with you.”

“You’re our luna, Vel. We can’t leave you here.”

“Make someone else your luna. I’m sure any of your whores would love a shot at your mark.”

“We want you,” Asher’s tone grew more frustrated by the minute. “Look at me.”

To Heath’s surprise, Velora’s head shot up and her eyes locked with Asher’s. A fierce, evil grin formed on her lips. “Still the same asshole with the short fuse. Am I frustrating you, Asher?”

Ah, he’d been right.

“We just want you to come home where you belong,” Isaiah pleaded, trying to defuse the situation.

She chuckled with an evil tone that Heath had never heard before. “Still trying to fix your brother’s fuck ups, huh?” Her eyes now rested on her second mate, but her facial expression didn’t change. “Nothing has changed.”

She then turned those eyes on Heath. The darkness in them had nothing of the sweetness they’d shared with him so many times over the past years. She didn’t say anything, but she didn’t have to.

“I thought we could gather the day after tomorrow. The pack will want to say their farewells before you leave.”

A muscle in her jaw twitched and for just a moment, he thought she would leap forward and strangle him. “As you wish, Alpha.”