Lila let me in, gently pulling me into her body. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her to the ground gently, the dried leaves on the ground providing some comfort. She ran her hands down my back, urging me further into her.
"Patience, my little alpha," I teased and heard her growl subtly. Slowly, I pulled her top above her breasts and took her nipple in my mouth, tasting and licking. Her responses were spot on, her teeth grazing my shoulder and her nails digging into my back.
She reached for my shorts with her toes and expertly maneuvered them down my calves. Her fingers found my erection, caressing it slowly and moaning in my ears. I returned the favor and found her wet entrance; I slid two fingers in which earned me a louder moan.
"Alpha…,"
She was ready, very ready. I placed a hand behind her buttock, raised her up, and pushed her into my full length. We gasped in unison and I paused for a minute or I could lose my shit in a second. She thrust into me impatiently begging me to move and I did. Each stroke drove us closer, her moans getting louder.
I went in and out of her at a steady pace, from different angles. She screamed her release and collapsed beneath me as I chased my own desire and spilled inside her.
*****
I jolted awake with a scream, the pain in my chest sharp and radiating. My room was dark, and I looked outside to find that it wasn't even a full moon. Sweat dripped down my face, and my heart raced.
'What the hell is happening to me?' Why? I sat up slowly, trembling and gasping. One thing was certain, I was getting worse. I wondered how long I had. Do I even have enough time to make an heir?
I tried to get off the bed, wobbling in pain to the couch where the telephone was. I took heavy and steady breaths trying to ride out the pain. I need answers; no I need a little bit more time.
I picked up the phone and dialed the welcome area, "Get me Magnus!" I barked as soon as I heard the click that someone had picked up. I tried to calm down enough to look strong before Magnus would get there. Only Dorian knew of my pain, look what he did. I wasn't going to add Magnus to that list. Footsteps thundered down the hall, and within seconds, he was in my room with a half-eaten sandwich in his hand.
"Alpha?" he asked, mouth full. "You called?"
"First of all, don't talk to me with food in your mouth. Second, get Dorian out of the dungeons. Now."
Magnus blinked at me, chewing slowly, "You sure, Alpha? I dare to ask, Will his head be safe?"
"I may replace it with yours. Tell him to get some rest and schedule a council meeting now,"
By the time I got to the council hall, all the council members were already there. Dorian was waiting by the entrance looking like he had wrestled a lion in his sleep.
"You look like hell," I told him as he fell into step with me.
"Thanks. Dungeon accommodations aren't exactly five-star," he shot back.
"Oh stop being a baby. You were in there for five minutes,"
We entered the council room, and all six elders got up to welcome me as I took my seat at the head of the table.
"I've called this meeting for two reasons. First, I'm naming Lila as my Luna if you all approve." The room erupted in shouts of joy and I heard one of the council members mutter "About time."
Dorian's expression shifted from amused to worried but I ignored it. I raised a hand to silence the room so I could continue. "Second, preparations for the Luna ceremony will begin immediately."
There were murmurs of approval and a few congratulations here and there. "Word should be sent to Alpha Duncan that the alliance is agreed upon. He can provide his terms whenever he is ready. But the ceremony has to be held during the next full moon,"
*****
After the meeting, Dorian cornered me in the hall on my way to see Lila. "Kaelen, you can't complete the mate bond with Lila."
"Will you make up your mind? First, you want me to find a Luna. Now, you don't want one? Lila is strong, loyal, and more than capable of being Luna," I replied.
"Because if you do, you'll die… immediately," he said bluntly, looking straight into my eyes.
I stared at him blankly, "I was first going to ask when you became the bearer of bad news but I will settle for what the fuck are you saying?"
"The healer in the mountains told me…,"
"Okay. That's enough out of you,"
"At the risk of being thrown in the dungeon again, I have to emphasize that you please listen to me," he begged.
"You defy me… you dare defy me, your alpha,"
"Yes! Kaelen. I am trying to save you. If you won't do it for me, do it for your people," his tone got louder.
"I am doing it for my people!!!" I shouted back and then remembering we weren't in a private place, I lowered my voice. "Do you think I want to die? But from the moment I heard it, all I could think was my people,"
"No, I don't mean finding a Luna. What I am saying is you cannot mark anyone except your destined mate. You can have a Luna but you cannot mark her," he emphasized his words.
"What do you mean destined mate? I haven't found her, have I?" I said getting exhausted quickly.
"It's a long story Kaelen. The long and short of it is, she is out there but your bond is under the curse of the eternal mark. You do not have the first-time mate pull like the normal wolves. She may be here right now and you wouldn't know. If you mark someone else, the curse takes effect and speeds up your death. The curse is the reason for your pain. Just please… give me time, Alpha. I swear, I can fix this, just give me time,"
I rubbed my temples, frustration boiling over. "So your brilliant solution is to marry Alpha Duncan's daughter, accept the alliance, and not complete the mating ritual or I will be dead faster. Great plan, Dorian."
"Kaelen, I'm begging you," he said, his tone pleading.
I sighed, "I still don't want that healer anywhere near my pack,"
"She won't help me. That was the only deal," he snapped, his usual humor replaced with raw emotion.
"Find another one," I cut him off and walked away. The weight of too much information weighed on my chest.