Chapter Nine: Your Hair is on Fire

“Who would even create such an abomination?” Alexa asked as we viewed the hideous dress in the store.

We’d only been at the mall for an hour, aimlessly walking around. It was like our spirits were slightly dampened and we didn’t know how to fix the situation as of yet. It took me a while to realize that everyone felt like this, only because I felt like this.

I was finding it extremely difficult to block my emotions, especially since leaving Mateo back at the house. I wasn’t in a good mood and everyone in the pack was feeling it. The fact that the whole mall was full of glum people who were trying to be happy, and the fact that they were sending me sympathetic glances, was enough evidence.

I couldn’t help it though.

When I saw Mateo standing by our window, looking out, I could only think about how badly I wanted to give him an heir. With all that’s going on right now, I fear that I won’t be able to. A small part of me doubts that I’m going to make it out of this situation alive, and that’s what scares me the most.

“I don’t know, but what I do know is that we need to honestly get June out of here. We’ll come back a little later,” Maya replied. I’ve figured out that she was misguided in the past and is actually a cool person.

“What do you mean?” Alexa asked her.

“You can’t tell me that you guys can’t feel it. I’m not a part of this pack, and yet I can feel it. June isn’t in a good mood guys, and for as long as she’s feeling like this, this trip isn’t going to be the least bit of fun,” Maya explained. I was surprised by the accuracy of her observation.

“I thought I was the only one who noticed just how gloomy everyone is,” Ana commented.

“Do you want to get out of here?” Valentine asked me. I nodded.

Maya smirked. “Alright! I know exactly where we can go. Just link my cousin and tell him we’re taking you to The Dungeon.”

“Where?” Valentine, Alexa, Anastasia and I asked.

“He knows,” Maya cryptically replied.

“Okay then,” I said warily before linking my mate.

“Babe?” I nudged his link.

“Yes, baby doll?” he replied instantly.

“I was just letting you know that we’re changing destinations for a while. The girls want to cheer me up so we’ll be back here later,” I informed him as we made our way to the car.

“Alright, but where are you headed now?” he asked.

“Maya said to tell you that we’re going to The Dungeon. She’s the only one who knows where that is from what I picked up,” I replied.

“That’s an interesting choice of destination on her part, but I trust that she knows what she’s doing. Try and enjoy yourself please. We’re all a little down because of you,” he chuckled lightly.

I sighed. “I know, and I’m sorry, but I’m just not in the highest of spirits.”

“I know, baby doll. Maybe talking to the girls will help you. Try that out and then we’ll see if it works,” he suggested.

“Okay, I will. I love you,” I said, making sure I was projecting the emotion as well.

“I love you too baby doll, more than you will ever know,” he responded, radiating the same amount of love back.

“He’s okay with it,” I told Maya after shutting my link.

“Of course he is,” she said knowingly. Since she was already driving there, the other girls and I were a bit freaked out by what was happening.

“Maya, what is this place we’re going to? You’re scaring me with your evil smile,” Anastasia told her.

“Don’t worry! It’s nothing bad. It’s just a place that I used to bring Teo to when he couldn’t focus or when he was upset. It worked for him, so I’m hoping that it will work for his mate as well,” Maya replied.

We didn’t question her further, and all conversations ceased after that. We just let Maya take us wherever it is she was taking us. It didn’t take all that long before we pulled up to a huge building. It didn’t look like a corporate building, which made me even more curious about it. We left the car and headed inside.

You can imagine how surprised I was when we entered to find that this was a gym sort of place, or at least there was a gym there too. Maya told us that it was a training facility. By the looks on Valentine and Alexa’s faces, it was safe to say that they knew nothing about this place.

There were different stations around the place. There were stations where people were fighting. There were stations where people were training with weapons. There were stations where people were working out. It was fascinating to watch them as Maya led us wherever she was taking us. We reached a door that revealed stairs going down somewhere. She went down them and we had no choice but to follow her.

As we got closer to the bottom stair, we could hear gunshots. A part of me was terrified until the room came into view. It was a shooting range. There were ten shooting booths and, at that moment, only three of them were being used.

There were two guys looking over the shooting, while an old man sat at the desk in the corner. When he saw us approach him, he was a little confused, until his eyes landed on Maya - then he beamed.

“Maya! By the gods, I’m seeing things!” he chuckled as he stood up.

“You’re not seeing things, old man. I really am here,” Maya giggled, hugging him.

“It’s been a while little one,” he commented.

“I know, I know!” Maya smiled.

The old man frowned. “Where’s Mateo? You never come here without him.”

“You’ll be shocked to know that this time, he isn’t the one who needs this. Instead, your Luna is the one who needs to let it all out,” Maya informed. The old man’s gaze moved to me and I could see the humility in his eyes.

“Nikolas at your service, Luna,” he said as he smiled.

I returned the smile. “It’s lovely to meet you Nikolas.”

“Alright! Pick a station and I’ll come and get you set up,” he told me. I nodded and went to pick the furthest station, even though I was clueless as to why I was doing this. Maya then lectured me.

“I’ve been a Luna for a few months, and if there’s one thing I’ve learnt, it’s that your pack members would do anything for you as their Luna. You’re actually a priority to them. With your pack, it’s even more special because your pack is linked to you directly. Right now, they must be going insane feeling all their Luna’s moods. I could see it in their eyes at the mall. They want you to be happy, and they want to kill whoever made their Luna upset,” she started off. She had followed me to the station and I was confused by where she was heading with this.

“I know that recent events have upset you, but you have to fight them, June. Only you are in charge of your destiny. If you choose to let this depress you, then you’re letting it win. Be the Luna that this pack deserves. You broke a three hundred year old curse, woman! You are a powerful witch and you’ve managed to warm the heart of probably the most cold hearted Alpha in the world. You did that June, and you did it on your own. Your people are counting on you. Do you think that they would be as calm as they are now if they knew the real reasons their Luna is upset? Do you think they would like to know that their Luna is upset without having even fought for them?” she asked. I slowly shook my head.

“Your mate is Mateo Santiago! I know you know that he loves his pack and would do anything for them. Let him be an inspiration to you. Show him that you can be the mate he needs. Show him that even in the face of adversity, he can count on you to be beside him, ready to take those hardships by the horns. I’ve watched you, Juniper, and you have the makings of a brilliant Luna. You just need to believe it,” she ended off passionately.

I stood there, frozen by her words. They’d told me about Maya and who she used to be, and I was sure that the Maya who just lectured me was definitely a changed person. She’s the only one who has been brave enough to tell me the truth to my face.

I was being a wimp, and I was making the pack feel all that.

They may not know the reasons I was so upset, but she was right. They didn’t deserve to feel all that I was feeling, especially if it was bringing dreariness to everyone. I needed to be strong and face this. I needed to be the leader that they can turn to. I needed to be the leader that my mate could turn to.

I needed to be a Luna!

“Thank you,” I said as I hugged her. She was surprised, but she hugged me back.

“It’s no problem! You’re my cousin in mating now,” she smiled.

“I still don’t understand why I’m here though,” I admitted.

“You’re here to relieve some of that stress. Nikolas is going to give you a loaded gun, and I want you to aim at the center of each board that comes up. You’re going to need to focus, but I know something that can help you in that regard. I want you to pretend that every center is a person who you want to get your hands on and kill for making you feel the way that you do right now. Take your anger out on them. You can shoot as many times as you’d like. The board will only move once you’ve hit the center,” she told me.

I frowned. “Will it work?”

“It’s worked many times for Mateo before, so I’m hoping that it will for you as well,” she smiled, before Nikolas came with three guns in hand. He also had goggles and earmuffs.

“Alright Luna! I hope Maya gave you a rundown of what to do,” Nikolas told me.

I nodded. “She did.”

“Good! Here are your guns. Happy shooting,” he said before they both left me alone at the station.

I’d never shot anything in my life, and I was suddenly excited. I put on the goggles and the earmuffs before grabbing a gun. I’ve heard that guns can be heavy, but I guess this one wasn’t because of my werewolf strength.

I was ready to shoot after I’d got into the stance that I’d seen on TV. I took a test shot and was surprised when I was jerked back a little. The even more shocking part was the fact that I’d enjoyed it.

The adrenaline was at a high in my body as I started shooting. It was thrilling, and I focused on my enemies as Maya had said.

A shot for my father.

A shot for my mother.

A shot for Royce.

A shot for the rogues that killed Rose’s parents.

A shot for Francisco.

A shot for Harland.

A shot for Desiree.

A shot for Naomi.

A shot for Odessa.

Although my enemies aren’t all that much, it was exhilarating to have shot a bullet for each of them. I could feel the anger and fear in my body die out to be replaced by a new determination.

I would find a way to defeat every single one of them, save for Francisco. In his place, I would fight to break the curse he had put on this family by pissing off Odessa. I would defeat my parents and Mark would take up his rightful place. I would defeat Royce and send him to the depths of hell.

I would defeat Naomi by not giving her the pleasure of watching me be a horrible mate to Mateo. I would be the best damn mate out there. I would defeat Harland and Desiree by dealing with them like a Luna should. I would avenge Rose by finding out who killed her parents and dealing with them.

But, above all, I would enjoy taking down Odessa.

The woman is an evil bitch that needs to be taken down, and I would dedicate the rest of my life, if needs be, to ending her. She’s caused my family, my friends and I enough grief, and it’s about time her reign came to an end.

I COULD DO THIS!

“How do you feel?” Maya asked me once I’d stepped out of the booth.

I smirked. “Like a determined Luna!”

“We can feel it,” Valentine smiled.

Alexa laughed. “Damn! You were on fire!”

“I felt like it too. I’m ready to take on anything and anyone now,” I said determinedly.

“Now this is a Luna!” Maya said in pride. I hugged her again.

“Thanks for this, Maya,” I said gratefully.

“Again, it’s nothing. It’s the least I could do for my home pack,” she smiled.

“Well, I guess you’re okay to go shopping now?” Anastasia asked me.

“Definitely,” I nodded before my link was nudged.

“Baby doll, are you okay? I’ve just felt a rush of different emotions from you,” Mateo asked me. I knew that he’d felt ALL of my emotions, unlike the pack members.

“I’m better than okay babe! I’m on top of the world,” I replied.

“Shooting? Prep speech from Maya?” he asked amusedly.

“How’d you know?” I giggled.

“I guess it’s one of the qualities that make her a great Luna. The moment you told me she was taking you there, I knew she was about to give you a wakeup call. She used to do that for me all the time. I owe some of my awesome Alpha skills to her. She talked me out of the darkest days of my life before she changed for that while,” he informed me.

“Well, I’m definitely awake now,” I said.

“Good! Are you headed back to the mall now?” he asked as we left the building.

“Yep! What are you up to?” I asked.

“Stuff! I’m with Domitius, Jacob, Mark, Boris and Balthazar right now. We’re trying to piece together everything about these attacks,” he replied.

“I thought Jay said that they weren’t connected,” I said in confusion.

“That may be the case, but there’s a pattern that the attackers perhaps didn’t realize that they’d left,” he explained.

“Or, someone is actually leaving us clues,” I pointed out.

“That’s one way to look at it. We haven’t actually considered that, now that you mention it,” he responded. I could picture him biting his lip.

“I think that once we figure out who’s behind the attacks, then we can be able to try and figure out who exactly is leaving us the clues, if that’s the case,” I suggested.

“Well, Balthazar says you’re almost ready to cast the spell over the dead witches to lift the covens. Also, you’re almost ready to cast the diversion spell at the inauguration. The inauguration is next week on Tuesday, so you’re going to be spending tomorrow and Saturday with Balthazar and Boris so you can perfect the spells. On Sunday, you’ll cast the spell over the witch covens. On Monday you’ll rest and then we leave for Litmus on Tuesday morning,” he informed me.

I sighed. “Well, it sounds like everything has been planned out.”

“Don’t worry, baby doll. I’m here for you the whole way,” he said lovingly.

“I know you are, babe. I’ll see you when I come back,” I told him as we reached the mall.

“Don’t dent my account,” he chuckled.

“I’m not making any promises,” I giggled.

“I love you, Juniper,” he said happily.

“I love you too, Alpha Santiago,” I said before shutting him out.

“Is everything okay?” Valentine asked me.

“I think it will be. I’ve got witch training tomorrow and Saturday and then I cast the spell on the witches on Sunday,” I informed.

Anastasia side-hugged me. “You can do this, June.”

“I hope!” I smiled. I realized that she was probably counting on me as well since the first coven that was attacked was hers.

“Well, let’s get our nails and hair done, then we can do some shopping,” Valentine said excitedly.

I quickly learnt that Maya is like me in many ways. While we both don’t mind shopping, we’d rather do something else with our lives. Valentine, Alexa and Anastasia are shopping freaks, while we tag along for the sake of peace. The one thing we both don’t mind is being pampered, so we didn’t mind the trip to the salon.

The trip was over too quickly. I’d just got myself a manicure, but the biggest change came from my hair. I decided to cut it. It was now shoulder length with a million curls. I don’t know what made me cut it, but I just felt like I wanted something to change.

I guess my hair suffered the fate.

“I didn’t think you were serious,” Alexa commented as we walked out of the salon.

“Does it look bad though?” I asked.

“No actually! It suits you better than most,” Maya complimented.

I beamed. “Really?”

“Really,” they agreed.

We moved off to do some shopping. We weren’t actually shopping for anything specific. We were just randomly buying stuff and it was loads of fun. We came across this one shop where we spotted a gorgeous dress. The dress was calling out to me as I approached it.

“That dress would look perfect on you, June,” Anastasia squealed.

“I was just thinking the same thing,” I whispered, as I trailed my finger along the silky material.

“That dress is for people who could actually pull it off, not little insignificant people,” a new voice joined us. I wasn’t surprised to find Naomi there.

Alexa frowned at her. “And you would know how?”

“It was made for people like me,” Naomi replied like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Is that right? Then this is the wrong shop for you, dear. They don’t sell playgirl clothes here,” Valentine patronized.

“You bitch!” Naomi spat.

Valentine shrugged indifferently. “Takes one to know one.”

“You’ve got other people fighting your battles? I should’ve known you wouldn’t have the backbone to stand up for yourself. I don’t even know why our Alpha gives you the time of day,” Naomi said to me, quite proud of herself for that statement.

“Your hair is on fire,” I told her, not looking her way. My voice was a little different, and not noticeable if you don’t know me all that well.

She shrieked when she realized that my words were true. The girls were killing themselves with laughter since there was nothing she could do to put it out. I was controlling it and I made sure that it burned down until it was almost gone. By the time I put it out, she was left with bald patches and charred hair.

“You’re so evil, Marissa,” I giggled.

Marissa scoffed. “It was a long time coming.”

“Don’t you think you’ve damaged her scalp? I don’t think all that was hair,” Star laughed.

“She insulted you and you still care about what melted on her head?” Marissa asked in disbelief.

“Touché,” both Star and I agreed before I turned to a disbelieving Naomi.

It was my turn to smirk. “You were saying?”

“YOU BITCH! I’M GOING TO TELL THE ALPHA ON YOU!” she screamed.

“Well, good luck with that,” I said before turning back to the dress. I took it and went to try it on while she huffed and stormed off.

“Does she know that you’re actually her Luna now? I don’t think she’s up to date,” Anastasia said breathlessly. They were still laughing.

“Not that I care,” I replied from inside the changing room.

“Damn June! I wouldn’t want to be anyone who messes with you. I can’t believe you burnt all her hair off,” Alexa said in-between laughs.

“I can’t stand her. She doesn’t know her place, and it was about time I put her there,” I responded.

Valentine laughed. “Well, you certainly put her there alright.”

“So, what do you guys think?” I asked as I stepped out of the changing room. They immediately stopped laughing.

“Oh my Goddess, June! You look amazing,” Valentine said in awe.

I bit my lip nervously. “Really?”

“Absolutely! My brother won’t know what hit him when he sees you,” she beamed. There was a gleam of something else in her eyes.

“Here, put these on,” Alexa instructed as she handed me a pair of shoes that I’d bought in another store. They went perfectly with the dress.

“Ooh, and these!” Anastasia said, handing me a diamond set with a necklace, bracelet and earrings. I put everything on as instructed.

“Wow,” they said once I was done. Even the ladies in the store had stopped what they were doing just to look at me.

“You look beautiful Luna,” one of them said my way.

I blushed. “Thank you.”

“Now you just need a little bit of this,” Maya said before spraying perfume on me. I was taken aback.

I coughed. “What’s going on?”

“You’re good to go,” Alexa replied as she snapped the label off of the dress.

I frowned as I was pushed out of the store. “What the hell?”

“Ask no questions, hear no lies,” Anastasia said as they pulled me along.

I didn’t have time to argue before we made it outside. My breathing caught when I was faced by my sexy mate in a tux, leaning on his car. He hadn’t noticed us yet, and I took the time to devour him with my eyes.

He looked absolutely delectable.

He was smiling at the pack members around and he looked immaculate. The tux molded itself around him perfectly, accentuating his delicious muscles. His usually messy hair was styled sexily, which gave him a formal look, but didn’t take away from what makes him Mateo. He looked too handsome for words, and my lascivious self was already undressing him.

When he finally looked up, our eyes locked and glazed over with lust.

***

Mateo had just walked into his office to check on the last details of his date with June. He was nervous about how the evening would turn out, but he had high hopes for it nonetheless. He was fixing his cufflinks when his door was swung with so much power, it banged into the wall.

What faced him next, he had absolutely no words for.

“Alpha, look at what that stupid rogue did to me,” Naomi whined. While the woman strives to look appealing, he was now facing a person with bald patches and charred hair.

Some of it didn’t even look like hair.

“Alpha, we heard a bang. What hap…WHOA!” Max said as he, Sam, Trey, Orion, Dante, Mark and Jacob walked in. They all snickered before composing themselves.

“Who’s this lovely lady?” Dante asked. The guys struggled to not burst out laughing.

“Naomi, what the hell happened to you?” Orion asked. None of them were aware of their Alpha’s reddened and teary face as he fought to keep from laughing.

“That stupid bitch had something to do with this! I just know it!” Naomi whinged.

Trey frowned. “Who are you talking about?”

“That stupid rogue! Who else?” Naomi snapped.

“Rogue? Does she not know that June is her Luna?” Zeus asked Mateo in confusion. The Alpha was still too preoccupied with trying not to laugh, to answer.

Max raised an eyebrow at her. “We have no rogues on our territory.”

“We do! That short thing with no sense of fashion who was leeching on our Alpha,” she explained.

Jacob frowned. “You mean your Luna?”

She scoffed. “We have no Luna.”

“Where have you been? We’ve had a Luna for almost a week now,” Max informed her.

“Impossible! The curse...” she trailed off as she paled.

“Has been broken,” Orion finished off for her.

“Mateo, breathe dude,” Mark chuckled before Mateo’s laughter traveled through the house. He laughed so much that they all couldn’t help but admire his carefree state.

“What on earth is this?” Sam asked as he reached out to touch the hair on Naomi’s scalp. This only made Mateo laugh even more.

“It’s plastic, you idiot! It’s stuck to my scalp because of that twerp! Do you have any idea how sore it’s going to be to remove it?” she said with teary eyes. Mateo wasn’t breathing once more from how hard he was laughing.

“Why do you have plastic in your hair?” the guys asked her as Mateo wheezed.

“Please stop,” Mateo barely managed to say. He hadn’t laughed that much in as long as he could remember, and he was grateful to his mate for the brief entertainment.

“Mateo, something isn’t right about this girl. She’s either in serious denial, or she’s a traitor to the pack,” Zeus commented.

“What do you reckon I do?” Mateo asked.

“Keep an eye on her movements in and out of the pack. You know she likes to visit the humans. Have her followed,” Zeus replied before their attention was brought back to the woman.

“Alpha, I demand that this rogue be banished from our lands, or better yet, set her on fire!” Naomi said with wild, twitching eyes.

“Oh Naomi, I should’ve realized long ago just how much of a valuable pack member you are. You’ve brought me that best entertainment I’ve seen in a while, although I guess my mate is to thank for whatever happened to you. What I’d give to know what made her retaliate the way that she did,” Mateo sighed, wiping away his tears.

“Mate?” Naomi asked. They all watched as Mateo’s amused demeanor disappeared within seconds.

“Yes Naomi, that stupid bitch is my fated mate and your Luna, so no, I shall not be banishing her, or burning her for that matter. If I were you, I would be wise with my words next time. I may be amused now, but next time, I will not hesitate to rip your throat out there and then,” the chilled threat hit everyone in the room.

“But Alpha, look what she did to me,” she continued to whine.

“You probably deserved it,” Max commented. He knew that his best friend wouldn’t just retaliate without being provoked.

“Not that this hasn’t been lovely, but I have somewhere to be, so I’ll see you guys whenever,” Mateo said, grabbing his stuff.

“Bring my little sister back happy, Santiago,” Mark smirked as they all ignored the woman in the room.

“That I can definitely promise you, bud,” Mateo said before heading out.

He headed to his sedan, wondering how quickly Naomi had taken to actually get to him. From how harshly she opened the door, he could only guess that she’d run the whole way from the mall. He couldn’t stop smiling as he thought about what Juniper had done.

His mate was truly one of a kind.

He raced over to the mall, with his pack members acknowledging their Alpha’s vehicle. It was very rare for him to actually use it. He made it to the mall in minutes and he parked outside while waiting for his sister’s signal. He looked around and greeted his pack members before linking his sister.

“Val? What’s the story?” he asked.

“She’s almost done! Hold on,” she replied.

He wasn’t even paying attention to the fact that his mate had already come out of the building, until he watched as his pack members were enamored by the sight of their Luna. When he turned her way, his own breathing caught at the vision before him. He didn’t miss the pure lust in her eyes, and he was sure that he looked the same.

She was flawless in a white and emerald ballerina type of dress. It brought out her eyes, and he was surprised, yet pleased by her hair change. It suited her, especially with her height. The heels she had on had his mind running in different directions, making her legs look like they ran for miles. Her face was without makeup, and yet she had never looked any more beautiful.

“Our mates are absolutely perfect!” Zeus surprised him by saying.

“You’re telling me! We’re blessed to have them,” Mateo replied.

“True! Now go over there and show them how much we love them,” Zeus arrogantly growled.

“For once, I’m in agreement with you,” Mateo chuckled before shutting the beast out. He chuckled inwardly when he heard the faint growl from his beast.

He grabbed the roses from his car, well aware of the attention on them from their pack members. They were all eager to watch the romance between their Alphas. His own heart was thundering against his ribcage, but seeing his mate’s beautiful smile as he approached her calmed him considerably.

He smiled once he’d reached her. “You look stunning.”

She blushed. “You don’t look too bad yourself.”

“These are for you,” he said, handing over the bouquet with her favorite pink roses.

“Why thank you, Alpha Santiago,” she said as she blushed deeper, receiving the flowers.

“If you would do me the honor of following me, we shall be on our way to our first date,” he said.

“I would be honored,” she agreed, putting her hand in his.

“Enjoy your date!” the girls waved them off before the rest of the pack members around cheered as Mateo led his mate into the passenger seat of the car.

“I can’t believe you set me up!” June said, her cheeks flushed as they drove off.

“I figured that we not only need the time together, but you need something to take your mind off of everything that has happened. You’re my mate and I know that everything is scaring you right now. I’m here for you June. I’ve faced the scariest things myself, and I wasn’t ready to face them either, so you’re lucky to not only have me, but the entire pack behind you. They would all die for you in a heartbeat,” he told her fervently.

“I don’t want anyone to have to die Mateo, that’s the thing. If I fail, then I stand to lose pack members and that is the last thing I want. I don’t deserve their loyalty,” she whispered the last part.

“Hey, you’ve done more for this pack than they could’ve ever thought possible. You saved them from rogues, and greatest of all, you gave them a Luna when they were sure that they would never be able to have one. We don’t know if the spell is broken or not, but you have definitely given them hope that perhaps it is,” he coaxed.

She bit her lip. “You reckon?”

“June, you’re amazing and you’re a blessing to this pack. Everyone loves you, and not just because you’re their Luna. You’re an easily loveable person because of your personality,” he smiled, to which she blushed.

“I’m terrified babe, especially about what Marissa has to do. I have no doubt that she can do it, but I feel like I’m going to fail her and Star, and I know that I can’t afford to,” she said lowly.

“Baby doll, you lasted eighteen years of your life on a territory you weren’t even wanted on. You are a fighter, and this is just nerves getting to you. They’re perfectly normal and I would actually be concerned if you were calm about this. No one blames you for being afraid, especially since it all comes down to you and your faith in yourself,” he pointed out.

“I did it for you,” she whispered.

He frowned. “What?”

“In Monte Carlo, I accepted both Marissa and Star because I want to help you figure out everything and defeat Odessa. We hadn’t even recognized each other as fated mates then, yet I already wanted to go to the ends of the world for you,” she offered a shy smile.

He brought her hand up to his lips to lay a chaste kiss on it. “I was already a goner before you left for Monte Carlo.”

“When did you really know that you wanted to be with me?” she asked curiously.

“That would have to be when you shifted. I have never seen a more magnificent sight,” he smiled.

“Really?” she blushed for what seemed like the millionth time since they’d been together.

“Really, baby doll! You’re truly a glorious sight in your wolf and your witch form,” he said lovingly.

“My witch form?” she asked in confusion.

“Yeah! When Marissa comes out, like when you were taking down the rogues, your hair color changed to black,” he informed her.

“I didn’t know that. Does that mean I become sort of a shape shifter when it comes to Marissa?” she asked.

“I guess that’s a way of putting it,” he said as he nodded. She looked to be deep in thought for a while before an idea hit her.

“How about you take Marissa to Litmus? Marissa is like my twin, but there are similarities between us. She’s got that cute beauty spot on her cheek and her voice is different from mine. She can hide her aura as well, so she wouldn’t be exposed to Odessa if the witch is there. Also, you get to mess with Royce because you’ll have a carbon copy of the one person he needs, without him knowing that it’s actually me,” she suggested. Mateo thought about her suggestion before responding.

“Are you sure that going in as Marissa will go unnoticed by Odessa? I don’t want you to risk anything when you could just go in as June,” he stated worriedly.

“Since I’m a third werewolf, Star and Marissa say that I can actually look like Marissa, while having Star’s scent. These two are evil geniuses honestly, and I trust them,” she smiled.

“They’re evil geniuses alright! Whose brilliant idea was it to set Naomi’s hair on fire?” he asked amusedly.

“That would be me,” Marissa shot through.

“Well, that was genius! I’ve never laughed that hard before. I couldn’t even hold it in when she barged into my office,” he chuckled.

June frowned. “Wait, so she actually came to see you?”

“Uh-huh! She demanded that you be banished from the pack or that you be burned alive. She was still referring to you as a rogue, and she seemed to be in denial about you being the Luna of the pack. She paled when the guys actually made her aware that the pack has a Luna,” he explained.

“That’s very strange babe. This is either a strong case of denial, or she may not be who we think that she is,” she said worriedly.

“See?” Zeus linked him.

“Zeus said the same thing earlier. I think we should keep tabs on her,” Mateo told his mate.

Zeus scoffed. “Because you totally thought of that by your dipshit self.”

“Shut up!” Mateo growled.

June nodded. “I agree with Zeus.”

“You agree with Zeus?” Mateo asked in confusion.

“Babe, you know I love you, but you wouldn’t have been able to think of that idea. Hell, I’m sure if Zeus didn’t point out that there might be something dodgy about Naomi, you would’ve pegged it down to her just being whorishly childish,” she teased.

Zeus chuckled. “Our mate is smart.”

“Way to feed his ego while making me look like an ignorant idiot, baby doll,” Mateo grumbled.

“I don’t love you any less, but it’s like you’re blind to the manipulations of the female population, especially Naomi. Had I not tumbled onto your territory, I don’t even want to know how far she would’ve got with you,” she said dramatically.

He shrugged. “Probably nowhere.”

“Babe, you’re an Alpha. You were going to need to unwind somewhere, and she was more than willing from what we all saw,” she pointed out.

“I still wouldn’t have given in. I was born an Alpha heir, and yet my sexual urges only kicked in when I met you,” he smirked. She blushed a beautiful crimson tinge.

“You’re just saying that,” she mumbled.

“No baby doll, I mean it. You can ask Orion if you want to, although I would be curious to know how you’re going to start off that interesting conversation,” he teased.

“Shut up!” she said as she smacked his arm, her blush deepening once more.

“You look so breath-taking when you blush,” he complimented.

“You’re just enjoying seeing me like this,” she complained.

“Of course! It brings me joy,” he said unashamedly.

“My discomfort brings you joy? You twisted fucker,” she joked.

He was shocked by her use of language towards him.

“Did you just call me a fucker?” he asked wide-eyed.

“I don’t know! Did I?” she cheekily remarked.

“I will show you just how much of a fucker I am,” he smirked, adding a husky undertone to his voice.

He was rewarded, not only once, but five times as her breathing hitched, her heart rate took off, her eyes glazed over, goosebumps graced her skin and her arousal hit him like a tsunami wave.

“How can you do that to me?” she whined.

“You asked for it,” he said as he shrugged, struggling to remain ‘unaffected’. He decided that he would punish her for her statement.

“I didn’t ask for it,” she pouted.

He smirked. “That’s not going to work on me baby doll.”

“Where are we going anyway?” she huffed, realizing that she hadn’t actually bothered to pay attention or ask.

“We’ve been on the road for thirty minutes and only now you ask?” he chuckled.

She sighed. “What can I say? I’ve got a lot going on.”

“Well, I’m not telling you where we’re going, not that you would even know,” he smiled.

She frowned. “What do you mean?”

“You haven’t been outside, remember?” he reminded.

“You mean that we’re going outside our territory?” she asked in excitement.

“Well, now that you’re making me ruin the surprise, yes we are. The packs around ours, save for Litmus, have a peace treaty with us and I may have convinced our neighbors down at the beach to let us come through,” he informed.

“Really?” she squealed.

“Yes, really,” he chuckled. She reached over and placed a kiss on his cheek.

“I have the best mate in the world!” she declared.

“Let’s always remember that, even when he messes up,” he joked.

“It’s a part of life to mess up. It’s all about how you make it up to me,” she said, wiggling her eyebrows.

“Or how you make it up to me,” he challenged.

“Oh please! I would never do anything wrong,” she smiled innocently.

“Uh huh! Sure,” he said amusedly.

She mock gasped. “You don’t believe me?”

“Not by a long shot, baby doll! Even Santa Claus is more realistic than that lie you just told,” he teased.

She scrunched her nose. “You truly are a little fucker.”

He slowly smirked. “Just a little?”

“You dirty minded freak!” she giggled when she realized his connotation.

“I may be dirty minded, but let’s not pass on the freakiness now. We both know very well who’s the freakiest of us both,” he said smugly.

“I CAN’T BELIEVE WE’RE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION!” she screamed in a fit of giggles, making him laugh as well.

“Let it go down on the records that you started it,” he chuckled.

“No I didn’t,” she argued.

“Yes you did,” he shot back.

“No I didn’t!”

“Yes you did!”

“No I didn’t!”

“Yes you did!”

“No I didn’t!”

“No you didn’t!”

“Yes I did!”

He grinned. “Glad you agree.”

“Wait what? What just happened? Argh!” she screamed in frustration as he laughed away.

“That was so evil,” she mumbled.

“It was smart,” he corrected.

She rolled her eyes. “Sure, let’s go with that.”

“Juniper Evigan, are you admitting to being a sore loser?” he asked dramatically.

“No!” she sulked.

“This is priceless!” he chuckled.

“Shut up Mateo, or else you’ll go on this date by yourself,” she threatened.

He shrugged. “That’s good with me. I’ll just leave you in this deserted place and you’ll find your way home.”

She gasped. “You wouldn’t even care?”

“You can teleport yourself home June. You wouldn’t be lost,” he reminded.

“Then maybe I should leave you alone,” she huffed before disappearing.

“How long do you give her?” Mateo chuckled, asking his beast.

“Ten minutes tops,” Zeus joined in laughing.

He turned on the radio and continued to drive to Chase’s territory. Chase’s territory was based near the beach, and Mateo owned a boat that his friend and ally allowed him to keep there.

When he told him that he’d found his true fated mate, and that the curse was possibly broken, Chase couldn’t believe it. He was sure it was all a joke, but he did note that his friend was definitely calmer and happier. He was more than happy to help with getting the boat set up for their date.

Seven minutes later, June teleported herself back into the car, and instead chose to ignore her mate. He was amused by the whole situation, but he was thankful to her for bringing out his playful side. He truly felt like himself around her, and he finally understood what was meant when they said that your mate brings out the best in you.

After thirty minutes of silent driving, she reached out to hold his hand, but the silence was maintained. She drew circles on the back of his palm and he found it relaxing. Thirty more minutes, and they’d made it onto Crescent Pack territory.

Mateo drove on the familiar road to the pack house, where, as expected, Chase was already waiting for their arrival. He parked the car before going around to help his mate out. They then both approached the young Alpha.

“Don’t you both look sizzling,” Chase complimented.

“Thank you bud. Chase, I’d like you to meet my beautiful mate, Juniper Evigan. Baby doll, I’d like you to meet my friend and ally, Alpha Chase Garrix. He’s the Alpha of the Crescent Pack,” Mateo introduced his mate lovingly. Chase’s eyes were wide as soon as he heard her name, especially since she had Mateo’s mark on her.

“It’s lovely to meet you Chase,” June smiled.

“I can’t lie and say I’m not shocked to meet you Juniper. I’ve heard a lot about you, and it’s an honor to actually meet you in person,” Chase replied in awe.

“Most of what you’ve heard about me probably isn’t true, but I’m glad you feel honored to have met me,” she admitted.

Chase frowned. “Mateo, I thought Royce was looking for her. Hell, weren’t you the one who told the other Alphas to look for her? Have you had her the entire time?”

“It’s a long story. I didn’t know she was Juniper until she had her first shift. She was a rogue on my land and she told me her name was Caroline at the time. It’s a really long story for another time,” Mateo chuckled. Chase’s eyes widened once more.

“Well, I shall be waiting for that other time. For now, all I can say is that it’s good to know that the great Alpha actually knows how to laugh and smile. This is momentous,” Chase taunted.

“They said it was impossible, but I proved them all wrong. I got him to laugh, smile and break a curse,” June giggled.

“You are truly something, Juniper, and those who actually care about this bloke are thankful to you for bringing him out of his funk. It’s definitely refreshing to see him this happy,” Chase smiled.

“He deserves it more than anyone I know,” she smiled devotedly at her mate. Chase felt a pang of jealously, having not found his own mate yet.

“Well, let me not keep you from your memorable night. Your mate knows where to go. Enjoy your time, and be sure to say farewell when you leave,” Chase winked.

“We shall,” June said before Mateo led her back to the car.

This time, they maintained a bit of small talk as they headed towards the docks. When she saw the boat, she couldn’t believe it. He led her out of the car before grabbing their bags from the trunk. She didn’t even know that they were staying overnight.

They approached the biggest boat, and tears came to her eyes when she noticed that the boat was named after her. What she didn’t know was that Mateo had owned the boat for three years and it had been nameless until he fell in love with her.

He helped her on board before she took in everything around her. On the deck of the boat was a set table. Everywhere were twinkling lights that made the whole scenery look like one out of a fairytale.

She felt like she was dreaming, and right when she thought it couldn’t get any more perfect, she turned to find him on his knee. The bags were nowhere in sight; not that she cared as she eyed the emerald stone in his shaking hand.

“I actually can’t believe how nervous I am,” he chuckled a little, making her let out a giggle through her tears.

“I’m probably going to be horrible at this, but one thing I’m sure of is that you’re expecting me not to be perfect at it either. Juniper Lee-Ann Evigan, you stumbled onto my territory after being chased away by people who didn’t even know or appreciate your value. What I never fathomed was that you would stumble into my heart as well. When I first lay eyes on you at the hospital, Zeus staked claim on you, which I didn’t understand, but I was definitely already attracted to you. Around the world, many people have their own versions of stories regarding the great Alpha Mateo, and majority of them couldn’t be more wrong about me. When you left me, I felt like my world had ended, until Val made me realize that you and I have a lot in common. We both had shit parents, and we both have stories about us that are mostly based on what people think they know about us. Yet, as I kneel here, I am confident that there is only one person whose view and story matters of me, and that’s you. I don’t care about what anyone else has to think or say about me. As long as I have you in my life, that’s all I need. You came into my life when I was sure that I was going to die alone and would never know what it feels like to give someone else love I never knew I possessed. I was bred to be the best at everything since I was a small boy, and so everything has come easily, but our relationship is something I know I have to work at. I know that I can’t treat it as a conquest because it’s a journey and an adventure. I want to be the best mate, husband and father to our children when we have them. I want you Juniper Lee-Ann Evigan. I want you to be my mate, my love, my wife and the mother of my children. You are my light and the heavens know that I love you more than I love myself. I value you more than I value my own life. So, with that said, would you please do me the honor of being my wife; the second step to our forever?” he poured his heart out.