Chapter 5

LARSON

I clasped my fist as I thought about Jillian. Sick. Again. All because of Mariel. My wolf, Billy, growled in my mind.

See what your mate has done? You didn't even like Mariel before, why are you still dating her, Larson. She's sexy, pretty, good in bed... but spoiled, a brat, and a bully. She's not worthy of being Luna.

I exhaled slowly, trying to calm the rage boiling inside me. I knew Billy was right, "Excuse me, father," I muttered, my voice tight, keeping my anger under control. King Carlton looked at me with that calm, imposing presence. I left the office, storming down the hallway.

Mariel's dorm door was open. I could hear her laughing, chatting with her friends like nothing had happened. My hands curled into fists. She looked up at me and immediately smiled, throwing her arms around me.

"Larson! Are you excited for tomorrow night? It's Mating night!" she cooed, pressing against me. "The Moon Goddess will bless us to marry. Can you feel it?"

I nodded slowly, forcing a polite smile, but my gaze sharpened. "Mariel... please stop targeting Jillian," I said, my voice low but firm.

Her smile faltered, and her brow furrowed. "Excuse me?"

"I said... stop hurting her. She's done nothing to you."

Her eyes narrowed. "Okay," she said, but I knew she was lying. The malice simmered just below the surface, and I could smell it. I let out a slow sigh and left, refusing to argue further.

I returned to my father's office, hoping for some calm. But when I opened the door, I froze.

My heart skipped. Jillian was standing there, hand in hand with my father. Her eyes sparkled as she looked up at him. "Thank you, sir." she whispered softly. My wolf growled low in my chest, both confused and furious.

Billy laughed in my head. Oh, this is rich. Seems your father's interested in her, Larson. Ready for a new mother, huh?

I shot him a mental glare. Shut up, Billy.

Jillian let go of my father's hand and started to leave, but I called out. "I'll walk you home," I said, stepping forward.

King Carlton's deep voice stopped me. "No, I'll drive her. She needs rest after being sick."

I clenched my jaw. "I want to go too," I said firmly, my wolf prowling inside me, restless and anxious.

The King gave a slow nod. "Very well. All three of us, then."

We walked out to the car. Jillian seated herself in the middle, between my father and me. She looked up at us, shy and delicate, and murmured, "Thank you... I'm feeling better now."

Her smile was faint but warm, and something inside me twisted painfully. My wolf growled, alert, as my pulse sped. She looked at me—truly looked—and I felt a strange, magnetic pull I couldn't explain.

I glanced at my father. His gaze was soft, filled with something I had never seen directed at anyone else. Desire? Admiration? Protectiveness? My stomach churned.

The ride was quiet but heavy with tension. Jillian fidgeted slightly between us, oblivious to the storm she had ignited in both our hearts.

Night fell, and the time arrived. Mating Night.

I stood next to my father on the grand stage, the pack gathered before us in their ceremonial garb. The air shimmered with anticipation. Every wolf, every pack member, could feel the tension, the expectation.

I caught sight of Mariel trying to move next to me, her chest puffed out, but I stopped her with a sharp glance.

"Sit, don't make a scene!" I said, my voice low but commanding. She hesitated, shocked, and finally obeyed, sitting down angrily.

The Moon Goddess appeared, a glowing, ethereal presence that made my breath catch. She spoke to the crowd, her voice like a river of silver. "Tonight, you will feel the call of your true mate. Be ready to see who is meant for you."

A brilliant light washed over the stage. Every wolf stiffened, sensing the surge of energy, the invisible thread of fate tugging at hearts and blood.

I inhaled sharply, and my senses screamed. The scent was overwhelming—warm, intoxicating, familiar, and impossible.

I pushed through the crowd mentally, ignoring the confusion of other wolves, searching... and found it. Jillian.

Not Mariel. Not my father's gaze, not anyone else. Jillian. She was standing, trembling slightly, and... in the arms of my father.

Billy howled in disbelief inside my mind. What the hell?! Larson... your father... both claiming the same mate?

I staggered back slightly, my chest tight, my wolf snarling in alarm. I couldn't process it. My father—King Carlton—was holding Jillian like she belonged to him, and my instincts screamed violently. Possessive. Protective. Furious.

I couldn't move. I couldn't speak. My heart pounded as my eyes locked on Jillian, on the golden glow surrounding my father's arms. And yet... the pull inside me did not waver. My wolf roared, clawing at my chest.

I had never felt this before. Never. My father, my mentor, my king—he had never let another woman ignite this fire in him, not since Luna Bianca. And now... Jillian.

My mind reeled. Desire. Rage. Confusion. Possession. All tangled together in an impossible knot.

I could smell her fear, her shyness, and it only made my wolf hunger more. And yet, my heart ached because I couldn't reach her—not fully, not now, not without defying my father in front of the entire pack.

Billy's laughter echoed in my mind again. Well, Larson, looks like your world just got a whole lot more complicated. Father versus son, both claiming the same she-wolf. Are you ready to fight for her?

I clenched my fists so hard my nails dug into my palms. Yes.

But the light, the power of the Moon Goddess, surged stronger. Jillian's golden thread glowed brightly, stretching toward both my father and me. My wolf howled inside me, desperate, furious, and wild.

I could feel the tension radiating off her, the uncertainty, the pull. And my heart—my damn heart—burned with need, protectiveness, and something more dangerous.

I took a step forward, but my father's hand tightened around Jillian's. His presence was dominating, powerful, unyielding. He was her protector, her claim, and yet... so was I.

The pack watched in awe and fear. A son and father... both drawn to the same omega. Impossible. Forbidden. Dangerous.

My wolf growled low, furious. My hands shook. My chest ached. I will not lose her. I will not.

And yet, even as I prepared to act, even as desire and fury threatened to consume me, the Moon Goddess's presence remained overwhelming. Her power, her judgment, her blessing—it hung over us, impossible to resist.

I glanced at Jillian again. Her shy, trembling smile, her eyes glimmering with fear and curiosity, struck me deeper than any blade. I wanted her. Needed her. And I would not—could not—look away.

But my father... my father also wanted her. And the tension, the electricity, the impossible, forbidden pull between the three of us, made the air itself tremble.

Tomorrow, everything would change.

Tonight, the mating thread had begun.

And I knew—my life, our lives, the very future of the Crescent Moon Pack—would never be the same again.