“Can Mommy go and finish her work while you be a good boy and stay with Grandpa?” I asked my son, feeling a sharp pang in my heart. Leaving the apple of my eye alone was not easy for me, but the situation demanded it.
“Alright, Mom. You go and come back quickly after finishing your work,” Austin agreed with a determined nod.
My smart, brave boy.
“I will return soon, Austin. But promise me you and Grandpa will be good, and you won’t feel sad in my absence,” I implored, concern lacing my voice.
“I won’t be sad, Mom. I’m a big boy now,” he promised, placing a tiny hand over his chest, and his sweet gesture brought a mixture of joy and sadness to my heart again at the thought of leaving him for a few days.
“Yes, my big boy. Mom loves you more than anything in this world,” I confessed, kissing his rosy cheek affectionately.
“I love you too, Mom,” he said, wrapping his tiny arms around me, hugging me tightly.
Oh, Moon Goddess, please grant me strength this time. Help me accomplish my work swiftly so I can return to my beloved son.
I silently prayed in my heart, closing my eyes as I held Austin close. The weight of my responsibilities and emotions drifted away as exhaustion claimed me, and soon, I fell asleep with my precious child nestled safely in my arms.
____________________________
*Avery*
“Zander, did you see the news? We looked amazing in those pictures,” I exclaimed to Zander, my excitement bubbling over. However, his attention remained fixed on his laptop screen, seemingly uninterested.
I set his laptop aside and positioned myself on his lap, attempting to capture his focus.
“What’s going on, Avery? Can’t you see I was engrossed in important work?” he snapped with a scowl.
But, I even found him hot when he was angry. Truth be told, I loved every aspect of him. Yes, I was head over heels in love with my best friend.
“You’re leaving for a week, and you’re still glued to your dull laptop?!” I complained, pouting and sensually batting my eyelashes.
“Spend some quality time with me,” I leaned in closer as I whispered seductively.
“Have you lost your mind, Avery?” Zander barked, his expression suddenly annoyed. “Remember the agreement between us,” he continued sharply. “I’m not interested in getting intimate until after the wedding,” he reminded me in a cold, icy tone.
I let out a sigh of exasperation. Zander’s self-control was truly remarkable. No matter how hard I tried to seduce him, his reaction remained disappointingly unaffected.
“We’re engaged, darling,” I purred, my finger tracing a path along his lips as I closed the distance between us. However, just as our lips were about to meet, he suddenly pulled away, setting me down on the couch before standing up.
“I’m running behind schedule. I need to leave,” he stated formally as he left abruptly and briskly.
A soft chuckle escaped my lips. It was merely a matter of a few more days, and then he would be bound to me forever. I could sense the excitement in my wolf, Leah, as her growls of anticipation echoed in my mind. She shared my desires, my aspirations.
Despite having admirers who appreciated my beauty from all corners of the world, my heart longed for only one man: Zander Blake. Men were ready to kill and die for me. But I only wanted Zander. I had wanted him all my life. He had been with me since our childhood. He was my first crush, my first kiss, and my first in everything. I sighed hopelessly.
I knew he always had eyes only for me. I wanted to be the only woman in his life. Only me. So, I had never let a woman come close to him. He was mine. Our fathers were friends, and they wanted us to marry and choose each other as mates. Everything was going so perfectly, and marriage was in the cards. I was so happy and was on cloud nine. The ruthless Alpha King Zander Blake was mine until… that bitch, Selena, came between us.
I had loved him since we were children and always wanted to marry him. I even rejected my fated mate just to be with Zander, and I believed Zander also loved me as he agreed to marry me. But then, he met that ugly bitch, and all the hell broke loose after that.
I didn’t know what kind of spell she and her father had cast on Zander, that he had forgotten everything after seeing that whore. He forgot about our love, friendship, and promises and wanted to marry that wolfless filthy daughter of a useless Alpha of the world’s weakest pack.
That cunning witch took everything from me; my Zander, my love, and my position. I always dreamed of being the Luna Queen of the North. But my dream was shattered in a blink of an eye when Zander announced he was going to marry Selena in a pack’s alliance. I swallowed the lump of insult down my throat and waited for the right time to come. It was tough to manipulate Zander. But how long could he resist my beauty? After my diligent efforts, Selena was finally out of his life, and he was mine again.
I threw my head back and laughed smugly as I remembered.
That ugly bitch couldn’t hold a candle before me. She was useless in the name of a woman and Luna. She was a mistake. I made sure Zander saw that, and once he realized what a mistake he had made by marrying her, he kicked her out of his life.
Nevertheless, finally, the day had come for which I had been waiting for so long. Zander would marry me and mark me as his Luna and mate.