188

Liam’s POV
As I pulled into the driveway of the Crystal Moon Beta’s house, my thoughts drifted to the man I was about to meet. Oberon Sterling had been one of my dads’ closest friends for most of their lives. Despite belonging to different packs, he and my fathers, Caleb and Caden, had formed an unbreakable bond during their years at the same private school and college. As a future Alpha and Beta, they had naturally gravitated toward each other, their friendship strengthened by their shared responsibilities and Irish heritage.
Fortunately, our packs’ territories bordered each other, allowing them to maintain their connection over the years. While our families rarely spent time together, Oberon often visited the pack house to see my dads. As a child, I had found him intimidating-an imposing figure with a perpetually serious expression. I used to think he could crush me with one hand if he wanted to. He wasn’t a man of many words, but whenever he spoke to Logan or me, he was always kind enough.
I remembered the day I learned his wife had passed away. Both of my dads had seemed unusually quiet, weighed down by grief. When I asked what was wrong, they told me about Oberon’s loss and how devastating it was for a wolf to lose their mate. They mentioned that he had a daughter, and I couldn’t help but feel for her. The thought of losing my own mother was unbearable.
As I stepped onto the front porch of Oberon’s home, I found myself wondering what kind of man he had become after all the hardships life had thrown at him. Had he managed to find peace? Had he healed, even just a little, for the sake of himself and his daughter?
When I first heard that Alpha Blackwell’s schedule conflicted with today’s meeting, requiring his former Beta to step in, I had been disappointed. I had hoped to establish a personal connection with him. We had spoken many times over the phone and even held several video calls, but I had wanted to meet him face-to-face-to shake his hand. A man was far less likely to change his mind once you had looked him in the eye.
This alliance was just as beneficial for Crystal Moon as it was for Blood Moon, so I didn’t expect any last-minute surprises. Still, I wouldn’t be able to fully relax until the contract was signed.
Both my dads had been thrilled when they found out I’d be seeing Oberon. They had practically shoved a message into my hands, asking me to remind him that they were long overdue for a round of golf. If delaying my own meeting meant making them happy, I didn’t mind playing messenger.
I rang the doorbell and took in my surroundings as I waited. Oberon no longer lived in the pack house but in a stone cottage on the outskirts of town. It was close enough to be a short walk into town but far enough that the forest curled around the sides and back of the property. Ivy vines twisted up the stone walls, and vibrant flowers framed the walkway and porch. The entire scene had a storybook quality, too picturesque to be inspired by a man’s touch. I wondered if this was his late wife’s vision or his daughter’s doing.
Before I could dwell on it, the door swung open. I barely registered Oberon standing there because, in the same instant, I was hit by the most intoxicating scent I had ever encountered. It was warm, sweet honey mingled with the delicate fragrance of wildflowers-captivating, irresistible.
Ghost, my wolf, roared to life, clawing at my mind, desperate to take over.
“MATE!”
The word tore from my throat at the same time Ghost growled it in my head. I barely noticed that I had shoved past Oberon, instinct propelling me deeper into the house, chasing that scent.
A firm grip on the collar of my shirt yanked me back, jolting me out of my daze. I spun around, a low growl rumbling from my chest, my eyes flashing silver as my wolf prepared to attack whoever was keeping me from my mate.
Oberon didn’t flinch. His grip remained solid, his sharp gaze locked onto mine. I forced myself to wrestle Ghost into submission, grasping the last shred of sanity that reminded me it would be a terrible idea to attack my mate’s father-especially when that father happened to be my dads’ best friend.
Satisfied that I was back in control, Oberon guided me toward the nearest chair and pushed me down into it.
“Let’s take care of business first,” he said, his tone leaving no room for argument. “Then we’ll have a little chat about my daughter.”
I nodded, still too overwhelmed by her scent to form words. Oberon must have realized I was in no shape to lead the conversation because he cleared his throat and gave me a pointed look.
“I believe you have some paperwork for me-something about an alliance between our packs?” he said, his voice laced with mild amusement.
That snapped me back to reality. No matter how distracted I was, I had worked too hard on this agreement to let my focus slip now.
“Yes, sir,” I managed, pulling out the contract and handing it to him. “I apologize that Alpha Blackwell couldn’t be here, but the contract includes everything we discussed. Signing it should be just a formality at this point.”
Ghost was still pacing in my head, but I fought to keep my attention on the matter at hand.
“I’m not familiar with the details,” Oberon admitted, glancing at the papers. “But if your fathers are happy with it, I trust it’s mutually beneficial. I’m glad you and our Alpha were able to finalize this. Hadrian and I always hoped to see an alliance between our packs in our lifetime. I’m honored to step in and close the deal on something your father and I set into motion all those years ago.”
Oberon wore a small smile, his eyes distant with nostalgia. Though he remained an imposing figure-tall and broad-shouldered-the man before me was only a shadow of the one I remembered from childhood. Something had changed, a weight pressing against him that even his powerful presence couldn’t conceal. For a fleeting moment, I wondered what memories had surfaced in his mind, what ghosts of the past had called to him. But before I could dwell on it, Ghost yanked me back into the present, his voice a relentless chant in my head.
“We need to see mate. Now. Find her!
She’s ours. We have to protect her. Make sure she’s safe!”
He repeated it over and over, his growls, whimpers, and restless pacing making it almost impossible to focus. Every few minutes, he tried to push forward, demanding control, and I had to summon every ounce of willpower to force him back. My claws had already extended before I realized I was gripping the chair so tightly my knuckles had gone white. With a deep breath, I retracted them, only to glance up and find Oberon watching me intently. He didn’t look alarmed-just calculating, as though weighing whether I was about to shred the armrests of his chair.
“I can see you won’t be capable of a coherent conversation until you see her,” he remarked dryly. “And in the interest of preserving my furniture, I’ll take you to her now-but on one condition.” His tone left no room for negotiation.
“Anything!” I blurted before he could even finish. “My wolf and I just need to see her. We need to make sure she’s okay.”
Oberon’s eyes narrowed. “She’s in her father’s house. Why the hell wouldn’t she be okay? What exactly do you think could possibly be wrong with her?” His voice rose in a thunderous boom as he leaned forward, his presence pressing against me like a physical force.
“No! That’s not what I meant!” I backpedaled quickly, my heart hammering. “Please, Beta Sterling… You must remember what it felt like when you found your mate. My wolf-he’s losing his mind. He won’t stop pacing, whining. I need to see her too. I swear, once I do, I’ll calm down.”
Oberon studied me for a long moment, then exhaled, shaking his head. “I do remember,” he admitted. “It was the best damn day of my life-aside from my wedding and the day our daughter was born. That’s the only reason I’m even considering letting you near her right now.”
“I totally understand and-”
“Shut up and listen, boy!” he growled, cutting me off.
His voice carried the unmistakable weight of command. He might have been Beta, but there was Alpha blood in him-I could hear it in the sheer authority laced through every word.
“Dahlia worked all night. She just got home and needs a few hours of sleep before heading back out. I’ll take you upstairs, open her door, and let you look in. But you will not cross the threshold of her room. You will not make a sound. If you so much as whisper or step on a creaky floorboard, I’ll throw you out myself-and you won’t see her again for the rest of the day. Am I clear?”
“Yes, sir!” I answered without hesitation. I would’ve agreed to anything for just one glimpse of her.
As I followed Oberon through the house and up the stairs, Ghost was murmuring her name over and over in my head.
“Dahlia… Dahlia… So beautiful…”
I had never heard a more perfect name. And her scent-gods, her scent! The closer we got to her room, the stronger it became. Sweet honey and wildflowers. My mouth watered, and I was barely keeping myself from outright drooling. I already knew-it would forever be my favorite fragrance. But even though it was intoxicating in the hallway, nothing could have prepared me for the moment Oberon pushed her door open.
The scent struck me like a physical force, knocking the breath from my lungs. For a moment, I was drowning in it, lost in a haze of pure sensation. But then, the fog lifted, and I saw her.
A gasp escaped me.
I could feel Oberon’s gaze burning into my skin, silently warning me to keep my distance, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away. She lay curled on her side, facing the doorway, cocooned in blankets that only hinted at her petite frame. Long, golden curls spilled over the pillow, framing a face so breathtaking it left me speechless. Her lashes-dark and impossibly long-fluttered slightly against her creamy skin, and her full, pink lips curved in a faint smile, as if lost in a pleasant dream.
No word felt sufficient to describe her. Beautiful. Exquisite. Divine. Goddess. They all fell short.
I hadn’t even heard her voice, yet I knew-I wanted her forever.
Ghost howled with joy, his euphoria echoing through me. My vision flickered as my wolf fought to come forward, desperate to see her with his own eyes.
Then, just as I had resolved to stand there quietly, content to watch over her until she woke, Oberon’s hand clamped down on my arm. He pulled me away with a force I wasn’t prepared for, and instinct had me trying to resist. But he anticipated it, yanking even harder, and I had no choice but to follow. I wasn’t about to risk getting thrown out-not when there was a chance I could meet her properly once she woke up.
“Now, let’s go have that chat I promised you,” Oberon said, amusement lacing his voice. He chuckled as if enjoying my torment, as if he relished making me squirm.
He led me to a small sitting room at the back of the house. The entire rear wall was glass, offering a sweeping view of the forest beyond. Sunlight streamed through the trees, painting golden streaks across the field of wildflowers stretching toward the horizon.
The sight only made my chest tighten. The flowers reminded me of Dahlia, of the way her scent had wrapped around me like a dream I never wanted to wake from. It took everything in me not to bolt back upstairs.
Once Oberon was satisfied I wasn’t about to flee the moment his back was turned, he disappeared, only to return minutes later with two glasses of whiskey. He handed me one without a word.
I stared at it, suddenly uneasy.
He thought I would need liquid courage for this conversation.
What the hell was he about to tell me?
My fingers tightened around the glass, the ice clinking softly. In the back of my mind, Ghost whined.
“We need Mate… Just hold her. We won’t wake her…”
“We can’t,” I told him firmly. “Do you want her father to throw us out? Let me focus. You need to hear this too. He’s going to tell us about her.”
To my relief, Ghost quieted, though he remained restless.
We both settled in, bracing ourselves for whatever came next-because nothing could be more important than knowing everything about the woman who was meant to be ours forever.