Chapter 5: Sweet Smile

After that word fell from my lips, I stood frozen in shock. I could hear Luz going wild in my head, chanting over and over — mate, mate, mate.

How could I have a mate? I'd already had one. Well — I'd already had one and lost him.

Luz seized control of my body and launched me forward. I saw the Alpha King coming toward me. I tripped over my own feet and fell into his arms. His eyes blazed like two red rubies — his wolf's eyes — and he growled.

Mine.

Yours.

Luz threw herself at his lips, and I snapped back to my senses, shoving her down. I buried my face in his chest, mortified. How embarrassing!

I heard his beautiful laugh. My heart was hammering wildly. My entire body was trembling, refusing to separate from his. It took every ounce of strength I had to pull away and look him in the eyes.

"Forgive me, my King. My wolf is... well, very excited."

"I understand. So is mine."

We kept staring at each other in silence. His smile was gorgeous — perfect white teeth peeking through. Everything about him was gorgeous and commanding.

I felt Jace clear his throat and walk toward the Alpha King. I stepped back and put some distance between us as he approached my mate. My mate. Just thinking it felt unreal. He was my mate — I could feel it in every fiber of my body crying out for him.

"Welcome, my King. I'm Jace Stronghold, Alpha of Luna Nueva, and this is my Luna, Elaine Wood. You've already met my First Beta and my Gamma, and she is my Second Beta, Azula Rosseltod."

He looked at me with a smile, repeating my name on his lips with a goofy grin. He was beautiful.

"He's gorgeous, Azula. He's wonderful and perfect. Let me kiss him. Please."

Easy, girl. You already embarrassed me in front of everyone. Let me hold on to at least a shred of dignity.

"What dignity, Azula? He's our mate! And he actually wants us. He loves us, adores us, desires us."

Now you're hallucinating, Luz.

"Yeah" about him on top of us. Or under us.

Luz, for the Goddess's sake! Hush for a minute. We are not talking about that here.

She just laughed and finally went quiet. My cheeks were burning just thinking about what she'd said. I tuned back into the conversation when Jace said my name.

"Azula."

He was about to take my arm when a growl ripped from my mate. His arm shot out and pulled me against him.

"No! Mine!"

The deep rumble of his wolf's voice echoed through the room. His red eyes flickered before returning to their natural color. His cheeks flushed and he laughed, embarrassed.

"I'm sorry — my wolf has been pretty intense ever since we caught her scent on the way here."

I looked at him, confused. How could he have sensed me from so far away? I hadn't sensed him until he was right here.

"It seems like all the children in the pack carry your scent. Even them." He gestured toward the Alpha's kids. "It's as if you were... protecting them."

"Well, Azula is the children's instructor in the pack. My kids love her very much," Elaine said with a smile.

"Miss Azula is my best friend!"

"Mine too! Just like she used to be with my mommy and daddy."

The room fell silent until Jace spoke.

"Anyway — Azula, I was saying, go with Elaine to check if everything is ready for the meal."

"Yes, Alpha."

I turned and left with Elaine toward the dining hall, not wanting to be even a second away from that divine scent that set my body trembling. Elaine kept glancing back at me as we finished the arrangements for the meal. When everything was set, I went back to the main room to let them know.

"Alpha, the meal is served."

The kids ran to me. "Miss Azula! The Alpha King said you'd be his queen!"

"Can the Alpha King be our best friend too?"

"Of course he can, sweetheart. Who wouldn't want to be best friends with kids as sweet as you?" I kissed the tops of their heads and they scampered off to the dining room.

Jace passed by me, looking me in the eyes, frowning. Honestly, I couldn't have cared less. Elliot followed, with the two twins clinging to his arms — which could only mean one thing: they were mates. I couldn't help laughing, thinking about the conversation I'd had with Aron yesterday. Even more so when I saw Aron heading toward me with the golden-curled girl on his arm. He stopped in front of me with a playful look.

"Enjoying yourself, little sister?"

"Very much." I smiled at him and he grinned back, then turned to look at the girl, his eyes lighting up.

"Sister, this is my mate — Lisa, First Princess of the Blood Moon pack. Lisa, this is my twin, Azula."

She hugged me excitedly, her words tumbling out like a song. "Oh my God! I can't believe you're my sister-in-law! You're so beautiful — you're my mate's twin and my brother's mate! What a crazy coincidence! You two look so alike — the same hair color, the same eyes, you're even the same height, which is wild because female Betas are usually not as tall as the males and—"

"That's enough, Lisa. Breathe." My gorgeous mate walked over to us with a smile and rested a hand on my brother's shoulder. "You're going to have to learn to shut her up, or she'll never stop talking."

His sister gave him a playful look and swatted his arm.

"He doesn't need to shut me up because he's my mate and he loves listening to me talk. Right, babe?"

Aron stared at her, spellbound. "Yeah. I love it," was all he said — as if her eyes had cast a spell on him.

My heart swelled with happiness seeing him so in love. I'd never seen this side of Aron before. I'd never seen him with any woman who wasn't our mother, Elaine, or me. He'd always said he was saving himself for his mate, and Princess Lisa had won herself a priceless treasure. Aron was everything a woman could ever want.

The two of them headed to the dining room, her chattering about something while he listened with rapt attention. My eyes drifted to my mate, watching me with that sweet smile.

He made me nervous.

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