'We found mate!' Fenrir snarled, voice feral and triumphant. 'She’s here. I can smell her. Let me out. I want to see mate.'
Talon sucked in a sharp breath, every instinct screaming at him to turn, to search, to claim. His senses flared painfully, dragging him in a dozen directions at once, each one tugging harder than the last.
'No,' Talon snapped inwardly, clamping down hard on the bond before Fenrir could take control. 'Stand down.
Fenrir prowled, furious. 'No. We found mate. That is more important than anything. 'Let me out. Let me see her.'
'We are not in our territory,' Talon reminded him, voice iron-clad despite the storm raging in his veins. 'And have you forgotten why we’re here? We are not here to look for our mate. We’re here to find out who’s been feeding information to the rogues.'
Fenrir growled, pacing viciously. 'Don’t care. Mate comes first. We find her, then we leave. We take her home. We protect her in our territory, where she belongs.'
Talon clenched his jaw as the pull intensified, raw and undeniable, but he forced himself to stay rooted where he was.
'You will not jeopardize this mission,' he warned. 'Not here. Not now.'
Fenrir snarled but did not break free—barely.
Before Talon could push the argument further, approaching footsteps cut through the tension.
Alpha Asher emerged from the pack house steps, his posture open but assessing, his aura brushing against Talon’s like a cautious test of dominance. Beside him stood his Luna.
And the moment Talon’s eyes landed on her, Fenrir slammed against his restraints again.
“Alpha King Talon,” Alpha Asher stopped a few paces away and inclined his head. “Welcome to Crimson Fang Pack. Let me introduce my Luna—Luna Hazel.”
Hazel stepped forward, her smile soft, deliberate, and practiced. The dress she wore clung to her form, far more revealing than tradition ever encouraged for a formal greeting—fabric dipping low, slit high, leaving very little to the imagination.
“Hello, Alpha King,” Hazel said, her voice sweet, almost honeyed. “Welcome to our pack.”
Her eyes lingered a second too long.
Fenrir snarled, confused, restless, his attention yanking violently toward the scent that still called to him from somewhere deeper within the territory—not from her.
Talon kept his expression carefully neutral, bowing his head just enough to remain polite without offering submission. “Thank you for the welcome, Alpha Asher. Luna Hazel.”
Beside him, Enzo shifted.
'Is this Luna for real?' Enzo mind-linked, disbelief thick in his tone.
Talon didn’t look at him, but he could feel Enzo’s irritation rolling off him.
'Is she really flirting with you in front of her Alpha?' Enzo continued.
Talon’s gaze flicked briefly back to Hazel, noting the calculated way she positioned herself, the subtle tilt of her body meant to draw attention. Then he answered coolly through the link. 'An Alpha who allows his Luna to dress like that to greet another male either lacks control… or lacks attachment.'
If they were fated mates, he wouldn’t tolerate it.
'Chosen mates, then,' Enzo concluded.
'Most likely,' Talon agreed.
Fenrir snarled again, impatient. 'She’s not mate. Don’t be distracted. Mate is close. I can feel her.'
Talon straightened fully, his focus sharpening as the weight of realization settled in.
Their mate was here.
Somewhere in Crimson Fang.
And if Fenrir was this close to losing control already, this visit was about to become far more dangerous than Talon had anticipated—not just politically, but personally.
“Let’s go inside so we can discuss the mating ball that we have been preparing for you to allow you to meet all available she-wolves,” Alpha Asher said smoothly, extending a hand toward the grand entrance of the pack house.
For a brief second, Talon almost forgot the real reason Enzo had provided for their visit.
Almost.
The towering stone walls of the pack house loomed behind Asher, banners fluttering lazily in the afternoon wind, each one embroidered with symbols of strength, lineage, and pride. It all screamed preparation. Celebration. Expectation.
Fenrir’s growl vibrated deep within Talon’s chest before the words even formed.
'We do not need to meet other wolves,' Fenrir snarled, his voice sharp and possessive. 'We need to find our mate. All I want is my mate. No other wolf. I will kill the wolf who touches me.'
Talon clenched his jaw, keeping his expression neutral as several warriors stationed near the entrance stiffened, sensitive enough to feel the shift in aura even if they couldn’t hear Fenrir’s voice.
'Don’t do anything rash,' Talon warned through the bond, his tone firm but controlled. 'Remember why we’re here. We came to investigate. Enzo told them we’re looking for our mate. That’s all.'
Fenrir huffed, a low, dangerous sound. 'That can wait.'
Talon turned his attention back to Asher, his deep blue eyes assessing every movement, every subtle shift in posture. This pack was too polished. Too eager.
“That can wait, Alpha Asher,” Talon said aloud, his voice calm but carrying unmistakable authority. “I want to check if your pack is truly secure. I received a report that a few months ago, your territory was attacked by rogues. I was outside my lands at the time and was traveling to other packs trying to find my faed mate, so I was only informed shortly before I traveled here.”
The air shifted instantly.
Several warriors exchanged glances. A flicker—too quick for most to catch—passed over Asher’s face before it smoothed back into practiced composure.
“We can talk inside my office,” Asher replied after a beat, his smile tightening just enough to notice.
Before Talon could respond, a soft laugh cut through the tension.
“Is that really necessary?” Luna Hazel stepped forward, her voice sweet, melodic—carefully crafted. “Alpha Talon, you came here to find your mate, not to reopen matters from months ago. I personally dedicated all my efforts to making this mating ball a success for you.”
“Even if you cannot find your fated mate here,” She smiled then—slow, deliberate. Her gaze lingering far too long on Talon, “perhaps you can find a she-wolf you choose as a mate.”
Her intent was unmistakable.
Talon felt Enzo’s shock slam into the mind link.
'I cannot believe this luna,' Enzo growled privately. 'Her alpha is standing right there.'
Fenrir’s reaction was far more violent.
'I don’t like this luna,' Fenrir snarled, his presence surging dangerously close to the surface. 'If she tries to touch us, I will break her neck. And you will not stop me.'
Talon forced himself to inhale slowly.
Hazel was close now. Too close. Her scent—cloying, calculated—brushed against his senses. Fenrir recoiled instantly, rage and rejection colliding in a violent storm.
“No,” Talon said, sharply enough that the word sliced through the air.
Hazel blinked, momentarily taken aback.
“Nothing more important than to confirm your pack safety,” Talon continued, his voice dropping into the dangerous calm that made even Alphas straighten instinctively. “I can check the ball later.”
His gaze locked onto hers—cold, unyielding. “It is more important to discuss the report I received that concerns me. Reports involving rogues entering your territory undetected. Reports involving deaths of your pack members...”
The courtyard fell silent, and even Hazel’s smile faltered.
“As an Alpha,” Talon went on, “it is my responsibility to ensure that instability does not spread beyond its origin. If your pack is vulnerable, then that matters to me, and to every neighboring territory.”
Asher cleared his throat, stepping forward decisively. “Luna Hazel, that’s enough.”
Hazel’s lips parted, displeasure flashing openly now before she masked it. She stepped back, though her eyes never left Talon—calculating, assessing.
“We will talk in my office,” Asher said again, this time firmer. “The mating ball discussion can wait.”
Fenrir’s growl eased slightly, though his fury simmered just beneath the surface.
'She smells like ambition,' Fenrir muttered. 'And lies.'
Talon didn’t disagree.
As they turned toward the pack house, Talon felt eyes watching from behind the walls, wolves listening far too carefully.
Whatever had happened during that rogue attack?
Whatever Asher and Hazel were hiding?
This pack was not as “ok” as they wanted the world to believe.
And the longer Fenrir stayed here—
The more dangerous it was going to become.
Aksara