Leo's POV
The pack house stands nearly deserted as I storm through the entrance, my naked form still radiating the fury from my encounter in the woods. The handful of Omegas scattered throughout the halls take one look at me and flee. My rage pulses through the air like a living thing, and I have no desire to contain it. That stubborn she-wolf had the audacity to refuse me, to deny what exists between us.
She should feel grateful that I even acknowledged the mate bond.
Yet I cannot ignore the electric current that shot through my body when our skin made contact. The intoxicating blend of her terror and desire has seared itself into my memory, and I doubt I will ever purge it from my system. Even at this moment, my wolf Huxley claws at my consciousness, demanding I track her down and complete the claiming ritual. But this is one battle where I refuse to surrender to his primitive instincts.
"Alpha Leo." Elder Lewis's voice cuts through my thoughts.
I suppress a curse before facing him. "What keeps you awake at this hour?"
He dismisses my hostile tone and examines me from head to toe. "We may possess the blood of wolves, but that does not excuse us from maintaining dignity. I expect you to carry yourself with the honor that represents the Shadowcrest Pack."
My jaw clenches so hard it sends pain shooting through my skull. "I was unaware that returning from a shift would cause offense."
"This concerns your mate."
Every muscle in my body goes rigid as I study the withered man before me. Elder Lewis had once commanded respect as a warrior, but a crippling injury landed him on the Elder Council. That was decades ago, and now he spends his time meddling in affairs that do not concern him.
"I have no idea what you mean."
He lets out a harsh laugh, spraying saliva from his cracked lips onto my bare chest. "I have observed your behavior since you were barely walking. Did you assume that becoming Alpha would end my surveillance?"
I brush the moisture away and release a threatening growl. "Are you admitting to having me monitored?"
"Your surveillance is the least of your concerns. That girl is your real problem."
My breath catches in my throat. "I remain confused about your meaning."
"She is completely unsuitable to serve as Luna."
"Since when do you make that determination?"
He strikes his walking stick against the floor and shuffles closer. "The council would never permit such a union. She brings nothing but shame."
Huxley snarls inside my head. He has already declared Helena and her wolf our perfect match, and regardless of my personal feelings, his emotions contaminate my own judgment.
"She carries Delta blood. She is hardly some lowly Omega."
Elder Lewis tilts his head back and releases a mocking cackle. "Her mother has degraded herself into the pack's common whore. Surely you understand why that creates complications."
I recall the flash of anguish in Helena's eyes when I mentioned her mother's activities. I witnessed the hurt she tries so desperately to hide, and I know the reality of their situation. Her father's death shattered their family in ways that still echo today.
But Lewis speaks the truth. Her family's reputation has already been destroyed.
"I comprehend your concerns," I respond with calculated indifference. "However, you know an Alpha reaches his full potential only when united with his destined mate."
He jabs a gnarled finger into my chest. "Your strength is already formidable. Reject this girl and find someone worthy. The council has identified several candidates we believe would make excellent chosen mates."
I retreat from his touch. "I would rather remain without a Luna entirely."
Elder Lewis waves his hand as if swatting away my objection. "You require a Luna to create an heir. Your youth and vitality will not last indefinitely."
He shuffles away before I can tell him exactly where he can take his advice. I watch his retreating figure and silently beg the Moon Goddess to let me die before I become such a pathetic creature. I would rather perish than waste away on some council of has-beens.
Taking the stairs three at a time, I throw open my bedroom door and immediately catch the scent of violets. Under normal circumstances, that fragrance would please me. Among all the women who have shared my bed, Beatrice possesses the greatest skill at fulfilling my desires. She never recoils from my darker impulses, and I have always appreciated that quality. But now that I have felt Helena's skin beneath my fingers, the idea of touching another woman turns my stomach.
"What brings you here?" I snarl without glancing in her direction.
I can imagine the sulking expression crossing her features as she calls my name. "Leo. You have never complained about my presence before. What makes tonight different?"
"I am not interested," I announce while heading toward my bathroom. "Remove yourself before I return."
Beatrice refuses to accept defeat gracefully. She follows me, hurling profanities until she slams the bathroom door behind us. "Who is this new woman?"
I slam her against the wall, and her arousal immediately fills the space between us. "You disgust me."
"No," she stamps her foot like a petulant child. "You repeat this pattern every time you discover fresh entertainment, and within weeks you return to me. That is acceptable, but this time I demand to know her identity."
I release her shoulders and step backward. "Leave, Beatrice."
She flutters her eyelashes, fighting back the moisture gathering in the corners. "Very well, but I might not be available when you inevitably seek my company again."
"Leave," I repeat with another growl.
She whirls around, gathering her discarded clothing from my bedroom floor. "I hope she proves worthy of this treatment, because I have reliable information that the Elder Council favors me as their Luna candidate. It would be quite humiliating for you if I declined their proposal."
My hands form fists at my sides, and I release a roar of pure frustration. "Get out of my room."
I drive my fist into the bathroom wall, and Beatrice finally understands my seriousness. She flees my quarters without bothering to dress again. It hardly matters since everyone has witnessed her departing my room countless times before. But for the first time in my life, I feel genuine shame about that fact.