Chapter 47: Chapter 47

I mutter another curse.

Is there anything in here that I can wear?

I look through the closet, the clothes in which had belonged to one of the previous Alpha Supreme’s daughters. Most of her clothes must’ve come from some crazy designer.

Who the hell wears a dress with a gaping hole on the belly?

Finally, I find a mustard yellow, knee-length dress. Looking at it with skeptical eyes, I decided to give it a try.

I hurry into the bathroom and zip it up, brushing my fingers through my hair as I stare into the mirror. At least the top part is decent.

Since the sink mirror can only offer so much of a view, I step out to look at my reflection in the dresser mirror.

A smile curls my lips upward. Who knew yellow was my color?

I do a little twirl, giggling to myself. Is it okay if I keep it? I am liking this dress.

As I busy myself with making silly faces at my reflection, the door clicks open. I look over my shoulder to catch

familiar stormy blue eyes and grin.

“How are you feeling, Hazel?” Luke asks as he closes the door behind

“Amazing!” I grin wider

I do feel great, the pain from my wound is almost gone and my head isn’t spinning at all anymore. I feel so light, so strong like I could do anything at all.

I turn my eyes to the mirror again, the tiredness on my face is gone and a strange glow has found its home on my face. Happiness.

Luke’s reflection appears behind mine, the faintest smile on his lips. He presses a light kiss behind my ear, causing a shiver to race down my spine.

“I’m glad, mi more,” he says, both his hands fall on the dresser beside me, trapping me in place

I turn around to face him. he’s standing so close to me, my nose almost touching his. And there’s nothing wrong with

it. Realization leaves me slightly breathless.

His stormy eyes look over me leisurely, as if absorbing my image, making my heart beat a tempo against my ribcage.

“I’ve been waiting so long for you, Hazel.” Luke’s warm breath fans my face, his fingers brushing against my arm

“For your mate?” I ask, hooking my arms around his neck

He shakes his head, the storm in his eyes darker “For you, Elise.”

His lips capture mine, stealing my breath. My mold against his, desperate for reassurance that this is real. That I belong with him and he belongs with me. Luke’s lips move against mine with burning desire, making my stomach twist into heavenly knots, my knees weak.

His arms wrap around my waist, sitting me on the dresser. My hands tangle in his hair, a growl thrums from his tome, making goosebumps rise on my arms. Luke’s hands travel up my back, slow, exploring, as his teeth catch my bottom lip. A strange sound escapes me, embarrassingly loud.

Luke lets go of my mouth, his lips trail down my jaw, burning against my skin. My muddled mind barely registers his fingers on the zipper at my back, his mouth travels down my neck. His lips skim the mark, making electricity shoot

through me, a startled gasp leaves my mouth.

He sucks hard on the mark, my grip on his hair tightens, my throat parched with desire, and my heart racing with anticipation. The zipper slides down, making the neckline of the dress go lower. Luke shifts his attention from the mark to my collar bone, kissing and nipping along my skin, making me feel things I’ve never felt before.

I know what happens after someone marks their mate. I know specially what happens between mates when the full moon is approaching. Everything in my heart says yes, everything in my body wants to give in to this desire thrumming in the air.

My hands let go of his hair and find his arms, pulling away.

“W-Wait,”

Luke stops, frozen for one moment before he looks up at me, his eyes almost black.

“This,” I move an inch away, breathless “This is too much.”

Luke’s brows pull together in confusion as he straightens, effectively giving me a little space. I gently push his arms down and pull the zipper back up. I’m aware of his eyes on me, aware of my pounding heart. I try and fail to meet his gaze.

Warm finger tucks under my chin and lifts it to meet stormy blue eyes.

“You don’t want me?” Luke’s voice is quiet as if he doesn’t want to say the words out loud

“I do,” I say softly “I do but, this, it's moving too fast.”

He doesn’t say anything but nods. I don think he understands what I’m saying. I take a deep breath, holding his hand in my own.

“It’s just…” I struggle to find words “I always thought about my mate as an escape plan. I never went as far as to

think we…”

I peek at Luke from under my lashes. Embarrassment is not something I feel often, nor is it something I can handle well.

“No man has ever touched me like this before,” I rub my thumb over his knuckles “This is just so new to me, unknown territory I don’t want to rush through.”

I want him, I did even before I knew he’s my mate. But my mind will not let me give myself to anyone, even to him, so easily. Not when it had always been wary of every man who approached me.

Luke’s face is ten times as unreadable as always, I refrain myself from fidgeting and hold his gaze.

Finally, his lips twitch upward. His shoulders shake and I stare in bewilderment when he starts laughing, shifting his arms so he holds me, his forehead falls against mine.

“You asshole,” I slap his chest, trying to repress a grin “You’re laughing at me?”

“You look so tense, Hazel.” Luke says, his eyes twinkling “As if I would object to such a little request.”

“You-You’re not upset?” I ask him, wide-eyed

“You belong to yourself before any other,” Luke says, his voice clear and hard as always “I can wait my whole life if that’s what you want.”

I try and fail in repressing a smile, my heart warms at his words “You make me sound so boring.”

“Well,” Luke tucks my hair behind my ear “You are pretty unromantic, Elise.”

I gasp, mocking surprise “I am not!”

“Hazel, it took you days to realize I’m falling for you, even when we were practically living with each other.” Luke shakes his head

“It was because you’re so utterly unromantic,” I say “How was I supposed to know you liked me when you never even gave me a compliment?”

“How shallow of you, my love,” Luke sighs mockingly “I would’ve gladly laid my life for you and here you are, complaining about words.”

“Well, I don’t want you to die for me,” I chirp “Little compliments here and there will do.”

Luke nuzzles the tip of his nose against mine, making me giggle “I love it when you laugh.”

He presses a chaste kiss to my lips, my laugh stops in a gasp at the unexpected action, my face turns red “I love it when you blush because of me.”

“Which is rare,” I roll my eyes with a smile

“But what I love the most,” Luke says “is you. Just you, all of you, only you.”

A soft laugh escapes me and I wrap my arms around him, resting my face against his chest.

“Ditto on that last part.”

…

I peek from behind the shelves, the motionless target in sight.

I tiptoe towards the high back chair, my hands raised to cover his eyes and surprise him. I brace myself to pounce, a grin on my face.

The next moment, the chair turns, two hands grab me around the waist and lift me to someone’s lap, wrapping around me in a secure hold.

“Sneaking up on me, Hazel?” Luke raises an eyebrow at me

“Oh come on!” I throw my hands up “I masked my scent! How could you know I was here?”

“Hyperactive senses, Elise.” He says, turning the chair back around “Why are you here? You should be resting.”

“I’ve been resting ever since you left.”

“That was two hours ago.”

I give him a look “If I stay in that bed for any longer, my lower limbs are going to become useless. Do you want that?”

Luke sits me on his desk so we’re on eye-level “I want you to heal properly before you quite possibly fall down the stairs and crack a rib or two.”

I puff up my cheeks and cross my arms “I am not that clumsy.”

“I believe you, Hazel,” he says, a faint smile on his lips “Did you call your mom?”

I nod “Just now. She wants me to come back as soon as possible.”

The smile fades away “Did you tell her?”

I bite my bottom lip and shake my head “I didn’t know where to begin.”

Luke lets out a breath, leaning back in his chair. I furrow my brows, I thought he’d want me to tell her as soon as possible.

Noticing my expression, Luke takes my hands in both of his, shifting to face me fully. My heart rate doubles by the small contact, but I do my very best to keep my head.

“Elise, keep an open mind about what I’m going to tell you,” Luke says, his voice is as hard as always, but I notice the pinch of concern in it

I hope my worry isn’t showing on my face.

“Okay,” I nod at him calmly

“No one can know about this,” he holds my hands tighter “Not until I officially become Alpha Supreme, not until we move to the New York HQ.”

“Why?” my face is all angles of confusion

A shadow across his face “If anyone found out about you, it won't take them long to plan something to get to me.”

“Get to you for what?” I ask

“I’m a new ruler, not even official,” Luke says “There are countless people probably planning assassination attacks right now.”

I stare at him, mind running a million miles per second. Luke searches my face, looking for a hint of what I’m thinking. Considering the way his grip tightens a notch, I think he comes up short.

I shrug.

The look of pure surprise on his face makes a laugh bubble from my lips.

“Alright, so we cant make it public just yet.” I grin at him, eyes crinkling in amusement “It’s only for like what? One week?”

Luke flashes me a small smile, the relief on his face barely readable but there. He presses a kiss to either of my hands.

“I thought you would insist that you can keep yourself safe.” He says

“I can, Winters.” I say, raising my chin “But I’d rather not look over my shoulder every ten seconds to make sure no one is stalking me for taking me hostage.”

“Thank you for understanding, Hazel.”

“You don’t have to thank me.” I wink at him, then a sudden thought crosses my head

“What about this though?” I ask, tilting my head to expose the mark on my neck

“We can hide it.”

I put on a thinking expression, then nod “Turtle necks and a boatload of perfume, I got it.”

Luke shakes his head “That won't work, Hazel. The change is in your very scent, your aura. It's not that simple.”

“Then what?” my brows furrow

Luke’s face is impassive as he stares at mine, finally, words wretch their way out of his mouth.

“Korra can mask it.”

“No way,” I pull my hands away, my nose crinkles at just the thought “I don’t want to mask it, and her spells sting pretty bad from what I remember.”

“She’s our best option.” Luke sighs “I’ve thought of other ways only to come up short. She’s the only witch capable of anything close to masking a mark.”

I bit my bottom lip, brows pulled together. Well… I can handle a bit of a sting and it's not like I want an inexperienced witch to turn me into a toad by accident.

After a few moments of awkward silence, I finally make a face at him.

“This relationship better be worth doing all this for,” I say

Luke leans forward, brushing his fingers along my jaw, trailing towards my neck, over the mark. The storm in his dark eyes gravitates towards my wide eyes, he flashes me a smirk, showing a hinting of glistering canines.

“I wouldn’t doubt that.”

He stands up from his chair, face coming dangerously close to mine and I hold my breath, frozen in anticipation.

He reaches around me and grabs a file.

With a smirk loaded with mirth and haughtiness, Luke leans back and opens the file, the pen in it tells me he’s been working on it.

I gape at him. That bloody bastard!

“Something the matter, Hazel?” Luke raises an eyebrow, giving me a fleeting glance before looking at his file again

“You look flustered.”

“What are you doing?” I ask, willing my attention to shift from the thoughts of bashing Luke’s head in his desk

“Selecting a day for the execution.”

I nod “Oh, that’s understandable— What?!”

Luke looks at me as if there’s nothing wrong with that “The men at the second lodge, they were warriors from

Goldstein’s pack, sent there to ambush the participants.”

I gape at him “So you’re just going to get them killed?”

“They violated the Hunt rules,” Luke says, his voice dead of emotion “There’s no saying they wouldn’t try to avenge

their Alpha later.”

“Luke, no.”

“Excuse me?”

“This isn’t their fault,” I say vehemently “They were just following orders!”

“Following orders to kill us,” Luke narrows his eyes

“Whatever it was, Luke.” I say, my voice softening “They don’t deserve this.”

“You want me to send them back to their pack?” He asks dispassionately “Where they would tell their new Luna that

Goldstein was planning to attack the participants and got himself killed?”

“Why would that matter? He was the one who did wrong.”

“Zoya Goldstein is as witty as her brother was, if not more.” Luke says “She’s going to use this against us.”

“Just because Alpha Goldstein was a horrible king doesn’t mean you have to be like that too,” I say

“I’m not a king, Hazel.” Luke says coolly, leafing through the file “I’m a leader. And I cannot lead those unfaithful to me.”

I resist the urge to throw my hands in the air. I need to handle this carefully, Luke will come around, but I need to push him in the right direction.

“You don’t want to execute all of them,” I say softly, touching my fingers to his cheek “you wouldn’t do something so ruthless.”

“Elise, Hazel, I can’t just—

“You can,” I say softly, persistently “That’s what they’re expecting you to do, to kill them. If you show them forgiveness, they will be forever grateful. They will be loyal to you.”

I can almost see the gears in Luke’s head moving, his eyes calculating, a storm of thoughts brewing in them. A gleam settles in the deep blue as he cocks his head aside.

“Perhaps,” he says slowly “I can make as an exception this once.”

I know he has something in mind other than sending them back to their pack, but at least they’ll live.

“See?” I say, a smile lifting at my lips “If you just move your head from the rigid pathways, things can work out pretty well.”

But Luke only stares at me, eyes thoughtful. I can tell his mood has shifted from scheming by the way the tautness of his face is replaced by a little smile.

“You’re going to be a great Luna, Elise.” He says a hint of pride pinched in his voice “My Luna.”

“What can I say?” My lips curve in a smirk “I’m known to be pretty amazing.”

…