Julie POV

I woke up, and my mate was sitting on the sofa, already dressed for the day, looking like a perfect Greek God. Yesterday was the first time I saw him. The day he found me at Woodland Pack, his wolf was in control. I wanted to know him. I wanted to know why he had been distant since I arrived. Mates should be together. Right?

He was staring at me, and I sat up quickly. He must be busy with his Alpha's duties, and I could not disappoint as Luna. "Good Morning, Alpha. Sorry if I slept more than I should have. I don't know the rules yet." I was sure I did not sleep much more than I should have because the sun was coming up only now.

His face gave nothing away. He got up and said. "I want you to get dressed and meet me in my office. We need to talk." His voice was voided by emotion, like he was trying hard. He left the room, and it did not feel right.

I got up quickly, took a shower, and put on a lovely green dress and white sandals. I combed my hair on a side braid and found lip balm on the new things he had provided. Aphrodite guided me to his office and told me to stay calm. Before I knocked on the door, I felt the love rushing inside my heart, and I knew it was from her.

When I entered the room, my mate was near the window, and his back turned to me, staring outside. "Have a seat, Julie." He seemed odd, and I felt like I had to explain myself. "Are you angry at me because of yesterday? I won't leave again without your permission."

He stood by the window and ran a hand through his dark, silk hair. "That isn't the reason I called you here. You were at the Blue Moon Pack because I wanted to help you heal. And you are now healthy, and it is time for you to leave."

Tears filled my eyes, and that lonely feeling returned to me. "But why? I am your mate. The Moon Goddess chose me for you at your birth to help you lead this pack." Is he going to reject me now? No, he cannot. I thought all was well. I felt the love pulsing inside my heart again. Aphrodite was trying to keep me calm. "I don't understand. I was chosen for you before I was even born. And you are sending me away."

He finally sat down on the chair across his desk. He looked at me with the same empty eyes as before. "It doesn't matter. I had made decisions before I met you, and I must think for the sake of my pack. You haven't had Luna training. You aren't prepared to lead a pack of this size. Perhaps if I wasn't the Alpha of the Blue Moon, I could accept you, but that is not the case."

My heart was hurting again. I did not know what to do or say to change his mind. He could not send me back to Michael. I would rather die by rogues than let this happen. "Alpha Michael robbed my pack. It is rightful mine now that my brother is dead. If you announce me as your mate, you can claim it as yours. I had two years of training on pack knowledge with my brother when I was a pup. I know it isn't enough, but I promise to learn fast. I had already started since I got here."

I reached for his hand and felt electricity crossing between us. The feeling was much more than my mother had described. I gasped, and he pulled his hand away. He gave me a stern look because I touched him. "I am not interested in what you are offering. Your pack is small and not worth going to war for. As we speak, an Alliance hung in the balance, and I had put it off long enough. It is time to get things straight and back to normal."

I looked at him, offended, and I got what he meant by the Alliance. My father explained it to me. "You will get a chosen mate?" He sighed and rubbed his forehead like he had a headache. "I know something happened to you at the Woodland Pack. I won't let you go back there. But you can't be here either."

"It won't be good for my wolf or you. I will make sure who did hurt you at the Woodland will be punished. I will speak to the wolf council. You have my word. It will take a few days, but I promise you will get justice."

Aphrodite would never accept a chosen mate after she had bonded with Ares. I would be the rest of my life lonely and broken from rejection. Why did he care to help if he would throw our fate away? Aphrodite poured so much love calming me down, and told me to leave because we had work to do at the hospital.

If it were not for her powers making me feel better, I would be lying on the floor, hurt, holding my heart from his words. He had another she-wolf in mind and thought she was better than me to lead his pack by his side. I got up and said before leaving. "I would like to leave now. I have work to do at the hospital." I did not wait for his dismissal and walked to the door.

"Don't worry, Jules. We are not going anywhere. Your mate will love you forever. He is too hot-headed to see everything that is in front of him. Let's help our pack because there isn't a better Luna than us to lead them." When we got to the beautiful main hall, Ger was waiting for us. "Good morning, head warrior. How is your mate?"

Ger smiled at me, and I could feel happiness coming from him. "Good morning, Julie. She is feeling happy. Not sure what you did to her, but it worked. Are you a healer?"

"No, I am not." I smiled at him. "Your mate will feel much happier when she will bare you a pup." He frowned but did not comment about the pup. "The Alpha mindlinked and asked me to escort you anywhere you wanted." I was sure Ger was glad his mate was not gloomy anymore.

I wanted to get to know him. He was the head warrior and an essential member of the pack. I gave him a warm smile. "Very well. I will enjoy your company, and please, I would like to return to the hospital today."

                                                                                          ****

Max POV

I watched her leave, and she seemed further away from my reach with each step she took. I knew Julie would not like it, but it needed to be said. All this waiting would not be good for her and I did not want to hurt her.

My head was about to explode since I started the conversation with Ares whimpers and howls inside my mind. My heart hurt like hell after each word I said out loud. But it was for the sake of my pack and had to be done. I could not let the mate bond control it. I had to fight the cravings to take her in my arms and comfort her.

That tiny little wolf was growing too hard on me. And so was all the pull and needed to be with her. She needs to leave my territory. I would not be able to resist the next full moon if she was here, and I would mate her, and then she would be officially my Luna. That would be no way to reject her after that. "Ares, will you stop walking around in circles inside my mind? Just sit and quiet down, will you? My head hurts now."

His voice was like venom when he started talking. "I won't, Max. You had no right to say those things to our mate. You should treasure her after everything we discovered she had suffered. Besides, I told you already she is perfect. Only your stubborn ass can't see it."

I ran my hands on my face, annoyed. "You behave like a brat when they don't get their favourite toy, Ares. On the contrary to you, I think of our pack. You are being selfish and thinking of your needs as a mate. She can't help us lead the Blue Moon."

I could not get any work done with Ares acting up and the hurt in my heart. I left my office to get fresh air and decided to visit the pup's family, which had been badly injured this week. If I had a Luna, that would be her duty to comfort the families. But I have been doing it for nearly five years now. My pack was suffering.

I walked to the village where all the families lived, and a happy she-wolf opened the door for me and bowed. "Alpha, please come in. What a pleasant surprise. I was getting ready to go to the pack house." She looked to the side and had a lovely food basket and flowers on the coffee table.

"Doctor Paul said the beautiful young she-wolf was your guest. She healed my pup." On cue, a happy pup came running around, which could not be the same pup my warriors rescued. The report said his face got deformed from the hot silver. "I made her a food basket to thank her. I was going to ask your permission to visit her, of course."

I glared at her. What was going on? "Rosa, what are you talking about?" She gave me a happy smile. "You don't know, Alpha?" She lifted the smiley pup. "David was broke, and she made him whole again. Look at him now. He will grow a beautiful warrior thanks to the kindness of your guest." I reached for Ares. He had to give me something to go on here. "Ares, do you know what is going on?"

He sat down, thinking. "I am in the dark same as you, Max, but not as surprised. I knew our mate was amazing." Rosa put the pup down. He opened the door and went outside to play. "That young wolf is blessed, Alpha. I hope she never leaves us."

"She isn't at the pack house now. You should stay here." That was all I could tell Rosa, and I left. Things were not making sense. I tried mindlink doctor Paul, but he was not responding to the link. For sure busy with his patients.

Ger told me he escorted Julie to the nursery and waited outside to give her privacy to talk to the she-wolves. I told him to keep an eye on her.

When I returned to the pack house, a queue had formed outside it, and inside, Terry and Karl were overwhelmed by seven wolves at the entrance hall.

I growled loud to make them stop. "What fuck is going on here?" They stopped their banter and bowed to me. Terry started to explain everything. "Those seven are here to see Julie. They brought gifts to thank her for her kindness, Alpha."

My Gamma Karl pointed outside at the queue and spoke. "And the ones outside hadn't met her yet but heard what she did yesterday at the hospital and wanted to see what she could do for them."

I release an intense growl for them to disperse. "Everybody, get out of here NOW." The wolves inside left their gifts with Karl and Terry and followed the others back to their houses.

I was furious. What fuck was Julie? Was she a hybrid witch? I knew what she was doing. She was bewitching my pack. Like that, I would have no choice but to make her stay. I knew something was wrong with those shiny pink eyes. No wolf had those enchanting eyes.

Instead of being happy and amazed like Ares was, Max jumped to conclusions and thought Julie was tricking him and enchanting his pack. Do you also think he is right and Julie has powers because she is a hybrid witch? Leave your comments below.