The walk from the driveway to the Pack House felt like moving through a dream or a battlefield. Simon's hand was locked around Evelyn's, his fingers interlaced so tightly with hers that it was impossible to tell where his tanned, scarred skin ended and her porcelain-pale flesh began. Every step he took felt heavy, his wolf preening with a primal satisfaction that drowned out the logical voice of the Alpha-in-waiting.
The air in the grand hallway was thick with the scent of roasted meat and expensive wine, but to Simon, the only thing that existed was the smell of sandalwood and moon-lilies radiating from the girl at his side. The "Soul-Link" was a humming wire in his brain, vibrating with every breath she took.
'You're shaking,' Simon's voice rumbled in her mind. It wasn't a question; he could feel the tremors in her hand traveling up his arm and settling in his own chest.
'Everything is so loud,' Evelyn replied through the link. Her mental voice was like the chime of silver bells, but it was tinted with exhaustion. 'The colors, the smells... the way your heart sounds like a war drum. It's a lot, Simon.'
Simon stopped abruptly just outside the dining hall doors. He turned to face her, his massive frame blocking the view of the trailing parents and guards. He didn't care if it was rude. He didn't care that Alpha David was currently narrowing his eyes at the back of Simon's head.
He reached out with his free hand, gently tucking a stray lock of silver hair behind her ear. His turquoise-gold eyes searched hers, desperate to ensure she wasn't overwhelmed. "I can take you to the guest wing now," he whispered, his voice thick with a possessiveness he couldn't hide. "We can skip the dinner. I'll bring you a tray myself. I'll stand guard at the door."
Evelyn smiled, a small, tentative thing that made Simon's inner dragon want to roar in triumph. "And let my father think the Moonlight Pack has no manners? No, Simon. I can do this. Just... don't let go of my hand."
"Never," he vowed.
The doors swung open, and the group entered the dining hall. The room was a masterpiece of Moonlight hospitality. Teal banners hung from the rafters, and the long oak table was laden with silver platters. The Pack's high-ranking members were already standing, their heads bowed in respect, but the air was charged with a frantic curiosity. Everyone had heard the roar; everyone knew the bond had snapped into place.
Michael took his seat at the head of the table, with Stella to his right. David and Roseline were seated to Michael's left. By protocol, Simon and Evelyn should have sat further down, but Michael gestured to the two empty chairs directly across from the Alphas.
"Sit," Michael commanded, though his eyes were twinkling. "We have much to discuss, and I think it's best if our 'negotiators' are within arm's reach."
As they sat, the physical contact between Simon and Evelyn remained unbroken. Simon navigated his chair with one hand, his left hand remaining firmly anchored to Evelyn's right. The Omegas began to circulate, pouring wine and serving the first course a rich, creamy forest mushroom soup.
The clinking of silverware was the only sound for several minutes until Stella leaned forward, unable to contain herself any longer. "So, David, Roseline... how was the drive? I hope the mountain passes weren't too treacherous for your city-bred SUVs."
David chuckled, though his gaze was fixed on Simon, who was currently staring at Evelyn's soup bowl as if he were personally responsible for its temperature. "The roads were fine, Stella. Though I suspect my daughter's mind was already a few hundred miles ahead of the car."
Evelyn blushed, a beautiful pink hue dusting her cheeks. She picked up her spoon, her movements elegant and practiced, but her hand was still trembling slightly.
Simon noticed instantly. Without a word, he picked up his own spoon, but instead of eating, he shifted closer to her. The "Mate Fever" was still simmering in his blood, making him hyper-aware of her every need.
'Eat, little star,' he encouraged through the link. 'You need your strength.'
'I'm trying,' she whispered back. 'But everyone is watching us. My father looks like he's calculating how many silver chains it would take to drag me back to the North.'
Simon's grip on her hand tightened under the table. His eyes flashed gold as he glanced toward Alpha David. He respected the man, but the wolf in him was already drawing a line in the dirt. No one not even a father would take her away now.
"So, Alpha Michael," David said, his tone shifting into something more professional. "The rogue activity near the neutral zone has increased. My scouts found a series of markings that don't belong to any known pack. They were dark... smelling of rot and ancient magic."
Michael's expression hardened. "We've seen the same. My son found a clearing three days ago where the grass had turned to ash in the shape of a serpent. We believe someone is trying to provoke a conflict between our borders."
As the men spoke of war and politics, Simon felt Evelyn's energy flagging. The bond was a two-way street; it was giving her his strength, but the sheer "heaviness" of his Tribrid soul was a lot for her to carry so soon after the meeting.
He leaned in close, his lips brushing against her hair as he whispered, "Are you okay?"
The scent of her that sandalwood and lily was even more potent up close. It was intoxicating. Simon felt a hunger that had nothing to do with the food on the table. He wanted to mark her. He wanted to sink his teeth into the scent gland at the crook of her neck and claim her so thoroughly that the entire world would smell the Moonlight on her.
Evelyn shivered, her breath hitching. She could feel his hunger through the link. It wasn't frightening; it was a warm, pulsing heat that made her own heart race. 'Simon... not here,' she pleaded, though her eyes were glazed with a sudden, matching desire.
"Simon Peter!" Stella's voice cut through the tension like a whip. "Try to remember that we have guests. Save the 'sniffing' for when the doors are closed."
The room erupted into quiet titters from the Moonlight warriors. Simon didn't pull away, but he did sit back slightly, his jaw set in a hard line. "She's tired, Mom."
"Then we shall keep the dessert brief," Roseline intervened, her voice soft and soothing. She looked at her daughter with a knowing, motherly smile. "The bond is a powerful thing, Simon. Especially one as... unique as yours. It takes time for the bodies to adjust to the soul's demands."
As the second course thick cuts of venison in a red wine reduction was served, Simon finally began to eat, but only because he knew Evelyn wouldn't eat unless he did. He cut her meat for her, his movements silent and efficient. He fed her the first piece, his fingers brushing her lips.
The "Bond Spark" snapped again, a tiny crackle of light that was visible to everyone at the table.
Alpha David dropped his fork. "Good goddess," he muttered. "The energy coming off the two of you is enough to power a city. Simon, exactly what have you been eating? I've never seen a mate-bond this active this quickly."
"He's a perfectionist, David," Michael said with a grin. "He doesn't just find a mate; he finds the Moon Goddess's favorite and tries to fuse his soul with hers in the first hour."
"It's not just that," Simon said, his voice dropping into that dual-tone growl again. He looked at David, his turquoise-gold eyes steady. "I am a Moonlight Alpha, but I carry the Dragon and the Lagoon in my blood. My wolf is only one part of what is claiming her. She is being claimed by the land, the sea, and the sky all at once."
The table went dead silent. The gravity of Simon's words settled over the room. This wasn't just a mating; it was a unification of the ancient bloodlines.
Evelyn reached out, her fingers tracing the back of Simon's hand. "And I accept all of them," she said, her voice small but remarkably firm.
Simon felt a surge of emotion so powerful it brought a sting to his eyes. He lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles, his eyes never leaving hers. "I will protect you with every breath, every scale, and every drop of water in my body."
The dinner continued, but the "negotiations" were effectively over. No rogue pack or border dispute mattered as much as the two teenagers sitting at the center of the table. However, the peace was fragile.
As the dessert a honey-soaked cake was being cleared, the temperature in the room suddenly dropped. The candles flickered, their flames turning a strange, sickly green for a heartbeat before returning to orange.
Simon was on his feet before the flames had even stabilized. He pulled Evelyn behind him, his arm acting as a physical barrier. His wolf was snarling, and for the first time, a low, guttural hiss the sound of a dragon emerged from his throat.
"What was that?" David demanded, his hand going to the silver dagger at his belt.
"A shadow," Simon rasped, his eyes fixed on the darkened corners of the hall. "Someone is watching us. Not from the forest... from the Void."
Stella stood up, her face pale. "The Void? That's an old wives' tale, Simon. The Fifth Kingdom was destroyed a thousand years ago."
"Then the ghost of the Fifth Kingdom just walked through this room," Simon said, his grip on Evelyn's hand so tight it was almost painful.
The "Soul-Link" suddenly filled with a cold, oily dread that didn't belong to Evelyn.
'The Tribrid is awake,' a voice hissed in the back of Simon's mind a voice that wasn't his, his wolf's, or his mate's. 'And he has brought the Star to his bed. How convenient for us.'
Simon roared, a sound of pure fury that shattered the wine glasses on the table. He turned, his eyes searching the shadows, but there was nothing there. Only the lingering scent of rot and the terrified faces of his family.
"They won't touch her," Simon vowed, his body beginning to tremble with the force of a partial shift. A few metallic scales appeared on his neck, glowing with a fierce teal light. "I will kill them all before they take a step toward her."
Evelyn wrapped her arms around his waist from behind, her cool presence the only thing keeping him from tearing the room apart. 'I'm here, Simon. I'm here.'
The dinner was over. The war for the four kingdoms had officially reached their doorstep, and the "Mate Fever" was about to be tempered by the cold steel of a coming conflict.