Chapter 19 All Roads Lead to Hell
1423words
Sophia and I made our way down the stunning marble staircase and into the grand dining hall of the pack house for breakfast before we left for the shops. The delicious smell of pancakes and waffles filled the air.
"Hungry?" Sophia asked. "Mark is the pack house chef, and he makes the best pancakes you've ever tried! I'm not sure how, but he even mixes chocolate into the batter." My mouth watered just thinking about breakfast; I hadn't eaten much the night before.
Her enthusiasm was contagious. She didn't need to ask me twice about the pancakes. I entered the dining hall with Sophia and was amazed to see three rows of beautifully hand-carved wooden tables. I thought to myself how different it was from the pack house in Silver Moon Shadow. Alpha Max would only allow high-ranking wolves to eat in the pack house dining hall. It was nice to see wolves from all ranks enjoying their meals together, not so segregated. The dining hall wasn't very busy, but the wolves who were there stared intently as we approached, studying us closely.
Sophia pulled my arm and sat me down at the table closest to the stunning floor-to-ceiling window that took up the entire left side of the room. The view of the lush green forest was so soothing it made my wolf purr. Everything about Midnight Pack was much more exquisite than what I was used to.
A short, husky man soon approached us and nodded his head. "Sophia, Adeline. I wish someone had told me earlier how beautiful our visitor was."
I was bothered by how he knew my name. I had only been at the pack house for a night, and I technically didn't even belong to this pack yet. He noticed my confusion and asked, "How was your dinner last night? It seems you girls enjoyed more wine than anything else."
A sly smile took over Sophia's face as I realized this was the pack house chef who had sent in what felt like a buffet last night. "Mark—let me explain something to you. It was a girls' night! The food was fantastic as always, but the wine felt just a little more fitting," she teased.
I grinned at Sophia's comment. I was happy she had come to introduce herself the night before. Having breakfast with her now was the first time I felt like a normal wolf in my soon-to-be pack. "Sophia was practically bragging on our way down to the pack house kitchen that I was in for such a treat when I tried your world-famous pancakes. Are there any left for us?" I pouted into Mark's hazel eyes, hoping he did have some left.
He sighed. "I'm sorry, girls. I think we just ran out, but since this is Adeline's first formal breakfast at Midnight Moon Pack, I'd be happy to whip up a fresh batch."
My eyes widened at the kind gesture. I wondered if my encounter with Beverly and the guards was sheer bad luck; maybe the other wolves in Midnight Moon Pack weren't all that bad. "Aren't you a complete sweetheart, Mark? That would be lovely. I was hoping to properly assess these world-famous pancakes," I chuckled.
"Get ready to have your mind blown, Adeline," he winked, excitement written all over his face, then scurried off through the double doors in the corner of the room. I glanced at Sophia, who was clearly amused. "Clocked and secured!" I stated, blowing a kiss in her direction.
We continued chatting a little longer about pack life, and she quickly had me admitting that becoming a part of Midnight Moon Pack was turning out better than I had originally thought.
I was an avid coffee drinker. Some days it felt as if caffeine was the only antidote keeping my brain functioning. After what felt like the longest night of my life, I was begging for a cup of fresh coffee and decided to hunt for the closest coffee machine.
"Hey Soph—I'm going to find a cup of coffee, or I might accidentally rip a wolf's throat out. Want one?" I joked.
She gave me a knowing nod and said, "I'm surprised you haven't already. I've had one, but there's a coffee machine in the pack house foyer. Seems to be a necessity around here, with wolves."
I smiled gratefully. "Once again, you're saving the day." I stood, tossing my hair, and proceeded in the direction I remembered to be the pack house foyer. After a few wrong turns, I stumbled upon what seemed to be a living room with the most realistic wolf paintings hanging on the walls. I stood there for a moment, admiring them, until my eyes spotted a coffee machine nearby on a small bar in the corner of the room.
As I rummaged through the top cupboards looking for a mug, I was suddenly overwhelmed by my wolf's excitement. It was almost too much to bear. I was tempted to rip off my clothes and go for a run to give her some release. I reached for a mug on tiptoes, causing my black crop top to ride up, when a hand grasped my bare skin and gently pulled me into the warmth of a chiseled, godlike body. Another hand grabbed the mug I was trying to reach and placed it on the counter. One hand still rested on my bare waist as a seductive voice whispered into my neck, "Good morning, sweetheart."
My wolf went on high alert, screaming at me, "MATE!" I took a deep breath, melting into the body holding mine, and unintentionally let out a slight moan. It felt so good being in those arms holding my waist. It was like an out-of-body experience as a rush of a familiar sandalwood and peppermint scent engulfed my senses, and I struggled to move and turn around.
"Shhhhit," I belted out, unable to hold back the words. I locked eyes with mesmerizing golden eyes that seemed ready to devour me whole—Alpha Jaxon's eyes, to be exact. Shock flushed my face as I realized that Alpha Jaxon, the mateless Alpha, was my fated mate. My expression clearly displeased him, as disappointment washed over his chiseled features.
"I'm not sure that's how one should greet their Alpha," he uttered, inches from my lips. I paused for a second, trying to compose myself, with adrenaline flowing freely, as my wolf and I took in the comfort of being so close to him again.
"Hmm, that may be true... except you aren't my Alpha yet," I challenged back in a seductive tone that came naturally. Our faces were so close that the warmth of our breaths clashed. I desperately wanted him to give in and close the distance between us.
"You feel that, don't you? Your wolf is squealing inside to have me mark you... right... here..." Jaxon nipped lightly at my neck. I felt my legs about to give out under me.
He moved his hand just under my sweater on my back, pulling me closer against his hardness while his other hand glided across the side of my face, caressing my jaw softly. Crisp electric sparks shot through my body at his touch. "Shh, Adeline, soon I'll have you completely submitting to me. You'll be begging your Alpha to stretch that tight, wet pussy and fill it entirely," he whispered as his hand lowered and lightly swiped between my legs.
He smirked, feeling the wetness pooling there, knowing the effect he had on me, and pressed the brew button on the coffee machine, still towering over me. We stood there embracing pure ecstasy as the coffee finished spewing from the nozzle, signaling it was done. He grabbed the mug and handed it to me without breaking our gaze, softly speaking and sending shivers down my body. "Dinner tonight is at 7 p.m. There may be a special surprise waiting for you. Happy birthday, little wolf."
I found myself holding the mug in one hand and the bar counter with the other, trying desperately to keep myself upright as he pulled away, turned the corner into the hallway, and vanished. His presence felt addictive.
As I regained control that had suddenly escaped my body, I finished fixing my coffee while thoughts rushed through my mind, debating if my wolf had made a mistake and was driven by a lust-induced fantasy. I swallowed hard and quickly made my way back to the grand dining hall, knowing my breakfast would soon be cold.
