Bound to the Alpha

13. Right Hand Man

Lucien's office was peculiar.

Mason eyed the pink loveseat in distaste. It was arranged in front of a wide fireplace, currently framing a crackling flame that warmed the room. Little sparks floated around the charred wood pile, resembling fireflies.

"Don't judge my interior work Angelina. Most of this stuff was furnished by my mate." Lucien sang as he watched her take in everything with a perked brow.

"I love hot pink." She countered, examining a daring canvas painting of a hot pink zebra. Now, someone had taste. That was a piece she'd gladly hang in her room.

"Oh Goddess, not you too." Lucien groaned, taking space at the edge of his cherrywood executive desk. "I couldn't say no to Zuri. She basically took over the reins when I got this place designed. My interior designer almost strangled her but what Zuri says, I obey, if it is reasonable enough."

That explained why the space had a balance of masculine and feminine energy. In fact, the whole club carried the balance between the two. There was still the glam from the purple accents that adorned the sleek rooms, but there was also the more rugged edge from the practical leather, and thick metal work of the wide walls.

"How is she doing?" Mason asked, taking a spot in one of the plump seats facing the desk. There were two seats, in which Angelina claimed the other, noting the lack of a coffee table, or a spread of magazines to entertain guests.

"She's great. Still perfect." Lucien grinned; a dreamy look cast over his expression.

Ah, the wonders of a mate bond.

She wasn't used to the display of unconcealed adoration that drew a haze across his face. This was a man who would gladly kneel in front of his mate and offer the world if it was what his woman pleased.

Angelina ran a finger along the arm of her chair, contemplating the phenomenon of a mate bond. She had met a few mated wolves, each different of course. The way it was explained to her was still vague. All wolves could potentially mate with anyone they wanted. It was a choice. This was largely due to their human counterparts. Humans didn't necessarily mate eternally with just one human. They could move on to the next person if things didn't work out. However, for their wolves, it was different. More carnal. Their wolves searched their other half with a hunger that couldn't be satiated. It was a constant battle trying to balance the wild and tame parts. Sometimes, wolves took too long to find someone so they settled for less but not someone entirely wrong. Wolves mated for a lifetime. They craved someone to share their life with, even if they tried to deny it. One couldn't outrun fate. If two wolves gravitated to each other, the fall after would be inevitable. It was futile for any wolf to resist the Claim. The more a wolf resisted, the more difficult it was to pull away. It didn't matter how stubborn one was.

The Moon Goddess herself was an enigma to Angelina. She couldn't wrap her head around it.

The Mother of Wolves?

No one really knew much about the deity but there was a reverence when one spoke of her. She was the reason they had gifted shifters like Healers, Oracles, and wolves of the Alpha bloodline amongst them. Tales claimed that she had given drops of her blood to certain families in order to strengthen specific family lines.

Her family had been selected to carry forth one of the Alpha bloodlines that spread across the lands.

The Moon Goddess blessed mated pairs but there were some pairs she deemed Bound.

Bounded mates were when the wolf counterparts of the mated pair claimed each other so completely, they could remain in their animal forms forever if they pleased. The Claim between wolves was unbreakable, unlike other mate bonds. Bounded mates exceeded a simple mate bond. The connection was deeper, more intertwined, it elevated the couple's animalistic parts. If one wolf died, their other half would die the instant the other's heart stopped. A normal mate bond between wolves wouldn't result in two deaths if one person of the pair died.