"Don't wake her up."

"It's important."

"I don't care. Let her rest."

"Visena!" Calypso's voice dragged Visena out of her afternoon nap, and she groggily wiped her eyes. Dribble pooled across the arm she had tucked beneath her head on the couch.

"What is it, Calypso?" she asked, chuckling lightly after seeing Gideon's smouldering glare.

"I've tightened the barrier as much as possible, but now I must leave."

"What for? When will you be back?"

Calypso's uncharacteristic lip-biting made the Fae sit a little straighter.

"Leave permanently. I've lived here for a century; it's time to move on."

"Is this because you and Mihnea want to be together? Because if it is, he can stay here if he wants. We can make you a bigger house. I reckon some Vamp-Witch babies would be cute."

Calypso appeared to choke before turning bright pink. "How presumptuous can you be? I feel like I'm talking to my mo- To Esmerelda all over again."

Visena smiled sadly at her slip of the tongue. "She was your mother too. I can sometimes hear her voice when you speak all proper and old."

Gideon scoffed while Calypso sputtered and spun away. "I'm leaving."

"Please don't go. I meant it when I said you could both stay. I quite like having a big sister."

The woman paused, clawing her fingers into the door frame and sighed heavily. Before she could say another word, the man of the hour strolled through the doorway, brushing his fingers across Calypso's shoulder sensually. Definitely fucking.

"Good to see you, little Wolf. Gideon."

Gideon rolled his eyes and kissed his mate's cheek. "I'll make you something for dinner," he whispered before walking to the kitchen.

"So, will you stay?" Visena asked hopefully.

Mihnea's thin lips pulled over razor-sharp incisors. "Are you inviting me?" 

The glimmer in his eye showed the awareness of underlying pop-culture reference, inviting a world-famous Visena eye roll. "As long as you promise that neither you nor your Vampire, uh, children hurt any of the wolves."

Gideon grumbled from the counter. "We'll see how long that lasts."

Calypso humphed as Mihnea turned to face him. "What are you implying?

"Your kind killed my parents."

They stood in heavy silence, waiting for Gideon to share more. It appeared he wasn't going to until he met his mate's wide eyes and sighed. "I found them on the forest's edge, drained of blood and reeking of Vamps. They were torn apart. " His voice cracked slightly on the last word, and Visena found her heart aching for him.

"Vampires would never drink from wolves. Kill, yes, in defence, but wolf blood is generally foul. I heard of your parent's death, and my Vampires were not responsible."

"They would never tell you!"

"They are loyal to me!" Mihnea raised his voice, and Visena's ears rang from the sudden sound.

The Vampire apologised. "Forgive me. I do not take kindly to my species being accused of something they most certainly did not do."

"Then who the fuck killed them, Rău?"

Visena crossed the room and lay a hand across Gideon's shaking ones. "Whoever did it wanted you guys to hate each other. Who would gain from that?"

All the species stood to gain from Vampire, Wolf population control. If they were killing each other from some fake feud, then the others could gain more power. It made perfect sense, and Visena had to stop it.

Nobody had the definitive answer, but the idea created another issue that Visena wanted to solve. She had no idea how, but she was sure it would come to her.

"You know what, let's leave it for now. You both are staying for the foreseeable future. End of story. Let's go back to the packhouse."

The conversation had left them solemn as they trudged silently to Invictus. Mihnea and Calypso veered off down the path as they reached the Packhouse.

Gideon gripped Visena's hand in his and kept her close as they walked inside. Cassia's babbling called them into the kitchen, and the view had them both grinning. 

Liam danced around the kitchen counter to soft music with the cooing angel in his arms. At the sight of his two Alphas, he froze and blushed with an awkward smile across his lips. "H- Hi," he stuttered. "You're back early."

The melody continued through the awkward silence, giving the Fae an idea. Without a word, Visena turned and grabbed Gideon's other hand. She swayed and twirled herself around him until he caught on and pulled her in close. They danced around the counter as Cassia giggled and shimmied in Liam's arms. With a resigned laugh, Liam continued spinning and dancing with the pair. It felt good just to enjoy the music. They were carefree, if only for a moment.

"I love you," Gideon whispered to his mate. His sparkling eyes and laughter made Visena's heart race as he spun her carefully around the table.

"Do we get an invite to this party?" Eve questioned from the entryway.

"Get in here!" Visena called with a giggle, watching Eve and her warrior mate try to let loose.

Eve's smile was radiant and in stark contrast to her usual stern expression.

For the first time, Prim was the one who interrupted the moment and dampened everyone's mood. "They're here."

"Who?"

"The Asian Wolves. They got here early. Sorry for interrupting."

 Not even a day of peace. Typical.

Visena gave her mate one last squeeze before untangling herself. "It's okay, Prim. Let's go. Liam you-"

"I'll put Cass down for her nap, and I'll be right there."

Damn. Go Beta.

They left without another word, music still playing quietly in the packhouse kitchen.

Like the European wolves, the Alphas were in human form, and all looked so vastly different and powerful that Visena was enamoured. The visit went like all the rest. They shifted, howled, and confirmed the silver-haired Faery was their Queen, all before Liam arrived.

"Hey, Alpha I-" Liam paused with a glazed look, staring at one of the female Asian Alphas.

"What are you staring at?" she asked, her dark features marring with curiosity.

"Where- where are you from? What pack?" Liam's stuttering was strange, and Visena started getting nervous.

"Armenia. I'm Alpha of the Martic Pack," she stated as her deep brown eyes considered the Beta.

He walked closer and inhaled deeply. "Your name?"

"Akabe."

"No... You're not, uh, sorry." He shook his head and stepped back but not before the Armenian Alpha grabbed his hand. She shook it firmly before releasing him and wiping her palm across her trouser leg.

"Well, Queen Visena, it was nice to meet you finally. Please let us know if you require us for anything," Akabe said before turning to leave.

The Asian Alphas followed after, some with smiles, the others with polite bows. Visena returned each farewell gesture and prepared to head home when a strange whirring sound came from directly above them. 

Visena was shocked to see a black helicopter hovering high over Invictus. She hadn't seen nor heard any aircraft in all her time at the pack.

Weird.

It zipped off in the direction of Malum after a few seconds, and a strange sensation settled in Visena's stomach. The other wolves seemed mildly concerned about the new phenomenon but were distracted by the Fae's sudden exclamation.

"I need a day, okay. To be alone," Visena said with a sigh, shuffling her feet across the dirt.

Her pack leaders nodded and left without a word.

Ambling towards her cottage, the Fae couldn't hear footsteps other than her own. Peeking over her shoulder, she saw her mate, who stared back with a soft smile. She returned the smile and whispered, "Not from you, Gideon. Never from you." 

This time as they ran to their hidden cottage in the woods, they didn't see another soul on the journey. No wolves, Fae or otherwise. Visena was whisked into her mate's arms and thrown over his shoulder just before they reached their destination.

"Put me down, Gideon."

"No way, this is long overdue."

Visena's new position gave her a perfect view of Gideon's ass, but his muscular shoulder dug uncomfortably into her lower belly. "I can wa-" Smack.

"Oh shit," her voice came out breathless, and her thighs squeezed together automatically. She had been waiting for this moment for so long; she was already soaked.

Night fell over the cottage as they finally reached home, and the large bay windows glowed dimly in the forest.

Gideon's pace increased as he strolled through the door that had opened before reaching the knob. His hands held her thighs, and a growl rumbled through his chest when he felt the wetness trailing from her core. He turned and bit the spot he had just slapped. Not intending to break the skin, but hard enough to elicit a moan from his mate. 

Her body flopped onto the mattress, and with a fluid motion, Gideon climbed over her, spreading her thighs with his knee. "Don't make a sound," he whispered, sending electricity down her spine.

"What if someone comes?"

"Someone will definitely be coming tonight," Gideon remarked with a playful smirk. "Now, not one word." In an instant, he flipped her over and ran his hands along her sides, stopping as his fingers looped over her waistband. She lifted her hips, permitting him to undress her, and he did. 

Her mate slowly trailed hot kisses down her ass and thighs, stopping at her ankle. He nibbled playfully before sliding his body over hers and removing her top layer in a single swoop. She lay bare beneath him and the cool night air caressed the fine hairs on her supple body. "Beautiful."

"Gideon, I-" Smack. "Fucking he-" Smack.

Visena bit her lip and buried her face in the duvet to stop the moan from escaping. She thought he was sexy when she took control. But, this was a whole other level of ecstasy. A warm hand rubbed over the stinging marks on her ass, and she tingled all over. A small thump on the hardwood let Visena know that clothes no longer separated their bodies. Gideon's hands slid between her hips and the satin duvet, pulling her onto all fours. She shivered and kept her eyes cast down; her bottom lip pulled between her teeth.

Gideon leaned over her until their backs were flush, and his face was next to hers. "Look at me."

Visena's heart raced as a silky hardness brushed against her folds. Her eyes lifted gingerly and met his golden ones. They held a question, and she went to respond verbally when his eyebrows raised in a challenge.

Her mouth snapped closed, and she nodded. Gideon's smirk had Visena gushing as he thrust inside her slick folds. He moved slowly and filled her each time completely. It took everything not to scream out from the pleasure. Visena even resorted to clasping a hand over her mouth.

Her body shuddered as his arm looped around her waist, and his fingers swirled around her centre in perfect circles.

His other arm slid up to her throat and pulled her upright; their bodies melded as one. She looked up at his chiselled face as he pushed himself inside her. Her eyes pleaded with him as she grew closer to orgasm.

"Beg me," he rasped.

"Please, I need to. I'm going to... Can I?" Her brain wouldn't let words form into coherent sentences. All her mind could focus on was pleasure—pure bliss.

"Not yet," Gideon growled, withdrawing himself painfully early.

"Wait!"

Visena's frustration was halted as Gideon flipped her onto her back and lifted her into his arms, legs straddling his waist. Then, he walked her to the nearest corner and entered her again as her body was held in place by two walls—one of plaster, the other of muscle.

"I want to mark you right now."

"But..." Visena panted, trying to make her brain work. "What about the ceremony?"

Gideon stilled for a moment contemplating. "Fuck tradition. I want this moment to be just between us."

"Okay," Visena watched with curious eyes as she tilted her head to the side, exposing her neck. She wondered if he could see the pulse point ticking as he lowered his lips to her shoulder.

"Are you sure?" His lips tickled the silver hairs on her nape.

"Yes, mark me, Gideon. Please. I want to be yours. Only yours."

Gideon's teeth lengthened when an unfamiliar piercing howl assaulted their ears in the moonlit room. Visena was about to ignore it when a responding call sent chills through her.

Jed? Fuck.

They untangled from one another without speaking and threw on their strewn clothes haphazardly as they sprinted from the house. It sounded near enough not to bother shifting, and on closer listening, it didn't sound as pained as she had first thought.

Actually, it sounds Elated?

Growls and yips grew louder as Visena and Gideon broke through a small clearing. Gideon was the first to click, seeing the cedar coloured wolf with pure white splotches jumping around Jed's chocolate wolf.

"Visena, it's okay." He pulled her back by her shoulder gently. "She's his mate."

She gasped as tears sprung to her eyes, and they backed away from the playful scene. She was sure they would like some privacy as they got to know each other in wolf form. Instead, they were so enthralled by each other's gaze they didn't even notice the Alpha Queen.

"So the African wolves got here early," Visena whispered with a sniffle. Gideon responded with a tender kiss on her head and led them back to the cottage. Despite desperately wanting to pick up where they left off, the adrenaline of the night's events had Visena drifting off the moment her head hit the pillow.

~~~

A/N

Aw, my heart, Jed has his mate <3 

But what will she think when it's time for him to shift?

Also, sorry about no warning... I've been doubling up my original chapters and forgot this sexy scene was next 😂