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My body moves before my mind does, my wolfs instincts forcing my actions before rationality could catch up.

I was on my knees beside Noviana before I could even blink, pulling her unconscious body into my lap and checking her head for injury, "Noviana." I murmured, brushing some of her hair out of her face, "Noviana?"

Her chest rose and fell with shallow breaths, thick lashes fluttering against sharp cheekbones before settling again.

"Alpha?" one of my wolves questioned.

I ignored him, "Nova. Wake up before I leave you on this pink carpet."

Midnight blue eyes cracked open, gazing up at me tiredly.

She looked utterly exhausted. "Interesting."

"Why the fuck is everything always interesting, with you?"

"We have only met twice alpha king." She murmured, sharp nails tracing my jaw, "one of which our bodies did more talking than our lips."

I scowled at her, "it's enough to know that you seem to find everything interesting."

She was quiet for a moment, "you are beautiful." She murmured softly.

I scoffed, "alright then. You seem fine I'm going to go-"

Her thin fingers buried into my hair as she pulled me down, lips sealing over my own, kissing me deeply.

Again acting on instinct, I returned her passion, tongue tangling with her out as a soft little moan passed her lips.

Her eyes were brighter when she pulled away, more awake, "would you like to return home with me?" She asked on a sigh.

"Absolutely not." I murmured softly into her ear, nipping the lobe before kissing under her jaw, "would you like to explain what the fuck just happened?"

"Absolutely not." She replied blandly.

"And if I agreed to go home with you?"

"Still no." She hummed, "but I would use my mouth in any other way you so desired."

The images of her little pink tongue and full lips on my cock from when we first met skipped across my mind as she sat up on her own.

I swallowed hard under her curious gaze, "while I have no doubt you would do so, I would rather you talk."

"So there is no chance of sex if I continue this conversation?"

I eyed her for a moment,

Honestly?

Half of me was more than ready to take Noviana to bed again. The logical part of me though, knows full well that I'm already in deep shit. "No."

"Oh." She hummed, "self pleasure will have to do for now then. Grug. Stop eating the ash of lesser witches, we must depart."

The golem clomped over to us, holding out a hand, "Grug help Lady Nova after drain."

She took it, standing carefully, "good Grug. When we return home fetch my Magismokes while I run the bath."

"Okay."

As she tossed some sort of powder and a tiny piece of Grug into the fireplace she looked back at me, "perhaps, I will see you in my dreams Sebastian."

She was gone before I could even deny it. Stepping into the fireplace and disappearing.

~~

"Alpha..."

I ignored Mase, instead continued walking the small hidden path from the palace to my actual home.

"Seriously Sebastian? We are not going to talk about tonight?"

"Theres nothing to discuss," I growled out.

"She killed an entire coven Bash, then she turned around and tried to get in your trousers again. Maybe-"

"No."

"You heard them. Shes different Bash, she didn't fuck a demon to gain her powers like others of her kind, she was born that way."

I spun on him, glaring, "and demons are often born demons, some vampires are born vampires, goblins are born goblins, ogres as well. Most things we kill are born as they are. And witches kill one another all the time. Those women are vindictive."

He sighed, "but she is your mate, does that not warrant a chance?

"Her candles in her bedroom are held up by human bones, from at least 16 different people because she appeared to favor femurs and arms from the elbow down, entire hands holding the light from her, im nearly positive she uses human fat and flesh to make them by the way they burned.

Her chandelier in her main room is also bone and fuck knows what else.

You saw the jars lining the walls of her fucked up medical room, you really think shes worth a chance?

Because to me, she looks like just another murderous creature we were put upon this earth to hunt. "

"But she has immunity." He sighed, "you cannot hunt her with the deal you struck so why not try and take what Luna offers. Noviana may be an asset to the pack."

"Magic like that is banned."

"You are king of our species Bash, change the ban."

"Absolutely not. What sort of king would I be to change the rules as they suited me?

I do not allow such leniency to mortal kings.

Luna would be ashamed of us if we began using our gifts as wolves to put us at advantage above the humans.

We were put here to protect them, not to regulate them and ignore the rules ourselves. "

Mase scowled at me, "why have you always been this duty fulled noble soldier? Even when your parents were alive duty drove you. After their deaths. It was all that drove you," he paused, "well that and..."

I continued where he trailed off, "finding my mate. Mase, that was forever ago, when I just reached mating age. I have long accepted that a pairing is not in my destiny."

"But it is Bash, otherwise you never would have met Noviana."

I shook my head, heading towards my house again, "Luna is punishing me with her."

He scoffed, following me, "for what?! Expanding our kingdom? Further developing our city for our womens needs when carrying pups?"

"She wolves are quite often pregnant. You know better than most how difficult it is to stay pregnant for one of our kind."

"And your improvements have meant less grieving would be mothers and more births, poverty amongst the elderly is decreased, better care for wolves who can no longer hunt, wolves who in previous generations would be shamed for their inability.

Our education opens doors for those who wish to find their path have the tools to do so.

Sebastian, you have single handedly brought our kind into a new Era, an honorable and bright era that Luna herself would be proud of.

What would you possibly be punished for? "

I didn't respond, just continued walking.

There is plenty the mood goddess would have me punished for.

"Have you thought maybe that Luna knew you would change the world as we know it so perhaps she gave you a mate to aid you in whatever it is you started in this life of yours. A different queen for a different generation of wolves."

I paused for a moment before continuing, "Noviana will not be your Queen Mase, I will not claim her. It is late, I am exhausted, and you have a pregnant woman at home waiting for you. Go home. Now."

He reluctantly left me on the trail home, walking back where we came from.

I gazed up at the moon when he had gone, the sky around it reminding me of the witch Mason was so desperate to see me with, all to keep me alive.

I didn't believe his new era bullshit and by his tone he didn't either. We both knew Nova would be a disaster.

But he simply wished me to live.

I would rather be dead than condemn my pack, my people, to that woman as queen.

sighing to myself I looked away from the blue, a little too similar to her eyes, "Luna, what the fuck were you thinking bringing her to me?"