The taste of the girl’s lips was incredibly sweet, and he didn’t want to stop kissing her. Just then, a voice interrupted his pleasant moment with his future wife, causing him to snarl in annoyance and break off the kiss with Vina.

He recognized the howl of wolves belonging to Beta and Gemma, along with some of his pack members. From his position, he could smell the scent of decaying creatures vampires. The vibrations of the girl’s body beneath him alerted him to the approaching danger, prompting him to shift his position and embrace her tightly.

"Hey... calm down. You're safe here with me," he said, trying to soothe her and she gradually stopped trembling.

"Alpha... where are you now? The vampires have come with their troops." Felix’s voice echoed in his mind, reminding him that all wolf-humans could communicate telepathically.

"I’m nearby, with Luna. How is the situation there?" he inquired, maintaining the connection through their thoughts.

"Everything is safe, Alpha. No one is hurt, but the vampires know something about you," Felix reported.

His body tensed at the realization that the vampires could uncover signs of his existence, and he knew many of their spies were dispersed throughout the area.

He glanced at Vina, who had begun to calm down, but unease filled him. What if the vampires discovered he had met his mate? They would surely exploit his Luna to attack him. He could not bear the thought of Vina falling into their hands; he couldn’t live without her.

"Alpha... can you hear me? I need your orders," Felix urged, pulling Alcander from his thoughts.

"Eliminate the vampires and instruct everyone to remain vigilant, especially at the palace. Ensure not a single vampire enters. I want to catch the rat that roams my territory with my own hands!" he commanded firmly.

"As you wish, Alpha."

Alcander concluded the mental conversation and stood up, causing Vina to look at him in surprise. He gently took her hand and led her away from the area.

"Ahh... where are we going?" she asked, startled by his sudden actions.

"We have to leave. This place is no longer safe," he replied tersely.

"Why? You said this place was safe. Is there a problem?" she pressed, her curiosity evident.

"You need to go back home, honey," he insisted as they reached his motorcycle.

He lowered her gently and noticed her breathing heavily, despite having carried her. He smiled at his mate and quickly climbed onto the bike, but Vina only watched him with a puzzled expression.

"Is there a problem?" she asked again.

"Hurry up and get on. We need to leave as soon as possible."

That was the best explanation he could provide, as he was unsure how to elaborate on the situation.

"I won’t get on until you explain what’s going on," she stated firmly, demonstrating her stubbornness.

"Please trust me... just get on, Vina," he pleaded.

Finally, she complied and climbed onto the motorcycle. He accelerated swiftly, navigating the streets with skill as they sped away.

He felt her arms wrap tightly around his waist, and a smile crept across his face. As they approached her house, she dismounted first and avoided looking back at him. He could sense her frustration but knew he couldn’t explain everything until she accepted him as he truly was. He walked over to her and gently took her small right hand. The sudden jolt of her body made her turn to face him. He gazed into her beautiful eyes, and a profound sense of calm washed over him.

"Vina... are you angry with me?" he asked softly, lifting her chin to meet his gaze.

"N-no... why would I be angry?" she stammered.

Her face flushed, and he could tell she was lying.

"I'm sorry... but there’s something important happening right now. I'll see you tomorrow, and I ask that you don’t go anywhere until I come back to pick you up in front of your house."

He ordered her while his eyes pleaded for her understanding.

"Give me a reason to trust you," she challenged.

"Because I care about you," he replied with a smile, caressing her warm cheek.

"I don’t understand... why do you care about me? I'm just a stranger to you. We only met yesterday," she pointed out, leaving him momentarily speechless. He took a deep breath.

"Because I love you. It doesn’t matter when we met, whether it was today or tomorrow. I love you now, and that will never change. No matter what is destined for me, I must cherish it with all my heart."

The confession came from deep within him, and before he realized it, he kissed her forehead.

"Go inside and warm up," he urged, and she walked away without another word.

He watched her petite figure slowly disappear through the door, a smile on his face as he rode his motorcycle to meet his pack and his right-hand men.

Elsewhere...

Every word that escaped Cander's lips brought her a sense of peace and calm, yet she found herself at a loss for words. This was the first time she felt such a connection with a man, and fortunately, Cander hadn’t pressed her for an answer to his earlier question. She leaned against the door, and after a moment, she heard the sound of his motorcycle fading away from her aunt’s house.

She glanced around the quiet house, spotting only a scarf sitting on the sofa, watching her. She walked over to her sweet cat and sat beside him, turning on the TV, but finding nothing interesting, she decided to make some snacks. Once the snacks were ready, she settled back on the sofa, watching the news, which was only mildly entertaining.

Elsewhere...

As he approached the palace area, he saw his beta and pack members shifting into their wolf forms. Vampire bodies littered the ground, and he smiled in satisfaction at the sight of their defeat. He walked through the carnage, noticing Harry and Ducan had shifted back to their human forms, likely to help Gemma secure the children and women.

"You can smile proudly now, Cander... but remember, there will come a time when you will lose to me. Don’t forget the deal I made with your parents and their ancestors... just wait for that day to arrive," a voice echoed from above.

The voice belonged to William, the arrogant vampire king who had once devastated his father’s pack. He was perched in a tree, smirking before disappearing into the night.

Cander understood William’s intentions; the vampire king was always scheming to defeat him. William, obsessed with power, was after his strength, but Alcander would never remain silent while the vampire played games with him.

"Alpha... what if Luna stays with us? She will be safe here with so many people to watch over her," Ducan suggested.

"I haven’t told her who I am or what we truly are," Alcander replied, his thoughts drifting back to Vina.

"Burn the vampire bodies; leave no trace," he commanded before making his way to the palace.

Evening...

He struggled to find peaceful sleep. Despite eating and drinking enough with his aunt, he glanced at the cool scarf asleep on the floor. He tried to close his eyes tightly, wishing for sleep, but the night felt interminable, possibly haunted by nightmares.

Tok... tok...

He awoke to the sound of someone knocking at his window. Who would visit at this hour? Fearful, he grabbed a blanket and a broom, prepared to defend himself against intruders or wild animals.

"Honey... it's Cander. Open the window," his voice brought her immediate relief, and she put down the broom as she walked toward the window, parting the curtain to see him smiling back at her.

He wore a long gray shirt, and she opened the window cautiously.

"What are you doing here at night?" she asked, half-whispering to avoid waking her aunt.

"I miss you," he replied, and her cheeks flushed at his words.

"You said you would pick me up tomorrow," she shifted the conversation to mask her awkwardness.

He smiled sweetly.

"I have something to tell you tonight."

His tone turned serious, and for some reason, her heart raced, sensing that something significant was about to happen.