I finally return home with Winter, her face is of genuine surprise. I may be a bastard but the people around me are not. My pack is hidden safely from the powerful magic of the fire embers of the trees that blocks out evil that dares to attempt to hurt us.

It was gifted manny centuries from the old gods, Odin. My grandfather exclaimed that Odin pity the Lycans for we were abandoned by the moon goddess Selene.

She despised our existence, therefore, in granting us protection he became our god. Except, I'm a godless man, no god will ever make up for the fact they left my ancestors and people to suffer with this infliction of being a Lycan.

While deep in thought, Winter stands by my almost shyly. She doesn't realize how big my pack is. I can feel their excitement, their alpha finally chose a Luna. Or so they believe, I'm sure my men have spoken to their families of what happened.

"Is that the Luna?"

"She's so beautiful."

"She's extremely pale."

"Is she sick?"

"I hope not, we need a Luna."

The whispers overwhelms Winter but she stands tall. Such a small thing yet mighty, I don't doubt she will be great Luna. She already shows great abilities of being a leader.

Except, the tradition of The Taking. An old one, I already broke a rule. If anyone finds out, my authority will be challenged and I can't have that.

"Why are they looking at me?" Winter asks breaking me away from my thoughts as we walk further to reach my home. A home I built long ago, a choice I made to be rid of a person in my life half of the time at least.

"They're curious."

"Of what?"

"Meeting their Luna." Her eyes widen when she looks over the crowd. The small children are curious, a little girl walks up holding a daisy in her hand to gift to Winter.

"Ohh why thank you," she accepts the gift from the young girl who smiles when she sees her.

"You're so pretty, are you a princess?" She asks, Winter blushes a deep crimson red and chuckles lightly from the little girls' question.

"I don't believe so, if I were I don't think I'd live in the forest." Winter doesn't notice the moment she pays the little girls head, a small dust of snow forms in the shape of crown on her head which makes her eyes widen in amazement.

No one else noticed but me and the child. Winter is definitely someone who's more than a Luna.

*

*

When I reach my home, I can feel myself instantly relax at the sight of my sanctuary. Winter stops before entering inside with me.

"What are you waiting for?"

"Is this your home?"

"Ours."

"What?"

"Ours." It's ours now, my home is her home whether she likes it or not, although my Lycan wants her to like our home.

We enter inside and I give her a moment to look around the home I built. Her fingers touch every furniture or object I own or built throughout my life. She stands near the fire place and for some reason, my Lycan flashes an image before us.

The fireplace burns it's embers to warm our home as Winter rocks softly in a chair I don't have. I walk towards and down below she sits holding our pup.

My son, I know soon she will be pregnant, I never thought anything of it. However, my Lycan is ready for more, something deeper I never bothered to feel, a want for a family.

"Your home is lovely." Winter says, I nod then leave upstairs to enter my room. She follows behind as I open the door.

It's simple, there's not much of a feminine touch obviously.

"I can have clothes made for you if you need any-"

"That's not necessary." She stopped me fore I could finish what I was about to say. I admit, it irked me a bit to be interrupted. She seems to do that often, never allowing me to finish a sentence.

"Why is that? Do you not want clothes?"

"Just bring me materials, I can make them myself."

"Really?"

"Yes, in my old pack... one of my talents was sewing and create garments for my pack mates. Everyone had a job that could be of use to the alpha and his pack. I made beautiful garments."

"If there so beautiful, why didn't I see much beauty in your old members?"

"The Luna has first pick."

"I'll see to it that you have what you need, and the best fabrics that my pack has." She doesn't say anything, she stands still standing over the bed we'll be sharing tonight. My body reacts to thought of her under us with her body flushed. I can still smell her essence when I look back to the night I took her.

"Don't wait you for me, I won't be in tonight. I have some important errands to attend to." Her shoulders visibly relax when I mention I won't be in tonight. My thoughts run it's own course of her possibly bringing another man in our home.

My Lycan mentally bites me, warning me to stop thinking in such a way. It's irrational but what I do isn't going to change my mind and I know it will definitely make her hate me even more.

"Are you relaxed because I won't be here." Her body tenses when I walk slowly behind her, she's small, frail, easily to be broken in half if I so desire. I could find myself any female that wouldn't dare make me go crazy at the mere thought of her cheating, I've never cared to be honest, if I fucked a whore I knew what I got, but with Winter, it's irrational thinking.

I touch her shoulders which she visibly shivers to, I admit my skin feels these sparks but I don't say anything, she becomes rigid when I glide my hands down her arms bringing them to the middle of her waist. Her breath has become ragged, shallow even. I can feel her heat beat faster than normal.

I push her body down on my bed lifting the hem of her dress up to expose the nakedness of her arse. I undo my trousers to expose the throbbing cock that's been waiting to enter inside Winter. She stays still when I begin to lift her ass up so I can enter inside.

Before I can make a move, she opens her little mouth that seems to stop me from what I truly want.

"You only seem to want to fuck when you're acting like a coward." I couldn't move, not even my dick stays up anymore. A frustration surges through me and I just want to beat something to pulp. She still waits for me to move. But I don't, I push her on the bed and fix myself back into my trousers and start to head out before she opens that little mouth of hers again.

"Is that it, not even a slap to the face." My Lycan begs me to move forward, to stop and just leave her be. Still, I could give a fuck for a mate I never asked for in the first place.

I turn around to see her standing up, tears welled up in her eyes. Don't matter, my hand smacks her across the face. The hit resonating between our walls causing her to hit the ground hard. She touches her faces and winces, a red mark forming in the shape of my hand. My Lycan roars in my head, he hates being inside me, he wants to cradle our mate and apologize profusely of my actions. He'll be sorry if he dares forces to take control over me, something I rarely allow him to do so.

"Just because I didn't fuck you now, it doesn't mean I won't do so the next day or the next day.  Watch your tongue little girl, you might not like the consequences." With that, I leave her be.

Frustrated and annoyed, I call out my brother through my mind to bring in Ayesha and meet me in the north shores of the grand lake where an abundance of trees create a shield of privacy from onlooking eyes.

My Lycan protests at the thought of touching another. He never shuts up, our mate this, our mate that. It's a constant thing to continually hear him go off about our mate.

When I arrive to the north shore of the lake. Ayesha is there waiting for me, she smiles when I bring her in for a kiss while ripping my shirt off hungry from my absence, she smells of sweet honey.

"I've missed you my love," So warm, warmer than Winter could ever be, warmth spread about as it becomes heated between us.

"Touch me, there, put your hand there."
She moans from my touch, undoing my trousers she brings my cock immediately in her mouth looking up at me happily taking me all in. The release I've been needing is finally here, except it's different. I'm having a hard time staying hard, fuck!

"Midas, are you not happy to see me?" She asks worried as her fingers work their way around my shaft.

"Yes I am happy, I've been stressed. Just suck me and I'll be fine." She smiles happily taking me in. Her brown doe eyes, wide and excited to do anything I say without protest.

She tries to suck me more but again, I don't stay up. None of her tricks are working and I'm feeling even more frustrated than before.

"Midas, this isn't working." She exclaims standing up with a pout to her lip. I wonder, if the moon goddess felt so inclined to bless me, why couldn't she give me a woman who's skin was never cold.

"It's okay, let me take care of you." I kiss her softly bring her warm body in. Soft and delicate to the touch. Hair so beautifully brown that touches the end of her ass, nothing like Winter. Hair so wildly blue, deathly blue like pneumonia in the winters kiss. Lips cold, skin never ending freezing temperatures that never dies down.

For once, I want the sun to kiss my skin, to kiss our skin together but no matter what I do. Nothing brings warmth to Winter, Winter will never feel warmth from my hands and... and... fuck!!!

I push Ayesha off of me, it no longer feels warm anymore. Nothing feels warm anymore, not even with her.

"Midas what's wrong? Talk to me." I know she hasn't heard yet. The news has yet to reach her, I'm glad because for once, I can tell her the truth properly.

"Ayesha, I have to tell you something." My Lycan returns to the forefront and tells me to go to hell. I roll my eyes because so could care less about his feelings.

"You're scaring me Midas." She touches my arm, I don't feel anything. Nothing happens from what I usual feel with Winter. When I touch Winter, there's this sensation of tingles that erupts through my skin. I've never felt anything before until meeting her.

"I have a mate." Silence filled the air, Ayesha turns away from me and her body begins to shake. I can tell she is crying from the news I have given her.

"How is this possible? You're a Lycan. Lycans don't have mates." Her tears then become of anger. It felt as though she was being accusatory. As if this was my fault, my choice in the matter.

"I don't know, I'm not sure how to fix this." She doesn't say anything. She stays quiet, before getting up to leave, she bends down to kiss my forehead and walks away leaving me behind with thoughts of my little soulmate.

"What have you done to me, Winter..."