Autumn POV

"Please help him. He will kill him." Geraldine begged.

The Alpha of the Nightshade shadow moon pack sighed and turned his attention to the vampire king. "Your Majesty, please forgive Gustavo's insolence. He's young, headstrong and impetuous ."

At this, the Vampire King chuckled and tossed Gustavo to the ground. "As you wish. Know this boy, I won't be so forgiving next time. Now, shall I conduct the ceremony?"

"Ceremony? What ceremony?" I asked confused.

"Why the wedding ceremony of course." The vampire king replies with a slight chuckle.

"She hasn't exactly said yes to being my mate yet." The Alpha of the Nightshade shadow moon pack replied and the Vampire King shakes his head in disappointment.

Then turning to me, the Alpha of the Nightshade shadow moon pack got down on one knee. "I know that we haven't known each other for long, but would you do me the honor of becoming my Mate and Luna?"

"I.... I...Ummm.. I... I got go!" With that, I turned and ran my mind racing with questions.

I could hear the Vampire King chuckle in amusement. "What are you waiting for? Go after her."

Alpha of the Nightshade Shadow moon pack POV

"No. I won't force her to accept my proposal. She has obviously made her choice and I accept it."

"Ah Yes, but, I don't'!" The Vampire king growled his eyes flashing in anger. "I won't allow our deal to remain unfulfilled, just because she doesn't want to accept you."

"What does our deal have to do with anything?"

"I told you, my helping you would come at a cost. Do you remember what you promised me?"

"That some day down the line, a descendant of yours would come to claim payment. That one of my descendants will pay that debt. What does this have to do with my marrying Autumn?"

"In order for one of your descendants to pay the debt, you have to have children. You can't have an heir without your mate. Know this, Autumn doesn't have a choice in the matter. She will marry you, you will mate and you will have an heir."

I sigh running my hands thought my hair in frustration. What had I done?

I ran as fast as my legs could carry me. To my surprise, I wound up at my parent's house. "Autumn what's going on? Your trembling. Are you alright?" My father asked his face laced with worry.

"He asked me to marry him."

"Who?"

"The Alpha of the Nightshade Shadow Moon Pack."

"You can't seriously be thinking of accepting his proposal. He's a monster. And what of Gustavo? Do your marriage vows mean nothing to you? He is your husband." My father replies and my eyes narrow and I clench my fist in anger.

I sigh. "What would you do if you were in my position mother?"

"I would never leave your father for another man even if that man was my true mate. I would honor my marriage vows. Have you ever heard the saying what the moon goddess has joined together let no man or woman put as asunder?"

"What would you have me do?"

"Honor your wedding vows. Why don't you go speak with Geraldine. After all, she was once in this position herself. I'm sure that she will be able to provide better insight on this issue."

"Oh great, your advice is for me to go speak with the very woman who has caused me grief all these years? Fine, I'll go speak with Geraldine."

I soon spotted Geraldine. "I need your advice."

"You need my advice? Why?"

"Gustavo is my husband and I do care a lot about him but the Alpha of the NSSMP is my mate."

"Believe me Luna, I understand completely how you feel. I do know this, you are Gustavo's true mate. It broke my heart the day that he finally chose to stop fighting the bond and made you his mate and Luna. I hated you, I hated you with a passion and I wanted nothing more then to ruin your relationship."

"I wanted you to think that Gustavo was cheating on you with me. I wanted you to think that these children were his. I wanted you to reject him but even when you discovered that I was pregnant, you still chose to fight for your marriage."

"None of that matters now anyway. The only thing that matters, is that my husband and the father of my children is dead. I don't know how much longer I can hold on. My wolf is already dying."

"You can't allow that to happen. You have your children to think about. Don't let you wolf give up. Seek Gustavo out."

"He won't accept me."

"You don't know that."

"Yes I do. I confronted him about breaking his promise to mark me and claim me as his mate and he scoffed at me. He said that he never felt the mate bond with me."

"To be honest, I never felt the mate bond with him either. My mate Gustavo's Bata, was disgusted by me. He knew my reputation of sleeping around and he wanted nothing to do with me."

"In fact, He rejected me. It took time but he eventually forgave me for my mistakes. The truth is that while Gustavo may not want to admit it, and he may not always show it, he loves you just as much as his wolf does. He always has. I don't envy the choice you now have to make."

Gustavo POV several minutes earlier

"I won't let him have you Autumn. Your mine and mine you will remain."

"How romantic. What woman could possibly resist that statement." I hear my wolf scoff.

"Would you listen to reason for once? The Alpha of the NSSMP can't claim her as his if She bares our mark. So what will it be? Will you sit by as another wolf claims what is rightfully yours?" Gustavo asks his wolf.

"No." My wolf replies with a snarl.

"Then you know what you must do."

"Please don't.." Autumn pleads and my wolf sighs and nods.

"I won't mark you without your permission Autumn. Unlike Gustavo, I actually care about your feelings and your choices. Gustavo lied when he said that I agreed that the Alpha of the NSSMP be punished for marking you."

"Thank you."

Autumn POV

"I have spent what seems to be like hours trying to come up with a solution to this problem we are facing. And yet, I couldn't find a solution where someone doesn't get hurt and I hate that. I hate that I have to choose between two men who love me with all their hearts.

I know what your going to say. How can Gustavo possibly truly love me and cheat on me with Geraldine? The truth as unbelievable as it is, is that He didn't. I have spoken with Geraldine and she has confirmed that he never broke his marriage vows."

"That leaves me with the other problem. If I chose to remain Gustavo's mate, I risk war with a very powerful race. A war that I know will cause unnecessary loss of life and most likely a war that we would not win. If I chose to accept the Alpha of the Nightshade Shadow Moon pack as my mate and Alpha, then I break Gustavo's heart."

"Then allow me to make the choice for you. Accept the Alpha of the Nightshade Shadow Moon Pack as your mate and allow him to mark you. I have already agreed to go through with the procedure to have my wolf become a part of your true mate. Once I become human, I won't remember any of this and perhaps, that is for the best."

"Gustavo..."

"It's alright Autumn. This is what I want..."

"No. I won't let lose your birthright it's not right nor is it fair to you."

"I agree. So here is what I have decided. I will attempt this procedure. Part of this procedure will erase the mate bond between Gustavo and Autumn. However, there is no guarantee that it will work. If it does not, Gustavo's wolf will be returned to him and so will Autumn."

"For it is unfair that he lose his mate because I have released you from your curse. However, should Gustavo endure the procedure and everything go according to plan, then after a short period of time Gustavo will be given a new wolf and a new mate. Until then, he will remain human."

"But won't his being human cause problems? They aren't supposed to have knowledge of our existence."

"I am aware of this however, in this case, I will not erase his memories concerning werewolves. For he will be given a new wolf in due time. Provided he can prove he worthy of one."

"Then let the process begin."

It didn't take long to discover that the procedure had  gone smoothly, "May I remark you?"

"Nothing would make me happier." My wolf practically purred.

"You have made me the happiest man alive." The NSSMP Alpha says as he sinks his canines into my neck. I can't help but moan in pleasure. So this is what it feels like to be
marked by your true mate. Unlike Gustavo's mark it didn't disappear. "My turn." My wolf practically purrs as she slightly nips the sweet spot on his neck.

"You call that a mark?" The Alpha's Wolf teased and I frowned and my wolf growled in irritation. Instantly I drove my canines into his neck causing him to hiss in pain as my bite went deep enough to draw blood. I licked my lips. His blood tasted as sweet as honey.

"Autumn, I know that I have no right to ask this of you, but I beg of you have mercy on Geraldine and her children. Please do not sentence Geraldine to a life as a rouge, or to death, for her crimes against this pack and against you."

"If it were up to me, I would absolve her of her crimes against me. Unfortunately, Geraldine must answer for the crimes for which she has been accused. The decision concerning how she is to be punished is not mine to make. As Alpha of the soon to be combined packs, the decision belongs to my Mate."

"I am not a cruel man Gustavo and I owe you a debt that I can not repay. Therefore, I shall not carry out the required penalty, instead I will allow your pack to decide her fate."

"What's going on?" I heard one pack member whisper. "Why do you bear the mark of our enemies? What have you done Autumn?" Several members of the pack demanded angrily.

"As you know, Gustavo hasn't always been my destined mate or the pack's rightful Alpha. The truth is that my mate has come, and he has claimed what is his. I have accepted his claim to me, and have allowed him to mark me. We will be combining our packs after this meeting is over."

"Traitor!!!" Several members of my pack screamed. "I say we denounce Autumn as our Luna. Give the position to Geraldine."

I could feel the anger rising in my mate as I placed a hand on his back to calm him down. To my surprise, Geraldine stood up addressed the crowd. "This meeting wasn't called to replace Autumn. She is no traitor, she has always done what is best for this pack. Even at the cost of her own happiness. There is to be no
more talk of replacing her is that understood?"

"But Geraldine, she willingly allowed a member of an enemy pack to mark her and not just any member but their Alpha. How is that not treason?"

"That is none of your concern. This meeting has been called to judge Me for my actions for which I have been accused not to remove the title of Luna from Autumn."

"What accusations?"

"That she knowingly, and willingly, assisted in sneaking an enemy pack into our territory. Despite knowing the reputation of that pack . What should be her punishment?"

"Deem her a rouge and banish her." Came the voices of several members of the Nightshade Moon pack.

"She deserves to die for what she's done." other Nightshade Moon pack's members replies.

The Nightshade Moon pack's Alpha raises his hand and addressed his pack. "This decision is not ours to make. We will allow the pack to carry out their own judgement and justice. Without our interference. Is that clear?"

"Yes Alpha." The Nightshade Shadow Moon pack members reply.

"Nonsense! Geraldine would never betray our pack. Unlike you, who willingly accepted the mark of a known monster." Another member of my pack member replies. My eyes flash in anger and I let out a loud snarl causing the pack member to gulp and tremble. This time the situation is reversed and it's my mate who has to calm me down.

Geraldine arose and stood before the crowd. "That is where you are wrong. I am guilty of the crimes for which I have been accused. I willingly lead the Nighshade Shadow Moon Pack here."

"I assisted them in helping them get past our defenses. What's more, I am not the slightest bit remorseful for what I've done . I stand before you now, awaiting your judgement..."

"Traitor! Make her a rouge and banish her." Several members of the pack reply angrily.

"She's a new mother, think of her children, if you banish her, you condemn them to a life of being rouges and that's not fair to the children." I reply.

"Her children would remain members of this pack." An elder replies.

At this, Geraldine fell to knees "please, anything but that. Please, don't take my children from me. I am begging you."

"The decision is yours and yours alone Alpha what is your judgement?"

"I..." Before I could reply an elder held up their hand to silence me.

"Luna, this isn't your concern. Alpha Gustavo what is your decision?"

"I am not your Alpha. In fact, I am not even a werewolf anymore. The decision belongs to Autumn and Autumn alone." Gustavo replies.

"What is your verdict my love?" The Nightshade Shadow moon Pack Alpha asks.

I sigh. This isn't a decision that I want to make but I know that I have no choice. "I find Geraldine guilty of all charges against her. However, it is my decision that she shall not be punished."

"WHAT? You can't do that! She has to be punished." Members of both packs protested.

"Enough! Autumn has made her decision and you will honor it!" The Moon Goddess states.

My mate, then turns to Gustavo with a satisfied smile "now to deal with you."

Placing a hand on his chest he paused and glanced down at me. ""You gave me your word." I replied my face filled with worry.

He smiled down at me "Trust me." He whispers and I nod leaning my head on his chest. "Gustavo, I want you to know that I will be forever grateful for the decision you have made. I could change history so that you wouldn't have had to lose your wolf then I would, but I can't. Will you pledge to be a loyal member of this pack despite your current situation?"

"I will."

"Then here is my decision concerning you. I will not banish you from our lands. As long as you obey our laws then you shall remain a member of this pack. Due to recent events I find myself in need of a new Bata. I can see no one better suited for the job, then a strong willed young man such as yourself. That is, if you want the position."

"You would do that?" Gustavo asked his eyes going wide in shock. Several members of the Nightshade Shadow Moon Pack mutter unhappily in the background.

"So long as you pledge your loyalty to this pack and to me, I see no reason why you can't be my Bata. So do we have a deal?" He asked holding out his hand for Gustavo to shake.

"Don't trust him Gustavo. It has to be some sort of trick. The moment you take his hand he will pull you close and snap your neck." One of Gustavo's friend's whisper.

"It's not often that the Nightshade Shadow Moon Pack's Alpha aka the Bloodlust Alpha shows mercy. In fact, he almost never does. So if I were you, I would consider this an olive branch. You'd be fool to refuse his offer." Geraldine replies.

"You would have a human for a Bata?" Several members of his pack scoff.

"Silence!" He roars and immediately everyone's face pales.

"After giving it some thought I shall accept your offer."