Page 53 of A Luna's Revenge

“Look around you, Tracy; we have the best cells in the territory. I had them add some nice things to make you comfortable.”

“I don’t give a flip about best cells and nice things now! I am concerned about the fact that I am locked up!” Her voice has increased in volume to a scream. Thank the goddess for soundproof walls.

“We had this discussion.” I get stern with her. “You need to trust me on this. You won’t be incarcerated long, and I will come to Stone Mountain to pick you up soon.”

“Stone Mountain? What do you mean, Jenson?” Her screech is a cross between a banshee and has the same effect as nails on a chalkboard. I resist the urge to cap my hands over my ears or around her throat. Goddess, was she always this annoying?

“You are being escorted to Stone Mountain today to stand trial for mate bond tampering.”

“Is that a real thing? Mate bond tampering?”

“Yeah. And it’s against the law.” I capitalize on her ignorance of the term. “So, you need to keep your mouth shut until I can get down there and release you, okay?”

She stomps her foot. Really? She stomps her foot! How old is she? I don’t know what I ever saw in this female. She isn't even a fraction of the class and charm that is Charlie.

“It better be worth it, Jenson, for all I am going through and pregnant to boot!” She hisses. “I want to be Luna and rulethis pack! I'll make a wonderful Leader.” She parades around her cell, throwing kisses at her imaginary audience.

“Goddess,” I whisper out of the corner of my mouth.

“What did you say, Jenson?” She points her finger in my face angrily.

“I said, you never know; my Luna did run off after you arrived.”

“As she should.” She declares triumphantly. “She knows when the Alpha is getting an upgrade in the Luna department. And, I come with an heir on board. Hahahaha!” She rubs her stomach and laughs like you would imagine, all nasally and similar to a donkey braying. “Get it?” She punches me on the shoulder. “Baby on board, heir on board.” Her laughter dies down. “Anyway…”

“Yes—anyway. Be on your best behavior and keep your mouth shut.” She gestures as if locking her mouth and throwing away the key. Then smiles at me. Ah, there’s the appeal, I think to myself sarcastically. She is a beautiful female when her mouth is shut. I roll my eyes and shake my head.

“Upgrade?”Asher spits. “You are seeing this, aren’t you, doofus? That is amajordowngrade.If you get stuck with this one, I may move on because her wolf is just as annoying as she is.”

“Shut up, Asher. Where’s some wolfsbane when you need it.”

Alpha Blake

Around noon, we arrive at Little Silver Creek Pack. Stepping out of the SUV, we are greeted by Alpha Jenson and Enforcer Orson. After shaking hands, Alpha Jenson invites us all in for lunch. As we enter the pack house, twofemale enforcers take our prisoners to use the restroom. Afterward, we all meetin the dining hall. The meal is placed on the bar and served buffet style. With our high metabolisms, wolves are accustomed to eating large, full meals. I load my plate and sit down. We all keep watch over the prisoners so everyone has a chance to eat.

I dig into my meal while Alpha Jenson barely touches his food. I took a moment to scrutinize him, and after everything Charlie had told me, I saw him in a new light. He’s not a good male; he’s a cheater. As I watch him, he starts to share his troubles. I soon realized he was in a similar situation to Alpha Devon; he didn’t prioritize his mate. What is wrong with these shifters?

"Alpha Jenson," I say after he finishes, "I know you understand that your Luna is a gift from the goddess and deserves to be treated as such. I've heard of Charlie, and she’s been a bright star for the territory. If you're fortunate enough to win her back, you must treat her right. I don’t have my Luna yet, but when I do, I hope I’m wise enough to put her above everything else. This might sound disrespectful to the pack, but my Luna will always come first." I emphasize, "That's why it's so important to treat a good mate well—she should always be your top priority."

After finishing our meal, the enforcers take the prisoners back to the SUVs and wait for us there. Alpha Jenson, Enforcer Orson, and I go to the basement to collect his prisoner. Their basement is modern and almost identical to the Still Waters Pack prison cells.

Enforcer Orson unlocks the cell door and out walks a heavily pregnant female. While Charlie had told me the entire unsavory story, it was shocking to see a pregnant she-wolf incarcerated.

I meet her eyes, and an electric pulse charges through me. Her eyes widen. She feels it, too. She's a beautiful woman, and my wolf comes to the forefront. "Mate." He growls. I amenamored by her beauty. I reach for herto touch her face, and it dawns on me thatthis female is not honorable. Her actions have deemed her unworthy and untrustworthy. She has broken the law and used magic to attempt to destroy a mate bond. She isn't someone I can trust to put above my pack, put before everything. As much as it pains me, I can't accept her as my mate. My eyes burn as I blink and turn away.

Tears roll down her cheeks as she realizes the consequences of her actionsandhow she has doomed our relationship to failure. "I—I'm sorry." She stutters.

Everyone is looking at us in astonishment. I take a deep breath. "What's your full name?"

"Tracy Marie Vincent," she whispers.

"Tracy," I hesitate. "When are you due?"

"Any day, now," she pales.

"I am going to remain at Stone Mountain until you are delivered of your pup," I caution, "At that time, I will reject you."

She nods as the tears continue to flow.

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