HARDIN
It was the first time in my life I didn't know what to say.
The Moon Goddess—out of every possible choice—had f*cking given us a human mate.
A mere human. Seriously?
Even if I ever planned to accept my mate, it couldn't be someone so weak. It was already bad enough when Father forced us to welcome the Stone Pack into our ranks, and to seal the deal, he married their second daughter.
Now this, finding out that their fragile, powerless daughter was supposed to be our mate?
Completely ridiculous.
"You see? Even Hardin doesn't believe that nonsense," Enor said quickly, her voice sharp and smug.
Aaron ignored her. Without a word, he went over to Elara, switched on the electric heater, and gently draped a blanket over her. It was like we weren't even in the room anymore.
Enor, of course, couldn't stand being ignored. She stomped forward and yanked the blanket off Elara, throwing it to the floor before smashing her heel against it in fury.
And that was when it happened.
Something inside me snapped. Lyon stirred violently, clawing at the surface. My vision tinted red as I moved before I even realized it, crossing the room in a blur, and seizing Enor by the throat fiercely.
Her fingers clawed at my hand as she struggled to breathe, gasping softly between chokes.
"A–Aaron…" she croaked, but I couldn't stop.
I didn't have the strength to fight it. I didn't even know if it was Lyon's rage or mine. All I knew was that something in me refused to let her disrespect that girl again.
Just before she passed out, I loosened my grip and shoved her backward. She fell hard, coughing and wheezing as she crawled toward the armchair nearby.
When she looked up, her face went pale. She stared at me like she was seeing a monster, and maybe because that's exactly what I'd become.
Because at that moment, I wasn't just Hardin.
I was the beast inside him, unleashed.
And I couldn't explain why I was protecting that human.
I actually didn't want to. Maybe part of me did. But I hated every second of it.
"Get lost. Now."
My voice came out low and dangerous, rumbling with a growl that didn't sound entirely human.
Enor didn't wait for me to say it twice. She scrambled toward the door on her hands and knees, shaking as she stood to open it. By the time I blinked, she was gone, her scent already fading from the room.
I turned to Aaron, who was walking toward the bedroom without a word. As if none of this drama just unfolded.
"Seriously? You're just gonna leave her here all by herself?" I asked, motioning toward Elara's unconscious form on the couch.
He stopped halfway and looked back at me, his expression unreadable. "She seems more comfortable there. I don't want to disturb her, alright?"
I exhaled sharply and ran a hand through my hair. "That's exactly your problem, Aaron. You've never dated a girl before, have you?"
He frowned slightly. "You know that's not a question that needs an answer. You already know I haven't. She'd be my first."
"Right," I muttered under my breath. There's no point asking. I don't even know why I did it. "You're hopeless when it comes to women."
He glared at me, but I ignored it. "Listen, you don't let a woman, especially your supposed mate, wake up on a couch. What do you think she's gonna feel when she opens her eyes and finds herself there? Comfortable?" I scoffed out loud. "No. She'll think you didn't care enough or maybe you just dropped her there."
Aaron sighed, his patience thinning. "Look, Hardin, suit yourself. All I want is for her to rest peacefully tonight. If you think she'll be better off somewhere else, then do it. But stop lecturing me."
I stared at him for a moment, shaking my head. He'd always been the calm one, the thoughtful one, but sometimes that calmness made him blind.
He didn't get it yet. Elara wasn't just a girl anymore. She was our mate— F*ck, I can't even believe I'm accepting that.
I lifted her gently into my arms and carried her to my room.
Unlike Aaron's, mine had always carried this dark, almost haunting vibe. Even our parents refused to step inside the first time they saw it.
They'd said it looked like a haunted house; the walls painted in shadowy tones, dim lights, and the heavy scent of smoke and iron plus my strong scent, it was too much for them.
But that was me. I preferred mystic, quiet, and commanding spaces, places that reflected the storm I carried inside.
I laid Elara carefully on my bed. She didn't stir, she didn't even flinch. Her breathing was slow, and shallow. On her chest, a necklace rested, a piece of steel shaped into a small wolf.
Curiosity tugged at me. I leaned closer, tracing the carving with my eyes.
It wasn't the kind of thing Thomas would ever give her; that man barely tolerated her existence. Maybe it had belonged to her dismissed mother. Maybe it was the only piece she had left of her.
I sat back, dragging a hand over my face before pulling off my tie, then my shirt and trousers until I was left in just my boxers.
My gaze drifted back to her. She looked peaceful, almost like she wasn't of this world.
Was she even breathing properly?
I cursed under my breath as I went inside the bathroom, shutting the door behind me.
F*ck. What the hell was wrong with me?
Why was my head suddenly filled with thoughts of her?
Then Aaron's voice echoed in my mind, his tone calm but uneasy.
"Are you okay, Hardin?"
"What—why?" I shot back.
"I'm feeling restless right now, and that's not me."
I hesitated before replying. "You done showering?"
"Yeah. I'm guessing Elara's inside your room right now."
"Why? You don't want her in my room?"
"Of course not. Just… take care of her. If you can't, bring her to mine."
My jaw tightened. "Just fuck off, man. I'm not like you. I can take care of a woman even if I don't feel a damn thing for her. It's not that deep. So, relax."
He went quiet for a beat. Then..
"Just touch her if you can't take it. I know you want to—"
I severed the mindlink before he could finish. He tried reconnecting, but I blocked him off completely. The last thing I needed was Aaron crawling into my head, stirring things I didn't want to admit.
No. I wasn't going to touch her.
I wasn't even supposed to want to. Never. I definitely wasn't going to do that.
And yet… with her lying there, inches away, I could feel her presence pulling at something inside me.
Strangely, her scent wasn't as strong anymore, maybe because I was subconsciously pushing it back. Whatever the reason, it was better this way.
Because no matter what fate or the Moon Goddess thought, I would never accept this human as my mate.
After showering, I walked back into the room, and she was still asleep.
She didn't make a single movement, or even a twitch. Just nothing.
A frown creased my face. Was something wrong with her?
Who even slept that still? It was almost unnatural. Even for a human, this was strange.
I didn't bother drying off completely before I crawled onto the bed beside her. The duvet I'd used earlier was still neatly tucked around her small frame, so I lifted it carefully and slid under.
Slowly, I eased my arm beneath the pillow her head rested on. Still, there was no reaction from her. It was really strange she didn't even stir. Just deadly still.
Finally, my hand reached her back and settled there.
Her skin was cold now, very cold, it was alarming. A few hours ago, she'd been burning up.
"Seriously?" I muttered under my breath. "You just keep switching from one extreme to another." as if she could even hear me.
Instinctively, I pulled her against my chest, hoping my warmth would balance her out. Her heartbeat thudded faintly against me. Steady, but weak.
At least she was breathing fine. That was something.
But then it started, the familiar pull deep inside me. A restlessness rising like fire under my skin. I knew it was happening again.
"Just stay calm, Lyon," I whispered harshly. "What you're pushing for isn't happening."
For a second, there was silence again. Then I tilted my head, my chin brushing the top of her hair.
And that's when it hit me.
Her scent.
Sweet, warm, and intoxicatingly wild. It slid into my lungs like poison and everything inside me, every ounce of the restraint snapped inside of me.
No. No, this isn't happening.
"Lyon!" I growled inside my head, but he didn't answer. He was already trying to take over, clawing at my control.
Before I knew it, I shoved Elara back onto the bed and jumped off, breathing hard.
That was when she finally moved, her body twitching faintly, her lips parting with a soft exhale before her eyes slowly fluttered open.
And then she looked at me.
Those eyes—icy blue, sharp as moonlight, kind of eyes, locked onto mine, and my heart nearly tore out of my chest.
Her gaze held me still, and those lips… those soft, maddening lips looked like they were made to be kissed.
"F*ck," I muttered, dragging a hand down my face. "What the hell is wrong with me?"