Romancing Her Chosen Mate

Saxon

Music blasted. Laughter echoed. Liquor flowed. The atmosphere was filled with jubilance. Tonight was Graydon’s last night as a single man. A single wolf. He was finally turning in his bachelor card and settling down with Calliope. Saxon Arcadia, alpha of Lakewood walked onto the large terrace and his presence was immediately felt. His muscular stature and asphalt-colored skin always drew attention. The long, thick locks that hung from his head only added to his rugged, yet menacing aura. His piercing, dark eyes were full of mystery. Whenever Saxon entered a room, everyone’s mouths hung open in amazement. His commanding, regal nature befitted a pack leader. Like his father and grandfather before him, Saxon had come from a long line of onyx wolves. They were a rare breed. This was the only bloodline with skin and wolf coats black as night. It was their camouflage. Saxon could blend in with the darkness and you would never see him coming.

Because of their pure bloodline, onyx wolves had been unanimously appointed as the pack leaders. Every Arcadian pack leader had descended from the onyx wolf line. The same would hold true for Lakewood. Honor and responsibility were always given to the male heir. If there were multiple male heirs born to the reigning pack leader, the honor was bestowed upon the heir who was given the birthmark that did not appear until his teen years. Born amongst three male heirs, Saxon’s birthmark did not appear until he was fifteen. Everyone initially concluded that his brother Samson would be the one to follow in the footsteps of Conri Arcadia and lead the pack. He had gifts that Saxon’s parents believed were signs his birthmark would eventually come. It wasn’t until the night before Saxon’s fifteenth birthday that the mark appeared. For months he hid it. Being the youngest and most rebellious, he had no desire to be the pack leader. Little did he know the mark would eventually be seen by his mother, who then told his father.

From that moment on, Saxon’s father began preparing him to lead their pack. Life for Saxon instantly changed. He went from feeling free to feeling as if the world was on his shoulders. There had been a lot of trial-and-error on his end as he adjusted to his new role. Finally accepting his role and no longer rejecting it, Saxon stepped into the role he was inherently chosen to fulfill. The more peace he made with his decision, the more gifts surfaced.

Saxon was blessed with remarkable strength and foresight. He saw things before they happened, while they were happening, whether he was there or not. His gifts became apparent to his father years ago when he warned him of an attack heading their way. His premonition allowed his father to prepare ahead of time. In turn, they decimated their enemies with little to no effort. It was during this attack that his father saw how strong he was. Saxon moved through the enemy wolf pack like a madman. He slaughtered most of their enemies. By the time he finished, he was soaked in blood. The few who remained scattered into the wind, never to be seen again.

Saxon moved towards the stairs that led to the lower terrace. As he made his way through the crowd, people nodded their heads and greeted him. As the Lakewood pack leader and a soon-to-be father, his appearances were few and far between these days. With Fiona expecting, he wanted to be by her side every second of the day. He’d assumed so many different roles, including that of a husband. Yet Saxon knew becoming a father would be by far his greatest challenge. He would fulfill that honor.

Saxon continued to scan the crowd, recognizing several familiar faces. Suddenly, he stopped. His skin began to tingle. His body temperature instantly heated up. Saxon slowly turned around, not wanting to draw too much attention to himself. Scanning the crowd, he spotted an unfamiliar silhouette mischievously moving around. Unable to see the man’s face, he moved to give himself a better view. By the time he did so, the mysterious man was nowhere in sight. Shaking off his suspicions, he sipped more of his drink before he spotted Graydon talking to his cousin Tane.

Saxon and Graydon had known each other their entire lives. He was from a different litter of onyx wolves. Their fathers had been distant cousins, yet they had managed to grow up close. Graydon was finally crossing those burning sands into married life. Saxon was glad to have some company. He had chosen his mate, Fiona, some time ago. Since then, they’d been joined at the hips. Although he loved Fiona, he couldn’t lie about missing the reckless camaraderie he and his fellow males shared.

“To Graydon!” Saxon shouted, interrupting everyone’s conversation.

“Graydon!!” Everyone else chimed in.

“Congratulations, my brother,” Saxon said, as walked towards Graydon, patting him on the back. “I am proud of you for finding love. You are a lucky man to have found your mate.”

“Greetings cousin.” Saxon hugged Tane.

Saxon’s lips curved upwards into the charismatic smile that let everyone know, including Graydon, that he was in a good mood.

“Thanks, Sax. That means a lot coming from you.”

Graydon beamed with pride. To hear Saxon hold him in such high regard made him proud. Being the pack leader, Saxon’s word was law. His stamp of approval was like gold. Any and everything had to go through him. As second in command, Graydon didn’t have the responsibilities and weight on his shoulder as Saxon did. During celebrations, everyone had a rare chance to see Saxon’s fun side. Saxon held a gold chalice in his hand: a gift passed down from his predecessors. This was one of the priceless items only the alpha possessed.

“Anytime, brother. How are you feeling?” Saxon glanced over him. “Nervous about the upcoming festivities?”

“Nervous is an understatement,” Tane blurted.

“Terribly,” Graydon admitted. “I’m going to miss all of this.”

“I’ll let you two talk. I see some sexiness that requires my immediate attention,” Tane said, before walking off.

Saxon laughed. He knew all too well what Graydon was going to miss. Graydon had a reputation for being a wild one. Tane too. The rumors about their escapades hadn’t escaped his ears. It was one of the many reasons why Saxon hadn’t wanted the responsibilities of being an alpha wolf. There had been plenty of nights where he would have gladly handed the title and everything that came with it to either one of his brothers, Samson or Colt. Freedom meant way more to him than responsibility.

“I won’t lie and say you won’t,” Saxon told him. “It’s definitely a different life. I enjoy the moments I’m able to revisit them… responsibly.”

The two men shared a laugh. As they continued to talk, the uneasiness Saxon felt before locating Graydon returned. This time, Saxon could feel the danger in every fiber of his being. His muscles began to contract as he fought to subdue his inner wolf. The sun was setting and the moon was partially peeking out. Perusing the crowd, Saxon spotted the mysterious figure from earlier. This time, he was standing next to another man Saxon didn’t quite recognize. Initially, he figured the men were people Graydon or Calliope knew. But the more he observed them, the more he found them to be strangers. They looked out of place and weren’t interacting with anyone. It was another sign that something was off.

Saxon watched them for a little while longer. The two men continued to stand side by side, watching everyone, speaking to no one. Occasionally one would lean over to speak to the other one, but that was it. Which was completely odd. Especially at a bachelor party. A Lakewood one at that. Lakewood was known for its over-the-top parties. Howls, music, and drunken laughter could be heard for miles. Another flag for Saxon. Neither of them was drinking. They seemed to only be here to observe and he needed to know who they were.

“Gray, I need you to identify someone for me. Turn around slowly. Do you know those men standing over there?” Saxon asked.

Graydon followed Saxon’s instructions, gradually easing by his side so that he could see who he was referring to. Facing the same direction as Saxon, he looked at the two men. To keep down any madness occurring, their celebrations were kept private and only open to pack members. It was the safest way to ensure drunken behavior didn’t start a war prematurely.

“Sax, I have no idea who they are. Maybe Tane does.”

Saxon shook his head. He knew his cousin wouldn’t know who they were. As popular as he may have been, Tane rarely congregated with people he didn’t know. As an alpha, caution was always a top priority. Being acutely aware of the pack’s surroundings was how they kept everyone safe. The fact that all of Saxon’s alarms were going off meant something wasn’t right.

“I doubt it. You know Tane doesn’t frolic with outsiders.”

Graydon chuckled. “Yeah, you’re right. But they’re not guests of mine. You want me to ask them to leave?”

Saxon processed what Graydon had just said. If he didn’t know who they were, why were they here? Scanning the room, he looked to see if there were more people he didn’t recognize were there. As his eyes surveyed the room further, he tapped Graydon’s arm—signaling to Graydon that there was another person he didn’t recognize.

“I’m going to ask them to leave.” Graydon started to move.

Saxon reached out to grab his arm. “No, wait. Tonight is about you. Go enjoy yourself. I’ll keep an eye on them.”

“You sure, Sax?”

“Positive.”

Another hour passed and the party continued. As the sky transitioned from beautiful colors to blackness, the party got livelier. Drinks continued to flow. Everyone was enjoying themselves. Saxon kept his eyes on the uninvited visitors but continued to enjoy himself.

Joining in on the fun, Saxon participated in the traditional wolf chant done for all the Lakewood men at their bachelor party.

It appeared nothing could go wrong. The instant Saxon’s let his guard down, he regretted it.

Moments following their chant, a sound so deafening rang out, completely silencing the music and forcing everyone’s head up towards the balcony.

Ahhhhh, someone screamed.

Oh my god!!! another person yelled out.

A woman’s body was thrown over the balcony seconds later, landing on the terrace floor. Her body, gruesomely torn apart, was on the ground as she bled out. Her skin was severely bruised, barely hanging onto the bone. Her hair was soaked in blood, her clothes tattered. Her face was viciously clawed, making it hard to recognize her. It took only a few seconds for Saxon to realize who was behind this. And a few more to realize who was lying dead on the ground.

Calliope.