Moon Bound Desires

Chapter One:

The full moon's pale rays shone through the stained windows of a local inn, being the main source of light in the lounge that was also used as a bar. It was crowded in the building tonight, a gathering of some sort. Unbeknownst to humans, it was a pack of werewolves that spent a lot of time there. Most nights the inn was alive with chattering drunks and reunions with members of the pack that have strayed a little too far away from home.

Through the bustling sounds in the inn's lounge, a woman sat alone at the bar away from the rest of her pack. After so many years, she has returned here. Being around familiar faces should've been a joyful experience but what lead up to her arrival back to her hometown was nothing of the sort.

She stared down at her reflection in the bronze liquid, swirling it with rotations of her glass. Her bereft, blue eyes looked the same as when she was gazing at her reflection last night in the bathroom mirror.

Her platinum blonde hair, free from its usual braid, hung loosely down the back of her small nightgown with a few stray strands in front of her face. More pressing thoughts lingered on her mind instead of worrying about her appearance. She had half the mind of confronting her mate over her suspicions of him being unfaithful or pretending that nothing was wrong. If she pretended, then everything would stay the same, right? She bit her lip in bitter frustration. She may not be from any dominant bloodline, but even her timid wolf couldn't allow such a thing to stand. She thought she had found her mate, the one she was meant to spend forever with. And yet, her instincts were wrong. She wasn't surprised her instincts failed her, they were unreliable for such a weak wolf.

A wealthy man in humans' eyes. Respected and admired by the pack. But she knew very well that if her suspicions were correct, respect and admiration will be snatched from his hands in a blink of an eye. But did she want that? No... not really. Her feelings were complex but she wished no ill will upon him. Ever since she suspected an affair, she began to ask herself, do I still love him? Unfortunately, she knew the painful answer and that there may be no happy ending for her.

So, she mustered up all the courage she could with a deep inhale, squaring her shoulders and brushing her bangs behind an ear before making her way out of the bathroom. Within their bedroom, her mate sat on his side of the bed. Phone in hand, fingers tapping away at a glowing screen. Who is he texting...? Once again she felt that familiar anxiety leaving a heaviness in her chest. She did her best to keep a straight face, not to let her emotions show. It did not help that she could sense his wolf was unhappy. Lacking satisfaction with a hint of annoyance.

The moment she sat down at his side, he locked his phone but didn't look at her. He was hiding something. The stretch of silence between the two only made her heart pound harder. Waiting for him to speak first wasn't going to happen, so she swallows the nauseous lump in her throat before speaking.

"Dillon..." Her words get caught in her throat even after making up her mind to confront him. There was a hint of a whimper in her voice. How pathetic. Is it too late to turn back? Her tail wasn't even visible and yet it could easily be imagined between her legs. When no more words came to her mind, she instead reached out a hand towards his lap. But to her dismay, he snatched her by the wrist tightly, even startling her. There was another stretch of silence until finally, a sigh escaped his parted lips along with a heavy voice.

"Amelia," the words that followed after he said her name was a blurred memory, but it no doubt left a scar inside.

"Amelia... Amelia!"

The sound of Dillon's voice saying her name blended into a familiar voice that she hasn't heard in a long time. It was the bartender who has been her friend since childhood. He smiled with curiosity and amusement. The playful wolf was always teasing her as older brothers do.

"You've been spaced out for a while. Daydreaming again?" He asks while wiping clean a champagne glass.

Her freckled cheeks burn as her eyes darted back down to her drink that she has yet to take a sip of. Out of all of his teases, this wasn't one she could quip to.

"Don't pester her, Trent! That's the last thing she needs after what that asshole did to her." A sharp growl came from behind Amelia, making her jump as another friend from her childhood takes a seat next to her. She then smiled comfortingly while placing a hand on Amelia's shoulder. The dominant, feisty wolf had been babying the shyer wolf for as long as Amelia can remember. Always running to her rescue when she was in need.

"I wasn't trying to mess with her, Nikki." Trent's playful grin melted into a sour frown faster than expected. He had heard of what happened between his friend and a fellow member of their pack. There was a hint of resentment in his eyes for the wolf that had emotionally wounded his friend.

"No, please, don't... I mean, I'm fine. I'm fine." Amelia clumsily stumbled with her words but she wasn't fooling anybody, not even herself. Repeating "I'm fine" was just a reflex she's had since she was a child where she tries to remain strong so that she doesn't worry others. Being an inconvenience was one of the biggest fears she has.

Nikki and Tent looked at each other with silent concern until Amelia's charismatic friend flashed her a mischievous grin.

"Well since you're single, why not get ready to mingle?" Nikki chirps a little too excitedly.

"That sounds like a bad idea in all kinds of ways..." Trent mumbled as if talking to himself, his eyes focused on the glass he was wiping down.

"Of course, you're the one who thinks they're bad ideas. Jealous much?" Nikki turns the tables and makes Trent the target for humor. He even almost drops the glass because of his sudden flustered state.

"No! I'm just worried about her! Your jokes aren't funny, Nikki." Trent quietly growled while Nikki gave a short laugh.

"No thanks, I'm fine right here." Amelia finally regains a little more assertiveness. As much as she'd rather be beneath the full moon's rays tonight, she'd rather get drunk enough that hopefully she'll get amnesia on last night. Besides, it wasn't just shyness that killed her confidence to "mingle" with other wolves in their pack. After last night, her self-esteem was ruined over her body. Was she not pretty enough? Too short? Were her breasts too small? In her mind, she was convinced that all of her doubts about her self-image were true. And their relationship was short-lived, making it even clearer in Amelia's eyes that any wolf could get bored of her figure. Amelia seemed to shrink in her baggy, white sweater just by her cluster of negative thoughts alone.

Once again, her friends could see right through her. Trent finally set down a very clean champagne glass and leaned over the counter with his crossed arms on the wood.

"Listen, Ame, don't worry about a thing. Nobody in the pack will think poorly of you. Disagreements, fights, and other embarrassing stuff happen all the time in the pack but we all still take care of our own, right? It doesn't matter how long you've been away from home. You're still one of us." Trent reassures her with a gentle smile as he played with the braid she always kept swept over her shoulder. It always came down to what the pack felt as a whole since the carefree werewolves had no alpha.

Amelia smiled back gratefully with a small nod of her head. Trent has always been very kind to her in her times of need. Being back with her pack was refreshing, but being back with her two closest friends was very comforting.

"I'd have second thoughts if I were you." Nikki elbowed Amelia in the ribcage a couple of times before pointing at a man across the room sitting on a couch in a crowd. Even within the cluster of laughter and conversation, the stranger kept his stare on her.

"Who is that...?" Amelia asked confusedly. It was her first time seeing the wolf within her pack. His sleek, black hair and faint goatee complimented his handsome face and taut figure. But what captivated her the most was his amber eyes that looked as if fire reflected in them. His gaze was breathtaking.

"Sebastian Cloy," Tent muttered, his gaze narrowing at the dark wolf in the corner of the crowd. There was a hint of distaste in his voice.

"He recently joined our pack. The guy just popped up out of nowhere! A lone wolf looking for a home and our righteous selves couldn't just turn someone away when they're in need of course. He's a lil shady but damn is he a hottie! Talk about the bad boy type, I tell ya." Nikki seemed to talk about him as if she knew every detail somehow. Either from paying too much close attention or experiencing first hand. Either one would be no surprise.

"He's a fucking scoundrel." Trent corrected her. Nikki just childishly stuck out her tongue at her friend.

The bickering from Amelia's friends slowly seemed to fade when she gazed at Sebastian. He was certainly foreign and gave off a strong presence as if she were looking at an alpha.

But he's just some lone looking for a pack. Why here? In an alphaless pack? His presence may be strong, but it also held something else. Something that could put your fur on end. And that something felt like a magnet pulling at her, wanting to get closer. But what was it that compelled her?

Curiosity? Attraction? Seduction?

She couldn't deny that just looking at him stirred something deep within her.

Chapter Two:

"Hey! Earth to Ame, you here?" Nikki snapped Amelia out of her thoughts with a few snaps of her fingers close to her distracted friend's ear.

"Ah! Sorry, sorry! I was... um..." Amelia was at a loss for words. Lying wasn't her specialty and it was obvious that she had been gawking at the new wolf among them. Her freckled cheeks flushed in sheer embarrassment all because Nikki was giving her a sly smirk meanwhile Trent frowned warily. It took Amelia a few seconds to realize that Trent wasn't looking at her, instead, he was staring over her shoulder. Nikki's smirk swapped into a surprised expression right as Amelia felt a presence approach behind her.

Amelia's usual instinct was to freeze and pretend she hasn't noticed anything until she was spoken to directly. If she was in her wolf form, her tail would be bristled. Amelia heard the bar stool on the other side of her make a low creak as the stool's feet grazed the wood floor and the cushioned seat became occupied.

"Hey," Comes an alluring voice.

"...Hi." Comes Amelia's nervous mumble, a shy greeting was all she could accomplish. Even looking him in his eyes was a struggle. Amelia has always been the timid type but her confidence has burned to ashes after last night. Why would someone so attractive want to talk to a bland, boring wolf like her?

"Nicole," Sebastian greeted the brunette in a friendly manner, obviously already acquainted with her since he called her by her real name.

"It's Nikki." She crosses her arms with an insulted expression. She's always hated being called by her real name. Meanwhile, Trent just pretended like he wasn't even there as he got back to work cleaning another glass.

"Who's your friend?" Sebastian ignored Nikki's sass. Her correction over her name didn't seem to matter one bit to him since his attention was focused on someone else. He could tell he wasn't going to get much of a response out of the blonde woman so he might as well ask someone who's more prideful.

"This is our long-lost friend, Amelia. She's been out of town for a while and just came back today." Nikki lands a hand on Amelia's shoulder who, once again, was hunched over while staring at her reflection in her untouched beverage.

"Out of town, huh? Why did you come back?" Sebastian's amber gaze drifted from Nikki to Amelia. His charismatic tone disguised his nosy questions. And yet Amelia still felt like she was being interrogated.

"There was nothing worth staying for back there." Trent was the one who answered with a quick response, his tone unfriendly but he still stared down at the glass he was cleaning as if there was a stubborn stain he was struggling to remove.

Sebastian finally looked Trent's way. His charming grin faded upon the slightest hint of hostility. Amelia could feel a frightening spike of aggression coming from the strange wolf but he didn't show it on his face or anywhere in his body language. The spike only lasted for a split second and then the dark-haired male smiled once again while looking at Trent. Amelia could sense that the new wolf instinctively commanded respect.

"I see. Well, you know what they say. Home is where the heart is." Sebastian looked back down at Amelia again when he spoke his last sentence. Though he stared at the fidgeting female, he still beckoned to Trent with a snap of his fingers. Without speaking he was ordering a drink. When you are in the presence of a wolf whose blood reigns supreme, you know when you're a lower rank and know when you need to obey. Trent frowned bitterly but prepared a drink for the newcomer anyways. He had half the mind of giving him the shittiest drink there is to sell but the last thing he wanted was to get his tail bit off in a fight. Instead, he decided to be spiteful in another way, choosing the highest quality drink there is, and the most pricey. Even though it was probably affordable for a man whose whole attire looks pricey enough.

Nikki watched Sebastian with a confused look in her eyes as if she was struggling to comprehend something. She had spoken about him as if she knew almost everything there is to know about him. Was he acting differently than normal? Either way, she kept silent and continued to observe his behavior.

Amelia had finally started to relax just enough for her to peek up at Sebastian's face. Through Trent's wary demeanor and Nikki's troubled thoughts, Amelia on the other hand was engrossed. Handsome with vague intentions, seemingly outgoing and friendly to the naked eye, and yet he had a motivation.

Once again, she feels that magnetic sensation that made her want to come closer to the male. To see what his skin felt like and take in his scent. It felt as if the cowardly wolf she was had finally started to crawl out of her hole and, of all places, go into the forest's darkest shadow.

And then their eyes locked once more. Her blue eyes were like calm water while his irises looked as if they burned like fire was trapped inside them. The daring look in them was enough to make you think he was the devil himself. How unlikely of a man with such an outgoing smile.

"They... say you were a lone wolf before coming here... why were you? Didn't you come from a pack?" Amelia's sudden straightforward question took both Nikki and Trent by surprise. It wasn't often their shy friend spoke so boldly, no matter how quietly.

It was a big question that played on everyone's mind. He was a wolf from a high-ranked lineage, possibly related to alphas. If that was the case, then it was very odd that someone of that status would leave his pack behind. The three of them fell dead silent as they waited for Sebastian's response. His silence was unnerving.

Then he eventually smiled again, and just for a second, Amelia could've sworn she was looking at the devil himself right before he answers her question.

Chapter Three:

"An opportunity for terms, you could say." Sebastian once again gives a vague response.

The three friends looked at each other confusedly. What was that supposed to mean?

Trent loses track of the task he was given at hand and almost overflows Sebastian's drink. He even almost spilled it as he became flustered over his clumsiness but he still skillfully steadied the alcohol before it could slip down the sides. The reddish liquid filled almost all the way up to the brim and then Trent slid it over to Sebastian. Trent didn't acknowledge him at all as he did so as if he was sliding another glass in place to prepare for closing up the bar. Sebastian was able to ignore the other male wolf's reluctant attitude this time without getting hostile. The dark-haired man took his beverage and lifted it in the air in front of Amelia.

"To new beginnings!" He toasts.

Amelia finally realizes that her own beverage was still sitting between her hands and she hurriedly held it up to his.

"To new beginnings." She speaks without thinking about the words coming out of her mouth. The blonde was still enchanted and instinctively followed his lead. Amelia watched as Sebastian threw his head back and chug almost all his alcohol. It was impressive how he could do so without gagging. Even Nikki blushed quite a bit while watching him. Trent curled his lip in disgust. Amelia looked down at her drink and took a hesitant sip, the moment she did was the moment she already felt like puking. The smell alone was enough to make her hurl.

"Don't push yourself, Amelia, you know you can't hold your alcohol," Trent warned his fragile friend in a soft voice. He used the word "alcohol" because it didn't matter what beverage it was: whether it was liquor, wine, vodka, or beer, the petite female couldn't handle any of it. And yet here she was, trying to get drunk to forget about the painful events from last night.

"She can handle it." Sebastian unexpectedly spoke for Amelia this time. Somehow his voice had a bit of a commanding tone. His expression however remained attentive as he watched her hesitant to drink anymore.

Trent looked surprised over the way Sebastian just spoke for his friend as if he knew her better than his friendship that's lasted since childhood. He couldn't stop the surprised expression on his face twisting into insulted hostility. Trent attempted to ignore Sebastian and speak to Amelia again.

"How about I get you something else? Do you want some water? Or juice? I think we have some... maybe. We definitely have fruit, so I can make you some juice if you want. Hope you don't mind lemons and limes though." Trent's caring generosity brought a thankful smile to Amelia's face, a smile that appeared on her lips for the first time since Dillon had rejected her. That little bit of success in cheering up his friend made his annoyance over the new wolf slowly fade away. He even put a hand on top of the one Amelia was using to hold his drink in place.

The gentle touch Trent gave to Amelia's skin made that familiar rage spike in the dominant wolf again. This time Sebastian bared his fangs with a warning snarl. Danger glowed within the fire in his eyes. Sebastian's sudden hostility made Trent yank his hand away from Amelia out of shock and intimidation but he still growled back at the dark wolf. Amelia jolted when she was sandwiched by two superior wolves at each other's throats, her heart began to pound so hard that she could hear the beat in her eardrums.

"Hands off." A deep growl rumbled out of Sebastian's chest.

"Who the fuck do you think you are, lone!?" Trent snarled back. Though he showed nothing but aggression toward the other male wolf, he still kept a distance away from him from behind the counter. The cluster of conversations within the lounge came to a standstill and all eyes were on the two wolves that looked like they were about to shed blood. Sebastian remained firmly seated on his stool as he glared up at Trent with a gaze that said "Choose your next action wisely." Trent continued to growl at him with bitter hostility in his eyes, his feet were a little jittery as if he was ready to move when he needed to do so.

Nikki looked back and forth between the two wolves before leaning over the counter and grabbing Trent's arm tightly.

"Trent, stop it! You're making a scene! The last thing Amelia needs is for you to start beating up new people in front of her! Just leave it alone." There was the faintest hint of a growl in her tone as she whispered urgently in her angered friend's ear. The confrontation between the two wolves eventually ended when Trent swallowed his sour feelings and turned his head away.

Nikki's attention went from Trent to Amelia, seeing that her petite friend was more surprised than afraid. Surprisingly, since the blonde was always easily frightened. Amelia was obviously more enchanted by the dark wolf, unbothered by his aggressive encounter with her friend. Sebastian was clearly only interested in Amelia and Amelia alone. For some reason, he was also fixated on her. But Amelia didn't seem afraid or uncomfortable, so Nikki didn't try to jump to her rescue like Trent just did.

"C'mon, let's just go. Isn't your shift over? I think some fresh air would do your hot head some good." Nikki tried to lighten his mood with a tease and frisky wink. Trent just huffed with frustration as he was dragged along by his arm when Nikki brought him past the counter. He looked at Amelia and Sebastian one last time before frowning uncomfortably. Even the sight of the scene was disgusting to him.

Trent had always been overprotective of Amelia. Who wouldn't be? She was so small, fragile, and shy. And yet Sebastian reminded him of a snake, playing with a mouse. But in the end, he followed Nikki's lead and took off his work apron, and followed after his other friend. All he could do now is acknowledge that Amelia is a grown wolf and can take care of herself.

However, it did concern her the way Sebastian would look at her. There was something not right... as if he was waiting for something. Or to do something.