Chapter 1. Stay

"What the hell, Jace?" I yell at my Beta, staring at the little goddess behind him. 

In the short time, she has been in his company, the girl has put all her trust in Jace. She counts on his protection as she takes all the time to examine me. 

Jealousy wells up in me. 

“Hi Alpha, my name is Mercedes”, she suddenly speaks up, her innocent marbles still pointed at me. Her voice is hoarse and soft, I could listen to that all day long. I get down on my knees to get a better look at her. 

“Mercedes. What a beautiful name you have. You can call me Zane, okay?”, I whisper to her. She smiles brightly at me and steps out of her hiding place. 

“Would you like to come with me to the packhouse, Mercedes? I want to ask you some questions about how you got here," I say still softly. "And you must be hungry." 

She nods eagerly, looks down for a moment and then back into my eyes. 

“But I don't have a wolf. Can I ride yours then?” she asks, clearly delighted at the prospect. "What's your wolf's name?" 

“My wolf's name is Jax. And he really loves to take you on his back”, I let her know. I get up and look at the men around me. Jake stares at me in disbelief and when I look at my Head Warrior Cleo, she is also uncomfortable with the situation. 

“Come with me to my office. I have some announcements to make. We leave here in wolf form”. I quickly shift again and Jax lays low for our mate. Deftly she climbs onto his back and holds on tightly. Obviously, she's done this many times before, I'll ask her more about this later. 

Jax makes a bigger detour to the packhouse, enjoying the pup's joyful cries. Her black hair is blowing in the wind, she is urging him to go faster by hitting his flanks with her legs. But he wants to keep her safe and probably also wants to have her longer on his back and holds a moderate stride. 

Half an hour later we reach the packhouse. Once Mercedes is off Jax's back, I go behind a tree to shift and get dressed. When I get back, I offer her my hand which she accepts without hesitation. 

Jace and Cleo disappear for their own shift. We wait for them to return and walk to my study. I put Mercedes on the couch and sit next to her. Jake and Cleo both take a one-seater. 

“Jace here is my Beta, Mercedes. Tell me everything you told him when he found you. What is the name of your pack and how did you end up in the woods?” I ask in a low voice, all smiling. I don't want to scare her into holding back. 

“I don't know, Zane. I had fallen asleep and when I woke up, I saw Jace looking at me," she says smoothly. “I was in the woods behind the packhouse in my pack, I was playing with Marco and the others”. 

Her big innocent eyes stare into mine, and I am immediately convinced that she is telling the truth. 

"That is good. And what are the names of your parents and your Alpha?” I ask her now. 

“Mommy's name is Selin and my daddy is Marc. They are the Beta of Alpha Ahri”, she replies fluently again. I look up to Jace, so her father is his colleague. The Betas in the region also stayed in contact in a digital chat group, so he could easily trace this information. He nods and takes his phone. 

“Who did you last see when you fell asleep in the woods?” I ask her. I take her hand in mine and press it encouragingly. She still stares at me as she shakes her head. 

“While we were playing, I tried to hide in the woods. Marco didn't come to catch me, so I laid down on the ground to wait. I haven't seen anyone," she says again. I understand that there is nothing left of her story, whoever kidnapped her has ensured that he remains unseen. But even then, the question remains, why would someone snatch a pup from her family? 

“Tell me, Mercedes. How old are you? Are you going to school already?” I now ask her with interest. She smiles wider, the school probably has good memories. 

"I am ten years old. And yes, I'm in fifth grade. My teacher is Alyssa and she is very sweet”, she chirps. “She says I'm adorable too. She often gives me fruit that she brings from home. She says it's healthier than chocolate." I nod in agreement. 

“That's absolutely true. And if Alyssa gives you some of her own fruit, you must be her favorite student,” I compliment her. The smile couldn't be better, her eyes sparkle now. 

“Mercedes, would you like to come more often in my pack? During the school holidays or when you don't have homework in the weekends or something like that”, I ask her carefully. 

As my mate, I must have her with me as often as possible. She's underage, so I know I'll have to wait until she's eighteen to claim her and officially make her my Luna. My biggest problem is my pack, Midnight Moon. Not only am I the most feared Alpha in this region, but I am also widely respected. The news that my mate is only a teenager isn't going to hit the pack well. 

And I will have to make it clear that I am by no means a pervert. By announcing my mate at her early age, the Moon Goddess prevented me from waiting too long for her and succumbing to the temptation to take a chosen mate and Luna. I look back at Mercedes, who can't take her eyes off me. 

Carefully I stretch out my hand and stroke her head. She doesn't flinch back from my touch, which means I’ve already gained her trust. That's the perfect start. 

Now I need to talk to her parents and the Alpha about this exceptional situation. 

“Yes, Zane. I'd like to live in the packhouse with you. But I have to ask my mom and dad first," she replies...