MATED TO THE SECRET ALPHA
Chapter 73: She’s Mine

Chapter 73: She’s Mine

Zeta Detroit’s rugged features filled her vision, his face inches from hers, as his warm breath whispering against her skin.

"Mirian, are you alright?" Reana’s voice sounded, breaking the spell that had held Mirian entranced. She’d gotten off her horse at the first sign of trouble and now striding purposefully to her side.

Zeta Detroit’s gaze never wavered from Mirian’s, but his grip on her tightened slightly, as if reluctant to let her go. Mirian, still dazed, nodded slowly, her eyes locked on the piercing blue ones that seemed to see right through her.

"Let her go," Reana ordered, her hands morphing into razor-sharp claws as she walked forward, exuding the air that only belonged to a Luna, her eyes flashing with a fierce protectiveness.

Zeta Detroit’s gaze flicked to Reana, his expression unreadable, but he didn’t relinquish his hold on Mirian. Instead, his gaze shifted to the man striding over behind Reana, a lazy, yet cold smile tugging at the edges of his lips.

Zeta Detroit’s pupils dilated as his breath caught in his throat. At once, he let Mirian go, carefully setting her down. Mirian, as if not expecting that, swayed but his hand shot out, wrapping firmly around her waist to stable her.

"I like her," he said without being asked, as if explaining his bizarre reaction. His gaze, though respectful, locked onto Reana, or so it seemed.

Reana, her group, and even the entrapped Mirian froze at the confession, the air thickening with a heavy, unspoken meaning.

The Dark Snow Pack warriors, too, seemed taken aback, exchanging uneasy glances. Ryder’s expression, however, remained inscrutable, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly as he regarded Zeta Detroit with a calculating interest.

"I want her," he said again, his voice low and raspy, the words dripping with a quiet intensity as he held Mirian close to his chest, almost knock the air out of her.

He seemed to be looking at Reana, but when you look carefully, you’d realize he was talking to the man behind her, Ryder.

"She’s not a property!" Reana’s eyes flashed with anger, her claws extending further, air thick with tension as if she would launch at Zeta Detroit at any moment.

As for Mirian, her face burned with a mix of embarrassment and trepidation. She tried to push away from him, but he wouldn’t budge.

Kira and the others also got off their horses, half-transformed as they stood behind their Luna, their eyes gleaming with a fierce loyalty.

If a fight was to break out, without a doubt, they’d lose, still, they were courageous, despite the fear buried deep within them.

"She’s mine," Zeta Detroit said again, but this time, his gaze shifted to Reana, cold and unyielding.

The air seemed to vibrate with tension as he took a step forward, his massive frame towering over Reana.

Mirian felt a shiver run down her spine as she realized that Zeta Detroit was not just making a claim – he was issuing a challenge. "S– stop it, I’m not a pro..." she stammered, trying to sound braver than she felt. But when Zeta Detroit’s gaze snapped back to hers, she trailed off, the last letters sticking to the back of her throat.

"I like you," he said to her, his voice brooking no argument, "You’re mine." Mirian’s eyes widened at the possessiveness in his tone, but before she could respond, Reana intervened.

"Mirian!" Reana growled, her eyes blazing with a fierce protectiveness. How could she let her pack member be ensnared by these...these infidels who’d waged war against the moon goddess?

Her mind suddenly snapped as the nightmare from night’s ago resurfaced, the ominous warning echoing in her mind;

[He’s a rebel. He’s not one of us. Beware, he carries the curse of the moon.]

Reana’s belief hardened, it had to be him. The nightmare was talking about him. Just as she took a step forward, ready to battle it out with him, she felt a pressure on her shoulder.

"My Luna," he said softly, eyes locked on Zeta Detroit who’s eyes shook as his gaze snapped back to Ryder.

"Don’t rush into this," he continued, his grip was firm but gentle, a subtle reminder that she needed to keep her emotions in check.

Reana, unaware of the subtle shift in Zeta Detroit and his fellows shift in demeanor, as she’d been distracted by Ryder, felt a sense of frustration wash over her.

She hesitated, her gaze darting back to Zeta Detroit, who now watched her with a calm, scrutinizing expression. The hostility, the aggression, seemed to have melted away, replaced by a subtle worshiping gaze that made Reana’s skin prickle.

"The woman had said she’s not a property. A gentleman takes rejection with grace," said, the man who caused mayhem in his previous life over a rejection.

His voice was smooth as silk, but laced with a subtle warning. Zeta Detroit’s gaze lingered on Mirian for a moment before shifting back to Ryder, a hint of surprise flickering across his face.

Alpha Snow preaching about gentlemanly behavior was a joke, a sarcasm, it had to be.

Their own ways were different. When they liked a she-wolf and she showed just a tiny bit of interest, they claimed her. If she was destined to another, they fought it out, and the winner took the prize, but if there was no winner and the she-wolf can’t decide who she wanted, she could keep them both.

It was the law of the wild, the way of their pack. Ryder’s words were a thin veil, a pretense of civility that Zeta Detroit saw right through, or so he thought.

For a moment, the two men locked eyes. Then, to Reana’s surprise, Zeta Detroit nodded, a small, enigmatic smile playing on his lips. "You’re right," he said, his voice low and raspy. "I apologize for my...impertinence." He went on his knees and kowtowed.

Everyone in Reana’s group gasped, but the Dark Snow Pack warriors knew who the apology was for.

Snapping out of her shock, Reana called out. "Mirian, come here."

Without missing a heartbeat, Mirian rushed up to Reana, but a weird feeling stirred in her heart.

As the group got on their horses once more to leave, Mirian couldn’t help glancing back at Zeta Detroit who just got on his feet. When their eyes met, a shiver ran down her spine.