When I pulled out of Bria, she collapsed on my desk, her swollen lips parted slightly and her eyes glazed over with lust. Some of her textbooks shifted on the desk, revealing my favorite mythology book as a kid.

One Alpha.

I pulled the book from the table and sat back on my chair, tugging Bria into my lap. Bria sat on one of my legs and rested her head on my shoulder, her raspy little breaths coming out quickly. After a few moments, she widened her eyes and stared at the book.

"Oh, haha, I totally wasn't reading this while studying," she stuttered.

"Where did you find this?" I asked.

Bria might've thought that I was angry she was reading this instead of her textbook, but part of me felt... pleased with her. Even if she didn't get an A on the test, Bria was trying to learn more about my culture. She had barely officially met the pack yet, but she wanted to know more.

"Your mom said that you loved this book as a kid," she said.

"My mom? When did you meet her?"

Bria smiled softly. "The other day in the library, while you all were eating outside." She pulled her dress down to cover all her bare parts, curled into the crook of my arm, and rested her head on my shoulder. "Tell me what it's about. I'm sure that you're dying to tell me."

And, honestly, I had been.

"It's a myth passed down from werewolf to pup throughout the years." I flipped the book open and moved my fingers alongside the wolf drawn on the first page. I had touched this wolf so many times over the years that the page was thinning. "Nobody else knows about it except us. It's what made me interested in mythology. Mythology might be fiction, but there is an inherent truth to it, which is why it's so important for you to learn the material in class."

"That's why you punished me?" Bria asked, a lightness in her voice.

"For good reason," I said. "Gods and monsters mirror humans in the way they interact. They act, speak, and talk like us. Wolves believe in the Moon Goddess, they worship her, even though we've never once seen her face. We believe in her stories, especially this one."

"I've read some of it," Bria said, moving her fingers alongside the wolf just as I had.

My lips curled into a smile. "I made my mom read this to me every night since I was three until I could read it myself. If she didn't, I'd throw a fit."

"You must've been a pup from hell." Bria giggled. "I mean... you still kinda are..."

After arching a brow at her, I found myself chuckling along with her, loving the sound of her laugh. It was hard to believe that I finally found my mate. After waiting decades for her, I had completely dedicated my life to my pack and decided that I wasn't going to find my mate.

But now... I cherished every moment with her. Even small ones like this.

Because if the Council found out, they could take her from me.

"One Alpha has a bunch of stories about our past and our goddess, the most popular one being about a single alpha centuries ago, who had come to rule all the alphas. He was the strongest of all warriors and led with nothing but goodness in his heart."

"Why is it still popular among the pack?" she asked. "I've seen some people read it in secrecy."

"The book has been banned about ten years ago, by people who think that he'll be back to control everyone and everything again."

"What do you think?"

"Honestly? As much as I love mythology and wish it all to be real, I think that the One Alpha is mostly a fable to motivate alphas to lead without violence, so their packs will prosper. Unlike some other myths, there isn't much historical evidence that leads scholars to believe that it's true. But, like most other alphas, I try to be like him sometimes, because there is too much bad shit in this world now."

Bria's smile faltered, lips trembling slightly. "I know that all too well..."

"What happened in your past?" I asked her, shutting the book. "With your parents."

As much as I claimed to lead with compassion, that didn't mean I didn't want to rip someone's head off for hurting my mate, whether that be now or in the past. From what it seems, Bria's parents hurt her in some way. And I wanted to make it right.

Any way that I could.

"I don't want to talk about it." She shook her head. "Not now."

"Alpha," Milo said through the mindlink.

I placed my hand on Bria's knee and growled quietly, pissed that Milo needed me while I was spending time with my mate.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Adan is demanding to see Bria. He knows that she's here."

Fuck.

"I have to go," I said quickly, picking Bria up, placing her on the chair in my place, and kissing her forehead. "Stay here and don't leave no matter what you hear outside. Do you understand me?"

"What's happening?"

"Nothing, Bria. Someone is just at my pack borders."

Without me having to say anything, Bria stood up, hurried to the window, and inhaled sharply. "Oh, no. No. No. No. No. No. I told him to stay away. What the hell is he doing here?" She paced the room, dragging her hands through her hair. "Fuck."

"Bria—"

"Don't hurt him," Bria said quickly, turning toward me. "Please."

"You're in danger. I will do whatever I need to do to protect you."

"Not Adan, please. You can't kill him."

I froze. How the hell did she know who Adan was?

"How do you know Adan?" I asked. She gnawed on the inside of her cheek and looked down at her feet, sucking in a sharp breath. I moved closer to her and snatched her chin. "How do you know him? He's dangerous."

"I know he is." She turned away from me. "I've seen him kill before."

"Then how do you know him? What were you doing with him?"

"Don't get mad at me," she said. After blowing out a breath, Bria finally turned toward me and frowned. "He was my ex-boyfriend, and he's saved me from more than you will ever believe."