***Tamara***

'You can't do this Tamara, you are the Alpha's mate and soon you will...'

'Become the Luna officially blah blah blah....You are not even making any sense Janette' I cut her short before she could ruin my mood completely. I was tired of her talking about the same thing, insisting relentlessly that I wasn't supposed to help in the kitchen.

'Tamara, Alpha won't like this at all. He wanted us to stay indoors, that is why he left a guard at the door which you apparently deceived to have your way. '

'Would you just chill? I am tired of lazing around. I only need to help serve then we'll go back before our mates notice. ' I had reached to a conclusion that, I would start trying to mix with the pack members despite their open repugnance towards me.

'The Alpha is your mate, but he is my leader Tamara. Being here is defying his directives and I am not ready to be on his wrong side. '

'Not only is she defying the Alpha and the leader of this pack, she is also behaving like the Luna. ' Monica's exasperating shrill voice filled the entire pack house kitchen. The clack of her heels on the marble floor tiles filled the room with an abhorrence vibe.

Janette and I stood unmoving as she approached with her mated friend, Mrs Kagwe hot on her heels. These two were wicked , deriving glee in my pain with every chance they got. I had hoped that they would keep off if I kept on taking no notice of their assaults. Seemed that my expectations were almost impossible to be met.

'What do you want Monica? ' Janette questioned, tugging my hand for us to leave before things got heated up.

'I can see being the Beta mate has given you enough audacity to question me. ' Monica mocked, sizing my friend in apparent distaste.

'Lucky for you, I don't have time for you. As for your evil witch, ' She paused directing her make up layered eyes to me.

'I know you must have bewitched your way to the Alpha's arms. There is no way the moon goddess paired Alpha Ryker with. ' She raked her eyes up and down my profile before finishing her statement.

'You. ' She spat the word loath fully, plastering a plastic smile on her face. My lips remained sealed, even as Janette continued pushing me slightly to just let it go.

'That is no way to talk to your next Luna. ' Uncle Pete waltzed in, a black hawk head walking cane in his left hand. His eyes were intense on Monica and her friend, with his lips pulled in a thin line.

'Pete. ' Monica addressed him, her eyes cast on the marble tiled floor.

'You should be lucky it was me who heard you address her in such a flippant manner. If it had been the Alpha...' He left it at that, letting his warning sink deep.

'Tamara. ' He turned to me, his eyes seeming awfully familiar. Up till now we had never met in person. I would see him in the pack grounds once in a while but something about the guy was making me edgy.

He came closer to me, twirling and spinning his cane effortlessly. I swear my intuition went haywire with every step he made towards me. I remembered my mother's words as he smiled at me, his gaze on me never faltering.

Trust your intuition, it will solve the puzzle.

Looking at him right now, I couldn't help but feel like her words were fit for this moment. He stood beside me, then turned his head inclining it towards me slightly.

'Your Luna title will soon be official, you might wanna start acting like the leader you are. ' He smirked, satisfied with the choice of his words.

'Don't let anyone walk over you, especially women that have had a share of your mate. ' His innuendo lit up my insides in raw anger and jealousy that I couldn't control.

The trigger roused a feeling I'd thought I'd never feel again after my mate had set it off previously. A tornado brew inside of me at his blatant test on my character.

He had reminded me yet again of my mate's sexual escapades with Monica. It didn't sound that he was defending me, quite the contrary now. I had been right about him, he was a viper, getting under my skin while pretending to be a nice person.

'Down girl, I was only trying to empower you. I didn't mean to agitate you by jogging your memory about how your alpha mate was a man whore before you became his mate.' That did it for me.

His utterances only twisted the knife in the existing wound. I could feel the control over my body both externally and internally breaking free sprightly and swiftly. I was cognizant of the invisible force taking root in my vessel. It's tendrils began stretching and twining over my consciousness.

Soon I would be a stranger in my own body.

'Tamara! you're scaring me Tamara! ' The part of me that still remained unaffected could make out Janette's panicked voice as she attempted to shake me into reality. Her trial remained fruitless on me.

'What the fuck is wrong with her? ' I could see Pete stepping away from me in surprise, confusion and raw disbelief. Monica and Mrs Kagwe stood transfixed on the floor as they witnessed my transformation.

Raw unadulterated power filled me, making me feel as if I was levitating. My eyes were forced shut in an instant and I could only hold on as my body was twisted to the left.

My vision was clear as day and yet my eyes were tightly shut. I had zero dominance over my movements and administrations. My arm shot out towards Pete, my index finger pointing at him against my will. The force did as it pleased with my mind, soul, body even my own voice.

'Let this be the last time you talk about our mate in such a discourteous way. ' I couldn't even recognise my own voice as my voice box vibrated. The words that slipped past my lips did so unwillingly. The worst part about it is that I could hear them as I uttered them, but I didn't want to say them and neither did I have any jurisdiction over them.

'Alpha Ryker belongs to us, only ours to cherish, love and mate with as we please. Beware of what you say in our presence. ' My voice ascended gradually, spotting a cautionary and defensive tone.

I could decipher Janette's confused expression as she took in the words. Monica's eyes were wide in shock, her mouth open as she listened. Pete stood still, his eyes fixed on my eyes. His look mirrored that of a person with gears turning in his mind. So he was deep in thought, trying to understand why I had suddenly stood up to him.

If only I knew

'Tamara!! ' I registered Ryker's voice from a far.

'Come back to me little witch, please come back. ' My mate begged, like Janette, attempting to shake me.

The force suddenly vanished as if it hadn't been there. I almost collapsed on the floor were it not for my mate pulling me to him. I didn't realise I had been crying until his thumb sort out my cheeks and wiped away my tears gently.

'It's okay honey, I am here now. ' His soothing voice rubbed my insides, it's calming effect helping me settle down.

His long embrace made me feel protected within safe walls. In that hug, I let my body sag. I felt my muscles loosening up and my worries dissipating to nothingness with his arms wrapped around me tightly.

'You came. ' My voice had become croaky, making me want to stop talking.

'Of course. As soon as I noticed a disruption in our bond, I knew something was wrong. I could feel your uneasiness and anger filtering through, so I left the training and ran here. ' He explained.

'Who roused those emotions Tamara? ' His grim unyielding exerted dominance as he spoke. I kept my mouth shut, now that I had come back to my senses, I knew he would engage his uncle.

'Don't make me read your thoughts little witch...Yo.'

'It was your uncle. ' Janette vented, shooting me a side look.

'Where the fuck is that old man? ' His voice boomed, undeniable and recognisable anger coating it.

'He was right here when you came in. ' Where had he disappeared to now? I knew he wasn't afraid of my mate because he had Alpha blood running in his system, so why had he left quietly.?

Abruptly an image of the pack meeting grounds flashed before my eyes. I had no explanation whatsoever but I was certain I had just seen it.

'Alpha, an indescribable foul smell has been detected by the guards around the infirmary. ' Theo ran in the kitchen, half nude. He had shifted to his wolf on his way here, then shifted back.

That is when it clicked, the flashing image of the pack meeting grounds.

'It's happening in the central part of the pack. ' I pushed my thoughts to my mates head.

'What? ' He asked aloud.

'It's another distraction and the only place I can think of right now is the central part of this pack. ' I answered.

The pack meeting grounds.