Liam’s P.O.V.
If anyone had told a year ago that I’d be living this life, I would’ve laughed in their face.
, Liam Rivers—burn-scarred, anxiety-ridden, practically invisible—was now the Alpha’s son-in-law? A shield protecting the pack? A celebrity? It was insane.
And it was all because of her.
Mai Blackwood.
The girl I had spent most of my life avoiding, and then sohow, despite everything, fell stupidly, deeply, unshakably in love with.
no-touching-before-the-Mate-Bond-Ceremony rule—our lives had turned into an absolute nightmare.
At first, I thought they were joking.
Mai’s parents—Alpha Lucian and Luna Teresa—had always been intimidating, but now? They had beco the ultimate cockblockers.
They had warriors stationed around Mai’s bedroom and also following her around. Warriors.
They banned her from my house.
They even tried to send her away for "training" for two weeks, but she threatened to rip soone’s arm off.
My own parents, bless them, were just as bad.
My mom wouldn’t let leave the house without an escort—like I was so helpless damsel.
My dad suddenly started bonding with . "Let’s go hunting, son!" "Let’s go train!" "Liam, have you ever considered carpentry?"
Carpentry.
I stared at him like he’d lost his mind.
It was embarrassing. It was humiliating.
It was also... exciting.
Because no matter what they did, no matter how many guards they stationed, Mai always found a way to crawl into my bed at night.
And every ti, without fail, I’d wake up to find her smirking at , her green eyes glowing in the dark, her fingers tracing over my scars.
"Miss ?" she’d whisper.
And I’d groan, burying my face in my pillow. "Mai, I swear—"
"Shh." She’d press a finger against my lips. "Soone might hear us."
And then she’d curl up next to , warm and solid and real, and for a few stolen hours, the war our parents were waging didn’t matter.
********
As if dealing with my parents and Mai’s terrifying determination wasn’t enough, I now had a whole new problem.
People liked .
Like, really liked .
Ever since the banquet, where Alpha Lucian announced that I was a Shield—so kind of protector of the pack—everything changed.
People knew my na.
Pack mbers who had ignored my entire life were suddenly smiling, greeting everywhere I went, stopping to shake my hand.
Strangers gave gifts.
Gifts!
One day, I found an entire basket of homade cookies at the front porch of my house with a note attached to it: For Liam.
The next, a little girl ran up and handed a flower, then bolted away giggling before I could even say anything.
And then, the worst part—
I had a fan club.
I realized it when a group of young girls—probably fourteen or fifteen—kept trailing behind in the training grounds, whispering and blushing every ti I looked at them.
Ollie found out first.
"Liam." He grabbed my shoulders, his face deadly serious. "I think you have fangirls."
I frowned. "What are you—"
"Liam." He turned toward the group of giggling girls.
I stared.
They stared back.
One of them squeaked and covered her mouth.
"Oh, no," I breathed.
"Oh, yes," Ollie grinned.
Mai, of course, thought it was hilarious.
"You’re famous," she teased, nudging . "I knew you had it in you."
I groaned. "This is awful. I don’t know how to handle this kind of attention."
"You could always accept it."
I turned to find Eldur leaning against a tree, arms crossed, his usual lazy smirk in place.
I narrowed my eyes at him. "What’s that supposed to an?"
Eldur tilted his head, his silver eyes flashing. "You act like admiration is a burden, but maybe you should stop complaining and start enjoying it."
I scowled. "Says the guy who makes people cry for fun."
He grinned. "Exactly. I’d kill for a fan club."
Mai snorted. "No, you wouldn’t. You’d set them on fire just for the fun of it."
Eldur’s smirk widened. "Well. Maybe just a little."
Ollie clapped on the back, nearly knocking the breath out of . "Face it, Liam. You’re a big deal now."
I groaned again, dragging my hands down my face. "I hate this."
Mai leaned in, her lips brushing my ear. "I love this."
I shot her a glare, but she just laughed.
For the first ti in my life, people looked at and saw sothing more.
I wasn’t just the quiet, scarred kid who stayed in the background.
I was sobody.
And it was overwhelming. Terrifying.
But also... nice.
And then there was Mai.
Mai, who dragged into this ss.
Mai, who ignored every rule, climbed into my bed every night, and smirked when I tried to tell her to stop.
Mai, who was my mate, and sohow, even with all the chaos, even with our insane families and my ridiculous new fan club—made my life feel perfect.
I didn’t deserve her.
But I wasn’t letting her go.
Not ever.
********
Two Weeks Later
The full moon hung heavy in the sky looking as stunning as ever. Golden lanterns swayed gently in the night breeze, their light flickering against the backdrop of the dense forest. A massive bonfire roared at the center, illuminating the gathered pack mbers who stood in a wide circle, their voices hushed in reverence.
I stood among them, heart hamring like a drum inside my chest.
Tonight was the night.
Tonight, I would finally, irrevocably, unshakably be bound to Mai Blackwood.
I turned my head slightly, and there she was—walking toward with the confidence of a queen, her long, curly brown hair glowing like fire in the moonlight. She wore a flowing silver dress that clung to her curves in a way that had my mouth going dry. The dress was delicate, but Mai was anything but. She was strength wrapped in beauty, wildness concealed in grace.
She was everything.
Her beautiful green eyes locked onto mine, and for a second, the world around us blurred.
"Breathe, Liam." Ollie nudged from behind, his voice dripping with amusent. "Try not to pass out before the ceremony even starts."
I sent him a weak glare, but my fingers were trembling. Not from fear—no, never fear—but from the sheer weight of it all.
I was about to make a vow that would tie to Mai for the rest of my life.
The other twelve couples stood nearby, each pair caught in their own bubble of anticipation, but I barely noticed them. I barely noticed anything other than Mai and the way she was looking at —like I was the only thing that existed in her world.
Then the ceremony began.
Alpha Lucian’s deep, authoritative voice echoed across the clearing, commanding everyone’s attention. He stood before the bonfire, his eyes glowing with pride. Luna Teresa stood beside him, her expression softer but just as powerful. My parents were there, too—my mother wiping tears from her eyes, my father standing straighter than I had ever seen him.
They were proud of .
I never thought I would see the day when my parents looked at like this—like I had beco soone worth admiring. They love yes, but I had never seen them look at like this.
Master Adrian and Gamma Juliette stood nearby, nodding at with approval. The weight of their recognition made my heart swell. I had spent so long in the background, unseen, unnoticed. But now... now I was standing in the center, with the woman I loved, and I wasn’t just existing.
I was living.
Alpha Lucian raised his hands, silencing the murmurs.
"Tonight, under the full moon, we gather to witness the sacred union of these mates," he announced, his voice filled with power. "The Moon Goddess has chosen them for each other, and they will now pledge their souls as one."
A soft murmur of excitent rippled through the pack.
I barely heard any of it.
Mai stepped closer, standing directly in front of , and my breath hitched.
Then it was ti for the vows.
My throat felt tight as I reached for her hands. Her skin was warm—so warm it sent tingles shooting up my arm.
I swallowed hard. I had rehearsed my words a hundred tis, but now, standing before her, they felt too small.
But I spoke anyway.
"Mai," I said, my voice raw with emotion, "I spent most of my life believing I was invisible. A scarred shadow lurking in the background. But then you ca crashing into my world, and suddenly, I wasn’t invisible anymore. I was yours. I’ve tried to fight it, I’ve tried to make sense of it, but the truth is—I don’t want to fight it. I don’t want a life without you. You terrify . You infuriate . You challenge . And you make feel alive in a way I never thought possible. So, under this moon, in front of our pack, I vow to stand beside you. To fight for you. To love you for every single day that I breathe. Even when you steal all the blankets. Even when you drive insane. Even when you break the rules and sneak into my room at night. You are my mate. My ho. And I am yours."
The pack exhaled collectively. So sniffled. So chuckled at my ntion of the blankets.
But all I saw was Mai.
Her green eyes shimred with sothing I rarely saw—vulnerability. She squeezed my hands, drawing in a shaky breath before speaking.
"Liam," she whispered, "I don’t deserve you."
My heart clenched, but she wasn’t done.
"I have done things I regret. I have hurt you in ways I can never take back. And yet, you still look at like I’m sothing worth loving. I don’t know why you do, but I promise you—I will spend the rest of my life proving that I am worthy of you. I vow to be your strength when you feel weak, your shield when you feel unprotected. I vow to love you, even when you frustrate . Even when you say ridiculous things in your sleep. Even when I want to throw you off a cliff, I will still choose you. Because I love you, Liam. And I always will."
A lump ford in my throat.
Soone sniffled loudly in the crowd. I was pretty sure it was Ollie.
Alpha Lucian stepped forward, his eyes shining with sothing suspiciously close to warmth. "Then let the bond be sealed."
The mont the words left his mouth, the energy in the clearing shifted. The air grew thick with power, buzzing with the undeniable force of the mate bond.
Mai and I moved instinctively, leaning toward each other.
And then, she bit .
Her teeth sank into the side of my neck, and fire rushed through my veins—scorching, brilliant, unstoppable.
I didn’t even think. I bit her back, marking her as mine, and the connection between us exploded.
It was like lightning.
Like an unstoppable current of power and love and belonging crashing into my soul, binding to her in a way that no force in this world could break.
Mai gasped against my skin, her grip on tightening, and I knew—she felt it, too.
The pack erupted into cheers.
And then, just like that, we weren’t just Mai and Liam anymore.
We were mates.
I barely had ti to process it before strong hands clapped my shoulders, voices congratulating us from all directions.
People embraced us—my mother, my father, even Alpha Lucian, who muttered sothing about not breaking his daughter’s heart before squeezing my shoulder with approval.
The celebration stretched into the night, with laughter, dancing, and endless congratulations. The other twelve couples shared in the joy, each lost in their own world of newfound love.
Then, as tradition dictated, we were escorted to the secluded cabin nestled deep in the woods.
It was ant for newly mated wolves, a sacred space where they could spend their first night together, uninterrupted.
My face was burning as the pack howled behind us, their cheers ringing in the night. Mai, of course, found it hilarious.
She turned to with a smirk as we reached the door. "Ready, husband?"
I swallowed hard. "Not if you keep looking at like that."
Her laughter rang in my ears as she pulled inside.
And as the door closed behind us, I realized sothing.
I wasn’t afraid.
Because I wasn’t alone.
I was hers.
And she was mine.
Forever.
Reviews
All reviews (0)