As much as I wanted to go call Bree to see what was actually going on with Beckham, I needed to spend time with my sister. I led her into the living room and we sat on the same couch while Colm and Vincent sat in the armchairs. 

“Colm, shouldn’t you be helping Neo?”

“He hasn’t called me.”

“Maybe you should go find him and tell him my sister is here.”

“Fine. I see how it is…you just don’t want me here!”

“Malcolm, I see you everyday; let me spend time with my sister.”

“Fine, fine. I see how it is.” 

Malcolm stood, his sandwich already devoured and left the house. Hopefully he really went and found Neo. I turned back to Ness but it seemed like she was having a private mental conversation with Vincent; her eyes refocused on me at the same time that Vincent stood and left the room. Well, that couldn’t be good. What did she have to tell me that warranted such privacy?

“I have a message for you from Alpha Jefferson.”

“And you couldn’t tell me in front of Vincent or Malcolm because?”

“It’s about Beckham.”

“What about Beckham? Why couldn’t Jefferson tell me himself?”

“He’s afraid Beckham would eavesdrop on any conversation pertaining to you.”

“What is going on?”

Ness looked nervous, and all her tells were being played out. She didn’t want to tell me, but she’d been ordered to; it had to be bad.

“Ness, what is going on?”

My newfound authority as an Alpha seeped into my tone, turning my question into a command; my sister was strong but she wasn’t an Alpha and she couldn’t resist;

“Alpha Jefferson told me that Sam wasn’t killed by a rogue. He was murdered by Beckham.”

“What?! No, that’s not possible, I was there! I saw the rogue…I saw him pick up Sam by the neck. I-I didn’t see his face clearly before I passed out.”

“Alpha Jefferson found Beckham with blood on his hands a few hours after you and Sam were found in the clearing. He said it was Sam’s blood.”

“Why…why would he kill Sam?”

“Jealousy, or at least that’s what Alpha Jefferson said.”

“Why didn’t Beckham get arrested? Why would Alpha Jefferson allow him to remain friends with me? To go to school with humans?”

“Alpha Jefferson only learned Beckham’s motives recently, by accident. Beckham has a tendency of speaking out loud, to himself or his wolf and Alpha Jefferson overheard something pertaining to you.”

“Pertaining to me?”

Before Ness could answer, the front door opened and in walked Neo and Malcolm; along with Maria who seemed to be the mediator for the boys’ debate on whether or not nachos qualified as a salad. Neo was saying that no, nachos were not a salad while Malcolm was saying that because nachos consisted of a protein, cheese, something crunchy, vegetables and fruit, if there was olives and guacamole, that yes nachos were a salad. 

“Nate, babe please tell Malcolm that nachos aren’t a salad!”

“Sorry babe, but I agree with Colm.”

“The betrayal!”

“Come here, what can I do to apologize?”

“I need a kiss,” Neo pouted, 

“Is that all?”

“Is there more that you’re willing to give?”

“When we’re alone, I’ll show you.”

I kissed his cheek while he short circuited and gave my sister a pointed glare. We spent the rest of the evening playing corny board games and watching cheesy sitcoms; it was  the perfect night…but I couldn’t forget what Ness had told me about Beckham. My friend wouldn’t kill Sam, why would he kill Sam? No, Alpha Jefferson was mistaken…Beckham would never kill our best friend. What information about me and the death of Sam did Ness have? 

Neo picked up on my change in mood; even though we hadn’t completed the mating process, he took my hand and squeezed, bringing me out of my thoughts. Disturbing as they were; being here with him had a calming effect and soon thoughts of Beckham and Sam retreated back into the little box labeled ‘Purple Moon’. I cuddled closer to him; despite our height difference, I was the one that liked to be held and comforted. Neo had a soothing aura, and he put me at ease.

“I never thought I would see the day that my dramatic brother would be tamed.”

“Oh shut up Ness. Like you’re one to talk.” I countered,

“Fair point. We’re going to go to the Pack House and get some rest. See you tomorrow, okay?”

“Get some sleep.”

Malcolm and Maria left with them, they lived together in the Beta’s quarters in the Pack House; leaving me alone with my mate. Actually, this was the first time we'd been truly alone since the lake. I sat up a bit, to put some distance between us and Neo pouted, already missing my warmth.

“Babe, why’d you move?”

“I was wondering why we haven’t completed the mating process yet.”

“What brought this on?” Neo asked nervously,

“Seeing my sister and her mate, and Colm and Maria got me thinking that I want that. I want to feel everything you do. I want to be whole.”

“Okay…”

***

Neo and I looked at each other in the dim light of my bedroom; we were both so new to this and we were nervous. That much I could tell, even without the completed mate bond. To humans, loving someone so completely after such a short amount of time would be considered crazy, and committing to them so completely, and irreversibly would be insanity…but to supernaturals and especially werewolves; it was completely normal. Expected even and it usually only took a few hours for mates to complete the bond. A month was unheard of, but in our defense we’d been a bit preoccupied. 

“I love you. I never thought I would find a mate that would accept me so readily…even if you gave me a scare in the beginning but after meeting your dad…I don’t blame you. I’m ready to be yours in every way, and I accept you as my one true Alpha.”

I saw tears in Neo’s eyes before he took my hands in his,

“I love you so much. The moment you entered that classroom I knew my life would never be the same. I was so scared something would happen to you, or I’d lose everything. I wanted to avoid you until I could talk to my dad…but then I gave you a papercut and that went out the window. I am also ready to be yours in every way, and I accept you as my Luna, my partner, my soul.”

I kissed him deeply; how could I resist such beautiful words? The last time someone had confessed to being in love with me…was Sam and he died that same day. I wasn’t going to let anything come between me and Neo. He was my future, my soul, my heart. I didn’t think I could love someone so completely…but Neo continued to prove me wrong on many things.

Neo’s hands moved to the hem of my shirt, but instead of pulling it over my head; he ripped it up the middle, I gasped, allowing Neo’s tongue to delve into my more than willing mouth; he pushed me gently backwards until my knees hit the bed, and we fell in a tangle of limbs onto the sheets, Neo’s mouth ventured from my mouth, to the corner of my lips, down my jawline, to the crook of my neck where his mark would rest for all our lives. I’d never felt like this before, never been touched this way before, and I wanted…no I needed more. I tore open Neo’s shirt, the buttons popping and scattering across the room; in my passion fueled haze, I didn’t care that this shirt was probably expensive, I needed to feel my mate’s skin against my own. I needed that friction against my body.

Clothing was becoming a restraint, and I hated the feeling of the denim against my inflamed skin. The electric shocks from the bond was more than enough to cause me to reach that familiar summit, I pushed up against Neo and flipped us so i was now on top, he was beautiful in all areas of life, but beneath me, at my mercy; cheeks flushed, chest heaving, and eyes glazed over in his lust…a look only I would see was enough to push me over the edge, I could feel Dixon pushing for control, he wanted to be penetrated. He wanted to present himself to his Alpha, but I only wanted to mark him as mine tonight. We had the rest of our lives to test out how slutty and sinful we could be for our Alpha.

My fangs elongated, and I placed hot, open-mouthed kisses on his neck and suckled the spot where I wanted my mark to go; Neo was mewling beneath me, his hands gripping my ass and kneading the muscle there through my underwear, I bit into his skin and I felt his body tense before he roared out his release; he flipped me over, his eyes blazing. He pinned my arms above my head, securing them there with one hand while the other explored my body. His hand undid my jean button and undid the zipper in one deft motion; he didn’t touch me directly, only played with me over the fabric of my boxers. He didn’t even try to reach into the flap, what a tease!

I struggled against his hold, only to be met with his iron thighs and his hold on my wrists tightening. His eyes blazed gold, and he smirked;

“You had your fun Wild Cat, now it's my turn.” the deep timbre of his voice was enough to tame me a bit, but I still struggled to get the friction I desired…but the more I struggled, the tighter his hold became,

“If you behave, I’ll give you what you want…are you going to behave?”

I nodded my head and Neo’s satisfied smirk grew, and his hand that was toying with me over my form fitted boxers, finally delved into the easy access flap and he began to leisurely stroke my already throbbing member; I wanted to thrust against his hand, find my own release but I had promised my Alpha that I would behave, so I stayed still.

Neo sucked the sensitive skin of my neck into his mouth, leaving a decently sized hickey behind, and once I felt the familiar taught cord in my gut, he bit into the skin there. Fireworks erupted behind my closed eyelids, and satisfaction unlike anything I had ever felt alone overtook my body, leaving it a pile of goo. I was a limp noodle by the time Neo rolled off me and laid beside me, kissing my wrists and licking away the bruising. Only mates could heal one another this way, and my heart swelled with love as I looked at my mate tending to my wounds.

Once he was satisfied, he pulled me to him, and despite our height difference I accepted my place as the little spoon, I passed out into bliss filled oblivion shortly after Neo pulled a blanket over us; whispering his I love you into our newly formed mate-link.

I love you too, my Alpha.

***

For the duration of her stay, I didn’t get the opportunity to be alone with Ness again. I knew she wanted to get me alone, to continue her warning…but I didn’t want to hear it. There was no way Beckham was evil. There was just no way he could’ve killed the boy that confessed his love to me in the forest; no way he killed our best friend of over a decade.

On the last night of her visit, Ness finally pulled me away from my mate as I was leaving our office; she looked annoyed,

“I know you’ve been avoiding me Nathan Leslie Boris O’Rourke!”

“You can’t prove that. I’m very busy. I’m the Luna of a very large pack and we’re preparing for the Summit.”

“We need to talk.”

“Asking to talk with me really shouldn’t start with you full naming me.”

“Come on.” She pulled me by the ear towards an empty room; judging by the scent it was her’s and Vincent’s. She released me, and I rubbed my sore cartilage while she sat on the armchair. 

“Was that necessary?”

“Yes. Sit.”

I sat on the bed, and she looked at me, her face serious before she let out a long drawn out sigh before she pulled out a file from a stack of them on the table beside her. She handed it to me, and waited for me to open it.

It was a file on our transfer and the reason behind it. There was a transcript of a phone conversation between Joseph and Alpha Jefferson, and Alpha Jefferson told Joseph that the reason we were selected was to protect me from Beckham. He was afraid that another rejection would send him over the deep end, and his psyche would snap. Alpha Jefferson had been afraid for my life, and what my death would do to Beckham once he snapped out of it. This couldn’t be real.

Why would Alpha Jefferson be so concerned with me rejecting Beckham? Beckham was straight, and he had a girlfriend…Bree. His mate. I voiced this outloud to my sister and she looked flabbergasted,

“There’s proof of his mental state in there. Transcripts from Beckham’s therapist. The DNA test results from the blood found on his hands. Nate, I know he’s your best friend for the last twelve years…but he’s sick. He’s deranged and believes that you’re his mate.” 

“No. Not possible. Beckham is straight. He has a girlfriend. There’s no way he’s been in love with me and never told me.”

“Nate, you’re in denial and that’s not safe. Especially with the Summit coming up. You need to tell Neo about this. You need to tell Neo everything you can remember about the day Sam died. You’re blocking out the most critical detail of that day.”

“No! I was unconscious, I didn’t see anything! Beckham didn’t kill Sam! He wouldn’t!”

“Nate, stop being so blind to the facts! Beckham is dangerous! Especially to you and Neo!”

“I want you to leave. I won’t have you slandering the person that got me through the hardest year of my life.”