Luna On The Run!

Alpha Zane’s POV still

Never before have I felt so nervous about a date.

Usually, I’m the one in control, completely in control of the situation when I’m having dinner with a woman. But tonight I feel like an insecure teenager on his first date.

Ariel has agreed to spend the evening with me. I have reservations at an exquisite restaurant in the pack and have planned a walk in the woods afterward to further loosen the mood.

An hour ago I received a report from Kensley that Ariel had managed to find a great dress for tonight. Even he can confirm that it is a creation that looks fabulous on her. The only downside is that she paid for it with her father’s credit card.

When I sent her to Human Town with Kensley this afternoon to go shopping, I gave her a platinum card with instructions that she could buy anything her heart desired. The price didn’t matter, as long as she wanted the items. According to Kensley, she did make some purchases, but they were all on her father’s account. This is not a good sign.

Ariel should know that mated males see it as their duty to take care of their woman and provide for all her needs. Why she insists on behaving as if she were single, I hope to hear tonight at the dinner table. In any case, it is a ray of hope that she has not used Gorgio’s money, for I would certainly not accept it.

After a final glance at my reflection, I leave the bedroom.

Ariel is using the guest room and hasn’t appeared yet, so I go to the bar in the corner of our living room and pour myself a whiskey. I am so anxious to see her, Kensley said it would be well worth it.

And I don’t have to wait long to see it with my own eyes.

Ariel is stunning. The deep green dress fits her like it was made for her. It is not very revealing, the cut of the cleavage showing the first curve of her breasts and nothing more. Her narrow waist is perfectly accentuated by the smooth fabric that falls to her heels. A scarf around her elbows completes her aristocratic look. Undeniably beautiful.

I clear my throat and offer her an elbow.

“You look fabulous, Ariel. Many men will be jealous of me tonight when they see you on my arm. You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen,” I whisper emotionally.

“Thank you, Zane. You look smoking hot too. I have to be careful not to lose you to some she-wolf tonight.” She smiles indifferently as if she doesn’t care whether I’m untraceable tonight or not. Her words are completely meaningless and her voice betrays that.

I decided to ignore her insincere compliment, tonight I will do whatever it takes to save our relationship. Gaining Ariel’s trust is my main goal. Together we walk out the door to the lift, which I held open for her. As the lift doors close, I gently pull her back against my chest. Fortunately, she does not flinch, although I can feel the tension in her body. She could not relax in my arms.

When we reach the main floor, I take her hand and we walk into the car park, where my Maserati is waiting for us. I help her into the car and when I get behind the wheel, I take her hand and hold it on my thigh.

We drive silently to the restaurant and when we arrive we are immediately led into a special dining area, with a magnificent view of the rising moon.

“Ariel, I’ve placed our order in advance so we won’t be disturbed all the time. But if there is a special dish you like, we can still take it”. She shakes her head no.

“I trust your taste. Besides, I’m not really picky about food,” she assures me. And then I think about how little I know about her.

“Tell me, what was your life like in Eclipse Howl? What were your duties?” I asked her curiously. If she tells me a little about her time there, I might learn more about her relationship with Gorgio.

Averted, she looks up at the half-full moon. “My life was great before I came to Midnight Moon. I was the Alpha’s right hand, taking care of the pups who haven’t shifted yet, the most vulnerable,” she answers vaguely.

“But isn’t that the job of the Head Warrior? The Luna often takes care of the females,” I indicate. She sighs and looks me straight in the eye.

“What exactly do you want to know, Zane? Let’s spend tonight getting to know each other better. That’s what you want,” she replies almost ruefully. I grit my teeth by this disrespectful answer but decide not to respond to it. I steer the conversation into calmer waters by telling her about my day’s activities. The forthcoming investments and the Council audit I was expecting.

“They keep harassing me, always wanting to look at my financial records,” I sigh. “I know they’re looking for traces of money laundering, I keep telling them they won’t find any of that. But they keep trying.”

“Yes, I have also heard the rumors that you are involved in a drug ring. You use the funds to invest in your companies and launder it to other accounts,” I hear my mate say calmly.

“And you believe all that?” I ask her in astonishment. She shrugs her shoulders.

“As long as there is no proof, I believe in your innocence. Your books are in order, so you have nothing to fear”. It was hard for me to hide my shock. How does she know all this? The results of the audits always go straight to her father, the Alpha King. And she is no longer part of the pack. Another red flag.

“Let’s go for a walk. It will help digest all that food,” I offer, holding out my hand to her.

We walk in the direction of the forest. Ariel takes off her stilettos and holds them in her hand.

I have a surprise for her, in the middle of the forest there is a hut that I have had romantically decorated for us to spend some quality time in cozy surroundings. My plan is for us to drink some wine there and let our feelings take over for the rest of the evening.

We had almost reached the forest when I felt her stiffen.

Looking up, I see that her face is drawn first in sadness and then clearly in anger.

And following her line of sight, I see my Beta standing there, holding a sexy she-wolf against a tree trunk..