The Unravelling Desire

Leonard

Leonard had always prided himself on his discipline, his restraint, his unshakable control. His life had been built on duty—first to his family, then to his business empire, and finally, to his position as Beta of the Moon Treasure Pack. Emotions had no place in his carefully structured world.

And yet, last night had tested him in ways he never thought possible.

Never in his life had he craved someone's presence so deeply. Never had he felt the need to touch, to hold, to claim another person with such intensity. It was maddening.

Eila.

Her name alone sent a shiver through him. Her scent, that intoxicating blend of wildflowers and morning dew, still lingered in his sheets, on his skin, in his veins.

Last night had been the hardest battle of self-control he had ever fought. Lying beside her, feeling the soft warmth of her body against his own, had been an exquisite torture. Every fiber of his being had urged him to mark her, to complete the bond, to make her his.

His manhood had pulsed with aching need, his wolf, Zade, roaring at him to take what was theirs.

But somehow, miraculously, he had resisted.

If he hadn't left when he did this morning, he wasn't sure he would have been able to hold back any longer.

Leonard exhaled sharply, dragging a hand through his dark black hair as he slipped out of Eila's room. As soon as he was gone, his body felt the loss like a phantom pain, an emptiness that gnawed at his core.

She's ours, Zade growled. Why are we leaving her?

Because we are not animals.

Speak for yourself.

Leonard ignored him, forcing his mind back into focus as he descended the grand staircase of Blackwell Manor. The kitchen staff was already preparing breakfast, the scent of fresh bread and roasted meat filling the air.

Grabbing a light meal, he instructed the servants to bring breakfast to Eila's room when she woke up. She would need the nourishment to support her delicate body.

Just as he was about to retreat to his office, a sudden roar thundered through his mind.

"LEONARD BLACKWELL! HAVE YOU LOST YOUR DAMN MIND?"

Leonard stiffened, his father's voice crashing through the mind link like a raging storm.

Oh, for the love of—

"Good morning to you too, Father."

"Don't you good morning me, boy! You find your mate, accept the bond, and don't even have the courtesy to inform us? Have we raised you to be so insolent?"

Leonard closed his eyes, inhaling deeply to steady his rising irritation.

"I planned to tell you when you returned from your trip."

"Oh, did you? How very considerate of you."

His father's voice dripped with sarcasm. "And I suppose you also planned for Alpha Magnus to tell us instead?"

Leonard's jaw tightened.

So that's how they found out.

Of course, his dear Alpha couldn't keep his mouth shut.

"I see the Alpha was feeling particularly helpful today," Leonard said dryly.

"Helpful?" His father scoffed. "He's been gloating about it since last night! Do you have any idea how humiliating it is to hear about your own son's mate from someone else?"

Leonard pinched the bridge of his nose. This was precisely why he had wanted to wait.

"I'll explain everything when you get home," he said evenly. "There's a lot to discuss. Mother will want to meet her."

His father exhaled sharply. "We'll be home by evening. We'll talk then."

And just like that, the link went silent.

Leonard let out a slow breath.

There was no escaping the storm that was coming.

His parents had always been involved in his life, perhaps more than he would have liked.

His mother, at least, would approach the situation with warmth, but his father…

His father saw everything as a strategy. And the fact that Leonard, at thirty-six, had finally found his mate would not just be a personal matter—it would be a political one.

Leonard's fingers curled into a fist as he turned to head to his office. He could already predict the questions that would be thrown at him tonight.

Who is she? What's her family status? How will this affect your responsibilities?

But the biggest question of all—the one Leonard himself was struggling with—was one neither his father nor anyone else could predict.

Because despite everything, despite his possessiveness, despite the way his wolf already saw her as theirs, Leonard still hadn't marked her.

And given the factors like age gap and differences in status, he didn't know if he ever would..