Claiming His Tempting Mate

Savannah's POV

"Finally you are here” mom said as soon as I stepped inside the pack house. I smiled at her then pulled her for a hug. To be honest, I really missed her damn much. I missed gossiping with her, making food, experimenting with new recipes and teasing Devak. And I missed her warm embrace. "There you are my little flower" dad came grinning then hugged me and mom together. He is big, not only him but the males in our pack are all big, tall and masculine. Dad in his late 40s still has that "any girl could be crazy’ look. It said he found mom in his early 20s after shifting. Dad and mom's age doesn't have that much difference. Mom just reached her mid 40s.

"Welcome home, my sweetheart" dad sighed.

"What's all this?" A voice growled behind us. Devak frowned as he looked at us "where is my place?" "Who are you? I don't know you" mom replied, making me giggle. Tanea laughed beside Dev who glared at her.

"Why can't I get my hug? When she got hers" he pointed towards me. I smirked as I pushed myself more into mom's embrace.

"You are already big enough and you still want hugs?" Dad teased.

"Go hug you mate" mom waved her hand making him groan.

Devak huffed and rolled his eyes in annoyance. I giggled as I moved away from mom's hug and walked towards him "aw....is big brother angry? Let me hug you then" I cooed and about to hug him when a pair of arms pulled me back. My back pressed on the hard surface and tilted my head to look up.

"That's enough hugging,” Hardwick said, looking down at me. I rolled my eyes. This man, don't tell me he is getting jealous with my brother too.

"He is my brother" I sighed, shaking my head.

"It doesn't matter who he is," he whispered.

"What are you doing in front of everyone?" Devak growled again. I rolled my eyes twice. Why is my life so difficult to live around these two hard headed men?

"You young man, why are you shouting like that?" Mom scolded him fiercely. Devak pursed his lips in a thin line and turned his head away to the side.

"Hardwick, are you also there?" Mom asked

"Yes, Luna,” he replied.

"Oh, drop that formality," mom laughed. "I have told you already, we are families. You don't need to address me in such a formal way. Just call me mom if you don't mind"

"I... Okay, thank you" I turned to look at him. He actually agreed? A warm feeling waved in my heart. He really does respect my parents too much to ignore their words.

"Since all of you here, let's have meals. It's already lunch time" dad suggested, smiling

"Yeah, I am starving,” Tanea agreed immediately.

Mom laughed seeing her reacting "what happened? Is the food in there not good?"

"Come on mom, you know it" Devak rolled his eyes "they are too good to taste”

"Shiny almost went crazy after eating first bite,” Tanea laughed.

"Let's get in the dining room" mom said and we all agreed. The food there was too plain. But I am glad Hardwick was there. He was such a sweetheart to order food from outside. I really don't know how he managed to do that but hell, I melted like ice cream when he brought my all favourite dishes. Soon we all settled in the dining room and the maids started to serve our meals. "Ummm....this is divine, I missed eating this" Tanea moaned as she ate her food.

Devak turned to look at her. I can see the darkness flashed in his eyes as he watched his mate enjoying her food without acknowledging his stare. I grabbed a glass of water before fake coughing. Devak turned his head and focused on his food again.

"So how's the event sweetheart?” Dad asked as he dipped on his coffee.

"Boring, I thought since they are playing they would give some challenging tasks to show skills. But I got bored on the first day" I shrugged and dug my fork in the Delmonico Steak.

"They are old tribes, at that time when the old generation were alive they played with a condition of life and death and the games at that time would be much more dangerous than today's. But that kind of game could not be used as entertainment because no one would practice it risking their own lives. So the next generation changed the style and made the game in a fun way so that others can enjoy it" dad explained.

"Who won this time?" Mom asked, all smiling.

"We won," Devak replied.

"What?" Dad and mom looked shocked.

"What happened this year? isn't it the Dark Forest which wins every year?” Dad frowned.

"Maybe" Devak replied as he glanced at Hardwick who was calmly drinking coffee at my side. He was behaving like the discussion had nothing to do with him at all.

"But at the end of the event, the members of Dark Forest get overboard. They were so arrogant that they even take someone's life as a play thing and goes around harming other in broad daylight"

I shook my head when I heard Devak's explanation. What is he really trying to do? Does he want mom and dad to take Hardwick as an evil one?

"Don't exaggerate the matter Dev, you know the truth too" I glared at him.

"What?" He shrugged "I was saying the truth”

I rolled my eyes and looked at dad "don't listen to him dad. He is exaggerating the matter. At the end of the event, I participated in the game and faced a member of Dark Forest as an opponent. It was a target shooting with a dagger. I hit the target but when she shot the dagger towards me, mistakenly it waved towards me but I moved away in right time so there's no harm"

Dad frowned and about to say something when Hardwick said "it was my fault"

We all looked at him. I was startled when I heard him apologising. Though I knew it was not his fault, he really did say sorry to my parents?

He put the cup on table then looked at dad straight in the eyes "I am sorry, I failed to teach my members to behave properly which almost harmed my own mate" his eyes moved and glanced towards me "I have always proud of their skills but looks like they are too skilled that they could not handle it" then he turned to look at dad again "last time was a mistake but I will never let something happen like that again. I can assure the safety of my mate as long as I live"

My eyes blurred with tears but I blinked to shove it away. I am not going to cry here, but his words are too touching. He could show his arrogance and treat this matter as a simple one but he didn't. He didn't take the matter lightly and even apologized to my parents for it, taking the blame on himself. No one has ever said something like this to me. My heart couldn't help but flatter as the warm feeling once again waved around it. How come I got so lucky to have him as my mate. Unknowingly he fulfilled everything that I wished. He didn't let Dad think otherwise and placed his true intentions.

Expectedly dad's eyes softened and he gave a small nod "to say something like this, you have got my trust"

Mom smiled "don't worry, this is a game after all so mistakes do happen. You don't have to apologise for that Hardwick"

Hardwick shook his head "I have to, especially when the matters related to my mate. There's nothing I could not do for her, no matter how hard it is" he smiled at the end.

"Savannah is lucky to have such an understanding person” Mom praised then gave me a teasing look. I shook my head but smiled anyway.

At the side Devak coughed and drank a glass of water. Mom looked at him angrily "you, how dare you put this matter in the wrong way?"

"What? I did not do anything” Devak shrugged.

"Train yourself for 6 hours a week," dad said, making his eyes wide like a saucepan. Tanea snickered beside him.

"What?" Devak almost shouted

"Don't raise your voice on me, young man” dad said sternly.

"But dad, I didn't do anything," he protested.

"7 hours”

"But-"

ago

"Fuck" Dev cursed under his breath and didn’t said anything. I chuckled looking at him. Serves him right. He always picks on Hardwick. I really don't know why he wants to insult him so much?

After the meal I went to my room but of course followed by my mate. He took the trolley bag from me and placed it near my wardrobe before turning to look at me.

"You really don't have to apologise. It was a mistake, and it's not your fault” I said slowly.

"I should not have allowed her to come in the first place” he mumbled.

I frowned. Though I didn't tell anyone about Daisy, I really did feel like that girl was trying to pick on me. She always showed her cold look like she wanted to cut me in pieces or do anything to harm me. But why? As far I remember it was the first time I have encountered her. We are not enemies but then why was she treating me like one?

"Where are you lost?" Hardwick flicked on my forehead, making me startled.

I rubbed my forehead and glared at him "it's painful, why did you do that?"

"I was talking to you yet, you are lost in another world?"

"I was thinking"

"About what?"

I looked at him "why do I feel like that Daisy girl hates me so much? She was always picking on me, whether on looks or actions"

He looked at me for some time and said, "don’t think about her so much. She is a psychopath and would do anything that a normal people won't do"

I rolled my eyes "who are you consoling? A five years old kid?"

"Is it working?" He smiled.

I slapped his chest "you are too much. Your pack member is about to kill me and you are not willing to talk about it?"

He circled his arms and pulled me in a hug “no one will take you away from me. I won't let it happen. You are mine”

"Why don't you just tell me about it?" I mumbled as I rested my head on his chest. "You know the reason isn't it?"

"I told you already”

"No, you were just trying to console yourself"

"I am sorry," he replied.

I sighed. I don't know why he wanted to hide this from me. But I know that there's really something, something so big that he doesn't want me to interfere or don't want to drag me in it. But how long could he keep it from me? Since there's someone who has already become my enemy in the pack, I believe there will be more.

"I want to take you the pack” he suddenly said.

I looked up "so soon?"

"Your time is up darling” he smirked "I couldn't run back and forth all the time"

Yeah, I know this. I asked him at the end of the event. Now that it's done, it's actually time for me to live. Though I trust him, and also feel excited, I couldn't help but feel nervous too. Once I leave that will be another whole new world.

"You don't need to worry, the pack will love you," he assured me, smiling. I sighed. Now or later, it has to be done someday anyway. Even if I want to, I couldn't possibly live here for life since I was already given another mate to bond.

"Okay" I nodded slowly.

"Two days"

"Huh?" I frowned.

"I will give you two more days so that you can meet the people you want. I have some work in the pack. After two days I will pick you up"

"You are leaving?" I felt sad.

"Why? Can't leave without me?" He smirked.

"Don't tease me like that" I pushed him away.

"I need to go but..."

"But what?" I raised an eyebrow.

"I need these" before I could say anything. His lips came crashing down. That familiar sweet taste filled me. No matter how much we kissed, it was always left unsatisfied. Like it was pulling for another kiss, then another and another. And I don't think I could ever get enough of him.

In the evening, I sat in the garden with Tanea. Hardwick left after the meal and I told mom and dad about leaving the pack. They are sad but also accepted it. Since we are now bounded, we couldn't live separately. It was only Devak he opposed but deep down he also knew the truth that I have to leave.

"You look tense,” Taran said as she smiled.

I nodded "Dark Forest is a whole new world for me. When I left Bright Shine in pain I never thought I would get the chance to meet my family. But fortunately I met my real parents, my siblings but it never crossed my mind that there will be another mate bonding. I thought I would live here forever but it looks like fate had another plan for me" I sighed.

"It's always like that. Why do we call life unpredictable? It's because so many things happens that we never expected in the first place” Tanea said "at first I also thought to live in my pack but I met your brother who didn't let me live in there for long" she chuckled "one day you have to make your decision and I think it's your time to decide”

I nodded "may be. I will be sad. There's won't be anyone familiar but all the new faces with personalities”

"It will get better over time," Tanea patted hand "don't worry about it. I can see in Hardwick's eyes how much he longs for you. That man even goes back and forth for you without caring about himself. I have always heard that the Alpha of the Dark Forest is a cold hearted bastard but now seeing him personally I feel like rumours are always not right. It can only be used for gossips but not in reality”

"Do you think I will be happy?" I asked as I looked at the sky.

"It is not something I can decide but it is something you have to find out. All I could see is Hardwick will really treat you with respect and love. And Hardwick is not Avan to let the past affect your present”

I bit my lips as I let Tanea's words sink down in my heart. She was right. Hardwick is not Avan and the way he treats me was something Avan never did. I can never compare myself because the past me will never be the present me anymore. I have changed, the people around me changed and so did the future.

And that's the moment I made up my mind. No matter what happens, I will fight, for myself, for my loved ones.