30 Days For Your Love  

Damien POV:

 I showed her around the pack, trying to avoid the inevitable. I had always imagined holding my mate's hand as I introduced her to my pack, knowing she would one day be its Luna. In my imagination, she was always happy, laughing. But now, the reality was far from that fantasy. The tense atmosphere between us was almost suffocating. I glanced at her and knew she wasn't pretending that everything was fine. The look she gave me finally caught up with me—I knew what it meant. She wanted to have *that* talk.

 Sighing, I led her to my favorite spot. When we arrived, I could tell she fell in love with the place.

 "Beautiful," she murmured. I agreed with her, though my mind wasn't on the scenery—I was thinking about her.

 Then she did the unthinkable. We were here to talk, but she was already preparing to reject me. Oh, goddess, did you have to give me such a strong-headed mate? I cut her off before she could finish her rejection, silencing her with a hand over her mouth. I removed it just as quickly, afraid of triggering the frenzy she often went into whenever I touched her. Midnight was already going haywire. I had to think fast—I had to convince her one way or another.

 I asked her to give me three months to show her how much I care for her. She immediately reduced it to two months. Standing firm, I insisted on the three months, but she cut it down to one month, still refusing to back down. I remained steadfast, holding onto the three months, only for her to reduce it to one week! Then she added a sarcastic remark—"Am I not capable?"

 That stirred something deep within me. The desire to prove her wrong, to show her I am worthy of her, that I am more than capable of winning her love.

 I finally agreed to her one-month offer, but only after securing her solemn vow: I could take her on dates whenever I wanted, and I would not touch her unless she was in danger. I'd rather have her hate me than not save her because I couldn't touch her.

 That day, I told her I couldn't accompany her the entire time. I offered to take her to my mom's place if she wanted, but she insisted she was fine. She wanted to explore on her own and assured me she had mastered the route back and wouldn't get lost. I gave her a skeptical look, and she laughed—her laugh, which I had come to adore.

 "You have so many trust issues," she teased.

 "It's because you're too devious for your own good," I shot back, which earned me another one of her delightful laughs. She promised she wouldn't run away and that she tended to keep her word, even if it meant seeing me fail miserably.

 I told her not to be so negative. Midnight and I vowed to prove her wrong. Leaving her there felt like I'd left a piece of my heart behind, which wasn't far from the truth since she already had it. Midnight, usually so arrogant and aloof, was so whipped by her that it was hard to believe he was the same wolf I'd known. He wanted us to abandon our responsibilities and focus solely on entertaining her, which I was tempted to do, but I had to be the mature one.

 After all, she promised not to say no when I wanted to take her out, and my loophole was that we hadn't specified a time. Letting Midnight know we'd be seeing her tonight, he was less reluctant and looked forward to our date. What we didn't anticipate was that I'd be seeing her earlier than expected.

 To be honest, I had always suspected my mate might be a troublemaker, but I never imagined she would seek out trouble so directly. I was deeply engrossed in reviewing the monthly reports from the appointed watchers—those I had set in place to manage the various activities of the pack as it grew beyond the capacity of just my beta, gamma, and me. In the midst of sorting through the dense paperwork, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. I hadn't seen Lewis or Martin in a while, and their absence was becoming increasingly conspicuous.

 Just as I was mulling over their whereabouts, Martin's urgent link interrupted my thoughts. He delivered the startling news: Lewis was being thoroughly beaten by my mate. My heart raced as I demanded their location. They were at the training grounds, so I dashed there, my mind flashing back to that mischievous smirk my mate had given me when she said she wanted to explore on her own. I should have known she would seek vengeance for what Lewis had done to her. It was clear she wasn't one to let grievances slide easily.

 As anxious as I was about her wrath potentially turning on me, I couldn't help but feel a perverse thrill at the thought of her unleashing her fierce side. It was both terrifying and strangely exhilarating.

 When I arrived at the training grounds, the scene before me was both shocking and oddly mesmerizing. Lewis was sprawled on the ground, his nose bleeding and face contorted in pain, desperately trying to fend off my mate's unrelenting assault. Leslie—my mate—was a whirlwind of fury and precision. Her punches came so fast and with such force that Lewis barely had time to react.

 It was then that I realized my mate's name was Leslie—something I'd only learned when she tried to reject me. I had begged my mom for her name the first time she spoke to her, but she'd refused, saying she'd reveal it when I cooked for her. Now, as I watched Leslie in action, I couldn't help but admire her tenacity and raw power.

 I tried to gauge whether Lewis was going easy on her because she was my mate only to find out even if he didn't go on the offensive his defense tactic was lacking. Despite his best efforts to defend himself, his attempts were futile against her relentless barrage. Every punch she threw seemed to land with impeccable accuracy, and the speed at which she moved left him struggling to keep up. Watching her in action, I realized that even if he was holding back, Leslie's ferocity was unmatched.

 It was a brutal display, but it also stirred something in me. Even as I felt a pang of concern for my beta, I couldn't deny the thrill of witnessing Leslie's fierce determination.

 As if sensing my presence, Leslie abruptly stopped and turned to look at me. She flashed me a beautiful, innocent smile, one that almost made me forget the sheer ferocity she had just displayed. It was as if she was daring me to believe she hadn't just been pummeling my beta into the ground.

 "And that, my friends, is how you go on the offensive," she declared, addressing the crowd of warriors that had gathered to witness the spectacle. Her words were met with an enthusiastic round of applause, which made me smirk with pride. How could I not? She was incredible—strong, fierce, and completely unyielding.

 Lewis, who had finally managed to stand up, his wounds already beginning to heal, shot me a stinky eye. "You're one unlucky bastard," he grumbled, wiping the blood from his face. "You've got a ferocious wolf for a mate. Better watch your back—and never make her angry." His comment earned a round of chuckles from the onlookers.

 I couldn't help but chuckle myself. Leslie might be ruthless in a fight, but she was also mine. The thought filled me with both pride and a healthy dose of apprehension.

 Martin, who had been watching with a mixture of awe and amusement, stepped up beside me and Leslie. "I think the show's over, guys. Back to your training!" he called out to the warriors, who reluctantly began to disperse, still buzzing with excitement.

 Turning to Leslie, Martin grinned widely, unable to hide his admiration. "That was the best time of my life," he said, clapping a hand on her shoulder. "Apart from our Alpha, no one's ever beaten our Beta like that."

 Leslie responded with a small, satisfied smile, while I stood there, caught between amazement and a growing sense of pride. She had proven herself to my pack in a way that left no doubt—my mate was a force to be reckoned with. And though I knew there would be challenges ahead, especially with her stubbornness, I couldn't help but feel that this was exactly the kind of partner I needed by my side.

 However, something caught my attention that I hadn't expected. When Martin placed his hand on Leslie's shoulder, she didn't flinch or go into a frenzy like she always did when I touched her. It was a small detail, but it gnawed at me, sparking a mix of jealousy and confusion. Why didn't she react to Martin the way she did to me? Something wasn't right—she was hiding something, and I needed to get to the bottom of it.

 I yearned to touch her without triggering that defensive reaction, to have her relax under my touch as she did with Martin. The jealousy that flared up inside me, and within my wolf, was overwhelming. Before I could stop myself, I brushed Martin's hand off her shoulder, causing him to look at me in surprise.

 "Hey! What's your problem?" Martin protested, though there was a teasing glint in his eyes. "She's my new bestie now, you know. Anyone who can kick that snob of a Beta's ass like that deserves a spot on my favorites list."

 His playful words did nothing to soothe the irritation simmering inside me. I forced a smirk, masking the turmoil I felt. "Keep your hands off, Martin. She's mine."

 Martin laughed, oblivious to the storm brewing inside me. "Sure, sure, Alpha. But just know, you've got some serious competition for her attention now."

 As Martin walked away, I watched Leslie closely. She had turned her gaze back to the training grounds, seemingly unaware of the turmoil she was causing within me. I needed answers, and I needed them soon. Because if there was one thing I couldn't stand, it was the idea that she could find comfort in someone else's touch while shying away from mine.