"Hey!" I shouted, my anger bubbling at the surface, ready to unleash its fiery torrent. Arden abruptly pulled away from the girl, who seemed visibly shocked and bewildered by the sudden outburst. He turned to me with a tense expression, his eyes filled with a mixture of guilt and unease.

"Miraclemarie," he began, but I held up a hand to silence him. The hurt and anger that had swelled within me demanded expression, and I was in no mood to listen to his explanations just yet.

"You're telling me this is your best friend or sister? Is this how you greet family? In front of your mate?" My voice was sharp with indignation, a burning anger lacing every word I spoke. I couldn't believe what I had just witnessed, and I was determined to make both of them understand the gravity of their actions.

He looked torn, caught between the need to explain and the pressure to maintain appearances. I didn't give him a chance to speak, though. My temper flared, and I turned to the girl, my eyes ablaze with fury.

"And you! Who do you think you are, wrapping yourself around my mate and kissing him like you own him?" My voice was dripping with a seething rage that I couldn't control. The crowd surrounding us had fallen into stunned silence, their attention now fully focused on the unfolding drama.

The tension in the air was palpable, and Arden finally stepped between us, his face reflecting the internal conflict he was grappling with. "Miracle, let's not make a scene."

"A scene? You think this is about making a scene?" I shot back, my anger unabated. "This is about respect and boundaries." I could feel my wolf pushing to the surface, her growls echoing in my mind, ready to defend her territory.

The girl, realizing the gravity of her mistake, backed away, stammering an apology. "I-I'm sorry, I thought... I mean, we've been close for a long time."

"That's not the point," I snapped, my patience wearing thin. "He's my mate, and you should show some respect." My words were a fierce reminder of the boundaries that had been crossed, and I wasn't about to let it slide.

Arden sighed, still clearly torn between his responsibilities as a pack leader and the situation at hand. "I understand. Let's go inside and discuss this privately."

I followed him into the pack house, my anger simmering just beneath the surface. This was not the introduction to pack life I had expected, and Arden had some explaining to do. I was in no mood to be lenient, especially considering the consequences of their thoughtless actions.

As we entered the pack house, I couldn't help but notice the eyes of everyone in the room shifting from their alpha and his lover to me. Some of them widened in realization, realizing the gravity of the situation.

Inside, something snapped. My wolf and I had a similar idea, and it was a dangerous one. Faster than the speed of light, I caught the girl's neck in my hand, her delicate-looking body suspended in the air. The surge of power and energy coursing through my veins was an exhilarating confirmation that my wolf and I were on the same page. It did strike me, however, that if blame and punishment were to be meted out, it should have been directed at my dear mate. Yet, it was my wolf's unbridled fury that sought to harm the girl who had made the first move.

The room fell into stunned silence once more as they witnessed the sheer strength and force of my anger. My eyes bore into the girl's, my grip on her neck unforgiving, as I contemplated the consequences of her actions.

Arden's voice, laced with urgency and concern, finally broke through the tense atmosphere. "Miracle, let her go."

My gaze remained locked with the girl's, my fingers tightening around her throat, a wordless warning of the consequences of crossing the boundaries that should never have been tested.

Arden's tone grew more urgent. "Miracle, please, she's just a friend, and I should have been more clear. Let her go."

The girl's face had turned a shade of pale fear as she struggled to breathe, her eyes wide with terror. I had made my point, and my wolf had exacted the vengeance she sought. With great reluctance, I released my grip on the girl's neck, allowing her to crumple to the ground, gasping for air. My anger still pulsed through me, but I had made my point clear.

Arden rushed to the girl's side, helping her to her feet and ensuring she was alright. His expression was a mix of relief and gratitude as he turned to me. "Thank you for letting her go. I'll explain everything, I promise."

I took a step back, my anger slowly receding, replaced by a deep sense of unease and confusion. I had reacted with a level of aggression I had never before exhibited, and it left me shaken. My wolf, however, remained unapologetic, her instincts having guided our actions.

As the tension in the room began to ease, Arden motioned for everyone to disperse, and the onlookers gradually left the area, leaving us alone. We retreated to a more private space within the pack house, where Arden finally began to explain.

"Miracle, I should have been clearer with my boundaries. Alaina is a friend from our past, and I should have made it known that our relationship is strictly platonic now. I didn't expect her to react that way, and I deeply regret the pain she's caused you."

My anger had subsided, but I still felt the sting of betrayal. "Arden, you know how important our bond is to me. I need to know that you're committed to this relationship and that you won't let anyone jeopardize it."

He nodded, his expression sincere. "I am committed to you, Miracle, and I'll do whatever it takes to make things right. Alaina won't be a problem anymore. I promise."

We spent the next several hours discussing the situation and working through our feelings. Arden assured me that he would set clear boundaries with Alaina and that he understood the importance of maintaining the integrity of our relationship.

As time passed, the initial fury and shock of the incident began to wane. While I couldn't deny that the situation had revealed a vulnerability in our relationship, it also served as a catalyst for open communication and a deeper understanding of our needs and expectations.

In the days that followed, Arden followed through on his promise, taking the necessary steps to ensure that Alaina understood the boundaries of their friendship and the sanctity of our bond. It was a challenging process, but it brought us closer as a couple, and it forced us to confront any potential threats to our relationship head-on.

Ultimately, our bond grew stronger, and we emerged from the ordeal with a renewed commitment to each other. The incident had served as a powerful reminder that, in the world of the pack, trust, communication, and respect were the cornerstones of a successful and lasting mate bond.

Over time, Alaina, too, came to understand the gravity of her actions and the impact they had on our relationship. She took steps to make amends, both with Arden and me, and we gradually allowed her back into our lives.

Walking through the pack house was a wonderful experience. People were staring at me, pointing and whispering, glaring and sharing the story of what I did. I growled at the ones who looked around my age to make them look anywhere but my annoyed face and it worked like a charm. They tried with great enthusiasm to get away from the rabid wolf.

"Just ignore them." Castile whispered into my ears. "They are nice people but they do enjoy gossiping."

"I wonder if they'll enjoy gossiping so much if I rip their tongues out." I mumbled.

"Your violent personality shocks me my Luna." Castile grinned, awfully at ease at the thought of me harming his pack members.

"You don't seem worried, do you think I won't be able to do it?" I narrowed my eyes.

"That's not it my Luna, you seem highly capable, but you are clearly joking, aren't you?" He asked cautiously. I put my hand on his cheek and smirked.

"Ofcourse I am Castile." I gasped and dramatically put my hand over my heart. I sent another glare towards a young couple who was looking at me and Castile stopped walking.

"This is Miracle and she is to stay here for quite some time, I therefore hope that you all treat her respectfully." While his voice was cheerful, there was a clear warning in his eyes to everyone. My heart swelled at his kindness.

"Why? Its not like she treated our Luna respectfully!" A young pack member called out and 'yeahs' and 'yes's' echoed across the kitchen. Luna? What the hell was going on in this crazy pack.

"Well, then consider it an order from your Beta." Castile said with finality in his tone and everyone bowed their heads.

He took me to a room that had no window's and a plain creme and beige colour scheme. "This is your room."

"Room?" I asked him with raised eyebrows. He gave me an apologetic smile and continued.

"You will have guards stationed outside your room so do not try to run. And when I say that I mean it, do not run under any circumstances. Unless of course there is a fire, or an attack or other obvious reasons like that." He smiled sheepishly. "You are also not allowed to go anywhere without a guard."

"So I am a prisoner now?"

"Technically, yes." I growled.

"Why don't you all leave me free and keep your Luna however you want to." I sighed.

"You know that's not true." He said referring to the bitch.

"Everyone calls her Luna, everyone treats her as their Luna and everyone hates their real Luna, so why not free me from the damn pain I will get from staying here!" I exclaimed through gritted teeth.

"I'm sorry Miracle, alpha's orders. If you need anything don't hesitate to ask the guards to call me, I'll be here as soon as possible." He gave me an apologetic smile and walked out of the room.

The room was bare and there was nothing l could throw around in my fit of anger.

The door creaked open and a girl walked in slowly, cautiously. She was a gorgeous blonde with deep brown eyes and she was wearing a short white summer dress that suited her perfectly. She looked familiar but I could not recollect who she was. She kept something on the corner table and slumped on the chair next to it.

"So you're the future Luna!"she said examining me closely.

"Apparently I'm not."

"Yeah, right." She scoffed, "I saw the way Arden looked at you. Also if anyone else had tried that on Rianne they would be dead by now." Rianne, the kisser, the root of my current problems.

"A wolf is not supposed to hurt their mate, no matter what. The mate bond can make you attracted towards someone, it can't force you to love that person. If you're here to tell me to stay away from him because he is yours then by all means take him." I spat out the words. I clearly sounded like a jealous she-wolf and I hated it.

She laughed. She actually laughed. "Oh! Calm your wolf." She said between laughs. "Arden and I will never be a thing."

I narrowed my eyes at her.

"Then why are you here?" I asked her suspiciously.

"Just wanted to see my brother's mate."

Brother? I just didn't see it.

"Well, he is my brother from another mother, literally. You see, his father, the alpha, cheated on his mate with a human and I was a product of the extra marital affair." She sounded awfully normal about the predicament. An alpha who cheated on his mate wasn't common, as theoretically the stronger the ranking of a couple, the more powerful is their mate bond.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I don't consider the former alpha as my father, but he did give me a wonderful brother. Also Arden's girlfriend Rianne is my best friend." I stiffened. The matching piece of jewellery around her ring finger suddenly made more sense.

"Then its a good thing I don't want him." I said pretending to yawn. "I don't want to seem rude, but I am really tired, so I am going to sleep now."

She looked at me for a moment and then walked outside the door.

Arden hadn't come to visit me after the incident in the morning and I was disappointed, even though I didn't understand why I expected a lot from him. If someone could hurt their mate physically and choose another she-wolf over her it shouldn't be too flabbergasting that he hadn't come to apologise.

I picked up all the bed sheets, blankets and pillows and threw them on the floor, kicking them near the wall.

I laid my body on the cold hard floor that reminded me of the jungle ground and curled up against the wall, hoping to see the stars.