Chapter 10 A Wolf Immune to Silver

Hope POV)

Alexander was lying beside me! And half naked nonetheless. My eyes travelled the length of his muscular body...his strong shoulders to his well-toned biceps to his broad chest then to his flat stomach and narrow waist. My eyes lingered on the fine hairs under his navel that led into the waistband of his pajamas and finally to his, uhm, bulge. I gulped quietly and blushed to the roots of my hair for thinking such dirty, dirty thoughts.

"What are you doing here? How did you get inside my room?" I scream at him trying to get out of his embrace. I was raised conservative. I knew if my mom found out, I wouldn't hear the last of it.

"Uhmmmm, through there," he said lazily, pointing at the adjoining doors of our bedrooms. I try to pull away from out of his arms, but he strengthens his hold on me, keeping me close to him. He places his nose on the top of my head and inhales deeply. "You smell soooooo good!", he growls deeply.

"Out! My mom will have a fit if she sees you here, Alexander." I try and wiggle my way out of his embrace again. Finally, I was able to put some space between us.

"Hey! It was your mom who said I could sleep here. You scared the bejeezus out of all of us," he pulls me back in his arms and sighed, sounding relieved. "Thank you, Moon Goddess. Hope is okay."

One of his hands was moving up and down my arm. It was giving me goosebumps.

"Don't you feel that. That connection. I can't bear to lose you. Please don't do that again." He snuggled me into his arms. I was almost lying on top of him.

"Do what? What did I do exactly?"

"Talk to yourself like you're in a trance then faint like your dead." Oh, boy. I must have scared my mother.

"Sorry. Opal, my wolf, said the Moon Goddess wanted to talk to me. I thought it was normal for all wolves to do that." It didn't sound like a good explanation, but it was the only one I had.

"No, my love. Only special wolves whose mothers were priestesses."

"M-my l-love?" I have only met this man yesterday and already he calls me his love?

"Yes. You are my love," Alexander sighs. He takes his arm that was wrapped around me, turns to lay on his side and props his head up with his hand. "I can't stay away from you. We may not know each other well, but it feels like I do know you." He rubs my lips with his thumb. "I promised your mom I wouldn't do anything ungentlemanly, but I have this craving to just kiss you." He lowers his face down to mine and I just froze, not knowing what to do. My eyes close instinctively as I felt his lips brush against mine.

He kisses my lips lightly at first, parting my lips with a flick of his tongue. I part my lips and his tongue enters mine with longing. He deepens the kiss and I feel a rush of desire. My very FIRST kiss! So this is what kissing is like. Hmmm...It felt good, really good. I arch my body where his hand is, accidentally brushing his hand with my breast. He instinctively cups it, rubbing his thumbs on my erect nipples. I groan and slide my hands on his back. He suddenly pulls away from me and I open my eyes, disappointment etched on my face.

"Woah. Let's get married first. I know this is a human ceremony and is not aligned with wolf laws, but I feel I should give this to your parents. They have been good to you, to me. They took care of you... for me. It's the least I can do." He caresses my face seeing how disheartened I felt after he pulled away from me. He kisses me on my forehead to make me feel better.

"Don't worry, my love, I will bring you to heights of pleasure you have never known. Now, let's have breakfast and get ready. Now, you become my wife. Later, you become my Luna." He jumps off the bed and picks up the phone to call for breakfast.

"Alexander, darling, I need to go to the Crescent Moon Pack territory before we go to yours." I get off of the bed, pick up my robe that was lying on the chair beside it and I put the robe on.

"As instructed by the Moon Goddess herself? Sure. We will go to your territory before heading to mine. It's on the way anyway." He puts on a T-shirt and slicks back his hair. My gosh, he's gorgeous!

I slip on my bedroom slippers and walk to the breakfast table at the balcony. I have to find my aunt. If she is my mother's sister maybe she has my coloring or maybe my eyes. I hope it will be easy. I don't want to have to start asking people if they knew the Priestess named Adella.

I pick up my smartphone and start to do a web search on Priestesses and wolves. I made a mental note to head to the library or bookstore for books so I can read up on my kind.

"Hmmm...reading material? The pack has a library so you don't need to go anywhere to find books on wolves, Priestesses or magic spells." Alexander kissed the top of my head and sat down beside me. "My parents will be here shortly by helicopter. They insisted they be here." We suddenly hear a knock on the door. "And this must be your parents." Alexander walks to the door and opens it. My mom comes barging inside without even saying hi to Alexander.

"Hope, honey, you ok? You fainted on the balcony last night. The hotel doctor said you were fine, but Alexander here insisted he stay with you. Did you sleep ok?" My mom rushes towards me with her carry-on case trailing behind her. I nodded my head to answer her questions and smiled.

"I went back to the house and got some of our things. Your father will be here shortly. He's packing up all the stuff he can't leave without. I told him we can hire movers to bring all our stuff to our new home."

"Mom, I told you my people can do that for you," Alexander said.

"Did you just call my mom, Mom?" He works fast.

"Yes, my love and I expect you call my parents Mama and Papa, too."

"Hope, here, why don't you change into this? So you don't have to wear a robe." She was holding a shirt and some shorts in front of me.

I smile at her and take the clothes she had for me. "Sure, Mom. Thanks for bringing me some stuff." I head to the bathroom and take a quick shower and change. When I come out, my Dad was already here and they were all having breakfast together. I was putting some cream cheese on my bagel when we heard a knock on the door.

Alexander opens the door. "Alpha, your mother and father have arrived."

"Mama, Papa, thank you for coming on short notice." Alexander gives his mother and father a brief hug.

"Your sister would have been here too if it weren't for the pack doctor telling her it wasn't good to fly in her condition."

Alexander laughs and leads them to the balcony. "Mama, Papa, this is my mate Hope and her parents Jim and Mirasol Alarie. Jim, Mirasol, my parents, Diane and Howard."

Diane was a soft-spoke stunning middle-aged woman. She was tall with dark hair that had whisps of white in them. She had crystal blue eyes that twinkled in the sun. Howard was still a muscular man despite his age. Good build obviously runs in the family. Most of his hair was now silver with age just like my Dad's.

"Howard, how have you been? It's been some time since the last I saw you." My dad extends his hand towards Howard. Howard immediately clasps my dad's hand for a handshake.

"Jim Alarie, you're Hope's father? Sonofagun. Jim and I are close friends. We were together during the alliance between the Clan of Wolves and Humans."

"You knew about wolves, Jim, and you didn't tell me?!", my mom yells at my dad. My dad walks to my mother and embraces her.

"Sorry Mirasol. I made a pact long ago to never speak of what I know. Just like Hope's family, my family was murdered too. I have always felt this bond with Hope. Maybe because we both have had similar experiences." My dad takes his seat beside my mom and takes her hand into his.

"Mirasol, honey, it was forbidden to talk about wolves, the war. We went against The Rogue Lord years ago before I even met you. I joined the alliance to avenge my family. I know, I know...I look like I can't even hurt a fly. I confess, I have killed wolves. Rogue wolves. They were destroying lands, villages and towns. Kidnapping women, children, even men...human or wolf. The women they would rape. Then they would lock the pregnant women in cages until they gave birth. If it were a boy, they would train him to be a warrior. If it were a girl, they would become slaves. I was the same age as Hope when they attacked Chelan. In the history books, it was called "The Fire of Apple Fields of '90. They burned all the apple trees for miles. My mother, they dragged her from the house and raped her while my father watched. Then when they were finished with my mother, they took my father and brother and slashed the both of them in half."

"I was about to get slashed in half too when I took this silver necklace I have, whipped it in the air and cut the asshole in the face. He screamed in pain and I saw the smoke coming from where I cut him. Silver burns their skin and it takes a good while for the burning to stop. I never took this ugly necklace off ever since. Reason why I gave Mirasol that silver watch of hers. For protection." He pointed to my mother's watch.

"Honestly, I never knew Hope was a wolf. You see, Hope would play with this necklace when she sat on my lap as a kid. She would never burn. She even owns some pieces of silver jewelry if I'm not mistaken. So, my surprise when she shifted."

"May I?" Howard extended his hand, looking at the silver necklace.

"Sure. I know what you're thinking. Maybe it isn't silver or if it is, Hope may be immune to silver. Let's test the theory."

Howard reaches out, touches the necklace and suddenly yelps in pain. The reaction of wolf skin to silver was instantaneous. I stared at Howard's finger, amazed at what I just had witnessed. His finger was burning and the smell of his burning flesh was horrible.

"That's silver all right. Look my finger is still hissing." Howard shakes his finger in the air hoping the cool air would help the burning sensation subside.

"Hope, your turn." My dad jiggled his necklace in the air, urging me to come and touch it.

I walk to my Dad and suddenly feel panic. Judging by Howard's reaction, it looked painful and it took a while for the burning to stop. I inhaled deeply. Here goes nothing.

I touch the necklace. Nothing. I wrap my hand around it. Nothing. I put on the necklace. Nothing. I take off the necklace and hand it back to my father. I can't believe it. I'm immune to silver!

"A wolf immune to silver. Well, I'll be," said a stunned Howard.

"You are definitely special," Alexander takes my hand and kisses my palm. " My Hope is immune to silver. This is something we should keep to ourselves for the time being though." I was about to ask why, but Alexander gave me a warning look. "Now, let's all sit down and have breakfast before we get ready for the wedding."

I happily took a bite of my bagel.

I'm immune to silver!