The Beast's Possession

**Bane

pov**

I woke up like a brand new person. All the tension had left my body and the anger that used to fuel me during the days disappeared too.

Truthfully, I was sure sex was a massive reason for the sudden change, but what I believed took the cake was yet another morning with her in my arms.

Unlike other times, this morning, Aife slept naked, draped all over me as if she wanted to serve as my personal blanket. Her scent and the scent of our arousal filled the room, enveloping us both in the magical moments we shared just hours ago.

Slowly, I slid out of the bed and pulled the covers over her body. While I wished I could lay with her and pretend everything was okay, I knew I had other things to focus on first. And honestly, although it felt like I was doing something illegal, it was better if I kept some secrets from her. At least for now.

The last thing I wanted was to worry her, especially when she looked this peaceful and happy.

I got dressed as fast as I could, avoiding glancing at her to fight the urge to give into the temptation and get back in bed. Once I was done, I slipped outside the bedroom and left the cabin.

As soon as I stepped outside, my men started hollering and clapping their hands like a bunch of teenage boys. "Alpha, you're the man," one of them shouted, making me laugh.

"Go get it, tiger," another guy added, earning collective praise and more laughter from others.

I let them have their moment. Honestly, I didn't remember the last time I woke up in a mood even relatively close as good as today, so I felt like I could tolerate everything they tossed my way.

And best of all, while my men acted like complete dicks, none of them tried to bring up Aife. Their remarks were aimed at me, not their Luna.

Maybe it was that they knew that I wouldn't take it kindly. Or perhaps, they finally had respect for the woman who had won my heart. Whichever it was, I was happy she was accepted and respected by the bunch of savages. Once the commotion died down, I cleared my throat to gain everyone's attention. "Can we talk?"

My men exchanged worried glances, but all of them nodded.

"The letters. Do any of you have any idea where the letters came from?"

As my eyes scanned their faces, I couldn't find any reason to doubt any of them. All of the guards looked genuinely confused. Usually, the one to blame would look out of place, but I couldn't point out any suspicious behavior anywhere. "Did any of you see anything out of the ordinary around the cabin yesterday? Any clue will do. Come on, guys, think carefully, this is very damn important." I groaned as I started pacing in front of them.

The only thing I really wanted was to get at least one clue. Just one to find out who wanted to hurt my Aife and why they were following her everywhere.

Another thing that really worried me was that there was a possibility that someone had placed a target on her back because of me. Plenty of people hated me, so they could try to use the one weakness I had against me.

Great, now I was admitting to myself that she was my weakness, which meant that everyone around me had already noticed that. I was too stubborn and slow to notice things about myself before others did. "Alpha?" Adam raised his voice, pulling me out of my thoughts.

My head snapped in their direction and eyes found him in the crowd. He looked a little uneasy as I glared at him. "Bill said something you might want to hear," Adam muttered, switching his weight from one leg to another nervously. Now, my eyes focused on the shortest of the bunch being pushed closer to me. Slowly, I turned my body to face him directly and nodded, giving him the permission to speak.

Bill's eyes darted everywhere but at me as he cleared his throat and tried to speak, but no words escaped him.

Growing a little annoyed, I growled. "Please, for the love of Goddess, look at me when you speak. If you avoid eye contact, it makes you look like a liar. I won't punish you for disclosing something I asked for."

Once his gaze met mine, I instantly noticed the fear in his eyes. Slowly, I placed my hand on my forehead and then dragged it down my face, taking a few calming breaths. "No need to fear me, Bill. You are among the men here because I trust you, I know you're loyal to me and the pack. Seriously, calm down and tell me what you know."

My words worked like magic on him. All tension left Bill as he sighed and chuckled, "thank fuck, you're so tense, I thought you're about to rip me in shreds."

His admission made me grin as I stepped closer and slapped my hand on his shoulder. "Never."

"Okay, that makes me feel a little better," Bill breathed out and glanced around, as if he was seeking some support for his fellow pack members.

Although he wasn't half as tense as he was earlier, I could still sense the discomfort and unease he felt, so I squeezed his shoulder a little and leaned closer to whisper, "I trust you men with my life, that means I trust you just as much as I trust those guys. If you saw anything, let me know, that's all I'm asking."

Bill looked up at me, his eyes searching for something in mine. The staring contest lasted maybe a few seconds until he sighed and nodded.

"I don't know anything about multiple letters and I know this sounds crazy, but yesterday, after you left the cabin to go to the car and get Luna, I saw something odd. Shit, even thinking about this thing gives me the creeps. It's so hard to explain, Alpha. Please, don't think I'm crazy." The last words were a barely audible plea, but I got where he was coming from.

If whatever he saw was out of ordinary in a supernatural sense, I could understand why he was being so darn sketchy. We, ourselves, were werewolves, but that fact alone didn't make us doubt ourselves if we saw or experienced something

new.

"I don't think that you're crazy. As mad as your observations might sound, I will take them seriously. I promise. Bill, any piece of information will help. Anything you say could save Luna's life."

My words hit the target. Bill's eyes widened and jaw dropped as if only now he realized how bloody serious this situation was becoming.

"As I said," he started and swallowed. "When you left the cabin yesterday and walked towards the car, I saw a shadow. No person, no actual body, just a shadow. It entered the cabin and when I was seriously considering if I had lost my mind for good, I decided to walk there and check it out. You stood by the car and seriously, I know this sounds as crazy as it gets, but as soon as I took a step closer, the shadow left the cabin and vanished into thin air. Just like that. It was there and then it wasn't. Told you, crazy."