AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“And do you, Jane, with the Goddess as your witness, swear your unwavering loyalty and commitment to the man next to you?”
I half expected Jane to refuse me in some unfortunate change of events. To deny any possible influence from her inner wolf and ignore our prospective bond.
But even with her slight hesitation, she murmured, “I swear.”
Catching me off-guard with her agreement, I reminded myself not to let it show. If I wanted her trust and confidence, I needed to show her that I could handle it. That I was worthy of her bond.
With our arms overlapping, we stood beneath the great tree with Nati as our priestess and connection to the Goddess; we were mated. Developing that bond was the last remaining piece.
“I declare you two wandering souls fated mates through this lifetime and into the next.”
As the words were said and the ceremony came to a close, a warmth filled my chest, and I couldn’t help but reach for it with my hand as if it were something that could be touched.
It remained there and pulsed as if something had been nurtured within me. Its presence was both heavy and divine at once, and while it wasn’t as strong as I expected it to be, I already knew it was our bond. The tether that ran between us and connected our souls as one.
Even if we were fated to be together, that didn’t mean it wouldn’t take time and work to reach our full potential and to discover what made us mates in the first place.
***
It wasn’t every day that an alpha found his Luna, which made that night the perfect occasion for a bonfire. I had no idea it was unfolding until Logan, my beta, told me to swing by the town hall with Jane later that night. We hardly had the time to adjust to the new information.
The pack organized everything without me even knowing it, from the massive fire to the spread of food and music.
While there weren’t many of us, the pack was big enough to form a sort of party, and even my friends and associates were there.
We were greeted with immediate congratulations, and it seemed the word had traveled fast. I did not doubt Nati had been too excited to keep it to herself. It saved me from having to spread the news, anyway.
With a drink in my hand, as the others approached me, offering their kind words, I couldn’t help but glance over at Jane and watch as she spoke with Nati.
When we were younger, I never turned my head twice in her direction. But after learning that we were fated mates, it felt like something had clicked into place. It made sense then as to why I felt the deeply rooted desire to protect her and why I had felt drawn to her at the old pack grounds.
Even if I didn’t know what it meant at the time, that connection had always existed in some capacity. It just needed some encouragement.
While I wanted to give her space to try and come to terms with things on her own, I couldn’t keep myself from watching her. From trying to understand my feelings and curiosities.
As she stood by the fire, its light reflected in her eyes and made her skin glow beautifully. As I watched her, something stirred within me. Like a dormant possessiveness I had never felt before, it finally woke up, and I was prepared to do whatever was necessary to let everyone know she was mine.
At that moment, those pieces snapped together, and the realization hit me.
She was mine.
Jane was my Luna, and I would spend the rest of my life working towards giving her everything she wanted and needed. Regardless of the state of our emotional relationship, I had a responsibility to our bond, and for the first time, I could feel it.
“What do you think of your mate?” Beau asked as he approached with the others in tow. His brow cocked with interest.
I think I need her.
Swallowing back the intrusive thought that seemed to grow louder in my head, thanks to the new bond, I forced myself not to react.
“There’s still room and time for us to both prove ourselves. But I’m not ignorant enough to say I don’t find her attractive.”
“Based on how hard you’re gripping that cup, I’d say it’s already affecting you,” Ethan said with a shit-eating grin. “I hope you don’t mind us talking to her at some point tonight, given how Beau is already on it.”
Regardless of being harmless, his initial comment alone was enough to spike my anger. Tension coursed through me, and I tightened my fingers even more. That anger pulsed, and it took everything in me not to lash out.
Realizing it, Sebastian stepped in and put a hand against my shoulder to diffuse the situation. “Easy, now. No need to set off the newly mated alpha. Unless, of course, you feel like being his punching bag.”
With a laugh undercut by the slightest indication of weariness, Ethan threw his hands up in defense. “As fun as that sounds, I’ll sit this out.”
