Page 158 of A Female Alpha for the Lycan Prince

“It might be a long journey,” she muses. “But it’s not impossible. Yes, maybe you almost lost her, Marius, and you almost broke the mate bond. But it’s not too late. Celine is still here, and she is willing to give you one more chance. But she is an alpha wolf, and you know more than anyone how proud and strong-headed you alphas can be. But also, you know how important the mate bond is to an alpha, and how protective they are over their mates and pack.”

I smile. “I’m very aware of that,” I say. “I won’t fuck it up again.”

“Please try to understand. Celine lost her mother and little brother when she was young, her mother was literally slaughtered by rogues in front of her, and Alpha Cedric was so consumed by his grief that she practically lost him too. He never lashed out against her or anything, but she was left alone to deal with her grief for years. Celine basically raised herself. She’s acting so strong and tough that we tend to forget that she might have her own emotional wounds. Her heart and soul are not invincible. Celine carries a pain inside her that doesn’t just disappear with time. Perhaps another woman might have been quick to forgive you, but it’s the pain and feeling of abandonment that makes her so wary and skeptical. It’s why she’s so hard on herself and others, sometimes.” She pauses. “Maybe that’s why the Moon Goddess fated you to each other. You both carry deep wounds that others might not understand… sure, there is a difference in your trauma and wounds, but you can help each other to heal with time. You just need to let each other in.”

I take a moment to absorb everything Annie has just said and realize she’s right. Annie always had an uncanny ability to see through the outer shell of people and find what’s really going on under the surface, I think. She was born to be the luna of an important pack. “At the moment, it’s the thing that keeps us together,” I admit quietly. “But I don’t know how to go from here.”

“Yes, you do. You just told me you met for coffee and then spent the afternoon in that aquarium together. You reached out to Celine and were honest with her, and because of that, she’s giving you a chance. So, you’ve taken the first step. Just make sure to invite her out again soon.”

I smile at her encouragement. “Thank you.”

We move over to the couch to continue chatting, but it’s not long before Annie starts yawning. I offer to make some tea, but by the time I’m back with it, she’s already fast asleep. I chuckle, sitting down on the ottoman and linking my brother that his mate is tired and probably needs him to come and rest with her. I’m guessing Annie sleeps better when Liam is close by.

Needless to say, Liam arrives not five minutes later. “I see you’ve talked my sweet mate to sleep?” Liam teases. He carefully scoops her up in his arms, smiling warmly when she snuggles against him in her sleep.

I chuckle. “Happy I was able to bore her,” I state dryly. We slip into a comfortable silence, until I clear my throat. “Thank you for saving my life, Liam.”

“Anytime.” He shrugs. “You’re my brother.”

“I want you to know that you are a great brother,” I say honestly. “You were my safe place for years.”

Liam seems slightly pained by my confession but smiles thankfully. “How smooth are things going with Celine?” he finally asks.

“Smooth and Marius don’t go well together,” I joke lamely. “You should know that by now.”

He rolls his eyes. “I really want Celine as my sister-in-law,” he states.

“I’m working on it,” I promise. “I was so focused on staying away from her that I completely ignored how awesome she is. She’s saved my life twice… she killed the wizard who was attacking me, and then came to my aid when I needed her the most. Her pack really looks up to her, and I can see why.”

“Are you ready to become her luna?” he asks.

I shrug. “I would be honored to stand by her side.”

He tilts his head. “A luna is very important to the pack, Marius. I know it’s rare for a male wolf to take that position. You don’t even need to call it that, but the role itself is incredibly important to any pack. You definitely wouldn’t be overshadowed. Look at Annie. Without her, I couldn’t rule the way I do. She is just as important as I am.”

“Do you think I could do it?” I ask curiously. “You can be honest with me. Do you think I have it in me to become luna?”

“When you forget to be an asshole, you are actually quite fun to be around, you can be gentle, and you have a sense for other people’s emotions.”

“Really?” I ask skeptically. “Most of the time, I have no idea what I’m doing. And I definitely can’t take on the role Annie or our mother are doing.”

“You don’t have to,” he says. “Female alphas lead differently to male alphas. With the luna rank, it’s the same. What’s more important is that you fill the role in your own way, so you can help lead the pack and smooth out your alpha’s edges.” He shrugs. “Celine and her high-ranking members are covering the luna tasks at the moment, but it’s not the same as having an actual luna.”

“I never thought about it like that,” I admit. “Thanks for the insight, Liam. It helps a lot.” I chuckle. “Now I just need Celine to accept me. That should be easy… not.”

He laughs. “Good luck with that.”

“Wow, yeah, thanks for the brotherly advice and the vote of confidence.” I roll my eyes.

He chuckles. “You want brotherly advice? I have some for you.”

“And what’s that?”

“Be yourself!” he says. “There is no use hiding who you are and pretending to be something you’re not. Improving yourself is one thing, but you don’t need to become a whole different person. From what I can see, you are perfect the way you are, you’ve just strayed from the path a bit. Celine is straightforward and honest; she will appreciate you being that way too.”

I raise my brows. “That’s actually not bad advice,” I smile.

Yellow Eyes