Page 18 of A Luna’s Dynasty (Celestial #1)

A s they approached the packhouse, a blur of golden hair caught Lita's attention. Caspian bounded toward them, his azure eyes wide with concern.

“Lita! Shit, she’s hurt. How bad is it?”

“I’m going to go assess that now.” Asher stepped around Caspian, who continued to follow by his side. “What are you doing?”

“I just want to make sure she’s alright.”

Asher stopped walking to glare at him. “You think I’m going to let you come into the room while I examine my mate?” The threat in his voice made Caden quickly place his hand on Caspian’s shoulder.

“Asher has her.” Caden’s voice was stern but gentle. He was doing this for Caspian’s safety. No one would be okay with someone being too pushy with their mate.

“Caspian, I’m fine. I don’t need to be looked over. I can do it myself.” Lita listened as Asher clicked his tongue.

“Not with those wounds on your back, wounds you can’t see.” He then hastily walked past Caspian and through the main doors, carrying her swiftly through the house and up to her room.

Asher's silver eyes met hers as he eased her to the floor. “I need to look at your wounds better … may I?”

“It really isn’t that bad. They’ll be healed within the hour—”

“Please. I just need to see for myself.”

Lita could see the nervousness and fear in his eyes. She hesitated, then nodded her head.

With careful movements, Asher grasped the fabric of her shirt. "This might hurt less if I tear it," he explained. "Is that alright?"

“It isn’t my shirt.” She laughed, receiving a small smile in return from Asher. The sound of tearing fabric filled the room as Asher carefully ripped her shirt, exposing her injured side.

She felt his fingers ghosting over the makeshift bandage. "I'm going to remove this now." As he peeled away the bandage, she glanced at his face. His eyes were focused completely on her wound.

“I wish it was healing faster, but you’re right, it already looks better than it did a few moments ago.” Even though he wanted to ask her more about her healing, he didn’t want to make her feel uncomfortable and decided not to push the issue.

“I’ll get a shower and clean the wounds better. It will be as good as new.”

His arms enveloped her, pulling her against his chest with such intensity that she gasped.

"Asher?" she whispered, feeling her breasts smash up against his chest. His grip tightened, and she felt a tremor run through his body.

“I can’t lose you, Lita. I’ve suffered enough loss …

I won’t be able to bear it if I lose you, too.

” He pressed a rough kiss against her forehead before he swiftly turned and walked away, not giving her a chance to say anything.

She saw the darkness in his eyes, though, which meant he was fighting with his wolf.

Lita had lost her mother, but Asher had lost both of his parents. He had his pack, unlike Lita, but losing both parents had to be traumatic. Then he was forced to instantly be the alpha before he was ready. He had been through a lot.

Lita made her way to the adjoining bathroom. As she stepped under the warm spray of the shower, she found herself hurting for Asher. She wanted to protect him.

As his mate, we can, Mira reminded her.

I won’t reject him, Mira. This will be his choice, but he will have a say in this. I want him to know exactly what he’s agreeing to.

With a deep breath, she stepped out of the shower and checked her wound. It was amazing how her healing came in spurts. It started slow and then sped up. She probably didn’t need a bandage but decided to put one on as a precaution. In an hour, there would be no more wound.

She headed out of her room in her bare feet and shuffled to the banister to look over. Asher stood in the center of the room, his black hair still damp from a recent shower, his silver eyes flashing with frustration. Across from him was Felicia. She was trembling, and ugly crying.

"You can't just throw away everything we had, Asher!" Felicia cried, her voice rising to a fevered pitch. "We were supposed to be mated, to rule this pack together!"

“This is exactly why I won’t even be dancing with you at the party. You won’t let go.”

“Let go?! It was yesterday, Asher! Yesterday, I was your fiancée. Yesterday, I was the future luna. Yesterday, I was the one you wanted. Me. Why are you acting like this? The mate pull made you forget me. Neglect me. And now you won’t even dance with me when we were supposed to go together. So, I’m pack trash now, huh?!”

Asher's voice was low and firm when he responded, "Felicia, you are a pack member now. Nothing more. Lita is my mate and the only one I want. Nothing will change that.”

Felicia took a step closer to Asher, her voice softening. "Just ... just give me one last dance.”

Asher's posture stiffened, his jaw clenching visibly. "No, Felicia. I’m sorry, but I won’t give you false hope. And I won’t disrespect my mate.”

“All for power, right? Everyone knows that an alpha with a fated mate is more powerful. Does she know how greedy you are? That you threw away love, your chosen mate, just for power?!” She screeched and ran out of the house.

Lita slowly made her way down the stairs. She wasn’t sure what to think about the situation with Felicia and Asher, but she did know how the mate pull felt for her. It was impossible to ignore, but was he really ignoring someone he loved because of it?

Caspian noticed her first, his blue eyes filled with worry as he stepped toward her.

"I'm fine, Caspian," she assured him, her voice steadier than she felt. "It takes more than a little scuffle to keep me down."

Caspian's gaze lingered on her, searching for any signs of discomfort. "Are you sure?”

Before Lita could respond, she felt Asher's presence at her side, his warmth radiating against her skin. His silver eyes met Caspian's, a flash of something … possessiveness, crossing his features.

"I've tended to her injuries. My mate is just fine. And do remember … she’s my mate.”

“I am well aware that she’s your mate. However, I plan to protect her with my life. Even if that means protecting her from you.” Caspian’s blue eyes locked onto Asher’s. Lita glanced up at her mate’s stormy eyes.

Asher's response surprised her. Instead of anger, his face softened with what looked like approval.

"Good," he said, his voice carrying throughout the room.

"That's exactly as it should be. I want every member of this pack to understand that Lita's well-being comes before mine.

Always." He looked down at her. “You’re my everything.”

He was being so sweet and tender with her in contrast to how he’d treated Felicia moments ago. Was this because she was his mate? Did he really care for her? Or was she a prize to him, like a level-up booster in a game?

The tender moment shattered as the front door burst open with a resounding bang. Kristen, her arms overflowing with shopping bags, stumbled into the foyer like a whirlwind of excitement and designer labels.

"Lita!" she squealed, her eyes sparkling. "Thank the Moon Goddess you're here! I've got the most amazing selection of dresses for the party!”

Lita blinked, momentarily stunned by the sudden shift in atmosphere. "Dresses? But I—"

Asher's brow furrowed, his protective instincts flaring. "Kristen, Lita's been injured. She needs rest, not a fashion show."

Kristen waved a manicured hand dismissively.

"Oh, please. It won’t hurt for her to look.

And I bought so many in all the sizes. Something is going to fit her beautifully.

” She grabbed Lita’s hand. “Nothing heals a girl faster than retail therapy,” she chirped, already tugging Lita toward the stairs.

"Trust me, when I'm done with you, every wolf in that room will be howling at the moon! "

As they ascended, Lita's ears picked up Kristen's eager chatter about silk versus chiffon, but her mind was elsewhere.

She turned, catching Asher's gaze from the bottom of the stairs.

His silver eyes were filled with a mixture of concern and something deeper, something that made her heart skip a beat.

Lita offered him a small smile as Kristen led her up the stairs. “Caden, bring the other bags!” she yelled as she pulled them into a large dressing room. “Alright Lita, take your pick!”