Page 101 of His Fated Luna

“He hates admitting when he’s wrong. Just like his father,” Josie said, clearly amused.

Before she could say anything else, I quickly slipped out of the kitchen and made my escape.

Aiden's POV

I rolled into bed, completely drained from tonight’s mess of complications. At midnight, Dylan turned eighteen. So we’d decided to celebrate the usual way—with a pack run. Most werewolves shifted at 16 and could sense their mates at eighteen, so it was tradition to mark the occasion with a run. It was a rite of passage, really. For all we knew, the next day he would sense his mate and no longer be a bachelor. It was supposed to be a wonderful way for us brothers to bond with a midnight run.

But of course, nothing had gone the way it was supposed to.

Dylan had always been a pretty large wolf for his age, but everyone had conveniently forgotten that an alpha’s need to lead surfaces right around the eighteenth birthday too. So when Dylan refused to bare his neck to me, it hit all of us like a slap to the face—he wasn’t just a strong wolf. He was an alpha. One who wasn’t meant to follow me. One who was meant to lead. His fully developed alpha canines had snapped at me in challenger. My own wolf had responded in kind, not one to back down.

It nearly turned into a full-on fight between our wolves.

Thank the goddess Tony had been there to intervene.

Exhausted, I couldn’t stop my mind from drifting to a familiar pair of green eyes.

I wanted to hold her. Kiss her. Have her by my side so I could talk to her about all of this—about Dylan, about what the hell we were supposed to do now. If this tension didn’t settle, ifsomething didn’t shift soon, I was terrified our wolves might tear each other apart.

Two alphas in one pack wasn’t just complicated—it was dangerous.

But what choice did we have? Where else could my brother go?

I sighed, tossing and turning in bed as sleep evaded me. Soon, I had to leave for an important pack related assignment. I would be presenting the drafted legislation, from the regional alliance meeting, in Washington D.C. Part of me wanted to ask Rose to go with me. I wanted my luna with me for such a momentous occasion. But did I really have any right to ask her?

Rose's POV

The next morning, I stood at Aiden’s graduation, clapping along with the rest of his family, forcing down the bitter taste rising in my throat when I spotted him with his friends—Lexia by his side, of course—smiling for pictures. Josie beamed and waved him over so he could take pictures with everyone. Dylan was missing because he wasn’t feeling well according to Josie.

“Well, I’m going to go home and check up on Dylan,” Josie announced once we were done taking pictures. “I’ll meet you guys for lunch.”

As she left, I caught Jake’s gaze across the lawn. What was he doing here on graduation day? I noticed how Aiden’s eyes were still fixed on me as I walked over to meet Jake, after waving goodbye to Josie and Tony.

Aiden's POV

I watched Rose walk towards Jake with determined strides, I realized with aching clarity that I was jealous. Jealous of the way her eyes lit up every time she saw Jake. Jealous of how easily she confided in him, like he was the one who understood her best. Jealous of how, whenever Jake was around, she went straight to him—without hesitation—while I was left on the sidelines, hoping for a moment, a glance, a scrap of her attention.

Maybe that’s why, when Lexia brushed up against me, her voice low and teasing as she whispered that maybe now I’d finally be in the mood for something, I didn’t exactly push her away…

Rose's POV

“I better call Aiden and ask him if it’s time to go meet everyone for lunch,” I said, pulling my phone out after talking with Jake for a while.

My eyes scanned the campus, looking for him—and then the phone slipped from my hand.

There he was.

Under a tree.

With her.

I watched Lexia reach up and try to kiss him—he pulled back with a small laugh, but still, she stumbled forward and he caught her by the waist. My blood boiled.

Jake cursed beside me. “He needs to make it clear to her that he's no longer available, so she'll stop throwing herself at him,” he growled, looking at me for confirmation.

I couldn’t say a word. I was too gutted. Why did it hurt this much seeing Lexia in his arms? Why did I want to march over there and break her fingers for touching my alpha?

Then I saw Lexia’s hands run up Aiden’s arms, her eyes darkening, her hips subtly shifting against his in perfect alignment—and before I could stop myself, I growled. Low. Sharp. Possessive.