Page 105 of His Fated Luna

In the proceeding weeks I buried myself in the library. I started poring over ancient, tattered records of the first werewolves of the Bloodfire Phoenix Pack, some barely legible,others written in strange languages I had to painstakingly decode. There had to be something—some forgotten ritual or workaround. I couldn’t shake the thought that if I had access to my Luna powers, I could’ve reached out to the ancient elders for guidance. But neither Aiden nor Josie ever said anything to make me feel like I was lacking. They never made me feel like I wasn’t enough. Everyone could see I was giving it my all.

Before I realized it, July had ended—and the mating ceremony was looming near, scheduled for the end of August.

“Do you ever take a break?” Aiden’s voice caught me off guard. He strolled into the library, one hand casually tucked into the pocket of his shorts.

I couldn’t stop the smile that lit up my face. When had he come back? It felt so good to see him again.

“I hear you’re always here—researching journals, studying, balancing accounts.” He stepped forward and slammed the financial book shut.

“What else am I supposed to do?” I asked, a little testily. “It’s not like I can go anywhere outside pack territory.”

He’d expressly forbidden it and it was one thing my father and Aiden agreed on. Because it was too dangerous for me to go out alone.

“Sure you can,” he said with a mischievous grin.

“I can?” I eyed him warily. What was he getting at?

“You can—with me.” He offered a hand. “Come on, let’s go get milkshakes from the diner.”

“Oh, Aiden, I can’t. I have to—”

“Nope,” he interrupted. “I’m not letting you work yourself to the bone. One hour won’t change the world. Come on.” He took my hand and tugged me toward the door.

I couldn’t help the warmth that bloomed in my chest and spread through me at his touch.

On the way, he teased me about being on the wrong career track. According to him, with how well I handled numbers, I should’ve gone into accounting.

“You need to be good with numbers for chemistry equations,” I replied, trying to sound prim.

He laughed, draping his arm around my shoulders as we walked into the diner. When it came time to order, I was surprised when he ordered for me—chocolate-banana milkshake, my favorite.

He remembered.

It had been over a month and a half since we’d last been here. I swallowed back a lump that rose in my throat. The idea of life without Aiden was becoming more unbearable each day.

“I tried readingThe Count of Monte Cristoagain,” he said after a few minutes of sipping our shakes in companionable silence.

“Oh!” I perked up instantly. “That’s my favorite book!”

“I know,” he said, amused. “You’ve read it twice in the few months you’ve been living with me. I remember you reading it when I was about to leave for my study abroad program.”

That caught me off guard. I hadn’t realized he’d even noticed me back then.

“Well, I reread it when I’m feeling low. It’s… strangely cathartic,” I explained.

“It’s depressing,” he muttered, stirring his straw through the milkshake. “All that book talks about is revenge.”

“You haven’t finished it, have you?” I asked knowingly.

“How can I? Every new chapter makes me want to jump off a bridge,” he quipped.

I rolled my eyes. “You need to finish it to understand the real message.”

“I really can’t find the motivation. Maybe I’ll try again… in a few months.”

I smiled and took another sip of my milkshake. The fact that he even tried reading my favorite book… that meant more to me than he probably knew.

Chapter 33