Page 106 of His Fated Luna

“Can I ask you something? Anything. Why is it every time we say goodnight, it feels like goodbye?” ? Lang Leav

Rose's POV

Mid-August arrived in a whirlwind of ceremony preparations that swept me up before I could catch my breath.

Before I knew it, Josie was showing me the dress I’d be wearing. My stomach fluttered with familiar butterflies as she talked about how wolves usually marked each other during the mating ceremony. But since I hadn’t turned yet, Aiden would just kiss me to signify our union.

I couldn’t stop the warmth that bloomed across my cheeks at the thought of Aiden marking me. I knew enough about theprocess: his lips brushing my neck, his canines piercing my skin, and the way he’d hold there, sucking just enough to insert his saliva into the puncture marks. It would leave his scent on me, clinging to my skin.

Later that evening, Aiden was lounging against the headboard of my bed, his eyes locked on me. “So what’s this I hear about you being at odds with Mom over the ceremony?”

I shot him a glare through my mirror. “Is that what you came to my room to talk to me about?”

Tomorrow was our mating ceremony. I sat on the settee, rubbing toner into my face with a cotton ball, nerves already twisting in my gut. So many people had been invited that even if it was all a sham, I found myself a mess of nerves.

“Jeez, Rose, I just wanted to make sure you were doing alright.” His voice carried a note of hurt, and I immediately felt a pang of guilt.

“It… it was so random, and you don’t usually come into my room just to talk,” I said, more defensively than I meant to.

I bit my bottom lip. Aiden’s gaze darkened as he watched me.

“I’m just a little nervous about tomorrow,” I admitted.

“Everything’s going to be fine,” he assured. “We’re going to smile, take pictures and come home afterwards. Nothing to feel nervous about.”

I nodded in agreement. Right. It wasn’t like I was moving to a new place. I already lived here!

“I guess you can call the photographer as long as he’s from our pack,” I finally acceded, knowing that it was important for Josie to have pictures. How could I deny her that joy.

He grinned and stood, already moving for the door.

“Thank you Rose. That’s my girl,” he chuckled as he left.

I stared after him, confused. His girl?

Aiden's POV

It was the morning of our mating ceremony. The aligned packs had been invited, along with Ava and Ron from the Rushing River Pack. There were still talks of an alliance with them and this was a great opportunity to strengthen diplomatic ties. A werewolf mating ceremony was not as extravagant as weddings in the human world.

The luna and alpha would gather at the altar, usually at a clearing where all pack events took place. For me and Rose, this event was going to take place in front of the clearing at our temple. Torches were lit as everyone gathered in a circle around us.

Ezra was the officiant. And as I stood, waiting with Ezra for Rose, chaos broke.

Naturally, the allied pack from England had been invited. Accompanying them was alpha of the Coventry pack along with his heir. It was an obscure pack of which not much was known except for the fact that they seemed to be descendants of royalty who had been turned into werewolves during the dark ages. I had been interested in potentially forming an alliance with them. The future alpha of the Coventry pack was eighteen years old.

When his eyes locked on Tanya, one word escaped his mouth.

“Mate.”

It had been utter chaos, with Tanya looking confused, Mom ready to cry, and me trying to smooth things over, telling thealpha’s son that we’d revisit this topic in another ten years. Tanya was only seven!

First Dylan was falling sick because his wolf’s instinct to lead wasn’t being fulfilled. Now, Tanya was mated to someone eleven years older than her! Our family just couldn’t catch a break it seemed.

And yet through it all, I couldn’t help but feel thankful that I had Rose on my side to help me navigate these responsibilities. Once things had settled down, she walked to me in her long white silk dress with cap sleeves. I stood next to Ezra in slacks and a cream-colored dress shirt. The torch light bounces off her hair, making it look deep red with hints of gold in the afternoon sun.

“Wolves mate for life…” Ezra intoned the ancient scripture, but I wasn’t listening. I was looking at my beautiful mate. Because no matter the chaos unfolding around me, she was the one person who had the power to ground me. To make me feel as if it would all be alright, as long as she was here. Rose smiled at me once Ezra was done talking, and my heart thudded against my chest painfully. I wanted this to be real. Not pretend. The realization slammed into me, nearly sending me to my knees.

Shakily, I drank from a gold chalice with ancient inscriptions on it, similar to the carvings inside the temple. Then I handed it over to Rose. She drank the water in it that had been blessed by a prayer to the Moon Goddess.