Page 116 of His Fated Luna

“Stop trying to make me feel better because you feel bad about what you did!” I spat.

Aiden was quiet for a minute before trying to speak again. “I—”

“Just get out,” I cut him off, emotionally exhausted but still able to summon enough wrath in my voice to give him pause.

I didn’t want to hear anything more from him. I wanted to be left alone. I just looked at him, fire in my eyes, doing my best to hold myself together. I needed him to get out. He couldn’t see me break down.

“I don’t need someone to take me to classes anymore.” My voice wafted towards him as he turned to leave. “I’ll be taking my own car from now on.”

“Come home.” His voice was soft, small, and pleading.

“I am home.” My voice was stoic and firm.

Aiden had never been my home, no matter how much I had deluded myself into hoping for him to be.

Chapter 37

"True love, sir, is possessive and cannot bear to share with all the world." -Moliere

Aiden's POV

"Aiden!" exclaimed Lexia happily. She ushered me into the house. I’d called her myself to find out her whereabouts and she’d informed me she'd come home to visit her ailing mother.Lexia was more than eager to invite me over for a talk when she learned I had something important to speak about. "How are you?"

I turned to Lexia stonily, taking in her appearance. She looked startlingly pale and tense. It seemed like the stress of her mother's illness was getting to her. But the eagerness in her gazewas unmistakable. I couldn’t continue to let her delude herself. Besides, I was livid at her.

"You're the one that gave Rose that stupid suppressant medicine,” I stated, looking her in the eye coldly.

Anger radiated off of me and for the first time, Lexia found herself at the receiving end of my contempt.

Lexia took a step back, taken completely by surprise by my cold tone. To be on the receiving end of my fury was something that had very rarely happened to her, if ever.

"I-I…I just thought in case—”

"You hadnoright to butt into my personal life,” I cut in. She opened her mouth to speak but I held up a finger to silence her. "I'll let it slide this time, Lexia, but I'm only going to tell you this one time. Stay. Away. From Rose." My voice was commanding and unyielding, each syllable laced with warning.

Lexia shakily clutched herself, hugging her midsection.

"So you're with her now?" Lexia said the words on the barest of whispers, inclining her head in defeat. "That's it then, you gave into your wolf, didn't you?"

"I think I'm falling in love with her,” I finally said the words, admitting it to myself more so than to anyone else. "At first—” My voice cracked. "I only liked her, but...after her turn..." I let out a breath.

How was I supposed to put into words what I saw when I delved into her mind and glimpsed her soul? In that moment, I sawher, not just her thoughts, but the raw, radiant core of who she truly was. In that instant after the marking, through her memories, I saw the raw courage, the compassion and selflessness within her that I’d been too blind to see before. And I fell harder than a dead weight, no resistance or hesitation. I fell completely. Irrevocably. I wanted her with a hunger that eclipsed everything I’d ever known. Iachedfor her—body, mind, soul—with a need so profound it hurt to breathe without her.And more than anything, I wanted her to be mine. Not for a moment. Not for a night.Forever.

"It's just your wolf,” Lexia bristled. "We've already had this conversation, Aiden. It's just her being newly turned and your instincts. That’s why you think you love her after her turn. There is no way you could ever fall for someone immediately after their turn. Love doesn’t work like that."

I cast a critical eye towards her as she desperately scrambled for an explanation. It sounded more like she was trying to convince herself of something rather than convince me. Regardless, I wasn't going to stand here and argue with her over my feelings. I know what I felt. And who I felt it for.

"Whatever it is, it's no longer any of your business, Lexia. Let us be."

With that, I turned on my heel and saw my self out.

“Aiden please! No. You can’t do this to me! I…we promised we’d reject our mates for each other!”

I shut the door on her frantic pleadings, effectively shutting the door on any future with Lexia. And it felt like shedding a huge weight off my shoulders.

Rose's POV

After an entire day of sitting around completely depressed, I managed to get up the next morning and take a long, hot shower.