Page 130 of His Fated Luna

"I've been accepted to med-school. Conditionally, of course. I have a final interview once I finish off my sophomore year. My academic counselor recommended it to me. Said I'd be a shoo-in for the program." I kept my tone neutral, wondering what Tony's reaction would be.

“For what it’s worth, I think it’s great of you to have your own dreams and ambitions,” Tony finally said before taking another bite of his apple.

“I wouldn’t be able to manage my luna duties,” I replied nervously.

“Mom would love to take over temporarily. She’s been doing it anyway. You should do what you love, Rose. Just because you’re Aiden's mate, doesn’t mean you should hold yourself back. If it's what you want, your pack will find a way to support you through it.” Tony said all of this very matter-of-factly and with a confidence I didn't feel at all.

Deciding to think on his words, I looked back down at the letter, folding it and putting it in my bag.

“I have to think about if it’s something I really want to do,” I finally supplied, by way of explanation.

I stiffened when I smelled Aiden entering the house. He made his way over to the kitchen and walked over to me, a tender smile on his face.

“Did you just get home from class?” Tony asked his brother, finishing off his apple and aiming to throw its core in the bin.

I knew what Aiden was about to say just from the look on his face.

“Perceeepptive,” was Aiden's sing-song reply.

I giggled. “You know I hate it when you say that. It reminds me of Mr. Evans.” I shivered. “I don’t think he really likes me.”

Aiden's eyebrows furrowed as he looked at me with concern. “Don’t worry about him, Rose. I’ll make sure he plays nice. Speaking of the Evans family…” He cleared his throat. “I’ll make sure they all behave. I’ve already had a word with Lexia about her interference with those suppressants—”

I let out a small gasp of surprise. I hadn't expected Aiden to take the time to go and confront Lexia. He was making it clear that he chose me.

“And if they can’t respect my luna, I’ll break the alliance contract with them,” Aiden ended decidedly, crossing his arms.

“Oh, Aiden, can you really blame her?” I asked quietly. “You shouldn’t be so harsh on her. You’re the one who promised her you’d find a loophole. She was probably thinking that she was helping you, in her own twisted way.”

“I think I’ve made it clear to her that a loophole is the last thing I’m looking for,” Aiden stated emphatically before reaching out to grab my hand. “Come on, let’s go.”

“Where?” Rose asked. Aiden pulled me up from my seat.

“To get milkshakes. And cheeseburgers. I’m starving.” He began dragging me out the door.

“There’s food at home,” I supplied, delighting in the feel of his warm hand holding onto mine.

“Along with eight other people. I want you all to myself,” he grumbled as we walked down the driveway to his car. “The only reason I came home was to get you.”

I smiled as I got in the car with Aiden. We spent the drive talking, Aiden complaining to me how his course load was unbelievably heavy. Once Aiden parked the car, I allowed him to put his arm around me as we walked into the diner. Aiden tugged me into the booth next to him, refusing to let me sit across from him.

The entire time, Aiden couldn't keep from touching me. He would casually let his hand linger over my knee as we joked, or he'd intermittently move to clutch my hand in his. It wasn't until our food arrived that Aiden finally let me go, turning to eat lunch.

“I sent the text to be translated,” Aiden mentioned off-handedly, finishing off his cheeseburger.

“You know all of this could be avoided if I could converse with the elders,” I pointed out matter-of-factly, taking a sip of my milkshake. I looked at him pointedly.

Aiden's lips pressed together in a thin line. He leaned back in his seat to look at me. I shrugged my shoulders, taking in his stormy mood. “I’m just saying…”

“Don’t.” His voice was flat and brokered no arguments.

“But—”

Aiden put a finger to my lips.

“We’re having such a good time. Don’t ruin it by arguing over something like this,” Aiden stated resolutely. Then he gave me a half-hearted smile, trying to go back to a lighter tone of conversation. “Do you like your milkshake? You got a new flavor this time, didn’t you?”

I nodded, leaning in to take another sip. “I got strawberry. Want to try?” I slid the milkshake towards him as an offering of peace and a promise not to push the matter, for now.