Page 157 of His Fated Luna

I walked into Dylan's private room at Dr. Danvers clinic. I stopped up short when I saw Lexia sitting in his room. What was Lexia doing here? Lexia quickly stood up, a guilty expression on her face when she saw me.

"I was just leaving,” Lexia murmured, getting up to brush by me.

And then Lexia froze a hair's breadth away from me, her neck snapped from the rapidity of the way her head turned to look at me.

I knew what was going on. My scent had mixed with Aiden’s. His smell was all over me. Lexia could most likely tell we'd finally mated. I looked back at Lexia with a single raised eyebrow as if to ask, ‘Do you have a problem?’ Lexia’seyes widened in understanding, a hint of alarm coloring her light blue eyes. I stared at her, refusing to budge an inch. I was the luna, this was my land, my pack, and my pack's clinic.The waves of dominance were radiating from me, the newly mated Luna of Bloodfire Phoenix Pack. So, Lexiabowed her head, hurrying out. She must have sensed my dominance and didn't create a scene.

"Her mom's a few rooms down from me,” Dylan said by way of explanation when I looked at Dylan quizzically, wondering why Lexia had been in here.

I looked at him. He had bags under his eyes and looked like he hadn't had a decent night's sleep in months.

"So she came to see how you were doing?" I hedged. I had to know. Had Lexia come in here to ask around about Aiden?

Dylan gave a bitter laugh. "She tried. Told her I was surprised a self-absorbed bitch like her would even care what happened to me."

I gave a start. Dylan was always pretty easy-going. The laugh, the cynicism, the cursing. This wasn't him. I decided that the stress of everything was finally getting to him.

"Hey, everything is going to be OK,” I assured. "We're going to fix this. We have the translated text. And we'll figure out an antidote for this poison laced with magic too. Let's hope the ceremony is able to heal you."

Dylan gave me a half-hearted smile. "Aiden's so lucky to have a mate as kind and selfless as you."

I smiled back at Dylan. "Speaking of mates—” I began primly, not noticing the way Dylan's hands fisted in his lap. "I have to ask. Have you at all felt your mate? Maybe a girl in high school? The ancestors were asking me about it."

Dylan's face hardened, eyes becoming two shards of dark coal. He looked so much like Aiden in that moment that I couldn't help but feel relieved that Aiden never looked like that at me anymore.

"No." The word was stated emphatically and forcefully. "There's no one. I don't have a mate."

It was said with a tone of finality as if signing his own execution.

"Because if you did…" I began warily. "The ancestors don't want you bonded to the land if your luna isn't loyal to it." Ibrushed my hair away from my face so that it fell behind my shoulders. "It's one of the reasons they always want their Luna to be born on pack soil."

"I can reject my mate and pick someone else,” Dylan cut in.

My eyes widened. Was he talking about a hypothetical scenario or...?

"You'd do that? Wait, have you found her?”

Dylan shook his head fiercely. "I don't have a mate. But let's say I did find one who wasn't...worthy according to the ancestors, I could reject her. I could mark someone else." His eyes suddenly became bright, like a child learning about Christmas or Santa Claus. "If I mark someone else, it breaks my mate bond. I could reject her and then mark someone! Anyone!" he nearly crowed in delight.

I looked at Dylan assessing his reaction. I wasn't stupid. He'd found his mate but apparently he was not happy with whoever she was.

"Dylan, you will not reject some poor girl in high school simply because she isn't pretty enough or popular enough,” I scolded.

"Oh, she's popular enough. Pretty enough too,” Dylan bit out.

"So you have found her!" I said latching on to this piece of information.

Dylan looked away.

"It's my life, Rose, and you're like an older sister to me. So I'd appreciate it if you'd respect my choices. Trust me, she's the last person anyone would want to be a luna." Dylan ran a hand through his hair. Much like Aiden did when he was agitated. "Tell them I'll pick whoever they want, if that's what they're worried about."

I opened my mouth to protest. Dylan couldn't just throw himself up for some arranged marriage! He deserved his mate. But Dylan cut me off.

"I'd like to be left alone now. I've had visitors in and out all day,” Dylan said pointedly.

I got up and left, respecting his wishes. Unsure what to tell the ancestors, I decided to simply tell them what Dylan had said:

If they were worried about an unworthy luna, Dylan promised to pick one they approved of.