Page 162 of His Fated Luna

Aiden's POV

When we finally returned from New York, we went to pay our condolences as alpha and luna of the Bloodfire Phoenix Pack. I made the nature of our visit emphatically clear when Lexia opened the door to receive us.Lexia looked paler and thinner in a modest black dress. Even her eyes looked lifeless, no longer the sparkling blue we'd always seen them as.

We sat with Alistair Evans for a very brief amount of time, my hands laced with Rose's, before the old alpha finally excused himself from the room. "We should be going,” I politely stated.

"So that's it? All those promises, down the drain?" Lexia finally spoke on a choked sob.

Was Lexia really going to get into this now?

"You promised me even if you found your mate, you'd reject her. I made that very same promise to you. You've ruined everything for me!" Lexia was sobbing hysterically now.

My mouth tightened into a thin line.

"People change, Lexia. Feelings change,” Rose finally spoke up.

Lexia was grasping at straws, trying to hold onto something that no longer existed.

"Easy for you to say. The love of your life didn't just up and leave you." Lexia's voice was bitter. "If he'd done this to you, you'd be singing a different tune."

"I wouldn’t,” Rose's voice was sharp, cutting and downright stern. "I'd be sad. I might cry." She cast a tender glance at me. "But if he was truly happy, I'd be happy for him. I wouldn't chain him to me and make him miserable. Relationships based on duty and obligation don't work."

"The only reason he's with you was because of your powers and because you're the chosen luna. If that's not makingdecisions out of duty, I don't know what is,” Lexia snapped, wiping the tears from her cheeks.

"Lexia!" I exclaimed, barely reigning my anger in. "We chose each other. If Rose hadn't been happy with me, if she wanted to be with someone else, I would have let her go. It would have been the death of me, but I would have."

Rose cast me a tender smile.

"Love isn't holding on so tightly that you suffocate the other person, it's letting them go so they can fly,” Rose added. This time, I was the one looking at Rose with affection.

"It's just your mate bond. If you guys didn't have that—” Lexia started in again.

"Whatever it is, it's none of your business,” I cut in sharply. I then inhaled and exhaled deeply, trying to calm myself . "Look, if you keep at this, things are going to end up getting nasty between us. I'm already upset over the way you've been lying to Jake." I looked at her with steely eyes as Lexia sucked in a surprised breath. "That's right, I heard about that stunt you pulled with my book. You need to let go. We're leaving now."

I stood, my hand still clutching Rose's.

"Have a good evening. Again, we're deeply sorry for your loss." My voice was formal.

I pulled Rose firmly along with me. But I didn’t miss the way Lexia's hands clenched into fists and a look of pure determination settled over her face.

I walked into my kitchen with Tony by my side only to be met with Rose in a white hoodie and tight gym shorts. She was reaching for a mixing bowl from one of the upper cabinets and her hoodie rode up to expose her midriff. The shorts clung to her thighs and outlined her butt perfectly.

“Where’s Lorraine?” I asked curiously.

Lust for her surged through me. She looked so hot.

Rose shrugged. “I let her have the day off. Josie’s taken the kids to visit her sister to get healing potions for Dylan before the ceremony. It was just us. I thought I’d make us something.” Rose looked up, biting her lip.

I was too busy deciding the best way to kick my brother out.

“Tony, since you’re here, you can help me cut the vegetables!” Rose exclaimed happily.

I shot an icy gaze towards my younger brother and mind-linked him.

“You better get the fuck out now.”

It didn’t take Tony longer than a second to understand what I was about. The beta held up his hands in surrender. He was bowing to the age-old cardinal rule of his to never be a cock-block.

“I take after my parents. I’ll burn the kitchen down if you let me anywhere near a stove.”