Page 197 of His Fated Luna

“We didn’t do anything during your first heat.” His words were quiet.

My eyebrows drew together sharply. Why not? If he’d been with me just for the sake of mating, shouldn’t we have done it during my heat?

“Do you think so little of me?” he asked a little sharply. “You think I’d use you like that? Just to breed?”

“I don’t know what to think,” I admitted softly.

“Is it so hard to believe I love you?”

It was like he’d verbally bulldozed me. I took a few steps back as the import of what he’d said sunk in. He loved me?

“That’s…the first time you’ve said that to me.”

Aiden was suddenly there in front of me, crowding in on me. I felt my pulse quicken. He was so close I could have stood on my tip toes and kissed him.

“I’m trying.” He looked at me like a man drowning. “I’m trying to give you space. But I love you. I love you. I love you. I will always love you.”

The admission flustered me. His proximity set me on edge. I closed my eyes and felt…something. A shadow of a memory or a phantom touch, hands gliding up my arms, lips kissing mine and leaving me breathless….a bite on my neck that made my blood sing. Aiden’s breath was coming hard and fast against my cheek, his gaze was heavy like he wanted to kiss me. I brought a hand up to touch the bite on my neck.

“When did you do this?” I asked him.

And the moment was broken. Aiden’s eyes shuttered closed as he took a step back and his face became expressionless. “I’ll see you later, I’m supposed to resume my alpha duties today.”

And I was left with more questions than I had answers.

It was when I finally got back to my car after meeting my academic counselor and opened my car trunk to put my newly bought books I’d procured from the campus bookshop, that I found a shopping bag from an expensive lingerie store downtown. Curious, I set my books aside and reached into the bag. At once, I dropped the red lingerie in surprise. It was a red thong and a barely there bra with scraps of crisscrossing fabric that only just covered the wearer’s nipples.

I had a couple of pieces of sexy underwear, mostly to feel confident about myself. I’d never bought anything for the specific purpose of wearing it to show someone. This….this had been bought with an intent to seduce. My finger snaked into the shopping bag again and pulled out a red choker ribbon with a clasp at the back. I supposed the ribbon choker had been bought to add to the kinky aspect. A card hung like a pendant from the middle of the choker. I opened it and my eyes widened at the content inside.

“Happy Birthday, Aiden”

It was written in my own loopy handwriting.

Oh, hell. Who in the world was I? How the hell was I supposed to reconcile this…sex kitten to the person I was now? The person who had no memory of ever being touched beyond a couple of stupid boys and their awkward fumbles?

“Leave it to me to finally have sex and then forget about it.” I spoke bitterly as I flung the choker back into the bag before crossing my arms.

And I definitely did my best to tamp down on a little voice in my head that kept insisting I better put that expensive lingerie to good use before it didn't fit me anymore.

I returned from a long day at the pack clinic to discover that Josie was over with the kids. My routine was gaining some sort of a new normal.I’d get up and go to the clinic, spend time with family and friends before coming home to sleep. I’d tried asking Aiden a few times if there was anything required of me as Luna, but he kept tonelessly telling me to not worry about it for now.

I’d seen Josie a few times since I’d been out of the hospital but today Josie brought the kids over as well andI was overjoyed. I was seeing the kids again after a long time. Tanya wouldn’t leave my side.

“We were all so worried about what that evil alpha might do to you,” Tanya said sadly.

“An evil alpha?” I asked, confused.

“After Aiden was defeated.” Tanya kept babbling and Josie’s eyes widened in horror. “It must have been awful to have Al—”

Josie clapped a hand over Tanya’s mouth, but the damage was done.

“What is Tanya talking about?” I choked out on a horrified whisper. I searched the room to discover that Aiden was in the backyard with his brothers.

“Nothing, Rose,” Josie assured.

“It didn’t sound like nothing.” My voice reached a higher pitch than normal.

“Dr. Danvers thinks it’s better to not tell you right now. It might trigger a regression,” Josie explained pleadingly. “Please, dear, don’t push it. You’ll remember in time.”