Page 67 of His Fated Luna

I heard her sharp intake of breath. She knew what that meant.

“He talks like he expected you to be my luna by now,” I said quietly. “Guess I didn’t meet all of his expectations.”

“I don’t think he had any expectations on what you should or shouldn’t do,” she replied, her hand sliding up to rest over my arm on the counter.

She must be saying this to comfort me, but the second her fingers touched my skin, it was like a spark shot straight through me. I went completely still, my pulse racing.

We were sitting too close. Close enough that all I could smell was her. I fought not to lean in closer, not to lose myself in her scent.

“I think he gave you all the information you needed so that you could make the right decisions, the best ones for your pack,” she continued. “He didn’t exactly tell you to make an alliance.He just… pointed you in the right direction. Your dad gave you the information so you could cross-check it yourself. I mean, it’s not like he would’ve been disappointed if you’d discovered something wrong with the foreign alliance and backed out.”

I tilted my head toward her, a small smile tugging at my lips.

“He expects me to mate with you.”

Her face flushed instantly at the huskiness in my voice. She bit her bottom lip without realizing it, and my gaze zeroed in on the movement like a predator spotting prey.

“That… that’s… well… you have every right to be with who you want to be,” she finally said, letting out a little huff of laughter, clearly trying to brush past what I’d said. “Don’t worry, I’m going to help you. We’re in this together.”

She gave my arm a squeeze, and before I could stop myself, my hand shot out toward her—but she was already sliding off the stool, out of reach. I drew my hand back quickly, pretending I hadn’t moved at all.

“What time should I be ready tomorrow? You’re taking me to lab, right?” she asked, glancing back over her shoulder.

“You don’t have an eight a.m. tomorrow, do you?”

“No.” She shook her head, her curls falling over her face.

“We’ll leave around nine. That okay?”

She nodded, then turned to head back upstairs. I watched her go, wondering how she could just walk away after sitting here, peeling me open like that. She probably thought I’d be up all night sulking over a bowl of cereal. And maybe I would.

Maybe this was my therapy.

I heard her footsteps fade away upstairs. I knew exactly where she was headed—back to her bed, to the room right next to mine, where the door connecting our rooms sat unopened.

My eyes drifted toward the ceiling.

And I wondered how much longer I’d have to wait before she stopped walking away.

Chapter 24

"Love is a battle, love is a war; love is a growing up.” – James Baldwin

Rose's POV

The next morning, I pulled out one of the new outfits I was almost certain Auntie Hilda had bought for me. It had her style written all over it—a dark blue short sundress with yellow flowers scattered across it. I slipped on a pair of denim-colored blue wedges and made my way downstairs. The smell of pancakes filled the air. Auntie Hilda was here, making breakfast. I couldn’t help but smile.

Adjusting the straps of my backpack, I squared my shoulders and walked into the kitchen. Aiden was already at the table,laughing and inhaling pancakes like they were going extinct. Lorraine was in the background, looking none too pleased—probably miffed that someone else was taking over her kitchen duties this morning. Auntie Hilda was smiling at Aiden, but the moment her eyes landed on me, her smile faltered.

Guilt hit me hard, not for the first time, over the way I’d acted last night.

“Morning!” I said brightly, forcing some cheer into my voice.

I walked over and gave Auntie Hilda a hug, which she returned without hesitation. That eased some of the weight off my chest.

“I’m sorry for how I acted,” I whispered into her shoulder.

“Oh Rose, I love you. I’m not perfect and I make mistakes. But I’m doing my best,” Auntie Hilda replied, pulling back to look at me with a smile.