Page 90 of His Fated Luna

The room broke into applause, and suddenly, a spotlight landed on Aiden—right beside me. I couldn’t help the awe that washed over me. He was the one who would present everything we’d worked on. He stood up, smiling and gracious, thanking everyone for believing in him before sitting back down as the spotlight returned to the host.

“Your rooms are still booked for tonight for those of you that might like to stay an extra night! Please do enjoy the rest of your stay here!” the host continued, but I wasn’t paying attention anymore.

I leaned toward Aiden and whispered, “That’s why they had the meeting scheduled for Saturday, Sunday, and Monday! You don’t have classes on Monday.”

He barely smiled. “Perceptive.”

I wanted to smack his chest. He had this huge responsibility, and he hadn’t told me a thing. Most guys would be bragging about it, but not Aiden. He kept quiet about his place in the alpha hierarchy like it wasn’t worth mentioning.

Chapter 29

"If you want her to love you, shelter her from that storm…And make certain that storm isn’t you.” ? Renee Ahdieh, The Wrath and the Dawn

Rose’s POV

I didn’t see much of Aiden until Thursday morning. I’d ended up spending both Monday and Tuesday night at Dad’s house, in my old room. It’s funny how you don’t appreciate the miracle that is a memory foam mattress until you’re stuck tossing and turning on something... less miraculous. By Wednesday, I couldn’t take it anymore and returned to the alpha residence, with Layla as my escort for the day.

So there I was Thursday morning, sliding into the car beside Aiden, heading off to the University to meet with my advisor,when he glanced over at me and said, “Lexia asked me to pick her up today. Her car is in the shop, and since her father’s pack is on the eastern side…”

He trailed off with a shrug, like it didn’t mean anything. I gave him a quick nod and smoothed down the denim skirt I was wearing, suddenly hyper-aware of how I looked.

“I’ll sit in the back once we reach her house,” I offered, eyes focused on the ground outside the car.

I didn’t see it, but I could feel Aiden tense beside me.

“Um… what have you told her? Does she know the truth?” I asked, bracing myself for the drama that might follow. I didn’t know how Lexia would react, and I hated being unprepared.

He exhaled slowly. “She knows we’re living together,” he admitted. “She doesn’t know much else. Lexia… Lexia thinks we can’t help the mate pull.” Another shrug. “I haven’t told her otherwise. We haven’t really talked lately.”

“So… she thinks we’re together?” I asked again, trying to piece it all together.

He glanced sideways at me. “For Lexia, it’s just biology. She thinks that, as an alpha, I’m genetically wired to want to mate with my luna. To her, it’s just instinct.” He laughed bitterly. “Like eating to live.” He shook his head, clearly remembering something he didn’t want to do.

“She’s willing to ignore our physical intimacies as long as she’s the only one fulfilling your emotional needs,” I said quietly. “She doesn’t care what you do with me, as long as she’s the one you’re in a relationship with.”

He looked at me, surprised. Not for the first time, I saw that flicker of appreciation when I said something that hit the nail on the head.

“She’s not,” he said quickly, like he could feel my heart sinking. “Not… fulfilling my emotional needs.”

“Yet,” I added, unable to stop myself. “It’s not for lack of trying on her part.”

He dipped his head in agreement, not arguing.

“Then why haven’t you gotten back together?” I asked. “If she’s fine with our… situation, and I’m fine with you two being… together, what’s stopping you?”

I could see how tightly he was gripping the steering wheel—his knuckles had gone white. He didn’t want to talk about it. He didn’t want to dig into those feelings. But I had to ask. Even if I wasn’t sure I wanted the answer.

When we pulled up in front of Lexia’s house, I reached for my seatbelt, ready to move to the back. But his hand closed over mine, stopping me.

“I told you, we need to make it look authentic,” he murmured. “People will wonder why I let my ex-girlfriend sit up front.”

My eyes widened. He was worried about me. Not Lexia’s feelings, not how awkward she might feel—but how others might perceive my role, my safety. And I definitely didn’t feel a jolt of happiness when he called Lexia his ex…

So I stayed in my seat when Lexia stormed out and threw daggers at me with her eyes. She yanked open the back door and climbed in with a huff.

“Layla was too busy to drive her?” she asked snidely, like I was a child who needed to be chauffeured.

“Layla was supposed to take me today?” I asked, confused, turning to Aiden.