“We can have you sit up and maintain your position,” the healer said. “It would give her the strength of the pack to aid healing. I believe we should try it, Alpha.”
I took a deep breath, steadying myself as her scent washed over me. “Alright. Let’s try.”
For the next hour, the healer and Greta administered fluids while my mother, Josh, Bennet, and Danny prepared the ritual to make her a pack member. I simply held my mate close as the controlled chaos unfolded around us. Her breathing became less strained, and she seemed to slip into a peaceful sleep, curled protectively around me like I was her teddy bear. But I wouldn’t be satisfied until those striking ice-blue eyes opened and looked up at me.
I closed my eyes, feeling her warmth against me, replaying everything since she arrived**everything my team had shared, Robin’s words, my mother’s insights. She was strong, stubborn even, my perfect Luna**except she was human and so fragile. That reality was hard to accept. She couldn’t mindlink, and I refused to let her enter any fight willingly. Vulnerable as she was, I felt helpless, unable to find a solution for once in my life.
“We’re ready, Alpha,” Josh’s voice pulled me back from the spiral of worry. I opened my eyes, breaking free from the negative thoughts that had been circling around Kennedy’s condition.
I shifted into a more comfortable sitting position. She was straddling me, pressed tightly chest to chest. Under any other circumstances**and without an audience**I would have been thrilled by the closeness. But now, I kept her face nestled into my neck and under my chin, her right arm wrapped around my waist to keep as much of her covered as possible. My mother gently lifted her left hand and extended her palm toward the elder who had joined us. I double-checked every inch of her exposed skin was covered before we began.
The ceremony was swift, or as swift as it could be with someone unresponsive. At least she didn’t have to repeat anything back for it to take effect. The elder placed a silver knife in my right hand while my mother steadied Kennedy’s left for me to make the incision. The elder made the same cut on my palm. The moment our blood mingled, I felt a powerful surge of connection flow through us.
Kennedy gasped deeply, her fingers tightening around mine like a live wire stuck to me. I turned our hands so I could kiss the back of hers, then tucked it against my chest, not caring about the blood smearing. Her eyes remained closed, but her body heat rose instantly, and color began to return to her cheeks.
Josh said he was going to get an update on the rogues they’d captured and see if he could extract any useful information. Greta and Danny headed off to their patrols, promising to check on the injured teen and update me soon. The elder and healer packed up to leave, with the healer promising to return once more tonight and again in the morning to monitor Kennedy’s condition. Bennet pulled up a chair and slumped back, and I couldn’t even bring myself to ask him to leave. He was hurting almost as much as I was over her state. My mother said she would have food brought up for us.
I sat there quietly, holding Kennedy close, feeling the weight of the moment settle around us. The room was still except for her soft breaths and the faint hum of concern from those who cared for us both. In this fragile, uncertain time, I vowed silently to protect her with everything I had.
After everyone had finally left the room, I eased myself down onto the bed, carefully adjusting Kennedy so she could rest more comfortably. She’d been curled up tightly for so long that I worried about her circulation cutting off in her legs. Once I’d fussed over her blankets and pillows more than necessary, I glanced up at Bennet, who was leaning against the wall with a tired expression.
“Come on, just be honest with me. Is there something going on between you and Kennedy?” I asked, trying to keep my tone casual but unable to hide the curiosity**and frustration**in my voice.
Bennet sighed, clearly weary of the topic. “Not this again. Do you have any idea how exhausting you are?” he replied, his voice low but steady.
I shook my head. “I just don’t get it. You act like you’re just as obsessed with her as I am. You’re always right there, one step behind her. It’s like you can read her mind, feel what she’s feeling. You get more pissed off or defensive on her behalf than anyone else does…”
“I’m her Gamma, asshole,” Bennet said quietly, without the anger he’d shown the other night. Instead, there was a weariness in his voice. “It’s my responsibility to stay one step behind her at all times. I have to know what she needs, even before she asks for it. Not being able to talk to her because you’re a jealous prick made things harder. I had to become more observant, learn how to read her body language. Honestly, I should thank you for that**she never asks for help. She’s just as stubborn as you are. I know Jeremiah and the others love her, but I think she always felt like a burden there too. That’s why she pushes herself so hard. And then you came along and took all that away from her in an instant. She knows everyone assumes she’s the weak link because she’s human, and she refuses to be seen that way. I’ve had this connection with her since the moment you claimed her at Raina’s party.”
“I didn’t claim her then,” I said, shaking my head.
“Bullshit you didn’t! I remember it clearly**a half-assed non-apology to Danny for cockblocking him, then you spent the rest of the night hovering around her. And where was I? Right behind you, watching your back next to Josh. That’s when I knew**she was my Luna.”
I frowned, remembering the early days. “She was attacked twice in her first month here!”
“Unfortunately, that’s part of being Luna,” Bennet said grimly. “Ask your mom how many times they were attacked when she traveled with your dad. Or how many times when she wasn’t with them. For some reason, idiots in our species think females are weak and easy targets. But anyone who messes with Greta and lives to tell the tale quickly changes their tune. I’ve even seen the Luna verbally spar with people**she’s terrifying when she’s angry. Except for Amy, I’ve never seen her back down from anyone. And even then, she only showed her pain after Amy was out of sight**like today.”
I swallowed hard, pulling Kennedy closer, as if holding her tighter could somehow protect her from the dangers I feared. “I don’t know if I could survive if anything like what happened to Mom happened to Kennedy. I don’t know how Dad managed it.”
“You should talk to Jeremiah,” Bennet suggested. “Maybe he’ll tell you what happened about a year ago.”
“What do you mean? He mentioned it once but said it wasn’t his story to tell.”
“I don’t know all the details because she wasn’t allowed to talk to me,” Bennet admitted, his voice heavy with frustration. “But she was kidnapped or captured**someone wanted to get to Jeremiah through her. She’s here now, so obviously she escaped. From what I understand, she freed herself. She wasn’t rescued.”
I blinked, stunned. “What!?”
“Ask your mom or Greta**they might know more. She’s human, so she can be broken in ways we can’t. But she’s not some fragile piece of glass that needs to be locked away.”
Even if she’s stronger than I am, my fear doesn’t lessen. Kennedy is too precious to risk harm. I’ve seen her endure and heal from a pack induction ceremony while unconscious. I know what she’s capable of, but that doesn’t make it any easier to believe.
**Kennedy
A sharp ache throbs in my head. Did I drink last night? No, that can’t be right**I haven’t had a drop since I moved here. My eyelids feel unbearably heavy, as if glued shut. I want to open them, but the weight is too much. Still, I’m wrapped in such cozy warmth, I’m reluctant to move at all.
Just a few more moments, I tell myself, sinking deeper into the softness of the blanket cocooning me. The darkness around me feels inviting, almost like it’s pulling me in to stay longer.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.