The younger woman’s smile softened, her tone shifting from giddy to serious. “I understand. But you have to know something. He’s been searching for a long time. He’s gone to every mating ball, visited countless packs, tried everything.
And yet nothing. Then he met you, and wham!”
Roselyn clapped her hands together dramatically, her eyes shining. “You became his world. I know this because he’s my brother, Elaine. I’ve never seen him act this way. The care, the protectiveness, the softness-he only shows that with you.
He loves you.”
Elaine swallowed, her heart tightening at those words.
“I know,” she whispered. “I feel the same way. But the mate bond… it’s sacred to me. I can’t pretend it isn’t.
I won’t stand in the middle of two wolves the Goddess made for each other. I’ve been there before, Roselyn, and it was not fun. The pain, the jealousy, the constant ache of knowing you’re second choice. I don’t want anyone to feel that way.”
Make
Roselyn’s eyes softened with sympathy, and without hesitation, she pulled Elaine into a warm hug.
“Yeah, I know,” she murmured against her shoulder.
When she pulled back, her face brightened again, though her words carried a playful scold. But three years, Elaine? A three-year trial period? That’s way too long! Mom was over the moon when she heard you both chose each other, but she nearly fainted when Darius told her she had to wait three whole years for the Luna ceremony.
She’s disappointed, and honestly, so am I.”
She crossed her arms dramatically, her pout making Elaine laugh again.
“I know,” Elaine admitted. “To be honest, I don’t like waiting either. But I need time, Roselyn. Right now, what I feel for Darius is real, and I know his feelings are too. But fate doesn’t always give us what we want.
Sometimes it gives us something entirely different.”
Roselyn sighed, flopping back on the bed, her hair spilling like a dark halo. “Yeah, you’re right. Still… I hope when I find my mate, it won’t be so complicated. I want it to be simple.
A smooth ride.”
Elaine smirked, amused by the irony. “How will you ever find him if you refuse to go to mating balls? Every year you skip them. And when visiting packs come, you make sure you’re out’ exploring’ somewhere far away.”
Roselyn sat up quickly, eyes wide with mock guilt. “Well, maybe I’m not ready to find him yet! Just like you, I want time for myself. To enjoy being single, to have freedom before the Moon Goddess ties me to someone forever.”
She laughed, brushing off the topic with her usual carefree spirit.
Elaine arched a brow, her tone playful but laced with warning. “Don’t let Darius hear that. Right now, he thinks it’s all a coincidence. He doesn’t know you’re purposely avoiding meeting your mate.”
Roselyn gasped, grabbing her hand in panic. “Don’t say anything! If he finds out, he’ll drag me to the next ball himself and chain me there until I talk to someone. Promise me you won’t tell him!”
Elaine couldn’t help it-she laughed, truly laughed, the sound filling the room with warmth. She laughed more and more these days, she realized. With every passing day, happiness seeped deeper into her heart. She had found not only love but also family for and for her pup here in Crescent Moon. And as she looked at Roselyn, smiling despite her dramatics, Elaine knew she was exactly where she was meant to be.
“I won’t say anything. But your brother is not stupid, Roselyn.” Elaine’s voice carried both amusement and seriousness. She leaned back against the pillows, arms folded across her chest, giving the younger woman a knowing look. “He will eventually figure it out.
And when he does, it won’t be me caught in the storm. It’ll be you who has to deal with him.”
Roselyn groaned dramatically, throwing herself back on the bed as if Elaine had just delivered her doom.
“Ugh, don’t remind me,” she muttered, covering her face with her hands. “I know, I know. Darius sees through everyone eventually. He’s like a hawk with those sharp eyes of his. Nothing escapes him for long.”
Elaine chuckled, watching her. “Exactly. And when he puts two and two together, I’m not stepping in to save you. You’ll have to stand your ground.”
Roselyn peeked through her fingers, her expression torn between dread and defiance. “Do you know how hard it is to stand your ground against Darius? He doesn’t even have to raise his voice. He just gives you that look-the alpha look, and suddenly you’re confessing every little secret you ever had.”
Elaine smirked knowingly. “Oh, I know that look all too well. Believe me.”
The two women shared a laugh, though Roselyn’s quickly dissolved into another heavy sigh. She sat up again, shoulders slumping as if the weight of her brother’s inevitable discovery already pressed down on her.
“You’re right,” she admitted softly, almost pouting. “He’ll figure it out sooner or later. He always does.”
Her hands twisted in her lap, betraying her nervous energy. “And when he does… I guess I’ll just have to deal with the hurricane that is my big brother.”
Elaine reached over and squeezed her hand gently, her smile both sympathetic and teasing.” That’s the spirit. At least you’ll survive it. Barely.”
Roselyn gave another dramatic sigh, flopping against Elaine’s shoulder. “Barely,” she echoed, already envisioning the inevitable confrontation
“Alpha, we will be in the Silverblade pack in thirty minutes,” Marcus said from the seat, glancing briefly at Darius before turning his gaze back to the road.
Darius gave a silent nod, his jaw tightening slightly. passenger
They were here for the Alpha and Luna ceremony tomorrow, a formal event that demanded his presence. As tradition dictated, they would remain until the day after before returning home.
But Goddess, he already missed Elaine.
It had only been a month since she agreed to be with him, and though the bond they shared grew stronger each day, the time apart gnawed at him more than he expected. If it were entirely up to him, he would have announced their union right away, claimed her openly, and celebrated her as his Luna without hesitation.
His wolf howled for it, urging him constantly to make it official. But Darius knew better. Elaine needed time.
She trusted him when he promised he would reject his fated mate for her, but she didn’t want that sacrifice. She didn’t want anyone-especially another woman-to feel the same agony she felt when Michael had chosen Kathy over her.
Darius could still see the lingering shadows in Elaine’s eyes whenever the topic surfaced.
Her pain was real, and so was her fear.
So he gave her his word. He told her he would wait as long as she needed, and in that moment he meant it wholeheartedly. Yet when she finally whispered that she wanted three years-three years before she could bring herself to accept the title of Luna-it nearly broke him.
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.