Chapter 5

"On the day of the Awakening Ceremony," he said, his fingers lingering on the back of my neck, "I'll make you my Luna."

My heart skipped a beat. "What if I'm not your fated mate?" I whispered.

He looked at me, gold flashing in his eyes. "It doesn't matter," he said, his voice final, like it was set in stone. "You'll always be my fated mate. Even if I have to go against the Moon Goddess, you're the only one I want."

"But that's not allowed," I whispered.

"I'm the future Alpha," he said, his voice unwavering. "I make the rules."

I lowered my head, fidgeting with the end of the Moonbond Cord. "What if I never awaken my inner wolf? What if I stay like this forever—"

He cupped my face and tilted it up so I had to meet his eyes. "Selene," he said softly. His voice was low and measured, each word landing inside me. "You're mine. Awakened or not, I don't care.

"And I don't care what the Moon Goddess says. You're going to be my Luna. Always."

My eyes burned with unshed tears. I reached behind my neck and unclasped the moonstone necklace.

I'd worn it since I was a child, the only thing my mother left me. The blue moonstone glowed softly in the moonlight, like my own little moon.

I cupped it in my palm, then fastened it gently around his neck.

He glanced down at the moonstone resting against his chest, then looked up at me. "This was your mother's."

"Now it's yours," I whispered.

He didn't say anything else. Instead, his fingers slid to the back of my neck and pushed the Moonbond Cord aside. The pads of his fingers rested against the small patch of skin next to my scar.

That spot was where the mate's claiming bite went. In wolf packs, only a fated mate was allowed to touch it. Once the imprint was made, it meant forever.

He lowered his head. First, I felt his warm breath on my neck, then the gentle touch of his forehead against that sacred patch of skin.

I froze, my fingers gripping the stone beneath me so tightly that my knuckles went white.

He didn't claim me. He just stayed there, letting his presence settle around me, like he was making a solemn promise.

I smelled amber, pine, and dewmists drifting from the pulse point on his neck. The scent wrapped around me. My breathing turned shaky, and my heart pounded so fast I thought it might jump out of my throat.

His hand stayed firm on my shoulder, keeping me close. I could feel the curve of his lips brushing against my skin, lifted in a smile.

I looked at him. His amber gold eyes were full of warmth and laughter. They held a tenderness so deep that I could have drowned in it. I had never seen that look before, and I would never find it again.

I could never forget those eyes. But now, as he looked down at me on the stone slab, those same eyes held nothing but coldness and cruelty.

I lowered my head, refusing to meet his gaze. I felt nothing anymore. My feelings for him had completely frozen over.

I was determined to leave. If I didn't awaken today, even if I became a rogue wolf with no pack and no protection, I would still leave him behind.

Vivian was furious at my words. She tried to slap me again, but this time, her hand never made it.

Adrian seized her wrist, locking her in place.

Vivian lost it, yelling in front of everyone, "I'm your fated mate, Adrian. I am!"

The whole square went dead silent. No one spoke. No one moved.

Everything suddenly made sense. Why he had changed. Why he had grown so cold.

I had thought about all of this before, but hearing it shouted out loud, right in front of me, made every promise we ever shared feel like it was cutting me open.

I bent down and gathered the shattered pieces of the moonstone, pressing them into my palm one by one. The jagged edges bit into my skin, blood seeping out, but I refused to let go.

I hated myself for being so naive and for believing him so easily.

Adrian didn't explain, didn't deny it. He only said, "Don't delay the Awakening Ceremony. Vivian, that's enough."

Then he looked at me. "Go on, Selene. This is your final Awakening Ceremony."

I stood up, turned, and walked toward the ritual circle.