Chapter 17
It was unexpected.
I could hardly comprehend how my life had spun into this new reality. The Alpha King- Damon, the man I was bound to by arranged union, the stranger I’d once feared–was actually my fated mate. My wolf surged, howling in sheer joy, waves of elation
crashing through me, even as my mind raced to keep up. Fate had chosen him for me–the one who could calm my soul, who could make me whole.
Damon’s gaze, usually distant and
unreadable, softened as he held me close. His stormy gray eyes, once as cold as winter, now held a warmth I hadn’t expected. His hands
found my waist drawing me closer as if
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found my waist, drawing me closer, as if some invisible force tethered us together. I could feel his breath, warm and steady against my skin, quieting my heartbeat as it echoed in time with his.
“I didn‘ t… I didn’t think this would happen,” I murmured, my voice barely more than a breath.
“Neither did I.” His voice was deep, a rare touch of wonder lightening his usual stoic tone. “But fate rarely leaves room for plans.”
He wrapped his arms around me, fitting against me as if we had always belonged this way. His scent–cedar and frost–filled my senses, grounding me, binding me. My wolf, always wild and restless, settled in his hold, soothed by the presence of her mate. For the
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soothed by the presence of her mate. For the first time in what felt like years, I felt… at
peace.
But that peace shattered almost instantly. A sharp, searing pain blazed through my chest, my blood surging with an intensity that stole my breath. My body tensed, a small gasp escaping as I staggered in his arms. Damon‘ s grip tightened around my waist, his eyes widening as he saw the color drain from my face.
“Malinda,” he said, his voice laced with concern. “What’s happening?”
I tried to answer, but a harsh cough wrenched its way up my throat. The taste of blood–hot and metallic–coated my mouth, staining my hand as I tried to cover it. Panic prickled at the edges of my vision and the world around
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the edges of my vision, and the world around me blurred as the pain escalated, pulsing with each heartbeat.
“Your
blood…” Damon whispered, his face shadowed with worry as he brushed his hand against my cheek, his touch heartbreakingly tender. “I knew there were… complications with your bloodline, but I didn’t realize it was this severe.”
I managed to meet his gaze, my voice steadier than I felt. “Then… then you know how this can be fixed,” I whispered, each word a struggle.
He hesitated, his expression wavering between concern and something darker.
“Malinda… are you certain?”
I nodded, clinging to the resolve that filled
“Tita
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- me. “Bite me, Alpha. I’m ready.”
Damon’s hand hovered, the faintest hesitation in his eyes, before his expression hardened. He leaned in, his lips grazing the side of my neck, and a shiver of anticipation rippled through me. My wolf surged forward, ready, yearning for the bond that would finally make me whole. This was it–the moment I had waited for, feared, and needed all at once.
With a swift, piercing bite, Damon’s fangs broke through my skin. Pain flared, sharp and overwhelming, but it quickly melted into an ache of pure relief as his energy flowed into me, calming the storm within. A heat spread through me, down to my very bones,
strengthening me with a force that was both foreign and familiar.
The pain ebbed, replaced by an intoxicating
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gaze
warmth that pulsed from the bite mark. My wolf howled within me, the connection deepening with each second as his power intertwined with mine. I could feel him settling within me, like an anchor, calming the wildness that had defined me for so long.
When he finally pulled back, Damon studied me, his expression unreadable as his flicked to the fresh mark on my neck. Tentatively, I touched the bite, feeling the warmth of his claim and the sense of belonging that radiated from it. I was no longer alone. I was his, and he was mine.
“Is it… better?” His voice was quiet, but I could hear the strain, the worry that lingered there.
I nodded, my hand resting over the mark, the ache in my chest gone, replaced by a
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calmness I had never known. “Yes,” I murmured, my voice thick with wonder. “It‘ s… it’s gone. My blood is… calm.‘
Relief softened his gaze, and he pulled me close again. For a few precious moments, we simply held each other, letting the weight of our bond settle over us. His fingers brushed mine, and I felt the smallest hint of a smile tugging at his lips, a rare softness that felt like a balm to my soul.
But reality returned all too quickly. Damon pulled back, his gaze intense as he searched my face.
“Malinda,” he began, his voice low and
serious. “Let me claim you. I want you mine. I need you mine.”
The warmth in his eyes steadied me,
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reassuring me in a way I hadn’t anticipated. I wanted this–needed this–not only to calm my blood but because he was my fated mate. I met his gaze, my decision clear.
“I am ready, Alpha,” I replied softly. “We’ re fated. Let‘ s seal our bond.”
The ceremony was swift, held beneath a vast, star–filled sky. The cool night air brushed against us, but Damon‘ s presence was a warmth that filled every corner of my being. He held my hand firmly in his, a silent promise and strength that steadied me.
We exchanged vows of loyalty and devotion, our voices low but unwavering. With each word, I felt the bond deepen, a thread woven between us, binding us together in ways
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beyond words. All the fear, all the doubt I had carried, seemed to melt away, replaced by a fierce certainty that settled in my heart.
“Under the blessing of the moon,” Damon intoned, his voice steady as he pressed his lips to the mark on my neck, “I claim you as my mate, my Luna, my equal.”
Pride filled me as his words washed over me, sealing the bond I hadn’t dared to believe could be mine. My wolf howled in celebration, a fierce joy flooding through me as Damon’s presence became an indelible part of me. I was his. And he was mine.
I met his gaze, feeling a new strength surge through me, a confidence I hadn’t known before. “And I accept you, Damon, as my Alpha and my mate,” I declared, my voice clear and strong. “We are bound by fate, bv
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the blood of our kind, and I vow to stand by your side, now and always.”
A shiver ran through me as he brushed his lips against mine, sealing our vows with a lingering kiss. My wolf stirred, content yet vigilant, calm yet fiercely protective of the man who held me. Damon drew back, his gaze filled with warmth, with something that felt like… hope.
As we walked back inside, hand in hand, I felt lighter than I had in years. I wasn’t just Malinda of the Shadow Pack anymore. I was the Luna of the Moonlight Pack, bound to a man whose strength matched mine, whose presence offered the peace I had longed for. Damon looked over at me, a faint smile on his lips, his eyes filled with a softness I’d once thought impossible.
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In that moment, as he led me into our shared future, I realized something that made my heart soar. I had found not just a mate, but a
home.
