“Yes,” he sighed happily. “We are.”
The sudden revelation that the alpha was my fated mate came crashing down on me.
Oh Goddess! He’s supposed to be with Sunny! That’s what’s supposed to happen here! He’s supposed to choose her, not me. Crap, what does this mean for Thunder Moon? What about Sunny and Father? They are going to be furious.
“This is very bad,” I continued, putting a hand to my head.
“Why is this bad?” he demanded, his energy shifting from relieved to upset.
“I’m an omega, Caelan. Literally the lowest-ranked wolf in the pack,” I whispered. “And I’m cursed. We can’t be mates. I can’t be the luna you deserve.” I sighed. “It wasn’t supposed to happen this way. You were supposed to fall for Sunny so we could save Thunder Moon.”
He squeezed my hand, making me look at him again. “Shade, the Goddess works in mysterious ways, and you are my fated mate, the one she’s picked for me above all others. I wouldn’t choose anyone else for anything in the whole world,” he replied.
His words sounded like something straight out of one of my romance novels. Something too good to possibly be true, no matter how much I secretly wanted it to be.
“I can’t give you what you need, Caelan. An alpha is supposed to continue his lineage, and cursed wolves can’t have pups. Besides, look at you,” I said, willing him to understand. “Why would someone like you want to mate with someone as plain as me?”
“You’re the most beautiful wolf I’ve ever seen, Shade. And we can figure out the rest together. Just please,” he pleaded, pulling me closer. “Please give us a chance. I know it’s scary, but I promise to make you the happiest wolf on Earth if you’ll let me. Be my mate, Shade.”
I frowned.Is he begging? An alpha should never have to beg an omega for anything. I need him to stop. I need him to behave as an alpha should so I can think clearly. So, I can figure out what my next move should be, what I need to do for my pack.
I paused, my stomach sinking at the thought of this dream ending. Was that what I wanted? Did it matter? I owed Sunny and the pack everything. I couldn’t be the reason why she failed.
I did the only thing that I could think of and nodded, not sure I could trust myself to speak.
“Thank you, Shade!” he sighed. “I promise you won’t regret it.”
Without warning, he reached up and grasped my face, placing a light kiss on my forehead.
My instincts kicked into gear, my training demanding that I defend myself, but I fought the urge to push him away.I tensed, taking a deep breath as I tried to calm down.
It’s just Caelan. He’s not trying to hurt me. He’s my mate.
He jumped back almost as quickly as he’d grabbed me, dropping his hands to his sides.
“Damn. I’m sorry, Shade,” he apologized. “I got excited. I’ve been so worried about what you might say that I just couldn’t control myself when you said yes. I know you’re not used to physical contact like that. I’ll try to be more aware about that kind of thing moving forward.”
I was too shocked to respond, standing there stiffly as he shuffled on his feet. A few moments of silence stretched between us before I was finally able to speak again.
“Uh, thank you. This is…a lot to process,” I admitted. “I might need some time to get used to…all of this.”
“Take all the time you need,” he offered with a smile, intertwining his fingers with mine again. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Secrets Revealed
CAELAN
I bid Shade good night at her door before heading up to the fourth floor. I was floating on cloud nine as I bounded happily up the steps.
Finally, after all this time, she knew we were mates. It felt as though a giant weight had been lifted from my shoulders.
I hoped we could start moving forward now that she knew the truth. She was mine, and I intended to claim her as soon as possible.
I was heading to my room when I ran into my mother.
“Caelan!” she said cheerfully. “Back from your date with Shade? Walk with me so you can tell your mother all about it.”
I was more than happy to share. I couldn’t stop smiling as I told her about everything that Shade and I had discussed on our hike and how I’d finally revealed to her that we were fated mates.
