“Cheers to everyone! And thank you for being here. I would also like to take this opportunity to tell my mate, my Nadia, how happy I am—I’m not fucking good with this, but I’m trying—so again, I want to tell you, my love, how happy I am that I found you and that you have given me too many chances every time I fucked up. It meant more to me than you can possibly imagine.”
My heart fluttered as my eyes watered because Riley was not the one to speak his emotions in public.
“All these years, I doubted myself if I was doing well as an Alpha. But when you came, I found out what I was missing—a Luna to lead beside me…”
I bit my bottom lip, suppressing the smile forming on my lips, before my eyes widened when Riley placed his glass back on the table and turned in my direction, kneeling in front of me as he slid his hand into his pocket.
Oh, Goddess. Is he going to propose? Aren’t we long overdue for this?But I wouldn’t deny that if he do that, I would feel really special.
He took out a small black velvet box and opened it, revealing a gold ring, encrusted with a wolf’s head. It looked like a family heirloom.
“Nadia, my love, in front of my mother…” The first tear fell from my eyes as he spoke the word ‘mother’ lovingly. “...and my sisters, and your best friend. I would like to formally ask you to be my Luna, the Luna of this pack. To be bonded with me in front of the Moon Goddess and the people we will serve together. Marry me, Nadia Morrison. And I promise you, I will do my best to be a better mate every day of our lives together.”
I was a sobbing mess. It had to be my pregnancy. Riley had never failed to tell me the last line every time he could, but him saying it out in the open was a big thing to him, something he never did, pouring out his emotions for others to hear. But he was doing it for me tonight.
I wanted to say yes, but my tears were choking me as my hands went up to my mouth to stifle my sobs.
“You have to answer, my love. If you say no, I’m going to stay here and ask you again until you give up and say yes. So better say yes now or we won’t be sleeping the whole night.” He had a wide smug grin on his face as his eyes locked with mine. And although he was joking, and everyone around us was chuckling and hooting, I could see the real emotions in his eyes and feel them through our bond. He was scared I would say no.
With my hands still covering my mouth, I nodded my head too many times before I was able to find my voice. “Yes, I want that more than anything in the world, to be yours forever, Riley.”
I withdrew my hands over my mouth and cupped his jaw, leaning closer to him before pulling his face and crushing my lips against his, kissing him lovingly as tears continued to stream down my cheeks.
Yes, this time I am ready. The Silver Moon Pack deserves a Luna, and I’m going to give them a good one.
Riley put a hand around my nape and kissed me back. We were lost in our own world when I heard the Beta’s voice and the crowd around us.
“A toast to the Alpha and the Luna of the Silver Moon Pack! And of course, to the future heir of the pack!”
“Cheers!” Everyone exclaimed in unison, followed by the clinking of glasses and loud applause.
My eyes were still in tears, my heart swelling with happiness. My life had taken a turn to something I had never expected would happen to someone like me.
Dreams do come true. And it’s happening right in front of me.
Chapter 87
ALPHA DARVIN.
Ileaned my body againstthe tree as I lit my cigarette. My eyes roamed around the forest ground. Felix, Katya, Nicole, Zahra, and Leandro went inside the packhouse to have their own group while the rest settled on the big bonfire inside the forest just south of the packhouse. Everyone was seated around a bonfire that the Beta lit up and was enjoying alcoholic drinks except for Sofia and Luna Nadia.
My heart clenched at the sight of my sisters.
Everyone was getting mated, but not them. And I didn’t miss the pain in Katarina’s eyes. She was the oldest of the unmated females around, but she was still mateless. But she should have expected it. She had met all the males here at some point after she turned eighteen. So nothing should come as a surprise tonight.
But of course, I would be lying if I said that was the only reason my Katarina was gloomy tonight.
It was all my fault. But I was left with no choice. If there was anything in this world that meant anything to me, it would be my sisters and my pack. The pack would always come second before them, but this time, I was trying to save both.
I have Acresia. And my time was ticking.
Acresia is a rare wolf disease that deteriorates the immune system of a wolf. It is very rare, but not unheard of. It only affected males, and it skipped generations. So when my father’s wolf was diagnosed with this disease, we both thought I was spared the same fate. But the Goddess played me well.
My father gave me the Alpha post at seventeen because his wolf was dying and soon no one would be able to sense his wolf and it would mean the pack would be deemed weak and vulnerable to attacks.
And it was for the same reason that I was doing what I needed to do. My Alpha aura was dwindling, and my wolf was getting weaker every day. There were days that I couldn’t summon him anymore. I would soon be just like an ordinary human, and I wouldn’t be able to defend myself. What more of my sisters and my pack?
And as much as I trusted my Beta, I promised my father I would do my best to produce an heir to be the next Alpha. We both wanted the pack under our name for more years to come. But with my situation, it would be impossible.
