In the third year of being mated to Ricardo, the Alpha of the neighboring Shadowmoon Pack, I waited eagerly for him to fulfill his promise of marking me as his Luna. But he had long forgotten that promise, his attention entirely consumed by his first mate, Mallory, who had just returned from abroad. When I mind-linked him to ask if we were still going to cement our bond, he scoffed, his alpha tone dripping with condescension, “Aurora, will it kill you not to be my Luna?”

Ha, of course not. Because I could easily walk away and bond with someone else. So why was he crying and begging me to come back?

---

Amid the noise on the other end of the mind-link, I recognized Mallory’s voice. I could tell it was her. Yet, even so, I asked, “Ricardo, are we still going to complete the marking ceremony?”

Immediately, there was a burst of laughter, followed by Ricardo’s taunting voice, his alpha tone sharp and dismissive: “Aurora, will it kill you not to be my Luna?” Even though I had anticipated this, my heart still ached, and the mate bond between us flared with a painful, searing heat.

I moistened my dry lips and said, “Alright, let’s end this.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Aurora. Mallory is your cousin. You didn’t even come to her welcome-back gathering, and now you’re acting out with me!”

“Didn’t you go?” I paused briefly, then steeled myself. “I’m serious.”

“Fine. Just don’t regret it,” he snapped, his voice cold and final.

After severing the mind-link, I turned and walked back into the living room of my family’s packhouse, looking at the man sitting across from me. “Beta Morrison,” I said formally, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside me. “I accept your proposal to become your mate.”

Stephen Morrison, the Beta of my pack, stood, his tall, muscular frame exuding calm strength. His dark eyes softened as he nodded. “Wonderful, Aurora. Please get ready; we’ll head to the pack’s sacred grounds for the marking ceremony now.”

“Sure,” I replied, though my mind was still in a fog.

Even as we left the sacred grounds, I felt as though I were walking through a dream. Holding the newly forged mate bond in my heart, I finally felt a sense of reality. Is this... really what it’s like to be mated?

“Sorry, I have some pack duties to attend to,” Stephen said, his voice gentle but firm. “I’ll pick you up later, and our families will have dinner together tonight to celebrate.”

I nodded, still dazed, not yet processing the fact that I was now his mate. Stephen seemed to catch my thoughts and said, “Aurora, becoming your mate isn’t a game. I hope my Luna doesn’t have another wolf on her mind.”

“I understand, Beta Morrison. Don’t worry,” I replied, forcing a small smile.

Yes, Stephen was my parents’ choice for a mate. Three years ago, when I first bonded with Ricardo, my mother, the Luna of our pack, warned me that we weren’t suited for each other. Though we both belonged to prominent packs, Ricardo was too unpredictable and wild. My mother never considered him right for me. But back then, I was infatuated with him. How could I heed my parents?

It was then my mother made a bet with me. If Ricardo didn’t mark me as his Luna within three years, I would accept her choice of mate. Looking back now, I see how naive I was. I thought the mate bond would see us through. Only today do I realize how wrong I was.

Instead of heading home, I visited a salon I hadn’t been to in ages. Sitting before the mirror, the stylist asked about the hairstyle I wanted. Looking at my long, brown hair, I said, “Let’s go with big waves.”

The stylist brought over some style books, and we decided on a classic wave. I used to enjoy styling my hair, dyeing and perming it, but I stopped after bonding with Ricardo. All because he once said, “Aurora, straight brown hair is the loveliest.” Thinking about it now, I see how silly I was. I should have known then who he meant by “straight brown hair,” but I was blinded by what I thought was love.

The perm took a while, and I idly scrolled through my phone. Mallory, who hadn’t posted in years, surprisingly updated her status. It was a selfie with the caption, “No place like home after all the wandering.” Ricardo was the first to comment, saying, “Mallory, welcome back.”

I clicked on the photo for a closer look. I saw another hand over Mallory’s, and I recognized it as Ricardo’s because he was still wearing the mating bracelet we had exchanged. Seeing this, I turned off my phone and removed the bracelet from my wrist. That bracelet had marked an important moment for us—it was after our first major fight.

That day, Ricardo had fallen ill, and I rushed to his packhouse to take care of him. Since his grandfather passed, Ricardo’s relationship with his family had soured, leading him to live alone, and I worried about him. Upon hearing he was sick, I hurried over.

Ricardo had a high fever and rambled a lot, among which I heard Mallory’s name. In that instant, a mix of feelings engulfed me. Later, when his fever broke, I couldn’t resist questioning him, leading to our first argument. We didn’t speak for a week afterward.

A week later, Ricardo came to me with this pair of bracelets seeking reconciliation. Already eager to see him, I accepted readily. Over these two years, I never removed this bracelet, but I hadn’t realized how much it had marked my wrist until now.

I glanced down at it, then tossed the bracelet into a nearby trash can.

“Miss, your bracelet...” the stylist began, her voice hesitant.

“I don’t want it,” I said firmly, my tone leaving no room for argument.

When Stephen arrived to pick me up that evening, he paused for a moment, his eyes scanning me with a hint of surprise. His broad frame, typical of a Beta, filled the doorway, and the aura of his wolf, though calm, carried a subtle authority that always made me feel secure.

"Does it look bad?" I asked instinctively, smoothing down the dress I had chosen. It had been a while since I’d put this much effort into my appearance, and the self-consciousness crept in despite my confidence.

He shook his head, a warm smile spreading across his face. "No, you look great, Aurora."

With that, he stepped aside, motioning for me to follow. "Shall we, Luna?"

The title sent a thrill through me, though I tried to mask it. I nodded and gathered the items I had prepared—gifts for his parents, as was customary when visiting the family of one’s mate.

"What have you got there?" he asked, his deep voice carrying a note of curiosity.

"Gifts for your parents," I replied, holding up the neatly wrapped packages.

Stephen chuckled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "You didn’t have to, but I appreciate it." His smile deepened, and I could tell there was more behind it.

It wasn’t until I opened the trunk of his car that I saw he had also brought gifts. "You…" I began, raising an eyebrow.

"I thought you might be busy with everything, so I sorted them out ahead of time," he explained, his tone light but thoughtful.

I smiled, placing my things inside. "This is important. I wouldn’t forget. Besides, I promised you I’d take care of it."

"I trust you, Luna," he said, his voice softening as he closed the trunk. "Let’s go, Mrs. Morrison."

The title "Mrs. Morrison" caught me off guard, and I felt a flush of warmth spread across my cheeks. I slid into the passenger seat, my mind racing with the weight of what was to come.

At the restaurant, Stephen carried all the gifts himself, his strong arms handling the load effortlessly.

"Let me help you," I offered, reaching for one of the packages.

"Don’t worry about these, Luna. Head on in; my parents must be eagerly waiting," he said, his tone firm but kind.

I nodded and went inside, noticing Stephen hadn’t followed. "Why aren’t you coming?"

He glanced at his arm, then back at me with a grin. "I’m not going in without my mate."

I laughed, linking my arm through his. "Let’s go, Beta."

Inside, our parents were already engaged in lively conversation. As we entered, they nodded and smiled approvingly. "What a lovely couple," Stephen’s mother remarked, her eyes twinkling.

"Indeed, come sit with us," my mother added, gesturing to the seat beside her.

I was ushered to a seat beside Stephen’s mother, her presence commanding but warm.

"Aurora, you look more radiant each time I see you. It’s no wonder this rascal…" she began, glancing at Stephen with a teasing smile.

"Mom, Aurora must be hungry. Let’s eat first," Stephen interjected, his tone playful but firm.

"All right, let’s eat," his mother conceded, signaling the start of the meal.

The table was laden with dishes—roasted venison, spiced honey cake, and other delicacies that filled the air with a comforting aroma. The meal was filled with joy and laughter. My parents got along splendidly with Stephen’s, and Stephen was attentive to me throughout, his hand occasionally brushing mine in a gesture of reassurance.

Yet, this wasn’t my first time in such a setting.

The last time was with Ricardo’s parents, just last fall at the pack’s harvest celebration.

Back then, both families sat together, but the atmosphere was anything but harmonious.

Ricardo’s parents, Alphas of their pack, were distant, their conversations with my parents overly polite. And Ricardo, my former mate, hadn’t paid me any attention during the entire meal.

His mother had subtly hinted that she hoped I’d focus on family life after the mating ceremony, implying her desire for me to step back from my role within the pack.

I had immediately objected, but Ricardo, in front of everyone, had said, "My mom is just looking out for you. Just listen."

At that moment, I had felt a pang of disillusionment.

Ricardo knew my true aspirations. Throughout our relationship, I often envisioned our future, expressing my plans to take on a leadership role within the pack and expand our influence. He used to laugh and tell me I was ambitious, promising he’d support my goals no matter what. So why had he rejected it now, so definitively?

I caught my mother’s look—it seemed to ask, "Is this really the person you chose?"

The situation had only eased after my father, the Alpha of our pack, had intervened.

"What are you thinking about?" Stephen’s voice pulled me back from my thoughts as he took my hand.

I blinked, shaking my head. "Nothing."

"Here, have some coffee. Your hands are cold," he said, his tone gentle.

I nodded with a smile, taking the cup he offered.

"So how about setting the wedding date for a month from now?" Stephen’s mother suggested unexpectedly.

I was startled. The wedding date?

I had been so deep in thought that I hadn’t been paying attention to their conversation and missed that they had already set a date.

"Great. We have everything ready anyway. The sooner the kids get married, the more at ease we’ll feel," my mother agreed.

"Aurora, what do you think?" Stephen’s mother smiled at me.

Since we were already mated, holding the ceremony was merely a matter of time. Might as well get everything done in one go, I thought. I nodded in agreement. "Sounds good. I’ll leave it to you."

Stephen placed his hand over mine, and I turned to him. "Rest assured, even though the date is soon, it won’t be rushed," he promised. He then looked at my parents earnestly, "Alpha, Luna, I assure you I will take good care of Aurora."

As I looked at Stephen’s profile, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of trust in him.

After dinner, my parents insisted I travel back with Stephen, claiming their car was too cramped.

Such a feeble excuse made me chuckle, but I went along with it and got into Stephen’s car without protest.

"Take me to my apartment, please."

"Not going home?" he asked.

"I’ll spend one last night there and pack up some things. I’ll move back home tomorrow." Over the years, I’d lived on my own most of the time, so I had bought a small apartment early on. Now that the wedding was approaching, it seemed right to move back and spend some time with my parents.

"Need help with the packing?"

I shook my head. "There isn’t much. I can manage on my own."

Stephen nodded. "Then I’ll pick you up tomorrow for the wedding dress fitting."

"Okay," I replied, leaning back in the seat as the car pulled away, the weight of the evening settling over me like a comforting blanket.