Page 192 of Moonlit Fate

Grief threatened to choke me, but I swallowed it down. This wasn’t goodbye, not really. We’d faced worse.

His lips met mine, and for a beat, the world fell away. When I opened my eyes, he was gone, vanished into the shadows he commanded so well.

“Be safe,” I whispered to the empty space where he had stood.

47

ATTICUS

The hall felt colder than usual. I stood next to Caius, my muscles tense, ready for whatever game he was about to play. He wore that smug grin that always meant trouble. The large doors creaked open, and a woman walked in. She had a regal air about her, like she owned every inch of the space she moved through.

“I have found you a mate,” Caius announced.

I said nothing, forcing my stance to remain solid, my face an unreadable mask.

“Someone of your caliber needs an equal match. She will bear strong heirs and continue the bloodline. I have selected her personally to ensure our abilities are passed on.” He chuckled, a sound that never boded well. “Well now, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Let’s get you mated first, shall we?”

He gestured to her with a flourish, as if he were offering a prize. “Meet Valora.”

I glanced at her without turning my head, taking in her presence.

“Isn’t she... delicious?” Caius’s words slithered through the air.

I bit back any response, focusing on keeping my breathing even. Jaw set, I locked eyes with Caius. The urge to turn away from Valora, to deny this farce, itched under my skin. But I gave him nothing. No satisfaction. No win.

“Look at her,” Caius demanded with a command no son should hear from his father.

“I see her,” I growled low, but my gaze never left his.

“Good.” He leaned back, clearly enjoying whatever twisted pleasure he got from this.

Aria’s face flashed in my mind—her smile, the light touch of her hand on mine when the world wasn’t watching. Pain knifed through me, sharp and deep. It was a torture, a mockery of every silent vow we’d shared.

“Atticus?” Caius prodded impatiently.

“Fine choice,” I muttered.

“Remember your place,” he hissed, a warning that held more threat than any physical blow.

My fists clenched at my sides as I stood immovable, the perfect image of an heir accepting his fate. Inside, though, I raged against the chains, against the destiny forced on me. For Aria. For us. There, in that cold hall, I was just another piece in Caius’s cruel game.

“I understand this may not be the path we would have chosen for ourselves.” Valora’s eyes met mine. There was an empathy in her tone that caught me off guard.

I nodded stiffly. The walls, adorned with the grandeur of a lineage I had no part in, closed in on me. A mocking reminder of the pack my father had taken by force and the freedom I was surrendering. Every nod, every polite gesture, was a lie. My heart was not in this room—it was out there with Aria, running wild and untamed. Here, I was caged.

“Of course,” I managed to say. My voice sounded foreign, like I was listening to someone else speak. It was the tone ofacquiescence, something I had never been good at. Today, it was my only armor.

“Atticus,” she continued, “we both stand where duty has placed us.”

“So it appears.” I kept my response short, clipped. This meeting wasn’t a new beginning. It was an ending, the death of dreams I’d dared to nurture. My soul rebelled silently, screaming into the void, but on the surface, I remained the dutiful son. The future alpha who would do what was necessary for the pack. Fuck that. I’d do what was necessary for Aria’s safety.

“Let’s do what must be done then,” I said coldly.

I kept my face neutral. Valora didn’t need to see the twister raging behind my eyes, and neither did Aria need to feel it. I focused inward, tightening the mental shields to keep Aria from sensing my uproar. It also meant shutting myself off from whatever she was feeling now, and that hurt more than I cared to admit.

“Son.” Caius broke the silence, pulling me out of my thoughts. “Tonight, we celebrate the new union. The pack shall gather to honor your engagement to Valora.”

I nodded, remembering another announcement, not long ago. Aria’s. How different things were back then. I glanced at Caius, keeping my expression blank, giving nothing away.

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