Page 52 of Fated to the Rogue

Once we got back to the Alpha suite, my mate linked one of the cooks to order us breakfast, then headed into the bathroom to take a quick shower. When he came out, he was dressed in only a pair of black trousers. They matched his hair perfectly, causing the intense blue in his eyes to pop out even more. As I dove into them, I almost forgot about what had been troubling me.

“Okay. Talk to me,” he muttered in a sweet tone, sitting beside me on the edge of the bed. When his fingers brushed against my cheek, it sent goosebumps all over my body. “Is the Luna Ceremony what’s making you nervous? I know I said I was going to announce it tonight at dinner, but we can postpone it if you need more time.”

“No. I mean, yes,” I blurted out. What a great way to start this conversation. Taking a deep breath, I shook my head to try again. “Do you really plan on making me your Luna?”

Zephyr’s brows creased as he cocked his head to the side. “You’re my mate. Who else would be my Luna?”

“I don’t know. It’s just… Why would the pack accept me, an outsider and a rogue, as their Luna? I heard…” Part of me wanted to be honest about what they were saying about me, but I held my tongue when I realized how pathetic I would sound.

“You heard the whispers, didn’t you?” he concluded as if he could read my thoughts. A gasp broke through my lips as I lifted my head to look at him, just in time to catch his eyes flickeringfrom their serene blue color to a rage-filled gold. In less than a second, they were back to normal. He huffed as a small smile played on his lips, and it was my turn to be confused. “It’s hard to ignore them. I would know. But rumors don’t define who you are, Tina. The pack will accept you as soon as they see your strength. It was the same with me.”

“That’s the problem, actually. What strength do I have?” I’ve never opened up to anyone other than my adoptive father. It never crossed my mind that I would just let my walls down around someone I had just met. Yet, with Zephyr, the words just flowed naturally, as if he was drawing them out. “I’m an Omega. I only have a highschool education because Vincent was friends with a teacher; I don’t have any experience with ruling a pack. And it’s definitely not in my blood.”

“You’ll learn,” he insisted with such confidence, I found it hard to disagree with him. “Tina, I don’t care what your bloodline says. The Moon Goddess hand-picked you to be my Luna for a reason…” He held me closer, running his hands up and down my back slowly as he touched his forehead to mine. “And I’ve recently learned that the Goddess makes no mistakes. I fully trust her plan. Maybe you should, too.” He pulled away suddenly, startling me. Then, I noticed his eyes glisten as a genius grin lit up his face. “How about you come with me to the office today? You’ll get to know the Elite members better, and you can get acclimated with your new role in the pack.”

“That actually sounds perfect.” I found myself matching his level of excitement as I returned his smile. And just like that, my insecurities were long gone. “Thank you.”

“When will you stop thanking me? You don’t have to. Just promise me you’ll never let something like this bother you again. You’re perfect, Tina.” His lips touched mine, making fireworks explode in my chest.

I resisted the urge to thank him again and allowed myself to get lost in his taste. Sadly, we were interrupted before I would have liked. Zephyr grunted, pulling away as he heard a knock on the door.

“Seems like our food is here. Shall we eat, my Luna?” He flashed me a playful wink, making me giggle.

“Sure. I’m starving.”

By the time we sat down to eat, I didn’t feel small anymore. Once the negativity stopped blinding me, a single thought, loud and clear, echoed in my mind. All my life I had been alone…unwanted. There was a hole inside my heart, as if a piece of my very soul had been taken away when I was too young to remember. Yet now, here, I finally felt like I belonged.

And in a way,thatmade me feel whole.

19 | Relationships

“Members of Wind Howlers Pack,” I called in a loud, firm voice, immediately catching everyone’s attention. With one hand, I raised a glass of champagne in the air, while my other arm was wrapped around my girl’s waist, pulling her closer to me. “It is with great joy that I formally present to you my mate and your future Luna, Valentina Quill!”

Even if some of the members were still unsure about Tina, the crowd immediately burst into applause at my announcement. It was common knowledge that a leader could not reach his full strength until he had his Luna by his side. Therefore, a pack would only be at its best once the Alpha couple had found each other. Considering the turbulent life we were living at the moment, with a huge threat coming towards us and the loss of valuable allies, my mate couldn’t have arrived at a better time; she was the hope we all needed.

With the help of the Elite members - especially my Delta - we had managed to put together a dinner ceremony, where the entire pack was present. Events like these would usually be held in the Dining Hall, but after our recent expansion, we didn’t have enough space to fit everyone there. Thankfully, the Event Hall was large enough to accommodate every single one of our nearly 400 pack members simultaneously.

It was Valentina’s first time standing before that big of a crowd, which is why I was doing my best to ensure she wouldn’t feel overwhelmed. To my surprise, when the loud sound of clapping and whistling filled the venue, she didn’t tremble. Instead, she held her head higher, taking a moment to eye all of the wolves present. I was in awe; if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed that the strong woman standing by my side had been insecure only a few hours ago.

“Thank you for the warm welcome, Wind Howlers.” The members ceased their noise the second my mate’s silvery, yet powerful voice echoed. “We don’t know each other well yet, but I hope we can get along well. I might not have been born here, but I am one of you now. I heard the wind whistling my name, and it sounded like home.” She made a brief pause, inhaling deeply. We had rehearsed her speech, yet she recited it with such a natural ease, it seemed like she was just pouring her heart out to our pack - maybe because she believed her every word. “I will take my oath as your Luna next Friday at sundown, but I promise I’m here for you from this moment on.”

My team, Valentina, and I had gathered in my office to decide on a date for her Luna Ceremony; it was the first issue we discussed in the meeting after breakfast this morning. Because of the importance of the event, which would officially tie her to her new duties, thus strengthening her bond with the pack, we knew it would be best to organize it as soon as possible. Still, I knew my mate’s life had been turned upside down, and I’d hate to rush her. Since today was a Wednesday, we all agreed setting the ceremony to happen next Friday would grant us a little over a week to prepare.

“I expect you all to be there so we can celebrate together,” I added, addressing the crowd once again. I turned to my Luna with a smile before continuing, “Without further ado, let’s feast!”

While the pack members rose from their seats to serve themselves at the buffet, my friends and I sat back down, waiting for the waiters to set our table. We ate over a nice conversation, and I was happy to see my mate fitting in so well. She had only been here for a couple of days, yet she felt so comfortable it seemed like she had always been part of the team.

“You know what, Tina? I think you’re just what we needed - someone who can keep our hot-headed Alpha in his place,” Malin joked, making me roll my eyes at him.

“He’s not wrong, puppers.” I was surprised to hear Alex’s voice inside my head. “Your mate’s a keeper. Don’t screw this up.”

“I won’t,” I replied with a smile. Once my eyes defogged, I realized she was staring straight at me.

“You know what I just realized?” My best friend’s voice caught my attention again. I instantly understood his intentions when I saw the mischievous grin on his face. He was holding Amaya close to him, yet his gaze was focused on Zach. “There’s only one last member of our trio left unmated… Of the entire Elite team actually. How long do you think it’ll be before the lucky girl comes along, Zach?”

“Shut. The. Fuck. Up,” the Gamma ordered, frowning at my Beta.

“What’s your type, Zach? How do you imagine your perfect she-wolf to be?” Malin paid no mind to Zachari’s warning. The poor boy was already red as a tomato, shrinking into his chair as if he hoped to disappear. I was about to join the teasing when the Beta Female chimed in.

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