Page 34 of My Only Luna

“Your mark, Scarlett, you know it won’t go away unless you find your true mate,” I say quietly, making Scarlett look up at me sharply, almost as if she was expecting it.

“Is that another way for you to tell me to break up with Elijah?” Scarlett asks, a flash of hurt in her eyes. I look back at her, wishing I didn’t have to do this. She has gone through so much. I don’t want to hurt her anymore, but this is wrong. Eventually, they will realise that.

“No one can love you more than your mate,” I answer gently. Elijah snarls menacingly, glaring at me.

“Oh yeah, really? Just the way Zidane loved Jessica more than you do, right?” he spits. “Don’t ever question my feelings for her!”

“That is completely different. Neither Scarlett nor you have met your mate!” I snap. “Who is to say after meeting them you won’t want to stop whatever this is?”

“Because I fucking love her! If anyone is to be my mate, it’s her. I don’t need a Goddess-given mate! Clearly, she doesn’t know everything. She isn’t always right, Dad. Zidane and Jessica are proof of that. You, and how quick you got over your so-called true mate is also proof of that,” Elijah snarls his eyes blazing cobalt blue.

“You will not disrespect the Goddess under my roof!”

“I am not wrong! Thanks to her, Scarlett suffered more than she ever should have. So don’t expect me to abide by her every fucking wish!” Elijah shoots back as he stands up glaring at me. Our eyes meet, rage bubbling in both of us as our auras clash against one another, but neither of us will stand down.

“Then what do you want to do? Stay with Scarlett while another wolf’s mark remains on her? Only a true mate’s mark can take away the mark of another wolf. Not just anyone can do that!” I snap. It is uncommon for a wolf to be marked forcefully. Usually, it is a mate who may do this, but for another wolf to mark someone, it is rare. To top it off, her body is rejecting it. Even now, the black veins creep up the side of her neck, pulsing like a poisonous entity.

“Fuck, so you expect me to leave her over a fucking mark? She didn’t choose to be marked! And if that is what you think I’m going to do, you’re sorely mistaken. She will be my Luna, the only Luna I will ever take!” Elijah snarls, his voice holding power. It’s as cold as ice, enforced with finality as strong as steel.

I raise an eyebrow, although deep inside I’m stunned by his adamance on the topic.

“Luna? How can she be your Luna when you can’t even mark her?” I ask, feeling guilt twist inside of me as I hear Scarlett’s heart race, from the corner of my eye I can see she’s looking down.

Jessica has a hand on hers, but it is Elijah’s animalistic growl that draws my attention back. His eyes are burning into mine, his canines are out, his claws elongated. He clenches his fist, trying his best to control the rage that blazes within him, cutting into his own palms. The smell of blood is strong in the air.

“Say that one more time… and I fucking swear I will forget you’re my father,” he hisses, a threat that he means.

Jessica looks at me as she stands up. “I understand you can’t accept their relationship because you raised Scarlett and Indigo like your own, and I will be forever grateful for it, but at the same time we can’t ignore their love,” she says quietly, her eyes pleading as she looks at me.

Does she think siding with them is enough to satiate her own guilt? This is wrong!

“They are siblings, Jess! How do you expect me to begin to accept that? What will everyone think? We’ve marked each other already! We are mated, they are not! There’s nothing more to say on the matter. This is the end of this discussion!” I thunder, making her flinch.

“If it’s about them being siblings, I know England does not allow someone to be adopted past the age of eighteen or I would happily adopt Scarlett! However, I was already planning to give Scarlett all my inheritance. If you are so worried about others, remember you are the Alpha, not them. Silence them,” says Amelia.

“And what about in the future?! Will we silence everyone?” I snarl.

Amelia scoffs. “Oh stop being ridiculous, in a few years everyone will forget and get used to it. And Scarlett isn’t a Westwood anyway,” she says dismissively. “Once they have children, people will forget.”

Scarlett and Elijah stare at each other before Scarlett looks away, her heart skipping a beat. She looks at Amelia, giving her a small appreciative smile, as does Jessica.

“Children, what children if he can’t even mark her?!” I snarl, knowing it’s a low blow. “This is not right.”

“Frankly, Jackson, I’m beginning to like your son a little more and you a lot less! You can’t use petty excuses, Jackson. Who are we to say it’s not right? We don’t choose who we fall in love with,” Amelia scolds, making me frown.

“So, we should behave like cats and dogs? Mate with anyone and have no sense of morals?” I snap. Amelia snorts.

“Oh please, we’re close enough to dogs anyway, who cares?” she retorts, making everyone stare at her at the blatant insult, apart from Scarlett, who stifles a snicker.

“I still think it’s just a fling. We all know what Elijah is like.” I glare at my son, who simply looks back at me with equal contempt.

Scarlett

I feel a knot ofguilt twist in my stomach. I already feel like an unwanted item right now, this mark a clear problem. Tainted, that’s what I am, and I don’t like how Dad is blaming Elijah.

“We are both in this together… stop blaming him,” I say, speaking directly to Dad for the first time in a few days. The hurt in my eyes clear.

“He’s set in his ways. Who the fuck cares what he thinks, anyway? My decision won’t change. Scarlett isn’t like the other girls, she’s so much more,” Elijah says quietly, making my heart fill with warmth.

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