Page 56 of Fat Forced Mate

"I know." A hint of pride colors my voice. "It was impressive."

She looks away, uncomfortable with the praise. "Was that all you needed to tell me?"

No. There's so much more. About the mating ceremony approaching too quickly. About the complicated tangle of duty and desire that tightens in my chest whenever I see her. About the irrational fear that grips me when I think of her facing the same threat that killed her parents.

"The mating ceremony," I say instead. "We should discuss what happens after."

"After we're magically bound together for political convenience, you mean?" Her tone sharpens. "What's to discuss? I fulfill my obligation, strengthen the wards, play my part in this little pack drama."

"It's not just politics," I counter, stepping closer without thinking. "You know that."

The air between us changes, thickens with tension. Her pupils dilate slightly, and I catch the uptick in her pulse—a reaction she can't hide from my enhanced senses.

"Do I?" she challenges, but doesn't step back. "Five years ago, you made your choice very clear. Pack before me. Always."

"Things are different now."

"Yes," she agrees, a strange sadness crossing her features. "They are."

We stand suspended in the moment, neither advancing nor retreating. Close enough that I can feel the warmth radiating from her skin, see the faint freckles across her nose that appear in summer. My wolf whines, urging me to close the remaining distance.

Her eyes drop briefly to my lips before she seems to catch herself. With visible effort, she steps back, widening the gap between us.

"Goodnight, Alpha," she says softly, but firmly.

"Luna—"

"We can talk in the morning." Her hand tightens on the door. "Please."

I nod, respecting her boundaries even as my wolf rebels against the dismissal. "Lock your door," I say as I step back. "And Luna? Be careful."

A ghost of a smile touches her lips. "Always am. You taught me that, Nic.”

The door closes with a soft click, followed by the sound of the lock turning. I stand there longer than I should, listening to her quiet movements on the other side, before forcing myself to walk away.

Three more days until the mating ceremony. Three days to prepare for whatever the Cheslem Pack is planning. Three days to figure out what's changed about Luna's scent, what she's hiding behind those guarded eyes.

Not nearly enough time for any of it.

Chapter 21 - Luna

His hands slide up my ribs, leaving trails of heat on my skin. The forest around us is silent save for our breathing, heavy in the midnight air. Nic's eyes gleam wolf-gold in the darkness as he lowers his mouth to mine.

"Luna," he whispers against my lips. "I've always—"

A howl tears through the night, ripping me from the pleasant haze of my mortifying dream. I bolt upright, heart hammering against my ribs, sheets tangled around my legs. For a disorienting moment, I'm caught between the phantom sensation of Nic's touch and the very real sound of chaos erupting outside my window.

Another howl rises, this one cut short. Not a communication howl—a battle cry.

I scramble from bed, sleep evaporating instantly. The clock reads 2:17 AM. Through the window, orange light flickers at the edge of the forest—fire. Dark shapes move across the grounds, some running toward the packhouse, others sprinting toward the eastern boundary.

We’re under attack. All this time spent fearing it, preparing for it, and suddenly, it doesn’t feel real.

But it’s real.

My hands tremble as I yank on jeans and a sweater, shove my feet into boots. A wave of nausea hits—morning sickness at the worst possible time—but I force it down through sheer will. No time for that now.

Shouts echo through the corridor as I grab my mother's journal from the nightstand, stuffing it into my pocket. Thesmall book feels like a talisman, a connection to what I need to do.

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