Page 103 of Claiming His Rejected Mate

“You look radiant, Luna,” one of them murmurs, smoothing the intricate embroidery of my deep crimson ceremonial robe.

Luna.

I never thought I’d hear anyone call me that with reverence, with respect.

But today, everything has changed.

I catch my reflection in the mirror—the fierce green of my eyes, the confidence in my posture, the way the rich fabric of my attire clings to me like I was born to wear it.

I was always meant to stand here. Beside my Mate. Beside my pack.

The thought fills me with a quiet kind of warmth.

Then the door swings open.

Ayana strides in, her presence as electric as ever. She takes one look at me and lets out a dramatic sigh. “Well, damn. You actually clean up nice.”

I smirk. “Don’t sound so surprised. You know I do.”

She plops onto the edge of the bed, kicking off her shoes, clearly unbothered by the swarm of Omegas still perfecting my look. “I mean, I knew you’d end up here eventually. Fate and all that. But I have to say, I kind of miss the feral, brooding Hazel who was ready to set the world on fire.”

I roll my eyes. “She’s still in here, Hazel. Even more now that the seal is broken.”

Her eyes widen. “No way. What?”

I show her my shoulder, the seal now replaced with Kieran’s mark. She whistles and breaks out into a grin.

“Hazel, I’m so happy for you!”

“I know!” we squeal in excitement.

“It’s been a long time coming. I can’t wait to meet your wolf, Hazel.”

“Yeah. Me too! So, what were you saying about me not being that wild animal that you know and love?”

Ayana snorts. “Oh, I know you still are. I’m just saying, it’s weird seeing you all…soft.”

I tilt my head, watching her. There’s something she’s not saying, and I feel it in her tone.

“I’m still me, Ayana,” I say quietly.

She presses her lips together, then nods. “Just…promise me one thing.”

I arch a brow.

“Promise me you won’t get so caught up in all of this, that you forget who you were before it,” she says, motioning to the ornate decorations, the ceremonial garb, the weight of my new title. “Promise me that when our wolves meet, we’ll still be the same wild girls who ran from Nightclaw and refused to bow.”

A lump forms in my throat.

I grip her hand. “I promise, Ayana. But what I’m promising is that I will always be by your side. I will change. In a lot of ways. My new life will take on shapes that even I don’t know and can’t predict. We are pack wolves now, Ayana. But in spite of all of this,” I reach for her hand, “you will always be my family.”

A slow grin spreads across her lips. “Good. Now, let’s get you Mated before you and Kieran combust.”

The ceremony is held under the vast, open sky, the moon full and bright, watching over us like a silent guardian. The Goddess is pleased with us. And it feels like finally, I am stepping into my long-delayed fate.

The entire pack is gathered, warriors and Omegas alike, standing shoulder to shoulder in a sea of faces, all turned toward us.

Kieran stands at the center, his broad frame draped in black and silver, the markings of our pack sewn into the fabric. He is mouthwateringly sexy, and I see the pack females drooling and swooning over him. I don’t blame them. Something tightens in my core with the need for him. But his eyes—his eyes—they never leave me.

---