ne’s POV
“No.” I said, shaking my head. This is suspicious,”
Please, Kieran begged, his eyes wild. “Don’t go back to him. Come with me. I ll protect you.
ght for you.
You wouldn’t fight Matthew for me, but you’ll fight Augustin? I scoffed. I’m not going to be your bait in a war to take the Alpha King position. I wont be
used.
‘I don’t want to be Alpha King anymore,” Kieran insisted. “I just want my mate. Please, Juno. I’ve waited my whole life for you. I’ve never made commitments to anyone because somehow I knew you were out there. His voice broke. When I saw Matthew’s mark on your neck that night, it shattered me. I was devastated.”
“Not devastated enough to challenge Matthew for me, I replied coldly. “Not devastated enough to break the rules for me
I took a deep breath, gathering my thoughts. “Let me tell you something about life, Kieran. The future isn’t promised to anyone. We have to seize every moment because it might be our last. If you love someone, you tell them. You cherish every second because tomorrow isn’t guaranteed.”
“We should all be a little more reckless, a little more impulsive, to avoid looking back with regret. Feelings change. Circumstances change. Time changes everything. So we have to live in the now.”
I stopped and faced him. “If you had done that, we would be together now. I wouldn’t have met Augustin. I wouldn’t have gotten to know him, fallen in love with him. I wouldn’t be standing here torn.”
My voice grew quiet. “When Matthew found Isabelle, I left that party and shifted. The pain was excruciating. I howled for my fated mate to save me. The Moon Goddess answered, but you weren’t ready. So I had to save myself. And someone else helped me heal.”
I took a shaky breath. “What I feel for you is what the Moon Goddess and fate decided. What I feel for Augustin is the fate I chose to create. And I love him. Kieran. When everything was dark, he took my hand and held it. He put me back together when I was broken. He gave me a reason to try again, to hope again, to love again.”
Tears streamed down my face. “Augustin has gone against tradition, values, family, and his people for me. I can’t do what you’re asking. I promised him I’d come home tomorrow, and I keep my promises. I will never leave him. I will never break his heart.”
I placed my hand over my chest. “It’s not because of a promise that I’m refusing you. It’s because my heart belongs to Augustin.”
Kieran stared at me, tears flowing freely down his face. “When Matthew told me you had fallen in love with Augustin Levenston, I thought he was lying,” he admitted. “I thought your marriage was just for survival. But you don’t want to come with me. You truly love him.”
He shook his head, a sad smile on his lips. “The bond can’t change that. Your human heart and wolf will always be in conflict.” He sighed. “Matthew still loves you, you know. That’s why he can’t be happy with Isabelle. I’ve watched him grow more depressed each time I see him. I don’t want that for you.”
Kieran looked at me with such tenderness it made my heart ache. “I don’t want to be the source of your pain. You’re right. I missed my chance.”
He glanced down at the rose still in his hand. “Even if I took you by force and marked you, your heart would still beat for him. I can see it in your eyes. His voice cracked. “I care about you enough to want your genuine happiness. I don’t want our bond to be a source of pain and regret for you.”
He stepped back. “Whatever you choose to do, I accept it. I bless it.” He gently laid the rose on the ground between us.
I stood frozen, unsure what to do. One part of me wanted to tell him to leave, to get out of my life. Another part whispered that I should consider what he was offering. What if Augustin found his fated mate and betrayed me just like Matthew had? What if this was my only chance to have what every wolf dreams of a fated mate? Second chances at fated mates were almost unheard of.
Before I could sort through my thoughts, Kieran pulled me close again and kissed me. He was trying to use my body’s response to influence my der And it was working. My body obeyed the call of the bond, and I finally understood what Matthew had experienced that night. My rational mind wa for control, but my wolf and my body craved Kieran with an intensity that frightened me.
ing
The scent of musk and snow cedar with hints of morning dew surrounded me, and a small moan escaped my lips. My arms wound around his neck, pulling
him closer.
1/2
Chapter 128
“Mate, I heard myself whisper, and he growled in response, the sound making me tremble in his arms.
His kisses moved to my neck, licking and sucking at the sensitive skin there. My vision blurred, the desire he was invoking unlike anything I’d ever felt before. It was intoxicating, all–consuming. I knew this was wrong, but I couldn’t remember why
Our kisses grew hungrier, more desperate. He wanted to possess me completely. He laid me down on the grass, positioning himself above me, ready to claim my body.
“Mine,‘ he growled.
And just like that, clarity returned. Augustin’s face flashed in my mind, and I pulled away from Kieran, scrambling backward.
“No,” I said. “I can’t.”
I stood up, straightening my clothes and wiping my mouth. There was only one thing I could do.
“I Juno Warden,‘ I began formally, watching as Kieran knelt on the grass, shame written across his features, ‘reject Kieran Halloway as my fated mate. I pray the Moon Goddess blesses him with a mate worthy of his devotion and grants him the wisdom to seize opportunity when it presents itself.”
Kieran nodded, tears still streaming down his face. “I accept your rejection,” he whispered, his voice breaking.
We both braced ourselves for the agonizing pain that typically followed a rejection ritual–Seconds passed. Then minutes. The pain never came.
I checked myself, searching for the weakness, the agony that should have overwhelmed me. Nothing. I looked at Kieran, who was staring at me in shock.
His scent no longer intoxicated me, proof that the bond was gone. But there was no accompanying pain or weakness. We sat on the grass, staring at each other, waiting for the suffering to begin.
It never did.
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