He reached out, gently cares ng my cheek, and carefully pulled me into his arms, avoiding pressure on my swollen belly.
Rachel, his voice flowed through our mind link, startling me with its intensity. “I would do anything to be with you and our pup. Please give me a chance to prove I’ve changed. I swear on my Alpha name to the Moon Goddess, I will never hurt you again.”
I struggled internally, feeling the mate bond pulling me strongly toward him. Could this be real? After months of nightmares about Nathan hunting me down, here he was, promising to protect me instead.
I nodded, tears filling my eyes again. I could no longer hold them back, and I made no attempt to wipe them away. With trembling lips, he kissed my tears away.
“Is that a yes?” Nathan asked, uncertainty in his voice–something rare for an Alpha. “You’ll give me another chance?”
“I’m saying… I want to take things slowly, Nathan,” I replied.
“Whatever pace you want, Rachel. It’s completely up to you.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Was this a dream? And Madison…
“What about Madison?” I asked.
“I told you, I’ll handle it,” he said with his typical Alpha confidence. “She’s just Raymond’s pawn.”
“But King Jason-”
“He’ll accept it,” Nathan cut in. “He needs an heir, and our child has the purest Alpha bloodline.”
His confidence was oddly reassuring–this aspect of Nathan I recognized. My fingers unconsciously moved to my neck, feeling the emptiness where his pendant once hung.
“I feel like something’s missing here…” I murmured.
Nathan reached into his pocket. “I have just the thing.” The crescent moon pendant gleamed silver in the moonlight.
My cheeks warmed as he struggled slightly with the clasp. “I’m sorry, my neck is thicker now.”
“You’re beautiful, Rachel,” he said, his voice low and sincere. “Carrying our pup makes you more beautiful than ever, my
Luna.”
The way he said “my Luna” sent warmth spreading through me. It felt like coming home to the pack a‘
long exile.
“Did you really cross enemy territory just to see if I was here?” asked, suspicion creeping into my voice.
“No, not entirely,” he admitted. “I needed to gather intelligence for the war between the Eastern and Western territories. I would have come anyway, but finding you was most important.
“But how did you know I was here? You were supposed to think I was dead.”
‘Our child told me,” he said simply. “I could feel the pup’s presence.”
1/2
Chapter 132
What do you mean?”
“I could feel the connection to our child’s Alpha bloodline, Rachel. The Moon Goddess has bound us together.”
Disappointment washed over me. “So you weren’t here for me after all…”
To my annoyance, Nathan smiled.
“What are you smiling at?!” I demanded.
“Rachel,” he called through our mind link, placing my hand over his left chest and lifting my chin. “Don’t doubt me, my Luna. The mate bond doesn’t lie.”
Through our connection, I felt the truth–his desperate search, is relief at finding me, his determination to make things right. The intensity made me blush.
“I… I don’t! Fine, I believe you!” I stammered.
“Can we start over?” he asked. “Not as Alpha and breeder, but as true mates.”
My wolf howled in agreement, though I tried to maintain some composure. How could a few words make me forgive everything that had happened?
Nathan leaned forward, and I held my breath, but instead of kissing my lips, he gently pressed his lips to the side of my neck–a gesture of respect that surprised me.
I closed my eyes, savoring his scent and the gentle Alpha touch I’d been missing.
As our baby kicked softly in my womb, I silently prayed to the Moon Goddess that I was making the right choice.
