CROWNED AS THE RUTHLESS ALPHA'S CELESTIAL LUNA

DANGER

HEIDI’S POV

"If they refuse to leave the borders quietly, Luna, we will forcefully drag them through the dirt and throw them directly into the river at the edge of the territory," Jason responded immediately, while a highly satisfied smile appeared on his usually serious face. He grabbed Robert by the collar of his cheap suit jacket and gestured for the security guards waiting in the hallway to enter the room.

The large, heavily muscled guards walked quickly into the formal sitting room and grabbed the three senior elders by their expensive robes, completely ignoring the loud protests and the angry shouting coming from the older men.

Susan continued to cry loudly while clutching her broken wrist, but another guard easily lifted her off the expensive rug and dragged her toward the front entrance of the estate. The heavy mahogany doors slammed shut with a very loud, echoing sound, and the sudden silence inside the massive house felt incredibly heavy.

Releasing a long breath of air from my lungs, I felt the intense adrenaline from the physical confrontation slowly start to fade away from my tired muscles. Turning my body around to face the center of the room, I immediately locked my dark eyes onto the towering figure of my new mate. Kurt stood perfectly still near the green velvet couches, and his chest rose and fell rapidly under his dark shirt because he was clearly struggling to control his primal instincts.

Without the distracting shouting from Robert and Susan filling the air, the intense physical pull of the mate bond settled heavily between us. The overwhelming scent of fresh rain and blooming jasmine filled the enclosed sitting room, and the fragrant air made my mind feel slightly dizzy. Kurt took a deliberate step forward, and his heavy boots made a loud thudding sound against the polished hardwood floor. He closed the physical distance between us in seconds, invading my personal space entirely until his broad chest almost touched my shoulders.

"You are absolutely magnificent, Heidi," Kurt whispered in a very low and deeply sensual voice that sent a sudden shiver directly down my spine. "You did not need my physical protection or my political authority to defend yourself against those pathetic people, because you simply took absolute control of the entire room using your own strength."

He raised his large right hand and gently placed his warm fingers against my cheek, softly tracing the line of my jawline with his thumb. The physical contact created a sudden burst of heat across my skin, and my inner instincts strongly urged me to lean my body forward into his solid chest. His dark eyes stared deeply into mine, and his heavy gaze carried an intense amount of possessive desire. He wrapped his left arm securely around my lower back, intending to pull my hips directly against his muscular thighs to officially claim me as his mate.

Although the physical magnetism between us felt incredibly overwhelming and highly addictive, the logical part of my brain refused to surrender my personal autonomy simply because a biological bond demanded it. I spent my entire life being controlled and abused by other people, and I absolutely refused to let another person dictate my actions or my choices, even if that person happened to be my destined mate.

Lifting both of my hands quickly, I pressed my palms flat and hard against the solid muscles of his chest. Pushing forward with a significant amount of physical force, I created a clear boundary between our bodies and forced him to stop pulling me closer. Kurt looked completely shocked by the physical rejection, and he immediately dropped his arm from my waist while taking a small step backward.

"Just because the magical fates decided to snap a mating bond into place today does not mean you automatically own my body or my mind," the statement left my lips in a very firm and uncompromising tone while I maintained direct eye contact with him. "I appreciate the fact that you saved me from Derek, and I am very grateful you offered me a safe place to live inside this beautiful estate, but we are essentially strangers. I do not know your favorite food, I do not know your daily habits, and I absolutely refuse to jump directly into your bed just because an old jade bracelet broke on a wooden stage."

Kurt clenched his strong jaw very tightly, and the thick muscles in his neck strained visibly as he battled the intense demands of his inner wolf: don't ask me how, I'm also fighting the same urge. His primal instincts clearly wanted to ignore my boundary and pull me back into his arms, but he forced his body to remain perfectly still. He let out a long, frustrated exhale through his nose and crossed his massive arms over his chest.

"I have slept on a thin mattress in a freezing basement for the last ten years while working as an unpaid servant," the explanation continued smoothly to ensure he completely understood my perspective on the situation.

"Tonight, I want to eat a warm meal with Leo in the kitchen, and then I want to take a very long bath to wash the dirt off my skin. After I finish bathing, I require my own separate bedroom with a locked door so I can sleep peacefully without worrying about anyone entering my personal space."

The silence stretched between us for several long seconds while he processed my strict demands. He looked at my messy hair, my flour-covered shirt, and the exhausted expression on my face, and his intense anger slowly vanished. He uncrossed his arms and nodded his head once to show his agreement, completely respecting the physical boundary I just established.

"I will gladly give you a separate guest suite tonight because I deeply respect your boundaries, Heidi," Kurt promised softly, stepping backward to give me even more breathing room. "You have complete control over your own body, and I will never force you to do anything against your will in this house."

A strong feeling of relief washed over my tired mind, and a genuine smile appeared on my face because he actually listened to my words instead of acting like a traditional, arrogant Alpha. Turning around to walk back toward the kitchen to check on the young boy, I heard the heavy sound of his boots following closely behind me once again.

Pushing the wooden kitchen door open, I saw the bright overhead lights illuminate the large room perfectly. Leo sat quietly on the marble countertop exactly where I left him, and he finished chewing his sweet chocolate chip pancake. Walking over to the large stainless steel refrigerator, my hands grasped the cold handle to pull the heavy door open. Reaching inside the chilled compartment, I grabbed a large plastic jug of cold milk that felt heavy in my grip. A clean glass cup sat on the counter next to the sink, so I poured the milk smoothly into the glass until the white liquid reached the very top rim.

Handing the cold drink to the young boy, I watched Leo accept the glass with both hands and drink the liquid quickly. After he finished swallowing the milk, he wiped his mouth with the back of his pajama sleeve and smiled at me shyly.

"Are we going upstairs to run the warm bubble bath now, Heidi?" Leo asked softly, looking incredibly tired after his highly stressful evening.

"We are absolutely going upstairs right now, Leo, so we can fill the large bathtub with warm water and plenty of soap," I reassured him while lifting his small body gently off the marble counter and setting his bare feet onto the polished hardwood floor.

Kurt walked forward and placed his large hand gently on his son's dark hair, guiding the young boy out of the kitchen and toward the grand wooden staircase in the main hallway. We walked up the carpeted stairs together, and the second floor of the estate featured a very long hallway with multiple closed wooden doors. Kurt pointed to a large set of double doors located at the very end of the corridor.

"That is the main master suite, and this door directly across the hall leads to the largest guest bedroom," Kurt explained quietly, gesturing toward a heavy oak door on the right side of the carpeted hallway. "The guest room features a massive soaking tub in the attached bathroom, a large closet filled with clean clothes, and a very comfortable king-sized mattress. You can lock the door from the inside using the metal deadbolt, and nobody will disturb your sleep tonight."

"Thank you very much for understanding my need for personal space and privacy, Alpha," I said, sincere gratitude clear in my voice as my hand reached for the brass handle of the guest bedroom door.

Before my fingers could turn the metal knob, Kurt stepped very close to my side and placed his large palm flat against the wooden frame to prevent me from opening the door immediately. He leaned his massive head down until his mouth hovered right next to my ear, and his warm breath brushed against my sensitive skin.

"I will gladly give you this separate bedroom tonight, Heidi, because I am a very patient man who knows how to fight for the things I desire," Kurt whispered in a dark, incredibly possessive tone that made my heart beat rapidly once again. "However, I will spend every single day proving my absolute loyalty to you, so what exactly do you think I am going to do tomorrow morning when the sun comes up?"