The Alpha's Winning Bid

The Gravity of a Bond

Jacob's POV

The morning felt calm as my eyes landed on my Luna, the first thing I saw after waking up. A warm rush went through me as I watched her sleep quietly.

Her soft jasmine scent mixed with the light smell of fresh lilies drifting in from the garden, blending with the cool morning air around us.

She looked so peaceful that I wanted to stay there and wait for her to open her eyes, but I had work to finish.

I changed into casual clothes without bothering about my hair and went to my closet. I slipped on my Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime, the watch I wore every day without thinking—it was part of my routine.

Then I headed to my study.

After finishing the most important tasks, Austin walked in with another file.

"Alpha, this is the intel on my Luna, just like you asked."

I took the file from his hand and opened it right away. My heart skipped a beat as the truth hit me all at once.

"Wait... what? Is Natalie an orphan? Raised by the old Alpha and Luna of Blue Moon?"

The words slipped out before I could stop them. My stomach dropped, and I felt my jaw tighten on its own. Austin gave a slow, heavy nod.

"Yes, Alpha. And... she wasn't treated well there. More like a worker. Sometimes worse." Austin said.

My fingers curled harder until my knuckles went white. I dragged a hand down my face, trying to make sense of something that made absolutely no sense.

"This can't be right." My voice came out rough, and I scratched my head. "She has Crescent blood. Anyone can see that. So how did she end up in Blue Moon, alone... living like that? And how did things get so bad she was taken to Marcus's auction house?"

The questions kept circling in my head, refusing to settle.

"No clue. I think Blue Moon hid everything on purpose. Why don't you ask Luna if she—"

"No." I lifted my hand, stopping Austin before he could finish. I already knew what he was about to say.

"Absolutely not. Natalie has already gone through enough. I'm not bringing up anything that will hurt her again. Just keep digging and find every detail about her past."

I gave him the order, finished the rest of my work, and stepped out of my study.

On the way, I ran into my cousin Rosa.

"Oh, Alpha, I just saw Natalie," she said quickly, almost bouncing. "I helped her with her breakfast. She's doing much better now."

The tightness in my shoulders eased, and I quietly let out a breath I did not even realize I was holding.

"That's good," I said, trying to keep my voice steady even though relief spread through me.

Rosa's eyes lit up. "She is really beautiful, Jacob. Her face is so soft and delicate. And the way she talks is so gentle. She will win everyone's heart. The pack is going to adore her."

I understood her excitement. Honestly, I understood the whole pack's excitement. After years of waiting, I finally had a mate and they finally had their Luna. My people were good and kind-hearted. They would treat Natalie well. She deserved nothing less.

Rosa kept talking, going on and on about how Natalie spoke, how she behaved, how she smiled, every tiny detail she had noticed.

I forced a small smile, but inside I was getting impatient. I did not want to listen to Rosa's chatter anymore. I wanted to see Natalie myself.

"Rosa," I interrupted softly, "you said she is having breakfast in our room."

"Yes, Alpha. She looked very comfortable," she replied.

"Good, I need to see her," I said, already turned around but stopped and looked at Rosa.

"Rosa, send my breakfast to the room too."

She gave me a knowing smile. "Already did, Alpha."

My eyes widened as I stopped again before turning back. "You did?"

"I know you want time alone with her," she teased softly. "You can have all you want."

I didn't respond, just headed straight to my bedroom.

When I walked in, I stopped for a moment.

Natalie was sitting on the couch, eating quickly and with full focus, almost as if she hadn't tasted food like that in a long time. The way she ate reminded me of a kid trying to enjoy something before it was taken away.

My heart ached for some reason, and I exhaled looking at her.

Her eyes—soft and innocent—looked clearer than they did last night. The fear she carried before was gone for now, replaced with something calmer.

I wanted nothing more than to stay there and enjoy the quiet moment, but when I noticed my breakfast was there, I couldn't stop myself from going to the table to sit with her.

As I moved closer, hoping to spend a little time with Natalie and greet her properly, I ended up startling her by accident. For a second, I held my breath, but I relaxed when she looked at me, responded, and slowly seemed to ease up around me.

I felt anger rise inside me as she talked about the painful things she went through in the Blue Moon pack. When I saw the light in her eyes fade while she spoke, my veins tightened and I clenched my fist.

Ever since I found out how badly she suffered in her old pack and how she ended up in Marcus's dirty auction, I had been burning with rage. I didn't want to wait to deal with the people who hurt her, but I couldn't make any reckless move in our realm — especially not me, someone who hates creatures who refuse to follow the laws of our world.

Besides, my focus should be on Natalie right now and helping her heal.

But even in the middle of my frustration, I noticed her small pout, and before I realized it, I was getting distracted by her lips — soft, slightly trembling, and hard to ignore.

I took a few breaths and tried to calm myself down, wanting to give both of us some space, but I still found myself looking straight into her hazel eyes.

I leaned in and pressed my lips to hers, taking the kiss I had been wanting for so long.

Suddenly, the ground under me started shaking hard. It was clear that my earth element had awakened. Without thinking, I lifted my right hand toward the window, my palm facing out, trying to stop the shaking before it caused trouble in the palace. I knew for sure that things outside were already turning into chaos.