Awaited Mate

Luna

—Liam’s POV—

I was overseeing preparations for my Alpha ceremony when Wyatt shouted, “Hey slacker, might as well help with the heavy lifting!”

He was struggling with a massive table meant for the feast. When wolves dine together, we don’t mess with dainty furniture—over 300 hungry wolves and small tables? That’s a disaster waiting to happen. We go for the biggest and strongest we can get.

I jogged over to help, and as we lugged the table across the courtyard, the most intoxicating scent slammed into me like a wrecking ball. Rain on dry earth. Quenched thirst. Life. I froze, releasing the table— CRASH. Wyatt yelped as it landed squarely on his foot, but I didn’t care. I was already scanning the area, Dom going wild inside me, fighting for control. And then—I saw her.

We locked eyes.

The most stunning, breathtaking creature I’d ever seen stood a few feet away. Dom lost all patience and surged forward, dragging my body toward her with desperate urgency. I didn’t resist. It was where I needed to be.

In seconds, I was in front of her. We backed her against a car and kissed her. No warning. No hesitation. Just raw instinct and a century of longing. She kissed back, just as fierce.

Somewhere in the haze, I vaguely registered my sister yelling and Sabby shouting at the same time:

“LIAM!”

“BELLA!”

Dom howled: “Mate!”

Bella. The name settled into my bones like a blessing. Her scent was overwhelming, pulling me deeper into her.

I wrestled control back from Dom—barely. We’d waited a hundred years for our mate, and he wanted nothing more than to take her upstairs and claim her completely. But I knew better. She was my mate, yes—but she was also about to be Luna. She deserved respect.

Still holding her, I gently eased back to give her some space. She looked up at me with the most radiant grey eyes and smiled.

“Hi,” I breathed.

“Hi,” she replied.

“Liam, what in the world are you doing?” my sister snapped.

“Bella, are you okay?” Sabby asked, rushing over.

We ignored them. Around us, a crowd had gathered. Snickers, grins, and a few glares floated through the air. Wyatt and Kyle stood off to the side, smirking knowingly. My parents emerged from the pack house, eyes wide.

“Liam, you found her!” my mom gasped.

“Son, good on ya,” Dad added with a grin. “Everyone, back to work!”

The crowd dispersed immediately.

Still holding Bella’s hand, I led her inside. I didn’t care about anything else—I just wanted her near me. But with the ceremony looming, we had things to handle first.

“Poppy, Sabby—you two stay and help with the preparations,” Dad said.

“Aww, but Dad—”

“No. We’ve got a lot to do and very little time.”

We headed toward my father’s office—soon to be mine. I pulled Bella onto my lap the moment I sat. She hesitated, but my smile seemed to calm her. She settled into me like she belonged there.

“Congratulations to both of you,” Dad said warmly. “I hope this will be a beautiful journey.”

“Thanks, Dad,” I replied.

“Thank you, Alpha,” Bella added, her voice like music.

“What’s your name, young lady?” he asked kindly.

“Bella Black, sir.”

“Black? So you’re Sabby’s older sister?”

“Yes, sir. I came back for her Beta Female ceremony.”

He chuckled. “Didn’t expect this, did you?”

She turned to me, smiling. “Not at all.”

I hugged her closer, the sparks between us intensifying with every breath. She was my world already. How could my mother ever reject her mate? Just ten minutes with Bella, and I couldn’t imagine life without her.

“So, Bella,” Dad said, “Liam is the soon-to-be Alpha of Blue Oasis.”

“As in... today?” she asked.

“In a few hours,” I said.

She fell silent. I could feel her nervousness spike.

“As Liam’s mate, you’ll soon be Luna as well,” my mother added.

Her body tensed. I turned her in my lap, brushing her cheek until she softened.

“Bella, baby, you don’t have to become Luna today. I’ll be made Alpha, and when you’re ready—when we’ve marked each other—we’ll have another ceremony for you. Okay?”

“I’d like to claim you as soon as possible, Liam. But... I’ve had no Luna training. I barely got to learn from my mother after coming of age.”

I nearly exploded with joy that she wanted to claim me so soon. Dom was a mess inside, spinning in circles like a crazed pup. It took everything I had not to carry her off to my room right then.

“Don’t worry,” my mother offered. “I’ll help guide you until you’re ready.”

“Thank you, Luna,” Bella said sincerely.

“We aren’t prepared for a Luna ceremony today anyway,” Mom continued. “And you can only step into that role officially after the mark.”

“Clayton, let’s go. These two need time alone,” she added with a wink.

I silently thanked the Moon Goddess for my mother’s timing.

I stood, still holding Bella’s hand, and led her to my room.

“My bags?” she asked.

“Don’t worry about them.” I mind-linked Mom to have the bags brought over.

Once in my room, I locked the door and turned to face her. She was even more gorgeous in the soft light. Her raven-black hair framed those stormy grey eyes. Her body was strong—athletic. Powerful. She was assessing me too, and when our eyes met again, I could tell she liked what she saw.

I leaned in and kissed her. Slowly this time, savouring every second. Her scent was like liquor, making me drunk on her.

She kissed back, harder. Sparks exploded between us.

Then I pulled away gently.

Her eyes searched mine, hurt blooming across her face.

“Don’t look at me like that, baby,” I whispered. “We have our whole lives to do everything we want.”

“Don’t you want me?” she asked, her voice small.

My heart sank. “Of course I do. God, Yes!”

I stroked her cheek. “I just want our first time to be special. Not rushed. Let’s get through the ceremony first. After that... I’ll have all the time in the world to show you how much I want you.”

“And you’ll be mine,” she said, smiling softly.

I kissed her forehead, and then returned to her lips. She relaxed and kissed me back, and everything in me screamed to claim her. I ground against her unintentionally, and her arousal hit me like a second wave.

It took everything I had to stop.

She pouted as I pulled her into a tight hug.

I had waited a hundred years for this. For her!

“My Bella,” I whispered, burying my face into her neck and breathing in her scent.