The Fated Mate almost Missed

Chapter 7

Lunas pov

The next morning, the sun barely crested over the treetops when I stepped outside the pack house. My boots crunched against the gravel path, and the cold morning air kissed my cheeks, still flushed from the night before. Gavin's scent lingered on my skin, faint but unmistakable. No amount of washing had erased the mark he'd left on me—not that I'd really tried.

I should have felt guilty. I was still engaged to Brian. Still bound by duty, by years of expectation, by a promise I hadn't had the strength to break. But my wolf had made her choice, and so had my heart.

My fingers curled tightly around the edge of my coat as I walked toward the training grounds, where I knew Brian would be. My stomach twisted. He'd know something was different—he always did.

Sure enough, I spotted him near the sparring ring, shirt off, muscles flexing as he trained with a few of the younger wolves. He was all dominance and control, barking orders, correcting stances. When he caught sight of me, something in his expression flickered. He dismissed the others and strode toward me.

"You didn't come home last night," he said, voice low but tight. He stopped just short of touching me. "Again."

I swallowed. "I was handling a border patrol issue. Elena requested my help."

He laughed—sharp and humorless. "You think I don't know what's happening, Lyra? Gavin arrives and suddenly you're too busy to sleep in your own bed?"

"Brian—"

He stepped in closer. "Tell me it's not what I think. Look me in the eye and tell me."

I met his gaze, and for a long moment, I almost did lie. I almost gave him the words he wanted. But I couldn’t. Not anymore.

"I can't," I said, voice barely above a whisper.

His jaw clenched. He looked away, nostrils flaring. "You knew this bond could happen. You're a female alpha. You were always going to attract attention from outsiders. But I thought you'd fight it. For us."

"I tried," I said. "You have no idea how hard I tried."

His eyes burned with something between fury and grief. "So it's true. Gavin is your mate."

I nodded slowly. "Yes."

Brian was silent for a moment. Then he turned away, pacing, hands raking through his hair. I let him. He needed the space, and I needed to breathe.

"Do you love him?" he asked finally, without turning.

I didn't answer right away. The truth was complicated. Love was still forming, still blooming in the cracks Gavin had opened. But the bond? It was already carved into my soul.

"It's not about love," I said. "It's about fate."

He turned then, and I saw tears brimming in his eyes. Brian never cried.

"And what about choice, Lyra? What about everything we've built? Are you going to throw that away because of a feeling you can't control?"

"No," I said quietly. "I'm walking away because it's the only thing that feels right."

He didn’t respond. Just stared at me like I’d broken something sacred. And maybe I had.

When he finally walked away, I let him. I stood there alone, heart heavy, lungs tight, fighting the urge to chase after him and undo everything. But I didn’t. I couldn’t.

Later that day, I found Gavin near the edge of the forest. He was speaking with Elena, his arms crossed, his expression unreadable. When he saw me, he dismissed her with a nod. She gave me a long, knowing glance before slipping away into the trees.

"You told him," Gavin said.

I nodded. "He deserved the truth."

Gavin looked away. "And now?"

I stepped closer. "Now, we see where this bond takes us."

His eyes met mine, and the warmth in them nearly undid me. He reached for my hand, fingers brushing my knuckles, cautious but firm.

"Are you sure?" he asked. "This won’t be easy. Your pack will question it. Brian—"

"Let them," I said. "I'm done pretending."

He didn’t kiss me. Not then. But the silence between us was more intimate than touch. It was promise.

That night, I stood on the balcony of my room, watching the moon rise over the trees. My engagement ring sat on the dresser behind me, its weight already fading from my finger.

Everything was changing. The air felt different. And in the distance, a wolf howled—not in sorrow, but in recognition.

I closed my eyes, and for the first time in weeks, I felt peace.

But I knew this was only the beginning.