Rise of the Luna (completed)

23-Second Chances

- Jake’s POV -

I was taken aback when Martha said that Kayla was mute and wolfless and even more so when her voice rang in my head that I must accept my mate and claim her. Imagine my shock, when Kayla held my hands and I could hear her in my head. I was starting to think that the Moon Goddess must find my life too peaceful and decided to put me on a rollercoaster ride.

Thank you, Alpha Jake, for letting your witch healer heal me. I am grateful to you and I completely understand if you find me an unsuitable mate.

My brows furrowed as the last sentence hit my mind and I couldn’t believe what she was saying. How could she take a rejection so lightly? Mates are gifts from the Moon Goddess and I’m not going to lie, she doesn’t fit the bill of a Luna in my mind but that didn’t mean that I didn’t want her.

Did you really mean that? You.. you want me?

Realizing that she could read my thoughts, my eyes widen as she smiled at me. I grinned and excitement coarse through my veins as my wolf drooled at his beautiful mate. I nodded and we both agreed that she had some unfinished business to take care of with that Finn boy and we would talk tomorrow.

As we left and walked past that mutt, I couldn’t even be bothered to look at him. Only losers like him will reject their mates and then regret it when it’s too late. I quickened my footsteps as I was bursting with questions for Martha. When we were finally back in my room at the guest house, Martha cast a cloaking spell so no one could overhear us. It’s a precaution that we always take when we have important things to discuss.

“You are to accept her as your mate and we will bring her back with us to our pack, my boy,” Martha said to me sternly.

I know she’s an elder of the pack but I’m the Alpha and I hated it when she talked to me like this. “You will not tell me what to do, Martha,” I sneered at her. “You might be an elder and I respect you but you have no right to talk to your Alpha like this. Besides, I don’t intend to reject her. She is mine and I will bring her back with us!”

Martha nodded in satisfaction and said to me, “I know you have many questions but I can’t tell you more than I already have.” Rolling my eyes, I waited for Martha to leave before going to bed and thinking about how to convince my mate to come back with me to our pack.

- Kayla’s POV -

After Finn left, Leyton came up to check on me. I assured him that I was fine and asked him about what happened in the past two months. He caught me up on everything and tears sprung into my eyes as I listened to all that he has done for me. I hugged him tightly and remembered what the oak tree said when I was in the forest, that my family loves me and they kept the truth from me out of love.

Not wanting to hide anything from my brother, I pressed my forehead to his and shared with him my memories from the past two months. Pain flashed in his eyes as he saw Mum, then awe when he saw that I could talk with the trees and then I saw fear in his eyes, as he realized that I knew we were not blood siblings and the threat against me.

“I’m sorry, Kayla, we didn’t mean to keep it from you but when you didn’t remember, we just thought it would be better this way and save you the pain of losing a parent. I’m so sorry!”

I know, Leyton and I’m your sister. Not because we have the same parents but because our parents raised us to be siblings. I love you.

I felt him relax and then tense up again as the thought of the threat consumed his mind. “Kayla, you must not tell anyone that you can talk to the trees or anything that you’ve just told me. It’s bad enough that Finn and Alpha Jake both know you can send and receive thoughts via physical contact. I don’t want anyone to know about your wolf and the threat. Until we can figure out together what to do, I want you to only trust me and yourself, do you understand?”

I nodded and kissed him goodnight. After Leyton left, I felt guilty about not telling him what happened with Finn. I knew that if I had told him, he would kill Finn and I wanted to give Finn a chance because he had admitted his mistakes and tried to become a better person. Despite what he did, I wanted to believe that he was sorry for everything that he had done, including touching me without my consent. I didn’t want to hold hate in my heart and more importantly, I can feel that there is good in Finn’s heart and I think he’d make a good Alpha.

Don’t worry, we will kick his ass if he mistreats you again, Kayla.

I giggled as I heard Eichen’s voice carried by the wind through my window.