Page 17 of Mated By Midnight

Maize leaned forward, her voice firm. “Look, I’m going to say this because I care about you. If you want him, go get him. Stop letting fear or uncertainty keep you from being happy.”

Celine looked at them both, her throat tightening as emotions swirled inside her. “I’ve never felt like anyone really wanted me… for me,” she admitted quietly, her voice trembling slightly. “I've always felt like a bargaining chip as the Alpha's daughter. No one ever wanted me for me."

"There's nothing Elijah could get from your dad. Except for his permission to marry you."

"But what if that’s all he sees? What if… what if I’m just the bond to him?”

Liza reached out, placing a hand on her arm. “The bond doesn’t define your worth. You do. And Elijah? He wouldn’t behanging around, waiting for you, if it was just the bond pulling him.”

Celine swallowed hard, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. She had been so afraid—afraid that this connection was only because of fate, not because of something real, something deeper. The bond between them was undeniable, but bonds like this weren’t a choice. And that’s what terrified her.

She had watched her parents choose each other every day of their lives, even without a bond pulling them together. There was something sacred about that. Choosing to stay, to love, to be with someone not because fate said so, but becausetheysaid so.

Though she’d always longed for a fated mate deep in her heart, she had also craved the kind of love she’d seen between her parents. If she were honest, she wanted both. She wanted Elijah to look at her and choose her—not just because of the bond, but because he wanted her, because helovedher.

But maybe, just maybe, she needed to trust herself more. Trust that she was more than enough for Elijah, bond or no bond. That he could choose her just as much as fate had. That this connection they shared wasn’t just written in the stars, but something they could build, moment by moment, choice by choice.

“Maybe you should both figure it out together,” Liza suggested gently. “Not apart.”

Celine let out a shaky breath, nodding slowly. They were right. She had been holding back, doubting herself and the connection they had. But what if the bond was just the beginning? What if there was more between them—more that they could only discover by letting go of their fears and taking a chance?

Maize gave her a playful nudge. “Take off work early. Hell, take tomorrow off too. Go get your man.”

The knot in Celine's chest loosened. “You’re right,” she said, standing up and grabbing her bag. “I’m going to do this.”

Both Liza and Maize grinned, encouraging her as she headed for the door. Her heart raced with a mix of excitement and nerves, but one thing was clear in her mind now.

It was time to stop waiting.

It was time to stop doubting.

It was time to go after Elijah.

13

Elijah was surrounded by half-packed suitcases. He methodically folded a shirt, trying to ignore the ache that gnawed at him. Outside, the moon hung low in the sky, casting a cool, silver light through the windows. But no amount of calm, no amount of preparation, could settle the storm in his chest.

He tossed another shirt into the suitcase and let out a slow breath, trying to focus. He had made his decision—leaving was the right thing to do. It would give him the space to figure out who he was, what he wanted. It would give Celine space too, even though the thought of being away from his fated mate twisted something inside him painfully.

Just as he was about to zip up the bag, a knock echoed through the house, soft and unexpected. Maybe Caleb had come by to see him off. Or Gideon to offer some last-minute advice. But his brothers' knocks were never soft. Hell, they rarely knocked.

Elijah padded out of the bedroom. His bare feet brushed against the cold wooden floors. When he pulled the door open, he stopped dead in his tracks.

It wasn’t Caleb.

It wasn’t Gideon.

It was her.

Celine stood on his doorstep, bathed in moonlight. Her hair fanned out over her shoulders, catching the soft glow of starlight. All the air left his lungs. She looked... stunning.

Her eyes, usually so guarded, were wide and vulnerable. For the first time since their night together, she wasn't closing herself off to him. Elijah ached to strip her naked, to bare himself before her in the moonlight, just like they had at their first meeting.

His pulse quickened, every instinct in him urging him to reach out, to pull her into his arms. But he clenched his hands into fists at his sides, fighting the overwhelming urge to touch her. He had never felt so unworthy of someone in his entire life.

Her gaze flicked over him, and then over his shoulder, into the cabin. She smiled, but there was a tension behind it, a tension he couldn’t quite place. “Can I come in?”

Elijah hesitated for only a second before stepping aside, letting her in. His chest tightened as she moved past him, her scent filling the space between them—wildflowers and citrus. He couldn’t escape it. Didn’t want to.

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