Page 71 of The Alpha's Forced Rejected Mate
His voice hardened. "And we were blind to it, including me, as dark magic suppressed my wolf's natural instincts."
He then looked at each section of the crowd in turn before gesturing toward Luna, causing heads to turn in her direction. "Luna Mitchell broke through that darkness. Her magic, channeled through our mate bond, revealed the truth and freed me from the influence that had been controlling me."
Luna's eyes widened slightly in surprise at his words, but she held his gaze steadily. The crowd’s murmurs grew louder at his acknowledgment of their mate bond.
"Some may remember her as the shiftless girl who left the Pack six years ago," Dominic added. "But now she returns to us as my mate, and as a powerful witch whose abilities will help us defeat the threat we face."
He looked around at the pack. "As your alpha, I give my first command now. Luna Mitchell is under my protection. She is pack. Anyone who treats her otherwise answers directly to me."
His wolf rose to the surface to emphasize his point, and his eyes flashed silver with the power of his new authority.
"In the coming days, we are going to prepare for a battle. The demons who have infiltrated the Hunter Organization willnot stop until they've achieved their goal to bring more of their kind into our world. We cannot allow that to happen."
It won’t happen.
Dominic's gaze returned to Luna, still straight and proud, doing her best not to allow the weight of the attention shake her.
"Together," he said, his voice low, yet carrying his intent across the crowd. "Together, we will protect what is ours."
As if on cue, wolves throughout the gathering tilted their heads back and howled—a chorus of voices raised in recognition of their new alpha. The sound echoed through the clearing, powerful and primal, carrying with it the pack's acceptance of his leadership.
He was Alpha now. And his first act as leader had been to claim the woman he'd once rejected as his mate, placing her under his protection before the entire pack.
The battle ahead would test every single one of them. But tonight, with his pack's howls still echoing through the forest, Dominic allowed himself a moment of certainty, catching his mate’s eyes for the third time that night.
Now we are ready. Together.
Chapter 18 - Luna
I missed this.
It actually felt good to see her natural hair color again after dying it for so long. Luna ran her fingers through her freshly washed hair in the bathroom.
She remembered Dominic’s reaction when she first came out of the bathroom after washing the rest of the dye out of her hair. His pleasure was obvious when he saw her true color, the way his eyes had widened and those lips had parted before he smiled.
"Your silver looks perfect on you," he'd whispered in a soft tone that weakened her defenses. "Always has."
Luna hadn't known how to respond to that; she'd simply nodded and hurried past him
Stop it.
It had been a week since they returned to the pack, and she felt pressure every day on her shoulders. She had to take careful steps, watch her words, and be aware that any wrong move could trigger an outburst.
Yes, she had Dominic and his father’s backing, but she could still see how wary the pack was of her. They were not hostile, but the glances she got and the conversation that stopped when she passed was enough to make anyone feel unwelcome.
Of course, she preferred this to the bullying she faced in the past, but the isolation was still cruel.
Luna tied her hair into a braid and shook her head as if shaking away her thoughts. The grimoire lay on the bed, the pages open to the part about the protection spell she had takenhours to decipher. She discovered the spell three days ago, and her progress told her it would be worth it.
She was focused on her mission for the day, picking up the grimoire and some other supplies. Luna had gathered dried herbs, small crystals and a container of water taken from the pack’s sacred spring. She placed the contents in a leather satchel.
Her mission was to strengthen the pack’s borders. She was sure the spell in the grimoire would help in creating wards that would alert them if any demons tried to interfere and provide a barrier that would slow attackers down.
This way I can be useful.
The cabin she shared with Dominic was empty when she stepped out of the bathroom. He had left at dawn to meet with his father and the pack elders. The two of them were rarely in the cabin at the same time, but their routine worked for them.
It’s better like this.
