Page 13 of Nyte's Rejected Luna

I fought back the smirk teasing my lips. It was hard not to be pleased with the result. Even my inner wolf held a smile in the back of my mind. The bond was sealed. It was done, but she still had no idea that it had happened; she had made it happen and initiated the act all on her own.

“Nyte,” Alexander called to me, again breaking my thoughts away from my mate. “Will you be willing to help with patrols in the evenings?”

I frowned. “I will be willing to take early evenings. So long as Madilyn is available to guard Paige.”

“We can’t be giving your witch special treatment,” Beta Jose said with a low growl. He had been one of the ones opposed to me taking Paige as my mate.

I narrowed my eyes back at him, sitting forward in my seat. “Until I can trust that no one in this pack will harm my mate, I will put her protection above everyone else. If you want my help, then those are my terms.”

Jose growled at me, his wolf pushing to the surface, stirring my own.

“That’s enough,” Alexander interrupted. “We can make those arrangements. Having you and Madilyn on opposite shifts works in our favor, anyway.”

I smirked at the fuming Beta. “Do you need me for anything else?” I asked, wanting to get back to Paige.

I had left her with Madilyn in my room. The two of them settled on my bed with a bowl of popcorn and a reality show on TV. I hated leaving her again for yet another meeting, but I was glad to know she was forming a friendship with Madilyn.

“That’s all,” Alexander sighed, allowing me to leave.

I left without another word, all but running back to my bedroom to relieve Madilyn of her guard duty. I narrowly avoided wolf after wolf, catching Katya in the corner of my eye, attempting to reach me just as I reached my bedroom door. Madilyn and Paige looked up at me as I closed the door behind me. The same reality show was still playing, although it seemed to be an entirely different season than when I had left them.

“Anything I need to know?” Madilyn asked.

“Yeah, we’ll be taking extra patrol shifts and eating meals on a block schedule from now on,” I answered, my eyes locked on Paige as she looked between us curiously.

“Anything else?”

“You and I will be on opposite shifts.” I looked at Paige. “When I’m gone, you will be with Madilyn. Either in this room or in hers. You don’t go anywhere in this house without one of us at your side, clear?”

Paige let out a scoff and then nodded. “You do realize that I have magic, right? If anyone wants to fuck with me, I’ll just freeze their dick off.”

Madilyn let out a snorted laugh, covering her mouth with her hand. I frowned at my mate, shaking my head.

“I’d rather you not increase the pack's distrust in you by freezing anyone's dick off.”

Madilyn let out another snort. “He’s right, Paige; as much as I would really love to see that. The pack needs to see you as helpful more than fearful. Maybe you can freeze some ice cubes for their scotch and brandy. That’ll at least get old Malachi on your side.”

I chuckled at that image of the older man who once was Alpha before Alexander accepting my mate for something so simple. He certainly did like his brandy on the rocks. She’d get even more points if she could snap her fingers and give him a bottomless bottle.

Paige wrinkled her nose. “Okay, well, my point is that I can take care of myself, Nyte. You don’t have to keep making Madi babysit me.”

“I don’t see it as babysitting you,” Madilyn argued before I could. “I love hanging out with you! Do you know how hard it is to make friends with other girls in this pack? They all see me as some weird creature just because of my strength.”

Paige smiled at Madilyn, seeming to melt at the she-wolf’s struggle.

“That’s that, then,” I informed her. “You and Madilyn will hang out every night while I take my patrol. Madilyn will take her shift when I return.” Paige opened her mouth to argue, but I raised my hand to stop her. “No more arguments. It’s final—approved by the Alpha, making it pack law now.”

“Why should I care about pack law?” Paige asked, crossing her arms. “I’m not part of the pack. I’m a witch, remember.”

I walked over to her, lifting her chin to meet my gaze. “Whether they want to admit it or not, you are a pack member so long as you have my mark. That means you follow the pack's laws and enjoy the pack’s benefits. It’s a give and take, Paige. Just accept it all now. There is no use in fighting it.”

A small whimper creeped out of her lips, her eyes heating with desire from my mere touch. I couldn’t fault her for that. I felt the same way: it was the fully formed bond driving us. It wouldn’t slow down until she was pregnant, the thought of her swollen belly with my child sending sparks of pleasure through me.

I looked down at Madilyn, her eyes rolling as she collected the bowl of popcorn before making her way to the door.

“I’ll be back later, Paige. Don’t watch anymore of the show without me,” she called out, my mate turning and waving to her friend before the door closed.

When she looked back at me, I took advantage of the movement and grabbed her chin before pulling her bottom lip into my mouth. She melted into me, a moan replacing the whimper that had begun the heat in my veins.

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