Mated to My Intended's Enemy novel Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Chapter 8 Luna of the Shadow

Victoria

As Enzo helped me from the car—his grip bruisingly tight on my elbow—despair washed over me in waves. There would be no escape, no last-minute reprieve. This was happening.

"Enzo Howlthorne and Victoria Howlthorne," Beta Tiny announced formally. "Alpha Moretti welcomes you to Shadow Pack territory."

His eyes met mine briefly, and I thought I detected a flicker of something—pity perhaps?—before his professional mask fell back into place.

"Victoria will now enter the ceremonial circle to be claimed by our Alpha," Tiny continued. "As is tradition, her family will remain outside the circle during the binding."

Enzo released my arm with obvious reluctance. "Remember what I said," he hissed in my ear before stepping back.

Pack members formed a path before me, leading to a stone circle set in the center of the lawn. My legs felt like lead as Tiny escorted me forward, each step bringing me closer to a fate I hadn’t chosen.

The gathered wolves fell silent as I entered the circle. I could feel their curiosity, their judgment—some looking at me with disdain, others with curiosity, a few with something like pity.

And then he appeared.

Leo stepped into the opposite side of the circle, and my breath caught in my throat. He wore a black suit that emphasized the breadth of his shoulders and the lean strength of his body. His dark eyes found mine immediately, intense and unreadable.

Tiny stepped to the center of the circle. "We gather today to witness the claiming of a Luna for the Shadow Pack. Alpha Leonard Moretti has chosen Victoria Howlthorne as his mate, to stand by his side and bear his children, to strengthen our pack and ensure our future."

The formal words washed over me as Leo approached, his gaze never leaving mine. Leo stopped before me, towering over my smaller frame. His scent enveloped me.

"Victoria Howlthorne," Tiny intoned. "Do you accept the claiming of Alpha Leonard Moretti? Do you consent to become Luna of the Shadow Pack, to bind your life and fate to his?"

Before I could answer—before I could find my voice to protest or agree—Leo spoke, his deep voice carrying across the hushed gathering.

"I, Leonard Moretti, claim Victoria Howlthorne as my mate, my Luna, my equal in all things. I pledge to protect her, provide for her, and honor her as the mother of my children and the heart of my pack."

My heart thundered in my chest as realization crashed over me. This wasn’t just some business arrangement or debt settlement—Leo was claiming me as his true mate, his Luna. The same man who had touched me so intimately at the club, who had made me feel things I’d never experienced before, was now binding himself to me before his entire pack.

"This isn’t right," I whispered, my voice trembling. "You don’t even know me."

Leo’s eyes darkened, a muscle ticking in his jaw. "I know enough," he replied, his voice low enough that only I could hear. "I know what you taste like. What you feel like. How you sound when you come apart in my hands."

Heat flooded my cheeks as memories of our night together rushed back. "That was before I knew who you were," I hissed. "Before I knew you had arranged this with my brother."

"Arranged?" Leo’s brow furrowed slightly, confusion flickering across his features before his expression hardened once more. "Your consent is required, Victoria. Say the words."

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify