The Alpha's Unwanted Luna (by Miss L) novel Chapter 417

Chapter 417

74 – Ben

She claimed me? After all her endless back-and-forth, all her stubborn refusals about not wanting a mate, she went ahead and marked me to save my life. I’ve heard every excuse she’s ever given for rejecting the idea of a mate, all her reasons about needing to prove herself on her own terms, but I never quite grasped the full depth of it. If she was so determined to defy her elders, why didn’t she choose a mate herself? That way, she could have shown them two things: first, that they had zero control over how she led her pack, and second, how a true mate partnership works—side by side, ruling together.

Her wolf is restless, vibrating beneath her skin, desperate to shift. She knows the significance of the mate bond, but she’s been holding back, all for Elara’s sake.

Outside, the wind howls like a wild beast, relentless and unforgiving. We won’t be moving anywhere for a while; I’m still too weak to travel. But this—this I can handle.

“Elara, please,” I beg, voice steady but urgent. “Let me finish the bond. There’s no turning back now. We have to complete it, unleash our wolves’ full strength. Especially if what’s out there is what we have to face.” I gesture toward the cave’s mouth, where the storm rages and rogue wolves lurk.

Her wolf whimpers again, clearly resisting whatever Elara is telling her. I both love and hate my mate’s stubbornness. Now is the worst possible moment for her to dig in her heels.

“Those two wolves out there—they were possessed or enhanced or something,” I say, running my fingers through my hair in frustration. “We have to act. What we’ve been doing barely keeps anyone alive. I can’t hear my wolf right now, which means I can’t shift—and that puts us both in grave danger. This isn’t over. Please.” I’m practically pleading now, drawn irresistibly toward the bond.

But she just sits there, staring blankly. And then I feel it—the final snap, my heart shattering all over again. She won’t mate with me, not even to protect her pack. I must have done something unforgivable in another life, because no woman seems willing to be with me willingly.

Defeated, I let her go and move toward the cave entrance. I need to see if the storm outside is truly as fierce as it sounds. I need my wolf—and if Elara won’t help me, I have to find a healer without freezing or getting attacked again. We didn’t bring extra clothes since we didn’t meet up with anyone. I hope our allies were far enough away to be safe but close enough to come quickly if needed. Yelling would be pointless—no one would hear us over the storm, and it would only reveal our vulnerable position to any hostile rogues still lurking.

I need my wolf to contact Jason, but that’s impossible right now. So I sit at the cave’s mouth, running through every option I can think of. I wish I could shift, just to feel a little more comfortable. My body heat will keep me warm for a while, but it won’t last forever.

“The pass-the-Luna game,” she replies, burying her head further into my chest. I’m glad she can’t see my face—I know I must have gone rigid, but I’m trying to control it.

“You’re going to have to explain that very slowly,” I growl through clenched teeth. If I’m right, it means all our elders are doomed.

“The Luna belongs to the Alpha and the pack elders. Once she’s marked, any of them can claim her. It doesn’t matter if she’s mated with the Alpha or not.” She lets out a small sob. “I overheard some of them talking when I was younger about who would be the first to break me in…” My arms tighten around her. “Then they said it might be impossible if my father doesn’t have a male heir and I become Alpha.”

“Did your dad know?”

“About the communal Luna? Yes. He had to share Mom with them whenever they wanted her. Neither of them ever talked about it. I think that’s why Dad pushed so hard for me to become Alpha.”