THE SUBSTITUTE LUNA (IRIS and DRACO) novel Chapter 16

IRIS.

I could still vividly recall the night he first met Felicity. We were standing outside his home—not this one, but another house. The moment he came out of the door, he was already growling “Mate” and looking at her.

A mate bond could only be activated by touch. It means fated mates could be standing in the same place but would never know they were mates until the first touch.

If our visit to his former home was the first time he saw her, then it was impossible for him to identify her as his mate.

He swallowed before he answered. “That was not the first time I encountered her. Didn’t she tell you?”

I shook my head.

He removed his gaze from me and looked straight ahead as he spoke. “I touched her in the Festival of Dryndow. But I lost her in the crowd. That was the first time I felt and smelled her. It was the reason she showed up at my old home because she recognized me that night but lost me in the crowd.”

My heart thundered. It was the same festival I went to on the night of my eighteenth birthday. I couldn’t be wrong this time. Alpha Draco was my mate, and he was the one I touched in the middle of the crowd.

I told Felicity and my stepmother about it. The one Felicity spoke about was my memory—my experience and not hers.

I was sure that if Felicity also touched him that night, she would not stop bragging about it. But she never said anything, nor did she say she found her mate.

I nodded and stepped back. I smiled at him before speaking again. “I’ll see you in the afternoon, Alpha.”

He nodded. I was about to turn around and run for the car, but I changed my mind. Instead, I took one step forward and rose on my toes before grabbing his cheeks, pressing my lips against his. I just wanted to peck him, sealing the deal that I no longer doubt what was in my head.

I was the one who touched him that festival night, and not Felicity. Whatever happened in between, I needed to find out.

I was about to pull away when his arms wrapped around me—one hand held my head, and the other gripped my back, pushing our bodies closer as his mouth began to move sensually against mine.

Time stood still, and I didn’t care anymore who could see us.

Alpha Draco was my mate. And I would not let them tell me otherwise.

A soft moan escaped my throat, and I felt his body go rigid. I was the one who slowly pulled away as a red tint crept up my cheeks. I hoped he wouldn’t shout at me.

“I should go now.” I mumbled, and his arms around me loosened.

“You should.” He said in a low, raspy voice. “Or I might end up throwing you on my shoulder and taking you inside.”

I bit my lower lip as I stepped back, letting my lips curl into a smile. “Bye, Alpha.”

A new hope was rising in my chest. I had no idea how to make him believe I was his mate, but at this point, I was just happy that even in just my head and heart, I knew he was mine and I was not doing anything wrong by wanting to be close to him.

I kept stepping back but not turning around, wanting to see all of him before I needed to leave.

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