My legs feel like they might give out beneath me as I stand on the dais beside Kael. The air is electric, every eye in the Pack Hall fixed on us, on me. My heart races, each beat echoing in my ears as I fight to process what’s happening. This can’t be real. It can’t.
Kael turns to face me fully, his imposing frame towering over mine, his piercing grey eyes burning with intensity. When he looks at me, it’s as though the entire room falls away. My knees threaten to buckle, but his presence keeps me steady, as though his strength alone is anchoring me to this moment.
“Talia,” Kael says, his voice deep and resonant, carrying through the hall. It’s not just a voice; it’s a command, a declaration, and a promise all at once. The Alpha speaking to his pack, to his wolves, but also… to me. “Fate has brought us here. The moon has spoken. And I, Kael Winters, Alpha of Shadow Ridge, accept you as my fated mate.”
A collective gasp ripples through the room, the disbelief palpable, but I can barely hear it over the roar in my head. My entire body is trembling, and I feel like I might collapse under the weight of his words.
Kael reaches for my hand, and the moment his skin touches mine, the world tilts. A surge of energy shoots through me, powerful and undeniable, and Eira howls in my mind, her voice rich with joy and certainty. “This is our destiny, Talia. Say yes. Say yes!”
I try to speak, but my throat feels tight, my breath caught in my chest. My gaze flickers to the crowd—Sabrina’s face twisted in fury, Ravena’s glare cold and murderous, Ronan standing frozen among the Shadow Guard. Everyone is watching, waiting.
“Do you accept me as your mate, Talia Hale?” Kael asks, his voice softer now, but no less commanding. His eyes search mine, and for the first time, I see something beneath the authority—vulnerability. A glimmer of hope that I can’t bring myself to shatter.
“I…” My voice cracks, and I swallow hard, my thoughts a jumbled mess. How is this happening? How can someone like me stand here, fated to someone like him? It doesn’t feel real. I’m just a maid—a nobody. How could I ever be enough to stand beside an Alpha, to be worthy of being a Luna? The doubt claws at my chest, threatening to pull me under. But the warmth of his hand in mine, the intensity of his gaze, the steady hum of the mate bond pulling us together—it’s all too vivid to deny.