Chapter 18

He stepped back slightly, a mocking scoff escaping him. “Was that why you were pissed that day? For that thing?” he sounded pained. The words hit like a blade, and a dangerous heat rushed through me. “You dare not call my mate names,” I warned, my voice low and edged. I was really trying to control myself because I had promised Aina, but he was trying to get on my nerves, he straightened, then bowed his head slightly. “She is no longer the woman you rejected,” I continued, each word deliberate. “She is your future Luna. Let that sink in.” His fists clenched. “Then you should’ve told me. We’re friends, aren’t we?” Guilt twisted in my chest. He was right. Alex had been my friend since childhood, and keeping this from him had been… childish. “Yeah,” I admitted with a faint nod. “I guess I’m at fault. But what does it matter now? You’re mated to the woman of your dreams aren't you?” I tried to lighten the air with a jest. He nodded, managing a smile—though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. Then it hit me. A faint, unmistakable scent curled through the air. My muscles went rigid. Alex caught it too; his head snapped toward the reception hall. “Fuck,” I muttered under my breath. Not now. Aina was in heat. Aina They didn’t stop mocking me, and I’d had enough. I stood, facing them fully. Ruth was at the center of it, her smirk irritatingly smug. I knew her type, wealthy family, perfect connections—which explained how she’d even been invited here. “I’ve had enough of your insults,” I told her, my voice steady. She folded her arms, chin tilting up. “So?” Around us, conversations began to fade. People were starting to notice, but I didn’t care. I wasn’t going to let someone like her speak to me that way again. This was the moment I decided to use Osborne’s name. “Do you remember the day you mocked me at the store?” I asked evenly. Her smirk deepened. “Oh, you mean the day I told you to reject him? And it seems you didn’t.” I nodded slowly. “Did Suzy ever tell you what happened after she got home?” Ruth frowned. “No. Why would she?” “Because Osborne almost killed her when he found me crying,” I said, my tone sharpening. “He had his hand around her neck. If I hadn’t told him to stop, she’d be dead. And maybe you too—because I told him Suzy’s friends picked on me.” Her eyes went wide, and she stepped back. “So… imagine what he’d do if I told him it was you and you are doing so again,” I added. The girls around her immediately backed away, abandoning her to deal with me alone. “Well, I didn’t mean it like that,” she stammered, panic clear on her face. I scoffed. “Then you’d better watch your mouth.” With that, I turned and sat back down, resuming my meal as though nothing had happened. The Luna returned shortly, a knowing smile on her face. My stomach dropped—don’t tell me she’d seen me threatening Ruth. “Well,” she said, settling into her seat with a warm smile, “at least I know my future daughter-in-law isn’t some softy.” I exhaled slowly. “Yeah… they stepped out of line.” She nodded approvingly. “You did the right thing, Aina. If you have power, use it. That’s what I always say.” I couldn’t help but chuckle at that. But then, a sudden wave of nausea hit me, sharp and unexpected. My breath caught. “Oh no…” I whispered under my breath. The Luna’s head snapped toward me, her eyes narrowing in concern. “Not here, please,” I begged quietly, already knowing what was happening. But it was too late. Her expression shifted in shock. “You’re in heat,” she said, voice low but startled. The heat seemed to ripple through the air. One by one, heads turned. The unmated males’ eyes locked on me first, then even the mated ones. My scent was everywhere, curling through the hall, impossible to ignore. This was bad—very bad. But why was it so stronger this time, than the last? My legs trembled violently, heat flooding every inch of me until my center was wet and throbbing, desperate for a mate. My body screamed for touch, for relief. The air shifted. One by one, they started moving toward me—slow, deliberate steps like predators circling prey. I saw it in their eyes: hunger, raw and feral, the kind that didn’t care about names or vows. The Luna shot to her feet just as the Alpha re-entered, his gaze locking on me first, then scanning the room like he was sizing up a threat. “Stand back,” he barked. The authority in his voice froze some in place, but others… their bodies still twitched with the pull of my scent. I could see the strain in their pants, the shallow rise and fall of their chests as instinct clawed at their control. Gasps rippled through the women. One whispered to another, “Her heat is strong… every male here will want her.” Oh, please. Where was Osborne? If he didn’t come now, I wasn’t sure I could stop myself from giving in—or worse, letting one of them take me. “Get. Out. Of. The. Way!” His voice thundered through the hall. Osborne. He moved through the crowd like a storm, eyes locked on me—dark, sharp, and burning with something between rage and need. The Alpha exhaled in relief as Osborne closed the distance in seconds. His hand wrapped around mine, hot and unyielding. “Come here. Now.” I could barely move, my legs weak, my body blazing with need. He pulled me against him, his scent crashing over mine in a dominant wave, shielding me from the others. His growl was low and dangerous as he glared at anyone still standing too close. Guards fell in at our sides, forcing back the males who were still struggling against the pull of my heat. Osborne didn’t slow until we were out of the hall, dragging me toward the exit like the world could burn behind us for all he cared—because right now, I was his only priority.