My Long Lost Mate

Luke sat me up, finally letting go of my hand. He then locked his gaze on me, as if he wanted to ensure that I wouldn't backtrack on my words. We exchanged minutes of staring at each other, which ended when I gave him a sheepish smile. 

"Are you sure you really want me to mark you?" He asked, holding me by my shoulders. I've always found myself drawn to those red eyes, more than anything else. It felt like I could get lost in those eyes, and it wouldn't even matter if I couldn't find my way back. They were like the jewels I found in my father's vault—which often fell victim to the servants' greed. "There's no going back once I marked you." 

"What about you?" I asked, "Do I have to bite you too?" 

He froze, as though he was thinking about how to respond to my question. I'm pretty sure we were the first witch and werewolf mates in the whole history of werewolves, and even he wasn't entirely clear on the subject.

Though the pack knew I was human and accepted me for it, will they still accept me if they find out I'm a witch? From what I've seen, werewolves don't think of witches that well—any witches.. Has word spread that Luke has found his mate to all the werewolves in the other packs? I wonder what they think of me—a human—being their new Luna. 

Up until now, I wasn't officially the Luna. But, if we go ahead with the markings now, doesn't that mean it'll be official? I knew that I wanted to be with him, but I was not sure if I wanted the title, because I knew the title Luna was not to be taken lightly—for a Luna was more than just the Alpha's mate. A Luna will hold as much authority as the Alpha but also hold as much weight to carry. She'll need to lead the pack, look after the people, and be someone they can look up to.

Am I fit to be such a person? 

But... if I'm not, I can always change. I may not have the requirements to be the perfect Luna, but I do have the ability to change. I knew for a fact that the current me wouldn't last a day out there without Luke's help, or anyone else's for that matter. I knew I was weak, and I knew I didn't know much about the world. But again, I knew I could grow. 

If I'm going to stick by his side, I have to be someone who can help him rather than just a dead weight. I have such an amazing person by my side, so I have to be just as amazing. I can't keep being the way I am now—I can't be weak.

"Well, other werewolves usually leave a mark on each other, but in our case, I suppose I'm the only one who could leave a mark on you," he replied, seemingly only realizing it now. "But if you insist, then—"

"I'm just asking. I'm not insisting on anything," I quickly interjected, not wanting him to get any funny ideas. The purpose of marking was to let others know that the person was no longer available, that they were now off-limits. But, if I'm the only one with the mark, how will others know that Luke is no longer available? I'm sure there are a lot of women out there who have kept their eyes on him. "Then how will others know that you've found your mate if you don't bear my mark?" 

"Won't it be too obvious?" He shrugged. "Because you're the only woman I've ever laid my eyes on. People were all aware that I would never accept anyone who was not my mate—though it didn't stop them from falling in love with me. It's quite a hassle, really. I wish I wasn't born this perfect." 

There he goes again. 

"Can werewolves fall in love with someone who is not their mate?" 

"We certainly can, but it's probably only before we meet our mate. And it's almost certain that those loves will not meet a good end. It's deemed to fail." 

"Because they're not the ones destined by the Moon Goddess?" 

"Yes," he nodded. "But don't worry, it certainly won't happen to us because we're destined to be together by the Moon Goddess. Fate brought us together, and our love will keep us forever." 

Upon saying this, his smile grew into that of a dashing one, extending from his lips to his eyes and deep into his soul. It was a smile that silenced the birds outside, as even they were mesmerized by it while they were stealing glances from out the window. 

Though he wasn't so modest about his handsome looks, it was undeniable that he had a face that would make you stop in your tracks. Even now, when I wasn't supposed to be mesmerized by his good looks, I was. Even more so after the sweet words he'd just spouted. 

I couldn't even blame those ladies for falling for him. The man had a way with words that were even more lethal when combined with his good looks. He knew how to make the most of his advantages. 

"Don't... smile at me like that," I said, and he raised his brows, intrigued. I knew for a fact that he was getting ready to tease me. I turned away.

"Why?" He asked, following my face to see the blush growing on my cheeks. "Did I make your heart flutter?"

I avoided his gaze, looking anywhere but him. Annoying as he was, he kept on following my gaze wherever I looked, not letting me take my eyes off him even for a second. His grin widened as he continued to tease me, claiming that I couldn't help but fall for him. He said no one could ever resist his charms. 

"Y-you did, okay?!" I said as I caught his face, forcing him to turn his face away from me. "You made my heart flutter, so get your face away from me," I looked down, feeling my cheeks getting warmer. "Why do you have to be this handsome? It's... annoying," though it was a small whisper, he heard it all too clearly. 

He let out a hearty laugh, pleased with my honesty. It was my first time admitting his good looks, and he was beyond satisfied. He looked like he could fly with that pride of his.

"I'd gotten so used to people complimenting my looks that those compliments seemed insignificant to me, but it turns out I'd been hearing it from the wrong person all along," he continued to laugh, taking my hands off his face and turning to face me, "It feels different to hear it from you."

"I—I told you to get your face away from me, didn't I?" What was wrong with my heart? It was like it couldn't function properly whenever he was looking at me with those eyes—with that smile. Is it because I'm nervous because he'll mark me? Or is it because he'd bewitched me? 

"But we still have some things to do, don't we?" He tapped between his neck and collarbones, then showed me his teeth, which had transformed into canines in a matter of seconds. He scooted closer, and I unknowingly scooted away. 

"W-wait! Will it hurt?" 

"It will sting, but I promise to be as gentle as possible," he replied, giving me a reassuring squeeze on my shoulders. "It will be over before you know it." 

I gulped, seeing how sharp his canines were. It looked like it could tear my skin apart with only a small nibble. A small bite can't possibly hurt that much, can it? I have a fairly high pain tolerance, so I'm sure I'll be fine—hopefully. 

I pulled my dress a little, allowing him better access to my skin. I took a deep breath and scooted over, closing the gap between us. He stared at my skin for a few moments, then took a deep breath before leaning closer to my neck. I held onto his still bȧrė shoulders, feeling how tense they were. 

"Ready?" 

"Ready," I nodded, gulping once more.

I closed my eyes and held my breath, feeling his warmth wash over me once more as the distance between us shrank. He gently soothed the part he was about to bite, making me flinch at the touch and my whole body tense. 

Would it be better if he didn't tell me when he was going to bite me? I feel like it's even more nerve-racking when you're anticipating something that you know is going to happen. Those few seconds of anticipation felt like an eternity.

After a few long seconds of waiting, I finally felt the sharpness of his canines, the tip grazing my skin. I could feel my blood flowing out of my skin only after a little contact, stinging like I'd accidentally stabbed myself with a needle—a lot of them. 

I tightened my grip on his shoulders, unknowingly digging my nails into his skin as the stinging pain intensified. I braced myself for the moment he bit even deeper, deeper into my flesh. Luke, too, tightened his grip on my shoulders, ȧssuring me that it would soon be over. 

But, all of a sudden, a loud knock came from the door, interrupting us. The knock was so loud that I opened my eyes out of surprise, and Luke immediately stopped what he was doing. 

"Alpha! Alpha!" Screamed a man behind the door, his voice desperate and urgent as he knocked vigorously. "The ritual—it's starting!!"