Chapter 62 Dinner for Two
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I had been furious, betrayal coursing through my veins. I thought I had made progress with Adeline—I thought she was ready to be my mate. I knew I had scared her when she clenched the pillow close against her chest. When I heard her confession, my heart dropped, and I felt guilty for not asking before I reacted so harshly. At that moment, I even told her I would accept her rejection if she chose to leave with Alpha Christian. Truthfully, it had been a test to gauge her loyalty to our mating bond. Deep within my heart, I knew that wasn't true though. My wolf freaked out that I had even suggested it—we wouldn't allow that to happen; she wouldn't end up in Alpha Christian's arms no matter what. I would have challenged Alpha Christian for his position as Alpha if it came down to it, taking his pack in the process. She knew me well enough and may have been right, but my anger was slowly dissipating. If she had told me about Alpha Christian's attempts with her, I would have spent hours torturing him in the cages, picking apart his bones one by one—he wouldn't have deserved a quick death.
I mind-linked my Beta Don, "I want Alpha Christian escorted off pack territory immediately," while I changed in my office, picking up the gift I had been saving to give Adeline. My plan was to give it to her on the night of her birthday when she realized we were fated mates, but with Beverly's threat, Adeline was quick to return home. I sighed; my life never went according to plan. "This is harsh, Jax. If we escort him off pack land, he could see it as disrespect and wage war against Midnight Moon," Beta Don replied on the mind link. He had a valid point, but Alpha Christian had chosen to corner my mate after being warned to stay away at the coronation—that was also reason enough to wage war. I figured I was being compassionate by letting him leave Midnight Moon alive.
"Get it done. No further debate. I'll deal with him personally if I must," I replied to Beta Don, uninterested in spending any more time on this matter. Adeline was my mate, gifted by the Moon Goddess, and she had just admitted that she loved me too. Things were finally looking up for us. I wondered if the rogue attack had been a nudge sent by the Moon Goddess; my wolf rejoiced that we had marked my mate, little regard to how she felt. He was a primal animal at his core—an Alpha primal animal specifically—so it didn't surprise me that he chose to follow natural instinct.
I made my way out of the pack house into the clearing where I had half the pack house staff working tirelessly all day to ensure tonight would be perfect for my mate. My wolf had become anxious, hoping she would claim us soon, desperate to be hers. I had to keep him under lock and key, constantly reminding him that pack law forbade consummating the full mating until the ceremony. A full mating between shifters consisted of the male marking the female, the female marking the male, and physically sealing that bond afterward—all pending an Alpha's approval. However, no Alpha had ever dared go against the decision of the Moon Goddess. We were already a third into the process; I was sure my wolf and I wouldn't be able to wait for the ceremony to physically seal the bond, which would put us two-thirds into the mating process. Being the Alpha, I didn't need to seek approval from anyone, but by custom, I had to set an example for the other shifters in my pack or it would cast doubts if their Alpha and Luna didn't abide by the same rules. Given the circumstances, I had marked Adeline to save her life—to save the future Luna of Midnight Moon. I sighed. Mating ceremonies between shifters typically happened within days of finding their mates; the quickest ceremony I had seen was within twelve hours. However, the ceremony between an Alpha and Luna was much more elaborate. It was seen as the ultimate celebration for a pack, signaling strength from the union and a future heir to come.
I was satisfied with the work the pack had done under my request. The clearing overlooked the horizon; we would have dinner as the sun set as scheduled. Lights were strung from one side of the trees to the other, over the table that had been brought out. The table was draped with a black tablecloth, illuminated by candlesticks placed on top. A red rose was placed on each plate setting, with an ice bucket holding champagne nearby. I knew my mate had a sweet tooth, so I had arranged for a dessert table to be assembled with floating balloons surrounding its sides.
I watched as Adeline approached—my heartbeat quickened seeing this breathtaking angel walk toward me. I was sure I was the luckiest Alpha in the world; she had been worth the wait and the torment I faced from the rumors. I couldn't hold back the smile that escaped me when our eyes locked; I could feel the passion building between us. She returned the smile and said with such seduction, "Hello, my Alpha," bowing her head to me. Her submission was already making my black dress pants tighten across my groin. Without skipping a beat, I pulled the back of her neck into my hand and smashed our lips together, kissing her with everything I had. I rode a high of euphoria, feeling her desire for me as our tongues massaged roughly against each other. Adeline jerked back, gasping for air. "Hello, my Luna," I teased, watching her face flush a color similar to her dress.
She turned to Theo. "Thank you for escorting me. Go home and be with your pregnant mate! I'm sure you miss her." He chuckled at us, "Thank you, Luna. Thank you, Alpha. Your kindness is appreciated," then disappeared back to the pack house.
I stared into the depths of my mate's blue eyes, mesmerized by the perfect creature before me. "Midnight Moon is lucky to have you as their future Luna." I realized with each passing day that she was indeed destined to be a Luna, regretting ever seeing her as weak. She was a red wolf; once her strength came in, she could possibly be the strongest shifter in the pack. She gave me a half grin, and I became lost in her twinkling eyes for a moment. "No, I'm lucky to have been chosen to be their Luna. I'm still not sure if they'll accept me. I'm going to have to prove my worth to them," she said with sad eyes. I placed a sweet kiss on her forehead—one I saw she appreciated by the way she melted into me—and said, "I love you, Adeline."
I reached for her soft hand, so small against mine, and led her to the table, pulling out her chair for her. Her eyes were wide with amazement. "This is so beautiful, Jaxon. Thank you for doing this for me." She sat in her seat, causing me to reach down while I nuzzled my lips against her neck and whispered, "I knew that dress would look stunning on you," before taking my seat across from her. She laid her napkin in her lap, scrunching her eyebrows together. "You knew? I assumed Sophia picked it out." I chuckled. "You seem surprised?" She poured champagne for both of us. "It's the most beautiful gown I've ever worn. It makes it that much more special to know you picked it yourself. Thank you, Alpha." I shot her a narrowed look. "Jaxon, I mean. I'm sorry, still getting used to that," Adeline said with a giggle.
I raised my champagne glass and tilted it toward her. "To many more birthdays together, sweetheart—just like this," and clicked my glass against hers. Dinner was soon rolled out; I could tell by my mate's appetite that she was enjoying the almond-crusted chicken parmesan Chef Mark had prepared. "There's nothing that feels better than the sun setting on my skin; it's so warm. I could live in this moment forever," Adeline admitted. I noticed she had been feeling the effects of the wine, becoming more comfortable and loose.
She stood up abruptly, and I frowned in confusion. "Come on, Jaxon," she said. Her hand slid against the strap of her dress, causing it to fall down, exposing her naked, tender body. I growled at the sight, craving her taste on my lips. "My wolf needs out; come on," she pleaded, then shifted into her wolf and disappeared into the horizon.
