The great hall erupted into chaos. Hundreds of voices crashed together in waves of shock and speculation while the bond pulsed between us like a live wire, threatening to incinerate my carefully constructed facade.
"Mate," Gabriel growled.
The sound vibrating through his chest and straight into my bones. His golden eyes blazed with primal intensity.
"Alpha Gabriel." My mother materialized beside us, dropping into a perfect curtsy. Her face had gone paper-white with genuine shock. "What a great blessing for our family."
The words came out breathless, disbelieving.
I followed her lead automatically, my body bowing through years of practiced submission even as my newly awakened wolf snarled in protest.
Gabriel's hand caught my chin, yanking me upright. "My mate does not bow to me. Never again, Katherine. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Alpha," I whispered, keeping my eyes downcast.
"Gabriel." Nate's voice sliced through the moment like cold water. The Beta approached slowly, his gray eyes locked on me with undisguised suspicion. "Maybe you shouldn’t make a scene here."
Gabriel's jaw tightened. "You're right." His hand gripped my elbow, firm but not painful. "Come with me."
He steered me toward his office, the crowd parting before us.
Gabriel left his hand at the small of my back, guiding me down the cool corridor; the noise thinned with every step until only our footsteps remained. The door closed with a decisive click and we were alone.
He prowled to the window, his shoulders rigid with tension. The silence stretched taut between us until he finally spun around.
"How is this possible?" His voice was harder now, more severe. "You've been back for three months. We've never met, never even been in the same room, and now…"
"I— I don't know." The words tumbled out, nervous energy making me babble. "Mother kept me away from pack gatherings, said we needed to earn our place first. Tonight was my first official event, and the moment you walked in—"
"Stop." He stalked closer, each step deliberate. "Do you feel it? The bond?"
A name I’d never even voiced surfaced, sudden and certain—Elsie, my wolf. She roared inside me: Touch him. Claim him. He’s ours. Our mate. Look at those shoulders, those arms, that mouth…
Shut up, you horny beast, I hissed in my mind.
"Yes," I breathed, heat flooding my cheeks. "It's... overwhelming."
He stopped just out of reach, his hands clenched at his sides. "You have no idea what you've done to me. The control I'm exercising right now not to—"
He cut himself off, jaw clenching.
I watched him war with himself, the Alpha fighting the wolf. Then something shifted in his expression and he reached out slowly, giving me time to pull away.
When his fingers brushed my cheek, the world tilted. Every nerve ending sparked to life where his skin met mine. A small gasp escaped my lips, and his eyes darkened at the sound.
"Incredible," he murmured, his thumb tracing my cheekbone. "The bond... I've never felt anything like this."
"Neither have I."
Truth, for once.
"We'll figure this out together." His hand cupped my face fully now, and I couldn't help but lean into the touch. "You're mine now, Katherine. And I protect what's mine."
"Alpha Gabriel..."
"For you it’s just Gabriel now. Come." He stepped back, breaking the spell. "We should return before Nate sends a search party."
The great hall buzzed with barely contained excitement when we emerged. Gabriel's hand on my lower back guided me straight to the Alpha's table.
"Sit with me," he commanded, pulling out the chair beside his—Luna's chair.
My hands trembled as I lowered myself into it and the weight of hundreds of eyes pressed against my skin.
"Wine?" I offered, reaching for the bottle.
"Allow me," Gabriel said, but I'd already begun pouring, my movements precise despite my nerves.
Nate dropped into his chair near us, his stare dissecting. "You're handling this remarkably well. Most newly discovered mates can barely function."
"She's stronger than she looks," Gabriel said, covering my hand with his.
"Apparently." Nate's tone could have frozen flame. "Tell me, Katherine, what exactly do you do? Besides conveniently discovering you're our Alpha's mate?"
"Nate." Gabriel's warning rumbled low.
"I teach," I said softly, refilling Gabriel's glass. "Elementary school. The little ones."
"How precious." Nate's smile was all teeth. "And before that? What did you do during your family's... exile?"
"Nate, enough." Gabriel's voice hardened to steel. "You will show my mate respect."
"Of course, Alpha." Nate raised his glass in mock salute. "My apologies, Luna."
The title sent a shiver through me. Luna.
Everything I'd been raised to want, dropped into my lap by cosmic accident.
I wanted to tell Nate exactly where he could shove his suspicions, wanted to match his sarcasm with my own. Instead, I smiled sweetly.
"No apology necessary, Beta. Your protectiveness toward Gabriel is admirable."
Gabriel's thumb stroked my knuckles. "Tell me about your students. Do you enjoy teaching?"
"Very much." Safe territory. "They're at that perfect age where everything is still magical."
"You'll make a wonderful mother," he said, and the casual assumption of our future together stole my breath.
The evening crawled by in a blur of congratulations and curious stares. Gabriel kept touching me—a hand on my back, fingers brushing my arm, his thigh pressed against mine.
Each contact fed the bond's hunger.
Finally, as the gathering wound down, Gabriel turned to me. "I want you to move into my residence."
My wine glass froze halfway to my lips. "What?"
"Tomorrow morning." His tone brooked no argument. "I understand your family situation, Katherine. This will give us time to get to know each other properly. The bond needs nurturing."
"Gabriel, that's—"
"Necessary." He caught my hand. "I need you close. The bond demands it, and frankly, so do I."
I looked across the room at my mother, who watched us with tears streaming down her face. Pure, shocked joy radiated from her—all those years of teaching me to be sweet and demure just to be accepted, and now this impossible miracle.
Her daughter is mated to the Alpha of the pack himself.
"If you think it's best," I whispered.
"I do." He brought my hand to his lips, the gentle kiss sending electricity through my veins. "Nate will help arrange the move."
"Fantastic," Nate muttered, downing his whiskey. "Just what I wanted to do first thing tomorrow."
Gabriel ignored him, his attention focused entirely on me. "Welcome home, Katherine."