Free Web NovelChapter 35: Chapter 35
"Hey." Maria touched my shoulder. "I know this is overwhelming. But I’m going to teach you some techniques to manage the emotional overflow from the bond, okay?"
For the next twenty minutes, Maria walked me through breathing exercises and mental barriers. How to create walls in my mind that would keep Christian’s emotions from completely drowning out my own.
"The bond will keep intensifying for the next several weeks," she warned. "It peaks during the full moon. That’s when you and Christian will need to complete the mating ritual."
"And if we don’t?"
"Permanent psychological damage from the incomplete connection. For both of you." Her expression softened. "No pressure or anything."
"Right. No pressure."
Downstairs in the dining room, at least thirty pack members were gathered for breakfast. The moment I walked in, every single conversation stopped.
They were all staring at me.
At Christian’s mark on my neck.
My mixed scent announced what I was louder than any introduction. Christian’s claimed mate. His Luna.
Christian stood from the head of the table, his hazel eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that made my breath catch. He crossed the room in three long strides, his Alpha energy filling the space and making the wolves bow their heads automatically.
His hand cupped the back of my neck, thumb deliberately brushing over the mating mark.
I bit back a gasp.
"Mine," Christian said quietly. But in the silent room, everyone heard it.
He guided me to the empty chair at his right—the Luna’s position—and served me breakfast himself. The gesture was intimate and public, a declaration that I was valued above everyone else here.
I tried to eat. Really, I did. But I could feel the various reactions from pack members, like physical touches against my skin.
An older woman near the window watched me with calculating eyes. Doubt radiated from her in waves.
A group of younger warriors by the kitchen whispered among themselves, their body language showing respect mixed with curiosity.
Marcus, Christian’s beta, offered me a genuine smile. His approval seemed to matter to the others.
Christian reached for the coffee pot. His hand brushed my arm.
The world exploded.
Heat and desire crashed through both of us simultaneously. My fork clattered against my plate. Christian’s eyes went full amber, his sandalwood scent spiking so strong that several pack members shifted uncomfortably.
The sexual tension was suffocating.
"Okay!" Maria stood abruptly. "Sophie needs a tour of the pack house. You know, Luna duties and all that. Let’s go."
She practically dragged me from the dining room. Christian’s fingers trailed across my palm as I left, a promise that this conversation wasn’t over.
Maria led me through corridors I hadn’t explored yet, stopping in front of ornately carved double doors on the third floor.
"Welcome to the Luna’s suite," she said, opening them.
I stepped inside, and my breath caught. The rooms were stunning—silver and midnight blue everywhere, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the forest, and a private library filled with ancient books.
And a bedroom connected to Christian’s through an adjoining door.
"These rooms have been empty since Christian’s mother died," Maria said softly. "Fifteen years."
I walked to the library, running my fingers along the spines of books about pack law, Luna duties, and werewolf history. One book in particular called to me—
The vision hit without warning.
I saw a woman standing in this exact room. Dark hair cascading down her back, power humming through her veins. Luna Isabelle Martinez. She was mediating a dispute between two pack members, and I could actually see the waves of calming energy rolling off her.
I could smell the sage she burned.
Feel the power in her blood.
The same power is now waking up in mine.
"Sophie?" Maria’s voice sounded far away.
The vision released me, and I stumbled backward. Maria caught my arm.
And suddenly I could feel *everything* she was feeling.
Worry for Christian’s happiness. Hope that I’d be the Luna Shadow Ridge needed. The emotions flooded through me like water breaking through a dam.
I jerked away from her, gasping.
Maria’s eyes widened. "Oh my God. You can read emotions through touch." frёeωebɳovel.com
"What?"
"Your Luna bloodline. It’s manifesting." She stared at me like I was a fascinating science experiment. "Supernatural empathy. You can read and influence emotional states through physical contact."
"That’s—that’s insane."
"That’s powerful," Maria corrected. "This is going to be crucial for your role as Luna. Mediating conflicts, identifying threats, and strengthening pack bonds." She paused. "But it’s also dangerous. If you don’t learn to control it, you could absorb too much emotional pain and lose yourself."
Before I could respond, Christian appeared in the doorway.
His broad shoulders nearly filled the frame. His hazel eyes scanned the room before settling on me with laser focus.
"Maria. Leave us." It wasn’t a request.
Maria shot me an encouraging smile and left, closing the doors behind her.
Christian and I were alone in the Luna’s suite. The space practically screamed for us to complete the mating bond.
"Why didn’t you warn me?" I demanded. "About how intense this would be?"
"I underestimated it." Christian moved closer. "My Alpha nature is more dominant than most. And your Luna bloodline is amplifying the connection beyond normal parameters."
"So what? We just deal with this overwhelming desire every time we’re in the same room?"
"Sophie." His voice dropped lower. "I’m barely maintaining control. Every instinct I have is screaming to complete the mating ritual. To bind you to me permanently."
The air between us crackled with electricity. We were standing so close I could count the gold flecks in his eyes.
My new empathic ability flared unexpectedly.
Through Christian’s gaze alone, I felt everything. Not just desire. Love. Fierce protectiveness. Vulnerability he never showed anyone.
But underneath it all—fear.
Terror that I would discover whatever truth Harold had threatened to reveal.
"What are you hiding from me?" I whispered.
