Chapter 19

Arlo watched Lune carefully, his heart pounding in his chest as she processed everything he had just told her. He could see the confusion in her eyes, the uncertainty about this new world she had been thrust into. Deep down, a knot of fear tightened inside him—what if this was too much for her? What if now, after revealing the truth about being a werewolf, she wanted nothing to do with him?

The thought terrified him more than he cared to admit. He had kept so much from her, thinking he was protecting her, giving her time to adjust. But now, with everything laid bare, he worried that Lune would want to run, to leave him and this life behind. And the thought of losing her, of her walking out the door, sent a wave of anxiety through him. He couldn’t imagine his life without her.

“Lune,” Arlo began, his voice quieter, filled with a vulnerability he rarely let show. He was pacing again, unable to stand still. “I don’t want you to be afraid of me now that you know the truth. I’ve wanted to tell you everything for so long, but I didn’t want to scare you. I didn’t want you to feel trapped in this world.”

Lune looked up at him, her expression softening at the worry in his voice. She hadn’t seen this side of Arlo before—the side of him that wasn’t always strong and sure of himself. It was strange to see him so nervous, as if he was afraid she would run at any moment.

“I’m not scared of you, Arlo,” she said softly, though the confusion in her voice was still there. “This is all overwhelming, yes. But I’m not scared of you.”

Arlo let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding, but the nervousness still lingered. He stepped closer to her, stopping in front of her, his eyes searching hers. “I need you to understand something,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “I’ve… I’ve been watching over you for a long time. Since before you even knew who I was.”

Lune’s brow furrowed at his words, and her heart skipped a beat. “Watching me?” she repeated, her voice laced with surprise and confusion.

Arlo nodded, his gaze intense but filled with guilt. “Yes. From the moment I found out you were my mate, I’ve kept an eye on you. I had to. It’s part of our bond, part of how we’re connected. Even before you knew me, I knew you were mine.”

Lune felt a shiver run down her spine. The idea that he had been watching her, even before she was aware of him, was strange. The bond he spoke of—the mate bond—it was something she had only begun to understand, but it still felt foreign to her.

“How long?” she asked quietly, not sure if she wanted to know the answer.

Arlo hesitated for a moment, then spoke, his voice gentle. “Since the day you were born.”

Lune blinked, her mind racing at his words. Since birth? The weight of that revelation settled heavily in her chest. All this time, while she had been living her life, Arlo had been there, watching from afar, waiting for the moment she would be his. The idea made her feel both exposed and strangely comforted. He had always been there, in the shadows, waiting for the right time.

“I know it sounds strange,” Arlo continued, his voice filled with a quiet desperation. “But that’s how it works with mates. When I found out you were mine, I couldn’t stay away. I had to make sure you were safe. I had to protect you, even if you didn’t know I existed yet.”

Lune’s heart pounded in her chest as she tried to make sense of it all. The idea of someone watching over her for her entire life was unsettling, but at the same time, she could hear the sincerity in Arlo’s voice. He hadn’t done it out of malice or control—it was part of who he was, part of his nature to protect her. But still, it was a lot to take in.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm the whirlwind of emotions swirling inside her. “So, all this time… you’ve known I was your mate? Even when I didn’t?”

Arlo nodded, his gaze filled with regret. “Yes. I should have told you sooner, but I didn’t want to overwhelm you. I didn’t want you to feel like your life was being decided for you without your say. But I couldn’t help watching over you, Lune. I needed to make sure you were okay.”

Lune stared at him, her thoughts racing. Everything she had thought she knew about her life had been turned upside down. The idea of destiny, of being bound to someone from birth—it was almost too much to comprehend. But Arlo’s nervousness, his fear of losing her, was palpable. She could see how much this was weighing on him.

“You’ve been carrying this all by yourself,” she said softly, finally understanding the weight he had been under. “All this time.”

Arlo looked away, his jaw clenched, guilt etched into his features. “Yes,” he admitted. “And now that you know everything, I’m afraid you’ll want to leave. That you’ll feel like I’ve taken your choices away. I couldn’t bear that, Lune. I can’t lose you.”

Lune’s chest tightened at the raw emotion in his voice. He wasn’t just the powerful leader of a pack—he was vulnerable, terrified that she would reject him now that she knew the full truth. She hadn’t expected to feel compassion for him in this moment, but seeing him like this, she realized that he had been struggling just as much as she was, trying to balance his instincts with the need to protect her.

She took a deep breath and reached out, placing her hand on his arm. “Arlo, I don’t know how to feel about all of this yet,” she said honestly. “But I’m not going anywhere. I need time to process everything, but I’m not going to just run. You’ve been here for me all along, even when I didn’t know it, and that means something.”

Arlo looked at her, hope flickering in his eyes. “I’ll give you all the time you need, Lune. Just… don’t leave. Please.”

Lune nodded slowly, feeling the weight of his plea. “I’m not leaving,” she repeated, her voice steady. “We’ll figure this out together.”

For the first time since the conversation started, Arlo allowed himself to breathe easier, a sense of relief washing over him. Lune wasn’t pushing him away, and that was all he needed for now. Together, they would navigate this strange new reality—one step at a time.

After Lune reassured Arlo that she wasn’t leaving, a strange silence settled between them. It wasn’t uncomfortable, but it was heavy, weighted with the things unsaid and the emotions swirling in the air. The revelations of the night—the truth about Arlo, the reality of the werewolf world, and the years he had spent watching over her—hung between them like a thick cloud. Neither of them knew what to say next, how to proceed after everything had been laid bare.

Arlo stood a few steps away from her, his gaze still fixed on her face as if he was trying to read every thought crossing her mind. He looked like he wanted to say something, to fill the silence with words, but nothing came. For once, the confident, dominant side of him was at a loss. And Lune, equally overwhelmed, found herself staring at the floor, trying to make sense of her own swirling thoughts.

The stillness stretched on, and the quiet seemed to grow louder, pressing down on both of them. Lune could feel the weight of it in her chest, the unspoken emotions thick in the air. She knew they both needed time to absorb everything that had happened, but the silence was starting to feel too heavy, too suffocating.

Finally, she cleared her throat softly and broke the silence with a simple statement. “I think I’m going to bed,” she said, her voice quiet but steady. She glanced up at Arlo, trying to gauge his reaction. She didn’t want to dismiss everything that had been said, but her mind was exhausted from the weight of the revelations. She needed a break, a moment to breathe and think without all the tension swirling around them.

Arlo blinked, seemingly pulled out of his own thoughts by her words. For a second, he looked like he was about to protest, to continue the conversation, but then he seemed to catch himself. He nodded slowly, his expression softening as he realized she needed space. “Of course,” he said, his voice gentler now. “You’ve had a long day… a long night. You should rest.”

Lune gave a small nod, grateful that he didn’t push her for more right now. She stood up from the bed and moved toward the dresser, trying to focus on simple tasks, like changing into her nightclothes, as a way to ground herself.

Arlo remained where he was, watching her carefully but giving her the distance she seemed to need. The silence returned, but it felt different now—less tense, more like a shared understanding that they both needed time to process. He wanted to hold her, to reassure her that everything would be okay, but he knew better than to rush her. Lune needed time to adjust, and he would give her that.

As Lune climbed into bed, pulling the covers up around her, she glanced over at Arlo again, her heart still heavy but a little more settled. “Goodnight, Arlo,” she whispered softly, her voice carrying a sense of finality for the night.

Arlo gave her a small, reassuring smile. “Goodnight, Lune,” he replied, his voice just as soft. He watched as she turned on her side, her back to him, and though it stung a little, he understood. He would wait as long as it took for her to feel comfortable with him again.

The silence returned, but this time, it was softer, more peaceful. Arlo stayed in the room a little longer, watching over her quietly, as he always had. Eventually, he slipped out of the room, leaving Lune to rest and process everything in her own time.

Arlo stepped into his old bedroom, the one he hadn’t set foot in since marrying Lune. It was strange being back here, surrounded by familiar things that once represented his solitary life. The room was dark, quiet, and still held the scent of wood and leather. The large bed, which had once been a refuge after long days of leading his pack, now felt foreign. His life had shifted dramatically since Lune had entered it, and this space now seemed distant, a reminder of a time when he had only been responsible for himself.

He paced the room for a moment, running a hand through his hair, trying to settle the rush of thoughts in his mind. It was late, and though his body was tired, sleep felt impossible. His conversation with Lune still echoed in his head, the weight of everything he had revealed hanging in the air like a dense fog. He had told her almost everything—the truth about him being a werewolf, about their bond, and how he had been watching over her since birth. But he hadn’t yet told her about the mating and marking rituals. That would come tomorrow.

One step at a time, he reminded himself. Tonight had been overwhelming enough. Lune needed time to process everything before he could explain the deeper aspects of their bond, the physical and spiritual connections that came with mating. And the marking—he could sense she wasn’t ready for that yet. He’d explain it to her soon, but for now, she needed rest. So did he.

Arlo sat on the edge of the bed, his mind spinning as he tried to sort through his emotions. Despite everything, he felt a strange sense of relief. The weight he had been carrying for so long, the secret of his identity and the truth about their bond, was finally out in the open. Lune hadn’t run, she hadn’t rejected him. That was more than he had hoped for. But still, there was more to tell her—more that could change everything.

He lay back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling, trying to will himself into some kind of rest. But sleep didn’t come. His mind kept replaying the moment he had told her the truth, the way she had looked at him—shocked, yes, but not horrified. He had been so afraid that she would be frightened of him, that knowing he was a werewolf would drive her away. Yet she had listened, asked questions, and hadn’t pulled away when he needed her understanding the most.

That gave him some comfort, but it wasn’t enough to completely ease the nervous energy coursing through him. He still hadn’t told her about the most important part of their connection—the mating ritual, the way wolves claimed their mates, the marking that would solidify their bond in the eyes of the pack and the world. It wasn’t something he could spring on her casually, not after everything else. He needed her to be fully aware of what it meant before they went through with it.

Tomorrow, he thought. Tomorrow, he would explain everything. And he hoped that Lune would accept it, that she would trust him enough to go through the final steps of their bond. His wolf instincts were tugging at him, urging him to claim her, to mark her as his, but he knew he couldn’t rush it. He would give her the time she needed to adjust, no matter how difficult that was for him.

As the night wore on, Arlo lay in his old bed, feeling both restless and relieved. He had made progress tonight, and that gave him hope. But there was still so much left unsaid, so much left to navigate in their new life together. He would tell her everything tomorrow—the truth about what it meant to be his mate, to be Luna. And he hoped that when the time came, she would accept him fully, just as he had waited for her all these years.

But for now, all he could do was wait, his mind drifting but never settling into sleep, the anticipation of the next day weighing heavily on his chest.