Chapter 3

~ Luciana's POV ~

The party was in full swing after they had surprised the Alpha later that evening. Alister had acted like he was surprised, but she knew better, that was not the face of someone who was surprised. He probably found out that they were planning something when he came to Ophelia's house earlier.

 As she discreetly looked at him, Luciana noted his appearance: a dark green shirt with rolled-up sleeves and worn jeans, bathed in the moon's glow, he looked almost otherworldly.

Luciana's heart ached, knowing that in a few minutes, at midnight, the Alpha would discover his mate, who could be any of the many women enjoying the party. She scanned the crowd of women around them, knowing one of them would soon be fortunate enough to be chosen by the Alpha.

While sipping his drink, Alister found something Beta Elijah had said amusing and let out a laugh. Luciana noticed his laughter and their eyes met briefly. She thought she saw a hint of affection in his eyes before he looked away, but dismissed the idea as a mistake.

As midnight struck, the alpha growled, and Luciana caught a distinct scent that reminded her of Alpha Alister - the same scent that lingered on the shirt he gave her, she would know because she still had the shirt he had covered her with on that night.

Why was she able to perceive the Alpha's scent? Luciana thought as she turned towards the scent and she saw Alister staring at her in shock. 

" Mate!" her wolf cried.

It's not possible, she thought. It couldn't be. If the goddess was playing a prank on her, then it wasn't going to work. She had been given a mate already, even though said mate had rejected her.

Luciana found herself staring into Alpha Alister's green eyes, the very eyes of her dream mate. However, to her surprise, Alister seemed equally shocked. Overwhelmed by the situation and unable to face the possibility of Alister's disappointment at having her as his mate, Luciana fled. She couldn't help but question why the moon goddess would play such a cruel trick on her.

As Luciana sprinted away, she heard Alister calling her name, but she kept running until she reached the gardens. It was only then that she realized this was where she had first met Alister when she woke up from a two-week coma after arriving at the Blackmoon pack.

Alister's voice interrupted her thoughts, "Luciana!" causing her to freeze in her tracks.

She whispered, "Go away, please," unable to bear the thought of seeing the hurt and disappointment on his face. The shame of being his mate, especially as an Alpha, was too much for her to bear.

Luciana feared the worst as Alister's demeanor shifted. Another rejection was too much for her heart to bear, and tears began to stream down her face.

" Can you please look at me?" Alister demanded, taking cautious steps towards her.

 Why would he ask that of her? she reluctantly obliged, keeping her distance and lowering her head she turned around to face him.

"Just be quick with the rejection," she muttered, bracing herself for the worst.

The atmosphere changed suddenly, and Luciana sensed the tension in the air. She raised her head to find Alister looking furious. She took a step back, uncertain of what was happening.

"You think I'll reject you?!" he bellowed, his disbelief evident.

Confused, Luciana furrowed her brow and whispered, "What? Isn't that why you followed me?"

Alister's expression softened as he replied, "Why would I want to reject you when you're everything I want?"

Luciana shook her head in disbelief, mumbling to herself, "This is definitely a mistake." She ran her fingers through her hair, trying to make sense of what was happening.

"The moon goddess doesn't make mistakes, Lucia," Alister reassured her, his voice filled with sincerity. "I've loved you since the first day I saw you." He confessed.

Luciana was stunned by the revelation. Alister had always had feelings for her? How had she not noticed it before? He had been so kind to her and Keita, helping them out and doing Alpha jobs as Keita would say and now she realized there had been other signs as well. She gasped, covering her mouth with her hand as tears fell down her eyes.

Alister chuckled, moving closer to her. He lifted his hand to touch her face, and Luciana leaned into his touch. His touch was warm, and his scent was intoxicating, like cinnamon and wood. She looked up at his green eyes, lost in the moment.

"I still can't believe you're my mate," Alister murmured, pulling her closer to him in a tight embrace.

Luciana enveloped him in a warm embrace, relishing in the heat that radiated from his body.

Luciana felt like she was in a dream. She had just discovered that Alpha Alister was her mate, the man who had always been kind to her, the man who she had secretly admired from afar, the man who had loved her from the first day he had seen her. It was all too overwhelming.

Alister pulled back from their embrace and looked into her eyes. "Luciana, will you be my mate?" he asked.

She smiled at him, tears of happiness streaming down her face. "Yes, Alpha Alister. I will be your mate," she said.

The alpha's face lit up with a smile, and he kissed her passionately, right there in the gardens. It was a moment that they would both remember for the rest of their lives.

After a few moments, they both pulled back, and Alister took Luciana's hand in his. "Come with me," he said,"Let's go back to the party. I want to show everyone my beautiful mate," he said.

Luciana felt a bit nervous about being the center of attention, but she was also excited to show everyone that she was Alister's mate. They walked back to the party, and as they entered, everyone turned to look at them.

Ophelia was the first to see them and squealed with excitement. "I knew it! I knew you two were meant to be together!" she exclaimed.

Luciana blushed at the attention, but Alister just smiled proudly. "Yes, Ophelia, she's my mate," he said, wrapping his arm around Luciana's waist.

She caught Anisha wiggling her eyebrows at her while dancing with her mate. The woman was crazy, Luciana scoffed.

The other pack members soon caught on to what was happening, and they began to congratulate the new couple. Luciana felt a bit overwhelmed by all the attention, but she was also grateful for the warm wishes and acceptance. Not every pack would accept her as their Alpha's mate or Luna.

Beta Elijah interrupted their celebration, though, with some concerning news. "Alister, we just received word that a group of wolves have crossed our border. We have intruders," he rasped.

Luciana watched as Alpha Alister's face tensed and his eyes narrowed as he picked up on the scent of the intruders. Her heart raced with fear as she wondered what kind of danger they might be facing. She could see the tension in the air as Alister quickly sprang into action.

"Get everyone to a safe place," he barked at the warriors behind him.

The warriors scattered, quickly going to gather up the other pack members and herd them towards the designated safe areas. Luciana watched them go, her heart still pounding in her chest.

Alister turned to her, his eyes still sharp with concern. "Luciana, I need you to go with Ophelia and help her get everyone to safety. Take Keita and Stay there until I can give you the all-clear." 

Luciana nodded, knowing that the Alpha's orders were not to be disobeyed. she touched his chest, giving him a quick kiss before he and the other pack members left to deal with the intruders.

 She quickly made her way over to Ophelia, who was already in the process of ushering people towards the designated safe areas. 

"Luciana!" Ophelia said, giving her a quick hug. "I'm glad you're here. We need all hands on deck right now." 

She took Keita from Ophelia who was cradling him in her chest and followed the rest of the pack.

Luciana nodded, her eyes scanning the crowd of panicked pack members as they rushed towards the designated safe areas. She could feel the fear and uncertainty radiating from them, and it only made her more anxious.

Who were these intruders? She thought. This was not how she hoped her night would turn out, not after finding her mate.

Her second chance mate.