Borrowed Bliss

Thalia

Oil popped and hissed in the hot skillet while a soft tune hummed in my throat over a pan of frying bacon and eggs. Strong arms slipped around my waist from behind, pulling me back as Kaelen buried his face against the curve of my neck.

"That smells incredible, babe," he whispered against my skin.

I let out a happy breath, resting my weight against the broad wall of his chest. "My Alpha only gets the best. Go take a seat, it's just about done."

Just forty-eight hours had passed since Kaelen and I completed our mating ceremony right alongside his official ascension. Having grown up together, our bond had naturally evolved from childhood friendship into deep romance. The Moon Goddess hadn't destined us as fated mates, yet Kaelen had deliberately chosen to make me his Luna anyway.

Waking up to this reality still felt entirely surreal. Seven days ago, I was just an outcast pack orphan whom everyone actively avoided, and today I stood beside him as their respected Luna. Put simply, my gratitude and joy were beyond anything I could ever articulate.

I would gladly hand over my entire world for Kaelen. He meant everything to me, and I looked for every possible avenue to prove that devotion—starting with keeping his stomach full and a smile on his face.

Warmth and fresh marital happiness seemed to radiate from every corner of our modest house.

While we shared our morning meal, Kaelen mentioned the visiting Alpha pair from the Baneblood Pack whom he needed to formally send off before noon. Heavy political duties constantly interrupted our newlywed bubble, though I harbored no resentment over it. Standing at my mate's side as he stepped into the weight of pack leadership filled me with genuine pride.

"I hate having to run out on you so early," Kaelen said with a rueful look, carrying his empty plate to the sink to rinse it off. "Work doesn't wait, unfortunately. Are you going to be okay here by yourself today?"

"I'll be totally fine! Bria already texted to invite me out for the afternoon, so don't stress about me." Reaching up, I smoothed down a stray piece of his hair before adjusting the knot of his tie.

He pulled me in for a slow, deep kiss. "Enjoy your afternoon with Bria. Just don't get into too much trouble. I'll catch up with you tonight at the family dinner."

Once the front door clicked shut behind him, I set about cleaning our cozy cottage, which was tucked right behind the sprawling main estate of the Alpha. Among all of Kaelen's blood relatives, his sister Bria was the sole person who actually backed our union. She was due to arrive any minute to haul me out for nail appointments and dress shopping so I'd be ready to face his extended relatives at tonight's banquet. My stomach was already in knots over making a decent first impression.

Right on schedule, the chime of the doorbell echoed through the hallway, signaling Bria had arrived.

The two of us dedicated the entire afternoon to pampering ourselves, applying each other's cosmetics and obsessing over the smallest styling choices. When we finally zipped up our evening gowns and turned toward the full-length glass, we both let out matching shrieks of delight.

"You look absolute perfection," Bria raved, clasping her hands together. "I'm dead serious. Every single jaw in that room is going to hit the floor the second you step inside."

Turning slightly, I gave my reflection a thorough, critical look. The unruly ginger curls I usually fought with had been tamed into glossy waves cascading past my collarbone. My gown molded tightly against my slight figure before flaring out near the hem in a classic mermaid cut, paired with high, strappy heels that gave my legs endless length.

To my genuine shock, the woman staring back actually looked stunning. For the first time, I looked like someone who truly belonged on Kaelen's arm. A warm surge of self-assurance settled into my chest—I could handle tonight.

Punctual to the minute, Soren, Kaelen's Beta, rolled up the drive in a sleek black SUV to escort us to the banquet. Stepping out onto the pavement, he offered a respectful nod and pulled the back door open for us.

"The Alpha asked me to pass along his regrets that he couldn't come collect you personally," Soren remarked, steering the vehicle down the winding woodland roads leading toward the central pack estate. "Though I know for a fact he's counting down the minutes until you walk through the door, Luna."

The sound of that title attached to my name still sent a small spark of excitement through me. "I can't wait to see him either," I answered warmly.

All too quickly, the towering stone facade of the mansion loomed in front of the windshield. Drawing in a steadying breath, my fingers tightened around Bria's palm.

"Showtime," she whispered back, nudging my shoulder. "Keep that chin high, girl."

Soren walked us through the main entrance, where staff dressed in sharp black-and-white attire silently stepped forward to collect our outer wraps. Just the foyer by itself could have easily swallowed my entire cottage whole, with detailed oil canvases and ancient porcelain vases occupying every available alcove. The sharp click of my heels echoed across the polished marble floors, making me feel completely like an imposter.

Before the intimidating scale of the house could overwhelm me completely, Kaelen strode over, scooped me right off my feet, and pressed a thorough kiss to my mouth. Every ounce of tension left my body as I sagged against him.

"You look utterly breathtaking, my love," he breathed against my ear. Tucking my hand securely into the crook of his elbow, he guided me toward the formal parlor for pre-dinner drinks and family greetings while Bria followed close behind. Anchored by the steady warmth of his grip, my steps grew noticeably surer.

For the most part, Kaelen's extended family offered me civil, albeit chilly, greetings. Several of the older aunts and uncles flatly acted as though I were invisible, while Giselle shot me a frostbitten stare across the room, biting back whatever venom she wanted to spit only because Kaelen was standing right there. Refusing to cower, I kept my posture straight and reminded myself that winning them over would simply take patience.

Before long, the party migrated into the grand dining hall, centered around a banquet table easily capable of seating thirty guests. Kaelen took his rightful place at the head, pulling out the chair to his immediate right for me, while Bria settled onto my left and slipped her hand beneath the tablecloth to give my fingers a reassuring squeeze.

Platters heaped with roasted pheasant, tender asparagus spears, and imported fruits covered the surface, yet my appetite had completely vanished. Down the table, Kaelen's Uncle Donovan hijacked the entire room's attention, belting out vulgar jokes and bragging loudly about the women he'd bedded, prompting booming laughter from the other male relatives.

Seated directly opposite me, Giselle caught me shifting stiffly in my chair and curled her lip into a nasty little smile. "Is something the matter, Thalia? Are crude Uncle Donny's little bedtime stories offending your ears? My goodness, we are really going to have to thicken up that fragile orphan skin of yours if you ever hope to survive being Luna."

Blood rushed hot into my cheeks, though I refused to drop my eyes from her baiting stare.

Kaelen cut in immediately, his voice dropping an octave. "Drop it, Giselle. That isn't suitable table talk."

Pulling an exaggerated pout, she dipped her chin. "Whatever you say, Alpha. Forgive me." Yet the sharp glint lingering in her eyes made it abundantly clear she was merely biding her time.

Just then, the heavy oak doors groaned open, and Octavia, the ancient matriarch of the bloodline, shuffled inside with a pair of severe-faced female attendants propping her up by the elbows. Instant silence blanketed the hall.

Both Kaelen and Cassius pushed back their chairs and rose at once in deference, prompting the rest of the table to scramble to our feet as well.

"Welcome, Grandmother," Cassius called out with deep reverence. "Having you join us this evening is a true honor."

Piercing steel-grey eyes swept across the gathered family with absolute authority as Octavia allowed the house staff to ease her down into a carved, high-backed seat positioned at the far foot of the table. "A good evening to you all. Do not allow my arrival to halt the meal. Carry on, carry on."

Between the peculiar cadence of her speech and the archaic cut of her heavy evening dress, she seemed plucked straight out of a bygone era—which, realistically, wasn't far from the truth. From the history lessons Bria had drilled into me earlier, Octavia had held the title of Luna for well over two centuries.

Chatter slowly picked back up around the dishes, though at a fraction of its previous volume. With the old matriarch watching from the end of the hall, every relative in the room was suddenly minding their manners.

Servants had just finished setting down silver trays of rich chocolate ganache cake when the double doors swung wide a second time. Stepping hesitantly over the threshold was a slight, doe-eyed young woman about my own age whom I had never laid eyes on before.

Without a second's hesitation, Kaelen bolted upright from his chair. A chaotic storm of unreadable emotion flashed across his features as he locked eyes with the newcomer, his knuckles whitening against the edge of the table until his wolf claws burst from his fingertips and gouged deep tracks into the wood.

"Kaelen?" I whispered, my voice wavering as my eyes darted frantically between my husband and the stranger. The breathless, unblinking way the girl stared right back at him made my stomach plummet.

I recognized that exact expression all too well, having worn it myself once upon a time. In the next heartbeat, the truth slammed into me with the force of a hurricane—his frozen shock, the unsheathed claws tearing into the table...

Mates.