Chapter 34: Chapter 34
I woke up feeling like someone had set my entire nervous system on fire.
Not in a bad way. Not in a good way either. Just... fire. Everywhere.
The mating mark on my neck throbbed with this weird supernatural energy that shot down my spine and through my limbs like lightning bolts. I could feel Christian’s heartbeat like it was my own, this steady rhythm pulsing through the walls separating our rooms.
"What the hell?" I muttered, touching the bite mark. The moment my fingers made contact, a vision slammed into my brain—Christian standing in his office, shoulders tense, staring out the window. Toward my room.
I jerked my hand away. "Nope. No. We’re not doing that."
Getting ready for the day was a disaster.
I could hear conversations happening three floors down. Someone was arguing about bacon. Another person was laughing at something on their phone. I heard footsteps, whispers, the creak of floorboards, and the hum of the refrigerator in the kitchen.
My sense of smell had gone completely insane. Twenty different scent signatures from pack members I’d never even met flooded my nostrils. Each one was distinct—pine and leather, roses and rain, earth and smoke. It was overwhelming.
And the worst part? I could see *dust particles* floating in the morning sunlight with perfect clarity.
"I’m going to throw up," I said to no one, stumbling toward the bathroom.
The shower helped. Sort of. Until—
A wave of arousal crashed through me so hard I nearly collapsed under the spray.
Except it wasn’t mine.
"Oh my God." I pressed my forehead against the cool tile, mortification flooding through me. Christian was feeling... that. And through our bond, I was feeling it too. Every. Single. Ounce.
My vanilla and jasmine scent exploded in the bathroom, mixing with something darker, more primal. The combination made my head spin and my knees weak.
This was not how I planned to start my morning.
A knock on the door saved me from my spiral of embarrassment.
"Sophie? It’s Maria."
I threw on clothes faster than I ever had in my life and opened the door. Maria stood there with a breakfast tray and a knowing smile that made me want to die on the spot.
"You look like you’ve been hit by a truck," she said cheerfully, walking past me into the room. Her copper eyes—so much like Christian’s—sparkled with amusement.
"I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck."
"Yeah, that’s the mating mark for you." She set the tray on the desk and turned to face me, crossing her arms. "I sensed your distress through the pack bonds. Thought you might need some help navigating the whole ’bonded to an Alpha’ thing."
"Is it always this intense?"
"With Christian? Probably worse than usual." Maria sat on my bed, patting the space next to her. "My brother doesn’t do anything halfway. Including claiming his mate."
I sat down, pulling my knees to my chest. "I don’t know if I can handle this. The sensory overload alone is killing me."
"You’ll adapt. Your body is changing, adjusting to match Christian’s energy levels. Give it a few days." She paused. "Though I should mention—it gets more intense before it gets better."
"That’s not helpful."
"I know." Maria grinned. "But here’s what is helpful: you have Luna bloodline heritage. That’s huge, Sophie."
I looked at her. "Christian mentioned someone named Luna Isabelle Martinez."
"Your great-grandmother. One of the most powerful Lunas in werewolf history." Maria’s expression turned serious. "She could calm entire packs during territorial disputes. Heal emotional wounds just by being present. The Luna bloodline carries gifts that manifest differently in each generation."
"What kind of gifts?"
"Enhanced intuition. Emotional manipulation abilities. And in rare cases, the power to amplify an Alpha’s strength during combat." Maria studied my face. "You haven’t noticed anything unusual? Beyond the sensory stuff?"
I thought about Tom’s words last night. Harold’s cryptic message. The way I’d somehow known Christian was hiding something from me without him saying a word.
"Maybe," I admitted.
Maria stood and pulled me toward the mirror. "Look."
I did. And froze.
My scent had changed. The vanilla and jasmine were still there, but now they were permanently mixed with Christian’s sandalwood and cedar. Like we were two halves of the same whole.
My eyes flashed amber when I blinked.
"That’s your wolf merging with your human consciousness," Maria explained. "The mating bond accelerates everything. Look at your arms."
I did. My muscle definition had increased overnight. Not dramatically, but enough to notice.
"How is that possible?"
"Luna magic." Maria shrugged like it was obvious. "Your body is preparing you to be what Shadow Ridge needs. A warrior Luna."
The weight of those words settled over me like a blanket. Warrior Luna. Was that really who I was supposed to become?
