Fake Heiress True Luna (Irina) novel Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Chosen Mate

Aiden’s POV

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I’m about to lose my f*****g temper. I wanted to pinch the bridge of my nose and tell him to take his stupid idea and shove it up his ass.

Elder Levis has always been a snake who loves to create tension among packs. I’m sure he knows about my hatred towards Irina and Blue Moon Pack in general, and now he is trying to

mate me to that.

Mate her? To that… that simpering, ignorant creature?

A wave of pure, unadulterated revulsion washed over me. Arlo erupted in my mind, snarling.

“NEVER! I won’t ever accept her as my mate, and if you ever consider that idea, I’m going to make YOUR life a living hell!”

Geez…

My gaze flicked to Julie. Her initial humiliation had been replaced by a flicker of avaricious hope. She was actually considering it.

Even if I had been cruel to her, even if I had made mean comments about her past, she was still considering the idea.

It was a dream come true. She would become Luna to the strongest pack on the continent, while not worrying about political events, because I would take Irina, and since she thinks I hate her, she isn’t worried that I may cheat on her.

Although…

I’m sure rumors are circulating about what happened during the rogue attack. I told everyone I saved her because she saved the pups, but while some people believed me…

Others didn’t like Ethan.

My eyes then found Serim. His face was a mask of conflicted duty. He knew it was a terrible match for his sister, a life of certain misery married to a man who would despise her. But he also saw the brutal logic: an alliance with Shadow Pack would secure Blue Moon’s future for generations. His loyalty to his pack conflicted with his loyalty to his sister.

“Elder Levis, I know you are worried about my future, Luna, but I won’t take a fated mate. Not

now, nor ever.”

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Elder Levis’s eyebrows lifted a fraction, the only sign of his surprise. He had expected negotiation, political maneuvering. He had not expected a flat, absolute refusal.

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I am twenty-five, he is not wrong about that, but even if Irina weren’t my mate, I would still find this idea absurd.

“Alpha Aiden,” he began, his tone laced with a warning. “Surely you do not mean to-”

“I said,” I interrupted, my voice dropping as it got mixed with Arlo’s. “I will never take a chosen mate. I consider the Goddess is the one who should determine that, and if she decides I should be mateless, then so be it.”

I let my gaze sweep across the stunned faces-Levis’s calculating shock, Julie’s crumbling hope, Serim’s stunned relief, the only one who didn’t react at all was Irina.

She doesn’t care…

“My father took a chosen mate after my mother died,” I stated, the words cold and sharp as shards of ice. “He did it for the good of the pack, for stability. And she spent every day of that miserable union knowing she was a placeholder. A political tool. She was kind and deserved better than his resentment and the pack’s pity. I watched it poison him, poison her, and cast a shadow over this pack for years.”

I leaned forward, planting my hands on the polished wood of the table, letting my dominance flood the room, a suffocating pressure that had the other Alphas shifting uncomfortably in their seats.

“I will not repeat his mistake. The Luna of Shadow Pack will be my true mate, or there will be no Luna at all. My pack’s strength does not hinge on a political marriage. It hinges on my leadership and the loyalty of my warriors. We are not so weak that we need to broker alliances through the mating bed.”

I looked directly at Julie, my expression utterly merciless. “You could not fulfill the role even if I were inclined to offer it. A Luna must be strong enough to stand with her Alpha, not cower behind him. She must command respect, not require a maid to whisper answers in her ear. Shadow Pack would eat you alive within a week.”

Julie paled, her eyes filling with humiliated tears. She opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out; instead, her eyes started filling with tears.

Some of the Alphas in the room pitied her, but I didn’t.

“Let’s change subjects,” I ordered. “We still have plenty of issues to discuss.”

“Let’s change subjects,” I ordered, my voice brooking no argument. The finality in my tone

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< Chapter 18. Chosen Mate

was a steel door slamming shut on the discussion. “We still have plenty of issues to

discuss.”

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Elder Levis stopped, his mouth closing. He studied me for a long moment, his expression unreadable. He had tested the limits of my patience and found a wall of pure titanium. He gave a slow, almost imperceptible nod. He would retreat, for now. The other Alphas shifted in their seats, the atmosphere still thick with the aftershock of my refusal.

I tried to focus on everything we had to discuss, but my eyes kept darting to where Irina was sitting. From time to time, she leaned closer to Julie and whispered something to her ear. Julie kept glaring at my mate, which made Arlo almost lose control once again.

However, all I kept thinking about was:

She doesn’t care…

An Elder suggested I marry Julie, and she didn’t flinch. It was almost as if she didn’t care about our bond.

Could it be because of him?

That must be the reason why she is so thrilled to reject me, and I’m sure she hasn’t done it yet because she is scared she might lose her wolf.

The meeting dragged on. I contributed when necessary, my responses sharp and efficient, but that was it. I couldn’t wait until we finished this meeting so I could f*****g leave.

Finally, the last point was addressed. The Alphas and Elders rose, the mood formal and strained. They filed out with murmured farewells, none meeting my eye for too long. Julie was led out by a stony-faced Serim, her shoulders slumped in defeat. Good. Let her stew in

The moment the door closed, Ethan let out a long breath. “Well, that was a f*****g disaster.”

“It was a necessary one,” I said, turning to look out the window at the darkening grounds. “I will not be managed.”

“I know. But you’ve painted a target on her back the size of a mountain,” Ethan said, his voice low. “I know you hate her, but you still owe her for what she did, and besides, you ran away when I asked you why you helped her out of the woods.”

I scoffed. “I didn’t run away. I helped her because she protected the pups from our pack; that’s it, there is nothing else to discuss.”

Ethan hummed. “Sure, let’s say that’s the reason why you saved her. Is that all? Because the look on your face and the way you ordered everyone around wasn’t the one from an Alpha

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