Fake Heiress True Luna (Irina) novel Chapter 21

<Chapter 21 Plaguing Thoughts

Chapter 21: Plaguing Thoughts

Irina’s POV

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His mouth on mine was everything and nothing like I expected. It was fierce and sudden, like a storm that had crept up from nowhere and decided to wreck the calm. His lips were rough -not the polished, careful kisses of some boy but the kind that belonged to someone who knew how to take and to hold. My knees went soft before my brain could even file the thought, and Theia squealed somewhere inside me, so loud I felt it reverberate through my

ribs.

For a heartbeat, I thought about pulling away. For a heartbeat, I thought about every insult, every cold shoulder, every time he’d looked at me like I belonged in the dirt. Then his tongue pressed my lips, and something in me unclenched.

I’m not sure if it was because of the mate bond.

I’m not sure if it was because of the tingles I’m feeling spreading all over my body.

His hand moved from under my chin to the back of my neck, fingers threading through my hair until he fisted it, making me gasp. His other arm braced against the wall near my shoulder, trapping me against it once more.

Theia was dancing a wild, indecent jig; my wolf’s entire being was a bright balloon ready to

pop.

But I knew better.

This was his wolf talking, his instinct, not him.

He pulled back a whisper, long enough for my breath to hitch. His forehead rested against mine, his breath warm and ragged on my lips. “Answer me,” he said, low and rough with emotion. “Did you like him? Did you-did you love Lancer?”

The room tilted.

I know if I tell him the truth, he will hate me even more because I did like Lancer. I’m not sure if I can call it love, but a crush…

Yeah, he was my crush.

I could lie and tell him I didn’t care about Lancer and he was only my first mate, but it felt wrong to do that. I shouldn’t lie, even if that makes Aiden hate me even more.

I nodded. “Yes, I did,” I admitted. “When I found out he was my mate, I was thrilled. I’m not

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< Chapter 21: Plaguing Thoughts

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sure if you can call it love, but I had a huge crush on Lancer.”

Aiden’s jaw tightened, and the muscle in his cheek twitched. His grip loosened around my hair slightly, though he didn’t release me entirely. His eyes searched mine, but I couldn’t figure out what was going on inside his head.

“You thought you loved him?” He pressed, his voice like gravel.

I just told Aiden I can’t call it love, but he insists.

I am now wondering what Lancer told him. Why is he so adamant that I was so in love with him?

“I had a crush, that was it. He is the future Beta of Blue Moon. When I…” I trailed off. I couldn’t utter the following words because they reminded me of the life I had and lost. “Anyway, we were kids and then teens, we spent lots of time together as friends, but nothing else.”

“You… were never in a relationship with him before?” He asked almost in disbelief.

“Uh… do you consider being friends a relationship?” I question, but the look on Aiden’s face told me he was not in the mood for jokes.

He looked like he was ready to snap me in half if I told him Lancer and I had anything.

Better not to mention what he said before the Elder came…

“We trained together, we played together, we went to the same school, and he looked for me even though I was younger. I won’t lie to you and tell you I didn’t like him, I think almost everyone in my school had a crush on him or Serim,” I said. “But that was it. We were still kids, and I wanted my first everything to be with my mate.”

Aiden looked even more taken aback, like I had thrown a cold bucket of water all over him.

“You…”

He stopped himself once again to shake his head.

“You wanted to wait for your mate…” He finally finished mumbling.

“I did. I wanted him to be my mate, but if he wasn’t, I was ready to look for them outside the pack.”

His eyes turned to me, and what I saw made my breath get caught in my throat.

The look he gave me was wild.

“You never wanted to take him as a mate? You didn’t want to reject your fated mate?” He

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questioned, but the way he uttered those words…

Whatever I said next would be his lifeline or his demise.

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“Yeah… isn’t that what all wolves want? I would be sad, because he was my crush, but I was ready to start looking around if he wasn’t meant for me,” I admitted. “But then… my dream came true, he was my mate, and I was over the moon until-‘

I gulped; the pain was still there. The wound was still fresh.

Aiden’s eyes hardened. “You still care about him.”

I wanted to open my mouth and tell him I didn’t anymore, that after what Lancer did there was no way I could return to him, but the words wouldn’t leave my mouth.

I wasn’t hurt because he rejected me. I was hurt because of the way he did.

The public humiliation, the way he had doubted who I was…

That was the worst part.

Aiden finally pushed away and took a few steps back to put as much distance between us as possible.

“You are still hurt about his rejection and want me to reject you because you still care about him,” Aiden accused. “You want to see if he gives you another chance, but you can’t do that if you are linked to me.’

My pulse thudded against my ribs so loud I was sure he could hear it. “No,” I said. “I’m hurt about the rejection because of how it happened, but that’s it. I accepted his rejection because I knew he was not the right man for me. If he truly cared, if he had truly known me, he would have seen right through Julie’s act and-”

“And if Julie wasn’t in the picture?” He questioned.

What?

“If everyone had found out you were an omega, but there wasn’t a suitable heir… would you have accepted him as your mate?” He questioned.

I opened my mouth to answer, but no words came out. Apparently, that was all Aiden needed because he sighed, turned around, and opened the door.

“I won’t reject you, Irina. I can’t let my wolf get weak because of you, but I won’t claim you as my Luna either,” he stated, his voice cold and detached once more. “Have a safe trip back

home.”

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<Chapter 21: Plaguing Thoughts

Those were the last words Aiden said to me before I returned to Blue Moon.

I couldn’t see Cindy before I left, and the distance pains were horrible once we reached a

certain distance from Shadow Pack.

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I gritted my teeth to endure them. If Julie or Serim realized what was going on, it would be another weapon in their arsenal.

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