Luna Secret 17

“WHAT?!”

Kane’s voice echoed off the walls, his eyes bulging as he gawked at Rowan. “You’re joking, right? Tell me you’re joking!”

Rowan didn’t even flinch. “I don’t joke.”

Kane turned to Ace, his gaze sharp and filled with disbelief. “Her? She’s your mate?” He scoffed, running a hand through his hair. “No. No way. This has to be some kind of mistake!”

Ace sat frozen, her mind racing. Mate? Had she misheard?

Rowan crossed his arms, his voice calm but firm. “There’s no mistake.”

Kane let out a humorless laugh. “Unbelievable. First, she lies to us all, pretends to be a man, and now this?”

Rowan’s gaze darkened. “Watch your tone, Kane.”

“Oh, forgive me, Alpha,” Kane sneered. “But are you seriously saying you’re accepting this? That you’re going to claim her as your mate?”

Ace finally found her voice. “I—”

Kane rounded on her instantly. “And you! Did you know?”

Ace’s throat tightened. “No.”

Kane let out a sharp laugh, his eyes narrowing. “Of course not. You were too busy playing your little game. Tell me, how long were you planning to keep this charade going?”

Ace’s fists clenched. “It wasn’t a game.”

Kane rolled his eyes. “Oh, please. You knew damn well what you were doing.”

Rowan’s patience snapped. “Enough.” His voice was laced with authority, sending a chill through the room. “What’s done is done.”

Kane glared at him. “So, what? You’re just going to ignore everything? Just because the Moon Goddess decided to pair you with her?”

Rowan’s jaw tightened. “I don’t expect you to understand.”

Kane’s nostrils flared. “Damn right, I don’t understand! You should be furious! You should be rejecting her, not defending her!”

Rowan’s expression was unreadable. “I don’t intend to reject her.”

Ace’s breath hitched. She looked at him sharply. What?

Kane was equally stunned. “You’re serious?”

Rowan met Ace’s gaze, his voice steady. “Yes.”

Ace’s heart pounded. She didn’t know what to say. This was too much—too fast.

Kane exhaled sharply, pacing the room. “This is insane. I can’t—” He ran a hand through his hair again, frustration evident in every movement. “What about the others? What do you think will happen when they find out the ‘fearless Ace Ravelwood’ is actually a woman?”

Rowan’s voice was cold. “They won’t find out.”

Cain let out a dry laugh. “Oh, yeah? And how do you plan to keep that a secret?”

Rowan turned to Ace. “That depends on her.”

Ace stiffened. “What?”

Rowan’s eyes held something unreadable. “You’ve hidden your identity for years. Do you wish to continue doing so?”

Ace felt the weight of the question settle over her. If she said yes, she could keep things as they were—but at what cost? If she said no…

Kane snorted. “What, you’re giving her a choice?”

Rowan ignored him. His gaze remained locked onto Ace.

Ace swallowed hard. “I…”

Her mind was a whirlwind. If she continued to hide, would Rowan still acknowledge her as his mate? Would he keep her at arm’s length? And if she chose to reveal herself, would the pack ever accept her?

Kane crossed his arms, watching her struggle.

Ace lifted her chin, her voice steady despite the storm inside her. “I don’t know yet.”

Kane threw up his hands. “Oh, fantastic. Just what we need—a confused Luna.”

Rowan shot him a glare. “That’s enough.”

Kane clenched his jaw and stormed out.

Rowan’s golden eyes locked onto Ace, as they stared at each other in silence. “Are you still not going to tell me what happened?”

“I really don’t know.”

For the first time since he had crossed paths with this enigmatic woman, he wanted to trust her. He wanted to ignore every reason to not want to do anything with her. And believe her when she said she didn’t know.

Perhaps, she didn’t know either. This was a question Cedric would have an answer to. And with Dorian dead, he knew her mother was the second person who would have an answer to the question.

Rowan nodded and paced the room. “Do you know what I think though?”

Ace shook her head.

Now that she was a woman, the confidence, the courage behind those pretty brown eyes had softened. She didn’t look like the way she looked when he first saw her.

Fearless.

Now he could see her fear. He could feel it.

She didn’t want the truth to be out.

“We need to get ahead of this.” Rowan told her.

Ace’s blood ran cold. No. No, this can’t be happening. She swallowed hard. “What are you saying?”

Rowan’s eyes darkened. “I’m saying we need to do something. If word spreads before we control it, things could turn ugly. Fast.”

Ace felt her stomach drop. “You want to tell them?”

Rowan nodded. “If we try to keep it a secret, it’ll only make things worse when it finally comes out.”

Ace, on the other hand, was horrified and she shook her head. She had no idea what her mother would think of this. She had no idea why she had been made to live this life.

Rowan exhaled. “That’s why I’ll tell them everything.”

Ace froze. “Everything?”

Rowan’s eyes burned into hers. “That you’re my mate.”

Ace felt like the ground had been ripped out from under her. “Alpha Rowan, you can’t—”

“I can.” His voice was unwavering. “And I will.”

Ace’s mind raced, thinking of what to say to stop him. “If you do this, you’ll be risking your position.”

Rowan’s lips curled slightly. “No one can take my position from me, Ace. This is the best option. You can’t be my mate in secret. You can’t be my mate without showing who you truly are–a woman.”

Ace clenched her jaw. Damn it. He had a point.

“Tomorrow morning, we will gather the warriors. We end the rumors before they begin.” Rowan announced suddenly and Ace felt a rush of adrenaline. “But first, we need to go back to Ravelwood Pack and see your mother.”

Ace froze.