A Queens return

What is this?

Adrian's confusion only seemed to deepen, his brow furrowing in consternation. "Luna, I don't understand," he admitted, his voice tinged with frustration. "What are you trying to tell me?"

I hesitated, unsure of how to proceed. "I'm saying... I've heard those words before," I confessed quietly, my gaze dropping to the ground as I struggled to articulate my thoughts. "And each time, it felt like... like a game. Like I was being played."

Adrian's brows furrowed in confusion as he processed my words, a furrow forming between them. "Luna, I understand that you've been through a lot, but I need you to listen to me," he began, his voice gentle yet firm. "A mate bond is a sacred connection between two individuals. It cannot exist between more than two people. What you're describing... it's impossible."

I shook my head, frustration and uncertainty warring within me. "But how can I trust you?" I countered, my voice tinged with doubt. "You're not the first person to claim that I'm their mate. How do I know you're not just playing games like the others?"

Adrian's expression softened, sympathy and understanding etched in his features. "Luna, I can't speak for anyone else, but I can tell you that I'm not playing games," he replied earnestly, his eyes locking with mine. "I care about you deeply, and I would never do anything to hurt you."

I hesitated, torn between the desire to believe him and the fear of being deceived once again. "But how can you be so sure?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. "How can you be so sure that I'm your mate?"

Adrian reached out, gently grasping my hand in his, his touch warm and reassuring. "Because I can feel it," he replied softly, his gaze unwavering. "From the moment I laid eyes on you, I knew that you were special. That you were meant to be mine."

I searched his eyes, seeking the truth in his words, and for a fleeting moment, I saw it: a flicker of sincerity, a glimmer of something real amidst the uncertainty that plagued me. And in that moment, I felt a seed of hope take root within me, a fragile ember amidst the darkness that threatened to consume us.

As Adrian and I stood together, close to each other, a shadow fell over us, interrupting the fragile peace that had settled between us. I turned to see Jacob striding towards us, his expression dark and stormy, his eyes blazing with fury.

"Adrian," Jacob growled, his voice low and menacing. "What are you doing with my mate?"

Adrian's grip tightened on my hand, his stance protective as he faced Jacob head-on. "Luna is not your mate, Jacob," he replied evenly, his voice unwavering. "She's her own person, and she has the right to choose who she wants to be with."

Jacob's eyes narrowed, his anger simmering just beneath the surface. "You stay out of this," he spat, his tone laced with venom. "Luna is mine. She always has been, and she always will be."

I felt a surge of frustration rising within me at Jacob's possessiveness, his insistence on claiming me as his own. "I'm not yours to claim, Jacob," I interjected, my voice firm and resolute. "I have the right to make my own choices, to decide who I want to be with."

But Jacob seemed undeterred, his gaze locked with Adrian's in a silent battle of wills. "Stay away from Luna," he warned, his voice dripping with menace. "Or you'll regret it."

Adrian stood his ground, his expression determined as he faced down his rival. "I won't let you bully her into submission, Jacob," he declared, his voice steady and unwavering. "She deserves better than that."

For a tense moment, the three of us stood locked in a standoff, the air crackling with tension as the weight of our conflicting emotions hung heavy between us. As Jacob's words echoed in the tense air between us, a surge of defiance rose within me, fueled by the realization that I was not a possession to be claimed by anyone. My wolf stirred within me, its presence a comforting assurance of my own strength and autonomy.

"I am not anyone's mate," I declared firmly, my voice carrying a weight of conviction. "I am my own person, and I will not be controlled or claimed by anyone."

As the words left my lips, I felt a shift in the atmosphere around us, a palpable tension that seemed to crackle with the raw power of my assertion. My wolf growled deep within me, its presence asserting itself in a way I had never experienced before.

Adrian and Jacob exchanged uneasy glances, their expressions betraying their confusion and uncertainty. They had never encountered a situation like this before, where a lone wolf stood defiantly against their claims of ownership.

For a moment, silence hung heavy in the air, broken only by the low rumble of my wolf's growl. And then, slowly but surely, both Adrian and Jacob began to back away, their eyes wide with astonishment and awe.

"Luna," Adrian began, his voice tinged with reverence. "I... I've never felt anything like this before."

Jacob nodded in agreement, his gaze fixed on me with a mixture of admiration and respect. "Neither have I," he admitted, his tone subdued. "It's... it's like your wolf is asserting its dominance over us."

I met their gazes with a steely resolve, my own eyes blazing with determination. "I am not your mate," I repeated, my voice unwavering. "I am a wolf, and I answer to no one but myself."

With that, I turned on my heel and walked away, leaving Adrian and Jacob standing in stunned silence behind me.