Kaden's Luna

It is exam week.

Currently, I’m on the top floor of the library studying the notes I have made, with every other student occupying the tables around me. The place is packed and quiet with the occasional sound of pages being turned or the clicking of pens.

My last exam is today and since seven o’clock in the morning I have been sitting here reading and rereading my notes. It’s now twelve-thirty and my exam is at one in the gym hall. I feel prepared and confident that I will ace this exam, but I also carry around feelings of nervousness and dread.

I twirl the pen in my hand as I read over my notes, just wanting it to be over already. Maddox is reading his notes at the table in front of me, his eyes narrowed on the words. His body is tense like mine and I shoot him an encouraging smile once he looks up with a tired sigh.

I check the time on my phone, seeing that we have fifteen minutes left before we must leave. I notice messages on my phone from Kaden, Eva, my brother and parents and instantly unlock it, tapping into the conversations. Everyone is wishing me good luck, which makes me smile and thank them.

The minutes seem to pass by quite quickly and before I know it, Maddox and I are making our way to the gym. There is a seating chart right inside the hall with our student numbers and class codes on it. I write down my number in my notebook just in case I forget it before we walk inside.

There are rows upon rows of tables and chairs and we need to walk a fair bit to the right where we finally find the row where we are in. I see my number first and wish Maddox good luck, watching him walk further ahead before he finally settles in a seat.

There are some familiar faces beside me and I greet them, chatting about how prepared we are and what we think is going to come up on the exam. I see hundreds of students walking around and trying to find their seats before and some already talking to their friends.

At exactly one in the afternoon, the exam begins and invigilators start giving out the papers. I breath out, taking a swig from my water bottle before the man reaches my desk and hands me the paper.

Turning the page, I start on the first question.

I sigh in relief as I walk out of the gym with Maddox, chatting about how we found the exam and what questions we did. It was a long two hours in there but I finally did it and now I can go back to Amsterdam for my winter break. I’m very excited to see my family again and just relax at home.

Eva is flying back to London tomorrow and Maddox is leaving after me for Chicago. I have two days here in Berlin before I catch a flight back home. It will only take me around two hours at the most so I went with that option rather than getting a train which would take many hours.

We walk to the library and I pick up my laptop and notebook, swinging my backpack over my shoulder before bidding goodbye to Maddox, who has plans to meet up with a friend for dinner. Making my way down the steps to the parking lot, I spot my bike and walk over to it. Unlocking it, I get on and start cycling out of campus and towards my house. Within twenty minutes, I am home and putting the bike in the back garden before stepping through the back-door Eva has opened for me.

“How was the exam?” She asks, wiping her hands with a towel.

“Quite good, I’m happy with it.” I grin, placing my things down on the table. “Are you all packed for tomorrow?”

She groans and shakes her head. “I literally haven’t packed anything and my flight is tomorrow morning! I have to run out and grab some things before this evening too.”

I thank her when she brings over a bowl of tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches for me and instantly dig in. I have had nothing but breakfast at seven in the morning and a few snacks around ten so my stomach was begging for some food and I was happy to satisfy my hunger.

Eva sits down and we talk about our families, Christmas presents and traditions whilst I finish my food before she tells me that she’s going to go to some stores in town and grab a few presents before making a start on packing her bags. Grabbing her things from the sitting room, she puts on her coat and boots before yelling goodbye as she walks out the front door.

The house is suddenly quiet as I wash my plate and bowl, leaving them on the rack to dry. Putting my things away in my room, I walk back downstairs to the kitchen to boil the kettle so I can make some tea for myself. But just as I am pouring in the milk, my phone rings. I quickly rush to the table and pick it up, accepting the call once I see that it is Kaden.

“Hey.” I greet breathlessly, walking back to the counter to grab my tea.

“Hi Luna, how was the exam?” Kaden asks, his voice husky and deep which I love.

“It was good, not that hard. I think I’ll get a good grade in it.” I reply, taking a sip of my tea.

“That’s good. I was wondering if you want to stay over at mine tonight? I haven’t seen you in a while.” He asks, a pleading undertone to his voice.

Because of my exams and study, Kaden and I have seen less of each other since the past two weeks. I love how understanding he was and gave me my space so that I could focus on nothing but my grades. Seeing as I have finished and I’m not going to be seeing him until January, I decide a night at his house wouldn’t hurt.

“Okay sure.” I smile, glancing at my half empty mug.

“Great! I’ll come pick you up in an hour.” He replies happily, making me chuckle.

“I’ll be waiting.” I say before we bid goodbye and hang up.

Finishing my tea, I make my way upstairs to pack a duffel bag for the night. It’s medium sized and I fit my pyjamas, an outfit for the next day, my toiletries and other essentials into it easily. I also tidy up my room whilst I wait because it looks like a tornado has run through it whenever it’s exam week, there are papers, folders, notebooks, sticky notes and pens everywhere.

After I’ve done that and had a snack, I’m lounging on the one of the couches when I hear the familiar noise of Kaden’s car. I peek out the window and see that it is in fact him before rushing upstairs to grab my bag and phone. Making my way downstairs, I open the front door and step out before locking it. Kaden has rolled down his window and is currently watching me walk towards the car with a big smile on his face.

I chuckle at how happy he seems before walking over to the passenger side and getting in. “Hello.”

“Hey Luna, ready to go?” He asks, driving out of the neighbourhood when I nod.

We chat about what we have been up to since the past week, catching up on each other’s lives since we haven’t seen each other due to my exams. As we drive out of the city, I can see the sun about to set. Kaden tells me that we might just catch the sunset today if we arrive at his place in time, which gets me excited. The scenery passes by, flowers scattered here and there, green fields with animals grazing on them and the evening sky above us as we drive down a narrow road.

The hour-long drive seems short as we talk and in no time at all, we are parking outside his house. I hop out of the car and grab my bag, only for it to be taken out of my hand by Kaden. He takes my hand in his and intertwines our fingers, carrying my duffel bag as he leads me through the tree line and into his house.

I’m greeted by the familiar woodsy scent of trees after it’s rained with citrus, an intoxicating combination. I recognise it as Kaden’s scent and I love how I’m surrounded by it. He places my bag down beside the coffee table before asking me if I’ve eaten.

“I just had food before you picked me up so I’m fine.” I smile, taking a seat on the couch.

“Come with me, let’s go see the sunset from upstairs.” He says, reaching out for me.

I nod eagerly and slip my hand in his, letting him pull me up before we make our way upstairs. Reaching his bedroom, I can already see the warm glow of the sun that bathes the room in its orangey hues. He pulls me to the balcony and opens the door before we step outside. I gasp quietly in amazement.

“It’s so beautiful.” I breath, feeling his arms wrap around me from behind.

“It is.” He sighs in content, resting his chin on my shoulder.

We watch as the sun starts its descent, commenting on how the hues in the sky turn vibrant. It varies from dark orange to light before fading into the blue evening sky that’s streaked with white trails from the aeroplanes that have flown past. It is truly magnificent and makes me so happy that I am witnessing it.

I have always lived in a city, back in Amsterdam and now in Berlin, but I appreciate everything nature has to offer when I am at Kaden’s house. The fact that he lives out in the countryside and is surrounded by trees and wildlife makes it even more peaceful. There is no noise of cars driving past or people taking outside as they walk by, everything is just quiet.

We watch the sun set until we can’t see it anymore and night has fallen. After that we retreat inside, locking the balcony doors. I take a seat on his bed and sit with my legs crossed, watching as he does the same but at a distance. I frown slightly but shake it off, thinking it’s nothing.

But then he clears his throat and looks up at me with nervous eyes. “Luna…I have something to tell you.”

“Is something wrong?” I ask, filled with apprehension.

“I’ve been meaning to tell you this secret of mine but didn’t know how and the timing was never right. Can you promise me that you’ll stay calm and listen?” He never breaks his stare, grabbing both my hands.

“Um…as long as you’re not a serial killer I think I’ll be okay.” I laugh nervously.

He chuckles, just as nervous as I was. His mouth opens to speak but no words come out and I realise that he’s struggling. I shuffle closer and cup his cheek, rubbing the pad of my thumb across his skin with a comforting smile. “It’s okay, take your time.”

He lets out a shaky breath and nods. “I’m not entirely human…I’m a werewolf.”

There is a long silence and I just stare at him, waiting for him to break character and say that he’s only joking. I watch for the quirk of his lips, a mischievous glint in his eyes or the way he fiddles with his fingers when he’s lying…but I got nothing. His expression remains serious.

I wrench my hands from his grasp and scoot backwards till I could feel the headboard against my clothes. My eyes are wide and disbelieving as I stare at him.

“Sweetheart -” He starts, reaching out for me.

“K-Kaden. This isn’t something to joke about, I don’t know what you are doing but stop it.” I warn, pressing my palm flat against his chest to stop him from coming any closer.

“Luna please, listen to me.” He pleads desperately, torn between touching me or letting me have my space.

“H-How? That isn’t even possible!”

“I will tell you everything, just calm down okay?” He soothes, making me nod.

When he sees that I am fully calmed down and quietly waiting for him to continue, he speaks again. I realize that me freaking out will achieve nothing and this is obviously very important to him.

“There are werewolves who are born as Lycans and wolves who were bitten to transform. The more our kind started to reproduce, werewolves are now just born because of a gene we have.” He explains, hesitantly taking my hand and rubbing his thumb in soothing circles on my skin. “Both my parents were werewolves so naturally, I shifted into one at the age of sixteen.”

“Shifted?” I mumble, listening attentively to every word.

“It’s a gruelling process where all our human bones break and transform so that we shift into a wolf.”

“That sounds…painful.” I breath, my eyes wide in horror.

He smiles gently and nods. “It was. However, when I shift now I don’t feel any pain. It’s as easy as breathing.”

“Oh…” I trail off, not knowing how to respond.

“There is also something else which concerns you.” He speaks again, making me look up at him in curiosity.

“Me? What is it?”

His Adams apple bobs as he gulps, even more nervous than when he told me of what he was. “Werewolves also have…mates.”

“Like…soul mates?” I reply slowly, watching him nod in confirmation.

“Yes. They are our other half and complete us. We have a mate bond that…activates, for lack of a better word, when the werewolf first lays eyes on their mate. The bond helps mates get closer and eventually the couple marks and mates -”

“What’s mark and mate?” I frown, cutting him off.

His cheeks redden and I am surprised at the action. “Um…marking is where the werewolf bites you right here.”

He taps the area where my neck meets my shoulder. My eyes widen and my lips form an ‘o’ as I recall the times he would pay attention to that area the most whenever he was being affectionate. And just like that my breathing quickens with anticipation that I can’t explain.

“And mate?”

“Basically you…have sex and become bound to each other for eternity. The mates are more in tune with each other.” He mumbles, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly before looking away.

If my mind wasn’t reeling from all this information, then I would have tackled him and squealed at how cute he was when embarrassed. But then I realised that if all werewolves have mates…then Kaden must too. And here I am developing feelings for him! My chest squeezes painfully at the thought of him being someone else’s.

“D-Do you have a mate?” I ask, hating the way my voice trembles.

He nods which breaks my heart. “I do. She’s amazing and I’m so happy that I was paired with someone so kind and sweet as her.”

“Oh…I would love to meet her one day.” I try to be as enthusiastic as possible but I think I fail when Kaden smirks at me in amusement.

“Come, I’ll show you my mate.” He grabs my hand and helps me off the bed before covering my eyes with both hands.

“Kaden, what are you doing?”

“Hush, just take a few steps forward.” He murmurs, guiding me in small steps towards the direction he was taking me.

I feel both his hands slip down to rest on my shoulders before he counts to three and tells me to open my eyes. I open them only to be greeted with my own reflection in the mirror of his bedroom. I frown, staring at his reflection in confusion while he chuckles.

He raises his brows and I shake my head in puzzlement before gasping loudly when I realize. Turning, I face him with butterflies fluttering in my tummy. He stares down at me with a soft look in his eyes, a smile on his lips.

“I’m your mate?” I suddenly realize, my breath hitching when he nods.

I stare at him in shock for a good minute before cheering and launching myself at him. He cries out in shock as he loses his balance and we both tumble down to the carpeted floor, laughing. I rest my hands on his chest, feeling him grip my hips gently, wide smiles on both our lips as we gaze at each other.

“I honestly didn’t think you would take it this well.” He chuckles breathlessly, tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear.

“Well if I didn’t make it obvious enough already, I really like you Kaden.” I whisper, my gaze downcast as I trail aimless patterns on his chest with my index finger.

He becomes quiet suddenly and I look up to see a faraway look in his eyes, a frown on his plump lips. I call his name and that seems to snap him out of his thinking before he picks me up and sets me on the edge of the bed. He walks over to the balcony doors, looking out at the night sky with his jaw clenched.

“Luna…I want you to think this through. Once you agree to be my mate then it’s forever, if you don’t want that then you need to tell me now.” He finally speaks in a pained voice.

“Why wouldn’t I want to be with you Kaden?” I frown in confusion, watching him sigh heavily and pinch the bridge of his nose.

“Because…I’m a rogue.” He replies, his voice cracking with emotion. “I can’t give you anything like other mates can. I have nothing – I am nothing. I only have this place to call home and I live a life of uncertainty where danger lurks around every corner. Tell me, how am I to keep you safe when I cannot even keep myself safe?”

“What’s a rogue?” I ask, wondering why he thinks so lowly of himself.

I look up at him, feeling relieved when he walks back to me and crouches in front of the bed where I sit. His eyes are sad and his posture isn’t the confident and powerful one I am familiar with, instead he looks tired and broken. My heart hurts over seeing him like this and I want to chase his worries away.

“There are packs of werewolves around the world run by leaders called Alphas, it is their home and family. My parents were also leaders of one…until they died. My father wasn’t a great Alpha and the decisions he made were only destroying the pack.” He explains, sudden anger in his eyes as he recalls his memories. “He was such a good father and husband once but I guess he became greedy for power and wealth. Nobody really knows what got into him and why he changed, I was too young to understand.”

“How did you become a rogue?” I ask, slightly cautious because I didn’t know if he is comfortable with sharing things of his past with me just yet.

“Werewolves become rogues if they have betrayed or plotted against the pack, if they have lost their mate and are losing control of their wolf, by choice...or by force.” He replies quietly, looking away from me. “I became one by force. It doesn’t happen often, but it did to me. My whole pack was wiped of existence because of my father. Other packs wouldn’t take a seventeen-year-old in because my father had plotted to destroy neighboring packs. People called me the son of a leader who only brought destruction, they doubted my character and loyalty and talked about how I would turn out to be just like my father. Eventually, I became sick of everyone not giving me a chance and gave up, choosing to become a rogue because nobody would accept me.”

“Oh Kaden,” I whisper, cupping his face in both hands and pressing a kiss to his forehead. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that.”

“Don’t be.” He smiles, taking a seat beside me and draping his arm across my shoulders. “It showed me who was with me and who wasn’t. It made me stronger.”

“It did.” I nod and smile, caressing his cheek with the pad of my thumb.

“Luna…the reason why I want you to think about this is because I am a rogue. I know you have dreams of the perfect husband, of a house with a picket white fence and children. But I can’t give that to you, I am struggling to build something out of myself so that I can support myself.” He looks down at the carpet, letting me take his hand and intertwine our fingers. “I’m broken beyond repair and I have scars so deep they have become a part of me. I cannot possibly be selfish. You deserve to be treated like a queen and given everything your heart desires. You deserve better, my Luna. You will always deserve better than me.”

His husky voice trails off in a whisper, head hung low as sadness permeates the air. I’m stunned to hear that he thinks he’s not worth it. My chest tightens in pain, my heart sad for how much he has dealt with. I get up and stand between his legs, cupping his face in both hands so I have his full attention.

“Kaden…I don’t care about any of that. I care about you and I want to be with you because you make me incredibly happy.” I smile reassuringly, willing for him to understand. “Nobody is perfect and we all have scars. It isn’t something you should be ashamed about, it just shows how you came out stronger. I would never turn you away because of what you are Kaden, I accept you as my mate because you are worth it. You are worth my time and effort, never forget that.”

“It’s not going to be easy Luna; you’ll have to adjust and there’s -”

“If you’re with me, we can get through anything.” I grin, taking his hand in mine and giving it a motivational squeeze.

“Well then, looks like I didn’t succeed in escaping from you.” He sighs, shaking his head mockingly.

My jaw drops and I punch his arm, making him laugh loudly and pull me into an embrace. I pout and look away, pretending to be angry when I’m secretly loving his touch.

“So…you really want to be with me?” He murmurs, trailing his fingertips over my bare arm.

I nod shyly, looking down at the goosebumps rising on my skin just from his touch. Only he could affect me so strongly and I love it. He grins happily and tightens his arms around me so that I’m in a bear hug. I squeal before laughing at how happy he is that I accepted him as my mate.

Once he pulls away, I realise something that has been plaguing my mind ever since I met him. “Is this why I feel so strongly about you?”

He nods with a smile, pulling me up and leading me downstairs. “It’s the mate bond. Although it doesn’t affect you that much since you are human, it drives me crazy whenever I’m around you.”

“Good or bad crazy?” I ask teasingly, watching as walks to the kitchen and looks up at me as I sit on the stool.

“Definitely a good crazy.” He smirks boyishly, making my cheeks turn red.

He asks me if I would like to eat anything since it is way past dinner time. I nod and help him decide on what we could make with the ingredients he has stocked up in his kitchen. We decide on spaghetti and meatballs with salad for tonight. I start on the salad while Kaden boils the water for the pasta.

Throughout this I’m asking him questions about his kind and find out a lot about their race, how they originated and lived life for so many years without humans finding out. He tells me everything from the wolves to the mate bond and how much it affects him. Sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ FindNʘᴠᴇl.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

“I can’t think straight when I’m around you, your scent drives me insane. You take over my thoughts every day.” He admits, giving me a hug from behind and wrapping his arms around my waist.

“My scent?” I ask in curiosity, tossing the salad together.

He hums, resting his chin on my shoulder. “Werewolves have scents that distinguish them from other packs, everyone is able to recognise who you are by your scent. Mates have it too, you smell like peaches and vanilla. It’s different but intoxicating.”

I immediately blush, thankful that he couldn’t see me. A comfortable silence ensues as I work on our dinner whilst Kaden trails soft kisses up my neck, his hand caressing my hip. I bite my lip, stifling the moan that threatens to escape my lips.

I almost stop and give in but then he moves away to check on the pasta and meatballs, letting my breathing return to normal and calm myself down. I help him with the dish before taking out two plates, glasses and cutlery. Filling them both up with water, I take them to the dining table. I set the table before bringing the salad bowl over as Kaden follows with our dinner.

Just as I pull out a chair beside him, I’m pulled by my forearm and onto his lap. I cry out in shock before staring at him in surprise to which he only grins and shrugs. Chuckling quietly, I put some food into our plates before we dig in. But it turns out to be pointless because halfway through, I end up feeding him.

“What made you decide to tell me about you being a werewolf?” I ask, taking a sip of my water when we were finished with our food.

“I knew you would be going back for the holidays and I didn’t want to start the new year with lies between us. If you didn’t accept me for who I am, I would have let you go and never contacted you again.” He replies, hands rubbing my sides and igniting warmth within me.

We are quiet for a few minutes and I am processing everything he has told me, trying to make sense of their world. But he speaks up again, bringing me out of my train of thoughts.

“I don’t want you to go though.” I turn to see him frowning adorably, his hold tightening on me as if I will disappear.

“Kaden,” I giggle, turning my body so that I can wrap my arms around his neck. “It’s only three weeks, I’ll be back in the first week of January.”

“How about two weeks?” He pleads, pulling that puppy dog look that makes me stop and consider for a moment.

I snap out of it and shake my head. “You have to talk to mama Winters then and trust me, you won’t be winning.”

His eyes widen comically before he nods, a defeated sigh escaping him. “Fine…but you have to promise me that you’ll call every day.”

“Of course.” I smile sweetly, standing up to put the dishes in the sink.

I offer to wash them but Kaden just shakes his head and pulls me up to his bedroom again, despite my protests. He has brought my duffel bag up and I quickly grab my pyjamas and change into them in the bathroom. When I walk back into his bedroom, I see that it is nearly ten at night.

A yawn escapes my lips as I crawl onto the bed where Kaden lays under the sheets. He pulls me to his side instantly and covers me with the blanket, making me sigh and cuddle into him. I am warmed up in seconds because of the heat his body emanates and my eyelids start to flutter shut out of exhaustion. Doing your final exam and finding out about supernatural creatures does take a lot out of you.

“I’ve missed you, Luna.” Kaden suddenly murmurs and I feel him trailing his fingertips down the length of my bare arm and back in a soothing manner.

“I missed you too.” I mumble back sleepily, resting my arm across his bare waist and turning on my side so that I was pressed up against him.

“Goodnight, little moon.” I hear him whisper, feeling his lips press softly against my forehead.

I hum as I feel him pull me closer, as if there should be no space between us. I’m too tired to reply and find myself drifting off to sleep in a matter of minutes, wrapped up in his arms.