Mated to Her Alpha Instructor Chapter 144

Eileen

We returned to packhouse just as the sun broke fully over the mountains. Mira was already waiting outside our quarters, her face tight with worry that melted into relief when she saw us.

"Goddess above, Eileen, I've been—" She stopped short, her gaze landing on Nina. Then Adrian and Regis. Her nose flared slightly, scenting the air, and I watched understanding dawn across her features. "What happened?"

"Inside," I said quietly, guiding Nina toward the guest room. She moved like someone in a dream, her steps mechanical.

Once we were alone—Regis and Adrian having the sense to give us privacy—Mira rounded on me. "Tell me everything. Now."

So I did. The essentials, at least—that Adrian was Nina's fated mate, that he'd already chosen Morgan, that the ceremony tonight would sever the bond completely.

Mira's eyes went wide, then fierce. "Fated mates? And he's marrying someone else?" She looked at Nina, who sat motionless on her bed. "Goddess, Nina—"

"She agreed to it," I said quickly. "Nina wants him to be happy. We're just here to make sure she survives the breaking."

Mira went silent for a long moment, studying Nina's too-pale face. Then she nodded once, sharp and decisive. "Then we stay close. No matter what."

Nina's lips trembled. "You don't have to—"

"Yes, we do," Mira said firmly. "That's what family does."

---

The Northridge ceremonial grounds glowed with silver lanterns and white moonblooms as dusk fell, hundreds of wolves in formal attire gathering around the ancient stone platform at the clearing's center.

Nina stood near the back, half-hidden by the shadow of an enormous pine. She'd changed into a simple gray dress that made her skin look almost translucent, her dark hair loose around her shoulders. I watched her hands clench and unclench at her sides, the only outward sign of her turmoil.

I made my way to her side without hesitation. Mira followed.

"You don't have to do this alone," I said quietly, slipping my hand into hers.

Nina's fingers were ice-cold. "I agreed to come. I can handle—"

"I know you can." I squeezed gently. "But you shouldn't have to prove it. Not tonight."

Her throat worked. After a moment, she squeezed back, her grip almost painful.

Mira positioned herself on Nina's other side, arms crossed like a guard standing watch. "Anyone even looks at you wrong, I'm shifting and biting ankles."

Despite everything, Nina's lips twitched. "That's... appreciated."

*She's going to need you,* Regis sent through our bond from where he stood with the high-ranking wolves near the platform. His ice-blue eyes found mine across the crowd. *Stay close.*

*I will,* I promised, tightening my hold on Nina's hand.

A deep horn sounded. The gathered wolves fell silent.

Adrian emerged first, moving with natural grace in ceremonial garb of dark leather and woven silver. But it was Morgan who made the crowd collectively inhale—not because of elaborate dress or jewelry, but because of the way she carried herself. Her white gown was practical rather than ornate, cut for movement, and she walked with her head high and shoulders back, meeting every gaze with casual confidence.

She wasn't trying to be a Luna. She simply *was*, the way a blade is sharp without effort.

I felt Nina's hand spasm in mine. I held tighter.

The pack's elder stepped forward, her silver hair gleaming in the lantern light. Her ceremonial words washed over us—promises of partnership and leadership, of building a future together through choice rather than fate. Morgan's "I do" rang clear and unwavering when asked if she accepted the bond. Adrian's response held the same certainty.

"Then let the Luna Mark be given," the elder intoned, "and let all who witness know that this bond is sacred and eternal."

Adrian's eyes flashed amber. He pulled Morgan against him, and she tilted her head to expose her neck—not submission, but trust.

When his teeth found the junction of her neck and shoulder, Nina's entire body went rigid. Her breath hitched once, sharply, and her nails dug into my palm hard enough to draw blood. I didn't let go. Mira's hand found Nina's shoulder, steady and grounding.

We didn't say anything. Words would only make this worse. We just held on while something inside Nina's chest tore itself apart.

The crowd erupted in howls and celebration. I felt Nina sway slightly and caught her elbow with my free hand, steadying her.

"Breathe," I whispered. "Just breathe."

She did. Once. Twice. Slowly, color returned to her face, though her eyes remained glassy.

Then Morgan descended the platform, her new Luna mark still raw and red against her pale skin, and walked directly toward us. Toward *Nina*.

Nina tensed, her whole body preparing to flee. I shifted slightly, positioning myself so she could use me as a shield if needed. Not interfering. Just *there*.

Morgan stopped a few feet away. For a long moment, the two women simply looked at each other—chosen Luna and fated mate, both caught in an impossible situation.

"I know everything," Morgan said quietly, her voice low enough that only those nearest could hear. "Adrian told me about the bond. About the forest. About what you gave up." She paused. "I won't pretend I wasn't afraid. But thank you for respecting my choice. That took real strength."

She held out her hand to Nina. An offering between equals.

Nina stared at the outstretched hand for several heartbeats. I felt the moment she decided through our connected palms—the way her grip loosened just slightly, fear giving way to something like acceptance.

"I hope you'll both be very happy," Nina whispered, taking Morgan's hand with her free one. "Take care of him."

"I will." Morgan squeezed once, her smile small but genuine. "And I hope you'll find someone who chooses you the way Adrian chose me. You deserve that."

Then she stepped forward and pulled Nina into a brief embrace—not pity, but acknowledgment. When they separated, Nina's eyes were suspiciously bright, but she managed a nod.

Morgan turned back toward the platform where Adrian waited, and I finally released Nina's hand, giving her space to process what had just happened.

"That," Mira said fiercely, swiping at her own eyes, "is what a real Luna looks like."

I nodded, my throat tight. Morgan could have been petty, could have made Nina feel unwelcome or used her position to shame her. Instead, she'd offered acknowledgment and hope. That took a kind of strength that had nothing to do with bloodline or wolf form.

"She's right, you know," I said softly to Nina. "You do deserve someone who chooses you first."

Nina didn't answer, but her hand found mine again and held on. Not desperately this time. Just... grateful.

We stood together as the celebration began in earnest around us—food appearing on long tables, musicians striking up traditional pack songs, wolves shifting to race through the forest in joyful abandon. Eventually Nina slipped away into the crowd, her posture less rigid than before, and I let her go. She needed time to process alone.

Regis materialized at my side, his hand finding the small of my back. "Ready to head back? You've been on your feet too long."

I leaned into him. "Soon. I just..." I watched Nina's retreating figure. "I want to remember this. That sometimes the hardest thing is the right thing. That there are women who choose kindness even when they don't have to."

"Like you," he murmured, his breath warm against my temple. "You could have stayed away. But you didn't."

"That's different—"

"It's not." He turned me to face him, his ice-blue eyes serious. "You're learning what it means to be Luna, my dear. To carry others' pain alongside your own. To stand witness when there are no easy answers." His hand drifted to my belly. "Our child will be lucky to have you as a mother."

Something warm bloomed in my chest. I rose on my toes and kissed him softly. "Let's go back."

Regis guided me back to our room. A part of me knew he was giving up more time with his friends, a celebration he deserved, but I've come to learn that for him, I am always the priority. In moments like this, I could feel the gentle, unwavering pull of his gravity.

Tomorrow we'd return to the reality of Silas's threat and Elder Cornelius's schemes. But tonight, we'd witnessed something rare—two wolves choosing peace over passion, two women choosing kindness over cruelty, and one woman finally beginning to forgive herself for existing.

That felt like its own kind of magic.