After the meeting, Keira went back to the bedroom to send a message to the shop owners. Keira did own a cellphone, but it was never necessary for her to keep it on her, which is why it didn't surprise her that she had 23 missed calls and over 50 unread text messages from both her mother and father.
Kira rubbed her eyes and sent the messages first. As she finished texting, her phone began ringing.
"Hello," Keira answered.
"Keira," her mother's voice was stern over the phone. "Why haven't you been answering your cellphone?!"
"I've been busy," Keira replied, taking a seat in one of the chairs. "What do you want?"
"Have you read any of the messages I've sent?" her mother questioned.
"No," Keira admitted. "This is the first time I'm looking at my phone since I left the castle. Why don't you tell me what you want?"
"Keira, why are you being like this?" her mother accused. "Your hostility is not appreciated."
"You and Dad made it clear that I wasn't part of the family," Keira reminded her. "After my cousin's death, the whole family shut me out and blamed me. Or have you forgotten?"
"Keira," her mother said, her voice full of anger. "We were all upset about the incident. Your father said things he didn't mean. Everyone was shocked."
"Right," Keira rolled her eyes. "I also recall Dad saying that I was jealous because I wasn't chosen as the Captain and let my cousin die. You think I've forgotten? The only reason I called you the other day was to inform you that the Task Force was disbanded and that I found my mate. Nothing more.
"Instead of beating around the bush, why don't you tell me what you want?"
Keira waited for her mother to speak. When she didn't, Keira hung up the phone. She wasn't going to waste her time on her family, who had blamed her for something she had no control over.
"Is everything ok?" Donovan asked.
Keira threw her phone on the bed and slowly glanced at Donovan. He was leaning against the doorframe.
'How much did he hear?' Keira wondered.
"Yes," Keira replied. "What is it? Where were you looking for me?"
Donovan walked in and closed the door behind him. He walked over and sat on the other empty chair.
"Keira," Donovan began. "I need to speak to you about a few things."
Keira raised an eyebrow and motioned for him to speak. From Donovan's tone, she could tell this was going to be a serious conversation.
"First, I bring news," Donovan said. "Montego and Antoine were transferred to the pack. They'll be here in a few days. We'll have to find a place for them to stay until the housing is completed."
"That is great news," Keira said slowly. She got the feeling that Donovan wasn't happy about the new arrivals.
Donovan's voice was low. "I want to speak to you about your role in the pack."
'Does that mean he wants us to stay?!' Sabelina asked, her voice full of hope.
'Sabelina, our cousin's death-'
'I know, I know,' Sabelina interrupted. 'But our mate wants us to stay!!'
"My role?" Keira questioned. "I thought it was agreed that I wouldn't have a role. I'm leaving in a month."
Donovan shook his head and leaned forward. "No, you're not leaving. You're staying with the pack...with me."
Donovan's words hung in the air; his words backed by his alpha authority. While Sabelina celebrated, Keira bit her bottom lip. She wasn't sure what to think. Part of her was excited while the rational part told her to reject his statement.
"We're not suited for each other," Keira stated, her voice steady.
She met his intense gaze, refusing to be cowed. "We should go our separate ways when the time comes."
A low growl rumbled in Donovan's chest, a sound that vibrated through the room. "I'm not letting you leave. You're my mate, my Luna. This pack's Luna."
Keira looked away from his gaze. Something about his statement sent shivers down her spine. Donovan slowly stood and came over to kneel in front of her.
"Keira," he softly said, taking her hands. "Look at me."
Keira met his gaze slowly.
"You're my Luna, my mate," Donovan repeated. "I made a mistake treating you like you weren't. I was blind and was fooled by someone I thought I knew. I'm sorry. Please forgive me."
"Even if you can't, at least give me a second chance."
The air was full of tension as Donovan waited for Keira's answer. Sabelina was more than happy to start over.
"Alright," Keira eventually agreed. "I can give you a second chance."
The words had barely left her lips when Donovan, still kneeling before her, lunged forward. His arms, surprisingly firm, wrapped around her waist, pulling her flush against him.
Keira's breath hitched. What was he doing?
Before she could even process the sudden contact, before she could push him away or even fully register the heat from his body, his lips were on hers.
It wasn't a gentle kiss. His mouth moved with an insistent hunger, demanding a response. Keira's hands, initially ready to push him away, instead found themselves on his shoulders.
When Donovan finally pulled back, a mere breath away, his eyes, dark and intense, searched hers. Keira's own eyes were wide, her cheeks flushed red.
"As my mate," he murmured, his voice a low growl that vibrated through her, "and Luna of this pack, you will have responsibilities, Keira. Duties." His thumbs stroked the skin of her lower back, a gentle caress that was anything but innocent. "And you'll always have a place by my side."
"Donovan," Keira whispered.
His thumb traced the curve of her hip. "I know I messed up. I know I don't deserve this, but… by the Moon Goddess, I want to make things work more than anything."
Keira swallowed hard. She wasn't expecting a declaration from him.
Donovan began his explanation of the pack's traditions, the expectations, and the intricate web of pack life. As he spoke and Keira listened, a connection began to unfurl within her, unlike anything she's ever felt before. It was nothing like the hazy, drugged encounter at the King's palace. This was something else real.
Donovan, his eyes never leaving hers, seemed to feel it too. His grip on her waist tightened, his thumb now tracing slow, deliberate patterns against her hip, sending shivers through her. A warmth bloomed deep in Keira's core, radiating outwards, a magnetic pull that resonated with every cell in her body.
Then, a sudden, almost painful ache echoed within her, something deep in her. Realization soon came to her. This was a true mating call.
"Keira," Donovan said, voice low. He leaned forward, brushing his lips against hers. "By my mate. My Luna."
Keira's heart pounded in her chest. She couldn't stop herself from saying yes.
Her answer was almost immediate. "Yes."
A triumphant grin spread across Donovan's face. With a powerful, fluid motion, he urged her to wrap her legs around his waist. Keira complied instantly, her limbs wrapping around him, drawing her flush against his hard, warm body.
He stood, effortlessly lifting her, her body molded against his as if they were always meant to fit this way. His eyes never left hers as he strode purposefully towards the bed.
He laid her down gently, but with urgency, following her down onto the soft mattress. The mating call now resonated through both of them. And in that moment, as his lips claimed hers with a hunger that wasn't there before, Keira knew that she wouldn't be leaving the bedroom anytime soon.