stronger twin; my father would have picked him anyway. Plus, Royce was charming and fun. In the early days of our relationship, anyway.” She paused and Rafe swore he saw her lip quiver. She stuck the chip in her mouth before he could confirm it.
“We were close until he claimed you. Then after the first attack that killed our parents, he changed.” The pain from having the bond to their parents break made him pull away. “You were the only one to seem to reach him.”
She frowned. “I clung to that, thinking I could heal him and change him. When we mated, I worried our bond wasn’t strong enough. Now I know why.”
“He was never your true mate.”
“No, he wasn’t. He used me to gain power over the Pack.” Luna let out a humorless laugh. “What better way than to woo the Pack princess?”
Rafe fisted his hands and ground his teeth. The only regret in his life was not protecting Luna from his asshole brother. He should have seen through the mask and sensed what he was up to.
Rafe should have challenged Royce the day his brother told him to leave. Instead, he thought he had a plan that would keep Luna out of harm’s way. He was wrong and failed his mate.
“Why didn’t you come back after Royce died?” Luna stared at him with no emotions.
That was a question he asked himself many times. “I was never sure if you wanted to see my face. It would only remind you of what the bastard did.”
She shrugged and took a drink of her margarita. “At first, maybe. But it’s been over forty years since I killed him. And you show up now. What’s your plan?”
He lifted one brow and leaned across the table. “Stop Faelin and put an end to the rogue war for good.” He caressed her cheek with his knuckles. “And I plan to claim what’s mine.”
Sitting back out of his reach, Luna narrowed her green eyes. “I belong to no one.”
There was a growl in her tone, but he scented her desire. His instinct was to push with the forced seduction of an alpha male. However, Luna would kick his ass to the curb as soon as Faelin was dealt with.
Rafe had spoken with Hayden a few days ago, telling his nephew his intentions with his mother. Rafe had let her go once, and he wasn’t going to walk out again. Her sons needed to know that. Hayden told him how his father treated Luna, how the bastard kept her weak by dominating her and making threats to hurt her sons and the Pack.
Royce used his Alpha power to control her. He thought to tear her down when all he did was make her turn to her wolf, letting the animal take over. Until the day she turned feral and killed her mate.
So no, Rafe wouldn’t claim his mate as an alpha male would. He would seduce her, support her just like her Beta would. That didn’t bother him because he’d always been more beta than alpha anyway.
Laying his hand on the table, palm up, he said, “I don’t want to own you. But I’m not above using seduction to get what I want.”
Her lips twitched before she turned her head to look out the window. Before she replied to his statement, Nyla and Kirk appeared at the table.
Nyla sat beside Luna with a wide smile. “Hello! I love Mexican. It’s been a while.”
Kirk nodded to Rafe before sitting next to him. Luna glanced at Nyla with a brow raised. Nyla rolled her eyes. “The food, not an actual Mexican. Geesh, I do eat regular food. I’m a half-witch, after all.”
Luna laughed, the sound was song-like and captivating. Rafe needed to find out how to make her laugh more often.
Kirk shook his head and handed Rafe an envelope. “We ran into Easton on our way here. He told me to make sure you get that.”
Meeting Luna’s gaze, Rafe took the envelope then opened it. There was a flash drive and a note that read, “I think you will find this interesting. Hint. There are two stones.”
“Two stones?” Luna said in a low voice so those around them didn’t hear.
Rafe nodded as he put the flash drive and note back in the envelope. “I think we should get our lunch to go and find out what’s on that drive.”
“I agree.” Luna held up her hand for the waitress. “What are you thinking?”
Rafe shook his head. “Not here.” He