Bound By Moonlight to My Mates (by Sofange Daye) novel Chapter 64

Tala

Long ago

The temple garden glows under the full moon. Flowers that bloom only under the moonlight shimmer in the breeze, and the scent of jasmine is thick in the air. I shouldn’t be here. Daughters of the Moon are forbidden to wander beyond the sacred walls, especially alone. But tonight, the pull in my chest is too strong to ignore. It pulled me from my bed and into the open. Now, I wander through the gardens without a knight at my side.

The sheer gown that all the Daughters wear snags on the hedges as I pass through them. The fabric rips easily, buz I don’t care. Something is waiting for me out here, and I must find what it is.

I round a comer, heart hammering in my chest, and that is when I see him.

A man standing among the shadows. His broad shoulders are marred with the cuts created by a whip. I inch forward, not making a sound, trying to get a better view of his face. Chains of faint silver shimmer around his aura. Not real ones, of course, but ones that mark his punishment. He defied the Moon Goddess, and now his wolf is gone.

Pain echoes in my chest. I can feel the absence, and it claws at my heart. My own wolf howls for him, but is met with nothing but silence in return.

And yet, when he lifts his head, his eyes burn into me as though he can hear mine calling out to him.

My heart stutters, and my wolf surges forward, her claws scraping against the inside of my chest, crying a single word that is forbidden among the Daughters of the Moon.

Mate

I stumble back, clutching at the stone wall for balance. This is wrong. Impossible for so many reasons. My mother has stripped him of his wolf. The Moon Goddess herself cast judgment upon him. He is the reminder to all wolves of what rebellion earns. He should be broken and empty.

But when his gaze locks with mine, I don’t see emptiness. I see hunger. Recognition of what this means and what we can’t be.

“You,” his rough voice calls out to me.

“No.” The denial comes from my lips, causing me to tremble. “This cannot be.”

He steps forward into the light, and the sight steals the breath from my lungs. He is beautiful. Dark hair falls in waves to his shoulders, a scar runs down one cheek, and his body is scarred, but strong. His mere presence fill the garden like an impending storm.

“You feel it too,” he whispers. It isn’t a question. He is echoing the truth that has settled between us.

I shake my head, but my body betrays me, stepping forward when I mean to pull away. “You are cursed. I am a Daughter of the Moon.”

He gives a harsh laugh, and the sound makes something coil in my stomach. “I was cursed long before the Moon Goddess stripped my wolf.” He steps closer, lowering his voice. “But you… You are the only thing that feels like salvation.”

The words lodge in my chest. They are dangerous and intoxicating.

My wolf howls, demanding that I go to him. But my mother’s voice echoes in my head, warning of the demand of the mate bond and what love can cost. The tug of war in my mind almost brings me to my knees. The truth feels too heavy. I am already lost.

I turn to flee, but his hand catches mine. It is rough and callous, but warm. A spark leaps between us and sends a shiver all the way down my spine. I look down at where our hands connect, not daring to look into his

eyes.

“Tell me your name,” he whispers desperately.

I shouldn’t answer him. I should pull my hand away and run back into the safety of the temple. But I speak it anyway. “Tala.”

His lips curve in triumph. “Theo.”

“I must go,” I whisper. “I am not supposed to be here. Not without a knight.”

Theo stands a little taller, refusing to let go of my hand. “You don’t need a knight. I can protect you.”

I laugh at his audacity. “You… you think you can protect me?”

His eyes flash, revealing cat–like pupils, and I swallow the gasp on my lips. He leans in closer, his breath fanning against the nape of my neck. “Yes.”

I shudder at the feel of him so close, so forbidden, and I gather the strength to step back. “I need to go,” I say again. “Before they know I am missing.”

His eyes narrow into slits. “Come back. Tomorrow night. I must see you again.”

“I can’t,” I hiss through my teeth. “This is wrong.”

He raises a hand, brushing my blonde locks from my face. “I was made for you. How can that be wrong?”

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