Bound By Moonlight to My Mates (by Sofange Daye) novel Chapter 69

The days have moved slowly since I met Theo in the alleyway. Each time my mother calls upon Ash or me, I hold my breath, terrified that Conan has divulged my deepest darkest secret. But each meeting happens without incident.

Today, the Moon Goddess’s steady gaze seems to bore into my skin like flesh–eating worms. She is looking for weakness, trying to force me to tell my secrets, but I keep my mouth clamped shut and my eyes even. I will not be scared of her. She can’t take him from me, not when he is my fated mate.

Eventually, I will have to come clean, but today is not that day. Not when Ash is drawing our mother’s attention with her ridiculous questions and never–ending stories.

Our mother pinches the bridge of her nose and lets out a long sigh. “Ash,” she groans my sister’s name. “Must you always… talk?”

Ash plasters a fake pout on her lips, and a giggle threatens to bubble in my chest. “My dearest mother,” Ash says a little too formally. “Everyone else seems to love my stories.”

Once again, my mother groans. Even with her face screwed up in a scowl, she is beautiful. No one would ever guess just how ancient she is. She was born from the Titans themselves and has reigned on the moon since her creation. Her blonde hair is flawless, falling in loopy curls around her shoulders, and her blue eyes sparkle with both knowledge and beauty. She passed many of her physical attributes to her daughters, but none of us are as stunning as she is.

Her eyes narrow at me one final time, but I keep my shoulders back and do not look away from her gaze. “Enough,” she snaps. “Tala, take your sister and leave me in peace.”

She waves us away, and Ash grabs my hand, dragging me from the throne room. Once we are safely out of hearing distance, she leans in closely. “I think she knows.”

“No,” I whisper back. “She would not let a betrayal like this stand. I would have been punished by now if she

knew.”

Ash considers my words for a moment but doesn’t respond. We part ways outside of my chambers doors, and I slip inside, resting my back against the door.

The message is folded so small it could be mistaken for a scrap of nothing. Yet when I unfold it, Theo’s handwriting leaps from the page, steady, deliberate, like his gaze.

Tonight. The outskirts. The old hut by the river.

I read it over and over again. I question if it truly belongs to Theo or if it is a trap set by my mother. Quickly, I shake the thoughts away. I don’t know how I know that these words belong to Theo, but I do.

My hands tremble as I clutch it to my chest. He shouldn’t be able to reach me. He shouldn’t risk it again. And yet I know, without question, I will go.

I rush from my room, veil tossed back, revealing my face. My fists bang on Ash’s door until she pulls it open,

with a concerned look on her face. Pushing my way into her room, I close the door behind me, clicking the lock.

“He has written to me,” I whisper.

Ash listens in silence as I confide the note to her. Then she grins, recklessly. “Finally. About time he stopped skulking in shadows. Don’t worry, Tala. I’ll get you there.”

The look in her eyes tells me that I should be concerned about what she has planned. “What are you going to do?”

She smirks. “Just be ready to go when I give you the signal.”

“What is the signal?”

Laughter bursts from her lips, “Trust me. You will know.”

True to her word, she sets her plan into motion as the temple bells toll dusk. While the sisters gather for evening prayer, Ash sets off an uproar in the courtyard, crying that a wild boar has broken into the gardens. The younger Daughters shriek, knights stumble into chaos, and even the Moon Goddess rushes to restore order.

It is ridiculous. It is perfect, and it is my signal.

I slip through the archway, heart pounding, cloaked in twilight. Every step toward the city gates feels like a betrayal, but my longing for him is stronger than any vow I’ve ever sworn.

By the time I reach the outskirts, the night is deep and quiet. The hut stands crooked against the tree line, its roof sagging but its walls sturdy enough to shelter secrets. Lantern light flickers faintly through a crack in the shutters. He’s here.

I take one step forward, and a hand wraps around my arm.

“Tala.”

The voice cuts through the night, and my blood runs cold. I turn to see Conan, hanging onto my arm like he

owns me.

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