Bound By Moonlight to My Mates (by Sofange Daye) novel Chapter 88

By the time the sun begins to dip below the trees, the world feels heavy again. Jake and Ronan are discussing pack logistics with Isaac. He never quite healed from the sickness like the others. He is too weak to continue his Beta duties. Ronan offered him a spot on the new pack council, but Isaac turned it down. He has moved onto the outskirts of the Blackthorn Pack, and I get the feeling it is my fault.

The guilt of the sickness weighs on my mind, but that isn’t the only thing dragging down my mood. The weight of power humming under my skin. The ghosts of lives that aren’t supposed to be mine. The way my heart splinters three ways when I think about the men who’ve claimed pieces of it.

I’m sitting on the back steps of the pack house, staring out over the fields, when a shadow falls across me.

“Planning to run again?” Damon’s voice carries that familiar gravel, equal parts teasing and warning.

I glance over my shoulder. He’s leaning in the doorway, hair tousled, sleeves rolled up, eyes unreadable. “Not today.”

“Good.” He pushes off the frame and steps closer. “Because I’m kidnapping you.”

I blink. “What?”

“Dinner,” he says simply. “Outside. Just you and me. Before the world collapses again.”

I almost tell him I’m not in the mood, but then I see it. The small basket in his hand. The faint smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes. The way his shoulders are drawn tight, like he’s bracing for me to say no. And I realize, it’s not just a date. It’s him trying.

So I nod. “Alright, Rogue Alpha. Lead the way.”

He takes me into the woods, away from the hum of the pack house. The air smells like rain and pine sap, and somewhere in the distance, water trickles over stone. We stop in a clearing near the riverbank. A blanket is spread over the grass, weighed down by a few flat rocks, a small lantern flickering beside a basket.

I stare for a moment, words failing me. “You did all this?”

He shrugs, a faint smirk playing on his lips. “Don’t sound so shocked. I can be civilized when I try.”

I cross my arms over my chest and raise an eyebrow. “I’ve yet to see proof of that.”

“Give me a few months. I will be back to being feral.” He laughs, low and genuine, and the sound loosens something in my chest.

We sit, and for a while, it’s simple. He pours wine into tin cups. We eat bread and fruit, and the last of Leah’s jam from a jar. He tells me about when he and Jake were kids, how they used to sneak into the orchard behind their father’s house and get caught every single time.

The story shouldn’t make me smile, but it does. They hated each other for so long, I think they forgot how much they used to love each other. I am honored to be the one to bring them back together.

He tells me another story about how they tied Leah’s shoelaces together and then ruffled her hair. He doubles over with laughter when he describes how she struggled to chase after them.

When the laughter fades, silence stretches between us. Not uncomfortable. Just thick. Damon studies me for a long time before he reaches into his pocket.

“I didn’t bring you out here just for dinner,” he admits.

My stomach flips, and my mouth goes dry. “Then why?”

He takes a slow breath, then opens his hand.

A beautiful diamond ring sits in his palm. It is a stunning cushion cut that sparkles in the dying light. It is perfect.

“I can’t offer you a pack,” he says quietly. “Not like Ronan. I can’t teach you how to harness your wolf like Jake can. But I can offer you me.”

My throat tightens, and I forget how to speak.

“I can give you my loyalty, my protection, and whatever’s left of my soul after all this.” His voice roughens, and he meets my gaze. “I just hope that’s enough.”

He doesn’t ask. He just slides the ring onto my finger. The fit is perfect, as if it’s always belonged there.

“Damon…” My voice breaks on his name. “You didn’t have to…”

“I did.” He leans in, his breath brushing my cheek. “Because I know you’ll never belong to only one of us. But you deserve to know that you’re wanted. Not because of the power you carry. Just because you’re you, I wanted you the moment I saw you in Rogue Territory, and I knew at that moment I would never let you go.”

The tears come before I can stop them. He catches my face between his palms, thumbs brushing the corners of my eyes, and suddenly I’m not sure which of us is shaking harder.

“You think I’m not scared?” he whispers. “You terrify me, Charlotte. Every damn day. But I’d rather be terrified with you than safe without you.”

The words undo me.

When I kiss him, it’s slow at first, a question, a promise, a plea. He answers with everything he’s been holding back: fire and tenderness and raw devotion.

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