Chapter 47

**Kataleya’s POV**

Once I got up the stairs, I rushed to the bathroom to take a quick shower. While I showered, I thought about what Ollie said about Justin and the Luna title. I really could not imagine him actually being called Luna, but I would not, without a doubt, think that he would do it just to appease me. What kind of title can I give him without calling him a Luna? I thought about it for a minute before the perfect idea popped into my head. This idea gives me the ability to lead with my title intact, but it would give him the ability to lead without me without any misconceptions about his title…I just have to wait for me to bring it up to him and see how he would like it. Once I finished in the shower, I wrapped a towel around me tightly, and stepped into my room.

“Ahhh!” I squeaked as I jumped in the air, not realizing that Justin was already in the room. He looked freshly showered, having taken one in Michael’s room, and was sitting in the middle of my bed. I grabbed the towel and gripped it tightly. I should have remembered to take my clothes to the bathroom with me, but in my excitement, I must have forgotten.

I froze. I stood there and we just stared at each other. This was the first time he had seen me without clothes on, even if I technically had a towel wrapped around my body. I wasn’t sure how to respond or what to do. I watched as Justin audibly gulped before standing up. As soon as he stood, I took a step back towards the bathroom.

My eyes never left his face, so I thought I had imagined the flash of pain in his eyes as I stepped away from him. He raised his hands in the air. “Love, I did not realize that you had not brought your clothes to the bathroom with you. Nothing is going to happen without your consent. I will wait in the hallway for you. You can either link me or call out for me if you want me to come back into the room. Do you understand?”

I slowly nodded my head, but I could feel the breakdown coming. I know that it is ridiculous to freak out, to cry over Justin seeing me without actual clothes on, but the moment I caught his eyes on me it was like I froze. Like I was taken back to that night when I was 12 and raped by those three rogues.

He walked out the door and as soon as the door shut, I sank to the floor and I could no longer hide the sobs that were beginning to rack my body.

‘Kat, say the mantra we came up with after the first panic attack. You know Justin would never do anything that would explicitly harm you.’ Skye whispered to me in my head.

She’s right. Justin won’t hurt me.

Justin won’t hurt me.

He loves me.

I am fine.

I am safe.

Justin won’t hurt me.

He loves me.

I am fine.

I am safe.

I feel my breathing even out and my sobbing quiets to a dull whimper. I heard a knock on the door. “Kataleya, baby, are you okay?” Justin asked through the door. I nod before remembering that he cannot see me through the door.

“I’m fine.” I called back, but my voice was shaky at the end.

I finally got off the ground and made my way to my closet to find an outfit to wear. I pulled out some lacy black underwear with a matching bra, a pair of leggings, and a long red blouse. I quickly got dressed and then went to the bathroom. I put my hair in a ponytail and then tried to figure out how to fix my face. I looked into the mirror and the first thing I noticed was my eyes were puffy and red. It is obvious that I was crying and I didn’t want to make him feel bad or upset him.

Fuck. What do I do?

I grabbed some of my concealer and I dabbed my eyes with the makeup, hoping to hide the majority of the puffiness. I used my black eyeliner under my eyes and then I topped it off with some light brown eyeshadow. I decided to forgo any lipstick or lip gloss and stick with using some chapstick to help with the dryness from crying.

I took a couple of deep breaths before I opened the door.

I opened the door and Justin was leaning against the opposite wall.

As soon as he sees me, he immediately opens his mouth to speak. “Baby, I am sorry. I thought you had taken your clothes to the bathroom with you. I didn’t realize that you had forgotten your clothes. Please forgive me?”

I looked at him and I could tell that he was sincere in his apology. I walked over to him and wrapped my arms around his torso, kissing his chest, before I laid my cheek on his chest. “It is okay. I overreacted. I am the one that should apologize to you. I know you won’t hurt me and it was an honest mistake. I am sorry, Justin.” I gave him a watery smile as I stepped back from him.

He grabbed my hand and kissed it before we started to make our way to the stairs. I know he is tired of waiting for me to be ready. I can see it in his eyes. He hates me interacting with other people in the pack, especially the men during training, without them knowing that I have found my fated mate. He hates not being able to touch me when we are in public, but I think what he hates the most is not being able to hold my hand when we are out in the pack.

Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if the pack knew about us.

Maybe it would be okay.

‘It would make Justin happy, Kat, and I think deep down, it would make you happy too. You can’t tell me there isn’t a small part of you that would enjoy the thought of spending the rest of your life with him. Or the thought of the entire pack knowing that he is your mate. I see the way you ogle him when you don’t think anyone is looking and I notice the way that he looks at us, Kat. I wish you were not so damn stubborn and just accept that he is ours and we are his.’

I sighed. Skye has always been team Justin. Maybe she is right though. I rarely have any type of breakdown around him now. I trust him. I…I like him. A lot. I could see it building into something more if I would just let it.

I climbed into the passenger seat and we made our way to the human town. Once in the human town, he takes us to a nearby walking trail for us to walk together.

He comes to my side of the car and holds out his hand to me. We walked to the beginning of the trail in silence before the silence was broken.

“Are you excited about finally taking the role of Alpha in two months?”

I laughed, “Of course, I am. I am beyond ready to take control. I know my father is ready to step down and pass the torch to me.” I paused for a moment. “If we continued and accepted our bond, what would we be called, more specifically, what would you be called?””

He looked at me with a broad smile on his face. “Baby, we will be mates, just mates. You are already the sun shining on my darkest days and the stars in my universe. I don’t need anything else besides you. As for my title, you can come up with something new, or I can just be called Luna. It would be an honor to stand by your side as your Luna. When I say I love you Kat, I really mean it. I would do or be anything that you want from me.”

I placed my hand inside the crook of his arm, “I have a suggestion, but only if you like it will I go through with it, but I want to keep it between us until the ceremony.”

“Okay, love. What is your suggestion?”

“How would you feel about—”

I was suddenly cut off by loud screeching from behind, followed by someone gripping my arm and yanking it off Justin, “Why are your fucking hands touching my man?!”