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JASPER'S POV

I stared at the faint scar on my abdomen.

She had to possess an extraordinary gift to heal such a devastating wound in less than three hours.

Flinn handed me the bottle of moonwater, repeating the instructions she had given earlier.

My brows furrowed.

"I wasn't deaf. I heard every word she said," I replied flatly.

"My apologies, Alpha." He placed the bottle beside me before stepping back.

I picked it up, turning it over in my hand.

But why her?

Why a plus-size female?

The Alphas of Deep Paw Claw had always upheld certain standards. Every Luna had possessed a specific physique that symbolised strength, grace, and authority.

The woman who had just healed me fell far below those standards.

The first-ever Plus-sized female in the Deep Paw Claw died during childbirth and still birthed a stillborn. 

‘Khan, are you certain she's our mate? Could you be mistaken?’ I asked my wolf.

This was the first time we'd met her in person, yet he had instantly recognised her.

Still…

I couldn't sense her wolf.

Perhaps he had made a mistake.

‘I'm not mistaken,’ Khan growled. She is our mate—the one the Moon Goddess has chosen for us.

His certainty threw my thoughts into turmoil.

Out of every powerful she-wolf in the Werewolf Kingdom…

Out of every noble Alpha's daughter…

The Moon Goddess had chosen a stranger?

"Why did you select a stranger to become the pack's healer?" I asked Flinn.

He lowered his gaze respectfully. "We had no other choice, Alpha. We desperately needed someone with her abilities. Our warriors were attacked by something we still can't explain, leaving many of them seriously injured. With you away, the pack was left vulnerable. Then she appeared."

I remained silent.

The warriors rotated shifts guarding the borders every day. If someone had deliberately targeted them while I was away…

Then this was no coincidence.

Leaving the walls unprotected would have invited disaster.

"Where is she from?" I asked. "What's her rank?"

"I wish I knew, Alpha." Flinn sighed. "We know almost nothing about her. We couldn't detect a wolf's scent. Either her wolf is dormant... or she's simply an Omega.”

I frowned. "Summon the council. They are to assemble within one hour."

"But... the healer instructed you to rest," Flinn reminded me cautiously.

My expression hardened.

"Do as you're told."

"Yes, Alpha."

As soon as he left, I leaned back against the bed.

The High Priestess had prophesied that if I failed to find my destined mate before the year's end, I would be permitted to choose my own Luna.

Apparently, she had already foreseen this meeting.

She simply hadn't warned me.

Crowning a plus-size, wolfless Omega as Luna would make Deep Paw Claw the laughingstock of every pack in the kingdom.

And how could someone with such weak blood possibly bear a worthy Alpha heir?

~~~

An hour later…

I strode into the council hall. Every elder and council member watched me with curiosity.

"I summoned you here because of an urgent matter."

Whispers instantly spread throughout the hall.

I struck my staff against the floor and silence followed.

"I have found my mate."

I paused.

"She is a plus-size Omega."

The council exploded into shocked murmurs. 

The ancestral historical records don't lie. They had labelled being plus-sized as an abomination regardless of gender. 

We had followed every eating and training habit they had instructed us to follow, just to keep our bodies fit. 

No one in our clan had such a stature. 

I pinched the bridge of my nose before continuing. "I have no intention of accepting her."

"You cannot reject your mate!" The commanding voice echoed throughout the hall.

Instantly, silence returned.

The High Priestess entered with slow, measured steps.

I frowned.

"The woman in question is unworthy of becoming my Luna. Your prophecy appears to have been incomplete. You said my mate would be someone powerful, and that if I failed to find her before the end of the year, I could choose another. You never told me that she would one day walk into my pack all by herself. I have fallen in love with another, a more deserving and qualified werewolf. I have no choice but to reject her."

The priestess met my gaze calmly. "Alpha Jasper, not all knowledge is revealed to me. I only see what the Moon Goddess chooses to reveal."

She paused.

"If you reject your mate, calamity will befall Deep Paw Claw."

The hall fell completely silent.

"Every member of this pack will die."

A wave of horror swept through the council.

"And if she rejects you..." Her voice remained steady. "The same fate awaits."

The room erupted into chaos.

My jaw tightened.

Other werewolves could reject their mates without destroying their packs. Why was I different?

A bitter laugh escaped my lips. The Moon Goddess certainly had a cruel sense of humour.

Looking around the room, I saw fear etched across every face. Rejecting her was no longer an option.

"You must claim your mate," the priestess continued. "And you must keep her within this pack. How you accomplish that is your decision. I have delivered the Moon Goddess's message." Without another word, she turned and walked away.

The council elders exchanged anxious glances as they quietly debated among themselves.

Meanwhile, I leaned back in my chair. This was becoming far more complicated than I had anticipated.

Then…An idea crossed my mind. A slow smile spread across my face. "I will claim my mate."

The elders immediately looked toward me.

"Prepare everything for the Luna Ceremony. It will proceed as scheduled."

Without waiting for a response, I left the council chamber.

Moments later, I arrived at the infirmary. She was busy treating several injured warriors. For some reason…Her scent pulled at me.

Claiming her wouldn't be difficult.

Being chosen as my mate should have been considered the Moon Goddess's greatest blessing.

The moment I entered, everyone bowed respectfully.

Everyone…

Except her.

My expression darkened.

Being my mate did not exempt her from showing respect to her Alpha.

She wasn't my Luna.

Not yet.

"What is your name?" I asked coldly.

With a wave of my hand, I dismissed everyone else from the infirmary.

She had been grinding herbs with a small pestle and mortar. Only after hearing my voice did she finally look up. It was almost as though she hadn't even noticed my arrival, which made no sense.

Everyone else had greeted me immediately, so loudly enough for her to hear.

"Great Alpha," she replied with obvious sarcasm, "My name is Davina."

My eyes narrowed. "No surname?"

"No surname."

She returned to crushing the herbs as though I no longer existed.

For a brief moment…I found myself speechless. "I'm sure you already know we're mates."

She looked up sharply. "You said what?" Confusion filled her eyes.

How could she not know?

Even if her wolf was dormant, a dormant wolf could still recognise its mate through scent alone. So why couldn't she sense me?

"You are my mate," I repeated.

She stared into my eyes as though searching for the truth.

Several long moments passed. Her grip tightened around the pestle.

Then I felt it.

A sharp ache settled deep inside my chest.

Disappointment.

It reflected clearly in her eyes.

That wasn't the reaction I had expected.

Finally, she forced a smile.

"Alpha...We only have two choices. Either you reject me......or I reject you."

Rage instantly surged through Khan.

My wolf slammed against the walls of my mind.

Who was she to reject an Alpha?