Mated by Midnight (Moonlight Mates #3)

Chapter 11

11

“ E lijah, we need to talk.”

Elijah straightened, crossing his arms as he turned to face his Alpha. “What’s up?”

Rylan motioned for him to follow, and the two of them walked a few paces away from the porch to the side of the building, where they had more privacy.

“There’s another opportunity that’s come up,” Rylan began, his tone measured. “It’s a communications position for security. High-level work in the Special Ops unit.”

Elijah’s brow furrowed. “Security?”

Rylan nodded. “It’s more in line with what you want for advancement."

That was true. Though Elijah had enjoyed his work today, figuring out how to compromise his tech with Celine's designs. But working in a community development wouldn't challenge him. A military security job would.

"It would involve leaving the pack for a while. It’s contract work—long term. You’d be gone for months, maybe longer.”

Elijah hesitated. The thought of leaving gnawed at him. Normally, an opportunity like this would have been exactly what he wanted. The excitement of a challenge, the chance to prove himself, to use his skills in a way that truly mattered. But now the idea of leaving... It didn’t sit right. His gaze flicked back toward the office, where Celine was inside, probably working, probably thinking about anything but him.

Rylan’s sharp eyes didn’t miss the hesitation. “Is it because of her?” he asked, his voice low. “Is she yours?”

The question cut through Elijah like a blade. He didn’t want to answer it, but the truth was there, lodged in his chest, heavy and undeniable. He swallowed hard, his voice rough when he finally spoke. “Yes. She’s mine.”

Rylan nodded slowly, his gaze thoughtful. “Then why are you hesitating?”

Hesitating? To take the job? Or to claim her?

Elijah let out a slow breath, his hands flexing at his sides as if trying to grasp something that kept slipping through his fingers. “She rejected me,” he said, the words tasting bitter on his tongue. “She doesn’t want the bond, and maybe… maybe it’s for the best.”

Rylan didn’t respond right away. His Alpha just watched him with that careful gaze of a man comfortable in a leadership position. But also as a man who was his friend. Even at a young age, Rylan had a knack for seeing everything his packmates didn't want him to know. Elijah hated it—hated how easily his Alpha could read him, how much his emotions were written all over his face.

Elijah’s eyes drifted out toward the street. Women passed by, waving at him, sending smiles his way like they always did. He barely acknowledged them, just a half-hearted nod here or there. They weren’t who he wanted.

All he could think about was Celine—what would make her comfortable, what would make her happy? He knew she hadn’t slept well last night. He had felt it through the bond. She had tossed and turned. He’d spent half the night wondering if her mattress was uncomfortable. Maybe he should replace it. Maybe he should?—

Elijah shook his head, his thoughts spinning out of control. He had never been this way before. He had been the carefree playboy, the guy who didn’t worry about the future or responsibilities. But now... now he was thinking about things he’d never thought about before.

What if Celine needed something when he wasn't here? What if she was in danger and he was halfway around the world? The idea of leaving her behind, of not being able to watch over her, protect her—it clawed at him.

“You’re not that guy anymore, are you?” Rylan’s voice pulled him back to the present. There was no judgment in his tone, just a quiet observation.

Elijah looked down at his hands, hands that had always been ready to let things go, to keep everything casual and light. But now... Now they ached to hold something more. To hold her.

“I don’t want to be that guy anymore,” Elijah admitted. “I don’t just want her because of the bond. I want to be someone worthy of her.”

Rylan studied him for a long moment, and then he nodded. “Then maybe this job is exactly what you need. It’ll give you space. Time to figure out what you really want, who you want to be. And when you come back, maybe things will be different.”

Space? Elijah wasn’t sure if space was the answer. But maybe Rylan was right. Maybe taking this job would prove to himself—and to Celine—that he was more than the unserious flirt everyone thought him to be. More than the man who ran from responsibilities.

He looked back at the office, his eyes lingering on the door. He couldn’t see her, but he could feel her, always there, just out of reach. His heart pounded with the weight of the decision.

Taking the job meant leaving. It meant trusting that fate, or the bond, would bring them back together when the time was right.

But staying... Staying might only make things worse. It would suffocate her, and that wasn’t what she needed. She needed space to breathe, and he needed time to become the man she deserved.

Elijah clenched his fists, his decision solidifying in his mind. “I’ll take the job,” he said, his voice steady, even though his heart felt anything but.

"Really?" Rylan's brows were near his hairline as though Elijah had caught him off guard. "I couldn't stay away from Liza for a day."

"You proved yourself to Liza. You chased her and wouldn't let her go. I let Celine go. She doesn't trust me to hold on to her or catch her if she falls. I need to prove that I will."

Rylan stared at him for a moment. "You're sure?"

Elijah nodded, though the ache in his chest remained. He wasn’t sure if it was the right thing to do. But he knew it was something he had to do.