Mated by Midnight (Moonlight Mates #3)

Chapter 13

13

E lijah was surrounded by half-packed suitcases. He methodically folded a shirt, trying to ignore the ache that gnawed at him. Outside, the moon hung low in the sky, casting a cool, silver light through the windows. But no amount of calm, no amount of preparation, could settle the storm in his chest.

He tossed another shirt into the suitcase and let out a slow breath, trying to focus. He had made his decision—leaving was the right thing to do. It would give him the space to figure out who he was, what he wanted. It would give Celine space too, even though the thought of being away from his fated mate twisted something inside him painfully.

Just as he was about to zip up the bag, a knock echoed through the house, soft and unexpected. Maybe Caleb had come by to see him off. Or Gideon to offer some last-minute advice. But his brothers' knocks were never soft. Hell, they rarely knocked.

Elijah padded out of the bedroom. His bare feet brushed against the cold wooden floors. When he pulled the door open, he stopped dead in his tracks.

It wasn’t Caleb.

It wasn’t Gideon.

It was her.

Celine stood on his doorstep, bathed in moonlight. Her hair fanned out over her shoulders, catching the soft glow of starlight. All the air left his lungs. She looked... stunning.

Her eyes, usually so guarded, were wide and vulnerable. For the first time since their night together, she wasn't closing herself off to him. Elijah ached to strip her naked, to bare himself before her in the moonlight, just like they had at their first meeting.

His pulse quickened, every instinct in him urging him to reach out, to pull her into his arms. But he clenched his hands into fists at his sides, fighting the overwhelming urge to touch her. He had never felt so unworthy of someone in his entire life.

Her gaze flicked over him, and then over his shoulder, into the cabin. She smiled, but there was a tension behind it, a tension he couldn’t quite place. “Can I come in?”

Elijah hesitated for only a second before stepping aside, letting her in. His chest tightened as she moved past him, her scent filling the space between them—wildflowers and citrus. He couldn’t escape it. Didn’t want to.

The door clicked shut behind him. In the quiet of his cabin, neither of them spoke. Elijah stood there, hands still clenched, as he watched her look around his space.

He cleared his throat, trying to keep his voice steady, though it felt like his heart was lodged in his throat. “Do you need something for the project? I can go over the tech specs with you if you want?—”

“I’m not here about the project, Elijah.”

Celine took a step closer to him. Elijah’s body went rigid. Every muscle tensed as she closed the distance between them. His wolf stirred inside him, eager, pushing against his control, but he held back. He had to.

“I’m going to run from you,” Celine said quietly, her eyes locked on his. There was a seductive glint to them. Her lips curved into a small smile, and she added, “But this time, I’m not running into the woods.”

She turned toward the hallway, toward his bedroom, her steps slow and deliberate. “I’m going to run into your bedroom.”

Elijah’s breath left him in a rush. All he could think about was Celine in his bed. Her soft skin beneath his hands. The taste of her lips. The bond between them flared hot.

But then reality slammed into him.

The bedroom. The suitcases.

Celine was already running. After just a few steps, she faltered. Her gaze fell on the packed bags strewn across the bed. Elijah's heart dropped into his stomach as he saw her freeze, her back stiffening.

Slowly, she turned to look at him. Her eyes were wide, filled with confusion... and betrayal.

“You’re leaving?” Her voice broke the silence, trembling but resolute. “You’re distancing yourself again.”

The accusation hit him like a physical blow. He opened his mouth to speak, to explain. But what could he say? That he’d thought leaving was the right thing to do? That space would make it easier for both of them to figure out what they wanted? But now, standing here, he realized how wrong he’d been.

“I’ve been doubting everything, Elijah. Whether you really want me or if this is just... pack protocol to you. Because we’re fated mates.”

The words were raw. They cut deeper than any physical wound he’d ever endured. His wolf bristled inside him, growling with frustration. He wanted to tell her that it wasn’t about protocol, that he wasn’t just going through the motions because of the bond. But could she even believe him now?

“Celine,” Elijah started, but she held up a hand, her gaze hardening.

“No, let me finish.” Her voice trembled again, but there was a steel edge to it. “You and me… we’re not good at this—at relationships. You’ve had too many, and I’ve had too few. Neither of us knows what the hell we’re doing. And I get it. But I was hoping—hoping—that we could meet in the middle. That maybe, somehow, we could figure it out.”

She wasn’t wrong. He’d spent years avoiding anything serious, skirting real commitments. Meanwhile, she’d been on the opposite end, never truly knowing what it was like to be wanted, to be loved. The bond had thrown them together, but it hadn’t magically given them the tools to navigate something as complicated as a relationship.

“How can we meet in the middle if you won’t even stay and try?”

Elijah's nails bit into his palms as he fought for the right words. “I wasn’t trying to leave you. At least not forever. I thought... I thought giving you space would help. That maybe you needed time to figure out what you wanted, and I didn’t want to force myself on you just because of the bond.”

“I don’t need space, Elijah. I need you to stay. To fight for this.”

The way her voice shook shattered whatever resolve he had left. He took a step closer to her, closing the distance between them. The floor creaked softly under his weight. The scent of wildflowers and citrus—her scent—filled his senses, grounding him in the moment. He reached out, his hand trembling as he cupped her cheek. But she pulled away from him.

"Tell me to stay, and I will."

"No," she said.