Chapter 19-Amrin
I slid my feet into a pair of wedge heels and paused in front of the mirror, suddenly wondering if I’d need a coat.
Outside my dormitory window, the skies above Asgarheim churned with silver-green auroras where the ley lines crossed through the multiverse.
The Spring Equinox Festival had awakened the realm fully tonight. I could feel it in the air itself.
Magic.
Expectation.
Fate.
The entire Institute practically vibrated with it.
Before I could even decide whether to grab a sweater, the dress reacted.
I gasped softly as the fabric shimmered against my skin.
Heat spread slowly through the material, warm and comforting rather than stifling, and then the skirts began to shift and separate beneath my fingertips like living moonlight.
Layers of enchanted fabric unfolded elegantly around my shoulders until a cloak draped itself down my back in cascading midnight blue folds.
“Oh my gods.”
I turned slowly toward the mirror.
The back of the cloak glittered beneath the dormitory lights.
Moths.
Dozens of them.
Lunar moths embroidered in silver thread and pale glowing blues, their wings stretched wide across the fabric like celestial guardians watching over me.
Beautiful.
Delicate.
Alive somehow.
And instantly I was touched by the fact he remembered what I told him, and he turned my past trauma into something beautiful.
I smiled as Sten’s voice echoed through my memory.
They are harbingers of good luck.
He took such good care of me.
And my chest tightened painfully with emotion.
Everything about him lived beneath my skin now.
The way he touched me.
The way he looked at me.
The way he somehow made me feel cherished, worthy, and beautiful.
I inhaled slowly and straightened my spine in the mirror.
Lunar moths were good.
According to Sten.
And Sten—Sten was good too.
Dangerous.
Terrifyingly intense.
Possibly capable of leveling buildings when emotionally compromised.
But good.
At least, he was good to me.
And he was mine.
Or, well, I really hoped he was mine.
The uncertainty still hurt.
Even after what we’d shared.
Because despite the way he touched me like devotion itself, despite the possessive hunger in his voice every time he called me Luna, some wounded insecure part of me still struggled to believe someone like Sten could truly want someone like me permanently.
Years of disappointment did not vanish overnight.
Neither did years of being made to feel lesser.
Still—the very thought of my mother telling me she accepted Gunner McFadden’s request to court me made nausea roll through my stomach.
Absolutely not.
Gunner was not for me.
Something about him was off.
He frightened me.
And not in the exciting, thrilling way Sten had when he stood up for me against the Werewolf.
Gunner felt cruel.
Possessive without tenderness.
Predatory without reverence.
Meanwhile Sten?
Sten looked at me like he wanted to worship me.
There was another difference.
A massive one.
I only wanted Sten.
In fact, I was pretty sure I was head over heels in love with the Monster
And tonight, I was finally going to tell him so.
The realization made my pulse jump wildly.
I grabbed my tablet from the desk and sent my completed project to Professor Franco through the Institute’s enchanted academic network.
The chart attached beneath my report still made my stomach flutter every time I looked at it.
100% MATCH.
Impossible.
Ridiculous.
Terrifyingly wonderful.
I’d also printed physical copies because Runevald professors still insisted “hard documents preserve magical integrity,” which honestly sounded fake but apparently wasn’t.
I slipped the papers carefully into a leather folder and hugged it tightly against my chest.
Nerves hit hard immediately afterward.
Because suddenly I was walking into a festival alone while emotionally unraveling over a celestial Monster who might or might not be about to change my entire life.
Cool.
Very manageable.
“You can do this,” I whispered to my reflection.
Then I exited my dorm room—and nearly collided directly into a massive dark-winged male.
“Oh my gods—sorry!”
The male stepped back instantly while a curvy Witch with gorgeous purple hair burst into laughter beside him.
“Our fault entirely!” she said brightly. “Are you Luna? I’m Serena. This is Raven.”
I blinked.
The male behind her was enormous.
Like genuinely intimidating.
Dark runes glowed faintly beneath onyx-black skin while massive wings flexed lazily behind him, forcing several passing students to give him an extremely respectful amount of personal space.
Monster.
Definitely Monster.
And terrifyingly powerful.
“Um, yeah—well, sort of,” I said awkwardly. “Only Sten calls me that. My name is Amrin.”
The enormous male’s brows lifted slightly.
“He calls you Luna?” Raven rumbled, sounding deeply amused.
Heat flooded my cheeks instantly.
Serena elbowed him lightly.
“Sten sent us to walk with you to the festival,” she explained warmly. “You mind?”
Mind?
Honestly, relief nearly knocked me over.
Because suddenly not walking alone through a giant magical equinox festival while emotionally unstable sounded fantastic.
“No, that would actually be really nice,” I admitted.
Serena beamed immediately and fell into step beside me while Raven followed several paces behind us like some terrifying gothic bodyguard.
I could physically feel his presence.
Heavy.
Watchful.
Protective.
Twice I glanced back nervously only to find him simply existing ominously behind us.
“Sorry,” Serena whispered conspiratorially. “Raven can be a little protective.”
I snorted softly.
“A little?”
She laughed.
What else could I say?
Hey your giant boyfriend feels like a supernatural tank stalking behind us and I’m pretty sure he could rip doors off buildings with his bare hands?
Not exactly polite conversation.
Instead, I focused on Serena herself.
She was easy to talk to in a way that surprised me.
Warm.
Open.
Confident without being cruel.
I realized suddenly—with a strange little pang—that I’d never really had female friendships like this before.
Not genuine ones.
My sisters loved me in their own complicated way, but the Cordoza Coven operated heavily on competition and status.
Weakness became gossip.
Vulnerability became currency.
Meanwhile, Serena just complimented my dress like she genuinely meant it.
“I love your cloak!”
I actually preened slightly.
Embarrassing.
“Thanks,” I admitted. “Sten gave it to me.”
The words alone made warmth spread through my chest again.
Serena’s grin widened knowingly.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
As we walked toward the festival grounds, I found myself relaxing despite the anxiety still twisting low in my stomach.
The pathways through Runevald glowed tonight.
Thousands of floating fairy lights drifted through the trees while enchanted ribbons shimmered overhead between gothic towers and ancient stone archways.
Music echoed faintly through the night air alongside the smell of bonfires, sugar, spice, grilled meats, roasted nuts, chocolate fudge, and fried dough.
The entire realm looked beautiful.
Like something from a dream.
And for the first time since arriving at Runevald—I felt like maybe I belonged here too.
At least a little.
Serena was talking about magical coursework when her mate’s stomach growled loudly enough to interrupt her.
Raven looked entirely unapologetic.
“Food,” he announced simply.
Serena laughed while he stalked toward a nearby popcorn vendor with the terrifying focus of a male heading into battle.
Honestly?
Adorable.
“So,” Serena asked carefully once we were briefly alone, “have you and Sten been together long?”
My stomach instantly flipped.
“No,” I admitted awkwardly. “Actually, um, I’m not entirely sure if we’re like together together.”
The confession hurt more aloud.
Serena blinked.
“You mean you haven’t—”
“Oh no, we definitely did that,” I blurted immediately.
Heat exploded across my face.
Gods.
Why was I like this?
“I mean yes,” I corrected weakly. “We were together. Very together. But then he had to leave and now I’ve been sort of stuck emotionally spiraling for the last day and a half wondering what exactly we are.”
Smooth.
Very elegant.
Serena’s expression softened instantly.
“Oh, honey. I totally get it.”
The sympathy somehow made me feel worse.
“Raven tried denying what we had at first too,” she admitted gently. “But it didn’t last. The Fates are stubborn.”
My pulse skipped.
Fates.
Again with the Fates.
Professor Kenna’s warnings echoed through my brain immediately.
The Fates love games.
I tightened my grip on the project folder nervously.
Serena noticed instantly.
“What’s that?”
“Oh.” I held it up weakly. “My extra credit assignment.”
Then somehow I found myself telling her everything.
The failing grades.
The insomnia.
The endless struggle to find my magical specialty.
The fear of disappointing everyone.
Serena listened without judgment while we wandered slowly through the crowded fairgrounds beneath glowing lights.
“You should read Hefner’s Theory of Witches,” she suggested thoughtfully. “Professor Asher assigns it for historical magical development courses. There’s a whole section on Earth-born Witches struggling with affinity suppression.”
My heart skipped.
“Really?”
She nodded eagerly.
Hope fluttered painfully inside my chest.
Because maybe I wasn’t broken.
Maybe I’d simply never been understood properly.
But then reality crashed back in hard.
“I might not even still be here next semester,” I admitted quietly.
Serena frowned.
I explained about my mother.
About Gunner.
About the ultimatum.
About losing tuition support entirely.
The words felt ugly aloud.
Small.
Humiliating.
But strangely—not as devastating as they should have.
Because beneath the fear sat something new.
Freedom.
For the first time in my life, I had chosen myself over my family’s expectations.
And despite everything?
I didn’t regret it.
“You know what?” I said slowly. “It’s actually not that bad. I mean, I can just get a job or something.”
Serena blinked.
“I’ll be okay,” I realized aloud.
And gods—for once, I believed it.
“You will always be okay, Luna.”
The deep familiar voice behind me sent electricity racing down my spine instantly.
“You will pass. And you will stay at Runevald. With me.”
My heart slammed violently against my ribs.
Serena grinned brightly over my shoulder.
I pressed trembling hands against my chest before turning slowly.
And the world disappeared.
The crowds.
The music.
The floating lanterns.
Everything blurred into meaningless noise the second I saw him.
Sten.
He was here.
And Gods.
There was something different about him tonight.
Not just the clothes.
Though yes—the dark navy leather fitted across his broad chest and powerful arms should honestly have been illegal.
The straps and buckles crossing his body looked almost ceremonial beneath the glowing festival lights.
But it was more than that.
He looked brighter.
His blue skin shimmered subtly like someone scattered starlight across his body.
Silver-blue runes glowed faintly beneath the surface while his luminous eyes fixed entirely on me with such devastating intensity my knees nearly gave out.
He made a low rough sound deep in his throat as he looked me over slowly from head to toe.
Pure male appreciation.
And gods help me—I loved it.
“So beautiful, my Luna,” he whispered.
The nickname wrapped around me like a physical touch.
Then he held out his hand.
Without hesitation, I took it.
Warmth exploded instantly through my entire body the second our palms touched.
Home.
The terrifying thought landed deep inside me.
Sten’s gaze shifted briefly beyond me and he nodded once.
“Thank you, Draugr,” he said quietly. “Will you bear witness for me?”
I blinked.
Wait.
What?
Behind me Raven snorted softly.
“Well, Unnasta,” he drawled to his mate, wings flexing open behind us protectively, “want to follow these two around a bit longer?”
“I absolutely do! I wouldn’t miss this for anything,” Serena whispered excitedly.
Miss what?
I barely heard them.
Not when Sten’s hand still held mine.
Not when his eyes looked at me like I was the center of the fucking universe.
The feel of his warm fingers intertwined with mine made my entire body hum.
He was everything.
Everything I’d ever secretly wanted.
A friend.
A lover.
A protector.
A male who saw every broken insecure part of me and still looked awestruck anyway.
And suddenly the project folder tucked against my chest felt much heavier.
Because soon—very soon—I was going to show him the chart.
And tell him exactly what the stars themselves had already confirmed.
We belonged together.