Chapter 20-Sten
One day.
That was how long I spent away from her.
One entire miserable fucking day.
And every second of it only confirmed what I already knew.
Amrin Cordoza had ruined me completely.
The portal journey back to Asgard should have occupied more of my attention.
Normally it did.
Traveling between realms through celestial corridors carved into the ley lines was exhausting even for someone of my bloodline.
The crossing burned.
Reality folded strangely inside those pathways. Time stretched. Magic compressed.
Most beings emerged from an Asgardian gate nauseated and half-conscious.
I barely noticed any of it.
Not when every thought inside my head circled endlessly back to her.
My Luna.
The memory of her still clung to my skin even during the crossing.
Vanilla.
Jasmine.
Warm female heat.
Mine.
The possessive instinct purred beneath my ribs constantly now, no longer bothering to hide itself behind logic or restraint.
And gods—Professor Kenna’s warning echoed through my head the entire journey.
Do not forget your reason.
Except she did not understand.
Or perhaps she understood too well.
Because Amrin was my reason now.
I had simply been too terrified to admit it aloud before.
Terrified because wanting someone this much felt dangerous for a male like me.
My emotions shaped celestial power.
Lunar magic amplified desire, instinct, obsession.
The stronger the emotional bond, the more volatile the magic became.
Which meant loving someone could literally become catastrophic if left uncontrolled.
And yet—the second I held Amrin in my arms, every argument against this shattered.
I could not regret her.
Would not.
The portal deposited me outside Erik’s estate at the edge of the northern Asgardian cliffs shortly before dawn.
Moonlight silvered the sea below while the palace gardens glowed softly beneath enchanted lanterns and frost-covered roses.
The air smelled of pine, saltwater, and old magic.
Home.
The word felt strange now.
Because the entire time I crossed the black marble courtyard toward my brother’s estate, all I could think was that Amrin was back at Runevald without me.
Too far away.
The front gates opened before I even reached them.
Of course they did.
My family had always been annoyingly powerful.
“Menon? I mean, Sten?”
I looked up.
Erik stood at the top of the steps staring at me like he wasn’t entirely certain I was real.
For a second, neither of us moved.
The last time we’d spoken had not gone well.
Years of bitterness and distance still lingered awkwardly between us.
But then he looked closer.
Really looked.
And whatever he saw on my face made his expression change instantly.
“By the gods,” he breathed. “You found her.”
My throat tightened unexpectedly.
He knew.
Of course, he recognized the change in me immediately.
“I did.”
The grin that split across his face nearly blinded me.
“Your fated mate?”
I nodded once.
And suddenly my massive terrifying older brother tackled me into the fucking courtyard like an overexcited puppy.
“FINALLY!” he roared.
I hit the stone hard enough to crack marble beneath us while Erik crushed me in an aggressively affectionate hug.
“Can’t breathe,” I grunted.
“Don’t care.”
Honestly?
Fair.
Laughter echoed from the doorway.
Ingrid.
I looked up automatically as she descended the palace stairs wrapped in silver furs, and moonlight.
Years ago, seeing her would have hurt.
Would have reopened old wounds and ugly insecurities and the lingering ache of youthful rejection.
Now?
I felt nothing but respect for my brother’s mate.
Absolutely nothing.
And the realization startled me more than it should have.
Because Ingrid had never been my great love.
She had simply been the closest thing to destiny I’d imagined before meeting Amrin.
A placeholder for longing.
My Luna eclipsed her completely.
And that was as it should be.
Ingrid smiled warmly as she approached.
“You look happier,” she observed softly.
I was.
The terrifying part?
I had not even realized how miserable I’d become before Amrin.
How lonely.
How untethered.
Erik finally released me only to immediately drag me inside while shouting for servants to prepare food and alert the family.
I should have stopped him.
Instead I let it happen because some primitive part of me desperately needed to say it aloud. Needed to celebrate it.
I found her.
My mate.
Mine.
The next several hours became chaos.
Absolute chaos.
My family descended upon Erik’s estate like a small celestial army armed with wine, blessings, ceremonial gifts, and invasive questions.
Ivan came, grinning like he already knew what had transpired..
Even my mother came.
That alone nearly made me nervous.
Astrid Blau terrified entire political councils without effort.
But when she looked at me tonight—truly looked—her silver eyes softened instantly.
“My son,” she whispered.
Emotion caught unexpectedly in my throat as she cupped my face gently between elegant, gloved hands.
“You found your moon.”
The old Asgardian phrase nearly undid me.
Because yes.
That was exactly what Amrin felt like.
The moon after endless darkness.
Hope after years of emotional winter.
My mother kissed my forehead softly before pressing something cool into my palm.
A folded square of shimmering midnight fabric.
“The night sky over Asgard,” she explained quietly. “Woven during the last blue moon. Give this to your mate.”
I stared down at the impossible fabric.
Stars glittered faintly within the threads.
Magic pulsed softly beneath my fingertips.
Emotion swelled hard enough to become painful.
“Thank you,” I said roughly.
My mother smiled knowingly.
“She must be extraordinary if she convinced you to stop brooding long enough to fall in love.”
Erik barked out a loud laugh somewhere behind us.
Traitor.
The rest blurred after that.
Blessings.
Questions.
Celebrations.
My entire family practically vibrating with excitement over the fact I’d finally accepted both my future role and my mate.
Apparently everyone except me realized years ago this would eventually happen.
Rude.
But eventually, finally, mercifully—I returned to Runevald.
Back to where my heart was waiting.
Back to her.
The second my boots hit Asgarheim again, relief slammed through me so violently my knees nearly weakened.
Home.
No.
Not home.
Her.
I immediately enchanted the Asgardian moon-cloth into the gown I knew she would wear tonight.
Every stitch carried intention.
Devotion.
Need.
The fabric responded beautifully to thoughts of Amrin, shaping itself into shimmering lunar blue silks threaded with silver moths and living starlight.
Perfect.
For my Luna, only perfection would suffice.
I left the gift for her and went to ready myself for tonight.
And finally, night fell.
I went to the grounds where the festival pulsed like a living thing.
And I saw her.
Gods.
The sight nearly stopped my fucking heart.
I remained cloaked in shadow at the edge of the festival grounds for several long stunned seconds simply staring.
She looked unreal beneath the floating lights of the Spring Equinox Festival.
The gown shimmered around her curves like moonlight poured into fabric while silver moths glowed faintly across the cloak draped around her shoulders.
My Luna.
Mine.
Emotion hit so hard it physically hurt.
Because seeing her wrapped in fabric cut from the skies of Asgard itself only solidified what I already knew deep inside my bones.
She had been made for me.
The breeze shifted then.
And her scent reached me.
Vanilla.
Jasmine.
And beneath it—still me.
My own scent clung softly to her skin from the night before.
Possessive satisfaction rolled through my chest immediately.
Mine.
Eternally mine.
I lifted my face to the sky.
The blue moon would rise soon.
Perfect timing.
The stars overhead aligned beautifully tonight, celestial pathways crossing directly through the Institute’s ley nexus.
A claiming ceremony beneath a blue moon happened perhaps once every few centuries.
Fate itself practically screamed at me to claim her publicly.
And I intended to do exactly that.
I moved silently through the crowds cloaked in shadow magic, invisible to everyone except the beings powerful enough to sense me.
Unfortunately, that meant I overheard far more than intended.
Including every word about her mother.
About Gunner.
About the possibility of Amrin leaving Runevald.
Rage detonated instantly.
My vision flashed silver.
That fucking Wolf wanted to court her?
Mine?
Absolutely fucking not.
I nearly materialized right there solely to rip his spine out through his throat.
Only Amrin’s voice kept me still.
Soft.
Hopeful.
Brave despite the fear beneath it.
Gods.
How had no one protected her properly before?
How had her family looked at this female and failed to see how extraordinary she was?
The injustice of it made something violent stir beneath my ribs.
Enough.
I stepped from the shadows.
“You will be okay, Luna,” I said immediately, needing her to hear it from me. “You will pass. And you will stay at Runevald.”
The moment she turned toward me—the world ceased to exist.
Completely.
Her pale moonbeam eyes widened softly while emotion flooded across her beautiful face in waves.
Relief.
Wonder.
Desire.
Mine.
And fuck me sideways, the way she looked at me nearly brought me to my knees.
Her gaze slid slowly over my body.
The Asgardian leathers.
The ceremonial straps crossing my chest.
The silver-blue runes glowing beneath my skin now that I’d fully reclaimed my celestial power.
She looked impressed.
More importantly—not afraid.
Never afraid.
The realization soothed something monstrous inside me instantly.
I moved closer.
“So beautiful, my Luna,” I whispered honestly.
Then I held out my hand.
She took it immediately.
No hesitation.
Warmth exploded through me the second our palms touched.
Mine.
The bond practically purred.
I glanced briefly toward Raven and Serena.
“Thank you, Draugr,” I said quietly. “Will you bear witness for me?”
Raven’s eyes sharpened instantly.
Understanding flashed there.
Then he asked his mate and nodded solemnly when she agreed.
Good.
Very good.
The claiming would proceed properly.
As we crossed deeper into the festival grounds, I remained hyperaware of everything around us.
The crowds.
The shadows.
Potential threats.
Music drifted through the night air alongside the scent of sugar, smoke, and magic while students and Monsters celebrated beneath floating lights.
Runevald looked beautiful tonight.
But I only cared about the female walking beside me.
Amrin kept squeezing my hand unconsciously every few steps like she needed reassurance I was truly here.
The tiny gesture wrecked me repeatedly.
Meanwhile, I could barely focus on anything she said because my instincts remained consumed by the simple fact she smelled like me.
Mine.
Gods.
I was becoming insufferable.
We finally spotted Professor Franco near the center plaza speaking animatedly with several faculty members beside an enchanted observatory display.
“Sten,” Amrin whispered softly, tightening her fingers around my arm. “There he is.”
I guided us through the crowd immediately, shielding her body instinctively from jostling students and drunken Shifters.
A nearby pie-eating contest involving wiggle-berries nearly made me gag.
Disgusting things.
Some Monsters apparently loved them.
Psychopaths.
I kept my attention split carefully between the environment and Amrin herself while we moved through the festival.
No threats nearby.
No sign of Gunner.
Good.
Because if that Wolf looked at her wrong tonight, I genuinely might commit murder in formalwear.
Eventually we reached Professor Franco.
I pressed a gentle hand against the small of Amrin’s back, guiding her forward supportively.
She squeezed my hand once before letting go.
A tiny gesture.
But intimate enough to tighten my chest painfully.
Brave little butterfly.
“Professor, excuse me,” she said.
Her nervousness radiated through the bond immediately.
I wanted to kiss it away.
Instead I stood quietly beside her while she handed over the assignment folder.
Franco practically lit up reading it.
“This is very thorough, Miss Cordoza!”
Pride surged through me immediately.
Of course it was thorough.
She worked harder than anyone gave her credit for.
The professor looked toward me next.
“Ah! Sten, good to see you. Excellent celestial mapping work as always. Oh, and Uzzi Stregovich told me to tell you he’d be giving you a call.”
I nodded politely.
I knew all about the Witch matchmaker from Earth. But now was not the time.
Professor Franco turned back toward Amrin.
“Alright, tell me quickly now, what did you discover?”
My attention sharpened instantly.
Because while I already knew the answer—I had no idea if she would say it aloud.
Amrin inhaled shakily.
Then confessed she liked astronomy.
“Well, actually, professor, it turns out I don’t hate this class,” she said and laughed shyly.
The sheer vulnerable honesty in her voice made my chest ache.
Gods.
Everything about her was beautiful.
Franco beamed.
Then he casually asked if I was her date.
Date.
The word irritated me irrationally.
I was not some temporary festival escort.
I opened my mouth immediately to correct him—and froze.
Because Amrin looked directly at me then.
Her pale eyes glowing softly beneath the blue moonlight.
Emotion trembled visibly across her face while her brows furrowed slightly like she was realizing something enormous in real time.
Then softly—almost wonderingly—she said it for me.
“Actually, he’s mine,” she said.
He’s mine.
My entire world stopped.
The bond snapped violently tight beneath my ribs.
Amrin claimed me.
Publicly.
Without knowing the full truth.
Without understanding what she’d truly just done.
Mine.
The possessive instinct inside me roared with absolute triumph.
And in that moment, beneath the rising blue moon and the glowing skies of Asgarheim, I knew with terrifying certainty there was no force in existence capable of separating us.
Not now.
Not ever.