Chapter 5 - Follow Your Heart

As Kaleigh and Dominick walked into the reception tent holding hands, Luna Leila was watching from across the room with a smile. She could tell that Kaleigh had found her mate, and it looked as if she had not rejected him yet. Leila knew this young man was Lenny's best man and a future alpha, but that was all she knew. If Kaleigh was willing to hold his hand without looking like she was in fear, Leila was sure something was unique about him. Still, she decided to go introduce herself.

"Hi, Kaleigh. I haven't seen you in a while. Is everything okay?" Leila was speaking to Kaleigh but looking at Dominick.

"Yes, Luna, everything is fine. Luna Leila, this is Dominick, next in line to be Alpha of the White Raven Pack. He is also my mate." She said the last part quietly, still not believing it herself.

Dominick was grinning ear to ear, hearing Kaleigh introduce him as her mate. Ash picked up on it too and was doing a happy dance in Dominick's head. Dominick held his hand out to the Luna.

“Nice to meet you Luna Leila. Allie is a wonderful girl. Lenny is a very lucky man." He could tell the Luna was still scrutinizing him. Dominick knew from the talk with Kaleigh that her aunt was one of the only people who knew about her being unique, so he was sure she was protective of her niece.

"It's a pleasure, Dominick. Lenny is a wonderful young man as well. Now, Kaleigh, have you talked to your mate here?" Leila spoke quietly. Even though they were in a corner and the tent was so loud you couldn't hear anything, she didn't want anyone overhearing their conversation.

"Yes, I explained everything to him in detail." Kaleigh glanced toward Dominick, and he smiled at her while squeezing her hand in encouragement.

"We decided to get to know one another before I make up my mind about what I want to do. Dominick isn't going to rush me into anything."

Leila was shocked.  When mates found each other, they usually wanted to mark each other as quickly as possible. You didn't spend time getting to know one another in their world because the Moon Goddess picked your mate for you.

When an alpha met their mate, they were usually marked and mated within a couple of days because the mate bond with their fated mate made the Alpha stronger. Leila had never heard of an Alpha or any male willing to wait until the female was ready. She had even more respect for Dominick. Leila could also see that he was already smitten with her young niece.

"That is very kind of you, Dominick. Thank you for understanding Kaleigh's situation. You are more than welcome to stay here with us so you two can spend some time together unless there is a need for you to return to your pack right away?" Leila tested him to see how serious he was about what he had promised Kaleigh. He was not an Alpha yet, so he should be able to stay away from his pack for a short time.

"Thank you, Luna. Yes, I would like to stay here for now. I will let my parents know what's going on and that I will not be returning right away. I see Lenny waving me over. Kaleigh, I'll catch up with you in a little bit." He looked into her eyes and squeezed her hand before walking toward Lenny. Dominick could tell Luna Leila wanted to speak to Kaleigh alone. He understood as much as it pained him to let go of his mate's hand.

Kaleigh was surprised at the disappointment that washed over her when Dominick walked away. While touching, she felt strong, like they were one unit. As soon as they were separated, Kaleigh missed Dominick even though he was just across the room talking to Lenny and staring at her. She felt a little relief come over her when he smiled and winked at her. Kaleigh turned toward her aunt, who had a little smirk on her face.

"So, Kaleigh, it appears you may have changed your mind a little about rejecting your mate the minute you met him?" Leila raised her eyebrow while Kaleigh blushed.

"I didn't expect my mate to be so understanding and kind. When I told Dominick about myself and the danger I would be putting him in by being his mate, he wasn't upset. Instead, he took my hand and said we were partners and would get through it together. He was very adamant that he would do everything to protect me. I still don't know what to do, Luna; I am so torn. I was sure that the best thing to do would be to reject my mate immediately, but I never thought the mate bond would be so powerful. I just met Dominick and can see him across the room, but I miss him. What should I do? Skylar tells me to trust our mate." Kaleigh looked at Dominick again, and he was still staring at her. She felt her heart flutter a little. Leila took Kaleigh's hand in hers.

"Kaleigh, dear, follow your heart. He seems very genuine, and to be willing to go slow is unheard of, but he is willing to do that for you. I see how he looks at you, and I believe he will do everything he can to protect you, as he said. Get to know him. Spend this time that he will stay here to talk and see where it goes. You deserve to be happy, Kaleigh, and the way you are looking at him right now, I can see that you believe he will make you happy too." Kaleigh looked down at the ground. She was still worried something would go wrong.

"I feel that he can make me happy, Luna, but I can't forget that it will jeopardize us if what I am is found out. What if I go with him and we have cubs? I will be putting their lives in danger too. I can deal with it only being me that can be killed, but not Dominick or our future cubs." Kaleigh felt her eyes tearing up at the thought of anything happening to her mate because of her.

"Kaleigh, look at me.  You are the only one who can defeat these evil witches. Stop doubting yourself. You have the magic to end them forever. If they find out about you and come after you, you can finish them, not the other way around. You are the holder of the precious stone. They cannot touch you unless they get that stone from you. White Raven Pack is a strong warrior pack.  Talk to Dominick and really get to know him and his pack. Make your mind up for yourself and not what you think is the right thing to do. Follow your heart, Kaleigh. It will not lead you wrong."  Kaleigh smiled at her aunt and hugged her. She truly loved her like a second mother. She would've been lost without her and the Alpha taking her in.

"Thank you, Luna. I will do what you said and see where this goes.  Now I better spend some time with Allie before she thinks I deserted her on her wedding day." They smiled at each other just as Allie came running their way with a huge smile on her face.

"Kaleigh, where have you been? I have been looking all over for you." Allie was bouncing on her feet.

"Sorry, I was talking with someone and lost track of time. I'm all yours now, Allie." Allie grabbed her hand and started pulling her across the room.

"We need pictures of the wedding party. Lenny and I got ours done, but we need to get the ones with all the bridesmaids and groomsmen. What did you think about Lenny's best friend Dominick, that walked with you down the aisle?  He is a super nice guy. He will be Alpha, but he's waiting to find his mate before taking over."

Kaleigh took a deep breath. She didn't want to tell Allie about Dominik being her mate yet. Today was Allie's day, and Kaleigh didn't want to take anything away from her. Allie didn't expect her to answer anyway as she kept going a mile a minute.

They walked outside, where everyone was waiting for them. Kaleigh's eyes quickly went to Dominick, where several she-wolves tried to talk to him. Skylar started growling in her head, and Kaleigh felt jealousy for the first time. However, she could tell Dominick was not even looking at them. He was looking at her, and he left them without a word to come to her side. She couldn't help but feel a little smug when she saw the disappointment on the she-wolves' faces.

"Everything okay, Kaleigh?" Dominick couldn't help himself; he had to touch her. He reached for Kaeligh's hand and felt calm from the contact. Allie's eyes got big watching her cousin. She had never seen her interested in anyone before.

"Kaleigh, what's going on?" Allie watched Kaleigh blush, which surprised her even more; Kaleigh wasn't the blushing type.

"I didn't want to say anything because today is your day, but Dominick is my mate." Allie jumped up and down to Kaleigh's surprise, squealing with delight.

"Do you know what this means, Kaleigh? We will still be living together in the same pack. You as the Luna and me as the Beta's mate. You just gave me the best present ever." Allie hugged both Kaleigh and Dominick before running over to Lenny.

"Wow, I didn't think she would have that reaction, but I guess she's right. If we're mates, she and I will still be part of the same pack." Dominick hadn't said anything, so Kaleigh looked over at him, and he had a worried look on his face. "What's wrong?"

"I just don't want you to feel pressured, Kaleigh.  I want you to want me for me, not because of the mate bond. That's important because I never want you to regret your decision." Kaleigh felt a little pinch in her heart. Was he saying this because he was having second thoughts?

"Dominick, please tell me now if you have a change of heart. I will understand if you don't want to be my mate." Kaleigh looked away as her eyes filled with tears.  Dominick put his hand on her cheek and turned her face back to his.

"Kaleigh, I have wanted to mark you from the first moment I saw you. I'm holding back because I honestly want to get to know you, and I want you to tell me you are ready. I'm not going to give up no matter what. I want you, Kaleigh, more than I have ever wanted anything in my life, but I will not force you to be with me." Dominick reached for her other hand, so now he was holding both of her hands, and she was facing him. "Kaleigh, I want this to work, and I will do everything I can to make you feel the same way."

Kaleigh thought her heart was going to burst.  How could he make her feel like this when they had just met? It felt like more than just the mate bond. She wanted to jump in his arms and tell him to take her wherever he wanted, but her head told her to take it slow. Skylar was in her head, panting, ready to jump his bones.

"Thank you, Dominick, for understanding. I want this to work as well, but I just have to make sure everyone is safe before making a decision." Kaleigh let go of his hands and put her arms around him to hug him. Dominick was so shocked that, at first, he didn't react.  He quickly recovered and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly. For a few minutes, they stood like that, enjoying the sparks running through their bodies from the contact. When they pulled apart, they were both smiling. They then walked hand in hand over to Allie and Lenny to get the pictures over with.