Chapter 33

Aria's POV I felt something break in me at Shawn's words. “How do you know that I can do it?” I whispered, hating how exposed and vulnerable I sounded. Shawn smiled genuinely. “Because I can see a quiet strength in you. You were previously the mate of an alpha, now you're the mate of the alpha king himself. The moon goddess must have seen some qualities in you that qualify you to be a Luna.” His words left me speechless, and I blinked rapidly to fight the tears that wanted to fall. It wasn’t just what he said, but how he said it—with such conviction and belief. “At first, I was scared for you, but when I saw how you courageously confronted the Alpha King yesterday, insisting on what you wanted, I knew that the moon goddess did not make a mistake. Nobody could ever dare that with him, but you did it so easily.” The image of Astrid leaving Knox's office flashed through my mind, but I ignored it. He shrugged. “That's why I know that you can handle it.” “Thank you, Shawn,” I said quietly,