Page 15

Verna had informed him that Seraphina was awake. He had tracked her movements through the castle, watching through security feeds as she discovered the observatory. When he'd seen her face light up at the sight of the astronomical equipment, something inside his chest had tightened. His wolf had all but purred with satisfaction. Her wholesome appreciation for the stars aligned perfectly with their pack's reverence for the night sky.

But now, all that joy had vanished from her face, replaced by suspicion and anger. The candlestick trembled slightly in her grip.

"Kidnapper?" Orion's voice came out deeper than intended, a rumble that echoed through the domed room. "Is that how humans thank those who save their lives?"

He straightened to his full height, shoulders back, chin lifted. "I rescued you," he stated flatly. "Your home was broken into. You collapsed on the sidewalk. Another man was approaching your unconscious body with intentions I wouldn't care to guess at." He stepped closer, unintimidated by her makeshift weapon. "Would you have preferred I left you there?"

Seraphina's eyes widened slightly, but her grip on the candlestick didn't loosen. "If you rescued me, why not take me to a hospital? Or the police?"

A short, humorless laugh escaped his lips. "As the Luna, you should know we don't use human services to handle pack matters."

Orion watched her face, expecting recognition, understanding—anything but the blank confusion that greeted his words. His wolf stirred uneasily beneath his skin. How could she not know what he meant if she was the Luna?

The thought that had been circling his mind since meeting her on the beach returned with unsettling force. She felt like his Luna, his mate, his other half—everything in him recognized her. But if she truly didn't understand what he was talking about...

Seraphina stood frozen, confusion evident in every line of her body. She didn't respond to his statement about being the Luna. She just stared at him as if he were speaking another language.

His wolf pushed forward, demanding he claim what was his, and protect what belonged to him. But the man in him hesitated, sensing the delicate balance of the moment.

"You truly don't know, do you?" Orion asked quietly, the realization dawning on him with uncomfortable clarity. "What you are. What I am. What's happening to you."

He watched the play of emotions across Seraphina's face—confusion, fear, disbelief—and felt his wolf stir restlessly. This wasn't how finding his Luna was supposed to unfold. Their meeting should have been filled with recognition, not this bewildered standoff with a candlestick between them.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Seraphina said, her knuckles white around the brass candlestick. Her green eyes flashed, defiant despite her obvious confusion. "What do you mean by 'pack matters'? And who's 'we' versus 'humans'?" She swallowed hard, the pulse at her throat quickening. "Aren't you human?"

The question struck Orion as so fundamentally absurd that he nearly laughed. Four centuries of existence, and he'd never once been mistaken for merely human.

"No," he said simply. "I am a wolf shifter."

A startled laugh burst from Seraphina's lips, high and brittle with nervousness. "Right. And I'm Little Red Riding Hood." She backed up a step, brandishing the candlestick. "Is this some kind of cult thing? Because I'm not interested."

Orion's jaw tightened. His wolf clawed at him, demanding he prove their nature, and show this woman exactly what they were. But centuries of self-control kept the beast leashed. This situation required finesse, not dominance—a concept his wolf struggled to understand.

The realization that his Luna had no knowledge of shifters sent a chill through him. How could she be his mate and not know what he was? What she was meant to be? The mate bond pulsed between them, unmistakable to him but apparently imperceptible to her.

"I need a second opinion," he muttered, more to himself than to her. He moved toward the intercom on the wall, his eyes never leaving her. "Bring Bertram to the observatory," he instructed the staff member who answered. "Tell him it concerns Miss Seraphina."

"I don't know who Bertram is," Seraphina protested, shifting her weight as if preparing to make a run for it. "And I don't want to meet anyone. I want to go home."

Home. The word twisted something in Orion's chest. She didn't understand that this was her home now, that she belonged with him, with the pack.

"Your home was broken into," he reminded her, his voice gentler. "Remember? You collapsed outside. I brought you here for your safety."

"Then I'd like to go to the police here," she countered, lifting her chin. The defiance in the gesture sent a surge of heat through his blood. His Luna was no cowering female, even when afraid.

"There are no police on the island."

The words hung in the air between them. Orion watched comprehension dawn in those bright green eyes, followed swiftly by alarm. Her gaze darted to the windows of the observatory, where the last rays of sunset painted the sky in reds and purples over an endless expanse of ocean.

"Island?" Her voice was barely a whisper.

Orion felt the mate bond pull taut with her distress. It took every ounce of his control not to go wrap his arms around her and soothe away her fear. But his wolf knew better—a cornered creature was dangerous, even one as seemingly harmless as his human Luna.

Humans. Always so complicated. This was exactly why he avoided their world whenever possible.

He watched the color drain from Seraphina's face while she was processing this revelation. The candlestick in her handdipped slightly as her attention shifted to the darkening horizon visible through the observatory's windows.

"Yes, my private island. About thirty miles off Miami's coast," he replied, keeping his voice deliberately even. The less alarmed she appeared, the calmer his wolf remained. "You're perfectly safe here."