Page 24

Orion's eyes narrowed dangerously. "History of the human race gives my prejudices ample foundation."

"And four centuries without a Luna has left our pack magic weaker than it should be," Bertram countered. "The pack needs her, human upbringing or not."

Orion exhaled sharply through his nose, his gaze drawn once again to her. Her laughter floated across the room. His wolf responded with a surge of possessive heat that threatened to override every logical objection.

"I need a moment to think," he growled, though his body was already leaning toward her, drawn by forces older than reason.

Bertram's knowing smile only irritated him further. "Of course, My King. Though I suspect your wolf has already made up its mind for you."

NINE

SERAPHINA

Seraphina twisted her napkin in her lap, feeling like an exotic bird in a gilded cage. The dining room's vaulted ceilings and medieval tapestries only amplified her sense of displacement. When Orion excused himself to consult with another serious-faced advisor, she slumped slightly in her chair, grateful for the momentary reprieve from his intimidating presence.

"That look on your face—I've worn it myself." Macie slid into the seat beside her, her warm smile bracketed by sun-kissed dimples. "First week here, I was convinced I'd accidentally joined some kind of island cult."

Despite herself, Seraphina laughed. "That's still on my list of possibilities."

"Along with alien abduction and elaborate birthday prank?" Macie's eyes danced with humor.

"Those are numbers three and four, respectively." Seraphina found herself relaxing as Macie's easy manner created a pocket of normalcy in this bizarre situation.

"The visions—they're overwhelming at first." Macie spoke in a hushed, understanding tone. "Mine started with small things—knowing exactly when the kettle would boil, seeing who was calling before picking up the phone."

Seraphina set down her napkin. "Wait—you have them too?"

"Not exactly like yours. Each of us manifests differently." Macie traced the rim of her wine glass. "But I remember that feeling of thinking you're losing your mind."

"How did you handle it?" Seraphina leaned forward, hungry for answers.

"Not well." Macie grinned. "I may have thrown a blender through Chance's window."

A deep chuckle preceded the arrival of the man in question. "I needed to replace that window anyway." Chance pulled up a chair, his tall frame somehow managing to appear relaxed and alert simultaneously. "I'd figured her hormones were just acting up."

Macie playfully smacked his arm. "Never tell a woman experiencing supernatural phenomena that it might be PMS."

Chance winked at Seraphina. "Lesson learned with the business end of a Cuisinart."

Their easy banter unwound something tight in Seraphina's chest. These people didn't seem like kidnappers or cultists—they felt... real.

"So, Orion really is a king?" Seraphina asked, glancing across the room where the man in question stood in deep conversation with an elderly gentleman.

"Four hundred years running," Chance nodded. "Longest-serving monarch in our history."

Seraphina nearly spit out her water. "Four hundred?—"

"Years," Macie confirmed. "Wolf shifters age differently."

"When he took over, the pack was scattered across three continents," Chance continued. "When the witch hunts started getting too close, he united our species and created safe havens like this island.”

"He gives off that whole brooding tyrant vibe," Macie added, "but you should see him with the pack children. They climb all over him like he's a jungle gym."

Seraphina couldn't help but glance toward Orion again. This time, she caught the briefest glimpse of a smile breaking through his stern expression as he spoke to the elderly man. The small gesture transformed his face, softening the hard angles into something devastatingly handsome.

"He feels it, you know," Macie whispered, catching Seraphina's wandering gaze. "Every time you look at him."

Heat rushed to Seraphina's cheeks. "I don't know what you mean."