Page 25

"The connection," Macie said simply. "It only gets stronger."

Across the room, as if on cue, Orion's eyes lifted to meet hers. Even from this distance, the intensity of his gaze sent a current through her body that made her fingers tingle. The room seemed to shrink, the space between them charged with something Seraphina couldn't name but felt down to her bones.

Seraphina couldn't look away. Orion's steel-gray eyes held hers across the crowded dining room, and something primitive and electric arced between them. Her heart skipped several beats before settling into a rapid rhythm that matched the pulse now throbbing in her neck. The sensation wasn't entirely unpleasant—rather like standing at the edge of a cliff and feeling the vertigo of possibility.

Macie cleared her throat beside her. "And that's our cue," she murmured, nudging Chance with her elbow.

"Right." Chance pushed back from the table with a knowing smile. "We should check on... that thing."

"Very subtle." Macie rolled her eyes, but her smile was kind as she touched Seraphina's shoulder. "We'll catch up later."

Seraphina barely registered their departure. She sat alone at the massive table, her palms sweating against the fine linennapkin while Orion continued his conversation with the elderly gentleman. The man nodded several times before glancing in her direction with undisguised curiosity.

When Orion finally approached her, his presence filled the space like gravity, unavoidable and all-encompassing. The elderly man followed, his face kind but deeply lined as though he'd spent centuries smiling.

"Seraphina." Orion's voice was a physical caress that raised goose bumps along her arms. "I'd like you to meet Bertram, one of our most respected elders."

Bertram extended a weathered hand. "The pleasure is mine, young lady."

Something about his grandfatherly demeanor instantly put Seraphina at ease. She took his hand, surprised by the strength in his grip. "It's nice to meet someone who doesn't look at me like I'm either cargo or crazy."

Bertram chuckled, the sound warm and rich with genuine amusement. "I've seen too much in my years to find anything truly crazy anymore."

"Then maybe you can tell me what's happening to me? These visions I keep having—seeing things before they happen. I thought I was losing my mind," Seraphina said quietly.

"Your powers have awakened." Bertram stated plainly, as though discussing the weather. "It's a remarkable gift, though disorienting at first, I imagine."

"Powers?" Seraphina repeated, the word both exhilarating and terrifying. "How? Why? I've spent my whole life in the realm of proven science."

"Perhaps we should continue this conversation somewhere more private." Bertram glanced around the dining room. "The observatory might be fitting, given your profession."

"I'd like to join you," Orion interjected, his tone making it sound less like a request and more like a statement of fact.Noticing Seraphina's hesitation, he added, "I promise to let Bertram do the talking."

"Fine." Seraphina stood, smoothing her dress. "But I have questions—lots of them."

"As you should." Bertram's eyes crinkled at the corners.

The observatory felt different in the late evening hours, more intimate somehow. Seraphina felt a twinge of professional excitement despite her circumstances.

Bertram moved directly to a wall of leather-bound books, his fingers skimming the spines with practiced familiarity before pulling out a large volume. The cover was worn at the edges, the title embossed in faded silver: "The History and Lineage of the Starlight Pack."

"Your visions," Bertram began, opening the book to reveal handwritten pages and delicate illustrations, "are the first manifestation of your Luna powers."

"Luna?" Seraphina glanced at Orion, who stood with arms crossed near the doorway, his expression unreadable.

"The mate to the Alpha King," Bertram explained. "Each Luna's powers awaken on her thirtieth birthday, preparing her to stand beside her mate and guide the pack."

Seraphina's scientific mind rebelled. "That's... that's not possible."

"Says the woman who sees the future," Orion commented dryly.

Bertram turned a page in the book, revealing an illustration of a woman surrounded by stars, her hands raised toward the moon. "The Luna is the heart of the pack—our spiritual center. Her powers complement the king's strength, bringing balance."

Seraphina stared at the illustration, the woman's face eerily similar to her own. A chill ran down her spine as pieces began clicking into place. "And you think I'm... this Luna?"

"We know you are," Orion's deep voice resonated through the room. His eyes flashed with something ancient and primal that made Seraphina's breath hitch.

Bertram gestured toward Orion, his weathered hands moving with deliberate purpose. "Step closer, Orion. Let her feel your presence. She needs to understand the bond that exists between the Alpha King and his Luna."