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Seraphina's stomach tightened as Orion's gaze locked onto hers. He moved with the deliberate grace of a predator, each step calculated and measured. The way he looked at her, like she was the only person in the room, in the world—made her pulse quicken. She took an involuntary step back, her hands gripping the edge of the observatory table for support.

"I don't think this is necessary," she protested, her voice trembling slightly. "I'm not?—"

"Trust me, child," Bertram interrupted, his tone gentle but firm. "There's a reason for this. The bond between a Luna and her alpha is unlike anything you've ever experienced. It’s not just about power—it's about balance. Let us show you."

"I can't just summon these visions," Seraphina argued, her knuckles whitening as she gripped the table harder. "They happen when they happen. I don't have any control over them."

"That's where you're wrong," Bertram said, a knowing smile curving his lips. "You can learn to manifest them. To control them. But first, you must allow yourself to feel the connection."

Orion was close now, so close she could smell the faint scent of pine and sea salt that clung to him. His presence was overwhelming, a force that demanded attention. "Close your eyes," Bertram instructed, his voice low and soothing.

Seraphina hesitated, her eyes flicking between Orion and Bertram. "This feels…ridiculous."

"Close them," Orion said, his voice a deep rumble that sent a shiver through her body. She couldn't refuse him, not when hespoke like that—like a king who expected obedience but wasn't cruel about it. Reluctantly, she let her eyelids flutter shut.

The moment her eyes closed, she felt it—a spark of electricity that seemed to ignite every nerve in her body. Orion's hand brushed against hers, and she gasped softly, the contact sending a jolt of heat straight to her core. Her mind spiraled, and suddenly she wasn't in the observatory anymore.

She saw herself—her hair wild, her skin flushed—standing in the center of a grand, moonlit bedroom. Orion was there, his hands on her waist, and his lips trailing fire along her neck. She could feel his breath hot against her skin, the roughness of his beard sending tingles through her body. His voice was low, a growl that vibrated through her chest as he whispered her name like a prayer.

His hands moved lower, his touch possessive but gentle. She arched into his touch, her body responding instinctively. The vision was vivid, every detail sharp—the way his muscles rippled under her fingertips, the way his eyes darkened with desire, and the way he looked at her as if she were the only thing that mattered. Heat pooled low in her belly, and she felt herself trembling.

When the vision faded, Seraphina's eyes snapped open, her chest heaving as if she had been running. She stumbled back, her face burning with a mix of embarrassment and lingering arousal. "What…what was that?" she stammered, her voice but a whisper.

Orion's expression was unreadable, but his eyes burned with something fierce and primal. "The bond," he said simply, his voice rough. "Our bond."

Bertram's gaze was steady, his hands folded calmly in front of him. "The Luna and her alpha are two halves of a whole. When you're near each other, the connection becomes stronger. What you saw—what you felt—that's just the beginning."

Seraphina shook her head, trying to clear the haze of desire that still clung to her. "This can't be real. I'm not—I don't—" She stopped, her mind spinning with questions and doubts.

Orion stepped closer again, his presence grounding her even as it unsettled her. "It's real," he said, his voice firm but not unkind. "And whether you believe it or not, it's part of who you are now."

She looked up at him, her eyes wide and searching. "How am I supposed to make sense of this? You're telling me I'm some kind of… queen? That I'm supposed to be withyou?" She gestured weakly between them. "This doesn't make sense."

"It will," Bertram said gently. "In time, it will. For now, just know that the visions you've been having—they're not a curse. They're a gift. And they're meant to guide you toward your destiny."

Seraphina's shoulders slumped, her defiance wavering. "I don't even know what that means."

She backed away from Orion until her spine pressed against the cool glass of the observatory window. Moonlight spilled across her shoulders, bathing her in silver as she struggled to process everything. The intimate vision still burned in her mind—his hands on her body, his lips on her skin—and she couldn't meet his eyes without feeling heat bloom in her cheeks.

"I need space," she managed, her voice barely a whisper. "This is too much."

To her surprise, Orion's lips suddenly lifted into a knowing smile. His eyes gleamed with something primal that made her stomach flip.

"That vision..." Orion said, his deep voice sending shivers through her. "It was quite illuminating."

Seraphina frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"Because we were holding hands during your vision, I saw it too." His smile broadened, revealing perfect white teeth. "Every detail."

"You're lying." The words tumbled out reflexively, but uncertainty gnawed at her. The way he looked at her, like he'd seen her naked soul, made her heart race.

Orion took a step toward her, his movements fluid and deliberate. "Should I describe what I saw? How my hands traced the curve of your hips, the softness of your?—"

"Stop!" Heat rushed to her face. The scientific part of her brain scrambled for explanations—coincidence, suggestion, mind-reading—but none felt adequate. "That's impossible."

"Much like seeing the future?" He arched an eyebrow, closing more distance between them.

Bertram cleared his throat loudly, reminding Seraphina they weren't alone. The elderly man looked distinctly uncomfortable, his eyes fixed firmly on the astronomical charts on the wall.