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"I believe I should retire for the evening," he announced, edging toward the door. "These old bones need their rest."

Before leaving, he turned to Seraphina, his expression softening. "Should you choose to stay, you'll have help—from me and many others—in learning to control these powers. Our pack has awaited a Luna for centuries." His eyes twinkled. "No pressure, of course."

The door clicked shut behind him, leaving Seraphina alone with Orion and the weight of expectation.

"He means well," Orion said, his voice gentler than before. "They all do."

Seraphina gazed out at the stars, finding comfort in their distant, scientific certainty. "Yesterday, I was worried about the funding for my research project. Today, I'm apparently a wolf queen with psychic powers."

"Luna," he corrected, moving to stand beside her. Not touching, but close enough that she felt the heat radiating from his body. "And yes, you are."

The moonlight caught the silver in his hair, and despite everything, Seraphina couldn't help noticing how handsome he was—strong jawline softened by the hint of a smile and eyes that held centuries of stories.

"How can you be so certain?" she asked, genuinely curious. "What if your instincts are wrong?"

Orion's expression grew serious, his gaze intense. "Four hundred years, I've ruled alone. Four hundred years, I've felt something missing." He gestured toward the space between them. "Then this—this connection that sparks like lightning when we touch. That's not coincidence, Seraphina."

The way he said her name—like he was savoring each syllable—caused her heart to race. For a moment, she allowed herself to imagine what it might be like to belong here, to understand these powers growing inside her. To be with him.

"I need time," she said finally. "This is all happening so fast."

Orion nodded, respect tempering the desire in his eyes. "Time you shall have. But know this—" He moved closer until she could see the flecks of silver in his gray eyes. "What we saw in that vision? That's only the beginning of what we could be together."

The promise in his words sent a thrill through her that was equal parts excitement and terror. For the first time, Seraphina couldn't calculate the odds or predict the outcome. And somehow, standing in the moonlight with this impossibly sexy man, that uncertainty felt strangely like freedom.

TEN

ORION

Moonlight filtered through the massive observatory window, bathing Seraphina in an ethereal glow that made the yellow sundress she wore seem almost luminescent against her tanned skin.

She stepped away from Orion slightly, her fingers brushing nervously against the fabric of her dress. "I have a lot to think about. I should go back to my bedroom suite."

Something primal in him bristled at her retreat. The wolf would have to wait a little while longer.

"That's fine," Orion said, tamping down his desire to chase. "But before you go, would you like to see the stars?"

Her hesitation told him everything. The astronomer in her couldn't resist, no matter how much she wanted to maintain her distance.

Orion strode to the control panel with the confidence of a man who had operated it countless times. His fingers moved with practiced precision across the switches and dials. "The third lever opens the eastern quadrant," he explained, pulling it down with a smooth motion that sent a mechanical hum reverberating through the room. "And the fourth, the western."

The domed ceiling parted like a blooming flower, and the night sky revealed itself in all its glory—stars scattered across the darkness like diamonds on black velvet. Orion watched her reaction, drinking in the wonder that transformed her face.

Her professional curiosity overrode her caution. She moved to the central telescope, her fingers caressing the brass tube with the reverence of a devotee. She adjusted the eyepiece and leaned forward to look.

"Oh!" The soft exclamation of awe was better than any declaration of intent. Her body relaxed, her guard lowering as she lost herself in the celestial display.

Pride swelled in his chest. His ancestors had built this observatory six centuries ago, constantly improving it over the generations. Now it served its most important purpose—captivating his Luna.

Orion folded his arms across his chest, watching as Seraphina forgot all about returning to her room and instead moved from telescope to telescope, making adjustments with expert precision.

"Everything in here can belong to you," he said, his voice resonant in the cavernous space. The wolf in him recognized this as a gift offering—the oldest form of courtship. "Anything missing, I'll make sure we acquire it. Whatever your heart desires can be yours."

She looked up from a particularly powerful reflector telescope, her green eyes wide. "You can't just give away an entire observatory."

"I'm king," he replied simply. "I can give whatever I wish to my queen."

Her cheeks flushed at that, and she turned quickly back to the eyepiece.