Page 36

THIRTEEN

SERAPHINA

The audacity of this man—king or not—to suggest she would end up institutionalized because of her psychic powers was infuriating. Seraphina inhaled sharply, the salty breeze doing nothing to cool her rising temper.

"How dare you," she hissed, shrugging his coat from her shoulders and thrusting it toward his chest. "You don't get to decide my fate or tell me I'm unstable. I've managed my entire life just fine without your help or your island of wolf people."

Orion caught his coat with one hand, his expression softening as he studied her. The wind tousled his hair, those bright eyes never leaving her face.

"That's not what I meant," Orion said, his deep voice gentler now. "You weren't experiencing visions before your thirtieth birthday. The world you knew made sense to you—the stars in their predictable orbits, the laws of physics, and the comfort of scientific explanation." He stepped closer, not intimidated by her anger. "But now you're experiencing something science can't explain, and the human world has no framework for understanding it."

She crossed her arms but found her anger beginning to deflate. He wasn't wrong. What would she tell her colleagues?Her friends? That she could see the future? They would think she had lost her mind.

"I don't want to control you, Seraphina," Orion continued. "I want to help you control this gift, so it doesn't control you."

The sincerity in his voice made her pause. "How?"

"Let me show you." He set his coat onto the white sand and extended his hand. "A simple meditation exercise."

Seraphina hesitated before placing her hand in his. The connection sent an immediate warmth shooting up her arm, but no vision this time—just an awareness, a heightened sense of him.

"Close your eyes," he instructed, his thumb making small circles on her palm. "Focus on your breathing first."

She did as he asked, feeling slightly foolish standing there on the beach with her eyes closed. The sound of waves crashing against the shore filled her ears.

"Now, instead of waiting for the visions to assault you, I want you to reach for one," Orion said softly. "Picture something—anything—and try to see beyond its present state."

Seraphina furrowed her brow. "That sounds impossible."

"You're an astronomer. You understand that stars exist in states we can only predict because light takes time to reach us. Your gift works similarly. You're seeing light—information—from moments that haven't reached everyone else yet."

The scientific analogy resonated with her. She squeezed his hand and concentrated, picturing the observatory where they'd stood yesterday.

At first, nothing happened. Then, like a lens coming into focus, she saw the observatory—not as it was yesterday, but as it would be tonight. The ceiling opened to the stars, a meteor shower streaking across the sky.

Her eyes flew open. "There's going to be a meteor shower tonight."

Orion's smile was triumphant. "You called the vision. You controlled it."

"But how do you know I'm right?"

"Because I've lived under these stars for a bit. The Leonids peak tonight." His eyes sparkled with appreciation. "That was remarkable, Seraphina. Most novice Lunas take weeks to achieve that level of control."

Pride bloomed in her chest. "It was... easier than I expected."

"That's because we're together." Orion stepped impossibly closer. "Our energies complement each other. The bond enhances your ability to channel your gift rather than being ambushed by it."

Seraphina found herself leaning toward him, drawn by some invisible force. "And if I leave?"

"You'll learn to manage it, eventually, but it will be harder, and probably lonelier." His hand moved to cup her cheek. "Everything is easier when mates are together. It's how we're designed."

"Mates," she repeated, testing the word on her tongue. Two days ago, she would have laughed at the concept. Now, standing before this alpha male who commanded not just a pack but her very senses, it didn't seem so absurd.

"Try another one," he encouraged. "Something more challenging."

Seraphina nodded, closing her eyes again. This time she pictured Orion himself, curious what the future might show her.

The vision that formed wasn't what she expected. It wasn't Orion in danger or Orion at some royal function. It was Orion laughing, his head thrown back in genuine joy, as she said something that amused him. The intimacy of it, the easy companionship it suggested, made her heart ache with longing.