Page 61

Seraphina inhaled deeply and stopped resisting. The transformation accelerated, her bones cracking and reshaping as fur sprouted across her skin. The pain was intense but fleeting, and within moments, she found herself on four paws, her senses exploding with new information.

The world had transformed. Scents bombarded her—the salt of the ocean, the musk of Orion's skin, and the subtle perfume of tropical flowers carried on the breeze. She could hear the heartbeat of a bird nesting in a palm tree fifty yards away. The moonlight painted the beach in shades of silver that her human eyes could never have perceived.

Orion shifted beside her, his massive gray form materializing with practiced ease. His wolf was magnificent—powerful shoulders, intelligent silver-golden eyes, and a coat that shimmered like smoke in the moonlight.

You're beautiful,his voice resonated in her mind, their mate bond allowing communication without words.A white wolf with markings like the night sky. Perfect for the Luna of the Starlight pack.

Seraphina glanced down at her paws, then caught her reflection in a puddle of seawater nearby. Her wolf was elegant and lithe with pristine white fur dotted with black patches that indeed resembled stars scattered across a snowy landscape. Her eyes remained the same vibrant green.

This feels...incredible,she projected, amazed at the ease with which she'd taken to this new form. It felt right as though she'd been incomplete her entire life without knowing it.

Orion gently nudged her shoulder with his muzzle.Come. Run with me, Luna.

He took off down the beach, and without conscious thought, Seraphina bounded after him. Her new body moved with breathtaking speed and grace, paws digging into the cool sand as she chased her mate under the silver moon. Every muscle worked in perfect harmony, and freedom—pure, unadulterated freedom—coursed through her veins.

She caught up to Orion, playfully nipping at his flank before darting ahead. His answering growl was one of delight rather than warning, and he redoubled his pace to give chase. They raced along the shoreline, weaving between driftwood and splashing through the shallow surf, their movements a perfect dance of push and pull.

I never imagined feeling this alive,Seraphina marveled as they paused atop a small dune, the island spread out before them.Is it always like this?

Orion's wolf pressed against her side, his larger form providing warmth in the cooling night air.It gets better. You're part of something ancient and beautiful now. You're home, Seraphina. You've finally found where you truly belong.

She looked out at the ocean, then back toward the distant lights of the castle, and finally at her mate beside her. For the first time in her thirty years, the pieces fell into perfect alignment. The stars she'd spent years studying now seemed toshimmer in approval from above, and the wolf inside her howled with joy.

Without thinking, Seraphina tilted her head back and let out a long, melodious howl that carried across the island—the first of many as the Luna of the Starlight pack.

EPILOGUE

Seraphina stood before the full-length mirror, hardly recognizing the woman who gazed back at her. Three weeks ago, she had been an astronomer with a logical worldview. Now, she was a wolf shifter with precognitive abilities about to marry the four-hundred-year-old alpha king of the Starlight pack.

The transformation wasn't just spiritual or supernatural—it showed in her physical appearance too. Her skin glowed with vitality, her green eyes sparkled with newfound confidence, and her black hair, styled in loose waves cascading down her back, shimmered with starlight.

"Hold still," Macie instructed, adjusting the crystal hairpiece that anchored Seraphina's simple veil. "If you keep bouncing, I'm going to stab you with this pin."

"Sorry." Seraphina inhaled slowly, trying to calm the excitement bubbling inside her. "I just can't believe this is happening."

Abby circled her, her blonde friend's reflection appearing beside Seraphina's in the mirror as she tugged at the strapless bodice of the wedding gown. "I mean, seriously? You disappear for a few days, and come back engaged to a freaking wolf kingwith a private island? And now you can turn into a gorgeous white wolf and see the future?" She threw her hands up dramatically. "And I thought I was living my best life when I scored free VIP passes to Eclipse last summer!"

Seraphina laughed, the sound lighter than it had been in years. Her wolf—that once-dormant part of herself—hummed with contentment beneath her skin, recognizing that in less than an hour, she would be officially bound to her mate in human tradition as well as wolf.

"You look absolutely stunning," Verna said, her normally efficient demeanor softened with genuine emotion. She straightened the train of Seraphina's gown, the delicate fabric embroidered with tiny crystals that caught the light like stars. "The king won't be able to take his eyes off you."

A flush crept up Seraphina's neck at the thought of Orion waiting for her at the end of the aisle. Even after three weeks of sharing his bed, his castle, and his life, her body still responded to his mere presence like a compass finding true north.

"Speaking of hunky wolf kings," Abby said, wiggling her eyebrows as she applied a final touch of blush to Seraphina's cheeks, "any chance there's a spare royal shifter lying around for me? I'm not picky—prince, duke, knight of the realm. I just need someone with those gorgeous wolf eyes and preferably abs like your man."

Macie snorted. "Trust me, you don't want to get mixed up with shifters. They're all insufferably stubborn. Just ask Chance how many arguments we've had about proper surfboard storage."

"But the making up must be worth it." Abby winked.

Seraphina felt another wave of heat rush to her cheeks, thinking of how Orion's stubbornness manifested in the bedroom—his dominant need to claim her and possess hercompletely. The mate bond between them thrummed with anticipation.

"Trust me," Seraphina murmured, a small smile playing on her lips, "it is."

A gentle knock at the door preceded Bertram's entrance, the elder's face creased with a smile. "It's time, my Luna."

His announcement sent a thrill through Seraphina. Not just to be Orion's wife soon, but to officially be the Luna of the Starlight pack—a leader, protector, and the spiritual center of the pack. The responsibility had terrified her at first, but now it felt right, as if she'd been preparing for this role her entire life without knowing it.

"How does he look?" Seraphina asked, her voice slightly breathless.