Page 14
LUNA
I watched as Ash deftly chopped the ingredients for a simple green salad.
Connor fried the steak. It felt strangely domestic.
Like the rest of their home, their kitchen was modern, only a few years old, and meticulously tidy.
You’d never guess two guys lived here. Jessica, my only friend from my foster care days, would not believe the situation I’d stumbled into.
I guessed I couldn’t actually tell her. She’d think I needed to be admitted to a psychiatric facility.
Ash’s hair was dark and relatively short but curled slightly as it dried.
I had an absurd urge to run my fingers through it.
I wondered where that thought came from.
I never initiated physical contact. But this connection I felt with him was almost physical; I could reach out and feel him, even if I didn’t touch him.
I wanted my Kindle so I could download some books—something to distract me, maybe gather some clues about wolves and mates and everything that had changed.
It was strange, sitting down to dinner with Ash and Connor.
Almost like I hadn’t turned into a wolf, been attacked, or woken up here with two impossibly attractive guys who told me I was one of their mates, both of their family.
And that Ash would go insane if I didn’t consummate with him.
I tried not to think too much about that, because I was pretty sure they could smell any shift in my emotions, and they were in tune. It made it hard to hide anything.
“Please, tell us something about yourself, Luna,” Ash said, breaking the comfortable silence.
I thought for a second. “I love to read. Books take up the most weight of the few things I drag around.” I didn’t mention that my Kindle was nearly always in my bag, something to hold onto when everything else felt too unsteady.
“I like to read too,” he said with a soft smile. I couldn’t imagine him sitting around reading; he seemed so full of kinetic energy.
I looked at Connor. “Oh, I love to read. My to-read pile is longer than the time I’ll ever have.”
We traded soft bits of information back and forth, like easy banter between friends. It felt surprisingly normal.
The steak was exactly what I needed, but the portion was double what I could eat in one sitting.
“You gonna finish that?” Ash asked, eyeing it with a teasing smile.
“No, I’m full.” I pushed the plate away slightly.
“May I?” he asked, raising an eyebrow, his voice lighter than before.
I gestured toward the plate. “Sure.”
He didn’t need to be asked twice. The steak was gone in seconds, and I couldn’t help but marvel at how quickly he’d devoured it. They wouldn’t let me help clean up, so I excused myself to the bathroom, needing a moment away from their intense focus.
The bathroom was a small but thoughtful space.
They’d left a toothbrush, toothpaste, comb on the counter, and shampoo, conditioner, and body wash in the shower.
The citrus scent was refreshing, and I let the water run over my hands, wishing it could wash away my thoughts, the weight of everything pressing down on me.
When I returned to the living room, they were sprawled on the couch—one at each end, facing the TV. But I could feel their attention on me, like a tangible force. It was as if they were waiting for me to decide something, but what? Whether I would sit between them or not?
I hesitated, unsure. The gap between them was wide enough for me to choose safety or distance. The way their eyes lingered on me made me feel exposed and cared for. I couldn’t quite explain it, but I knew it was real. They meant it when they said I had a choice.
With a deep breath, I carefully sat down, dead center between them. Even though there was a physical space between us, I could feel the heat from both of them; their proximity reminded me of the intensity I didn’t know how to manage.
“What sorts of movies do you like?” Connor asked, his voice warm, like he was genuinely interested. It made me feel heard, in a way.
“Mystery thrillers—nothing too scary. And comedies, I guess. What do you guys like?”
“A bit of everything,” Ash said, grinning. “Mostly thrillers. We don’t mind scary—since we’re usually more dangerous than the villains.”
Connor added, “But we’ll pick something you enjoy.”
I smiled softly, appreciating the gesture. We settled on a thriller mini-series based on a famous writer’s book. The rating was R13, so I hoped there wouldn’t be any graphic sex scenes.
Connor stretched his legs out, putting them up on the coffee table.
Seeing him, so much taller than me, made me acutely aware of my smallness.
I couldn’t reach the table if I tried. As I leaned my head back on the couch, I felt an odd mixture of comfort and tension in the air.
The last two days had been exhausting and overwhelming.
Sometimes I wondered if I’d wake up and this would all be some strange, wild dream— a dream where two hot men wanted to protect me, give me a home.
I tried to push the thought away, but it lingered. Was I dreaming?
When I finally gave in, my body was exhausted, and the rhythm of the TV’s soundtrack lulled me into a daze. Its soft, rhythmic hum seemed to echo in my bones, and despite myself, I felt the edges of my consciousness blur.
I woke to the soft press of warmth against my side, a hard, steady presence enveloping me.
My heart jolted for a second, and before I could fully process what was happening, strong arms slid beneath my knees and around my back, lifting me effortlessly.
I curled into the heat, inhaling his scent—woodsy, with a trace of something earthy.
I didn’t have to look to know it was Ash.
A short walk, his strides long, and we were in the room I was staying in. My room. It felt strange to think of it as mine. Ash laid me down gently, and for a moment, he seemed ready to pull away.
But before he could, I grabbed his hand. My fingers instinctively curled around his, holding him there with a mix of want and something else—something more primal that I wasn’t ready to name.
“It’s late, Luna,” he whispered, his voice quiet but firm.
I didn’t want to be alone. I didn’t want to sleep alone in this strange place, not with everything that had happened and was still unfolding. My heart raced, but I closed my eyes and pulled him closer. “Stay.”
I felt the bed dip as Ash shifted to accommodate me. His warmth cocooned me, and I settled in, tucking myself into the crook of his shoulder. The steady rhythm of his breath calmed me, a quiet lullaby in the middle of everything that had been so chaotic.
He didn’t say anything more; I didn’t need him to. In the silence, I found a strange kind of peace, so odd that I could almost forget how surreal this was.
I was asleep again in moments.
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
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- Page 5
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- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14 (Reading here)
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
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- Page 32
- Page 33
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- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39