Page 54 of A Luna’s Dynasty (Celestial #1)

L ita rubbed her hair with a towel as she stepped into the kitchen, eyeing the impressive spread of snacks. Kristen glanced up from a mountain of junk food, grinning. "You’re just in time," she said, voice nearly lost in the chaos.

"I don’t know how you managed everything so fast." Lita’s lips parted as her eyes scanned over everything.

Kristen winked. "Got everything but the anise cookies." The two ladies softly giggled as Caspian and Grayson attempted to slink away, but Lita caught them with a playful command that froze them in their tracks.

"You guys planning on hiding behind the couch?" she called out, one eyebrow raised.

Grayson glanced over his shoulder, caught mid-step. "Just thought we'd secure the seats."

Caspian nodded, trying for innocence. "You know, do the heavy lifting."

Kristen threw a handful of popcorn at them, rolling her eyes. "You'll be doing the heavy eating, too. Might as well help out."

Lita put her hands on her hips, surveying her captives. "Alright, Caspian. You’re on punch duty. Grayson, you’re my cookie-making partner."

"Sounds more like punishment than duty," Caspian joked, tossing his coat onto a chair.

Lita laughed. "Don’t worry, I’ll give you extra credit if it’s drinkable."

Caspian and Grayson exchanged a look before resigning themselves to the inevitable, moving toward their stations.

Lita joined Grayson by the mixer, lining up ingredients for the cookie dough.

The clamor of activity made her smile, the small moment of togetherness feeding the part of her that always longed to belong.

"Chocolate chips or peanut butter?" Grayson asked, his brow furrowing as he considered the options.

Lita paused, tapping her chin with a finger. "Both. No such thing as too much when it comes to cookies."

Grayson chuckled, “Couldn’t have asked for a more perfect charge.”

“And don’t you forget it!”

“You know …” Grayson turned to look at her with a small smile on his lips. “This suits you, too. I’ve always looked at you as the fairy princess, but being a luna seems to also fit.”

She hesitated, her heart catching at his words. "It's been crazy. I never expected—" She broke off, a soft laugh escaping her. "Well, any of it. But I’m still just me. I don’t feel like a princess or a luna. Just … Lita.”

“And that is all anyone needs … for you to be yourself.”

They worked together, side by side, laughter punctuating their efforts as the dough came together. She savored this. Every casual word, every fleeting look that said she was finally home.

Caspian joined them with a finished bowl of punch, an exaggerated sigh escaping his lips. "You'll both be impressed to know I made this all by myself. With zero supervision."

Kristen made a face, peering at the colorful liquid. "What's in it?"

"A special blend," Caspian replied, smirking. "Mainly fruit juice."

"Caspian, I'm really glad we’re friends. I'm sorry I forgot you. It—it hurt when I remembered, knowing how close we were and that I didn’t even know you when I saw you. It must have hurt you to remember me, especially since I looked at you like a stranger.”

He waved a dismissive hand, but his eyes were soft, touched. "I understood it all. Magic made you forget. It was necessary to stop you from realizing who you really were. I’m happy you remember me now and all the shenanigans we used to get into.”

“I remember when you peed in the lake and a kelpie came out and scolded you.” Lita giggled as Caspian’s face grew red.

“I didn’t know anyone was there or that it was anyone’s home.” Caspian cleared his throat and ladled a small amount of juice into a cup. “Okay, who’s tasting this first?”

The group took small turns tasting the surprisingly good concoction as the sweet smell of cookies baking filled the room.

Lita grinned, her mood shifting back to playful as she leaned toward Caspian. "You do know there’s a horde of women in the pack who adore you, right? I bet they're missing you right now."

He played along, puffing his chest in mock arrogance. "I can’t help it if I’m irresistible."

Grayson snorted, grabbing a tray of cookies from the oven. "Please. Your attractant scent is not as good as these cookies.”

“Should we ask the ladies which they would rather sample?” Caspian smirked, then grimaced as Grayson raised his fairy barrier. “Hey! That’s foul play.”

“Whoops. Gotta get a handle on that.” Grayson chuckled as he began setting cookies on the tray, making sure to sample the last cookie for himself.

“Hey now.”

“What? I have to test for poison. Can’t let anything happen to the princess.”

“Grayson, we made the cookies together.”

“Never can be too careful.” He grinned as the cookie crumbled from his mouth.

The banter wrapped around Lita like a warm blanket, its familiarity and affection a gift.

They loaded the finished snacks onto trays, and the clatter of bowls and spoons faded into the comfortable symphony of laughter and togetherness.

Asher walked back to the pack house, each step heavy with Felicia's parting words.

"Everything is going to be okay," she'd insisted, tears threatening to spill.

Their final conversation was a brutal farewell; he made it clear she owed her release to Lita's mercy and warned she would never return to Black Ice Pack territory unless she accepted Lita as his mate and luna.

His explicit threat to kill her if she harmed Lita was a vow.

He apologized for never loving her, admitting pity was all he felt.

Felicia seemed to crumble, a defiant "I love you," escaping her lips.

The words lingered in his mind, both unsettling and persistent, as he watched her taxi disappear down the street.

He hadn't expected the severing of ties to leave such a haunting presence, yet an unease settled within him, entwined with a suspicion that Felicia's chapter wasn't truly closed.

Her determination had always been fierce, and her parting words seemed to carry a menacing edge rather than a sense of finality.

Maybe in time she would come to her senses.

He slowed his pace as he neared the pack house, the warm glow of its windows a stark contrast to the chill her words had left behind. Laughter reached him before anything else, and the familiar sounds of his pack soothed some of the tension he carried. They were his family, and Lita was his future.

Asher was grateful to find Caden and Garrett carrying a stack of pizza boxes, a welcome distraction from his lingering thoughts. "Good timing," Caden called, holding the door wide. "Hope you worked up an appetite. Feels like I've been starving all day."

Garrett, never one to miss a chance for humor, clapped Asher on the shoulder as they entered. "Had to fend for ourselves against a wild pack of women. But we did everything we could to get the pizza back here safely."

Asher smirked, letting their camaraderie lighten his mood. "So glad you survived." The moment he stepped into the room, his eyes immediately sought Lita.

She was there, in the kitchen, and everything else slipped away.

He moved toward her with purpose, closing the distance in a few swift strides.

The noise, the doubt, the shadow of Felicia's presence, they vanished the moment he reached her, pulling her into an embrace that spoke every word he didn't have time to say.

"You smell delicious," he growled into her ear, the relief of having her close washing over him.

Lita twisted to face him, her surprise melting into a bright smile. "You made it," she said, breathless from the force of his hug.

"You were worried I wouldn’t?"

She shook her head, that golden hair catching the light and holding his gaze. "No," she admitted. "Just worried you'd snack somewhere else and be too full for my cookies."

He chuckled, low and sure. "For cookies, maybe. For you? Never."

Lita tried to act nonchalant, shrugging as if it didn’t matter, but the blush on her cheeks gave her away. She gestured toward the massive spread, trying to redirect the conversation, her embarrassment clearly showing on her face.

The noise of everyone gathering, the sounds of the pizza boxes being opened and drinks poured all faded into the background as he wrapped her tighter in his arms.

She gave him a playful push. "You're not going to let me out of your sight, are you?"

"Never," he repeated, savoring the simple truth of it. "I’ve got you."

He could feel her body relax against his, the ease and comfort of the moment countering the tension that had followed him home. Asher breathed it in, letting go of the doubts. No matter what, if he had to, he would deal with Felicia personally.

The hum of laughter and conversation swelled around them, bringing Lita's smile even closer. He kissed her cheek, drawing out the color he loved seeing.

“You smell delicious," he repeated, whispering now, making it a confession that belonged only to them.

Lita rolled her eyes, trying for indifference as she nudged him with her hip. "It's the cookies," she said, but the quiver in her voice betrayed her.

"No," Asher insisted, pulling her back as she attempted to spin away. His lips brushed her ear, a whisper that kindled fire. "It's not the cookies."

She squirmed out of his grip just enough to grab another cookie, pushing it into his mouth with a mixture of laughter and exasperation.

"Eat," she commanded, using the cookie as a shield against his persistence.

He took a bite, playing along but never letting her stray too far, the promise in his eyes more appetizing than any food could be.

When he freed his hands of the cookie, it was to capture her again, drawing her in front of him.

“Asher,” Lita warned, knowing his motives.

He sighed, a soft, frustrated sound that turned into a low growl as he settled his head into the curve of her shoulder. He nipped her neck lightly and smiled as he felt her body shudder.

"You'd better behave yourself, Alpha," she teased, adding a challenge to her voice. "Or I won't be sitting with you during the movie."

"Behave?" Asher chuckled against her skin, his breath warm and his words mischievous. "No, I don't think you will."

His mouth found her neck again, delivering a series of kisses that made her giggle and squirm with delight. She didn’t want to escape at all.

He paused, letting the anticipation build before pressing one final kiss on the tender spot he knew would make her crazy. The effect was immediate, a jolt of tingling sensation that spread like wildfire.

Lita's giggles turned to breathless laughter as she pushed against him.

Kristen’s voice cut through their moment, a playful intrusion that pulled them back into the swirl of activity. She passed with a flick of Asher's arm, pens and paper clutched in her hand. "Seriously, get a room!" she laughed. "Unless you want movie night to be bedroom night instead."

Asher met Lita's gaze, and the humor in his eyes matched her own. "Not a bad idea," he muttered, drawing her close for one more quick squeeze.

She rolled her eyes but couldn't hide her grin. "Movie first," she said, the laughter in her voice spilling over.

Kristen shook her head, feigning exasperation. "You two are impossible," she declared, dropping the supplies onto the table. "Everyone write down your picks and throw them in. We're doing this fair."

“No scary movies.” Lita warned.

“Is that an order?” Caden asked.

“A pleading request.” Lita gave him a weak smile but could see the devil in his eyes as he wrote a title on the piece of paper.

Lita leaned into Asher's side, watching as Caspian, Garrett, and Caden tossed their movie picks into a hat and jostled for spots on the couch.

Asher held her close, arm wrapped around her shoulders, and Lita found herself unable to stop smiling. Kristen reached into the hat, the anticipation electric.

"And the winner is ..." She drew a slip, raising her eyebrows in surprise. "The Exorcist. Wow. You guys really want to scare the poor girl."

Lita's stomach flipped, but the fluttering nerves were far less daunting this time. She looked to Asher, who squeezed her hand in reassurance.

"We don’t have to watch it," he offered, concern and love mixed in equal measure.

She squeezed back, more determined than before. "No, we do. It’s only fair," she insisted, though she felt her heart rate picking up at the thought of the movie. She had avoided watching it with Drew and Teo and still had nightmares from the small clips she’d overheard.

"I've got you," he cooed against her ear. “I’ll protect you. Hold on to me as tightly as you want.” His voice dropped to a seductive tone.

It was obvious what he really wanted, but not yet.

Lita wanted to enjoy the entire evening and the build-up of what was to come.

And the surprise she had for him tonight.

In the theater section of the pack house, Lita settled between Asher's legs, leaning back against his chest as his arm encircled her.

This was her new family, a thought that filled her with warmth.

She should have been overwhelmed by everything—the reveal of her identity as the fairy princess, the clash with the dragon kin, the surprise werebear reveal, and having to fight with Felicia—but here, with her friends, with Asher's chest a firm wall at her back, she felt nothing but contentment.

Bring on the scary movie, she thought, letting the warmth of Asher's embrace drown out any lingering doubts. I can handle it this time.