Page 9 of A Luna’s Dynasty (Celestial #1)

“ R eady to get started?” he asked, his voice a low rumble that sent shivers down her spine.

Lita’s face blazed with heat. She spun around, her heart pounding. “I’m so sorry! I should have knocked. I …”

She felt his presence behind her, his warmth radiating against her back. “You never have to knock,” Asher murmured, his breath tickling her ear. “This is our room. You can come in here as you please.”

His hands settled on her waist, and Lita’s breath caught. Then she felt him stiffen, his grip tightening.

“What’s that scent?” Asher’s voice had an edge to it now. “Whose shirt is this?”

Lita turned, meeting his gaze. “It’s Teo’s. I thought it might help me sleep, you know, having something familiar ...”

Asher’s eyes flashed, a growl rumbling in his chest. “No. You’re my mate. You should wear my scent.”

Before Lita could protest, Asher reached for the shirt he’d discarded earlier, pulling it over her head. “There,” he said, his hands resting on her sides again. “That’s better. Trust me, my shirt will help you sleep much better than his.”

Lita’s skin tingled where he touched her, her body hyper-aware of his nakedness.

“Asher, I—” Her breath caught in her throat as she struggled to form coherent thoughts.

His scent, now wrapped around her like a cocoon, sent her senses into overdrive.

Every nerve ending in her body seemed to come alive, acutely aware of his proximity, his touch, his bare skin.

Her wolf, Mira, howled within her, urging her to claim what was rightfully hers.

The primal instinct clashed violently with Lita’s human side, which screamed for caution, for self-preservation.

She could feel the heat radiating from Asher’s body, his hands still resting on her sides, fingers slightly digging into her flesh.

“I ...” Lita started again, her voice barely above a whisper. She swallowed hard, fighting against the overwhelming desire to bury herself in his arms. “I should go.”

With tremendous effort, she took a step back, breaking contact with Asher. The loss of his touch was almost painful, leaving her skin tingling with phantom sensations. Lita cleared her throat, willing her voice to steady.

“I’ll wait for you downstairs,” she managed, stepping toward the door. “Take your time.”

“Lita—”

She didn’t wait for him to continue. Her will was breaking, and she had to escape from him. She hurried out of the room, closing the door behind her. Leaning against it, her chest heaved as she tried to calm her emotions down.

“Goddess,” she whispered, closing her eyes. “What am I doing?”

Inside her, Mira whined in frustration. She was definitely trying to pull the strings and push them together.

She forced herself off the door, taking a few shaky steps down the hallway.

Each step away from Asher felt like a battle, her body rebelling against her mind’s decision.

She realized that resisting the pull of her mate was going to be far more challenging than she’d anticipated.

How was she going to make it through the night without succumbing to the overwhelming urge to complete their bond?

Asher was willing, his wolf was willing, her wolf was willing …

she was the only one battling against her instincts.

But it wasn’t right. She couldn’t. Asher didn’t know everything there was to know about her.

Plus, he had a fiancée earlier that day.

It was too soon. They had a lot to talk about …

a talk she was hesitant to have. Just like her pack, once he knew the truth, he would reject her.

Just for a couple of days, it would be nice to belong, so she would know what it felt like.

It would be a memory she could always hold onto, long after she was rejected and living alone in the city.

Lita descended the stairs, her fingers gripping the banister as she tried to banish the image of Asher's naked body from her mind. The memory clung stubbornly, making her fight the urge to go back to him. She inhaled deeply, steadying herself as she approached the kitchen.

The aroma of freshly made sandwiches wafted through the air, and Lita's stomach rumbled in anticipation. Caden stood at the island, arranging a platter of food with meticulous care. His presence was a welcome distraction from her tumultuous thoughts.

"Everything alright, Lita?" Caden asked, his piercing brown eyes studying her face. "You look a bit flushed."

"I'm fine, just a little warm," she lied, hoping he couldn’t see through her. The truth was, she was lusting after his alpha.

Caden's lips quirked into a knowing smile as he turned to retrieve another plate. "If you say so."

Lita slid onto a stool at the island. Her gaze fell upon the sandwich before her, and she couldn't help but eye it greedily. The sight of food momentarily pushed aside her conflicting emotions, replacing them with a simple, even more primal hunger.

As she reached for the sandwich, savoring the anticipation of that first bite, footsteps approached from behind. Lita's breath caught in her throat as Asher slid onto the stool next to her.

His presence was electric, sending a shiver down her spine. Lita's wolf, Mira, stirred within her, a low growl of approval rumbling through their shared consciousness. She struggled to maintain her composure, acutely aware of Asher's proximity. And just like that, she was back to lusting.

"This looks great, Caden." Asher's deep voice broke the silence, causing Lita to jump slightly. "Thanks for putting this together."

Lita felt her cheeks burn as she kept envisioning his naked body. Focus on the sandwich. Focus on eating!

I am focused on eating, and I want the dish sitting next to you, Mira chimed in.

Lita quickly took a bite, needing a distraction. She savored the flavors that erupted in her mouth, trying not to think about her gorgeous mate.

Asher's deep chuckle broke the silence. She glanced up, meeting his silver eyes that sparkled with mischief and something deeper, more feral.

"You know, Lita,” he said, his voice a low rumble that seemed to vibrate through her core. “There's no use denying this connection between us. Why fight it when we both know I belong to you?"

Lita's eyebrow arched, her green eyes flashing with a mixture of amusement and challenge.

Despite the flutter in her chest, she refused to be so easily swayed.

"Oh, do you now?" she retorted, her tone light but edged with steel.

"Funny, I thought you belonged to Felicia.

Or did I imagine that little engagement of yours? "

Asher's expression faltered for a moment, a shadow of guilt crossing his features. "Lita, about that—" he began, but she cut him off with a raised hand.

"No, Asher," Lita said firmly, surprising herself with the authority in her voice. It was a tone she rarely used. "This isn't something we can just brush aside. There are real emotions involved here, real people. We can't ignore the complexity of this situation."

Asher sighed, running a hand through his dark hair.

How could he explain that his engagement to Felicia had been born of guilt and obligation, not love?

That he'd never felt for her even a fraction of what he felt for Lita, after having known her for mere hours.

The words caught in his throat, afraid that voicing these truths would make him sound callous, uncaring.

Instead, he remained silent, watching as Lita turned back to her sandwich. He wanted to reach out to her, but he held back. This fragile connection between them was too new, too precious to risk shattering.

Lita took another bite of her sandwich, pleased with herself for putting her protective wall back up.

She was afraid she had lost it and would end up giving herself to Asher, but she successfully rebuilt it, guarding herself.

Just as she finished her sandwich, the kitchen door swung open with a bang and Felicia strode in, her eyes flashing with some hidden agenda.

Instantly, Mira surged within Lita, a snarling, seething presence that threatened to overwhelm her. She subtly gripped her hands as she struggled to fight for control.

"Felicia, you can no longer enter the pack house freely. Leave. Now."

Felicia's face crumpled, her voice rising in a plaintive wail. "How can you be so cruel, Asher? This morning you cared, and now I've been completely discarded?"

Lita's vision blurred, Mira's rage pounding against her skull. She could feel her wolf's desire to lunge, to protect what was hers. No , Lita thought desperately, Mira, we talked about this.

"Lita?" Asher's concerned voice seemed to come from far away. "Are you alright?"

She couldn't answer, every ounce of her concentration focused on containing Mira's fury. Her nails dug into her palms, leaving crescent-shaped marks as she fought for dominance over her wolf.

Asher's eyes widened as he took in Lita's struggle. His face hardened, and he turned to Felicia with a growl. "Get. Out."

“How easily you’re discarding me now. I have been a loyal pack member …

just like my family was.” As Felicia turned to leave, Lita caught a glimpse of a triumphant smile playing at the corners of her lips.

Through the haze of her internal battle, a flicker of suspicion bloomed.

What was Felicia up to? She glanced at Asher, noticing a wounded expression on his face, but he quickly wiped it away.

Asher's strong arms encircled Lita, his warmth seeping into her trembling form. "What's wrong? Why can’t you control your wolf?”

"It's ... complicated," she managed, her voice barely above a whisper. "Things with Mira aren't straightforward."

As she spoke, she reached a hand up, her fingers unconsciously tracing the delicate chain around her neck. The enchanted necklace lay hidden beneath her shirt, a constant reminder of her past and the control it still held over her.

If he only knew, Lita thought. The necklace she wore was the reason she couldn’t fully control Mira.

It represented more than just control over her wolf; it was her last tie to Red Grove, to the life she'd known. She could remove it now, but doing so would mean she couldn’t return to Red Grove.

Not that she really planned to, but it would remove that lifeline.

Asher's hand cupped her cheek, his silver eyes searching hers. "You can tell me anything, Lita. I'm here for you, always."

Was he really going to be there for her always?

Enough of this hesitation, Mira growled. We’ve found our mate. It’s time to claim him.

Lita’s brows furrowed, her green eyes unfocused as she communicated with Mira. It’s not that simple. We don’t even know him. He had a fiancée today! You really think we should just blindly accept him?

I’m tired of stepping aside, Mira snarled, pushing against Lita’s restraint. You’re always so considerate of others. For once, put yourself first.

It's easy to observe and understand people's nature as a wallflower. We need to be cautious.

Mira's anger flared hot and bright. A wallflower? You aren't a damn wallflower, Lita. You're the alpha's daughter!

Mira, what has gotten into you?

Finding our mate has woken me up. You need to trust Asher. We should claim him now. We can work on our relationship later.

Work on the relationship later?! she snapped back. You're not being considerate of my feelings at all!

With a mental slam, Lita severed their connection, leaving her sitting rigid and angry at the kitchen island.