Page 12

The moment her eyes closed, she felt it—a spark of electricity that seemed to ignite every nerve in her body. Orion's hand brushed against hers, and she gasped softly, the contact sending a jolt of heat straight to her core. Her mind spiraled, and suddenly she wasn't in the observatory anymore.

She saw herself—her hair wild, her skin flushed—standing in the center of a grand, moonlit bedroom.

Orion was there, his hands on her waist, and his lips trailing fire along her neck.

She could feel his breath hot against her skin, the roughness of his beard sending tingles through her body.

His voice was low, a growl that vibrated through her chest as he whispered her name like a prayer.

His hands moved lower, his touch possessive but gentle.

She arched into his touch, her body responding instinctively.

The vision was vivid, every detail sharp—the way his muscles rippled under her fingertips, the way his eyes darkened with desire, and the way he looked at her as if she were the only thing that mattered.

Heat pooled low in her belly, and she felt herself trembling.

When the vision faded, Seraphina's eyes snapped open, her chest heaving as if she had been running. She stumbled back, her face burning with a mix of embarrassment and lingering arousal. "What…what was that?" she stammered, her voice but a whisper.

Orion's expression was unreadable, but his eyes burned with something fierce and primal. "The bond," he said simply, his voice rough. "Our bond."

Bertram's gaze was steady, his hands folded calmly in front of him. "The Luna and her alpha are two halves of a whole. When you're near each other, the connection becomes stronger. What you saw—what you felt—that's just the beginning."

Seraphina shook her head, trying to clear the haze of desire that still clung to her. "This can't be real. I'm not—I don't—" She stopped, her mind spinning with questions and doubts.

Orion stepped closer again, his presence grounding her even as it unsettled her. "It's real," he said, his voice firm but not unkind. "And whether you believe it or not, it's part of who you are now."

She looked up at him, her eyes wide and searching. "How am I supposed to make sense of this? You're telling me I'm some kind of… queen? That I'm supposed to be with you ?" She gestured weakly between them. "This doesn't make sense."

"It will," Bertram said gently. "In time, it will. For now, just know that the visions you've been having—they're not a curse. They're a gift. And they're meant to guide you toward your destiny."

Seraphina's shoulders slumped, her defiance wavering. "I don't even know what that means."

She backed away from Orion until her spine pressed against the cool glass of the observatory window.

Moonlight spilled across her shoulders, bathing her in silver as she struggled to process everything.

The intimate vision still burned in her mind—his hands on her body, his lips on her skin—and she couldn't meet his eyes without feeling heat bloom in her cheeks.

"I need space," she managed, her voice barely a whisper. "This is too much."

To her surprise, Orion's lips suddenly lifted into a knowing smile. His eyes gleamed with something primal that made her stomach flip.

"That vision..." Orion said, his deep voice sending shivers through her. "It was quite illuminating."

Seraphina frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"Because we were holding hands during your vision, I saw it too." His smile broadened, revealing perfect white teeth. "Every detail."

"You're lying." The words tumbled out reflexively, but uncertainty gnawed at her. The way he looked at her, like he'd seen her naked soul, made her heart race.

Orion took a step toward her, his movements fluid and deliberate. "Should I describe what I saw? How my hands traced the curve of your hips, the softness of your?—"

"Stop!" Heat rushed to her face. The scientific part of her brain scrambled for explanations—coincidence, suggestion, mind-reading—but none felt adequate. "That's impossible."

"Much like seeing the future?" He arched an eyebrow, closing more distance between them.

Bertram cleared his throat loudly, reminding Seraphina they weren't alone. The elderly man looked distinctly uncomfortable, his eyes fixed firmly on the astronomical charts on the wall.

"I believe I should retire for the evening," he announced, edging toward the door. "These old bones need their rest."

Before leaving, he turned to Seraphina, his expression softening. "Should you choose to stay, you'll have help—from me and many others—in learning to control these powers. Our pack has awaited a Luna for centuries." His eyes twinkled. "No pressure, of course."

The door clicked shut behind him, leaving Seraphina alone with Orion and the weight of expectation.

"He means well," Orion said, his voice gentler than before. "They all do."

Seraphina gazed out at the stars, finding comfort in their distant, scientific certainty. "Yesterday, I was worried about the funding for my research project. Today, I'm apparently a wolf queen with psychic powers."

"Luna," he corrected, moving to stand beside her. Not touching, but close enough that she felt the heat radiating from his body. "And yes, you are."

The moonlight caught the silver in his hair, and despite everything, Seraphina couldn't help noticing how handsome he was—strong jawline softened by the hint of a smile and eyes that held centuries of stories.

"How can you be so certain?" she asked, genuinely curious. "What if your instincts are wrong?"

Orion's expression grew serious, his gaze intense. "Four hundred years, I've ruled alone. Four hundred years, I've felt something missing." He gestured toward the space between them. "Then this—this connection that sparks like lightning when we touch. That's not coincidence, Seraphina."

The way he said her name—like he was savoring each syllable—caused her heart to race. For a moment, she allowed herself to imagine what it might be like to belong here, to understand these powers growing inside her. To be with him.

"I need time," she said finally. "This is all happening so fast."

Orion nodded, respect tempering the desire in his eyes. "Time you shall have. But know this—" He moved closer until she could see the flecks of silver in his gray eyes. "What we saw in that vision? That's only the beginning of what we could be together."

The promise in his words sent a thrill through her that was equal parts excitement and terror. For the first time, Seraphina couldn't calculate the odds or predict the outcome. And somehow, standing in the moonlight with this impossibly sexy man, that uncertainty felt strangely like freedom.