Page 13

TEN

ORION

M oonlight filtered through the massive observatory window, bathing Seraphina in an ethereal glow that made the yellow sundress she wore seem almost luminescent against her tanned skin.

She stepped away from Orion slightly, her fingers brushing nervously against the fabric of her dress. "I have a lot to think about. I should go back to my bedroom suite."

Something primal in him bristled at her retreat. The wolf would have to wait a little while longer.

"That's fine," Orion said, tamping down his desire to chase. "But before you go, would you like to see the stars?"

Her hesitation told him everything. The astronomer in her couldn't resist, no matter how much she wanted to maintain her distance.

Orion strode to the control panel with the confidence of a man who had operated it countless times.

His fingers moved with practiced precision across the switches and dials.

"The third lever opens the eastern quadrant," he explained, pulling it down with a smooth motion that sent a mechanical hum reverberating through the room. "And the fourth, the western."

The domed ceiling parted like a blooming flower, and the night sky revealed itself in all its glory—stars scattered across the darkness like diamonds on black velvet. Orion watched her reaction, drinking in the wonder that transformed her face.

Her professional curiosity overrode her caution. She moved to the central telescope, her fingers caressing the brass tube with the reverence of a devotee. She adjusted the eyepiece and leaned forward to look.

"Oh!" The soft exclamation of awe was better than any declaration of intent. Her body relaxed, her guard lowering as she lost herself in the celestial display.

Pride swelled in his chest. His ancestors had built this observatory six centuries ago, constantly improving it over the generations. Now it served its most important purpose—captivating his Luna.

Orion folded his arms across his chest, watching as Seraphina forgot all about returning to her room and instead moved from telescope to telescope, making adjustments with expert precision.

"Everything in here can belong to you," he said, his voice resonant in the cavernous space. The wolf in him recognized this as a gift offering—the oldest form of courtship. "Anything missing, I'll make sure we acquire it. Whatever your heart desires can be yours."

She looked up from a particularly powerful reflector telescope, her green eyes wide. "You can't just give away an entire observatory."

"I'm king," he replied simply. "I can give whatever I wish to my queen."

Her cheeks flushed at that, and she turned quickly back to the eyepiece.

Orion smiled to himself. The human woman might resist, but her body knew the truth. They belonged together, bound by forces older than them.

As he watched her looking through the telescope, he couldn't shake the memory of her vision from earlier.

The moment their skin had touched, it had flooded into him—her precognitive ability sharing the intimate scene with such visceral clarity that he could still feel the phantom sensation of her skin beneath his fingertips.

In the vision, his hands had explored every curve of her naked form, and his lips had traced a path from her neck downward with deliberate intent.

Orion moved closer to Seraphina, his wolf demanding proximity. His footsteps were silent as he positioned himself directly behind her while she peered through the telescope. Her scent—a combination of jasmine and something uniquely her—filled his nose, making his body tighten with need.

"Your vision," he murmured softly. "The one you shared when we touched. It could become reality." He placed his hands on either side of the telescope, not touching her but effectively creating a cage of his body around hers. "I want it to be reality."

He felt her breath catch and saw the slight tremor that ran through her body.

"What exactly did you see again?" she whispered, still not turning around.

Orion leaned closer, his breath warming the shell of her ear. "Everything. My hands mapping every inch of your skin. My lips on your neck..." He let his words trail off, allowing her imagination to fill in the blanks. "May I kiss you, Seraphina?"

She turned slowly within the confines of his arms, her green eyes wide with a mixture of desire and uncertainty. For a moment, her gaze dropped to his lips, and he could sense her indecision—the war between what her body wanted and what her mind feared.

Orion waited, his wolf snarling with impatience inside him. He would not rush this. A king took what was his, yes, but a true alpha earned what was offered.

Just as she swayed slightly toward him, something shifted in her eyes. She placed a hand on his chest, not pushing him away but creating distance.

"I should go back to my room now," she said, her voice unsteady. "This is all... too much, too fast."

The wolf in him howled in frustration. Orion straightened, stepping back to give her space, though every instinct screamed to pursue.

"As you wish," he said, his voice controlled despite the fire coursing through his veins. "I'll escort you."

The walk back to her suite was silent, tension crackling between them like electricity before a storm. At her door, she looked at him with those emerald eyes that seemed to see straight through the centuries of his existence.

"Goodnight, Orion."

"Sleep well, Luna," he replied, the title slipping out without thought.

Once alone back in his chambers, Orion stripped off his clothing with barely contained aggression. The fabric of his shirt nearly tore under his hands as he unbuttoned it. His muscles rippled with tension as he moved around the spacious room, trying to burn off the energy surging through him.

Naked, he fell onto his bed, the cool sheets doing nothing to soothe the heat of his skin. His body ached with unfulfilled desire, the centuries of waiting for his Luna now compounded by her physical presence under his roof but not in his arms.

Sleep, when it finally came, offered no relief. His dreams were filled with Seraphina—her soft skin under his hands, her voice whispering his name, and her body moving beneath his. His wolf ran alongside her through moonlit forests, chased her, caught her, and claimed her.

Orion tossed and turned, caught in the purgatory between waking desire and dreaming fulfillment, his body responding to visions that existed only in his mind... for now.

Orion woke with a growl the next morning, the faint light of dawn filtering through the heavy curtains of his royal chambers.

His body was taut with unresolved tension, his cock already hard and aching.

Disgusted with himself, he threw off the sheets and sat on the edge of the bed, running a hand through his dark gray hair.

The scent of Seraphina still lingered in his mind and it drove his wolf mad with need. He wasn't used to this kind of frustration. Four centuries of pleasure, always within reach, and now he couldn't bring himself to crave anything but her.

The door suddenly creaked open, and a familiar figure slipped inside, naked and confident—a woman whose name he barely remembered. She was just one of the many who had shared his bed over the decades. She approached with purpose, her hips swaying and her hand already reaching for him.

"Good morning, My King," she purred, her fingers brushing against his thigh as she knelt between his legs.

Orion's jaw tightened. Before her hand could close around him, he caught her wrist in a firm grip. "Stop."

She blinked up at him, confusion flickering across her face. "You usually?—"

"Things are different now." His voice was low, edged with finality. He stood, towering over her, his naked form radiating dominance. His wolf snarled, rejecting her proximity and her scent. Seraphina had ruined him for all others. "The Luna is here."

Her eyes widened, realization dawning. "So it's true," she whispered, pulling her wrist free and stepping back. "The pack has a Luna."

"Yes," Orion said, his tone softening slightly. "Inform the others. I'll have no need for any of you moving forward."

She nodded, a small smile tugging at her lips despite the rejection. "It's a good thing, My King. The pack has waited too long for this."

When she left, Orion took a deep breath. His cock throbbed, a painful reminder of his unfulfilled need. He stalked into the bathroom, turning on the shower to cold in an attempt to curb his desire, but the icy water did little to help.

He leaned against the tiled wall, his hand drifting down to grip himself as images of Seraphina flooded his mind—her lips parted, her body arching against his, and the way she'd felt in the vision they'd shared.

His strokes were rough and desperate, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he imagined her beneath him, her green eyes hazy with desire.

"Seraphina," he growled, her name a prayer and a curse as he spilled into his hand, the release doing little to satisfy the ache in his chest.

He washed quickly, the cold water doing its job to clear his head.

Drying off, he caught his reflection in the fogged mirror—his gray eyes stormy and his tattoos stark against his tanned skin.

He dressed with deliberate precision, the crisp white dress shirt and tailored slacks a stark contrast to the chaos inside him.

His pack needed him, and he couldn't afford to let his personal desires interfere with his duties.

Orion strode through the castle corridors with purpose. The morning sunlight streamed through the arched windows, casting geometric patterns across the plush carpeted floor.

His royal study awaited at the end of the west wing, a sanctuary of power where he'd conducted pack business for centuries. As he approached, the ornately carved wooden door opened before him—Jared, his communications councilman, having sensed his approach.

"Your Majesty," Jared said with a bow, his voice tight with anxiety. "There's been a development with the American senator."

Orion's muscles tightened as he entered the study, the door closing behind him with a heavy thud.

The room smelled of ancient books and the lingering scent of the cedar logs that had burned in the fireplace overnight.

His chief councilman, Marcus, stood by the massive oak desk, a tablet in hand and worry etched into his features.

"Tell me," Orion commanded, not bothering to sit.

Marcus cleared his throat. "Senator Iverson has sent his personal assistant to the island. A human named York. He arrived by private helicopter twenty minutes ago and is demanding an audience."

Orion's eyes narrowed, a low growl rumbling in his chest. "What are his instructions?"

"According to our intelligence, he's been ordered not to return to the mainland without Miss Lucero."

The wolf inside Orion snarled, bristling against the audacity of another male attempting to take what was his. His fingers gripped the edge of the desk, the wood creaking under the pressure.

"The senator received our message?" Orion asked, his voice dangerously soft.

"Yes, Your Majesty. We sent exactly what you dictated—that Miss Lucero is safe, receiving care after an assault attempt, and free to leave whenever she wishes." Marcus hesitated. "He appears to have disregarded it entirely."

Orion's first instinct blazed hot and primitive—eliminate the threat. His wolf visualized ripping out York's throat, ending the problem with blood and finality. It would be so simple. He could shift and be upon the human before anyone could intervene. One less lackey in Iverson's arsenal.

But killing a human diplomat, even one as insignificant as York, would only escalate matters. Iverson would simply send someone else—perhaps military next time—and the bureaucratic nightmare would multiply.

"Where is he now?" Orion asked, releasing his grip on the desk.

"In the main conference room. Requesting to see you immediately."

Orion paced to the window, looking out at the crystalline waters that surrounded his island kingdom. Seraphina was somewhere in the castle, perhaps still asleep in the guest suite. The thought of her soft curves tangled in sheets sent a wave of heat through him.

"I need more time," he murmured. Then, with renewed determination, he turned to Marcus. "Delay him. Book his day solid with meaningless meetings. Have him speak with every councilman about island protocols. Give him the full bureaucratic treatment."

Marcus's lips twitched with understanding. "The human experience, Your Majesty?"

"Exactly." Orion's eyes glinted with satisfaction. "Tell him I'm occupied with urgent matters until this evening at the earliest."

"And Miss Lucero?"

"She stays undisturbed. I don't want York anywhere near her." The wolf in him snapped possessively at the mere thought.

Marcus nodded, making notes on his tablet. "I'll arrange everything. Though I should mention, York seems quite... persistent."

"So am I." Orion's voice held centuries of iron will. "I need today to convince Seraphina to stay willingly. Once she understands what being Luna truly means—what I can offer her—she'll choose us over returning to Miami."

The confidence in his tone masked the unfamiliar flutter of uncertainty in him. For the first time, something vital lay beyond his control. His Luna's heart couldn't be commanded or claimed by royal decree.

"Prepare the royal gardens for a private lunch," Orion continued. "And have the kitchen prepare their finest. I want everything perfect."

"Of course, Your Majesty."

Orion moved to his desk, pulling out a sheet of parchment. "One more thing. Send Verna to get the necklace from the vault, and include this note." He scribbled a note quickly, his handwriting bold and decisive. "Have it delivered to Seraphina's quarters within the hour."