Page 15

"What a magnificent gift!" Verna clasped her hands together. "Do you know what this means for our pack? Precognitive abilities in our Luna will keep everyone safe. We'll be able to anticipate threats and avoid calamities!"

Seraphina's stomach twisted uncomfortably. "About that... I'm not sure I'm staying, Verna."

The joy drained from Verna's face like water from a broken vessel. "Not staying?" Her voice dropped to a whisper. "But you must."

"Must?" Seraphina raised an eyebrow. "I was brought here against my will. I've only just learned about all this—wolves, packs, and Lunas business. It's overwhelming."

"The Starlight pack has waited four hundred years for you." Verna's voice trembled. "Some packs never find their Luna. If you leave us now, we'll have no Luna at all. Ever again."

Seraphina turned to the window, watching the sunlight sparkle on azure waves. "That can't possibly be true."

"It is." Verna stepped closer, her usual cheerful demeanor replaced by something desperate and afraid. "Without the Luna, we'll be vulnerable. Another pack could take over. When that happens, they usually—" her voice broke, "—they usually wipe out the original pack completely."

"And Orion?" The question slipped out before Seraphina could stop it.

"Without his Luna's power to balance and strengthen him, he would be weakened. He would fight to the death to protect us." Verna's eyes filled with tears. "He would die, Miss Seraphina."

The thought of Orion's lifeless body hit Seraphina with unexpected force. She barely knew him, yet the image sent a physical pain through her chest.

"I need more time," Seraphina whispered, fingering the sapphire necklace at her throat. "This is all very hard to process in just one day."

"Of course." Verna brushed away a tear, resuming her professional demeanor. "I shouldn't have burdened you. Let's finish getting you dressed."

As Verna helped her into the emerald dress, Seraphina's mind raced. Everything in her scientific background screamed that this situation was impossible. Wolf shifters? Psychic bonds? Predestined mates?

Yet the pendant around her neck was real. The vision had been real. And the way her body responded to Orion's presence—that had been undeniably, uncomfortably real.

Suddenly, a sharp knock resonated through the room, startling her from her thoughts. Verna smoothed down the last fold of fabric and hurried to the door.

Orion filled the doorway, his imposing frame nearly touching both sides.

He wore tailored black slacks that hugged his powerful thighs and a crisp white dress shirt with several buttons undone, revealing a tantalizing glimpse of tanned skin.

A black sport coat completed the ensemble, giving him an air of casual authority that made her breath catch in her throat.

The moment his gray eyes landed on her, they darkened with unmistakable hunger.

His gaze traveled slowly from her face down to the sapphire nestled against her collarbone, then lower, tracing the way the emerald silk hugged her curves.

Seraphina felt that look like a physical caress, heat blooming across her skin.

"The necklace looks perfect on you." His deep voice was a low rumble that reverberated through her. "Though I suspect it's the wearer that makes it beautiful, not the other way around."

Seraphina's cheeks flushed. "Thank you," she managed, instinctively touching the pendant. "It's exquisite."

Verna discreetly slipped out, leaving them alone. The air between them seemed to crackle with electricity.

"Would you walk with me?" Orion extended his hand. "The beach is particularly beautiful this time of day."

Scientific curiosity warred with caution. "I have a few more questions," she said, not moving toward him yet.

One corner of his mouth lifted in a half-smile that sent her pulse racing. "I expected nothing less from a scientist. Walk with me, and I'll answer what I can."

Against her better judgment, Seraphina placed her hand in his. The contact sent a jolt through her system, and for a moment, another vision threatened to overtake her—but she pushed it away surprisingly, determined to stay present.

Orion led her through the castle's corridors, his presence commanding acknowledgment from everyone they passed.

Staff members bowed their heads respectfully, their eyes darting curiously to Seraphina.

Being the subject of so much attention made her uncomfortable, but Orion's steady hand at the small of her back grounded her.

When they emerged from the castle onto a private stretch of beach, Seraphina gasped. The water sparkled like diamonds under the morning sun, and white sand stretched in either direction.

"This is breathtaking," she whispered, trying to reconcile the beauty before her with her bizarre situation.

"It's been my home for four centuries." Orion slipped off his shoes, nodding for her to do the same. "Join me."

Seraphina removed her sandals, the cool sand between her toes a welcome sensation. They strolled in silence for several moments before she gathered the courage to speak.

"You realize this is all absurd to me, right? Wolves and psychic powers and four-hundred-year-old men who look like—" She cut herself off, embarrassed suddenly.

"Like what?" Orion's eyes gleamed with amusement.

"Like you should be on a magazine cover, not ruling some secret wolf kingdom," she finished, feeling her face heat again.

He laughed, the sound rich and unexpected. "I'll take that as a compliment, although 'wolf kingdom' lacks the dignity I prefer."

The wind picked up suddenly, sending her dark hair flying. Seraphina shivered as the cool breeze hit her bare shoulders.

Without hesitation, Orion shrugged off his sport coat and draped it over her shoulders. "Here."

The fabric enveloped her in warmth and his scent—pine, cedar, and something wild and untamed that made her dizzy with want. She pulled it tighter, inhaling deeply without meaning to.

"Thank you," she murmured, overwhelmed by the intensely intimate feeling of wearing his clothing.

It was like being wrapped in his embrace, surrounded by his essence.

The sleeves hung well past her fingertips, emphasizing the difference in their sizes, making her feel delicate and protected simultaneously.

The wind tousled Orion's hair, making him look slightly less regal and more approachable. Something in Seraphina responded to that vulnerability.

She stepped closer to him, drawn by an instinct she couldn't explain.

Orion's eyes darkened, and he wrapped a strong arm around her shoulders, tucking her against his side. His heat seeped through her dress, and the hard planes of his body against hers sent liquid fire coursing through her veins.

"Seraphina," he breathed her name like a prayer, his face lowering toward hers.

Her lips parted, her body leaning toward him of its own volition. Every rational thought fled her mind as his scent enveloped her, as his warmth beckoned. For one wild moment, she wanted nothing more than to fling herself into this madness completely.