Page 19

FIFTEEN

SERAPHINA

S eraphina's mind whirled as she tried to process the last few hours.

The weight of Orion's muscular arm draped possessively across her waist anchored her to this surreal reality.

She had known this man for barely a day, yet she'd just given herself to him completely.

Her body still hummed with aftershocks of pleasure that rippled outward from her core.

"I've never..." she whispered, trailing off as she struggled to find words adequate enough to describe what she had experienced.

Orion's chest rumbled against her back. "Neither have I. Not like this."

She almost laughed. A 400-year-old wolf king who'd surely had countless women, claiming she was somehow different? Yet the conviction in his voice made her believe him.

His earlier words echoed in her mind: "Stay with me. Not just today. Always." The request still hung between them, unanswered.

Seraphina traced the edge of his intricate tattoo on his arm. "How can this situation even be real?" she asked. "I'm apparently some wolf queen with psychic powers lying naked with the Alpha King of Starlight Island."

"Luna," he corrected, his breath hot on her neck. "And you're not 'apparently' anything. You are my Luna."

The possessiveness in his voice sent a fresh wave of desire through her body. Part of her—the growing, wild part—wanted to surrender to this pull between them. To believe in mate bonds and wolf shifters and her place as his queen.

But the logical astronomer in her brain flashed warning signals. "My whole life is back in Miami."

Orion's fingers splayed across her stomach, pulling her impossibly closer. "Your power is here. Your purpose is here." His voice dropped lower. "I am here."

Seraphina closed her eyes, torn between worlds. Her body had never felt so alive and so connected to another person. Every cell seemed attuned to his presence as if they'd always been meant to find each other.

"I don't know the first thing about being a Luna," she admitted.

"You know more than you think." His lips brushed against her shoulder, sending shivers down her back. "You controlled your visions today. Imagine what you could accomplish with proper training and practice."

The memory of that breakthrough—of calling forth a vision rather than being waylaid by it—gave her pause.

She turned in his arms to face him, meeting those intense eyes that seemed to see straight through her. "And if I stay? What happens then?"

Orion's hand cupped her face. "Then we build something extraordinary together. My pack becomes your pack. My strength becomes your strength." His eyes burned with intensity. "And I spend every single day showing you that this decision was the right one."

Seraphina's heart fluttered at his words. Yet before she could respond, Orion's expression shifted. A shadow crossed his face, and the corners of his mouth tightened almost imperceptibly.

"There's something I need to tell you." His thumb traced her cheekbone. "I was hesitant at first, but now that our bond is stronger?—"

"What is it?" Seraphina asked, tension suddenly coiling in her belly.

"There's a man on the island—an aide to a U.S.

senator named York. He's been here since early this morning, wanting to speak with you," Orion confessed, looking away from her gaze.

"Senator Iverson has been trying to contact you since yesterday on behalf of a friend in Miami.

When you didn't respond, he sent York here today. "

Seraphina froze, the warmth of their intimate moment evaporating instantly. She pushed herself up, clutching the sheet to her chest. "You've had someone here looking for me, and you didn't tell me?"

"I was protecting you," Orion said, his voice taking on that commanding tone she was beginning to recognize as his default when challenged.

"Protecting me?" Heat rose to her cheeks, but not from desire this time. "Or keeping me in the dark so I'd stay with you?"

She scrambled from the bed, wrapping the sheet around herself as she searched for her clothes. Each piece she found and put back on felt like armor against his betrayal.

"You don't understand what's at stake," Orion said, rising from the bed in all his naked glory, seemingly unconcerned with his state of undress. His powerful muscles rippled as he moved toward her. "This senator—there's something not right about him. My instincts tell me?—"

"Your instincts?" Seraphina laughed, the sound brittle even to her own ears. "What about my right to know? To choose? Not more than five minutes ago, I was considering giving up my entire life to stay here with you, and all that time, you were hiding this from me."

"Seraphina—"

"No." She held up a hand, her fingers trembling. "I can't believe I was about to blindly trust you. What else aren't you telling me? What other choices have you made on my behalf?"

Orion's eyes flashed dangerously, a rumble emanating from deep in his chest. "I am protecting what's mine."

"I am not yours!" The words exploded from her. "I am my own person. Even if we are... whatever we are, destined mates or whatever. I still get to make my own choices."

His nostrils flared, and his body tensed like the predator he was. For a moment, Seraphina's heart raced with something between fear and excitement—the wild pull of their connection at war with her sense of betrayal.

"Take me to York," she demanded, gathering her dignity despite her rumpled appearance and tangled hair. "Now."

"Seraphina—"

"Immediately, Orion." She lifted her chin, refusing to back down. "Or I'll find him myself and tell him exactly how I've been kept in the dark since arriving on this island."

Orion's jaw worked as he stared her down, the battle between the alpha king and the man who desired her trust playing out across his features. Finally, he gave a curt nod.

"As you wish." His voice was ice, the tenderness from earlier locked away as he reached for his clothes on the floor.

Seraphina's sandals soon whispered against the plush corridor carpet as Orion escorted her toward the conference room. His imposing presence beside her made her hyperaware of every breath and every step.

Orion's expression had hardened into something regal and distant.

Gone was the passionate lover who'd held her naked body so tenderly just an hour ago, replaced by this commanding king in tailored black slacks and a crisp white dress shirt that strained slightly across his broad shoulders.

The transformation was both fascinating and infuriating.

"I'll wait here," Orion announced as they reached an ornate wooden door. His voice was clipped and controlled. "Remember who you are, Seraphina."

She bristled at his tone. "And who is that exactly? The astronomer from Miami, or the magical wolf queen you've decided I am?"

A muscle twitched in his jaw. "Both. You're always both." His gray eyes locked with hers, sending a jolt of electricity racing through her veins. "Don't let this... politician's lackey manipulate you."

"Like you've been doing?" The words slipped.

Orion stepped closer, the heat of his body surrounding her like a physical force. "Everything I've done has been to protect you and to show you what we could be together."

She swallowed hard, fighting the magnetic pull between them. "I need to talk to York."

With a reluctant nod, Orion opened the door for her but remained in the hallway. Seraphina squared her shoulders and stepped inside.

A tall, lanky man with auburn hair rose from the conference table as she entered. His blue eyes assessed her with clinical precision, taking in the elegant dress, the sapphire necklace, and her slightly disheveled hair.

"Miss Lucero," he said, extending his hand. "York Dennison, aide to Senator Iverson. I'm relieved to see you well."

His handshake was firm but somehow insincere. Seraphina took the seat across from him, smoothing her dress nervously.

"This all feels like a dream," she admitted, gesturing vaguely around her. "Being here on this island the past day has been... surreal."

York leaned forward, his expression softening with practiced concern. "I can imagine."

Seraphina let out a tiny laugh. "Especially given the circumstances with the shifters and?—"

"Shifters?" York's eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

Seraphina's heart skipped. She'd slipped up. The man clearly had no idea what she was talking about. If York didn't know about wolf shifters, perhaps Senator Iverson didn't either. Maybe Orion was right to be suspicious of these people.

"Sorry, I meant the staff," she recovered quickly. "They've been shifting around me constantly, attending to my every need." She forced another laugh. "It's all very overwhelming."

York smiled, but the expression didn't reach his eyes. "Miss Lucero, I need to be direct. What Orion Guillaume has done—taking you from your home—is a crime. The federal government is prepared to take action against him."

"That's not what happened," Seraphina countered, surprised by her own defensive tone. "I went with him voluntarily."

"That seems unlikely." York's smile turned patronizing. "Your house was clearly broken into when you were taken."

Seraphina straightened in her chair. "Someone else broke into my place, not Orion. He actually saved me from whoever it was."

"Are you sure about that?" York pressed. "You have no idea who was in your house. And according to reports, you passed out at the scene."

The truth of his words stung. She didn't know for certain what had happened. Her memories were a blur of fear and confusion at best.

"After I woke up, Orion and I went on a date in Miami," she lied, the words tumbling out with surprising ease. "I came back to the island with him afterward."

York tapped his pen against his notepad. "Then why haven't you contacted your friend Abby? She's been looking everywhere for you, worried sick."