Page 28 of Star’s Howl (Royal Lupine Elementals #4)
S eraphina stood before the full-length mirror, hardly recognizing the woman who gazed back at her.
Three weeks ago, she had been an astronomer with a logical worldview.
Now, she was a wolf shifter with precognitive abilities about to marry the four-hundred-year-old alpha king of the Starlight pack.
The transformation wasn't just spiritual or supernatural—it showed in her physical appearance too. Her skin glowed with vitality, her green eyes sparkled with newfound confidence, and her black hair, styled in loose waves cascading down her back, shimmered with starlight.
"Hold still," Macie instructed, adjusting the crystal hairpiece that anchored Seraphina's simple veil. "If you keep bouncing, I'm going to stab you with this pin."
"Sorry." Seraphina inhaled slowly, trying to calm the excitement bubbling inside her. "I just can't believe this is happening."
Abby circled her, her blonde friend's reflection appearing beside Seraphina's in the mirror as she tugged at the strapless bodice of the wedding gown.
"I mean, seriously? You disappear for a few days, and come back engaged to a freaking wolf king with a private island?
And now you can turn into a gorgeous white wolf and see the future?
" She threw her hands up dramatically. "And I thought I was living my best life when I scored free VIP passes to Eclipse last summer! "
Seraphina laughed, the sound lighter than it had been in years. Her wolf—that once-dormant part of herself—hummed with contentment beneath her skin, recognizing that in less than an hour, she would be officially bound to her mate in human tradition as well as wolf.
"You look absolutely stunning," Verna said, her normally efficient demeanor softened with genuine emotion. She straightened the train of Seraphina's gown, the delicate fabric embroidered with tiny crystals that caught the light like stars. "The king won't be able to take his eyes off you."
A flush crept up Seraphina's neck at the thought of Orion waiting for her at the end of the aisle. Even after three weeks of sharing his bed, his castle, and his life, her body still responded to his mere presence like a compass finding true north.
"Speaking of hunky wolf kings," Abby said, wiggling her eyebrows as she applied a final touch of blush to Seraphina's cheeks, "any chance there's a spare royal shifter lying around for me?
I'm not picky—prince, duke, knight of the realm.
I just need someone with those gorgeous wolf eyes and preferably abs like your man. "
Macie snorted. "Trust me, you don't want to get mixed up with shifters. They're all insufferably stubborn. Just ask Chance how many arguments we've had about proper surfboard storage."
"But the making up must be worth it." Abby winked.
Seraphina felt another wave of heat rush to her cheeks, thinking of how Orion's stubbornness manifested in the bedroom—his dominant need to claim her and possess her completely. The mate bond between them thrummed with anticipation.
"Trust me," Seraphina murmured, a small smile playing on her lips, "it is."
A gentle knock at the door preceded Bertram's entrance, the elder's face creased with a smile. "It's time, my Luna."
His announcement sent a thrill through Seraphina.
Not just to be Orion's wife soon, but to officially be the Luna of the Starlight pack—a leader, protector, and the spiritual center of the pack.
The responsibility had terrified her at first, but now it felt right, as if she'd been preparing for this role her entire life without knowing it.
"How does he look?" Seraphina asked, her voice slightly breathless.
"Like a king who's found his queen," Bertram replied. "And like a man who might tear the island apart if he has to wait one minute longer."
Seraphina laughed, picturing Orion pacing impatiently on the beach, his powerful body restless, and those intense gray eyes scanning the path from the castle. Their mate bond allowed her to sense his anticipation, his desire, and his absolute certainty that she was his destiny.
"Well," she said, gathering her bouquet, "we shouldn't keep him waiting."
Seraphina's heart pounded wildly as she stood at the end of the path leading from the castle.
Before her, two hundred guests sat in white chairs adorned with silver ribbons and stargazer lilies that lined a pathway of scattered rose petals leading to a flower-draped archway.
Beyond that, the ocean stretched endlessly, its azure surface catching the golden light of the setting sun on this final day of the year—December 31st. The perfect ending, and the perfect beginning.
Her fingers tightened around her bouquet, a collection of white lilies and stargazer orchids interspersed with sprigs of lavender and baby's breath.
The sapphire necklace Orion had gifted her three weeks ago rested against her collarbone, its cool weight a reminder of his first attempt to win her heart and how far they'd come since that awkward offering.
She took in a deep breath, inhaling the salt air mingled with the fragrance of flowers, and then her gaze found him.
Orion stood tall and regal at the end of the aisle, his broad shoulders encased in a tailored black suit that emphasized his powerful physique.
His dark hair was styled neatly, his sharp jawline was accentuated by his neatly trimmed beard, and those intense gray eyes—those eyes that had seen centuries pass—were fixed solely on her.
The moment their eyes locked, the bond between them flared, a vibrant pulse of emotion that nearly stole her breath. Need. Devotion. Possessiveness. Love. All these and more flowed from him to her, almost overwhelming in their intensity.
"Oh," she whispered, feeling tears prick at her eyes.
"You look magnificent, my dear," Bertram said, stepping to her side and offering his arm. The elder's eyes crinkled with genuine affection, his weathered face a picture of paternal pride. "Are you ready to make an old king very happy?"
She nodded, blinking rapidly to clear the emotional haze. "I'm ready."
Music swelled—a quartet playing a melody that Orion had insisted was part of ancient pack tradition—and the guests rose to their feet.
At the front, Orion stood straighter, his shoulders squaring as if preparing for battle.
But as Bertram led her forward, Seraphina noticed something she'd never expected to see: moisture gathering in those steely eyes.
Her own eyes welled up in response. The big, fierce alpha, her warrior, her protector, was fighting tears.
"He's been waiting a long time for you," Bertram whispered as they approached the halfway point. "I've never seen him like this."
The walk seemed both eternal and far too brief.
With each step, memories flashed through her mind—their first meeting on the Miami beach, their first kiss on his private beach in the bright sunlight, and their first run together as wolves on that same beach beneath a big and bright moon.
Three weeks that had changed everything.
When they reached the arch, Bertram placed her hand in Orion's much larger one. His fingers closed around hers with gentle possessiveness, his thumb brushing over her knuckles in a subtle caress that sent a delicious shiver through her.
"Finally," Orion murmured, his deep voice rough with barely contained emotion.
The officiant—Chance, sporting a grin that threatened to split his face—began the ceremony, but Seraphina barely heard the words. All she could focus on was Orion, his presence, his scent, the heat radiating from his body, and the electricity that sparked where their skin touched.
When the time came for vows, Orion spoke without notes.
"Seraphina. My Luna." His fingers tightened on hers.
"For four hundred years, I've ruled alone, convinced that power and duty were enough.
I was a fool." He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing.
"You've shown me that strength comes not just from control, but from connection. From vulnerability. From love."
His eyes brimmed with emotion. "I vow to protect you with every breath in my body. I vow to cherish you with every beat of my heart. I vow to be not just your king, but your partner, your lover, and your friend. For as long as the stars shine above us, you will never walk alone."
Tears spilled freely down Seraphina's cheeks. She had prepared vows, had written and rewritten them a dozen times, but in this moment, looking up at this powerful man who had claimed her so completely, the carefully crafted words fled her mind.
"Orion," she began, her voice trembling.
"Three weeks ago, I was lost—a woman with powers I didn't understand in a world that suddenly made no sense.
You found me. You showed me who I truly am.
" She reached up to touch the sapphire at her throat.
"I was afraid of belonging to anyone, of being possessed.
But now I know that belonging to you means finding my true self. "
Her voice strengthened. "I vow to stand beside you, to support you, and to challenge you when you need it. I vow to be your Luna, your wife, and your partner in all things. I may have only known you three weeks, but my soul recognizes yours across lifetimes."
A rumble of approval rose from Orion's chest, and for a moment, the wolf showed in his eyes—possessive, primal, and proud.
Chance cleared his throat. "The rings?"
They exchanged bands—a band of hammered platinum with a subtle engraving of wolf paws running its circumference for him and a delicate band of platinum set with tiny sapphires and diamonds that complemented her sapphire necklace for her.
"By the power vested in me by, well, this guy right here," Chance grinned, nodding at Orion, "I pronounce you husband and wife, Alpha and Luna, King and Queen of the Starlight pack. You may kiss your bride—although I'm sure nobody here could stop you if they tried."