Page 5

FOUR

ORION

O rion maintained a careful distance as he followed his Luna through the Miami streets. Her yellow sundress fluttered in the breeze, a bright beacon against the morning sunlight. He pressed his phone to his ear, never taking his eyes off her.

"Chance, I've found her." His deep voice rumbled with barely contained excitement.

"Already? You just docked this morning." Chance's surprise carried through the line.

"The mate bond led me straight to her. She was walking along the beach—" Orion paused, watching as Seraphina glanced over her shoulder. He ducked behind a parked car. "She's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. Black hair that catches the light, and green eyes that pierce right through you."

"So you approached her? What happened?"

Orion ran his large hand through his hair, still frustrated by the encounter. "I tried introducing myself, but she got spooked. Said she had to go and practically ran away."

"The mighty Alpha King getting rejected?" Chance chuckled. "That's a first."

"She looked down at her phone when I mentioned she'd manifested her Luna powers. Got some alert, I think." Orion's jaw clenched. "Something's off, Chance. The pull in my chest is undeniable—stronger than anything I've ever felt—but there's something impossible happening."

"What do you mean?"

Orion lowered his voice, even though no humans nearby would understand the significance. "She's human, Chance. Not a trace of wolf in her scent."

The line went silent for a moment. "That's not possible. A Luna has to be a wolf."

"That's what I thought." Orion tracked Seraphina as she turned down another street. His instincts sharpened, the predator in him mapping her every movement. "Either she's human and can't be my Luna, or she's my Luna and somehow a wolf shifter without me knowing it."

"Could be someone who hasn't transformed yet?"

"Unlikely." Orion's leather jacket creaked as he quickened his pace.

"What are you going to do now?"

Orion watched as Seraphina stopped at a crosswalk, her posture tense like prey sensing a predator. His wolf stirred beneath his skin, urging him to claim what was his.

"I'm going to catch up to her. Figure this out." He rolled his shoulders, feeling the tension of the hunt. "Something's odd about all of this. She seemed... confused."

"Be careful, Orion. Humans are unpredictable even if they're your destined mate."

"I have to go. She's getting too far ahead." Orion's eyes never left the yellow dress. "I'll call you back."

"Good luck. Try not to terrify the poor woman."

Orion hung up, slipping the phone into his pocket. His wolf pressed against him desperate to claim what belonged to them. The bond, though faint, pulled taut like a fishing line connecting their souls.

After centuries of waiting, he had found her. And yet nothing was as it should be. A human Luna? Impossible. But the mate bond never lied.

One way or another, Seraphina belonged with him.

Orion broke into a quick jog, his muscles coiled with tension as he closed the distance between himself and Seraphina. His instincts screamed at him to move faster, the pull in his chest tightening with each step.

Two blocks had never felt so far.

The yellow material of the dress shone in the sunlight like a lighthouse, guiding him toward Seraphina. Seraphina. Even her name sounded right to his ears, a melody he'd waited centuries to hear. But something wasn't adding up.

"If I could just touch her, I would know instantly that she's my Luna," he muttered under his breath, weaving between pedestrians with predatory grace. His hand flexed at his side, itching to touch her, to confirm what his wolf already knew. One touch. That's all he needed.

Her pace quickened as she approached a small yellow bungalow with blue trim—her home, he presumed.

She slowed suddenly, her body language shifting from hurried to alarmed.

Orion's senses heightened immediately, scanning for threats.

His eyes zeroed in on the broken window, glass shards glittering on the ground.

Then he caught sight of movement inside—a shadowy figure prowling through what appeared to be a living room. Suddenly, she let out a terrified scream that pierced the air.

"Seraphina!" he called out.

But before he could take another step, she crumpled to the sidewalk, her body going limp in an instant.

Orion's heart pounded in his chest as he sprinted the final distance. A growl built within him when he spotted another man approaching from the opposite direction—tall and lean, with eyes fixed on Seraphina's unconscious form. The stranger's body language spoke volumes. Predator stalking prey.

"Mine," Orion snarled under his breath, positioning himself between the approaching threat and his fallen mate. The conflict tore at him—rush inside to neutralize the burglar, or stay and protect Seraphina from this new threat.

His wolf made the decision for him. Kingship had taught him many lessons, but one remained paramount—protect what was yours.

"Step back," Orion commanded, his voice dropping to the alpha register that made lesser wolves submit. The authority in his tone made the approaching man hesitate.

"This doesn't concern you," the stranger replied, his eyes never leaving Seraphina.

Orion's lip curled as he knelt beside her, one hand hovering over her forehead, frantic to touch her but wary of overwhelming his senses at such a critical moment.

The stranger took another step forward. "You really should mind your own business."

"She is my business." The words came out as a territorial declaration. Orion's eyes flashed with a hint of gold, indicating his wolf was close to the surface now.

Inside the house, the burglar was moving toward the back rooms. Orion's heightened hearing picked up the sound of drawers being opened and closed. Every instinct demanded he hunt down the intruder, but leaving Seraphina vulnerable wasn't an option.

The approaching man reached inside his jacket, and Orion's patience snapped. In one fluid motion, he scooped Seraphina into his arms, cradling her against his chest.

The moment his skin touched hers, electricity coursed through him, lighting up every nerve ending in his body. The mate bond flared, humming with a resonance that left no doubt in his mind.

She was his. Human or not.

"She's mine," Orion growled, the simple declaration rumbling from deep in his chest.

His decision made, Orion pivoted away from the stranger and took off at a dead sprint. Seraphina weighed almost nothing in his arms, her small frame nestled snugly against his chest. Her scent—jasmine and starlight—filled his nostrils, making his wolf howl with possessive delight.

Footsteps pounded the pavement behind him. The stranger had given chase.

"You have no idea what you're interfering with!" the man shouted.

Orion didn't waste his breath responding. With his Luna unconscious in his arms, this was not the moment for confrontation.

He cut sharply down an alley, hearing the man curse as he tried to follow. Orion's supernatural speed gave him the advantage, his powerful legs eating up the ground as he navigated Miami's maze-like streets. Left, right, another right—he zigzagged through the city, letting instinct guide him.

Seraphina stirred in his arms, a small whimper escaping her lips.

"I've got you now," Orion murmured, adjusting his hold to cradle her head more securely against his shoulder. "No one's going to hurt you."

Her proximity was intoxicating. Every point where her body touched his sent tremors of recognition through him. How was this possible? Her lack of shifter scent defied everything he knew about mate bonds, yet the connection between them vibrated with undeniable truth.

A human Luna. The concept would upend centuries of pack tradition.

And he didn't care. Not when holding her felt like finding a piece of himself he hadn't known was missing.

Orion glanced over his shoulder, pleased to see no sign of pursuit any longer. He must've lost the stranger several blocks back. Good. His wolf settled slightly, satisfied they had protected what was theirs.

The scent of the ocean grew stronger as he approached the marina. The dock came into view, and relief washed through him. The Moonchaser bobbed on the swells of the vast ocean.

He slowed his pace as he approached, not wanting to jostle Seraphina unnecessarily. Her eyelids fluttered, but she remained unconscious. What had caused this? Was it related to her awakening Luna powers?

The gangplank welcomed him home, the familiar creak of the boat a comfort after the chaos of the last few minutes.

Orion carried Seraphina below deck to the master cabin, gently laying her on the queen-sized bed.

He allowed himself one moment to stroke her cheek, marveling at the softness of her skin.

"Who are you exactly?" he whispered, tucking a strand of black hair behind her ear.

Her brow furrowed in unconsciousness as though she could hear his question.

Orion straightened, forcing himself to step back. There would be time for answers once they were safely away from Miami and whoever had been after her today.

Orion bounded up the stairs to the helm, his wolf still prowling beneath the surface of his skin, hyperaware that his mate lay unconscious below.

He fired up the engines with practiced efficiency, the Moonchaser's powerful motors rumbling to life.

As he steered away from the marina, Miami's skyline receded behind him, the distance easing some primal part of him that demanded he put space between his Luna and danger.

With one hand on the wheel, he pulled out his phone and called Chance.

"Orion? You headed back already?" Chance asked, his voice tinged with surprise.

"Change of plans." Orion kept his eyes fixed on the horizon, navigating the boat through the choppy Atlantic waters. "She's with me now."

"Your Luna? You kidnapped her?"

Orion bristled at the accusation. "I protected her. She collapsed outside her home right after some intruder broke in. Then another man approached—clearly threatening. I didn't have a choice."

"So, you're telling me she's unconscious on your boat, and you're bringing her to a remote island full of wolf shifters she knows nothing about." Chance's voice held a hint of amusement despite the seriousness. "Solid plan, My King."

"What would you have done?" Orion growled, the wheel creaking under his grip. "Let her be taken by whoever was after her?"

"Hey, I'm not judging. Much." A low chuckle filtered through the phone. "Macie's going to have a field day with this."

The mention of Chance's wife brought a practical thought to Orion's mind. "Tell Macie to prepare the east suite for our guest. Something comfortable. She'll need clothes, toiletries, things of that nature."

"Macie will handle it. She'll be thrilled to finally meet the woman who's captured our fearsome alpha's attention after centuries of determined bachelorhood."

Orion increased the throttle, the boat cutting through the waves with sleek precision.

"I don't know what's happening, Chance. She's clearly human, but the bond is undeniable.

When I touched her, it was like—" He paused, searching for words.

"Like touching a live wire. Everything in me recognizes her. "

"The pack elders will have opinions about a human Luna." Chance replied, his voice heavy with implication.

"The elders can keep their opinions to themselves," Orion snapped, his wolf pushing forward at the mere suggestion of resistance. "She's mine."

The island appeared on the horizon, its lush greenery a welcome sight. The castle, constructed of ancient stone brought over from Europe centuries ago, crowned the highest point of the land, its turrets reaching skyward like fingers grasping for the stars.

"We'll be ready for your arrival," Chance assured him.

Orion ended the call, his thoughts soon fixating on the woman below deck. His Luna. Human.

The contradiction both confused and fascinated him.

When the Moonchaser finally docked at his private pier, Orion wasted no time returning to Seraphina.

She remained as he'd left her, peaceful in unconsciousness, the yellow fabric of her dress bright against the dark bedding.

He gathered her in his arms, marveling again at how perfectly she fit against his chest, as though she'd been crafted specifically to nestle there.

He carried her up the winding path to his castle.

Her weight barely registered to his supernatural strength, and he found himself deliberately slowing his pace to prolong their contact.

Several pack members stopped to stare as he passed, no doubt catching his scent mingling with hers.

Let them look, his wolf thought possessively. Let them see who their king had chosen.

The east suite waited, prepared as promised—fresh linens on the four-poster bed, a vase of island flowers on the nightstand, and the windows open to let in the ocean breeze. Orion placed Seraphina gently on the bed, carefully arranging her limbs in a comfortable position.

Alone with her in the safety of his castle, Orion allowed himself to truly look at her.

The yellow sundress showcased curves that made his mouth go dry—the swell of her hips, the dip of her waist, and the fullness of her breasts rising and falling with each breath.

Her black hair fanned across the pillow like spilled ink, framing a face that could've been carved by the gods themselves.

"How are you possible?" he murmured, his voice hushed in the quiet room.

He sank into the chair beside her bed, drinking in the details he hadn't been able to fully appreciate during their frantic escape.

The delicate arch of her eyebrows. The soft fullness of her lips.

The gentle curve of her jaw. Each feature etched itself into his memory, his wolf memorizing every aspect of their mate.

Unable to resist, Orion leaned forward and brushed his lips against her forehead in the lightest of kisses. Electricity jolted through him, stronger than before, a current of pure recognition that left him breathless. His wolf howled in triumph inside him.

Mine .

Yet how could a human woman be destined for an alpha wolf? Centuries of tradition stood against it. Centuries of certainty that a Luna must be a wolf to lead alongside her alpha.

But as Orion watched her sleep, her chest rising and falling in gentle rhythm, ancient traditions seemed suddenly less important than the woman before him. Human or wolf, she was his now, and he would move heaven and earth to keep her safe.