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SIX

ORION

F our centuries of ruling a pack, and he'd never encountered anyone who dared threaten him with a candlestick. The woman had spirit.

He moved with casual grace toward one of the smaller telescopes, adjusting its focus with practiced hands. The brass instrument felt cool beneath his fingers, a familiar comfort in this suddenly unfamiliar situation.

His gaze lifted from the telescope to meet hers when she pressed him for answers.

The air between him and Seraphina seemed to crackle with electricity.

But he remained silent for a moment, mesmerized by the fierce green of her eyes, and the way her black hair caught the dying sunlight filtering through the dome above them.

Verna had informed him that Seraphina was awake.

He had tracked her movements through the castle, watching through security feeds as she discovered the observatory.

When he'd seen her face light up at the sight of the astronomical equipment, something inside his chest had tightened.

His wolf had all but purred with satisfaction.

Her wholesome appreciation for the stars aligned perfectly with their pack's reverence for the night sky.

But now, all that joy had vanished from her face, replaced by suspicion and anger. The candlestick trembled slightly in her grip.

"Kidnapper?" Orion's voice came out deeper than intended, a rumble that echoed through the domed room. "Is that how humans thank those who save their lives?"

He straightened to his full height, shoulders back, chin lifted.

"I rescued you," he stated flatly. "Your home was broken into.

You collapsed on the sidewalk. Another man was approaching your unconscious body with intentions I wouldn't care to guess at.

" He stepped closer, unintimidated by her makeshift weapon.

"Would you have preferred I left you there? "

Seraphina's eyes widened slightly, but her grip on the candlestick didn't loosen. "If you rescued me, why not take me to a hospital? Or the police?"

A short, humorless laugh escaped his lips. "As the Luna, you should know we don't use human services to handle pack matters."

Orion watched her face, expecting recognition, understanding—anything but the blank confusion that greeted his words. His wolf stirred uneasily beneath his skin. How could she not know what he meant if she was the Luna?

The thought that had been circling his mind since meeting her on the beach returned with unsettling force. She felt like his Luna, his mate, his other half—everything in him recognized her. But if she truly didn't understand what he was talking about...

Seraphina stood frozen, confusion evident in every line of her body. She didn't respond to his statement about being the Luna. She just stared at him as if he were speaking another language.

His wolf pushed forward, demanding he claim what was his, and protect what belonged to him. But the man in him hesitated, sensing the delicate balance of the moment.

"You truly don't know, do you?" Orion asked quietly, the realization dawning on him with uncomfortable clarity. "What you are. What I am. What's happening to you."

He watched the play of emotions across Seraphina's face—confusion, fear, disbelief—and felt his wolf stir restlessly. This wasn't how finding his Luna was supposed to unfold. Their meeting should have been filled with recognition, not this bewildered standoff with a candlestick between them.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Seraphina said, her knuckles white around the brass candlestick.

Her green eyes flashed, defiant despite her obvious confusion.

"What do you mean by 'pack matters'? And who's 'we' versus 'humans'?

" She swallowed hard, the pulse at her throat quickening. "Aren't you human?"

The question struck Orion as so fundamentally absurd that he nearly laughed. Four centuries of existence, and he'd never once been mistaken for merely human.

"No," he said simply. "I am a wolf shifter."

A startled laugh burst from Seraphina's lips, high and brittle with nervousness. "Right. And I'm Little Red Riding Hood." She backed up a step, brandishing the candlestick. "Is this some kind of cult thing? Because I'm not interested."

Orion's jaw tightened. His wolf clawed at him, demanding he prove their nature, and show this woman exactly what they were. But centuries of self-control kept the beast leashed. This situation required finesse, not dominance—a concept his wolf struggled to understand.

The realization that his Luna had no knowledge of shifters sent a chill through him. How could she be his mate and not know what he was? What she was meant to be? The mate bond pulsed between them, unmistakable to him but apparently imperceptible to her.

"I need a second opinion," he muttered, more to himself than to her. He moved toward the intercom on the wall, his eyes never leaving her. "Bring Bertram to the observatory," he instructed the staff member who answered. "Tell him it concerns Miss Seraphina."

"I don't know who Bertram is," Seraphina protested, shifting her weight as if preparing to make a run for it. "And I don't want to meet anyone. I want to go home."

Home. The word twisted something in Orion's chest. She didn't understand that this was her home now, that she belonged with him, with the pack.

"Your home was broken into," he reminded her, his voice gentler. "Remember? You collapsed outside. I brought you here for your safety."

"Then I'd like to go to the police here," she countered, lifting her chin. The defiance in the gesture sent a surge of heat through his blood. His Luna was no cowering female, even when afraid.

"There are no police on the island."

The words hung in the air between them. Orion watched comprehension dawn in those bright green eyes, followed swiftly by alarm. Her gaze darted to the windows of the observatory, where the last rays of sunset painted the sky in reds and purples over an endless expanse of ocean.

"Island?" Her voice was barely a whisper.

Orion felt the mate bond pull taut with her distress. It took every ounce of his control not to go wrap his arms around her and soothe away her fear. But his wolf knew better—a cornered creature was dangerous, even one as seemingly harmless as his human Luna.

Humans. Always so complicated. This was exactly why he avoided their world whenever possible.

He watched the color drain from Seraphina's face while she was processing this revelation. The candlestick in her hand dipped slightly as her attention shifted to the darkening horizon visible through the observatory's windows.

"Yes, my private island. About thirty miles off Miami's coast," he replied, keeping his voice deliberately even. The less alarmed she appeared, the calmer his wolf remained. "You're perfectly safe here."

"Safe?" Seraphina's voice rose, tinged with hysteria. "You've taken me to some private island without my consent, and you expect me to feel safe?"

Orion folded his arms across his chest, the muscles of his forearms flexing unconsciously.

The woman before him—his supposed Luna—clearly knew nothing about shifters.

His pack had survived for centuries on this island by keeping their existence hidden from humans.

Why break that secrecy for someone who might simply be triggering a false mate bond?

"I expect you to be grateful I didn't leave you unconscious on the street for that stranger to grab you," he replied, his tone sharper than intended. His wolf didn't appreciate his tone with their mate, but the man overruled the beast. "I think there are wolves after you, Seraphina."

"Wolves? Actual wolves? In Miami?" She looked at him like he had lost his mind.

He almost smiled. If only she knew just how accurate his statement was.

"You'll understand more after you speak with Bertram," he said, deliberately withholding further explanation. The fewer complications now, the better. "He's very knowledgeable about... your situation."

"My situation?" Seraphina's grip tightened on the candlestick again. "I don't have a 'situation' except being kidnapped by a man who thinks he's part wolf!"

"I don't think I am part wolf," Orion corrected, a hint of amusement darkening his gray eyes. "I am wolf. There's a difference."

Her eyes flashed with emerald fire. "This is insane. I demand you take me home immediately."

The commanding tone in her voice stirred something primal in him. His Luna was finding her voice, whether she realized it or not. But being alpha meant no one—not even his mate—gave him orders.

"You're free to leave whenever you wish," he said, gesturing toward the observatory door with mock graciousness.

Her expression faltered as reality sank in. "But... we're on an island."

"Indeed."

Orion moved closer, close enough to catch her subtle scent—jasmine and something that reminded him of starlight. His wolf reveled in it.

"Take me home," she demanded, her voice lower but no less forceful.

"I will not," he replied simply. "Not until I have my answers."

"Answers to what?"

"To why my Luna appears to be completely human, for starters." He circled her slowly, admiring the way she pivoted to keep him in sight. His wolf approved of her vigilance. "And why she manifested powers on her thirtieth birthday."

Seraphina froze. "How do you know about that?"

"I know many things about you now, Seraphina Lucero.

Astronomer. Thirty years old as of yesterday.

Recently experiencing... visions." He stopped directly in front of her, close enough to see the faint dusting of freckles across her nose.

"What I don't know is why you're triggering a mate bond when you're clearly human. "

"A what bond?"

"Answers for answers, Seraphina." His voice dropped to a rumble. "You can leave after we're both satisfied."

The double meaning wasn't lost on either of them. A faint blush colored her cheeks, and Orion felt a surge of satisfaction. She might not recognize him as her mate yet, but her body responded to him, nonetheless.

The intercom on the wall buzzed with an unwelcome interruption. Orion turned, lifting his chin impatiently as a voice crackled through the system.

"Excuse me sir. But Elder Bertram sends his regrets. He's detained in a meeting. He says it will be at least another hour before he can join you."

Orion's muscles tensed. Another hour meant another hour of uncertainty—another hour of his wolf prowling beneath his skin, demanding answers about this woman who smelled like his mate yet appeared entirely human. He resisted the urge to snarl.

"Fine," he growled into the intercom, not bothering to mask his irritation. Patience in matters of the heart had never been his strong suit.

When he turned back to Seraphina, her face had hardened with determination. The candlestick remained clutched in her hand like a talisman against him.

"Well, if you're not going to help me, I'll find someone else on this island who will take me home," she announced, her green eyes flashing with defiance.

Something primal and possessive surged through Orion's blood.

His wolf howled in protest at the mere thought of her seeking assistance from anyone else.

The idea of her leaving the island—leaving him—before he'd even figured out what she was to him sent panic clawing through his chest. It was an unfamiliar sensation for a king who had spent centuries in perfect control.

"You will do no such thing," he said more sharply than intended, then immediately regretted his tone when her eyes widened. This approach would only drive her further away, and some instinct deep within him knew he couldn't allow that to happen.

Orion drew a steadying breath. "You must be hungry," he said, deliberately softening his voice. He gestured toward the darkening sky visible through the observatory dome. "It's past dinner time, and you've had quite a day."

His gaze swept over her, noting the slight slouch of her shoulders that spoke of exhaustion and stress.

His wolf urged him to care for her, and to provide for her needs.

The man in him recognized the strategic advantage—a shared meal meant time to observe her, to understand what she was, and why his instincts screamed that she belonged to him.

"Join me for dinner," he continued, making it sound more like an invitation than an order this time. "The castle chef prepares an excellent meal, and the dining room offers a view of the night sky that should interest an astronomer."

He watched her face carefully, noting how her expression shifted at the mention of food. The slight parting of her lips, and the momentary softening around her eyes—hunger was winning over caution. She hadn't lowered the candlestick yet, but her grip had loosened ever so slightly.

Orion allowed himself a small, satisfied smile.

His wolf preened at the thought of providing sustenance for their potential mate.

Whether she was truly his Luna or not remained to be seen, but the prospect of sharing a meal with her awakened something long dormant within him—a desire for companionship that went beyond the duty and formality that had framed his existence for centuries.

"I make no promises about taking you home," he added, unwilling to surrender that ground, "but I do promise excellent food and, perhaps, some answers to some of your questions."

Her stomach growled audibly in the quiet observatory, and Orion's smile widened. Some battles were won with strength, others with strategy. This one, it seemed, might be won with seafood and aged wine from the castle cellars.