Page 13 of Luna Rising

“They want to meet you–the pack.” His fingers curled around the hem of my sweatshirt, pushing it up to expose my stomach. He adjusted so his cheek rested against my belly button. “They want to know their alpha’s mate, to see us as a united front.”

His lips brushed my skin as he spoke, spreading warmth all the way to my fingers and toes. Gaia, I wanted him. So, so badly. My nails became claws, and I raked them down his back. The scratches healed as I made them. Ewan pushed the sweatshirt higher and nipped at the underside of my breast with his fangs.

Crimson eyes peered up at me. “Did Essie brew more tea? Your bloodlust isn’t as strong as it was before.”

“No. Winter used a spell on me. It’s helped a lot, though I guess I’ve only seen you two. Maybe I’ll feel differently when you let me out of this room, and I’m around mortals.”

He let my sweatshirt fall back in place and sat up. “I need you by my side when I defeat the challengers. You are my strength.”

Ewan leaned in, his teeth catching my bottom lip. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer.

“Do you really think a bloody brawl is the best place to test my willpower?” I teased.

“No.” His mouth moved to my neck. “I have something else in mind.” He breathed me in, burying his face in my knotted hair. “If I let you leave this room, will you behave?”

I laughed. “Not likely.”

Happy Hunting

Before I could have my first foray out of the bedroom, Ewan insisted on sending his mother away to avoid an incident. Then Walter showed up to break the spell he’d put on the door to keep me trapped inside.

“How are you liking the fangs?” he teased.

I glared at him. “How would you like them in your neck?”

Ewan’s teeth ground together. He was extremely nervous about letting me out, and my comment about biting the fae mobster didn’t help the situation.

Walter threw his head back and laughed. “You do know I’m the only person who can let you out of this room, yeah?”

He stood in the hallway, safely out of my reach–lucky for him. While I was aware he was goading me, true anger formed a pit in my stomach and the urge to attack grew strong. Oddly, I didn’t thirst for his blood, not even a little.

Is it because he’s Winter’s father? I wondered.

Ewan put a hand on my shoulder. His touch calmed me, and I leaned against him.

“Undo the spell,” Ewan said in his alpha voice.

Walter’s intense gaze focused on Ewan’s face, studying him for several long moments. His tone was no longer teasing when he finally spoke. “That’s a lot of power you got. Learn to control it, and you truly will be the King of Wolves.” He shifted to me. “You ready?”

I don’t know, am I? I wondered.

Ewan’s hand moved to the small of my back. “There’s no one else in the house. You’ll be fine.”

A part of me hated myself for needing his reassurance, as if I was incapable of making decisions. On the other hand, I didn’t entirely trust myself now that I drank my meals.

I nodded to Walter. “Work your magic.”

Maybe it was the time I’d spent as a dimensional fae, but I assumed Walter would wave his hand and the spell would lift. It was way more complicated than that.

He started at the top of the open doorway and drew runes in the air, working his way to the ground. The entire time, he chanted in old faerie. When he’d filled the space with fiery symbols, he stepped back and raised his hands. I felt him summon his magic, and then he blasted the invisible barrier.

The runes shattered and fell to the floor, disappearing upon impact. Walter made a sweeping bow, inviting me to leave the room. Ewan kept his hand on my back as I took my first tentative steps through the doorway and out of the bedroom.

Walter’s heart beat fast from exertion. I smelled his magic just as acutely as I heard his blood pumping through his veins. And yet, it wasn’t tantalizing in the least.

Ewan guided me the short distance to the bathroom. “You did well,” he said, brushing a kiss over my forehead.

I shrugged. “Nothing about him is appetizing.”

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