Page 28 of Luna's New Reign

His chest rises and falls beneath my arm, but Asani doesn’t fight me, doesn’t challenge me further. Instead, he moves slowly, deliberately, his fingers brushing against the side of my face.

The touch throws me off balance.

“Mateo,” Asani murmurs, like he’s talking me down. His thumb brushes against my jaw, his palm warm where it rests against my cheek. “I’m with you. I’m always with you. I just—”

His words blur as his gaze softens, pulling me back from the edge. My wolf hesitates, caught between the rage and something deeper, something softer. The tension in my body shifts, the growl tapering off as I lean into his touch without meaning to.

I don’t know if it’s instinct or desperation, but I crash my lips against his, the kiss rough, demanding—possessive.Asani freezes for half a second before he melts into it, his body going pliant against mine as he submits without hesitation.

The dominance I’d been chasing floods through me, calming my wolf as Asani yields beneath me, his hands sliding up to grip my shoulders. It’s raw, it’s rough, and it’s exactly what I need to feel like the world isn’t completely unraveling. I pull back, breathing hard, my forehead pressed against his as I try to steady myself. Asani looks up at me, a smirk curling at the corner of his mouth.

“Feel better?” he mutters, his voice breathless.

Before I can answer, slow clapping breaks the silence.

I whip my head around to find River leaning in the doorway, his lips curled into a shit-eating grin, his hands lazily applauding like he’s watching the best damn show of his life. “Well, damn,” River drawls, his voice dripping with amusement. “Never thought I’d see the day. Youfinallyput Asani in his place. Took you long enough.”

Asani groans, his head thunking back against the wall. “You’re enjoying this too much.”

“I really am,” River laughs, his grin widening. “Carry on. Don’t let me stop you.”

I shake my head, the lingering heat and tension in my chest cooling slightly as I push off Asani, letting him breathe. My wolf settles just a little, satisfied, though Asani’s smirk isn’t helping.

“Shut up, River, before I find a reason to put you in your place,” I mutter, though I can’t stop the corner of my mouth from twitching.

River holds up his hands in mock surrender, still grinning like the idiot he is. “Hey, don’t mind me. I’m just here for the entertainment.”

Asani straightens, rolling his shoulders like he’s shaking off the whole ordeal. “You’re welcome,” he mutters, shooting me a sideways look that somehow manages to be both teasing and fond.

I shake my head again, exhaling a slow breath as the moment settles into something quieter. Something that feels almost like relief. We’re fraying at the edges, all of us. The weight of the pack, of Nepheline, of everything we can’t yet see—it’s pulling us tight, testing every seam. But standing here, with Asani and River and the lingering echoes of my wolf’s fury, I know this much—we’ll fight, we’ll snap, and we’ll heal.

Because that’s what we do.

And we’ll absolutely never bring up that kiss ever again.

My wolf liked it.

I’m torn.

17

MAVERICK

The days bleed together—quiet, predictable, and laced with a tension we’re all trying to ignore. It’s not the sharp, suffocating kind of tension we’re used to. Not yet, anyway. It’s the quiet before the storm. The pause where we’re all holding our breath, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

I should be thankful for it. For the stillness. The absence of chaos.

But all it takes is one distraction for everything to unravel.

“Focus,Maverick!” Ilara’s sharp voice snaps through my concentration, jolting me back to the present.

My magic, which had been humming at my fingertips, flickers and sputters out like a candle in a storm. I scowl, dropping my hands and turning toward her. She stands a few feet away, arms crossed, a brow arched in disapproval.

“You want me to focus when that’s happening?” I snap, jerking my chin toward the back window of the pack house.

Ilara doesn’t even turn to look. “You’ve been distracted every time we train, Maverick. You don’t have the luxury of ignoring your magic anymore.”

Her words sting even if I know she’s right.

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