Page 4 of Luna

It didn’t matter. When things had gone south with the pack I’d been with before, I’d been heartbroken. An innocent celebrity crush had got me through my heats and given me hope I would find love again.

Illusion was joy at the short suspension of cynicism.

“Good evening, people of wonder.” Dante spread his arms out and looked at the crowd.

I loved magic. Even if it wasn’t real. I believed in crystals, I believed in the tarot reading but that never felt like magic. More like very specific science.

“Tonight, we take a journey through sensations.” He winked, and my heart stopped.

For two hours, we watched Dante perform. Occasionally I asked Quinn how a certain trick was possible, and he whispered back answers. The knowledge of how the trick worked only made me appreciate it more.

By the end I was buzzing. Normally, loud music and a crowd of strangers was the easiest way for me to get a migraine but tonight was different. When the lights went up, I was sorry it was over.

“That was amazing!” I hung back, not wanting to be pressed between strangers simply so I could leave the theater five minutes faster.

I’d planned on going up to my hotel room and watching TV after the show, but now I wanted to know what other books Quinn had read.

“Do you want—” I started at the same time Quinn said, “Should we—”

He gestured at me. “Sorry. What did…what were you going to say?”

“I was going to ask if you wanted some food. We could talk about books?”

Quinn pulled his bag over his shoulder and stuffed his hands in his pockets. “I have backstage passes. I wondered if you wanted to come with me and my alpha. He was gonna come to the show, but a work thing came up. We can still talk about books…?”

My skin prickled, and a headache started to press into my temples at the thought of engaging with more people than just Quinn. I wanted to say yes, but after being after my long day I was already feeling overstimulated.

“I understand if you don’t want to. Or had other plans. Or just wanted to go to your hotel room.” Quinn turned beet red. “Not that I’m suggesting I come with you, I would never—"

“Quinn.” I laughed. “I would love to.”

“Good!” Quinn gave me a lopsided smile. “Good. Uhh, come on.” I let Quinn lead the way out of the theater, texting Ember our plans as I went. She started texting me celebration gifs for meeting my celebrity crush, and then her messages quickly escalated to suggestions of how I could show Dante how much I’d enjoyed the show. I closed my phone, my cheeks burning.

Chapter3

Luna

Nerves flashed through me, throwing me emotionally off balance. Gah. I was about to head backstage with Quinn, an unknown alpha, and Dante. I would probably stare at Dante like an idiot or say something stupid like confess all the hours I’d spent practicing my own magic tricks. And that was if Quinn’s alpha didn’t make me want to hide.

I breathed in slowly through my nose, trying to relax the building tension in my shoulders. I could do this. I could be fun and adventurous.

My family couldn’t give me a hard time for being a stick in the mud if I told them about meeting my celebrity crush with a sexy beta and his alpha.

Quinn stopped in the main lobby. “He should be done with his meeting.”

“What—"

Sexy Cowboy headed right for us. I stepped closer to Quinn on instinct.

“I see you had a good time at the show.” Sexy Cowboy winked at me, and I flushed. “Sorry I had to work.”

When I wanted magic, I wasn’t looking for serendipity.

Apparently, the universe didn’t care about my wishes.

Quinn gave him a bashful smile. “We… uhhh, we talked about botany and quantum entanglement.”

Sexy Cowboy’s face lit up. “Oh, a very good time then.”

---