Page 25 of Moon's Call

The wordhumanechoed off the stone walls. Both advisors tensed.

“This will cause quite a stir in the supernatural community,” Scorpio said carefully. “The other princes might not?—“

“Let them stir.” Draken’s wolf surged forward, protective and proud. “I want Kelly to take our best seamstress to Lorelei immediately. Something elegant. Something that makes a statement.”

“What color?” Chuck asked, already typing on his phone.

Draken thought of Lorelei’s earth magical powers, how they sang to his own power. “Green. Deep green with gold accents. Like the woods at twilight.”

“You’re really going all in on this,” Scorpio observed, his pen hovering over his notepad.

“My Luna deserves nothing less.” Draken’s chest swelled with pride. “Make sure the kitchen prepares her favorite desserts. And have the gardens lit with fairy lights. She mentioned liking them the other night.”

Chuck was typing furiously. “Anything else?”

“Yes.” Draken’s voice dropped lower, letting his alpha authority seep through. “Make sure everyone understands – this isn’t just an introduction. This is a declaration. Lorelei is my Luna, human or not. Anyone who has a problem with that can take it up with me directly.”

His wolf growled in agreement, already anticipating any challenges. Let them come. With Lorelei’s powers amplifying his own, he’d never felt stronger.

“Well,” Scorpio said, standing and straightening his jacket. “We better get moving if we’re going to pull this off by tonight.”

The heavy boardroom door clicked shut behind Chuck and Scorpio, leaving Draken alone with his thoughts. His wolf practically pranced with excitement at their plans for the evening. Electric energy coursed through his veins, making it impossible to stand still.

“Let them try to challenge this,” he muttered, rolling his shoulders. The mere thought of anyone opposing Lorelei as his Luna made his muscles coil with protective instinct.

He strode through the castle’s corridors toward his private gym, his footsteps echoing off the ancient stone walls. The familiar scent of leather and steel greeted him as he pushed open the heavy oak door. Sunlight streamed through high windows, warming the training mats and gleaming off the weights.

Draken stripped off his dress shirt, tossing it aside. His reflection caught his eye in the mirrored wall – he looked different. Younger somehow, more alive. All because of her.

The memory of Lorelei’s fingers trailing down his chest made his skin tingle. How her eyes lit up when she successfully manipulated the earth around her.

“Mine,” his wolf growled as he grabbed a heavy weight bar.

Working through his usual routine, Draken’s mind wandered to tonight’s celebration. He pictured Lorelei in an elegant green gown, standing proudly beside him. His Luna. His mate. Human or not, she completed him in ways he never expected.

“To hell with tradition,” he said between sets, his muscles burning pleasantly. “To hell with anyone who objects.”

The other princes would arrive, expecting the usual formalities. Instead, they’d witness him upending centuries of supernatural traditions. The thought made him grin.

Sweat dripped down his chest as he moved to the punching bag. Each strike emphasized his certainty. He’d waited centuries for his Luna. Now that he’d found her, nothing would keep them apart – not his pack’s prejudices, not other alphas’ opinions, not even his own initial doubts.

“You’ve changed me, little human,” he murmured, landing a particularly satisfying combination. “Made me stronger. Better.”

Tonight would change everything. And for the first time in his long existence, change didn’t feel like a threat. It felt like freedom.

Draken soon finished his last set of pull-ups, his muscles burning pleasantly from the intense workout. His wolf prowled, restless with anticipation for tonight’s celebration. Grabbing a towel, he wiped the sweat from his chest and headed toward his master suite.

The hot shower eased the tension in his shoulders as steam filled the massive bathroom. He let his mind wander to Lorelei, picturing how she’d look tonight in the green gown he’d ordered.

“All mine,” he murmured, running shampoo through his hair.

The thought of showing her off to the other princes made his chest puff with pride. Let them see what a human Luna could be.

He stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist just as his phone buzzed on the marble counter. Chuck’s name flashed across the screen.

The message made his blood run cold: “Luna collapsed while with Marybeth.”

“Fuck!” Draken’s fist slammed into the counter.

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