Page 8 of Moon's Call

The summer sun beat down on the construction site as Lorelei studied the blueprints spread across a makeshift table. Glass panels of the new building sparkled around her, reflecting the city’s energy. A bead of sweat trickled down her neck despite the early hour.

“Mr. Shaw, these support beams need to be—“ She looked up from her conversation with the supervisor and lost her train of thought.

A man who looked like he’d stepped out of her most private fantasies walked toward her. His charcoal button-down stretched across broad shoulders, sleeves rolled to expose forearms that belonged in a fitness magazine. The way he moved reminded her of a predator – graceful yet dangerous.

“Oh, thank you, birthday gods.” The words slipped out. “I was starting to think my thirties would be all work and no play.”

He didn’t crack a smile. Not even a twitch. Instead, his intense gaze locked on her with laser focus that made her skin tingle.

“You don’t have clearance to be here,” she said, noting his lack of a hard hat or safety vest. “This is an active construction zone.”

“I am Prince Draken of the Moonshadow Pack.” His voice was deep, commanding – expecting immediate compliance. “You will return with me to become our Luna.”

Lorelei blinked. Twice. She glanced at her coffee cup, wondering if someone had spiked it. Pack? Luna? Was this some elaborate birthday prank her friends had cooked up?

“Right.” She tapped her pen against the blueprints. “And I’m the Queen of Sheba. Did Helena put you up to this? Because if she did, you can tell her nice try, but I’m not falling for?—“

“This is not a joke.” He stepped closer, and the air seemed to crackle between them. “You are meant to be my Luna.”

The supervisor cleared his throat. “Everything okay here, Ms. Chanda?”

“Just fine, Mr. Shaw.” Her voice came out steadier than she felt. “Though I think someone’s acting got a little too intense.”

The man – Draken – narrowed his blue eyes, his jaw clenching in a way that shouldn’t have been attractive but definitely was. The expensive watch on his wrist caught the sunlight as he crossed his arms, and Lorelei found herself wondering what kind of budget this prank needed.

Lorelei’s amusement soon faded as Draken’s expression remained deadly serious. The playful gleam she’d expected to see in his eyes – the telltale sign of a birthday prank – was absent. Instead, his gaze held an unsettling intensity that made her stomach flip.

“Look, this was... interesting, but I need to get back to work.” She gathered her blueprints, trying to keep her hands steady.

“You misunderstand.” He stepped closer, his presence overwhelming her personal space. “This isn’t a request. Your magical powers have awakened. The pack needs its Luna.”

A chill ran down her spine despite the summer heat. Something in the way he spoke – the absolute conviction in his voice – set off warning bells in her head. Yet beneath her unease, an inexplicable pull tugged at her core, drawing her toward him. She blamed it on his ridiculous good looks and whatever cologne he was wearing that smelled like the forest after rain.

“Lorelei!” The lead contractor’s voice carried across the construction site. “Can you come look at something?”

Relief flooded through her. “I’ll be right back,” she told Draken, already backing away.

His jaw clenched. “We’re not finished.”

“Right. Luna. Pack. Got it.” She forced a smile, clutching her blueprints to her chest like a shield. “Just... wait here.”

She hurried across the site, her boots clicking against the concrete floor. Each step put welcome distance between her and the attractive but clearly unhinged man.

Her mind raced. Should she call security? The police? Maybe he was just having some sort of episode. But that pull she felt... She shook her head. No. That was just her hormones responding to a face that belonged on a magazine cover. Nothing more.

Lorelei approached the lead contractor, her heart still racing from the strange encounter. “Bob, could you have security escort that man off the premises? The one in the charcoal shirt?”

Bob turned, scanning the area. “What man?”

Lorelei spun around. The spot where Mr. Tall-Dark-and-Delusional had stood was empty. She blinked, wondering if the heat was getting to her.

“Never mind. I must have imagined it.” She laughed, though it came out a bit shaky. “Too much birthday cake the other night, I guess.”

“Speaking of, how was the big three-oh?”

“Great until some weirdo crashed the party.” She shook her head, focusing on the blueprints. “Now, what do you need me to look at?”

The rest of the morning passed in a blur of measurements and material specifications. Lorelei lost herself in the familiar rhythm of construction supervision, the earlier encounter fading like a strange dream.

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