Page 13 of Moon's Call

“I had to prevent anyone else from getting their hands on you.” His intense blue eyes fixed on her face. “You’re too valuable.”

The word hung in the air between them. Valuable. Like she was some sort of commodity. Her mind raced through the events of the past few days - the earth tremors, that man Gideon’s cryptic words about earth manipulation powers, and now this self-proclaimed prince keeping her locked away like some fairy tale princess.

Lorelei’s throat went dry as she studied Draken’s face, searching for any hint that this was all some elaborate joke. But his expression remained deadly serious, those piercing blue eyes watching her with an intensity that made her skin prickle.

Lorelei squared her shoulders, fighting to keep her composure despite her racing heart. “Valuable? What could possibly make me valuable to you people?”

Draken’s eyebrows drew together, his expression suggesting she’d just asked why water was wet. “Because of your earth-magical powers, of course.”

“My what now?” She barked out a laugh. “Listen, the only power I have is the ability to draft building plans and make contractors cry when they mess them up.”

“The tremors.” He stepped closer to the bars. “All of them. The construction site collapse. They happened because of you.”

“That’s ridiculous. Those were earthquakes.” But even as she said it, something nagged at her. The timing had been... convenient.

Draken turned to the guard in the shadows. “Open it.”

The cell door soon creaked open, and Draken stepped inside. The air seemed to crackle with electricity as he approached her. Every nerve ending in her body came alive like she’d stuck her finger in a light socket. Heat bloomed in her chest and spread outward, making her skin tingle all over.

His nostrils flared slightly as he drew closer, and his pupils dilated. Whatever this was, he felt it too.

“Give me your hand,” he commanded.

“You know, most guys buy me dinner first.” But she extended her hand, unable to resist the pull between them.

The moment their skin touched, a jolt shot through her arm and straight to her core. Energy surged through her veins like liquid lightning. She gasped, and his fingers tightened around hers.

He guided her hand to the wall, pressing her palm against the cool stone. “Focus on the wall. Picture it crumbling beneath your touch.”

“Right, because that’s totally a normal thing to do on a Tuesday.” She closed her eyes if only to humor him. The stone felt different under her palm now - alive like it was breathing. She could sense every crack, every mineral running through it. The sensation both thrilled and frightened her.

“Focus,” he murmured near her ear, his breath warm against her skin. “Will it to break apart.”

Lorelei imagined the wall dissolving beneath her fingers, pictured the stones separating and falling away. A vibration started in her palm, traveling up her arm. The wall trembled.

Then, with a sound like distant thunder, the stones began to crumble. Pieces fell away, creating a growing hole in the ancient wall. Dust and debris rained down as the opening widened.

She stared at the destruction before her, her hand still outstretched, and her mouth hanging open. The logical part of her brain - the part that understood load-bearing walls and structural integrity - short-circuited completely.

Her fingers tingled where they’d touched the stone, and her skin buzzed with an energy she’d never felt. Draken’s presence behind her sent another kind of electricity through her body - one that wasn’t caused by her earth magic and had everything to do with his overwhelming masculinity.

“This cell,” he said, his voice a low rumble that seemed to resonate through her bones, “was designed as a tribute to you. No prison could hold an earth Luna.”

“Earth Luna?” She turned around to face him. “I don’t know what that means, but as an architect, I can tell you this space needs serious renovation.” She sneezed as more dust settled around them. “Starting with proper ventilation and maybe, I don’t know, a bed?”

His lips twitched. “You’d prefer a bedroom?”

“Yeah, a bright one. With windows. And definitely a mattress that isn’t made of limestone.” She brushed debris from her hair, grimacing at the grit that coated her skin. “And right now, I’d give anything for a bath.”

“That can more than be arranged.” His eyes darkened as they swept over her, and heat flooded her chest. He stepped closer, and her breath caught in her throat. “Though I must say, you wear the dust of destruction well.”

“Smooth talker.” She coughed, waving away another cloud of stone particles. “But flattery won’t make me forget you locked me in a dungeon.”

“A tribute,” he corrected, his voice carrying that note of authority that made her knees weak, even as her mind rebelled against it. “One you’ve proven worthy of.”

“By breaking it?” She gestured to the hole in the wall.

His laugh echoed off the remaining walls, rich and unexpected. “You’re extraordinary, Lorelei.” He extended his hand. “Come. Let me show you what that means.”

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