Page 5 of Moon's Call

The rooftop door burst open as Marcus arrived, his security team close behind. “Everyone all right? What happened?”

Lorelei explained to Marcus what happened, her architect’s mind automatically cataloging the structural implications of the incident.

“The first tremor must have weakened the post’s connection,” she said, gesturing to where the concrete piece had broken free. “The second one just finished the job.”

Marcus scratched his head. “Two earthquakes in one night? In this city?”

“Maybe it’s just a sign the building needs a structural review,” Lorelei suggested, her professional instincts kicking in despite the late hour.

Back in her apartment,the girls settled into their usual spots - Helena and Thea on the sectional, Seraphina and Everly claiming the oversized armchairs while Isolde spread out on the plush area rug. Lorelei perched on the window seat, watching the city lights flicker below.

“So,” Thea broke the silence, hugging a throw pillow to her chest. “We’re not going to talk about how weird that was?”

“Which part?” Seraphina kicked off her heels. “The earthquakes or the falling post that seemed to have perfect aim?”

“Both.” Helena twisted a strand of hair around her finger. “Either. I don’t know.”

Lorelei pressed her palms against the cool glass of the window, trying to chase away the lingering warmth. “Can we just... not? It’s been a long night.”

“You’re right.” Isolde yawned, stretching out on the rug. “Besides, you had fun before all that, right? The party was good?”

“The party was perfect.” Lorelei smiled, remembering the dancing, the laughter, the way the city had seemed to pulse with possibility before everything went sideways. “Thank you all for making it special.”

“To your thirties,” Everly raised an imaginary glass. “May they be full of adventure.”

“But maybe not the kind involving falling concrete,” Helena added with a laugh.

They settled into their sleeping arrangements - air mattresses and blanket nests arranged across Lorelei’s living room floor. The city’s ambient noise drifted up through the windows, a familiar lullaby of distant sirens and late-night traffic.

THREE

DRAKEN

The sleek black SUV glided through the downtown traffic, its tinted windows shielding Draken from the morning sun. He adjusted his crisp navy button-down as the fabric pulled slightly across his broad shoulders. The magnetic pull in his chest grew stronger with each block they passed.

“Take a left here,” Draken said, the leather passenger seat creaking as he shifted his weight.

Chuck smoothly turned the wheel. “Getting closer, boss?”

“Much.” The pull was becoming almost painful now. Draken’s wolf paced restlessly beneath his skin, eager to find their mate after centuries of waiting.

Scorpio leaned forward from the back seat. “You seem tense. Having second thoughts about meeting your Luna?”

“Just wondering how this will change things.” Draken’s gaze swept the bustling sidewalks. The pull yanked sharply right. “Stop here.”

The SUV eased to the curb outside a gleaming office building under construction. Through the glass walls of the lobby, Draken spotted her immediately. His heart stuttered, then began racing. She wore a sleeveless charcoal dress that hugged her curves, and her brown hair was swept into an elegant twist. She moved with quiet confidence, gesturing at blueprints spread across a table while speaking to a group of suits.

But something was wrong. Terribly wrong. The magical signature surrounding her was unmistakable - the same earth magic that had shaken the ground last night. Yet she was clearly, impossiblyhuman. No shifter blood ran through her veins that he could detect.

Draken’s hands clenched into fists. This had to be a mistake. The Moon Goddess wouldn’t saddle him with a human mate. His pack would never accept a human Luna. The very idea challenged everything he believed about the natural order between shifters and humans.

Yet his wolf recognized her, yearned for her with an intensity that left him breathless. The earth magic danced around her, wild and beautiful. His own powers reached for hers instinctively, though he forced it back with an iron will.

Through the glass, she smiled at something one of the suits said, and despite himself, Draken felt an answering warmth spread through his chest. The pull toward her was undeniable like gravity itself insisted he go to her. But everything he believed, everything he’d built his life around, screamed that this was impossible. A human Luna would be unprecedented. Dangerous. His wolf whined, wanting nothing more than to go to her right now, human or not.

His jaw clenched as he continued to watch her through the glass. The summer sun caught her hair, highlighting strands of gold among the brown. His wolf started pacing, fighting his steel control to rush inside.

“You know,” Scorpio’s voice cut through his brooding, “just because it’s unprecedented doesn’t make it impossible.”

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