Page 97 of Rising Luna
No one had tried coming to the house since the battle started. Lupe didn’t want anyone other than Dylan, and I felt useless standing here. My wolf urged me to go outside, calling on our magic for me to shift. I stepped back out onto the porch, ready to shift when it all faded away. Another wave of power rocked through me, but I knew it wasn’t Dylan’s this time.
It was someone else’s.
A man emerged from the clearing shadows and didn’t stop until he stood before me. His energy wasn’t like the other’s, a little less demanding than his, and I knew immediately he wasn’t an alpha, but a beta. Thick, brown, messy hair and brown eyes looking into mine. His clothes showed he hadn’t shifted into his wolf during the battle, but I didn’t know whose side he’d fought on.
He advanced on me and my feet backed until I hit a wall. His power slammed into me, but my wolf rumbled at the sight of him. Another push from her and the tugging in my chest returned. The tugging yanking toward this guy, but it looked like he wanted to eat me alive. He continued to move forward and everything inside me wanted to throw me into his arms.
“Wh-who are y-you?” I stammered. “S-stay back!”
He reached out with his hand and tucked one of my red curls behind my ear.
“The real question is, who are you? Where have they been keeping you?”
My breath halted in my throat as his brown eyes scanned along my body. The way I felt my body thrum with heat from his gaze alone had my knees wobbling. He smirked at me as if he knew what he was doing to me. I opened my mouth to give him my name, but a blur hit my vision, and someone took the man down.
The other guy I had been trying to keep tabs on throughout the entire fight had this one on the ground. His arm moved so fast as he slammed his fist into this one’s face. There was growling and snarling, and I did not know how to make it stop. They were both rolling on the porch, trying to get the upper hand. They were going to kill each other.
And I felt the pull of both of them.
“STOP!” I bellowed.
Their movements halted as if I had all the power. Me. Serafine Osmera, the orphaned daughter with no title to her name. This had to be a joke, right?
Both of them got to their feet and looked at me, fire raging in their eyes as they stared into my eyes. They were waiting for me to give them a new command, like I was their Luna.
Dylan’s pack mate stepped forward first. The other growled at him, getting close to me, but I kept my eyes on the approaching man. Even if there was little light on the porch, I sensed his body creating the shadow around me as his form towered over mine. He was at least a foot taller than me. The power rolled off him, at least manageable compared to recently hanging out with Dylan and her mates, but still enough that made me want to disappear into the wall.
“Why are you so frightened, little rose?” His voice felt like velvet to my ears.
It made me lean forward as I felt his warmth and power cocoon me like a hug. I had to stop myself from fully caving in. This was already too much. My wolf wanted me to go to him,but with him covered in blood. It took until now for me to notice how he was only in a pair of sweats. Every inch of him was hard muscle. My hand involuntarily reached out to touch the planes of his abs, and my damn mouth watered at the thought of how it would feel.
“DoIfrighten you?” That little drawl on the “I” made my body quiver. This man would be the death of me if I let him touch me. Everything about him set off every nerve ending with just speaking to me. It was unlike anything before.
This was stronger.
This was harder to ignore.
“Who are you?” I asked again, not letting him ignore me. “And back the hell up.”
Dylan told me how it was important to make sure the men in my life would know I wouldn’t be submitting to them every time they told me what to do. If I didn’t want to be dominated by anyone, I needed to stand my ground. These two not answering me would be my first way of showing them I wouldn’t let them ignore me.
The one in front of me smirked, but didn’t move away from me. “I’m Luca Howlcrest. Beta to the Silver Moon pack,” he lifted my chin so he could see into my eyes, “and you are my mate.”
The other snarled and stepped forward. “Take your hand off her.”
Luca snapped his neck in his direction with a menacing growl emitting from his chest.
“Who are you to tell me what to do with my mate?”
The other snarled again and stepped forward. “Because I’m her mate, too. I don’t know you. I don’t even know if you are her actual mate or if you are just trying to claim someone who isn’t yours.”
I put my hand on Luca’s chest and he immediately turned back to me. The way his face softened when he looked at me made my stomach do a flip.
No. I can’t react this way.Even my wolf wanted me to mark them both right now.
Luca moved to my side after I nuzzled him so I could face the other wolf.
“And you are?”
