Page 11 of Luna's New Reign
“Thanks, Doc. Man, I’m going to go show my Alpha! I mean, Ash.”
I hide my smile as he bounds out of the clinic, Darius peeking his head in from the back room. He’s been busying himself for the last half hour, trying to find something to steal his attention. And while he’s the perfect kind of assistant, precise and methodical, his eyes keep darting toward the front door like he’s waiting for someone.
Like a lost puppy.
It’s ridiculous how endearing it is. His devotion to Nepheline, his constant awareness of her emotions, is something I find both admirable and amusing. It’s not just love—it’s instinct, an unshakable bond that keeps him tethered to her no matter where she is. And it’s stronger than an Alpha’s bond because I’m not even that in tune with her.
“You’re going to wear a hole in the floor if you keep pacing like that,” I tease, leaning back in my seat.
Darius glances at me, his expression sheepish. “Just… making sure everything’s stocked.”
“Uh-huh.” I don’t press, though. We’re all on edge as it is, having the Sapphire wolves in our space and Nepheline stepping into her position. Add in the fact that her brother is still alive and it’s a whole mess.
A knock on the archway makes both of us turn and I look up to see Maverick standing there, a lopsided grin on his face and a tray in his hands. “Interrupting?” he asks, already stepping inside without waiting for an answer.
“Depends,” I say, raising an eyebrow. “What’s that?”
He holds up the tray, revealing an assortment of cheese and little meat rolls. “Snacks. Nepheline told me to make sure you’renot overworking yourself but I don’t cook and there wasn’t much prepared in the fridge.”
I roll my eyes, though I can’t help the small smile that tugs at my lips. Maverick is just as rough around the edges as we all are but he has a soft center at times. “I’m fine,” I mutter.
Maverick snorts, setting the tray down on my desk. “Yeah, well, try telling her that. She’s convinced you’re about to keel over from exhaustion.” His face twists up for a minute before returning to that hardened expression. Nepheline is worried about all of us, mostly Maverick but I can see it in the way she looks at us, trying to figure out whose lap to occupy.
I’m hoping for a world where she doesn’t have to worry about us at all. I glance at the tray again, realizing how perfectly symmetrical the meat rolls are and that there are little scoops of cream cheese and jelly on the crackers. “Did you make this?”
Maverick laughs as he slips into a chair on the other side of the desk. “Hell no. Remi made it. This is all you’re getting, so don’t complain.”
I chuckle, grabbing a piece of cheese and a meat roll. “Fair enough.”
Silence filters between us, a comfortable peace settling in the clinic. We pick at the snacks, even Darius gathering up a few rolls and crackers before disappearing back into the stock room. My mind drifts to all the work that still needs to be done and all of the files that I still need to decipher. With the anti-serum for the super wolves, we’re one step closer to ending this nightmare, and yet, it feels like there’s something else hanging in our future—something darker than any of us can imagine.
Slowly, my attention falls on Maverick, the Alpha Nepheline brought to us. The silver strands of hair showing through his full mane, worries etched into his features. I’ve seen him like this before, Maverick always the one watching—much the same way Remi does but today, it feels different.
My gaze lingers longer than it should. I tell myself it’s nothing, that I’m just studying him, cataloging his features out of habit. It’s what I do, after all—observe, analyze, dissect. But this isn’t just curiosity. My feelings for this Alpha have been growing and although every member in this pack has given their blessing… I just don’t know how to truly start. Which is why I admire instead.
The line of his nose. The way his lips press together when he’s lost in thought. The faint shadow of stubble along his jaw. And his eyes—deep, dark, endless. They meet mine and for a moment, everything else falls away.
His gaze sharpens, narrowing slightly as if he’s trying to figure out what I’m thinking. My nostrils flare involuntarily, my body betraying the calm facade I’m trying to maintain. The air between us thickens, heavy with unspoken words and unacknowledged feelings.
Neither of us moves. Neither of us speaks. We just stare, locked in a silent battle that feels more intimate than anything I’ve ever experienced.
Then Darius sighs. Loudly. Dramatically. I didn’t even know the Beta had resurfaced. “Why,” he muses, drawing the word out, “are you two fighting this?”
The spell breaks and I tear my eyes away from Maverick. “Fighting what?” I ask, trying for casual, but my voice comes out rougher than I’d like.
Darius rolls his eyes. “This,” he says, gesturing between me and Maverick. “This ridiculous game you’re playing. Nepheline’s fully on board, by the way. Hell, the entire house is. We all know something has already happened but neither one of you have gone further. So what’s the holdup?”
Well, he’s definitely blunt.
Maverick shifts in his seat, his jaw tightening. “It’s not that simple, Darius.”
“It is,” Darius shoots back, pointing a finger at him. Had any other Beta approached us like this, I would have found it disrespectful. “You want someone, Maverick. Someone who won’t judge you, someone who won’t use their authority against you. Someone who sees you for who you are, not just what you can do.”
Maverick doesn’t respond, but his silence speaks volumes.
Then Darius turns to me, his finger now aimed squarely at my chest. “And you. You want him. Don’t deny it.”
I open my mouth to argue, but the words die in my throat.