Page 12 of Luna's New Reign
Darius smirks, his expression softening just a fraction. “You don’t want to push him. I get it. You’re trying to be careful, respectful, all that noble shit. But sometimes, Asani…” He steps closer, his voice dropping slightly. “Sometimes, it’s okay to push.” Darius picks up the nearly empty tray from the table, his smirk widening. “You’re welcome,” he says over his shoulder as he heads toward the door.
And then he’s gone, leaving the room in silence.
Maybe itistime to push.
Because Darius isn’t wrong. We have shared a few moments before but it hasn’t ever gone farther than that. To be honest, I’m not sure it ever will. I enjoy holding Maverick, watching him submit in my arms as I ravage his mouth but I don’t think either of our beasts would allow Maverick to completely submit to me.
And I’m not sure I would want that.
Maybe a younger version of me would but not today.
I stand and round my desk before pulling up a chair to sit across from him. His dark eyes meet mine and for a moment, neither of us speaks. I clear my throat, my voice quieter than usual. “Do you want this? Whatever this is. Do you truly want it? Because I do. I want it, Maverick, but I don’t want to push you into something you’re not ready for.”
“I didn’t think I’d want it,” he admits. “I don’t think I’m ready for… all of it. And I don’t know if I want it with the others. The other Alphas, I mean.”
I can’t help it—I laugh, the sound soft and warm as it escapes me. “I wasn’t talking about any other Alphas, Maverick.”
His eyes snap back to mine, the tension in his shoulders easing. There’s a flicker of something like relief, quickly replaced by a tentative smile. “Good,” he says, his voice barely above a whisper.
I lean forward, closing the distance between us. My hand comes up to cup his jaw, my thumb brushing lightly against the stubble along his cheek. He doesn’t flinch, doesn’t pull away. If anything, he leans into my touch, his eyes fluttering closed as I draw closer.
And then my lips are on his.
The kiss is soft at first, tentative, like we’re both testing the waters. But it deepens quickly, the weight of everything we’ve been holding back spilling over. His hands come up to grip my arms, firm but not forceful, and the warmth of his touch sends a shiver down my spine. When we finally pull apart, our foreheads rest against each other, our breaths mingling in the small space between us.
I pull back slightly, my gaze locking with his. “Whatever this is, Maverick, it’s just us. No one else. No expectations. No pressure. Whether it goes further or not.”
He nods, his lips curving into a small, genuine smile. “Just us,” he echoes.
8
NEPHELINE
Victoria asked to speak with me alone, everyone filing out of the room until it was just me, her Alpha—Kehlani—and Mateo. There’s been a lot of staring in the last couple of minutes, no one moving until Victoria cleared her throat and reiterated her statement. “I want to speak to the Lunaalone, Alpha. You can stand just outside the door if you’d like but this is between Lunas of a pack, nothing more.”
That seems to be enough as Mateo roughly grips my chin, tilting my face up to meet his. “You’re mine,” he murmurs, his voice low enough that only I can hear. His lips crash into mine, a demanding and possessive kiss, stealing my breath and leaving me dizzy. He smirks, brushing his thumb over my bottom lip before stepping away. “I’ll be close,” he says, his tone softening slightly, but the promise is there.
I still can’t tell if I hate the way my body responds so easily to my mates. I laugh nervously, touching my lips as he leaves,Kehlani a few steps behind, the door clicking shut behind them. Now, it’s just me and Victoria.
She crosses the room with quiet grace, her long skirts brushing the floor as she moves. Instead of staying across from me, she sits down in the chair to my right, closer than I expected. Her presence is both soothing and unnerving—a strange mix of maternal warmth and unyielding strength. For a moment, she says nothing, her sharp eyes studying me.
“You handled yourself well today,” she says finally.
I let out a shaky breath, unsure whether to take it as a compliment or a warning. “Thank you.” I didn’t know I was being graded on this little meeting but I did ask for help so I stuff my emotions down and try to focus on the positives.
Her lips twitch into a faint smile. “But the road ahead won’t be easy, Nepheline.”
“Because of the magic and learning to lead a pack. I assumed as much, Victoria. It was never going to be an easy road.” I manage a shrug, playing off my worries. My pack had been training me to be the perfect Luna for nearly ten years. It’s all I knew. However, I had been prepared for a world with a lot less tension and darkness—a world where my family would have still been alive and my mother-in-law hadn’t betrayed the pack.
Victoria leans back slightly, her gaze softening but never losing its intensity. “Both, but also neither. You’re an important piece of a much larger picture.”
There it is again, the bigger picture stuff. Fate. Mother Nature.Bringing back the magic.At first, I was ecstatic to be part of the process and now I’m a little terrified that I don’t get to make my own choices. I try to find the right words but settle on saying nothing. Victoria wanted to speak with me so I’m sure she has much to explain.
Her smile widens, though there’s something almost sad in her expression. “Your actions will have consequences—ripples thatstretch far beyond this pack, or even these lands. You’ve already started to feel it, haven’t you? The weight of it all.”
I nod slowly, my throat tight. “Yes.”
She leans closer, her voice dropping to a near whisper. “But it’s not just you. It’s what comes after.”