Page 3 of Luna's New Reign
I’m there in an instant, cradling him to my chest, his body too limp, too still. Panic surges through me as I gently pat his cheek as if my touch will steal him away from whatever is hurting him.“Stay with me,” I whisper, my hands trembling as I hold him closer. “Don’t you dare leave me, Maverick.” It hasn’t been long since I met my mates but they mean everything to me. Every single man in this room is part of my future and I refuse to move on without every single one of them.
Something stirs inside me, something wild and untamed, those strange tendrils of energy surging through me. It feels like magic but I can’t be sure as it rushes through me, pouring out in a wave that makes the air crackle. It’s warm and electric, like a current running from my body into his and before I know it, his eyes flutter open.
He blinks up at me, his expression dazed. “What… what happened?”
I let out a shaky breath, relief crashing over me. His head is cradled against my chest, my arm beneath his neck as I caress his cheek with my free hand. The stream from his nose has lessened but the sight of the blood seeping into the collar of his shirt is terrifying. “You scared the hell out of me, that’s what happened,” My voice cracks as I lean down for a kiss, relieved when he returns the gesture.
It's not quite long enough but it lets me know he’s okay as he slowly sits up, his gaze shifting to the others. For the second time in as many minutes, my mates’ eyes are on me, their confusion palpable.
“What did you do, Nepheline?” River’s voice cuts through the silence, softer than usual.
I swallow nervously, looking down at my hands, then at Maverick, and then back at River. “I don’t know. I just… it felt like magic. Pure energy. I just told myself Maverick wasn’t allowed to die.”
Maverick drags me into his lap, his movements slow and unsteady. Still, I bury my face into his chest, drinking in his scent. “Whatever it was, brought me back. I think you’restronger than you give yourself credit for.” His fingers find their way into my hair, soothing any anxiety creeping in. This time when he kisses me, he massages the Alpha bite on my lower lip, my scent exploding through the living room.
River and Remi are still on my shit list for where they put their bites because I can’t even kiss my men without falling apart. Maverick deepens the kiss before pulling back, smiling down at me. “You are going to be the most powerful Luna they’ve ever seen, kitten.”
“So long as all six of you are right there, I’m good with that.”
Something’s changing. I can feel it in the air, in the way my pack looks at me like I’m something new and unexplainable.
Something that hasn't existed for a very long time.
2
MATEO
I stare at the staircase where Nepheline and Maverick disappeared moments ago, my hands clenched at my sides. The scent of her panic and Maverick’s blood still lingers in the air. She practically dragged him up those stairs, refusing to let anyone else near him, like holding him was the only way to convince herself he was still breathing.
Maverick swore he was fine. Said it with that steady calm of his that’s supposed to make us all believe him. But Nepheline wasn’t having it. She’s like that—stubborn as hell when it comes to protecting what’s hers. And Maverick? He’s hers. We all are.
Darius followed them, of course. He’s the perfect Beta, sliding into a role that none of us can. It’s not just that he’s good at handling her moods, her tempers, her storms. It’s that he doesn’t flinch when the weight of everything threatens to crush her. He’s steady, reliable, unshakable. And for that, I’m glad she has him.
Still, my jaw tightens as I think about Maverick. His visions are bad enough, draining him in ways none of us can really understand. But now? Now there’s this new power surging through him, raw and untested. It’s too much for one person to handle and I’d bet anything that he’s not telling us the full story.
“Did anyone else see it?” Remi’s voice breaks through my thoughts.
I glance over at him. He’s standing by the sink, sleeves rolled up as he scrubs a pan. His voice is soft, but there’s a firmness to it that makes it clear he’s not just making conversation.
“See what?” I ask, even though I already know.
Remi glances over his shoulder, his eyes locking with mine. “Her touch. The way it healed him.”
River lets out a heavy sigh but doesn’t look up from the dish he’s drying. “We all saw it, Remi. Her magic is getting stronger. Her wolf is getting stronger. Our Omega has always been strong and unwavering in her path but I think these past few days have really jumpstarted whatever is returning to the packlands.” There’s a twinge of fear in his voice as if he isn’t sure that’s a good thing.
Asani, sitting at the counter, is quiet, his fingers tapping against the edge of the granite. He doesn’t say anything, but I can tell he’s thinking, dissecting every detail like the doctor he is. It feels surreal standing in my kitchen with men I never thought would be part of my own pack. Sure, Remi and River were mine, even before Nepheline but there was a time I believed she wouldn’t want them. And Asani, I never in a million years thought this Alpha would submit to my rule, especially after finding out the pack he was from.
I let out a deep breath, falling into the seat beside Asani. “Yeah, the magic is growing,” I finally say, pressing my arms against the counter, unsure of where to go next.
The kitchen falls silent again, the only sound the clink of dishes and the hum of the refrigerator. Remi finishes with the pan and moves on to the next dish, his movements slower, more deliberate. River stands next to him, his silence saying more than words ever could.
Asani clears his throat, drawing all of our attention. He leans forward, resting his elbows on the counter as he looks directly at me. “So, what’s next, pack Alpha?” he asks, raising an eyebrow, his question laced with amusement.
A few weeks ago, I would have assumed that Asani was mocking my status but this informal meeting means so much more to me than the Mateo from a few weeks ago could have ever appreciated. My wolf isn’t raging. My mind is mostly clear from the chaotic thoughts. And all of my mates are in this house, coexisting.
If my fathers weren’t proud of me before, they are now.
“I’m not sure,” I push out, trying to be truthful. I could lie, pretend that I have everything planned but every man in this room would see through that shit. I also don’t need to do all this on my own, not like Calista tried to. “Figuring out the magic I think is one of the biggest priorities. I know we’ve all felt it and the Sapphire wolves have been talking about it but we have no idea what it means, what prophecies it’s tied to. And how we’re supposed to protect her from it.”