Page 48 of Luna Rising

What am I missing? I wondered as people started looking around curiously. Some wore harsh glares, as if daring their fellow pack members to speak up. Others were clearly uneasy, like Ewan had laid down a challenge.

A full minute of silence passed, time stretching with the fraught tension. My heart was in my throat. Ewan stared straight ahead, his expression blank. I mimicked him, projecting faux confidence.

“It is settled, then,” Mrs. Wynn called out, stepping forward for the crowd to join Ewan and me. “The pack is behind you.”

Darkest Desires

After the meeting broke up, Ewan and I returned to our house with dozens of Taurus wolves trailing behind us. People brought covered dishes, and everyone ate while they milled around. It reminded me of the family gatherings my parents held on Sundays, but with a lot more guests.

And they all wanted to talk to me. At least, that was how it felt.

Some of the wolves regarded me with awestruck wonder, and they weren’t shy about it either. They whispered about me as if I didn’t have super hearing, which I found unsettling. Ewan received the same reverence, which he accepted more readily.

Just how much have you embraced Stavros? I wondered.

Not everyone thought I shit rainbows, of course. A small yet loud contingent stood in the kitchen, discussing my inability to give Ewan a child. By the way they spoke, it was like my existence was futile because I couldn’t spawn the pack an heir.

What I found most confusing was that no one blamed Ewan. I didn’t go to school for vampire genetics or anything, but I felt confident that neither of us was capable of reproduction. Pointing out the hypocrisy was unnecessary, especially since they weren’t brave enough to say it to my face.

Ewan remained by my side all evening, to both reassure me and make sure I behaved. The bloodlust flared up a few times, but it was nothing I couldn’t handle. Still, I was ready for everyone to get the fuck out of my house long before the crowd thinned. Despite being my father’s daughter, I really wasn’t cut out to be an alpha’s wife. Babies and potlucks weren’t for me.

We stood by the front door as the stragglers left, exchanging polite goodbyes with our guests until only Charlie, Birch, and Mrs. Wynn remained in my living room. I looked up at Ewan. “Are we hosting a sleepover?”

“They aren’t staying the night, but we do have more guests coming.”

Winter’s magic filled the downstairs, and then a portal opened in my living room and she and her parents joined the afterparty.

“Where’s Frann?” I asked when I realized the Ophiuchus wolf wasn’t with them.

Walter sat heavily on the couch, raising an eyebrow at the claw marks I’d raked into the cushion. “With Blue.”

“That thing you guys brought back from the Snake Mountains,” Winter clarified when he didn’t elaborate.

“Figured out where he’s from yet?” Ewan asked.

Colleen sank down beside Walter on the sofa. “Not exactly. Somewhere warm, maybe even tropical. That doesn’t narrow it down much, but we should know more once Essie examines him.”

I swallowed hard. “How did things end with my dad?”

Walter and Colleen exchanged glances before she said, “He might be more receptive after receiving the council’s order. My grandmother is back in Arcane Landing now. The Gemini fae are nearly as stubborn as your father.”

Mrs. Wynn cleared her throat to swing the attention toward her. “The Capricorns want to know your plans for tomorrow when we’re supposed to surrender the eternals.”

“We’ll send a contingent. A small one,” Ewan said. “No intervention, though.”

It took me a minute to understand the conversation, the parts they weren’t spelling out.

“Wait. What? We have to intervene. We talked about this.” I shook my head. “They’ll murder any captives. We can’t just let that happen.” My gaze strayed to Winter, who refused to meet my eyes.

“It’s too dangerous,” she said.

“Not for me.” I crossed my arms defiantly. “Immortality has its perks. Nothing can kill me. I’d have to do it myself.”

As soon as the words left my mouth, I realized my mistake. According to the legends, eternals and protectors could only die by their own hand once turned. That wasn’t true, though. I had killed a risen eternal protector.

“We don’t know for certain Angelica’s death was an isolated incident,” Mrs. Wynn said.

“Ewan drank my blood, and he’s fine,” I shot back before I could stop myself.

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