Page 68 of Luna Rising

I felt Ewan and his ire stalking toward us before I saw him. Zach was with him, seemingly oblivious to the thunderclouds in Ewan’s irises. Noto was not. He dropped his hand from my shoulder.

A part of me did like Ewan’s territorial nature. It turned me on. Usually. But Noto was like one of my uncles. I had known him as my father’s beta since forever. So, no, I didn’t love his jealousy. It felt icky.

Ewan rested one hand on the small of my back while using the other to shake with Noto. Possessive much, I thought loudly because I knew he would hear it. He splayed his hand so he could discreetly touch the top of my underwear through my dress, a sure sign he heard my thoughts. Careful or I’ll take out my aggression on something with batteries.

He dug his fingertips into my back, though his blank-verging-on-cold expression never changed.

The men exchanged cordial greetings and polite, formal conversation. With all the testosterone flying around, I would have choked on it if my lungs still required air. Luckily Mom came over and broke up the tension. Sort of, anyway.

“Zach, sweetheart, now that Noto is here, you need to convene the council so they can officially declare you alpha.”

Listening to her nag my perfect brother was like a ray of sunshine through this shitstorm of a day. Our eyes met, and we shared the same look we always did when our mother started in on one of us—usually me. It was like nothing had changed, like we were still the alpha’s twins. I had talked to Brooke and Mom, but I had yet to speak to my brother alone.

Of the three, his rejection or acceptance would hit the hardest. Yes, he didn’t seem to care that Ewan drank blood and was the reincarnation of an original wolf, but they hadn’t shared a womb.

Mom turned her motherly attentions on me.

“You should visit the healing rooms before you leave, dear. It would mean a lot to the injured wolves.”

It was getting late, and I hadn’t fed in a while, so my mother’s suggestion made me panic. The familiar itching started in the back of my throat. No, tell her no. I can’t. Ewan rubbed his thumb up and down my spine.

“It’s been a long day, and we wouldn’t want to add any unnecessary stress,” he said, flashing his fangs in case my mother missed his point.

“Oh. Oh, my, Gaia. Of course. Maybe in the morning, before all the alphas arrive?”

I nodded. “Yeah. Totally.”

Ewan and I said our goodbyes to my family and Noto, and then found Brooke on the way out. Unsurprisingly, she was tucked in a corner, on the ground, playing with a little boy. He was too young to speak more than gibberish, and he loved the funny faces she made.

Brooke and I hugged, and I promised to see her in the morning before leaving her to play with the baby.

For the umpteenth time, I was reminded that I couldn’t give Ewan an heir. I didn’t know why it mattered so much to me. Children weren’t really my thing and considering the epic shitshow I’d made of my own life, I wasn’t sure I should be responsible for raising the next Taurus alpha. Still, I felt like a failure, inadequate.

I tried not to let myself get too upset because I didn’t want Ewan to feel it. There didn’t need to be a conversation. Nothing could or would change, so I didn’t want him to ask me if things were okay.

Dozens of Gemini wolves still roamed the lodge lobby, including some of my extended family. My Uncle Buck stopped us, standing directly in Ewan’s path. It was a bold, dangerous move.

“Zara is my niece. My late alpha brother’s only daughter. Her choices haven’t always been the best. Providing our pack sanctuary in your territory in our darkest hour says a lot about who you are as an alpha. Keep a smile on my niece’s face, and it will say a lot about who you are as a man and a mate.”

I wanted whatever ceremonial dagger I had to shove into my chest in order to die because the humiliation was too great to withstand. At the same time, I sort of wanted to cry. My uncle had marched up to another pack’s alpha—an undead one, no less—and demanded he treat his mate with respect. Ewan could’ve banished Uncle Buck and no one watching would’ve blamed him. Well, me. But not the Gemini wolves.

Ewan’s hand tightened around mine. “I don’t know who I am as a man, but I am a very lucky one. I am every bit hers as she is mine.”

My uncle nodded approvingly. “Spoken like a man ready to burn the world for his mate.”

Ewan’s eyes cut my direction. “There is nothing I wouldn’t do for Zara.”

Uncle Buck meant his words as hyperbole. Ewan did not. And while his words made me want to satiate a different type of hunger, they also concerned me a tad. King Orrin’s story was stuck in my head, and I couldn’t help but wonder if maybe there was some truth to the soulmates’ curse. Would our love bring death and destruction to the supernatural world?

Technically, it already had.

Dire Straits

The snow had stopped, and the stars were out. The wind still blew, howling a sad siren’s song that called me toward my grief. The weight of the Geminis’ plight felt heavier when my mind had the freedom to roam.

Ewan spent most of the walk texting with Charlie and Birch. I tried to read as he typed, but his thumbs moved too fast.

“Is there a problem?” I asked when I finally got annoyed with all the buzzing.

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