Page 14 of King Luna

But as Noah urges Lilian inside with a taut arm around her, slamming the door shut, my heart drops; Lilian isn’t just naked, she’s coated in blood.

I thought it was a trick of the moonlight on her skin, but as I set Lexi down on the couch, my head spins at the sight of blood, forcing me to clutch the coffee table. Lilian drips blood onto the floor, each heartbeat pumping out another dribble from beneath the blanket. Her tan skin pales in the kitchen light as I flick it on, gripping her shoulder.

I gasp. “Lilian, oh, myGod—”

Lilian ducks her head. “I knew I shouldn’t have come here to stress you both out. It’s fine. I’m—”

“No, it’s not fine. How bad is it?” Noah tugs Lilian’s blanket open in an attempt to see where she’s bleeding from, but Lilian yanks herself back.

“I said, I’m fine.”

I don’t expect Noah to growl so deeply. “Mom, let me help you.”

“You’re not helping, acting like that,” Lilian hisses.

Glancing at Lexi, I’m relieved to see her still absorbed in the movie—I guess she’s used to Amy and Kira laughing and chattering at top volume, so this must seem like nothing unordinary.

Lilian huffs. “Maybe I should go.”

But as Lilian turns to the front door, she must’ve lost more blood than I thought, stumbling with flickering eyelids. I catch her with a yelp, Noah grasping her other side. We support her exhausted body to the kitchen, easing her into a chair.

When Lilian tears herself from Noah’s hands again, he grips his hair. “Are youserious?If you don’t want me to help you, why didn’t you go straight to Doctor Natalia? Do you still think so low of me that you believe I’d be fine with you bleeding out?”

“Noah,” I say. Meeting his wild, golden eyes—his wolf showering us in terrified, angry Alpha musk—I shake my head.It’s not fair, I agree, but she’s acting out in embarrassment, not hatred. Take a deep breath.

Huffing out a harsh exhale, Noah turns his back to us, leaning both palms against the kitchen countertop and dropping his head. “Sorry. I just can’t believe one of them felt justified enough to do this to you. I don’t even need to ask what attacker profile we’re looking at: Alpha, large, solid or near-solid coat, male.”

Lilian simply hums in agreement, not meeting my eyes.

My heart drums into my ears, knowing these attacks are what we’re dealing with for the foreseeable future. Many Lycans hold a bias against Rogues, claiming Rogues are the violent ones, but these are no stray Lycans; they’re bloodthirsty, angry Alphas from neighboring packs. Similar cases are stopped at the edgeof Greenfield Forest by our toughest pack members, every single day, now that we’ve identified ourselves as a sanctuary state for anyone escaping a growing Alpha-domination dogma.

But like Noah said, Lilian is a high-profile wolf. To go after her speaks of a terrifying boldness that only an egotistical Alpha could commit to.

We all know the most dangerous encounters are violent Alpha men; they’re willing to break social conventions to prove they’re owed power. And who can safely stop them? The truth can’t budge their unmovable beliefs, and stopping them physically is too great of a risk for most wolves when Alphas receive the most physical training of us all.

But attacking a globally recognized Elder Luna to this degree changes the game; their private organizing has emboldened Alpha-domination attackers beyond what we previously thought.

As our bond steeps in distress, Noah sighs. “At least this one won’t have the guts to do it again. I’m positive they’re shitting themselves and counting this as a second chance at life, knowing your wolf.”

“You’re right about that,” Lilian mutters.

Stooping over, I tuck a stray piece of Lilian’s gray hair behind her ear, her bun lopsided and dotted with leaves. Keeping my tone kind but firm, I use my serious teacher stare on her. “Luna Lilian, show me where you’re hurt, please, and I’ll get to work stopping the bleeding.”

Gritting her teeth, Lilian unfurls her blanket. The second I see the gashes across her forearms and side, my vision reels. I let out a slow, shaky breath, assessing the claw patterns; thankfully, Lilian’s attacker missed her vital organs, the worst cut down her side being from the second claw, just like I always see on Noah.

I roll out my shoulders, relieved. These wounds are long, but they’re shallower than I expected. I can help her.

Instincts take over, my wolf urging me to lift Lilian’s arm to my tongue. The faster I lick her wounds, the more I salivate.

Turning around at the sound of my purring, Noah strokes my hair out of my face for me, humming in concern. “I know you’re my little vampire wolf, but you’ll feel sick again if you don’t spit that blood out.”

I can’t help myself. I growl at him, my pregnant wolf insisting this is what she’s doing to nurture and protect our Elder Luna, regardless of her mate’s opinion. Noah’s breezy chuckle lowers my hackles in our bond.

Within minutes of my determined licking, Lilian’s wounds fade into fresh scars. Lexi has returned to Noah’s arms, her head drooping against his chest as he fills a cup with water for Lilian. Thankfully, Lilian accepts Noah’s help this time, taking slow, steady sips of water the second the cup lands in front of her.

As Lilian closes her eyes, clutching her glass in both hands, Noah’s arm lifts from his side—but it stays there, hovering. I silence my breath; is he about to hug her?

Lilian’s eyes are still closed. Just as Noah moves in, Lilian straightens with a sigh. Noah yanks his arm back, a flash of his disappointment stinging me to the core.

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