Page 161 of King Luna

Waimarie sighs. “We did too, at first. But thanks to your fast action, no bullets hit the mark—leaving grazes, if anything. Claw and teeth marks are something our saliva can handle, and with how much camaraderie the incident inspired, you wouldn’t believe the result. Top leaders were lining up to heal one another, all night long, taking turns licking everyone’s wounds whenever someone got tired. Thanks to their expertise and genuine teamwork, we worked miracles together. I’ve never seen such a large group of injuries heal so rapidly.”

As my heart swirls, I shake my head in disbelief. After all the hatred and violence we’ve witnessed this weekend, is it really possible for us to care for one another? Is it possible that this many Lycans believe what Noah and I know in our hearts to be true? That each and every one of us is precious?

“Is Noah with everyone?” I whisper. “Has he seen this?”

Glancing at each other, Annika and Waimarie smile even wider.

“Yes,” Annika says. “I’m sure you both will have plenty to talk about. It’s not all good things, of course, considering we have all these captured Alphas to decide what to do with, but for today, the good far outweighs the bad.”

“Especially because we’re together,” Waimarie says.

As the women move to my hair, combing it out, inch by inch, I sigh in bliss, my heart fluttering. I’m tempted to be moved to tears again. While that violence is the reality our pup may be born into, they’ll also be born into the one currently melting me into the bed. Rubbing my belly in slow circles, I hold Little Wolf as Annika and Waimarie hold me, our quiet chat healing the hole in my heart.

They also remind me of all the loving people in my life, choosing to spend their short lives taking care of me as I take care of them.

Amy, I miss you,I mindlink.

We’re not blood-bonded like Noah and I, but I swear I can feel it; the instant I mindlink her, a faint giddiness crosses through my soul, Amy’s happiness warming me up from halfway across the world.

I miss you dearly. I heard what happened, and I can’t believe it. I’m so unbelievably proud of you,Amy says. My heart lifts into my throat.But I also have to scold your wild wolf ass when you get home. How dare you put yourself in danger like that, especially without me there to kick Alpha ass with you? Ineed an auntie, an uncle, and a baby cousin for Lexi to grow up with, so you better not do anything like that again. I’m mad at you.

Breaking into a smile, I dry the last of my tears, refocusing on the present.Sorry, babe. I’ll be back soon. Kiss everyone for me.

Within minutes, Annika and Waimarie have me laughing my heart out, allowing me to devour this heavenly plate of my favorite foods. With my belly full, Little Wolf gives me faint, fluttering kicks in shared excitement. Holding them in pure awe, I whistle out my breaths; they’re okay. We really made it. I find myself sighing every few minutes, still unable to believe today is real.

When Waimarie hands me a mirror, I gasp. They’ve managed to comb my bedhead into order, two delicate braids wrapping around my head like a crown while the bottom half falls around my shoulders.

“Oh, my gosh! Thank you both so—”

The door to our suite opens, and my breath cuts short. Noah stands in the doorway, his eyes racing over me. I’m still lazing in bed in his shirt and a plushy robe, but as his chest swells with a heated breath at the sight of me, my belly swirls at the sight of him. Whatever he’s thinking about me, he must not realize how stunning he looks—clean black slacks elongating his legs. A casual dress shirt stretches over his wide shoulders, adding a regal elegance to his effortless, dark hair.

Noah opens his mouth to speak. “You—”

“You look gorgeous,” I blurt out. Noah blinks a few times, and I laugh. “I wanted to say it to you first.”

Dropping his chin, Noah doesn’t manage to cover his beaming smile in time; I already saw it stretch all the way across his face, crinkling up to his eyes. “Luna...”

I giggle, opening my arms. “Welcome back to our nest, my shy Alpha. Where have you been?”

Noah’s eyes soften. He settles beside me, wrapping me in his arms. “Thank you for waiting for me. I had some things to figure out before the ceremony, but on my way back, I visited our injured and our captives.”

“We told her everyone was okay,” Annika says.

Meeting my eyes, Noah smiles. “That’s the good news. My bad news isn’t the worst, either. Everyone’s pinning this all on Mason, which I’m thinking is just to lessen their consequences.”

I sigh. “Probably. And Mason? Have you seen his human form yet?”

“Guess.” Noah rolls his eyes, and I’m tempted to laugh. “Everyone’s already scheduled for extensive rehabilitation in their home countries.”

I nod. This is a Lycan protocol; following through with compassion and empathy development once crimes have been committed, allowing perpetrators an opportunity to learn and grow.

Waimarie scoots closer, softening her voice. “Are you okay, Luna? We heard he... That Mason might actually be Steven Barrett. I can’t imagine having to decide what to do now.”

Biting my lip, I look to Noah for answers. Like me, he’s uneasy, his stare focused on the hardwood floor, rather than my face.

“I think I’m just a bit concerned. I’d do the same for my preschoolers, even if they caused physical harm, so I agree with the principle. That’s why I’m torn.” My throat thickens. “What if...”

When I can’t bear to speak, Noah’s quiet voice deepens. “What if we can’t fix him, no matter what we do? Yeah, I’ve learned that lesson the hard way too. When someone adopts it as a personality trait to hurt other people like this, I don’t have much hope for them, either.”

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