Page 33 of King Luna

Settling into a barstool as we wait for our food, I stroke Noah’s hand. “Have you ever played the game 20 Questions?”

Noah tilts his head. “No, what is it?”

Ah, okay, I wondered if it was just a human game, so it must be. It’s one we all played growing up.I smile wide as Noah’s wolf perks up in our bond, rotating one curious ear. “Let’s play it on the plane. It’s simple: we’ll just take turns asking anything we want to know about each other. That’s pretty much it.”

Noah’s brows furrow. “Oh. So no one wins, you just ask questions? Twenty times?”

I laugh. “Actually, I don’t think the number of questions really matters—it’s more about holding a mindset of having plenty to ask. I realized I used to love playing this game with my crushes growing up, but you and I got to know each other so quickly that we skipped some of the silly, simple stuff at the start of dating.”

Noah lifts one eyebrow, a genuine smile returning to his face. “Oh? Now I want to know what you want to ask.”

I laugh. “Good. I’ll let some suspense build, then I’ll ask you something really pointless, like, what’s your favorite color?”

Chuckling, Noah shakes his head. “You already know my favorite color.”

“Dammit, you caught me. I was planning on sneak-attacking you with something juicy.”

“You were, huh? I’m in trouble.” Beaming, Noah traces my stare with ocean-teal irises, the storm behind them finally having settled. My heart lifts, dancing in my chest. I draw Noah closer for a quick peck on the lips. His warm hand only adds to the fuzzy bliss in my belly as he rubs my arm.

“Here you both are!” The restaurant’s waiter drops our food bag on the bar counter in front of us. Noah jerks back, eyes alert like a startled puppy. I have to bite back a laugh, stroking his back to quiet his wolf. But the waiter doesn’t seem to notice, their smile widening as they look between us. “Aren’t you two just the cutest! Newlyweds?”

Noah’s stare drops to the counter, his cheeks blazing, and I giggle. “Actually, yes. I’m the luckiest woman on the planet.”

“No, m-me,” Noah mutters. Then his eyes bulge. “W-wait, no— Man. I’m the luckiest man. S-sorry. Um—thanks. Excuse us.”

As Noah stiffly pops up from his barstool, the waiter laughs. “Enjoy your meal!”

“You too—” I gasp. “Wait, I mean, thanks!”

Sputtering out laughter, I chase after Noah as he scurries from the restaurant. When I spot the back of his ears reddening, I laugh even harder.

Rejoining his side, I grasp his arm, peeking around his wide chest to find him covering his face with his palm wrapped around his forehead. Noah whimpers, barely stifling his laughter at my epic fail, despite still being beet red because of his initial slip-up. We both break into giggles, carrying our hot food to our gate.

Floor-to-ceiling glass provides a clear view of the tarmac on either side of us, framing each gate with a display of soft rain. When we finally reach our gate, Noah places his arm around my shoulders, his voice a low, humming rumble as he whispers into my ear.

“I really am the luckiest.”

Grinning wide, I give his shoulder a quick nuzzle. “No, I am.”

But the second our butts touch the rubbery vinyl chairs outside our gate, Dave’s mindlink cuts through my thoughts.

Alpha and Luna, this is just a heads-up, and this is nowhere near Yas’s fault—

Fuck, they broke through, didn’t they?Noah jumps to his feet, his thigh bumping my carry-on suitcase and forcing us both to lurch for it before it topples over.How bad is it?

Noah’s urgency both frightens and saddens me. After already having to work hard to make the best out of this trip, it seems determined to create chaos, only three hours in.

I grip Noah’s tense forearm, hardly able to process this news. “Wait, what? They really did wait until after we left? But don’t we have people lined up, in case—”

My breath halts. Noah’s teal eyes have already half-shifted, a stark green staring back. “I’m so sorry, Luna. If it’s bad enough for them to tell us, I don’t know if we can make this flight.”Flinging both our backpacks over his shoulder, Noah mindlinks,Yas, it’ll take me at least an hour and a half to sprint back through the forest, so—

Don’t underestimate me, you jerk,Yasmine’s sharp mindlink widens our eyes.Before you interrupted him, Dave was trying to tell you that I downed five of these Alpha-dom assholes myself, and the rest scampered home.As Noah’s shoulders droop, I let out a slow breath.We wanted to tell you some better news too: they seem to be lowering in numbers, like you and I thought. I don’t think they’ll be trying so hard here after the hell we’ve given them lately. Go relax on your trip—and win the title you’re owed.

Noah rolls his eyes, slapping his forehead. After huffing out his stress for a good ten seconds, Noah drops his palm, facing me with a strained stare. But the second we make eye contact again, we both smile in pure relief.

“You okay?” I ask.

Plopping back into his seat, Noah sighs, gathering my hand in his. “Sorry, Luna. The last thing you need right now is me freaking the fuck out over nothing.”

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