Page 4 of King Luna

Amy lets out a sharp bark of a laugh, capturing Lexi’s full attention.

Rainn giggles, her eyebrows raising. “I mean...”

I groan, gripping my twinging back and abdomen muscles as I stand. “Maybe I should’ve known, especially after doing our research. Speaking of which, I need to get home. Noah brought home as many books on Lycan pregnancy as he could check out from the Greenfield Pack library, and I have to sort through which ones to pack for Sweden.”

Rainn chases after me as I stand from the boulder, helping me massage my cramping back. “Oh, wow, the Alpha Summit is already in two weeks, isn’t it? Have you been shifting every day yet?”

Amy bites her lips, catching my eyes.

Don’t look at me like that,I mindlink Amy, then turn to Rainn with my most convincingly sweet smile. “Almost every day.”

Rainn’s eyebrows furrow, and I struggle to retain my composure. “Youhaven’t?Oh, Luna... You didn’t believe me that it’s safe?”

Pretending to fix my ever-tightening waistband, I duck my head with a wince. Every damn time someone mentions shapeshifting into my wolf, unfairly realistic intrusive thoughts permeate my mind, vivid imagery appearing of our baby suffering a variety of catastrophic effects.

“Why don’t you shift right now? We’ll be right here, cheering you on!” Rainn says.

I meet Amy’s eyes again. She flicks her focus away from me, turning to Lexi. “Hey, did you hear that? Mommy’s on her way!”

Lexi blinks the sleep from her eyes, a gap-toothed smile forming. “Mommy!”

Amy laughs. “Yes! Here she comes—”

Spotting Kira’s antsy wolf sprinting for us in the distance, I let out a slow exhale in relief, rubbing Rainn’s shoulder. “You make a convincing point, Teacher Rainn. But I’m not feeling up to it, right this second.”

Rainn frowns. “Then when? What if you need to shift to protect yourself at the Alpha Summit?”

My stomach drops. Yet another person is telling me this Alpha Summit is not only an important global tradition for Lycans—allowing every pack’s top leaders to convene—but also a severely dangerous one. This barbaric gladiator competition determines this year’s strongest Lycan leader of all pack leaders in the world: the King Alpha. With ever-loyal Lycans, whoever ends up on top could tip the balance between relative peace and full-on Alpha domination.

While Noah will compete to represent Greenfield Pack, Yasmine and I trained hard for the Summit all month in case we need to defend ourselves amongst unpleasant company, so maybe I should expect everyone’s warnings by now. But since I’ve never been to a Summit before, anticipatory anxiety curdles my insides with every mention of it.

“Actually, I was planning on shifting in rapid succession later today to get myself accustomed to it. I just want to make some last-minute changes to our den before our trip, and Amy’s helping me.”

“Oh, perfect!” Rainn smiles, opening her arms for a hug, and I droop in relief. “I remember those intense nesting days. Good luck, Luna!”

With a satisfying, gentle squeeze at the end of our embrace, I separate from Rainn with a smile. “Thank you, sweet Rainn. Will I see you again before we leave?”

“Oh! I almost forgot—” Rainn pats herself all over until her fingertips land on her jeans’ left pocket. Digging in, Rainn whips out a thin, perfume-like spray bottle.

I recognize it instantly: Rainn’s favorite pregnancy-safe, topical scent blocker, allowing me to disguise my enticing scent at the Alpha Summit without risking any hormonal alterations that could impact my pregnancy.

Apparently, dominance-craving Lycans have a murder instinct around pregnant wolves. And unfortunately for me, that especially applies to the pregnant Luna of any pack; if I die, Noah will likely die of heartbreak, eliminating the worst of anyone’s competition for the top title.

So, yes, I have to travel to Sweden, knowing I’m a walking death trap for not only our baby and me, but also the love of my life.

Tipping my head back with a sigh, I cup the precious vial in Rainn’s hand. “Goddess,thankyou! I feel like you’re literally saving my baby’s life.”

“Oh, poor Luna. I felt like a beacon of pregnancy scent too, both times I carried. But hey, you’ve got my big brother by your side, okay? And so many other incredible, strong allies from other packs.”

I sigh. “I am thankful for that. It’s just... scary. Knowing I’ll be an extra target.”

Swallowing hard, Rainn simply nods.

Dread strikes my core. If even Rainn is rendered speechless by the dangers of the Alpha Summit, will this vial truly help?

Am I doing the right thing?

That sounds like a classic OCD obsession, but it has a point this time.

---