Page 54 of King Luna

I smash my face into the loaf, crumbs cascading down my cheeks as I cram it into my mouth.

“U-um...” Noah’s voice fizzles out. I give up on raising the loaf to my mouth, opting to bury my face into it where it sits in my palms. “I-it’s pumpkin bread,” Noah mutters. “Pumpkin soothes wolves’ stomachs, but Annika has this recipe with extra nutrients... And... It’s gone.”

I moan with my mouth stuffed, sucking off the crumbs from my fingertips.Thank you, Alpha.

When I finally have a spare second to look at him, Noah’s eyes are almost as wide as his gaping mouth. He presses his closed fist to his lips, losing the battle not to laugh at me. I hum in recognition of how wild I must look, hiding my reddening cheeks as I continue to chew.

But a muffled grunt of surprise escapes me when I take a closer look at our room. The bed sheets are wrapped into a beehive-like tower, my pillow has deep claw marks, and empty plates litter the floor.

I gulp down the last of my bread, gripping Noah’s arm for stability as I struggle to catch my breath. “What the hell happened in here?”

Noah bites his lip, collecting the crumbled food wrappers at the bedside. “Y-you were nesting. Making a new den.”

“What? No, I’m pretty sure I would remember that.”

“You—” Noah can’t contain his giggles now, his shoulders shaking hard enough to vibrate his voice. “You had your eyes closed.”

With one bewildered look at each other, we burst out laughing.

“Noah, what am I putting you through?!”

He scoops my cheeks into both huge palms, his beaming smile stirring warmth through my heart. “Everything I’ve always wanted. And I’m loving every second of it.”

My full belly flutters as Noah’s smile grazes my lips, my sweetheart of a mate kissing me softly enough to stoke an aching heat in my groin. I’d need all the time in the world to thank him how I’d like to—dragging him back to bed until he’s the one groaning in delight.

But I grip Noah’s shirt with a gasp. “Shit, the dinner!”

Noah springs into action with me, turning on the shower as I strip my pajamas.

When he approaches my suitcase to fetch my dinner dress for me, I yelp. “Wait, don’t!”

Noah freezes, his eyes wide. Then he melts into a mischievous smile. “So I’m not the only one hiding things in my bags.”

I flush down to my chest, gripping the icy glass shower door. “I told you: I have a surprise for you in there.”

Noah’s smile curls into a sultry, teasing grin, flashing his incisors. “Then I better behave myself so you’ll still want to give it to me.”

He flusters me speechless. All I can do is laugh, scrubbing myself down beneath the warm water as fast as I can.

By the time I’m braiding my wet hair, my stomach churns itself into a rocky sea. I’m about to meet Tane and his Luna, Waimarie, in person for the first time, before I’m honored by Viktor and Annika tomorrow as Noah’s new Luna. I’ve never metother pack leaders before this Summit, so I’m grateful we at least had our video call with Viktor and Tane over the summer, and the limo ride from the airport yesterday—otherwise, I’d be even more of an anxious mess.

Thankfully, my moonstone necklace elevates anything I wear—and distracts from the dark circles stuck beneath my eyes throughout this pregnancy. Zipping my navy blue dress behind me, Noah eyes me in the mirror as I decide to ditch the bra, sighing in relief as I slip it from the bodice. A wave of Noah’s loving pheromones wash goosebumps down my skin, enticing me to inhale deeply.

But as his eyes drift lower, his scent changes.

He’s enjoying how I look lately, and I know it, but his eyes aren’t focused on my body tonight; I didn’t realize it, but I’ve been rubbing the base of my belly, unable to keep my hands off Noah’s baby.

As our stares meet in the mirror, my heart flips. Our bond whirls with an emotion so deep and complex that I’m struggling to place it. Is it awe, gratitude, admiration, or all three? Whatever it is, it ignites my cheeks bright red, the effect of Noah’s gaze spilling down my chest with how flustered he’s made me.

“Goddess, the way you hold them so lovingly is—” Noah ducks his head, his voice coming out soft. “I fucking love you.”

Flipping around, my breath is stolen at the sight of my mate; he’s wearing a lean black suit jacket that sculpts to his muscles, and beneath it, his dress shirt matches mine in a dark navy blue. The color draws out the blue in his irises, turning them an oceanic teal. I step closer, snaking my hands around his waist—embracing him beneath his jacket. Wrapping me in his warmth, Noah purrs, his nose ruffling my hair with his affectionate nuzzling.

All my nerves wash away. Pulling back with a smile, I smooth Noah’s suit collar, relaxing my bump against him. “Dammit. I really can’t believe my wolf took over me like that for so long. I wanted more time to talk to you before we went.”

Noah stiffens. “R-right. Are you still upset about last night?”

“No, my love. But I wanted to give us a chance to talk about anything that might come up at the dinner. And any last-minute ideas you might have about our team plan, especially when we move into talking Alpha-dom politics.”

---