Page 76 of King Luna

“What do we do?” Annika’s rapid breath pants against my shoulder, her fear evident in her shrieking scent.

The Lunas cower behind me. Waimarie’s tangible fear tugs at my heartstrings; for the first time this Summit, her smile erases from her cheeks. “Tane’s trapped behind everyone too.” Shekeeps her voice low beside my ear—and she needs to, with how desperately Talia and Annika shake behind us.

Eyeing the nearest empty space, I herd us to an even wider section of the porch, hugging the railing on our way over as I keep our group safe behind my outstretched arms. It buys us enough room to lessen the density of the crowd, but wolves trail after us, no matter how many times our mates and other ally Alphas yank them back.

Once I have them protected between myself and a column, Noah finally bursts through to the front of the crowd. He stations himself in front of us, allowing me to breathe.

“Thank the Goddess,” Waimarie hisses, gripping his shirt alongside me.

“S-sorry, Alpha and Luna Greenfield. I just got so excited—” Talia lets out a startled cry as Noah holds his palm out, fending off a few excited wolves like he’s guarding us on the outskirts of a mosh pit.

“It'd be fine if everyone wasn't so fucking aggressive about it,” Noah growls. “Have you all lost your minds? Back the fuck up.”

Alphas in the front push back against Noah, agitated by the Lunas’ fearful scents. It forces Noah to create a wall with his body, pinning us behind him.

As Noah's growls only agitate the angry Alphas, Annika huddles into me with a frantic grip. “Luna! I'm scared. What if they crush us?”

“Come here, mama. I've got you.” My voice softens, maternal instincts exploding from me. Annika’s shaking shoulders loosen beneath my palms.

“Luna!” Leaping over the porch railing in the distance, Tane races over until he’s in the bushes behind us. Arms outstretched, Tane hoists Waimarie over the railing, cradling her to his chest the second she lands in his embrace. She grips him back indesperation, letting out sharp, heaving exhales. Judging by the dazed shock on her face, I assume Waimarie won’t want to part from Tane’s side for the rest of the Summit.

But Noah can’t help us escape, too busy fending Alphas off, and neither can Annika’s mate, no matter how heavily she dissolves into panic in my arms; Viktor’s head swivels toward us from the back of the stuffed porch, cussing out a few Alphas in Swedish. “Move, skitstövel. Listen to your King.”

Even Reid can't help us as wolves crowd all remaining standing room, shoving back against each other at random.

While Noah remains unmovable, I turn back to Waimarie and Tane, relieved to see their arms outstretched to help us over the railing too. But when Waimarie meets my eyes, looking at Talia, then back to Annika and me, I nod.

“Take Talia first. I’ve got Anni covered,” I say.

Waimarie and Tane waste no time in grasping Talia, convincing her to climb up the railing to leap for them below.

Blowing out a slow breath, I allow my back to remain turned from the chaos for a whole two seconds—which is why an Alpha twice my size takes his chance to grab Annika by the elbow, yanking her from my grasp.

Chapter 18

Annika shrieks, heightening my senses until every other sound, smell, and sight disappears, my wolf locking in on the Alpha closing in on Annika.

My primal mind gathers information in rapid, fleeting flashes: Annika’s terrified Omega scent calls for her Alpha mate, Waimarie and Talia cry out alongside her, and the tension in my muscles warn me of danger, each sensation heightening my urge to fight back.

But as time slows, one thing in particular stands out to my wolf: the opportunistic look in the Alpha's eyes.

I know that look. That’s a look no man will get away with in my presence again, so long as I have the power to stop it.

Within a millisecond, colors dull and my chest heaves, my wolf taking complete control.

I can’t shift without creating further chaos. I know I can’t.

But I still have fangs.

My extended incisors snap at the Alpha’s sleeve in a blink, ripping the shoulder off his suit. He jerks back, his eyes widening.

But that's not enough to satisfy me.

My jaws ache to clamp down on the hands he laid on Annika. Digging in with all ten claws, I yank the Alpha’s arm toward me, just like he yanked Annika’s. Then I sink my fangs deep into his flesh.

The Alpha yipes in fear and pain, releasing the Queen Luna. As wolves dart from the cowering Alpha and me to give us a wideradius, I spit his filthy blood from my mouth, growling deep as I stare him down. He scrambles back on the hardwood porch, gaping at me from the floor with wide, frantic eyes.

Smashing Annika into my chest, I envelop her as much as I can as my Alpha musk explodes. My words come out as a snarling bark. “Don’t you dare fuckingtouch her!”

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