Page 31 of Moon Guardian
She held the drink to me and I took it, cupping it in my hands. Warmth eased into my fingers and I glanced up, then sought out permission from Althea. I really didn’t want to piss off her pack any further by drinking what was clearly a dish made of Moon Blossoms.
“Drink,” she ordered.
That new place deep inside of me felt empty. I knew this would refill it. Now that we were no longer under the gaze of the moon, the new sentient voice inside of me had grown quiet and tired. She needed nourishment. She needed magic.
If I was going to survive whatever was coming next, I was going to need her.
I drew the concoction to my lips and tilted my head back, downing it in one gulp.
My eyelashes fluttered closed and I sighed as a tingling sensation spread throughout my entire body.
The sensation of fulfillment paled in comparison to a new scent that hit my nose.
Pine and embers.
The distinct mingling of scents made my nostrils flare. It was as if a forest had entered the room, followed by the remnants of an ancient fire, one that had burned for centuries.
I opened my eyes only to meet the striking gaze of a male watching me from the other side of the room. Unlike the other shifters, he dressed the part of this hidden palace. He wore a suit, opened down the center to display hard cut abs, and his pale gaze rimmed with gold watched me without blinking.
Alpha.
I knew who he was in an instant, my body immediately responding with a flare of need.
Perhaps it was my residual bond to the other alphas, or my unfulfilled role in the part I should have played had I been a shifter, but I stood, drawn to him without question.
He watched me as I approached. Nothing else mattered. The shifters backed away, silent as they observed the exchange.
The Moon Blossom drink still heated through my veins, giving my skin a subtle glow as I reached him and ran my fingers over his abdomen. A spiral of silver tattoos appeared at my touch, as if the magic in my veins ignited something hidden inside of him.
Hidden like his home, like his pack.
Wanting to explore his secrets, I ran my touch higher, running my thumb over the sensitive curve of his throat. He kept still, although the clenching of his jaw betrayed that my touch affected him.
Yet, he allowed it.
I sensed an acceptance of sorts, something engaging between us that I couldn’t explain.
My fingers ran over his lips, then I pulled away.
He grinned. “Hello, Moon Guardian. It’s a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance.”
The wolves came to life all around me, yipping and growling in shock.
“Moon Guardian?” one whispered.
“But she’s a human, isn’t she?” another added.
“Blasphemy.”
“He’s gone mad.”
Althea barked, a loud, sharp sound that made me jump. “Enough,” she growled, then glanced at me. “The Moon Guardian has been named. Our alpha has been awakened. Is that not proof enough for you?”
If she meant the tattoos appearing all over his body, then I had definitely done something to him.
And the way my stomach flipped when he grinned at me, his teeth sharp and dangerous, made me realize he’d done something tome, too.
Well, shit.
