The Luna Trial

The moon tattoo on Luna Skye's forehead burns blue and I know I am about to fail her trial.

Blackwood Tower 58th floor smells like cedar and rain and cold marble. My black titanium moonstone ring flashes against the glass conference table. Kael stands behind me. His hand is burning hot on the back of my neck over the gold bite mark.

"You brought a human to be Luna King," Luna Skye says. Her voice is soft but the entire room drops temperature. Her silver hair falls to her waist. Her white silk dress moves without wind. Snow and jasmine fills my lungs.

I swallow. My brown eyes meet her blue ice eyes in the reflection of the window. For half a second they flash gray-gold. Ghost Wolf. My father's blood I never knew I had.

"He is not just human," Kael says. His amber eyes darken toward gold. The wolf tattoo on his collarbone shifts under his Tom Ford black suit and open black shirt. The silver chain at his throat catches light. "He is Ghost Wolf."

The door to the balcony slams open without touch. Kade Fang fills it. Seven feet of gray-brown fur and leather and steel armor. His brown loyal eyes find mine first. His claw hands in black nitrile gloves curl into fists.

He drops to one knee and slams his fist over his heart. The sound shakes the floor.

"My Luna," he says to me. Not to Skye. To me.

My chest tightens. Ohio accountant Jace Cole from J.Crew clearance to Tom Ford fitting in 48 hours. This is not happening.

Luna Skye steps closer. Her moon tattoo pulses. Blue light paints my face.

"The trial is simple, Jace Cole Blackwood," she says. "Hold the moonstone. If you are Luna, it will accept you. If you are pretender, it burns you to bone."

She places a raw moonstone the size of my fist on the table. It is black inside like my ring but veins of blue run through it.

Down on Prince Street, thirty-eight floors below, tires scream. I know that sound. Black SUV. No plates. Malrik Dread never parks like a normal person. Wet dog and blood and smoke scent hits me even through sealed glass. Beast Alpha.

Kael's hand tightens. Burning hot. Possessive. His cedar and rain scent wraps around me and for a second I can breathe.

"He is here," Kade growls. His fangs show. "Beasts at the border. Two trucks. South SoHo."

"Perfect timing," Luna Skye whispers. "A Luna King must claim under pressure."

The elevator dings. Sarah Whitmore steps out in her white wedding dress. Still the same bridal sample from her boutique. Blonde hair perfect. White bridal for sympathy. She holds divorce papers.

"Jace, baby, stop this gay billionaire phase," she says loud enough for the whole floor. "Malrik said you would embarrass yourself. Fifteen K a month and I walk away. You keep your little Tom Ford dress up."

Kael does not look at her. His eyes stay gold on me. His wolf tattoo moves faster. Angry.

"Sarah Whitmore of 152 Prince Street," Luna Skye says without turning. "You were already judged at The Soho Claim. Your boutique is now Luna's Pack property. Jace and Sarah Bridal is now Jace and Kael Bridal. You own nothing."

Sarah's face twists. "You can't-"

Kade stands. Seven feet casting shadow over her. "Fist over heart is for Luna King. Kneel or leave, human."

Sarah stumbles back. Her white dress catches on the door track.

Luna Skye pushes the moonstone toward me. "Pick it up, Ghost Wolf."

My hand shakes. The black titanium ring on my finger feels cold. In Ohio I balanced ledgers. Now I am supposed to hold magic rock while my ex-wife watches and a Beast Alpha comes to kill me.

I pick it up.

Fire rips through my palm. Not burning hot like Kael. This is ice and lightning. My knees buckle. Kael catches me before I hit floor. His chest solid against my back. His suit smells like money and wolf and home.

"Stay with me, Luna," he whispers against my ear. Only I can hear. "Show them."

My brown eyes flash. I see it in the glass. Gray-gold. Wolf gold. My teeth ache. My spine pops.

The moonstone stops burning. It glows. Blue veins turn gold. Same gold as Kael's bite on my neck. The light shoots up my arm and hits my forehead.

Luna Skye inhales sharp. Her own moon tattoo flares to answer mine. For the first time her blue ice eyes widen.

"Ghost Wolf King," she breathes. "Dormant bloodline. I thought extinct."

The stone floats from my hand an inch and spins. Snow and jasmine and cedar and rain mix in the air. Impossible scents merging.

Kade drops both knees now. Both fists over heart. "My Luna King," he says. His voice cracks with pride.

Sarah laughs but it shakes. "Special effects? Kael you paid for this?"

No one answers her. The window behind me explodes.

Glass sprays. Wind rips the conference room. Malrik Dread stands in the shattered frame. Six-five, yellow eyes, neck tattoos crawling up his jaw, wet dog blood smoke smell so strong my stomach turns. He wears no suit. Black tactical pants. No shirt. His chest is scarred.

"Too long, human," he snarls at me. His voice like gravel. "You took my girl. You took my block. You think Tom Ford makes you Alpha?"

Kael moves faster than human eyes. He is in front of me between me and Malrik. His black suit jacket gone. Black shirt open. Wolf tattoo now full across his collarbone, alive, moving, snarling. His eyes pure gold.

"You entered Manhattan pack tower without invitation," Kael says. His voice drops to Alpha register that makes my bones vibrate. "You brought two trucks of Beasts to Prince Street border. You broke SoHo Claim treaty."

Malrik grins. Yellow teeth. "I came for my Luna. Sarah promised-"

"I promised nothing to a dog!" Sarah screams.

Malrik backhands air toward her. Kade intercepts. Claw meets claw. Steel armor screeches.

The moonstone still spins over my hand, gold-blue light painting chaos.

Luna Skye steps between me and broken window. Her white silk dress does not move in hurricane wind. Her silver hair floats.

"Trial second part," she says calm as if we are at brunch. "A Luna King protects his pack border. Even while becoming."

My body shakes. The gold light in my palm wants out. My brown hair stands on end. The black titanium ring burns now, not cold. Moonstone in ring matches floating stone.

I think of Ohio. I think of ledger books. I think of photo of Sarah on her knees for Malrik in my own boutique. I think of Kael saying Marry me and I will make Manhattan bow.

I stop thinking of Ohio.

I push.

Gold-blue light explodes from my hand and slams into Malrik's chest. He flies back ten feet into the balcony railing. Yellow eyes wide. Shock.

"Ghost..." he chokes. "Impossible. That line died in Ohio."

Kael looks back at me over shoulder. His gold eyes soft for one second. Possessive and proud. Burning hot hand finds mine. Our rings touch. Titanium and silver chain.

"You did it, Luna King," he whispers.

Kade roars and tackles Malrik's second man coming through window. Leather and steel and fangs and fists.

Sarah uses distraction to grab the moonstone from air.

Her fingers close and it screeches. Blue light turns red. It burns her. She screams and drops it. Palm blistered instant.

"Face-slapped by Luna stone itself," Luna Skye says dryly. "Poetic."

Security alarms finally trip. Blackwood Tower locks down. Fifth Avenue below must see lights.

Malrik hauls himself up. Blood on his lip. He looks at me, at Kael's hand in mine, at Luna Skye's glowing forehead, at Kade's fist over heart to me.

"This border is not done, Ghost Wolf," he snarls. "You claimed SoHo. I claim blood debt. Next full moon, Prince Street burns."

He jumps off the 58th floor balcony. No parachute. A massive gray-black wolf lands four stories down on scaffold and runs.

Kade moves to jump after. Kael stops him with one hand.

"Let him run. He needs to tell every Beast at the border what lives in Manhattan now."

Silence drops. Wind dies. Glass stops falling.

Luna Skye picks up the floating moonstone and presses it to my forehead. Cold then gold.

The blue tattoo burns then fades to faint silver. Mine.

"I crown you, Jace Cole Blackwood, Luna King of Manhattan, Ghost Wolf King, Luna's Pack," she says. Her snow jasmine scent wraps around me like blessing. "Kade Fang will guard your border. Kael Wolfe Blackwood will guard your heart. But you will guard them both."

Kade's fist over heart again. Harder this time. Tears in his loyal brown eyes.

"My Luna King," he says. Voice full.

Kael turns me. Both his burning hot hands now on my face. His amber to gold eyes search mine. My gray-gold flashes answer.

"Mine," he says. Not question. Statement that makes my knees weak.

Down on Prince Street, sirens. Sarah Whitmore sits on floor in ruined white wedding dress, blistered hand, divorce papers scattered, boutique deed now in my name.

My black titanium moonstone ring pulses gold in rhythm with Kael's heart.

Luna Skye smiles and it is terrifying and beautiful.

"Now, Luna King," she whispers. "Show me you can shift before Malrik returns with a pack."

My spine snaps. Pain like nothing. And the elevator dings again with another black SUV no plates pulling up downstairs.