The Returned Luna

There wasn’t any time to lose.Sarah held her skirts and ran through the orchard outside Cynthia Castle to find Laura. Since the king’s wife died years ago, the position of luna had been vacant. Prince Basil married Laura to fill that role and help manage the kingdom while King Adolph led the war against the vampires.Many had been skeptical of Laura due to her origin, but Sarah had remained faithfully in her service since her appointment. In her opinion, marrying Laura was the only thing Prince Basil had ever done right.Now, he had gone and done *this*. She pushed herself to run faster. She had to tell Laura, to warn her somehow and help her prepare. Maybe Laura could figure out a way out of it if she just had enough time.“My Luna?! Luna Laura, where are you?”Sarah skidded and stumbled, barely missing crashing into a tree when she found Laura on a ladder in the orchard overseeing the harvest of fresh fruit.“Luna Laura, thank god, I found you! Prince Basil, he--”“Calm down, Sara

The darkness peeled back as Laura opened her eyes. There was no pain, her heart was calm, and she wasn’t cold. She should have been dead. She *had* been dead. She remembered the craggy rocks and the rushing river. The sharp pain in her neck had been the last thing she remembered before the dark had taken her. She remembered the beautiful paradise and the face of the goddess smiling at her.So where was she now? The forest was quiet and beautiful. The sky was dark with night and filled with stars and constellations she had never seen, winking at her. Glowing blue birds landed on the grass and twittered at her as she sat up. Fish swam in the clear water of the lake nearby, peacefully moving through the gentle currents as the wind blew carrying the scent of blooming night flowers. A small brook carved through the earth until it reached the lake nearby, and Alice lay in her lap, seemingly sleeping. Laura stroked Alice’s brilliant white fur with a trembling hand and found her warm to to

*Lucas*, Alice growled in contempt. Laurel’s lips curled in disgust and she sneered at him. This was the coward her father wrote about. Fury filled her. “I would *never* marry you.”Lucas barked a laugh, “Don't be so silly. I’m the best option of the pack! I don’t care that you’re not my mate.”His words struck her in her chest, and for a moment, she saw Basil and Delia, dressed in fine clothing and sneering at her. Her stomach roiled.He smirked, “You’re pretty enough. When I become alpha, you’ll be my luna.”Her nausea heaved and she fought it back with her anger. Who the hell did he think he was? Who the hell had Basil thought he was? Prince or not, he was an arrogant, stupid man. Lucas was nowhere near as attractive, influential, or important.She bared her teeth, “No one wants to be your damn luna!”Lucas licked his lips, his eyes turned heated as he dragged his gaze over her body, sending a fresh wave of nausea through her. “It’s not something you really have to worry about.

Adolph Raymond breathed in the scent of his kingdom’s lands with great relief. There was no blood, no pain or darkness: no fear. He smiled, guiding his horse in line with the procession as he breathed in the scent of the metalworks that Silver Blade was known for. It was sweeter than he thought it should be. Almost creamy like milk and honey warmed by the sun, sweet and tantalizing. He shook his head. That scent wasn’t the metalworks. Adam growled with contentment. Adolf’s wolf had never felt so at ease. He cast his gaze around searching for the source of the scent.“Your Majesty?”Soon, he found the source of the scent. A young woman, likely younger than his son, was balanced carefully on a tree overlooking the procession. her long black hair gleamed in the sunlight like silk and the hem of her skirt revealing her plain shoes and pale ankles. His lips twitched at her reckless bravery. It could not have been easy to get up there in such a dress, let alone getting down. His heart cl

Adolph watched her silently. Laurel appreciated the lack of pressure, but his tone and the confidence he wore so boldly grated her nerves. It was like looking at Basil's arrogant face without his smugness. She almost hated him, but it fizzled out as their bond pulsed warm and soothing. “Think on it,” he said after a moment, inclining his head and withdrawing his hand. Alice howled in protest and Laurel barely managed to hold herself in place when Adolph turned to leave. She didn’t watch him, but she listened to every step he took further and further away from her. When she could no longer pick out his footsteps, she went inside and collapsed into a chair, exhausted and anxious. She had planned to live with Jack after the war and enjoy her new life thinking one day she might meet her mate. With his death and meeting Adolph, she didn’t know what to do. Going back to the Imperial City meant going back to dealing with the nobles, Basil, and Delia…But it also meant she may have a cha