All Chapters of The Human Luna: Claimed Too Late: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

35 Chapters

21: ATTENTION SEEKING.

EMIL’S POVInside, conversations echoed, glittering chandeliers while powerful wolves from every major territory filled the massive ballroom dressed in dark formal colors. Green. Black. Silver. Traditional. Controlled. Exactly as expected.Juna slipped naturally into place beside me, greeting council members smoothly while introducing me to several visiting Alphas from neighboring territories.Normally, my focus would’ve stayed entirely on the negotiations.Tonight, it didn’t.My attention kept drifting toward the entrance, irritation settling deeper into my chest with every passing second.Just when I was about to mindlink Blake again, the ballroom doors opened.Conversations slowed instantly.And this time, it wasn’t because of me.Malia stepped inside with Blake and Zara trailing behind her, the crimson fabric of her dress catching beneath the chandelier lights like fresh blood spilled across snow.Maybe it was because nearly everyone else wore darker colors tonight, but the red ma

22: THIRTY MINUTES

MALIA’S POVBy the time I reached the fifth conversation, I had stopped counting faces.Names blurred into smiles and carefully measured words, all of them circling around the same thing disguised in different tones.Opportunity.Alliance.Interest.And underneath it all, was the test. Every one of them was trying to see the same thing without asking it directly. How much control Emil still had over me. How tightly I was bound to him. Whether there was even a crack big enough to step through.I smiled through it all anyway.Not because I cared.But because I was learning.A man from the western table leaned in slightly as he spoke, his tone light but eyes too sharp. “If you ever decide Silver Claw isn’t where you want to stay, our territory has openings for strong women like you.”“Does it?” I tilted my head slightly, polite enough to pass for interest.“Of course. We value independence there.”I almost laughed at that.Instead, I gave him a calm nod. “I’ll keep that in mind.”He loo

23: I HAD OPTIONS

MALIA’S POV.I didn’t move immediately, because if I did… I might have broken something.Instead, I excused myself from the group with a smile still pinned to my face and walked away before anyone could stop me. Before he could say something else that would make me forget we were surrounded by hundreds of important wolves.The moment I was out of sight, the smile vanished.I exhaled sharply and headed toward the restroom corridor, but the second I turned the corner and saw the line stretching outside the doors, irritation clawed straight up my throat again.Women stood gathered in clusters, laughing softly, fixing makeup, whispering to one another while their eyes occasionally drifted toward me.And all I could hear was Emil’s voice.Thirty minutes.My chest tightened violently.The rage I’d been suppressing all night surged hotter under my skin.I needed air.Without thinking further, I turned toward the opposite corridor and slipped through the quieter hallway leading upstairs. My h

24: I DON’T NEED YOU

MALIA’S POV. For a long second, neither of us spoke. Only the soft sound of the cold wind sweeping across the rooftop, carrying the faint music and laughter from the ballroom below. Draven looked exactly the same as the last time I saw him. That terrifyingly calm expression that made him seem untouchable. The same cold silver eyes stared down at me, devoid of the little warmth they had last time. His gaze dropped briefly toward the lipstick stain smeared across his white shirt before lifting back to me slowly. “Well,” he said flatly. “This is unfortunate.” The dryness in his tone almost made me laugh. Almost. Instead, I straightened slightly. “I’ve been looking for you.” “That sounds like the beginning of a problem.” His voice carried a note of disgust. “It’s a proposition.” One brow arched slightly before he stepped around me toward the rooftop railing. “I’m not interested in investments tonight.” “It’s not business,” I said. “Then I’m definitely not interested.

25: LAST OPTION LEFT.

MALIA’S POV. “How fascinating.” He turned from the railing, leaning against it, a hint of amusement tugging at his lips. “A human gets in her feelings after her little mate comes home with another woman, and the first thing she thinks to do is make a deal with an Alpha King. Have him risk not just his image, but abuse his power.” “It’s not like that. I’m—” “For all I know, this could just be another mistake for you.” The rooftop suddenly felt colder. “That night—” “You called it a mistake.” I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. I knew how messed up it looked, reaching out to him after what happened last time. Maybe I should just take whatever shred of pride I had left, if there was any left at all, and find another solution. But then again… he was my last shot. Cold, rude, and insufferable as he was, it was either him or the five hungry wolves waiting downstairs. “You don’t understand—” “No.” His silver eyes sharpened on mine. “I understand everything.” “I wasn’t thi

26: DESPERATE PEOPLE

DRAVEN’S POV. The scent of wild berries and vanilla trailed after me even after I shut the rooftop door behind me. The agitating scent still clung stubbornly to my shirt, where she’d crashed into me earlier. My jaw tightened instantly as Ghost stirred restlessly inside me. Even with my strong control over him, my wolf had developed a fixation on that scent. After all, we’d spent an entire night with it tangled around my sheets, only for her to disappear before sunrise and leave behind a four-word text. It was a mistake. And somehow, despite all that, she still thought she could negotiate with me like this was some corporate merger instead of a desperate attempt to escape her own mess. Human emotions were inconvenient. And Malia seemed to drown in hers. I stepped into the elevator. My beta, Corbin, already waited inside, his usual unreadable expression slipping slightly as he glanced at the lipstick stain still faintly visible against my shirt before arching a brow. I ignored

27: CARDS WELL PLAYED .

DRAVEN’S POV. By the time the SUV stopped outside the towering glass building downtown, irritation already burned dangerously beneath my skin. Most office lights had been turned off. Except the one that should not have been on. My office. I let out a sharp breath, bracing myself for whatever new problem my father had created this time, before stepping inside the building. The second the elevator doors opened, I stopped cold. Men moved in and out of my office, carrying documents and boxes like scavengers stripping a corpse clean. Rage surged instantly. No one was allowed in my office, much less touching my things with their filthy hands. “What the fuck is going on here?” Every man froze at the sound of my voice. One of them glanced nervously toward the office doors instead of answering. “Alpha Mikyal ordered—” “Take everything back,” I snapped, cutting him off. But nobody moved. They were looking at each other, as if my father’s words carried more weight than mine. My wo

28: FOOLISH HOPES.

MALIA'S POVI grabbed another glass of champagne the moment I returned to the ballroom.Draven's words had followed me back inside and refused to leave my head.Pack your bags.The more I thought about it, the less sense it made. If he'd agreed to take me in, what exactly was I supposed to do now? Was I expected to travel to his territory myself? Was he coming for me? Why hadn't he explained anything properly?I took another sip, letting the cold tangy liquid settle some of the tension knotting my chest.It didn't help.A deafening snarl suddenly ripped through the ballroom.The sound was so vicious that conversations died instantly. My hand jerked, champagne sloshing over the rim of my glass as heads snapped toward the center of the room.Then came the crash of breaking glass.A scream. And the unmistakable pop of shifting. My stomach dropped. Two wolves had already transformed.They slammed into each other with enough force to overturn an entire table, sending food, flowers, and sha

29: THE STRANGER IN BLACK.

MALIA’S POV The stranger immediately turned toward me. He was dressed entirely in black, his expression calm despite the madness unfolding around us. While everyone else seemed frantic, he looked completely in control. His dark eyes swept over me once. "Are you hurt?" The steadiness in his voice grounded me more than it should have. "No," I answered automatically. His gaze dropped to my ankle. One dark eyebrow lifted. For the first time, I noticed he was younger than I'd initially thought. "Liar." Despite everything happening around us, a tiny laugh almost escaped me. Almost. "I'm fine." "You can barely stand." His tone wasn't mocking. Just matter-of-fact. Before I could argue, another crash sounded nearby. His attention shifted immediately toward the disturbance before returning to me. "We need to leave." Something about the certainty in his voice made it impossible to argue. Not that I want to! His hand settled lightly against my waist, ste

30: CRACKED MASK.

MALIA’S POV.The stranger’s gaze lingered on me for a second longer than necessary. Then, just as quickly, he exhaled through his nose like he’d already decided something.“I guess you have someone to leave with after all,” he said.Something in his tone I couldn’t place. Almost like disappointment he had no right to feel.His hand slipped back into his pocket.“Stay safe,” he said.Then he turned and walked away before I could even process the fact that I hadn’t asked his name yet.I watched him disappear into the darkness.For a second, a small voice urged me to at least get his name.But Zara’s voice cut through the night.“Malia!” she said, grabbing my arm. “Blake brought the car. We need to go now.”I hesitated.My gaze flicked once more toward where he’d disappeared.Empty now.Like he’d never been there at all.My lips pressed into a thin line before I turned back. I don’t know what I expected that to be. But whatever it was… this was for the best.I bit back the wave of pain t

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