Filed to story: The Perfect Luna by Marissa Gilbert
“Of course not,” Brayden cleared his throat, “It has nothing to do with lycans.
It’s… personal. My wife and I are going through something right now and…”
“Oh, yeah,” he couldn’t help himself, “You found your mate and did not reject her.
I remember.”
He regretted saying it the moment the words left his mouth as he noticed
Riannon balling her fists tight. She did not like being reminded of that and he hated that she cared. It was a vicious circle.
“Yet I don’t see how this personal drama of yours is more important than the work that Luna and I are doing together,” Gideon looked at the photo in his hands.
Brayden had his hands wrapped around Riannon and they both seemed very happy as the wind blew her beautiful
He hated this photo and made sure to put it face down when he was placing it back.
“It’s just… not the best time,” the Alpha tried to explain himself, still not realizing that this battle was already lost.
“There is never a great time,” the lycan chuckled, “This project is important and unless you have a real reason to decline, I have to insist. And as for you, you can use that time to think about everything, get to know your mate and so on. In the meantime, your Luna will be doing something important and earning credit for your pack.”
The silence in the room was heavy. But this time it was Riannon who broke it.
“It’s just one week,” she snorted, “And a very good cause. I am sorry, Brayden, but whether you want it or not, I am…”
“You can go,” her husband said quietly.
Riannon never doubted that it would end like this. He was at the stage where he wanted his time with Roxy. Back in her past life once he claimed his mate, he became addicted to spending time with her. She was surprised that he was making such a big deal about her leaving now. That seemed very out of his character.
“Great,” Gideon grinned and offered her his hand, “Shall we?” She decided not to waste any time and followed him. They were already at the car when she heard her friend’s voice.
“Wait!” Maya shouted as she ran with a rose golden luggage bag behind them,
“Your things!”
“Oh, right!” Ria couldn’t believe she was just about to leave her pack without anything.
Why on Earth did she forget? This was so unlike her.
She stretched her hand to take it, but Gideon grabbed the handle first and got it into the car while her eyes met Maya’s and her friend winked at her.
“Have fun!” she practically sang and Riannon pulled her into a tight hug.
“Watch Dean and watch out for Roxy,” the Luna mind-linked her future Beta, feeling how tense she became at her words.
“Do you want me to make her disappear?” Maya offered with her brow shot up.
“No way,” Ria smirked, “Keep her safe and sound. We need her to get out of here.”
They said quick goodbyes and Riannon joined the king. The car drove off quickly as if someone was rushing the driver to leave the Silver River Pack.
Once again, he felt how stupid his idea was but he had to go with it.
“Yeah, I don’t like to lose time so work wherever I can,” he said instantly regretting the words.
“I see,” she smiled politely, “Well, don’t mind me. I will be as quiet as a mouse.”
And then she looked at him expectantly with one of her legs on top of the other and her hands resting on top. He had no choice but to grab one of the folders and start reading.
“So stupid!” Mars growled.
Riannon tried to think of practically anything but what happened the last time they were alone. The driver was behind a soundproof wall and it made her think about things she shouldn’t have.
She watched how handsome the king of lycans was with his straight facial features and dark hair falling carelessly down his face. His shirt was unbuttoned at the top and she imagined that underneath it he probably had the most perfect body too.
She blushed and turned away to pretend to look outside of the window. What was she even thinking? And why?
In the meantime, Gideon couldn’t do this anymore. Her sweet scent of lavender and honey filled the space around them, and it felt intoxicating. He needed to touch her at least somehow.
“Make a sharp turn!” he found himself ordering to the driver, who was already shocked with the orders he received today.
“But… my king,” the unlucky man mumbled. “Make a super sharp turn. Now.” He repeated darkly, “Don’t make me say that again.”
The next moment the car shook and all the folders flew into the air. And at the same time, Riannon found herself thrown straight into the hands of the Lycan king…
It felt so good to have her in his arms, looking at him with those beautiful clear blue eyes that widened at the shock of being in this kind of situation.
“I am… sorry,” she mumbled under her breath as he kept holding her. Tight.
“Another turn! Now!” he commanded his driver mentally and the car shook again,
Gideon using this moment to properly place her on his lap. Even if it was just for a few moments, it was so worth it.
“Oh, Goddess!” her cheeks became delicately pink again and he wanted nothing more than to brush his palm over one to feel how silky her skin was. Her sweet scent was all over him,making his head dizzy. Yet he was still sober enough to control the situation.
“Don’t worry,” he smiled, not intending to let her go at all, “It’s a very bumpy road to the Lycan Kingdom.”
“Really?” she did not look like she was buying it and he was afraid to overdo it.
But Mars was purring inside of him at her closeness, and he wished to prolong it as much as he could. Even if it were just mere seconds.
“Something to work on,” he smirked, feeling her fingers digging into his flesh and realizing that she was not pushing him away. Or even trying to distance herself.
Just right back when he was covering her neck with hot and wet kisses.
Which reminded him of…
“How is your mark?” he gently removed her golden locks off her shoulder, exposing her neck to him. The desire to touch her again like that was too overwhelming. He thought of their ‘healing’ session way too many times after it happened.
“It’s fine,”Ria muttered and he could feel her heart beating faster. She was feeling something too and he knew it. Even if she couldn’t understand it yet.
So, he felt bold and placed his fingers on the top button of her blouse, asking permission with his eyes to unbutton it.
“May I?” his voice sounded lower and huskier than usual, and he could see the hesitation in her eyes.
“We’d better not,” she turned away quickly and he had to unclench his fingers, letting her come back to the seat opposite of him. At least, it was something. It didn’t matter that it didn’t last long. They would have their whole life together once he found out how to get her wolf to come out and play. And luckily now they had a whole week to figure it out.
His eyes grazed over her beautiful face and he sensed at once that something was off. wanted her to get used to the idea of sharing everything with him.
“Nothing,” she said as she stared in the window with her hands crossed on her knees, which now were perfectly pressed together in the most royal pose ever.
He could just tell that it wasn‘t nothing
“Riannon,” he cleared his throat, “Talk to me. Is there something you don’t like?”
She took a deep breath and bit her lip, which almost drove him crazy.
“I am starting to think that you have a very wrong impression about me,” her eyes met his with a challenge.
“Why would you think that?” he had to handle it carefully but the blush on her cheeks was tempting him to tease her, “Did I… do something wrong?”
She turned away, letting him know at once that he did. And a little smirk crept on his lips. She wasn’t a teenager anymore and judging by the Alpha Ball she knew very well how to handle men and make them crazy about her. Yet he managed to make her blush like that several times. It was giving him the hope he needed.
And now even the tips of her ears were red.
Riannon did not know how to proceed with this. On one hand, she was ready to do anything to get a divorce and her pack back. But on the other, she knew that if the lycan king was helping her only to get her in the bed, she would be crushed inside.
For some reason, it was important to her that he saw her as more than just a bed toy that he wanted. Not to mention that if that was all he wanted, she may end up with nothing in the end. She was conflicted on so many levels here. It was stupid to deny that she did like him to some extent. She definitely did. But this wasn’t the way she wanted to carve her path to freedom. And would that even be freedom?
“I would like to keep our relationship professional,” she said firmly and looked him in the eye again, noticing a grin on his perfectly handsome face.
“And may I ask why?” he relaxed into his seat with a content expression on his face.
Okay. She did not expect that kind of a reply.
“What do you mean why?” she knitted her brows, “Because this is…
appropriate.”
“Appropriate?” he chuckled, clearly having fun which made Riannon slightly furious, ” That’s one way to put it.”
“There is nothing funny,” she shot him an annoyed glance, “When I asked for your help,will be paying with…”
“I don’t,” he interrupted her at once, getting serious, “Riannon, I don’t think that about you. And I don’t want you to think that I am the kind of man who would expect something like that from a woman.”
Ria felt slightly puzzled. Did she misread his signals then?
“You licked my mark,” the words left her mouth before she realized it and she wanted to bite her tongue.
“For healing purposes,” Gideon coughed, trying to hold back laughter and enjoying her flustered face. He wanted to bring out more of that. But he also wanted her to know something. “Having said that, I do like you, Riannon. And I intend to court you and make you mine.”
New Book: Veiled Desires of the Alpha King Novel
Dayson was the alpha of the largest pack in North America. Powerful figures from other packs sought to offer gorgeous girls as potential mates for Dayson. He steadfastly rejected these advances, he was not a pawn to be manipulated. But eventually there came a mysterious girl he could hardly say No. Who was she?