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CHAPTER1
LUNA
The light of the harvest moon spills in through my bedroom window, bathing the room in a silver glow and filling me with dread. I push the door open and step onto the balcony, casting my gaze to the gardens below.
The sound of raucous music and laughter carries on the breeze, and I lift my eyes to the path, beyond the wall. Lined with several rows of fine stone houses with tiled roofs, the cobbled streets are full of people making their way to the city square. In the distance, the orange glow of the harvest bonfire is easily visible.
My heart is heavy as I study a few couples whirling and dancing around the flames and the silhouettes of the bystanders, wondering if Malak is there among them. This is an important celebration for his people, and I imagine he has looked forward to this day all year.
Whereas I have prayed for it to never come. Nonetheless it is finally here, and I am miserable beyond words.
Movement below the balcony catches my attention and I squint my eyes into the darkness as if that will somehow help me to see better. A cool breeze blows through the gardens, lifting a few stray tendrils of my long, red hair before I gently tuck them back behind my ears. I pull my heavy cloak around my shoulders, warding against the chilled air as shadows dance below.
I shake my head softly, mentally chastising myself for my overactive imagination as the branches rustle and vines sway on the wind like living curtains. There is nothing down there. It is merely my eyes playing tricks on me.
“Psst.” The sharp noise carries up from below, startling me abruptly.
Piercing green eyes blink up at me from the darkness, a moment before Malak peels away from the shadows. I place my palm to my chest, directly over my racing heart as I breathe out a sigh. “Thank goodness it’s just you.”
“Just me?” Moonlight glints off two rows of sharp, white fangs as he flashes a wolfish grin. “Who else did you think it might be?”
He jogs forward a few steps, and then effortlessly leaps up onto the balcony. He swings his legs over the railing in order to stand before me. His masculine scent fills my nostrils, and the heat of his body radiates to mine. Without thinking, I lean in and breathe deeply of the heady smell of earth and forest.
Warmth floods my cheeks when I lift my gaze to him. His green eyes search mine with a piercing gaze, and my heart flutters.
He runs a hand through his windswept short black hair, revealing the pointed tips of his ears. The silver moon carves his body in shadows and light, illuminating his broad, muscular shoulders, strong arms, and the thick cords of muscle that cover his abdomen and chest. He’s dressed only in black pants, but they are probably not real. As a Wolf-Shifter, he is able to conjure the appearance of clothing.
It does something strange to me to be so close to him now, knowing that he is probably nude standing here. Despite the fact that I am human and he is a Wolf-Shifter, we’ve been best friends since we were ten. These past few years, however, I’ve found myself wishing we could be more.
My gaze travels over his handsome face, from his heavy-set, dark brows, his aquiline nose, and sharp, angular jaw covered with just a hint of stubble.
“I did not expect you,” I tell him. “That’s all.”
“Where else would I be?” He cocks his head to the side to regard me. “We always watch the fireworks together during the harvest festival, Luna.”
My heart clenches as the memories of all our younger years flood my mind. We always watch the fireworks from my balcony.
“It’s our tradition,” he reminds me. “But I thought you might wish to go to the bonfire this night, first.” He steps closer. “We are old enough now to partake in the festivities.”
Heat floods my body as I wonder just which festivities he means. Does he mean the supposedly harmless dancing around the fire, that sometimes leads to couples sneaking away together into the dark, or does he mean the rite of passage observed by his people when they come of age? The mating chase that takes place in the forest tomorrow, beneath the light of the full harvest moon.
As I’m pondering this, he leans in and drops his head to the curve of my neck and shoulder. I inhale sharply as he skims the tip of his nose along my sensitive skin and breathes deep. “You smell divine,” he whispers, and I can detect the soft mint of his breath as he speaks. “Like apple pie and cinnamon.”
While others might find this strange, he has done this since we were young. The first time was when I returned to the capital after having visited with my grandmother back in Avalor for a few months. We were ten. I thought nothing of it at the time, beyond that it was a bit strange, but lately… each time he does this, my entire body flushes with warmth.
My pulse pounds in my ears as he lifts his intense gaze to mine, and he licks his full, perfect lips. “Perhaps I should have a taste,” he says, his voice smooth and deep.
He wraps his arms around me and tugs me to him. Playfully, I hit at his shoulder. “You most certainly will not,” I laugh, wriggling in his arms as I pretend to try to get away. He is always teasing me like this.
A wolfish grin overtakes his features, accentuating his sharp fangs.
“My, what big teeth you have,” I gently admonish.
“The better to eat you with,” he growls, and I laugh and squirm even more at the ticklish sensation as he tightens his arms around me and nuzzles at my neck, pretending that he’s trying to bite me.
The light sting of his fangs prickles my flesh and we both still. My chest heaves against his with each breath, and my pulse pounds not with fear, but with desire, as I feel his heart beating against my own.
We remain frozen in our position for a moment, suspended in that awkward place between friendship and… something else we have yet to acknowledge or name.
