His Hybrid Luna

Chapter 9: Unwelcome Visitors

Valkyrie

I pulled myself together, taking a deep breath as I rose from lying beneath him.

"Excuse me," I murmured to Ragnor, my voice steady despite the frantic thudding of my heart. "I need to get back to work."

"Valkyrie..." Ragnor’s voice was soft, almost pleading, as his hand reached toward my hair. His gaze lingered on me for a moment longer, torn between desire and something deeper I couldn’t quite decipher.

"I need to go." My voice came out colder than I intended, masking the whirlwind of emotions inside me.

I was angry, confused. The weight of his secrecy, the unanswered questions, hung heavily between us.

Why had he rejected me before, only to suddenly want me now? Did I even have the right to ask him why, or was I just another fleeting desire to him?

Ragnor sighed, his features tightening. "I understand," he said, taking a reluctant step back.

The air between us seemed to thicken with unspoken words. I could still feel the pull of him, but I couldn’t afford to fall into it again.

I had to leave—had to regain control over my shattered thoughts and my heart, which seemed to beat only for him.

But as I turned to leave, Ragnor’s voice stopped me. “Valkyrie, I’ll explain. Just not now. I’m not ready.”

I froze, torn between the overwhelming need for answers and the reality of my duties.

Slowly, I nodded, my breath catching in my throat.

I didn’t want to hear it—not yet. Not while I was still struggling to understand myself.

Ragnor watched me, his expression unreadable, but I could see the frustration in his eyes, the same frustration that mirrored my own.

I wanted to stay, to ask him everything—why, what, how—but my mind was clouded, and my heart was still too raw from the turmoil he had caused.

"Let's meet again, shall we?" he asked quietly, as if sensing the war inside me.

I clenched the edges of my skirt before answering, but no words came easy from my mouth.

"Val?"

"Sorry, Alpha, I can't make any promises," I turned quickly, hurrying toward the door, my pulse racing as I tried to escape the whirlwind he had dragged me into.

But as my hand touched the doorknob, a sudden pull jolted me. Ragnor embraced me tight, his head resting on my shoulder, his breath warm against my skin.

I stiffened.

My body tensed as Ragnor’s arms enveloped me, his hold firm but gentle. For a moment, I couldn’t move, couldn’t speak.

The warmth of his embrace seeped into me, mingling with the confusion and fear I couldn’t quite shake off.

My heart skipped a beat, but it wasn’t the same frantic rhythm it had been earlier—it was slower, more controlled, as if his touch had the power to calm the chaos inside me, even just for a fleeting moment.

"I didn’t mean to hurt you," he murmured, his voice low and filled with something that almost sounded like regret.

His words hit me harder than I expected. The weight of everything—his rejection, the distance between us, the unanswered questions—suddenly felt too much to bear.

"Oh well, I'm already hurt," I whispered coldly, though my heart knew that wasn’t the words I meant to speak.

He turned me gently in his arms, his eyes scanning mine with an intensity that made me ache. The stormy gaze that had once felt distant now softened, like that of a child seeking understanding.

I couldn’t help but soften in response.

"I'm sorry... Valkyrie..." He rasped, as if he knew I was broken inside.

I didn’t respond immediately. Instead, I let the silence stretch out, both of us standing there, caught in a moment of tenderness.

My heart beat steadily in my chest, the chaos from earlier settling into a quiet ache.

"I’m not sure what this is, Ragnor. I’m not sure what we are. But... I’m willing to try. If you are."

His eyes softened, the storm that had once raged in them replaced by something gentler, something warmer. He smiled then, a small, uncertain smile, but it was enough to make my heart flutter.

"I’m willing to try too," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Just give me some time."

And for a moment, everything else seemed to fade away.

There was no fear, no confusion, just the two of us standing in the quiet of the room, holding onto something fragile but real.

But as I felt the weight of his arms around me, something shifted. A distant sound—faint, but unmistakable—reached my ears.

Footsteps, hurried and deliberate, coming closer. I strained to hear, my senses heightening.

My heart pounded, and I pulled away slightly, my eyes narrowing as I searched the hallway outside the door.

Ragnor, sensing the change in my mood, looked over my shoulder too.

And just as I thought I could breathe again, the door swung open with a force that made my pulse spike.

It was Luna Dowager. And behind her, with a smug look on her face, was Tasya.

That wicked woman.

The moment of peace shattered in an instant.

A sense of tension filled the room and the familiar weight of impending chaos settled around me.

Luna’s eyes immediately swept over Ragnor’s arms around me, her lips curling into a tight, knowing smile. Tasya, standing just behind her, raised an eyebrow in mockery.

I could feel my heart race again, the fragility of the moment now completely gone.

The tension was palpable, and I knew, without a doubt, that everything was about to change.