Loving Luna

The Blackwood Estate

The very first thing Luna felt was warmth. Not from the soft mattress, or the subtle cedar and sandalwood scent in the air, or even the gentle breeze rustling the tall windows. Just pure warmth. It wrapped around her like a heavy, protective blanket, pushing away the freezing rain that was still lingering in her dreams. It was as if her body had finally been yanked out of a storm it had been drowning in for way too long.

Her eyelids fluttered open, slow and reluctant, like they weren't quite ready to face what was there. Above her, a crystal chandelier dangled from a vaulted ceiling, painted with intricate silver wolves mid-leap beneath a full moon. In the morning light, the artwork seemed almost alive, as if those wolves might actually stir any second. Sunlight poured through enormous floor-to-ceiling windows, flooding a bedroom so huge it made her chest tighten. It was bigger than her entire apartment, bigger than anything she'd ever been in before. Silk curtains swayed gently in the morning breeze, brushing softly against the polished glass. Dark oak furniture gleamed against spotless hardwood floors, every surface impeccably clean, impossibly expensive, and utterly untouched. Nothing about this place felt ordinary. Nothing about it felt like it belonged in her world.

"You're awake."

Luna bolted upright instantly, her heart hammering against her ribs. Darius stood near the windows, one hand casually tucked into the pocket of a pair of freshly pressed black trousers. His torn shirt from last night was gone, replaced by a crisp white dress shirt that fit him perfectly, somehow making him look even more controlled, even more dangerous. His sleeves were rolled up to his forearms, showing off strong muscle lines and faint scars that hinted at battles she couldn't even imagine. He looked completely composed, as if he hadn't spent the night fighting werewolves and vampires in the dark, as if chaos didn't perpetually orbit him.

"You..." Her voice came out rough. She swallowed, forcing herself to look around the room again, as if that would somehow make it make sense. "Where am I?"

"My home."

She frowned immediately, suspicion sharpening her gaze. "This is a home?"

"It's the Blackwood Estate."

She slowly turned her head back toward him, disbelief deepening. "This looks more like a palace."

A faint, almost imperceptible smirk played on the corner of his mouth. "It's been called worse."

Luna threw back the blankets with more force than necessary, frustration boiling up inside her. "I'm leaving." The second her feet touched the floor, dizziness hit her so hard her vision blurred. The room tilted. Her knees buckled. Before she could even register falling, Darius was there. One moment he was across the room, the next his hand was steadying her waist, firm and unyielding. Heat shot through both of them at the contact—sharp, immediate, impossible to ignore. Luna gasped, her breath catching in her throat. Darius’s eyes flickered gold for a split second, as if something inside him reacted before he could stop it. Then he let go instantly, stepping back as if the touch had burned him.

"You should rest."

"I've rested enough."

"You were unconscious for fourteen hours."

Her eyes widened in shock. "What?"

"Your awakening drained you."

"I don't even know what that means."

"I know." His calm tone only made her more irritated, as if he were deliberately refusing to acknowledge her panic.

"Then stop talking in riddles!" Her voice echoed through the massive room, bouncing off stone and glass and silence. For a long moment, neither of them spoke. The air between them felt heavy, charged, like something waiting to snap. Finally, Darius exhaled slowly, as if choosing his words with extreme care.

"You deserve answers."

"Finally."

"But not all of them." Her jaw dropped in disbelief. "You've got to be kidding me."

Before she could say another word, a knock sounded at the bedroom door. Once. Twice. Then it opened without waiting for permission. Evelyn walked in, carrying a tray piled high with breakfast, moving with a practiced ease as if she belonged in every room she entered. The smell hit Luna instantly. Fresh bread still warm from the oven. Fluffy scrambled eggs. Crispy bacon. Fresh fruit, neatly sliced. And coffee. Real coffee. The kind she hadn't had in so long her stomach physically clenched just at the scent. Evelyn smiled faintly, as if she’d expected this reaction.

"You haven't eaten since yesterday afternoon."

Luna quickly looked away, suddenly aware of how obvious her hunger must be. "I wasn't hungry."

Evelyn raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "You didn't have money."

Silence fell instantly. Darius slowly turned his head toward Luna, his expression shifting in a way that made the room feel suddenly colder. "You skipped meals?"

She shrugged, trying to keep it casual. "It happens."

"How often?"

"It's not a big deal."

"Luna." The way he said her name was softer this time, but there was something heavier beneath it. Something that made her chest tighten in a way she really didn't like. It made lying impossible. She looked away. "More often than I'd like."

Something dangerous flickered in Darius’s eyes. Not toward her. Never toward her. But toward whoever had let her life become like that. He pulled out a chair beside the table. "Sit."

"I can stand."

"Luna." That single repetition of her name carried quiet authority. She sighed dramatically, mostly to hide how unsettled she felt, and sat down. Evelyn hid a small smile as she placed the tray in front of her.

"You'll learn," she whispered lightly. "He gets stubborn."

"I heard that."

"I know." Luna couldn't help it. A small laugh slipped out before she could stop it. It surprised even her. Darius looked at her immediately, as if the sound had caught him completely off guard. For the first time since they met, she looked… lighter. Less guarded. Less like she was bracing for impact.

The moment didn't last long. A sharp knock echoed from somewhere deeper in the mansion. Then another. Fast footsteps filled the hallway outside, growing louder, more urgent. Before anyone could react, a young man burst into the bedroom without warning.

"Alpha!" He stopped abruptly the second he saw Luna. His mouth actually fell open in shock. "No way."

Darius’s voice turned instantly ice cold. "Knock."

"I did."

"You ignored the answer."

"I was excited." The man’s bright green eyes snapped back to Luna, scanning her as if she were something out of a story he didn't quite believe. "So she's real."

Luna frowned. "Am I missing something?"

The guy grinned, way too enthusiastic for the tension in the room. "I'm Mason." He held out his hand immediately, as if they were already old friends. "Head of security."

"You look about twenty."

"I'm twenty-six." She hesitated, then shook his hand. "Luna."

"I know." She groaned under her breath. "Seriously?"

"Your name's been all anyone's talking about."

Darius cleared his throat sharply. "Mason."

"Right." Mason’s grin vanished instantly, replaced by focus. "We've got a problem."

The room went quiet. Even Evelyn straightened slightly. "The Council arrived an hour ago."

Evelyn cursed under her breath. "They're early."

"They're demanding to see her."

Luna looked between all of them, unease creeping in. "The Council?"

Darius’s expression hardened completely. "The highest governing body of the werewolf world."

"And they know I'm here?"

"They know you awakened."

A knot formed in Luna's stomach, tightening with every second of silence. "What do they want?"

No one answered right away. That silence said more than words ever could. Whatever was waiting outside that door… it wasn’t good. Darius looked directly at her, his voice lower now, controlled but heavy with meaning. "They're going to ask one question."

"What question?"

His voice dropped to almost a whisper. "Whether you should be protected..." He paused, the weight of it settling over the room like a shadow. "...or executed."