Loving Luna

The Man Behind the Mask

THE MAN WHO STOLE LUNA’S CHILDHOOD.

The words burned across the Book.

Luna stared at them.

For a moment, everything else disappeared.

The road. The wolves. Darius’s hand around hers. Ethan only a few feet away.

All she saw was the tall man beneath the trees and the silver mask covering half his face.

Cassian Drake.

The stranger who had taken everything from her.

Cassian looked at the Book with mild interest.

“So dramatic,” he said, almost amused.

As if it had accused him of arriving late to dinner instead of destroying a child’s life.

Darius stepped in front of Luna.

“Take one more step,” he warned, “and I’ll remove your head.”

Cassian’s gaze shifted.

“Alpha Blackwood.”

Recognition flickered.

“You look like him.”

“My name is Darius.”

“Yes,” Cassian smiled. “It is now.”

The Book whispered again.

Kael.

Black lines spread under Darius’s skin.

Luna pulled the Book to her chest. The whisper stopped.

“Do not use that name,” Darius said.

“Does it frighten you?”

“No.”

Anger, not fear.

Cassian noticed.

“Interesting. You remember enough to resent him, but not enough to understand him.”

“I understand he survived men like you.”

“No,” Cassian said softly. “He died because of them.”

Darius stepped forward. Luna grabbed his arm.

“Don’t.”

Cassian wanted him reckless.

“He’s provoking you,” she said.

“I know.”

“Then stop letting him.”

“I’m considering whether killing him would improve my mood.”

“It would.”

Darius glanced at her.

“But we need answers.”

“That is becoming a habit.”

“You love me.”

“Yes.”

“Then be irritated quietly.”

Mason coughed behind them. Evelyn hissed, “Don’t laugh.”

Cassian watched them.

“You are different together.”

“You don’t know us,” Luna said.

“I know what you carry.”

“You know who they were,” she corrected.

His eye narrowed, silver and lifeless.

“Certain, aren’t you?”

“I am.”

“Then you’ve learned faster than Solara did.”

At the name, Luna’s mark warmed.

Cassian looked at her wrist.

“You hear her.”

Luna’s stomach tightened. Darius covered her hand.

“She hates being ignored.”

“Solara isn’t here,” Luna said.

“No,” Cassian studied her. “But she is close.”

A pressure stirred in Luna’s mind.

She pushed it down.

Cassian had hurt her. She would face him.

Ethan stepped forward.

“You said you wouldn’t follow me.”

“You believed me.”

“I believed the oath.”

“Oaths only matter while both sides fear breaking them.”

Ethan reached for his jacket.

“Keep your hands visible,” Darius snapped.

“I need the crown.”

“No.”

“It’s controlling the wolves.”

Luna looked at them. “What did you do to them?”

“I gave them peace,” Cassian said.

Ethan’s face darkened. “You broke their bonds.”

“I freed them.”

“They can’t choose,” Ethan said. “They obey the mark.”

Cassian lifted his hand. A black symbol burned in his palm.

The wolves lowered their heads.

One whimpered.

“That isn’t freedom,” Luna said.

“Neither is a mating bond,” Cassian replied.

Darius growled.

“You feel him,” Cassian said to Luna. “Where do you end and he begin?”

Darius started to pull away. Luna held him.

“Right here,” she said.

“I don’t control him. He doesn’t control me.”

“Love is still influence.”

“So is everything,” she said.

“Love is obedience with a prettier name.”

“No. Love allows no.”

Darius looked at her.

Cassian’s smile faded.

“You sound like Solara.”

“And you sound like Lucian.”

The air shifted. Power pressed down.

Darius didn’t move. Neither did Luna.

“Don’t compare me to him,” Cassian said.

“Why? You both call control peace.”

“Lucian was emotional.”

“And you aren’t?”

“No.”

“Then why take my memories?”

Silence.

“Answer me,” Luna said.

“I didn’t try to kill you,” Cassian said.

“The Book says otherwise.”

“It is incomplete.”

“Complete it.”

Ethan warned, “Don’t listen.”

“I have to.”

Cassian spoke.

“Because awakening would have killed you.”

Silence fell.

Darius tightened his grip.

Ethan turned. “You don’t get to justify this.”

“I saved her.”

“You killed our parents.”

“My soldiers did.”

The distinction chilled her.

“You ordered it,” Luna said.

“Yes.”

Darius moved. Luna stopped him.

“Let me go,” he said.

“No.”

“We know enough.”

“I don’t.”

She stepped closer.

“You promised not to harm Ethan without cause,” she said. “I need the same.”

Cassian watched.

“If she cries because of you, I won’t hold back,” Darius said.

“She already has,” Cassian replied.

Darius’s claws extended.

“Darius,” Luna said.

He looked at her.

“Beside me.”

A pause.

Then he stepped back.

Cassian studied them.

“You don’t tame him like she did.”

“I don’t tame him,” Luna said.

“He chooses.”

Darius’s thumb brushed her hand.

Cassian turned to Ethan.

“Give her the crown.”

“No.”

“It belongs to her past.”

“I said no.”

The wolves moved.

“Don’t,” Ethan warned.

They crossed the border.

Weapons rose.

“Hold,” Darius ordered.

The first wolf approached Ethan, trembling.

Ethan pulled out a broken crown.

The wolves stopped.

Cassian smiled.

“The crown carries him.”

Ethan shook. “It won’t let go.”

“Put it down,” Luna said.

“I can’t.”

“Why?”

“It’s inside me.”

Cassian said, “He held it too long.”

Luna stepped forward. Darius caught her.

“That’s my brother.”

“It’s corrupting him.”

“I have to help.”

“I’ll remove it.”

“You can’t touch it without awakening Kael.”

Darius froze.

She was right.

“Trust me,” she said.

“I do.”

“Then let me go.”

He released her hand but stayed close.

Ethan’s arm shook.

“Give it to me,” Luna said.

“It will show you everything.”

“I need it.”

“No, you don’t.”

“Then decide for me,” she snapped.

Ethan hesitated.

Then he let go.

The crown didn’t release him.

Darkness spread into his hand.

He cried out.

Luna grabbed him.

Memory hit.

Rain. A house. Screams.

She was eight.

Her mother knelt. “Stay with Ethan.”

Ethan stood in blood.

“We have to go.”

Her father shifted into a white wolf.

Gunfire.

Cassian entered.

Golden light erupted from Luna.

Too much.

Cassian caught her.

“If she awakens, she dies.”

“Don’t touch her!” Ethan shouted.

“Choose,” Cassian said.

Her mother sobbed.

“Her memories or her life.”

“Save her,” she whispered.

Cassian pressed his hand to Luna’s head.

Everything vanished.

Luna screamed back into the present.

Ethan caught her.

Darius crossed the border. Wolves attacked.

Golden light burst from Luna, throwing them back.

Darius reached her.

“I remember,” she gasped.

“My mother.”

“She chose,” Darius said softly.

Cassian nodded.

Darius turned on him.

“You forced her.”

“I saved her.”

“You destroyed them.”

“My soldiers did.”

Luna stepped back.

“You needed me.”

“Yes.”

Darius tightened his grip.

“I watched you,” Cassian said.

“Every day,” Luna whispered.

“Yes.”

“You left me alone.”

“I kept you alive.”

“That isn’t the same.”

“No.”

Ethan stepped beside her.

“You’re done controlling us.”

Cassian raised his hand.

The wolves rose.

The Book opened.

Cassian stiffened.

Luna saw it.

“You’re afraid of it.”

“I respect it.”

The Book turned.

A mark appeared.

CASSIAN DRAKE — BOUND.

Ethan frowned. “What does that mean?”

Another page turned.

FIRST SERVANT OF THE CROWN.

Silence.

Darius looked at Cassian.

“You don’t control the Order.”

Cassian’s expression finally cracked.