Loving Luna

Lessons in Control

Luna woke before sunrise with Serena’s warning still echoing in her mind like something she couldn’t shake loose, no matter how many times she tried to turn over in bed and bury it under sleep.

Darius Blackwood doesn’t love halfway.

She lay beneath the heavy estate blankets, staring up at the pale ceiling as the world outside remained wrapped in pre-dawn silence. Somewhere far beyond the walls, the grounds were still, the trees unmoving, the lake hidden in darkness and mist.

The words shouldn’t have mattered.

Serena didn’t know her.

And more importantly, Luna didn’t belong to Darius.

Not because of some glowing mark.

Not because an ancient book had decided their faces matched like pieces of a prophecy.

And definitely not because an entire supernatural world seemed determined to make choices for her body, her future, her life.

Still, every time Luna closed her eyes, she remembered Darius’s hand covering hers under the dinner table the night before.

Warm.

Steady.

Hidden from everyone except Serena, who had noticed everything anyway.

She remembered the quiet certainty in his voice when he told the room she would choose for herself.

No man had ever stood up for her right to choose before.

That was the dangerous part.

Not his strength.

Not his wolf.

It was how easy he made it feel to trust him without meaning to.

Luna kicked off the blankets in frustration.

Sleep clearly wasn’t coming back.

She dressed quickly in black leggings, a loose gray sweater that hung off one shoulder, and the cheapest pair of shoes Evelyn had left in the wardrobe. Then she slipped out of the room, careful to avoid the creaking floorboards, and moved into the hallway.

The estate before dawn felt like a different world entirely.

No voices.

No footsteps.

Only the low dying crackle of distant hearth fires and the soft gray light of morning pressing through tall arched windows.

Luna walked without direction at first, letting her feet decide for her.

She passed the balcony where Darius had almost kissed her the night before, and forced herself to keep moving before the memory could catch and pull her back.

A cool draft drifted through the corridor and guided her toward a set of open glass doors at the rear of the estate.

Beyond them, stone steps descended into sprawling gardens.

Mist clung to the grass in soft waves. The lake beyond the trees was barely visible, a silver smear beneath the first hint of dawn.

Luna stepped outside.

Cold air filled her lungs sharply, waking her more than any sleep ever could.

For the first time since arriving, no one was watching her.

No Council.

No curious pack members.

No ancient rules whispering who she was supposed to be.

She walked until the estate disappeared behind thick trees and rising fog.

The deeper she went, the quieter everything became, until even her thoughts felt too loud.

A narrow trail wound between old oaks, their branches twisting overhead like bent fingers. She followed it toward the lake, drawn by something she couldn’t name.

Then a sharp sound cracked through the silence.

Luna stopped instantly.

Another impact followed.

Not a branch snapping.

Something deliberate.

She moved forward more carefully now, each step slower than the last.

The trail opened into a clearing.

Darius stood in the center of it.

He was shirtless.

And Luna immediately forgot why she had been trying to be quiet.

His back was turned to her, muscles shifting under scarred skin as he drove one fist into a thick wooden training post. The impact split the surface cleanly.

He stepped back.

Then struck again.

The post cracked further down its length.

Luna stared, breath caught somewhere between surprise and something far more distracting.

She already knew he was strong.

But knowing and seeing were entirely different things.

Darius’s dark hair was damp with sweat despite the cold morning air. Black training pants sat low on his hips. Scars crossed his shoulders and ribs—some thin and faded, others deep enough to look like history carved into him.

One long mark cut diagonally across his back.

That one made her stomach tighten.

Someone had hurt him badly enough to leave proof.

Darius struck the post again.

It shattered completely.

Half the wood collapsed into the grass.

Luna flinched before she could stop herself.

“You know,” she said, voice cutting through the clearing, “most people use coffee to wake up.”

Darius went still.

Slowly, he turned.

His eyes found her immediately.

Then flicked over her clothes, her shoes, the loose fall of her hair.

“What are you doing out here?”

“Good morning to you too.”

His jaw tightened slightly.

“Luna.”

“I couldn’t sleep.”

“So you wandered into the forest alone.”

“It’s your backyard.”

“It’s several thousand acres.”

“That’s a very dramatic backyard.”

Darius crossed the clearing and picked up a black shirt from a stone ledge.

Luna tried not to look disappointed.

She failed.

His gaze sharpened.

“Were you watching me?”

“No.”

“You were standing there.”

“That doesn’t mean I was watching.”

“What were you doing?”

“Studying the tree.”

“The tree behind me.”

“It had personality.”

Darius pulled the shirt over his head, the movement controlled and effortless.

A faint smile tugged at his mouth before he could hide it.

Luna looked away quickly, pretending she hadn’t noticed.

“What were you doing?” she asked.

“Training.”

“You destroyed a post.”

“It was old.”

“It didn’t deserve that.”

Darius grabbed a towel and wiped sweat from his neck.

“You should be inside.”

“You say that a lot.”

“Because you keep showing up in dangerous places.”

“I was in bed. It turned emotionally dangerous.”

His hand paused.

“What happened?”

The question came too fast, too focused.

Luna immediately regretted speaking.

“Nothing.”

Darius watched her.

She lasted three seconds.

“Serena said something.”

His expression cooled instantly.

“What did she say?”

“It wasn’t exactly an insult.”

“Luna.”

“She said you don’t love halfway.”

Silence settled heavily over the clearing.

Darius set the towel down.

“And?”

“And apparently when you lose control, everyone burns.”

He didn’t react.

Which somehow made it worse.

Luna folded her arms.

“Is that true?”

Darius looked toward the lake, mist drifting behind him like breath.

“I’ve lost control before.”

Her stomach tightened.

“What happened?”

“People died.”

The bluntness made her go still.

His face remained calm, but his eyes shifted slightly—like something inside him had stepped back.

“Were they innocent?” Luna asked quietly.

“No.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

His gaze returned to hers.

“Some were.”

Luna absorbed that in silence.

He didn’t soften it.

Didn’t excuse it.

He simply told the truth.

“When?” she asked.

“Years ago.”

“Because of someone you loved?”

“No.”

Immediate.

“Then Serena was wrong.”

“Serena was warning you about what I’m capable of.”

“She was warning me about you.”

“She had reason.”

Luna studied him.

“Are you trying to scare me?”

Darius exhaled slowly.

“I’m trying not to lie to you.”

That honesty hit harder than comfort ever could.

He stepped closer, not enough to trap her, just enough that she could feel the shift in him.

“My wolf reacts to threats,” Darius said. “To challenges. To anything it thinks is too close to what it considers ours.”

Luna’s pulse quickened.

“I’m not yours.”

“No.”

His voice stayed steady.

“You’re not.”

But the gold in his eyes deepened anyway.

“And my wolf doesn’t understand that as easily as I do.”

“And you?”

“I understand it perfectly.”

“Do you?”

His jaw flexed.

“Yes.”

Luna tilted her head.

“Then why do you look like you want to drag me back inside?”

“Because you walked into the forest alone.”

“Not because I talked to Serena?”

Silence.

Luna smiled faintly.

“You’re jealous.”

Darius stared at her.

“No.”

“That was fast.”

“I’m not jealous of Serena.”

“I didn’t say you were jealous of Serena.”

A flicker of irritation crossed his face.

“So what are you jealous of, Alpha?”

He stepped closer again.

This time, he didn’t stop.

The space between them vanished until she had to tilt her head back to meet his eyes.

Cedar and rain filled her senses.

“I am not jealous,” Darius said quietly.

“You’re very intense for someone who isn’t jealous.”

“You’re provoking me.”

“You’re easy to provoke.”

“No one else would agree.”

“That sounds like their problem.”

For a breath, neither moved.

Then Darius glanced down at her shoes.

“You can’t train in those.”

Luna blinked.

“That was a very sudden topic change.”

“You need to learn control.”

She looked at the broken post.

“From you?”

“Yes.”

“You just said you once lost control and people died.”

“I learned from it.”

“That’s not comforting.”

Darius stepped back.

“You used power at dinner without meaning to.”

“I caught a glass.”

“Yesterday you threw a wolf across a warehouse.”

“It was trying to eat me.”

“And next time?”

She didn’t answer.

Darius walked to a rack and picked up padded gloves.

“You need to understand what your body does before instinct takes over.”

Luna stared at them.

“You want me to punch something?”

“I want you to learn how not to.”

“That sounds less fun.”

He held one out.

“Put it on.”

“Is that an order?”

“A request.”

“They sound the same when you say them.”

Darius waited.

Luna took the glove.

“Fine.”

She pulled it on.

Then the second.

Darius moved behind her.

And suddenly she was very aware of everything.

His hands settled lightly on her hips.

“Feet apart,” he said.

Her body reacted before her thoughts could catch up.

His chest was close behind her. His breath brushed her neck.

Luna stared forward.

“Is this necessary?”

“Yes.”

“You sound sure.”

“You’re standing wrong.”

“I was standing fine before you touched me.”

His fingers tightened slightly.

“Luna.”

The warning sent heat through her.

She adjusted.

“Like this?”

“Better.”

One hand moved to her elbow.

“Raise your guard.”

She lifted her arms.

“Relax your shoulders.”

“You’re standing right behind me.”

“That shouldn’t affect your shoulders.”

“It affects a lot of things.”

His breath paused.

Luna realized what she’d said.

Heat rushed to her face.

Darius’s voice dropped lower.

“I noticed.”

Neither moved.

A bird called sharply in the distance.

Darius stepped away.

“Hit the pad.”

He lifted a target.

Luna looked at him.

“You really expect me to punch you?”

“The pad.”

“It’s attached to you.”

“I’ll survive.”

“I’ve heard that before.”

“Hit it.”

Luna swung.

Barely a tap.

Darius didn’t move.

“That was embarrassing.”

“You held back.”

“I don’t want to break my hand.”

“You won’t.”

“How do you know?”

“I know your strength better than you do.”

“That sounded weird.”

“Again.”

She hit harder.

The impact pushed his arm back slightly.

“Again.”

A third strike.

Golden light flickered.

The pad exploded.

Energy burst outward, throwing Darius back into the grass.

Silence.

Luna stared.

“I’m sorry.”

Then he laughed.

Warm. Real. Uncontrolled.

“You think that’s funny?”

“I enjoyed it.”

“That explains a lot about you.”

Darius stood, eyes brighter.

“That was instinct. You felt threatened.”

“By a cushion?”

“By failure.”

That hit too close.

He stepped forward.

“You don’t like being watched when you might fail.”

“No one does.”

“You expect punishment for mistakes.”

Her smile faded.

He saw too much.

“That’s enough.”

Luna removed the gloves.

Darius caught her wrist.

“You’re allowed to fail here.”

“You can’t promise that.”

“I can.”

“How?”

“Because anyone who uses your mistakes against you answers to me.”

“That sounds like Serena’s definition of control issues.”

“It probably is.”

His thumb brushed her wrist.

The Sun Mark glowed faintly.

Luna’s heartbeat stuttered.

Darius looked at it.

“Does it hurt?”

“No.”

“What do you feel?”

She could’ve lied.

Instead, she said, “You.”

The word changed everything.

His hand stilled.

The air tightened.

Luna didn’t pull away.

Darius removed the bracelet.

Gold flared beneath his touch.

“I feel you too,” he said.

His voice was rougher now.

Not Alpha.

Just him.

Luna stepped closer.

“What does that mean?”

“It means I know when you’re afraid.”

“I’m not afraid.”

“No.”

His eyes dropped to her lips.

“You’re not.”

The pull snapped tight.

Darius lifted a hand toward her face, then stopped.

He waited.

Always waited.

Luna leaned in.

His fingers touched her cheek.

“Tell me to stop,” he whispered.

Her hands gripped his shirt.

“I don’t want you to.”

His eyes flashed gold.

Desire surged through him.

And her power answered.

Golden light curled around their wrists.

“This is why Serena warned you,” he murmured.

“Because you lose control?”

“Because around you, I want to.”

“I should be careful.”

“You should.”

“I don’t think I want to be.”

A low sound left his throat.

Then a horn shattered the morning.

Darius pulled away instantly.

“Border alert.”

Another blast.

“Stay here.”

“No.”

“You’re not coming.”

“You said I get to choose.”

“This is different.”

“How?”

“I can feel them.”

A growl built in his chest.

“Who?”

He turned toward the forest.

“The wolves from the warehouse.”

Luna’s mark flared.

A howl answered.

Closer.

Darius stepped in front of her.

A woman stumbled into the clearing.

Bloodied. Barefoot. Shaking.

She collapsed.

Luna rushed forward.

“Run,” the woman whispered.

Her eyes locked on Darius.

“They didn’t come for her.”

“Who did they come for?”

The woman swallowed.

“You.”

A black arrow tore through the trees.

It struck Darius in the chest.