A Return to Happiness (The True Luna Series Book 1)

Chapter 1

Boone

Tossing and turning in order to summon sleep is not new to me, I have given up the thought of having a peaceful slumber for years now. From time to time, I manage to catch a power nap here and there, and count that as a blessing. Void. That’s my life now. The pain has not gone away, it’s probably here to stay. I’ve had no other choice but to make peace with it. One can say that I actually enjoy it, and it’s probably true. I don’t think I would ever know any other way.

When I feel a shadow slowly creep into my room, I close my eyes, pretending to sleep. The shadow is light and lithe, nothing to worry about, yet, aggravating just the same.

Why, I inwardly groan as I continue to remain still, why? These women, despite the contract that they have read and signed, still feel the need to try and seduce me into sleeping with them. I don’t sleep with my employees, that was stated, clearly. Yet, they continue trying. Don’t give me wrong, I love women, but sleeping with employees is just a recipe for disaster, everybody knows that. If they don’t, then they should.

That’s not how I operate, not how I get a woman to quench my thirst. I keep that part of my life discreet, I have a reputation to uphold, and guard. But that becomes the problem, people think I’m lonely, they start pushing themselves on me, or their daughters, or their friends, or nieces, you know the drill.

This woman, how old is she again? I’m trying to remember what I have read in her resume. Twenty, twenty-one? She’s pretty, though. Long blond hair, silky, If I should guess since I’ve never touched it, probably shouldn’t. Big, blue eyes, always looking at me like she’s begging to be devoured. That is of course, I’m simply guessing, probably shouldn’t. Oh, but she has delectable breasts, big and perky. I can attest to that, because I have seen them, quite a few times really. Well, not fully naked, but the way she wears her top, might as well. I knew that I shouldn’t look, but what a man to do, they’ve always been right there begging to be fondled. I have managed to not do so, so far, probably shouldn’t. Ever.

And let’s not talk about her slim waist and wide hips. Really, Boone, I said to myself. Let’s not. But the thought of her body makes me horny. Well, any woman’s body, really. I feel her getting closer and closer, and finally, a dip. This woman is now in my bed. I feel her slowly crawling between my legs, her moves are not entirely certain, but she seems quite determined. A woman in a mission. It’s been more than a month since the last time I visited my regular, and I’m a healthy man with needs. So, probably, just this once, no one should know. I groan, not inwardly. f**k! Probably shouldn’t.

Because now she knows that I’m awake!

Her eyes wide with anticipation, she licks her lips. If she’s nervous, it doesn’t show. She looks more excited than tense, probably because I am naked under the blanket. Somehow, I’m sure she knows that. Probably have imagined that. I stare at her, cannot immediately make up my mind, she is buck naked. Which is wrong, because she’s not a buck. But she is naked, though. What’s more, now she starts purring, and touching herself as she motions towards me. One of her hands starts to roam over the cover, probably sensing my growing member. Oh, and it’s growing alright.

The woman licks her lips again, now she is super excited, her breathing labor, her hand finds my c**k under the blanket and starts to squeeze it, making my monster c**k stand at attention. For a moment there, I’m losing it. She then purrs, she thinks it’s sexy. Not really, though. I’d rather she didn’t but decide not to dwell on small details, but then she says, “Oh, Boone.”

That, snaps me back to reality. And the reality is, I don’t like it. I have never slept with an employee and I will not start now just because I haven’t been laid for a month. And the audacity for this woman to call me by my first name just because she managed to hold my c**k in her hand, this is the kind of woman that I don’t want. The kind that when you give an inch will want to take a mile. Not for me.

“That’s Alpha King Wolfe for you,” I say in an icy voice. I grab her hand that was holding my c**k and firmly situate her away from me. “You need to put on clothes and leave my room. Like last week when I made a mistake of hiring you.”

The woman looks stunned, and afraid, but stupidly still trying, maybe because my c**k was hard when she was squeezing it. What can I say, I’m a healthy man? And an alpha King. My c**k gets hard easily. Plus, she was naked, still is. “Alpha King,” she says, trembling a little. At least she calls me Alpha King, this time. “You’re lonely, let me keep you company.”

I smirk. It’s two in the morning and I shouldn’t entertain this. “I got in after twelve,” I say. “You must’ve been waiting for me long.”

Now the woman feels encouraged, slowly she crawls back my way. “You’re worth waiting for, Alpha King,” she says, purring again, seductively. I’m not seduced, though. The purring ruins it for me, still, I entertain it. I must be sick in the head.

“Stay where you are,” I say, still as cold as ice. “Be honest, what are you hoping to gain from this?”

“Nothing, Alpha King,” she says, lying. I know the type. She’s pretty. Her only mistake is that she thinks she’s pretty enough for an Alpha, let alone a King. “I just want to serve you, be there for you, be your confidant. I want to dedicate my body and soul for you.”

In exchange for what? I ask, although not loudly, instead I phrase my words differently. “Will you do that, for me?”

The woman’s eyes widen, feeling encouraged again. “Yes, Alpha King,” she says, purring. I erase the thought of killing her simply for purring alone. “And one day,” she says again, imagination running wild. “When you realize how worthy I am of your love, I can have your children. We can rule this kingdom together.”

Okay, that’s it. I can’t take it anymore. “Get out!” I ordered, trying hard not to use my Alpha’s voice on her. I don’t want her to cower. “Tomorrow first thing, pack all your stuff. I don’t want to see your face here anymore.”

The woman is terrified now. “But Alpha King,” she says, desperately trying a different tactic. “Who’s going to take care of Princess Seraphina if I’m gone.”

I laugh sarcastically. “Well, you should’ve thought about that before you came to my bed naked, shouldn’t you?”

“Alpha King, please.”

“Get out! Before I have you removed!”

***

The running today was long, but necessary. I had too much energy built up within me, giving me no choice but to schedule a visit to my regular soon. My wolf is restless. What happened last night was not the first, and I doubt would be the last. As long as I stay a widower in my potent age of thirty-two, women will just continue trying.

And who could blame them, really? I’m the Alpha King of the Wolferaine Kingdom. My territory is immense, and my power is unparalleled. I keep my friends close and my enemies closer. Ha-ha. Not true. I keep my friends close and my enemies daunted. I’m kind to those who are loyal to me yet merciless to those who see themselves as my adversary. That simple.

I do not rule with an iron fist, well, perhaps the first couple of years I did during and right after the war. But now my kingdom has been prosperous and peaceful, my people see me as a wise ruler. I’m okay with that, so long as they don’t see me as weak.

But that, is where the problem comes from. Who doesn’t want to be the Luna of a prosperous and peaceful kingdom ruling alongside me as their mate? Even if it’s only chosen, not fated. My Luna died three years ago delivering my daughter Seraphina. Thus, the strings of nannies who have been more interested in taking care of my needs instead of my daughter’s. It’s getting really bad now, too many turn over for a simple job of taking care of a child.

“Permission to speak freely, Alpha King?”

I turn around to pay attention to the voice. It came from one of my warriors – one of my best. Mason Mills is my favorite warrior, although I’ve never said it out loud, that will not be wise. He’s been accompanying me running lately, a good man, ten years my junior. “Granted,” I say.

“The problem is not these women’s ulterior motives, Sir,” Mason says.

I raise an eyebrow, this is interesting. “Go on,” I urge. “And don’t leave anything out,” I add for good measure.

Mason chuckles but continues, he knows that I have a sense of humor. “The problem is the criteria that we’re looking for to be the Princess Seraphina’s nanny. You see, we ask for women under the age of twenty-five, single, and must agree to live in the palace. Well, of course, they must live there to take care of Princess Seraphina, but one can hope, right? You’re unattached, can you really blame them for trying? Surely, they feel like it’s their duty for the kingdom to service you as well. They had the chance, so why not take it?”

Huh, what do you know? My warrior is smart after all. He is correct, though. These women, can I really blame them for trying? “Then what should I do?” I ask, considering Mason is in the middle of being smart, might as well, right?

“We should change the age criteria to somewhere between thirty-five to forty-five, someone older than you. Women in this age range, they’re still quite young and healthy. I bet they will have no intention in pursuing you, they wouldn’t dream of it.”

“Make sense,” I answer, liking the idea more and more. “But they will be difficult to find since women in this age range are mostly married with kids of their own.”

“Not necessarily,” Mason answers. “There are some widows after the war that we had several years ago, Alpha King. The one that I was too young to partake. But back to these widows, some have remarried, some stay single. In fact, my mother is one of them.”

“Your mother?” I ask, suddenly curious. Somehow, I vaguely remember his mother.

“Yes, sir,” Mason says. “My father died alongside King Henry during the war. Now my mother is forty-two, still very healthy and able. She doesn’t live here anymore, but if you want, I can ask her to come back.”

Doesn’t live here anymore? Why? “Where is she now?” I ask.

“Four years ago, after I became a warrior, she went to live with her brother and her sister-in-law in the Red River Pack. They asked her to do that because they don’t want her to be alone at home. My mother is a good woman, Alpha King. She also used to teach at a kindergarten for a long time. Being Princess Seraphina’s nanny will give her a purpose in life again. It will be good for everybody, Princess Seraphina will finally have a nanny that truly cares.”

Huh, this is good. In fact, this is really good. Might be just what I need. “Okay, Warrior. I’m sold,” I say, with a big smile on my face. “Bring your mother home.”

***