The Luna They Underestimated

Chapter 05

Rowan’s POV

“Take a seat,” he says, gesturing toward the chair positioned beside me.

I eye it suspiciously, like it might spring to life and bite me. He clears his throat pointedly, and I scramble to perch on the very edge, leg bouncing uncontrollably while my hands twist together in my lap. I glance briefly toward the door where my parents wait outside before forcing my attention back forward.

The office itself is massive, fitting for someone holding Alpha status. What actually surprises me, though, is the sheer number of bookshelves lining every wall, more volumes here than our entire old Pack library combined. My fingers itch with curiosity, wanting to pull one free just to glimpse what kind of person he actually is beneath the title. His desk anchors the room’s center, making his presence feel even more overwhelming.

Turning back toward him, I catch him studying me again, closely.

“Rowan, right?” he asks, pronunciation perfect on the first attempt. Rare, considering most people either butcher it or simply don’t bother trying properly.

“Yes, Alpha.”

“Thorne’s fine,” he corrects immediately, and I nod in acknowledgement. “How old are you currently?”

“Seventeen,” I answer, watching him flip through documents spread across his desk, my parents' paperwork, plus what looks like my birth certificate. He lifts it, examining the details closely.

“Birthday’s coming up soon, then? Mate-finding age. Exciting time,” he comments, glancing back toward me.

I stay silent. Nobody’s lining up to claim someone defective, someone barely more than heightened senses wrapped in human skin.

“Currently enrolled in school, I assume?”

I nod, gnawing nervously at my thumbnail.

“Final year?”

“Technically, yes. Should be finishing this year, anyway.” Honestly, the thought of starting yet another school this late in the semester fills me with dread. No clue what kind of bullies await me here, but knowing my luck, I’ll attract them regardless.

“You’ll be completing your education here,” he states flatly, clearly not open to debate. I press my lips together, wisely choosing not to argue.

“Not a fan of school, I take it?”

“Is anyone, really?” I shoot back, and he actually smiles at that.

“I genuinely enjoyed school myself. Surprising, considering you’re a Beta’s daughter,” he remarks.

Yeah, school was fantastic right up until everyone discovered exactly what kind of freak I really was.

“Your parents already explained the circumstances behind your departure. Some conflict with the Alpha’s daughter, ending with your mother striking her?” he asks directly.

Mom’s absorbing the blame entirely, apparently. I keep quiet, unwilling to risk contradicting whatever story they’ve already established though technically, that part actually happened, just not the real reason behind our sudden move. I nod in confirmation.

“Good enough explanation for me. Can’t stand Victor personally. Man deserves to be put down himself,” Alpha Thorne scoffs, making zero effort to hide his contempt for my previous Alpha.

“Come here,” he orders, rising and circling around his desk until he’s standing directly beside me.

I practically launch out of the chair, stumbling backward over my own feet in surprise. His eyes snap toward me instantly at the sudden movement.

He extends his hand toward me, and I stare at it warily, genuinely puzzled by how intimidating this man supposedly is when he honestly seems far less threatening than the rumors suggested.

“I won’t hurt you. I’d never hurt you,” he adds, and after a brief hesitation, I finally place my palm against his.

Static-like tingles shoot across my skin instantly, and I jerk backward, staring down at my own hand in confusion.

“Sorry, probably just static electricity,” he apologizes smoothly, though his eyes briefly flash black. He reclaims my hand anyway, a faint smile playing at his mouth, thumb tracing slow circles across my knuckles until I’m forced to look up at him again. His lips curve slightly as he draws me closer, and when I hesitate, he simply pulls me the rest of the way himself.

His hand radiates warmth, yet that strange tingling sensation refuses to fade. Glancing upward, I find him already watching me intently. He’s tall. I barely reach his chest broad-shouldered too, solid muscle towering over my frame completely.

He bites into his own wrist, offering it toward me, and I just stare blankly. My gaze darts toward his desk, spotting two glasses already stained with dried blood sitting near the edge. So why exactly is he offering his wrist directly instead? Surely he doesn’t expect me to actually drink straight from him like some kind of vampire?

“Clock’s ticking, little one, let’s go,” he urges, tugging me closer while wrapping an arm firmly around my waist, guiding his wrist toward my mouth.

I grip his forearm, catching the lingering taste of saliva first. His blood, surprisingly, doesn’t taste terrible as it flows across my tongue. Not exactly something I’d crave regularly wouldn’t make a great vampire, honestly but there’s an unexpectedly sweet quality to it. Maybe that’s just his skin, though. Hard to tell.

He withdraws his wrist eventually, though his grip around me remains firm, holding me close against him. His arm tightens further as he leans down, mouth grazing dangerously close to my ear as he speaks.

“Pledge yourself to me,” he murmurs, and I nod automatically. The heat radiating off his chest presses warmly against my back, and I inhale sharply, nerves fluttering.

“I, Rowan Vance, pledge my loyalty and my life to Alpha Thorne ” I falter, realizing I never learned his surname. Glancing back over my shoulder toward him, I’m momentarily overwhelmed by the rich combination of scents surrounding him. Sandalwood, definitely, layered beneath something warmer, spicier cinnamon, unmistakably. The blend is intoxicating enough that I breathe deeper instinctively, eyes fluttering closed as I lose myself briefly in the sensation.

“Pierce,” he whispers, lips nearly brushing against mine, and my eyes snap open instantly, startled by my own reaction. He’s impossibly close, heat rushing to my face at my embarrassing lapse. He pulls back slightly, though I swear I catch the ghost of amusement tugging at his mouth. I quickly avert my gaze, thoroughly shocked by my own bizarre response to him.

“Alpha Thorne Pierce of Black Creek Pack.”

The moment the final syllable leaves my lips, blinding pain detonates through my skull, dropping me instantly as I clutch my head desperately. His grip tightens protectively, the only thing preventing me from collapsing entirely onto the floor. Fragments of every conversation, every voice from my old Pack link come rushing back violently, roaring through my mind until my ears ring painfully, a scream tearing free from my throat. The old bond snapping while the new one forges feels like my skull is being crushed slowly, threatening to shatter completely across his carpet.