The Alpha's Only Luna

Lilly POV The quiet morning light filtered through the heavy curtains of Cillian’s third-floor suite, catching the slow rise and fall of his chest. My cheek was pressed against his warm skin, fingers lightly tracing the lean muscle of his torso while his arm stroked rhythmic, comforting sweeps down my spine. We were completely spent, tangled in the heavy sheets after a night without sleep, yet the calm between us was thick and familiar. “You know,” Cillian murmured, his deep voice vibrating through his ribcage into my cheek. “My dad was talking to me last night about some things.” My fingers paused. “Oh?” I tilted my head back, looking up along the sharp, sculpted line of his jaw and his dark, shoulder-length hair spilled across the pillows. “What things?” “He wants me to take over as the Alpha soon,” he said, his dark brown eyes holding mine steadily. “And he keeps bringing up picking a Luna.” A sudden, sharp hollow opened in my stomach. The very thought of Cillian with someone else; of another woman standing at his side while I stepped into the shadows, stung in a way I didn't want to admit. I loved him. I had loved him since we were seventeen, and part of me constantly wondered why the Moon hadn't just made it simple and bound us together. Yet even now, deep within my marrow, an inexplicable instinct pulled tight, whispering to wait. Pushing the thought down, I sat up, letting the duvet slide down to pool around my hips. Cillian’s gaze instantly tracked the movement, his eyes darting between my face and my bare chest before his throat bobbed in a hard swallow. I couldn't help the small smirk that tugged at my lips. “And who do you want for your Luna?” I asked softly. Cillian POV Seeing her like this, all flushed, with her dark waves tumbling over her fair shoulders, and her bright green eyes challenging me, was pure torture. I didn't hesitate. Reaching forward, I hooked my hands beneath her arms, hoisting her effortlessly into my lap as I leaned back against the headboard. I pulled her flush against my chest, wrapping my arms tightly around her waist, so there wasn't an inch of daylight between us. “You know the answer to that question, Lilly,” I said, my voice rough. Lilly placed a gentle hand against my chest, her gaze softening with that familiar, maddening hesitation. “Cillian, as much fun as we’re having... don't you want a Moon mate? What happens if we mate, you become Alpha, and then she walks in? What if you reject me? We’ve always known this was temporary while we waited.” “Absolutely not,” I growled, shaking my head violently. “I would reject her on the spot, and you know it! I don't care about a cosmic gamble. I want you. I don't understand why you're so terrified to just commit to me.” She didn't answer with words. Feeling the obvious, unmistakable ache of my body reacting to hers, she shifted slightly, sinking down onto me in one smooth, deliberate motion. A breath hitched in her throat as she leaned in close. “We’re having fun, right?” A breath of exasperation broke from my chest, half-laugh, half-groan. “Yes, we’re having fun, Lilly,” I breathed, hands gripping her hips. “But we’re twenty-three. We’re getting older, and we have to think responsibly. Long-term.” Before she could deflect again, I shifted our weight, turning us until her back pressed into the mattress beneath me. I cupped her face, my thumbs sweeping across her soft cheeks while my fingers buried into her thick, dark hair. I leaned in until our foreheads touched. “Promise me you’ll think about it. Really think about it.” Lilly looked up at me, the green of her eyes shimmering with genuine affection, and lifted her chin to press a lingering kiss to my lips. “I promise,” she whispered against my mouth. Whatever lingering doubts lingered in the room dissolved the moment I moved deeper, losing myself completely in the only woman I ever intended to keep.