The Human Luna

Chapter Twenty-Four - Bound by Heart and Moon

We were only in town for three hours at most. I hadn’t stirred until nearly eleven, and strangely Thomas let me sleep in without complaint. Maybe he knew I needed it — though I suspected the real reason was that I was still aching from last night. Verity’s hands around my throat lingered like a phantom, and the bruise beneath my scarf pulsed with every heartbeat. But I refused to let her win. Tonight was ours.

Back in my room, Jade fussed over me like an excited sister. She curled my hair into glossy waves that fell over my shoulders, dusted my cheeks with light makeup, and insisted on a deep red lipstick that matched the dress she had chosen. The dress itself was breathtaking — dark crimson lace across the shoulders, a low-cut back, and a soft skirt that swirled just above my knees. When she slipped one of those stick-on strapless bras into my hands, I had blushed furiously, but the effect once it was on made me feel… powerful. Beautiful. Desired.

By the time I clicked into my heels, it was nearly six. Jade and I tossed our shopping bags aside and made our way downstairs. My nerves buzzed like static as soon as I spotted him waiting.

Thomas stood at the bottom of the steps, and for a moment, the world fell away. His hair was slicked back into a neat man bun, a sharp black suit clung to his broad shoulders, and a single rose sat perfectly in his pocket. But it wasn’t the suit that stole my breath — it was his expression. His jaw slackened, his eyes widened, and he looked at me as if I was the only thing in the universe.

In his hands were a bouquet of roses and a heart-shaped box of chocolates.

“You really are an angel, aren’t you?” he whispered, almost reverent.

I flushed, biting back a grin, but Jade swooped in before I could respond.

“Well, don’t you look handsome, Alpha?” she teased, elbowing me forward.

I took the roses carefully, my throat thick with emotion. “These are beautiful, Tom. Thank you.” Handing them back to Jade, I asked softly, “Do you think you could put these in my room for me?”

“Of course!” Jade squealed, tugging Stefan along with her as they disappeared up the stairs.

Suddenly it was just us.

“Angel,” Thomas said, offering his arm with a smile, “do you mind if we walk?”

“Not at all,” I replied, looping my hand through his.

We stepped into the twilight, where a path of glowing LED candles and scattered rose petals wound through the forest. The sight stole my breath, and tears pricked my eyes before I could stop them.

“Oh, Shannon, I’m sorry. You hate it, don’t you?” His voice carried panic as he pulled me into his arms.

“No, Tom. I love it. Thank you.” I rose onto my toes, kissing his cheek softly.

The trail led us deeper into the woods until it opened into the meadow. My heart lurched. This place… the place I first saw Atticus. The place Thomas had once saved Clara. The air shimmered with memory and magic.

At the center, a blanket lay surrounded by more candles, a basket of food and champagne beside it, and a white sheet hung overhead like a canopy of stars.

“I thought we could enjoy dinner and a movie in the place I first realized I loved you,” he said, voice thick with sincerity. “The place I decided I’d do anything to make you mine.”

Emotion swelled inside me. No one had ever loved me like this, so fiercely, so openly. Tears slipped down my cheeks, but they were warm, happy tears.

We toasted with champagne. We laughed through the first ten minutes of a movie before my curiosity betrayed me.

“Thomas,” I said, biting my lip, “how many women have you been with?”

He choked on his drink, eyes going wide. “I—erm—I…”

“It’s okay,” I teased, though my chest clenched. “You can tell me. I know women must throw themselves at you.”

He chuckled, but then grew serious, gaze fixed on the ground. “Shannon… I haven’t been with anyone. I’m a virgin.”

I blinked, stunned. “Bullshit.”

“It’s not a lie,” he insisted. “I’ve been waiting—for you.”

My jaw dropped. “But why? And why ignore all my signals? You have no idea how much I’ve been torturing myself in bed next to you.”

His head snapped up. “Wait—signals?”

“Yes!” I huffed. “Wrapping myself around you, the shorts, pulling them up on purpose, everything. And you just—didn’t react!”

“Didn’t react? Angel, every time you did that, I had to leave the room before I lost control and ruined this for us. You’ve been driving me insane.” His voice cracked with frustration, with raw hunger.

Heat surged through me. Enough waiting. Enough games.

I climbed onto his lap, cupping his jaw, and kissed him. At first he froze, but then his lips crushed mine with a hunger that matched my own. My body lit up like fire where we touched, every nerve screaming for more.

His hands slid beneath my dress, gripping my thighs and pulling me closer. My moan vibrated against his lips when I felt the hard length of him pressing into me through his trousers.

The rest blurred into heat and need. He ripped my dress away in a single motion, my makeshift bra tossed aside. His mouth claimed my breast, biting and sucking until I cried out his name. When his hand slid down, fingers parting me, I nearly sobbed with relief. He circled my c**t with his thumb before plunging two, then three fingers into me, building me up until I shattered beneath him, screaming his name into the night.

“Say it,” he growled hoarsely, dark eyes locked on mine. “Who am I?”

“My Alpha,” I gasped, trembling through my release.

The look in his eyes turned feral. His trousers and boxers were gone in seconds, and when his thick length brushed against my soaked core, I froze. My breath hitched. “It’s… too big.”

“You’re perfect,” he whispered, kissing my temple. “I’ll go slow.”

He pushed inside, inch by inch, until I thought I’d break apart. The pain made me cry out, tears springing to my eyes, but he held still, lips murmuring soothing words against my cheek. When I nodded, he began to move — slow, steady thrusts that quickly became faster, harder, deeper.

The pain gave way to pleasure so intense I could barely breathe. Every stroke hit deeper, harder, until I was clawing at his back, begging for more.

“f**k, Angel,” he growled, pulling me into his lap so I straddled him. The new angle drove him even deeper, sending me spiraling toward another c****x. I threw my head back to scream as my pressure was ready to build when I felt it. He sunk his canines into my neck; it felt as if my neck was on fire, I screamed so loud but the harder he bit the better it felt and it was what pushed me over the edge in the end. Screaming “Alpha!” as I felt myself pool in his legs, he reached his c****x at the same time, sending his seed deep inside me.

My whole body shook as the waves tore through me, leaving me trembling and breathless. Overwhelmed, I slumped forward against his chest, every ounce of strength drained from me. The heat of his body seeped into mine, his bare skin slick with sweat against my own. I could hear his heartbeat—deep, powerful, relentless—thundering beneath my ear like a drum only I was meant to hear. His breathing was ragged, heavy, each exhale ghosting over my hair in a way that made me shiver despite the warmth cocooning us.

His arms tightened around me, protective yet gentle, holding me as if I were the most precious thing in the world. I inhaled deeply, catching the intoxicating mix of his scent—cedar, smoke, and the faintest sweetness that was uniquely him—blending now with mine, binding us together. The bond pulsed where his mark burned softly at my neck, not in pain, but in a strange, soothing warmth that wrapped around my soul like a blanket.

I let my eyes flutter shut, too heavy to keep open, lulled by the rhythm of his heart and the steady rise and fall of his chest. His thumb brushed tenderly over the fresh mark, sending sparks dancing through me, and I heard his voice—low, reverent, full of love—whisper against my ear.

“Rest now, my angel… my Luna.”

Safe in his arms, claimed and cherished, I let go at last, slipping into darkness with nothing but his scent and his promise carrying me into sleep.