The Human Luna

Chapter Nineteen - His Luna, My Pace

I ran straight up the stairs towards the Alpha floor. When I finally got there, I jumped on the bed and broke into a sob. I wasn’t even sure what I was crying about—everything from today had piled on top of me: trying on my dress, arguing with Jade, knowing Jason clearly disliked me. The only thing I truly regretted was snapping at Jade; she had only meant well, and I had ruined it.

Warm sparks trickled across my back as Thomas joined me, stroking soothing circles against my skin.

“What’s wrong, my angel?”

I looked up into his soft brown eyes, unable to stop the small smile that tugged at my lips. Why was I even fighting this? As bonkers as it sounded, I loved him. I knew I did. My heart beat for him and only him, even if my head still scrambled to make sense of it all. I hadn’t known him long enough to fall in love with him personally, yet he had been both the man and wolf of my dreams since that night in the woods six years ago.

“I love you, Thomas,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “It doesn’t make sense, but I do. I love you.”

A wide grin split across his face before he scooped me onto his lap and kissed me passionately. My lips parted beneath his, his tongue tracing mine as sparks of pleasure spread through me. His body hardened beneath me, and I threw my head back with a moan as his lips trailed down my neck toward the spot where he swore he would one day mark me. My moan caught in my throat when he sucked there hard, and I almost begged him not to stop—until a knock at the door jolted us apart.

Thomas growled low in his chest, making me chuckle softly.

“Shannon, it’s me. Jade. Can we talk?”

Guilt crashed over me. I needed to apologise. But for the first time, I had been lost in Thomas—truly enjoying him. I supposed we had forever for moments like this.

“Yes, come in.”

Thomas shot me a confused look at my words, but he rose as I slid off his lap. Jade entered, her eyes lowered, carrying a couple of bags. I realised she must have been bringing the things we’d bought earlier. Shame burned in my chest.

“I’m sorry,” Thomas said first, his tone clipped. “I shouldn’t have used my Alpha growl, Jade.”

That explained her lowered gaze. She looked up with a tentative smile.

“I thought… maybe we could get ready together? For the party. I’m sorry if I upset you earlier, Shannon. I didn’t mean to.”

“Wait—why would you upset her?” Thomas’ anger sharpened immediately.

I panicked, blurting before he could erupt. “It was me, not her. I shouldn’t have run off. She was just talking about… things in the pack, and I overreacted.”

“What things?”

Jade hesitated. “I told her she would be expected to give you an heir sooner rather than later.”

Thomas’ expression twisted into horror, then fear, and he rushed to me. “Shannon—I promise you—I am going at your pace. No heir, no marking, no mating until you’re ready. This is all at your pace. I swear.”

His voice cracked with desperation, but I shook my head, tears spilling.

“Thomas… it’s not just that. I’m not sure I’m ready for any of it. Being a Luna, being a mother someday, even being part of a pack like this—it’s all moving so fast, and I feel like I can’t catch my breath.”

His face softened instantly, panic melting into tenderness. He cupped my cheeks, forcing my gaze on him.

“My angel, you don’t need to be ready right now. You only need to be you. That’s all I’ve ever wanted. Everything else—we’ll take it day by day, together.”

I swallowed hard, trembling. “But I’m scared, Thomas.”

“Then I’ll hold the fear for both of us until you’re ready,” he whispered.

For a moment, I believed him.

Jade cleared her throat, shifting nervously. “So… I thought we could get ready together. The party is only a few hours away.”

Her voice tugged me back to the present. I turned to her with a small, grateful smile. “That actually sounds really great. Why don’t I put some music on, and we’ll start?”

Jade helped me curl half my hair up into a soft, elegant style, and the rest fell in loose waves over my shoulders. My pale blue dress shimmered faintly in the light, delicate but understated compared to Jade’s bold violet gown. We laughed and teased each other as she lined her eyes with dark makeup that made her emerald eyes blaze. The tension between us had lifted, and it felt good—sisterly, even.

But as the music played softly in the background and Jade hummed along, my thoughts drifted back to what I’d admitted to Thomas. Being Luna. Being a mother someday. It was overwhelming. I stared at my reflection in the mirror, at the girl in a gown who barely recognized herself, and wondered if I was strong enough for any of it.

Jade caught my gaze in the mirror. “You’ll be fine. I know what you’re thinking, but you’re stronger than you believe. You’ve already survived things most humans wouldn’t.”

Her words anchored me, reminding me of Thomas’ reassurance. Maybe… just maybe, I could be enough.

By the time we were ready and stepped out of the room together, my nerves swirled like butterflies in my stomach. My heart pounded louder with each step down the stairs.

The soft click of my heels against the polished floor echoed as Jade and I descended the stairs, her arm looped through mine for courage. My stomach was full of butterflies, my palms slightly damp despite the delicate ribbon tied neatly around my wrist.

When I looked up, Thomas was waiting at the bottom with Stefan. The moment his eyes landed on me, he froze.

For a long heartbeat, he didn’t breathe.

His lips parted as though he wanted to speak, but no sound came. Those warm, molten-brown eyes of his roamed slowly over me—not hungrily, not possessively, but reverently, like I was something fragile and priceless that had somehow chosen to walk into his world.

The air between us vibrated, the bond sparking against my skin like lightning finding its path. My chest tightened, and I had to force myself not to look away, not to hide under his intensity.

“You’re…” His voice was rough, like gravel scraped low in his throat. He cleared it, shaking his head slightly, but the awe never left his expression. “You’re breathtaking, Shannon. Absolutely breathtaking.”

Heat rushed to my cheeks, my instinct to deflect rising. “It’s just a dress, Thomas—”

He stepped forward, gently taking my hand as though I might vanish if he moved too fast. He shook his head firmly, lowering his voice so only I could hear.

“No. It’s not the dress.” His thumb brushed the back of my hand. “It’s you.”

The sincerity in his tone stole the breath from my lungs. For a moment, all the doubts, all the whispers of the pack, all the fear about being human and unfit to stand at his side—they melted away under the weight of that single truth in his eyes.

Before I could even think of what to say, he slipped an arm around my waist and drew me close. The warmth of his touch steadied my trembling knees. With the other hand, he took mine firmly, his expression soft but proud.

“Come, my angel,” he murmured, tilting his head toward the grand doors beyond. “Let me show you to our pack, as my Luna.”

My heart thundered in my chest as we moved together, his presence wrapping around me like a shield. With Jade still holding my other arm, we reached the ballroom doors—and as they opened, I realized Thomas wasn’t just escorting me. He was presenting me.