The Full Moon's Promise

LUCIAN

Liana said she would consider making the change at the next full moon, and that is all I can ask for right now. I never expected her to say yes straight away, so I’m not disappointed. Well, I ~am~ disappointed—but not surprised. Still, her answer gives me hope, and that is all I need right now.

I’m almost certain she’ll come to me in time. It’s just that I don’t have much time. Still, I can’t exactly tell her I’m on a bit of a deadline…

With all this on my mind, I leave Liana to go to my study for a while. I need to think of a plan for dealing with the council, if by chance she decides she doesn’t want to mate so soon. I have to figure out how to explain to them that I have plans in motion, without revealing what those plans are. If the council finds out, Alpha Zayne will find out—and that’s not the way he should hear about it.

I also have to think about explaining to Liana that I have this pressure on me.

I don’t want to, because then I’ll be transferring the pressure onto her. But I also don’t want to lie to her about it all…

Ugh, my head is in so many places. I just need some time to think.

A soft knock on my door makes me frown. I lift my nose in the air and smell sweet daisies. Charlotte.

“Come in.”

The door opens and Charlotte steps in, then closes it behind her and bows low.

“My king.”

I nod once and she rises, standing up straight.

“How can I help you?” I ask pleasantly. I’ve always liked Charlotte. She’s done wonders for Kia.

“My king, I was wondering if I could take Princess Liana out for lunch tomorrow? Show her our local village?”

“Of course. I’m sure she’d like that.” I smile, sitting back in my chair. She nods and starts to turn but stops.

“Is there something on your mind, sir? You seem a little—preoccupied.”

I sigh, nodding. “I am a little, if I’m honest, Char.”

“May I offer my counsel?” she asks politely, and I take a moment to think. She may actually be able to provide a needed female insight here.

“You may. Please, take a seat.”

She nods, and I know she feels honored to be consulted. Along with Kia, she is a trusted person in my circle, being my beta’s partner. But even she doesn’t know I’m blind.

“I’m sure Kia has shared my predicament with you?” I say.

“He has…”

“What am I supposed to do here, Char? How can I tell Liana about the council’s demands without forcing her hand?”

“That is not an easy question, sir…” she says, and I give a rueful laugh. “But if you are going to tell her, I would suggest letting her know that you are able to hold off the council until she’s ready. Even if it may be a harmless lie, it would likely help.”

I nod again, leaning back in the chair. “That does help actually. Thank you, Charlotte.”

“It is a pleasure, sir.” She stands and departs, leaving me to my thoughts.

Maybe she is right. If I tell Liana and she worries, at least I can reassure her a little by implying that I can control the council until she is ready. It wouldn’t be much of a lie. If I tell them I have met my mate and she just needs more time, they might be satisfied…

Although if I made such a claim, the council would no doubt require proof. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.

With a sigh, I feel out the clock that is hidden in my desk drawer. It’s getting late. Time to go in search of my little love.

***

I swing open the library door where my nose led me, and smile as her sweet scent gets stronger.

Feeling suddenly playful, I hide myself behind one of the shelves and shift without a single sound. She’ll likely scent me but not be able to see me. My lycan agrees to a little playtime, and crouches behind the shelves.

Focusing my hearing, I hear her heartbeat spike when she scents me. Then I hear the distant creak of her moving in a chair.

“Lucian?” she calls sweetly, but I can tell she’s curious as I let out a faint growl in response. Immediately, I hear the chair scratch on the hard floor as she stands. Using my claws, I scratch at the shelf’s edge gently and hear her giggle.

“You know, for a king you are rather silly,” she teases, and I hear her start to move around slowly, likely trying to hunt me down—but I’ll find her first.

The floor gives a single, loud creak as I move swiftly, and I hear her yelp as she jumps. I smile in my mind at that.

“This isn’t fair.” She’s moving around again, but cautiously. “This library is huge!” She laughs, and I see a few strands of that raven hair trailing in the air a few rows down.

I growl in answer and dash behind some other shelves, and she yelps again.

“Okay! That’s enough! Playtime’s over, Alpha!”

From this vantage point, and with my excellent lycan vision, I can see her stripping off her clothes, and I fight against the urge to howl at the sight of her naked.

Darting behind her own row of shelves she begins to shift, her bones cracking audibly, and I smile to myself. This is exactly what I was hoping for.

Once shifted, she’s deathly silent, and for a moment I think she’s left—but I can still smell her strongly.

She lets out a low, sensual growl that makes my heartbeat pick up and my ears prick forward. I look around me quickly, then back to the shelves where I last saw her. Holding my breath, I creep toward them, keeping a keen eye around me for movement. When I peek around the edge of the shelves, her scent is strong but she’s not there.

I look around frantically, wondering where she went. She’s rubbed her scent all over the shelves.

~Clever little wolf.~

She’s done it on several shelves in different rows and it’s impairing my judgment on where she actually is.

Suddenly, out of absolutely nowhere, I’m bowled over by the surprisingly strong little wolf who pins me down and gnashes at me playfully. She really did catch me by surprise. Am I losing my touch here?

I quickly flip her over and pin her below me, biting gently at her neck but not breaking the skin. She pines sweetly and it instantly gets me hot, so I bite a little harder, pulling at her neck as she writhes beneath me.

Fuck, it feels good.

The way she licks at my face and nips at my own neck makes me growl.

I force myself to stop for a moment and look down at her. Her sparkling jade eyes look straight up into mine, taking my breath away as my heart hammers against my ribs.

Shit.