The Vampire's Luna

Luna gawked at him.

A vampire. Her mate was a blood-sucking, undead, heartless leech.

Of all the supernatural creatures in existence, the Moon Goddess had decided to pair her with a fucking vampire?

Her eyes raked over him again, hating the way her traitorous body acknowledged just how fine he was. His presence was intoxicating.

Nope. Not happening. "Get away from me," she snapped, pushing herself to her feet. Pain lanced through her ribs, but she ignored it, straightening her dress, resetting her hair. She couldn’t let her parents see her like this. If word got out that she lost against vampires, her leadership abilities would be questioned.

She turned to leave but caught his gaze once more. It was filled with hunger. Sexual hunger.

Oh, hell no.

"Pervert," she hissed before storming off, praying to every deity that this was some kind of cosmic mistake.

Behind her, the vampire chuckled, low and dark.

"See you soon, darling."

*****

Alpha King Magnus stood at the edge of the grand ballroom, his gaze sweeping over the crowd as he searched for his daughter. All around him, laughter and the scent of wine filled the air as mated wolves clung to each other, and the unmated ones hopeful that the Moon Goddess would bind them together the following year.

But not Luna.

His jaw tightened as he sighed, his disappointment palpable. He had hoped that Luna would find her mate this year. That was why he had invited every eligible alpha from the strongest packs to the Blood Moon Festival. He had hoped that the celestial event would trigger her bond, that she would finally sense her fated mate and be claimed by a worthy wolf.

But alas, no such luck.

Which meant only one thing.

If the Moon Goddess wouldn’t guide her, he would.

His hands clenched behind his back as he considered his next move. Luna wouldn’t like it—she would fight him on it, but for the good of the kingdom, she would have to accept his decision. His daughter was his only child, the sole heir to his throne, and that meant he had to ensure she had a strong mate by her side. Someone powerful. Someone capable of leading the kingdom when his time came to an end.

And that time was approaching faster than he cared to admit.

A storm was coming.

The vampire king had warned him weeks ago that rogue vampires were gathering in dangerous numbers, preparing to seize land for themselves. Their lawlessness, their thirst for blood, their utter disregard for balance made them a threat that could not be ignored.

Magnus wasn’t fond of vampires, but this time, he had to work with them. If they wanted to rid their lands of these feral creatures, the wolves and vampires had to stand together. His people needed strong alliances. They needed to be prepared.

And Luna... She needed a husband.

Just as that thought settled in his mind, he spotted her.

She stepped through the double doors of the ballroom, her eyes darting around.

Magnus knew his daughter well enough to know she hated these events, but there was a tension in the way she carried herself, a distant look in her eyes that made him wonder if something had happened.

But he dismissed it for now.

He signaled for her to approach, watching as she sighed and reluctantly made her way toward him.

"Father." She greeted him.

Magnus studied her for a moment before speaking. "I hear we have no luck this year."

Luna hesitated. "Yes... ah... yes. No luck." She lied.

"Well, then," he said, taking her hand in his firm grip. "I would like you to see someone."

He led her through the ballroom, weaving through the crowd until they reached a group of alphas.

They bowed immediately.

Magnus wasted no time. "Gentlemen, may I speak with Alpha Kyllian?"

The gathered alphas quickly dispersed, leaving one man standing.

Tall. Broad-shouldered. Rugged in a way that suggested he had seen and won far too many battles. He was dressed in a well-tailored black suit. He was the kind of man who looked more comfortable covered in blood and dirt than wrapped in fine silks.

"Luna, you remember Kyllian?" Magnus said.

Of course, she remembered him.

Kyllian had once been her father’s right-hand man, one of the most feared warriors in the kingdom. But years ago, he had been sent to lead the Crescent Pack as their alpha, and since then, their paths had rarely crossed.

"Yes, Father," she said warily.

Magnus wasted no time. "The both of you haven’t been lucky enough to find your mates so far. You two should get married."

Luna’s mouth fell open.

"Father?"

"Luna, you are not getting any younger, and neither am I." Magnus’ tone was final. "Work this out."

And then, just like that, he was gone.

Luna stood frozen, the words still sinking in.

This couldn’t be happening.

First, she finds her fated mate in a vampire of all things. Now, she was being forcefully matched to an alpha she had barely spoken to?

Fucking fantastic. A low chuckle pulled her from her thoughts.

"I see you are still the spoiled princess."

Her head snapped toward the man beside her. Kyllian was watching her, arms crossed over his broad chest, one brow raised as if he were... amused.

"Are you talking to me?" she asked, incredulous.

He smirked. "And still as dull."

Her fists clenched. "You do realize I am the princess?"

"Do you use that title every time you hear something you don’t like?" He tilted his head slightly. "You’re only proving my point."

Luna’s jaw dropped.

Was he serious?

Every other unmated alpha in the room would have killed for the chance to marry her. Hell, most of them had probably been praying for it.

But Kyllian?

He acted like it was a fucking punishment.

"What the ...? For someone who supposedly wants to marry me, you’ve got some nerve!"

His smirk widened. "Why would you think I want to marry you?"

Luna blinked. "You don’t?"

For a brief moment, she felt hope.

"Well," she said, "Walk over to my father and tell him you don’t want to."

Kyllian shrugged. "You want me to fight your battles?"

Luna gritted her teeth. "You just said you don’t want to marry me!"

He exhaled slowly, "I don’t want to. But I have to. There’s a distinct difference."

Then, with a mockingly thoughtful expression, he added, "Or do you need me to get you a book on grammar?"

Luna stared at him, utterly speechless.

Her entire life, she had been courted, admired, revered. Alphas had fought for the privilege of speaking to her.

But this man?

This man looked at her like she was an inconvenience.

*****

"Mum!" Luna stormed through the grand ballroom, nearly knocking over a tray of champagne flutes as she scanned the crowd for the one person she was sure would be her voice of reason. Her gown swirled dramatically behind her, adding flair to her fury. "Mum!"

Heads turned at her sharp tone, some whispering, some openly staring. But Luna didn’t care. She was on a mission. She finally spotted her mother standing near a marble pillar, casually engaged in animated conversation with a group of well-dressed noblewomen.

Ravena turned at the call of her name, lifting a brow as she took in her daughter’s disheveled expression. "Luna?" she said with a touch of exasperation. "Calm down. Will you, for once, act like a lady?"

Luna scoffed loudly enough to turn more heads. "A lady? Really?" She reached for her mother’s arm and dragged her away from the circle of gossiping women who were now thoroughly enjoying the show. The sound of gasps and giggles followed them.

Ravena allowed herself to be tugged away. Once they reached a semi-private alcove near the wide windows overlooking the moonlit forest, Luna turned on her mother, eyes blazing.

"Did you know?" she hissed. "Did you know Dad is trying to pair me with Alpha Kyllian?"

Her mother gave a delicate sigh, one that came from years of reigning over dramatic werewolf politics, feral tantrums, and, well... Luna herself. "We did speak about it," she admitted. "But we were hoping you’d find your mate this year. That was the plan."

Luna stared at her like she’d grown two heads. "Plan? There was a PLAN? Are you kidding me, Mum?"

"Baby," Ravena said softly, brushing a loose strand of hair behind Luna’s ear with a mother’s touch. "It’s for your own good. I support your father’s decision."

Luna stepped back as if burned. "You support...? Mum! This is me! Luna. Your daughter. Your heiress."

Ravena smiled tightly. "Kyllian is a good man. Brave. Respected. He will rule by your side when the time comes. You need someone like him."

"What if I find my mate next year?" Luna’s voice cracked as her desperation seeped through. A flicker of memory passed behind her eyes. A set of beautiful eyes. The ones from the forest.

"The key word being if, my dear." And with that dismissive queen-like wave only royalty could pull off, Ravena turned gracefully and strolled back to her half-finished conversation, leaving Luna standing there gaping.

"Of course," Luna muttered under her breath. "Of course you’d side with him. You always do."

She folded her arms and glared at her mother’s back, watching as the queen re-joined her gossip circle without missing a beat, already mid-laugh with one of the Lunas. The conversation picked up exactly where it had left off, as if Luna hadn’t just declared war in the middle of a royal gala.

"Why did I even bother?" she said to herself. Her shoulders slumped as she turned back toward the exit. "Of course the queen and the king are playing chess with my uterus."

The grand ballroom felt more suffocating by the second. She needed to get out. Away from the judgmental stares. Away from her parents’ plans. Away from Kyllian and his stupid, smirking, grammar-checking face.

She headed for the wide double doors that led to the outer corridor.

But just as her fingers brushed the handle, she paused.

Her mind flicked back to the woods.

To the snarling.

To the rogue wolves.

To him.

The vampire who’d saved her.

Who’d looked at her like she was his beginning and end.

Luna’s stomach twisted. What if more rogue vampires were hiding in the forest, waiting for another opening? What if her people were in danger?

And how the hell was she supposed to tell her father about it without letting him know she had lost?

"Ughhh," she groaned, rubbing her temple.

She spotted a guard near the entrance, standing stiff as a statue.

"You," she snapped. "Car. Now. I need to go back to the palace."

He blinked again, stammering slightly. "Uh...yes, Princess. Right away."

The guard scampered off, clearly eager to be useful.

Luna stepped out into the night air. It was cold and crisp. The sounds of music from the ballroom softened behind her as the night swallowed her whole.

She looked up at the moon, the same Moon Goddess who had a sick sense of humor.

"Thanks a lot," she whispered bitterly. "Mate me with a vampire. Real original."

*****