The Perfect Luna

Riannon couldn’t believe her own happiness when she opened her eyes and saw him lying in front of her and watching her.

Amate. She had a mate. A real one. Not a chosen one. A smile curled onto his lips and she reciprocated it. There were no regrets. Whatsoever.

This was very different from what she had with Brayden back in the day. Now that she thought about it, if this was what Brayden felt when he met his own mate, she could understand why he couldn’t reject Roxanne.

She would never reject Gideon if she knew.

This did not cancel all the horrible things that Roxy did to her and to others in their power struggle. But she could understand now.

Partially.

This was not changing her plan. But it gave her some understanding. “Onyx,” she called her wolf, “Are you there?” At first, all she heard was silence. But then the familiar voice sounded in her head.

“I will be soon…”

She tried calling her again, asking what was going on. But Onyx spoke no more.

However, this was better than nothing. This was a promise. And just knowing that her wolf didn’t abandon her made Riannon smile wider.

The motion did not go unnoticed. Gideon pulled her closer. So that her head was now tucked into his chest, and he was able to dig his face into her hair and breathe in her scent that he loved so much was able to enjoy for the first time.

“I can’t believe this is real,” he muttered, “From the moment I saw you… I dreamt of this. of holding you like this, of having you as mine.”

She looked up at his handsome face and slid her hand to brush his cheek with a short stubble that prickled her fingers slightly.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” She asked. “Would you believe me if I simply told you?” He arched his brow at her.

“I guess not,” she admitted honestly. She had too much on her plate to simply believe some lycan who approached her out of the blue insisting that she was his mate: Even if he was a king. Not to mention that Onyx, the little hyena, never told her that they were mates on the rare moments she spoke to her. She couldn’t believe her wolf would waste her strength to tell everything

On the other hand, Onyx was smarter than regular wolves. Ria always knew that. She proved it to her many times. And to be honest, maybe it was for the best that she did not throw them into a situation where Riannon knew that he was her mate from the very beginning yet did not feel the connection. In that way, Gideon had to work for it and earn her trust.

Yes, that wolf of hers wasn’t simple at all. She took a bet and look at where it got them…

“Yesterday,” he traced his fingers over her bare hand, “You said the word. You called me Mate. How did you know?”

“Onyx called you that,” Ria decided to confess. Now that they were together, she did not want secrets from him. It was hard starting to trust the new man in her life but what they had was so much different from what she experienced before.

It was bigger. And better. And so special. Everything one could wish for.

“Is Onyx back?” Gideon asked with hope in his voice. They were already together but he would still feel much better if he knew that the wolf was there.

“Partially,” Ria gave him a vague smile, “I feel her presence somewhere there inside of my soul but she is not at full strength yet. I think she is trying to restore after.”

She stopped talking and he suddenly got serious. This was not a joke to him at all. He knew about a few people who had lost their wolves. He started reading about them when he found out about Onyx’s absence. This was rare. But it did happen several times in shifter’s common history.

When the beast was lost, the host was becoming just an empty shell as half of their soul was gone. That did not happen to Ria yet. But a mostly missing wolf was a bad sign. This wasn’t a destiny that he wanted for his mate.

But there was another thing that bothered him. Those people he read about were all warriors who fought in battles. Sometimes against forces much stronger than them. In the

the brink of death, the wolves, foxes, bears or other creatures sacrificed themselves

the owner was slowly becoming just a mere human. A fate worse than death. of yourself. To stop seeing through your beast’s eyes, to stop sensing what

as losing hearing, sight, and ability to move properly at once for humans. Probably even worse because something inside was missing as well. Everything was lessened, everything was different… Less vibrant. It was the same as sucking the joy out of life. That most vital part

could cope with

could tell that Riannon was one of those who would be able to cope, though.

that kind of fate.

was another thing. He didn’t know of any recent battles she took a part in. As far as his research on her showed, and his spies were among the best, her

what was done to her in that pack behind the closed curtains

ask you this again. Regardless of me asking you this earlier. But this time I want you to be absolutely honest. You can trust me. All that I do from the day I met you is for

knew that she wasn’t going to like the question that was

yours?” Gideon tried not to show it, but she

everything that happened to

hurt you physically?” the Lycan king asked through

once to calm him down. Luckily, it was

for your pack. Something that broke you so much that your wolf almost died.” did sound weak every time she

to say it,” she sat up, wrapping the Egyptian cotton sheets around herself, Gideon following her motion not to miss any trace of emotion on her beautiful face.” You

she could see him. He hoped that she would understand that no matter what

to scare off, Riannon,” he gave her a soft

she took everything away from me. She killed the people I cared about, made Brayden reject and humiliate me, taking my title. And even then, after I already lost everything, she still killed me with the help of one of the wolves from my own pack. It was horrible. But then I somehow came back to the very moment it all started. Gideon, I literally opened my eyes when the door opened

expression on his face. Did she overdo it? Was it too much for him? Should

at first, but she was too serious and nervous about

things did. Their very first conversation. She was already sure that

everyone to see. Anyone would be crushed by that. But not Riannon. She held her head so high exactly the

mention the way she spoke to him. No one was that bold.

she called his name, biting her lip. He could see how worried she was about everything and wanted to

in the next moment, he grabbed her and pulled her into the

that he believed her. And it

this,” he said, kissing her hair as he couldn’t reach anything else from

around him too, embracing his warmth and his wonderful scent. Embracing the feeling of safety that he gave her.

could finally afford to let it all out. The pain, the loneliness,

felt so

was holding her in his arms as long as she needed, hurting together with her. Even Mars was howling inside feeling their mate’s

beautiful Luna never ceased to amaze him. She was perfect. His perfect

with puffy

he said as he wiped the last tear away with

in his room. Only ordering food in and

felt like they were done. It seemed that there was always more. It started with the rebirth and then went on to their previous

was doing it with Brayden for years. But it was so different with Gideon. And not at all what she expected. They weren’t finishing each other’s sentences. He wasn’t agreeing with everything that she

had his own ideas. Often much

the plan was changing and evolving, and they were both tired by the next night. Yet it felt so satisfying

this with… an equal.

what

were finishing their dinner, still wearing nothing but sheets when

on the door.

Gideon tolled her with an eye roll, “Give me a sec. I’ll