The Luna Trials by Marissa Gilbert

Frustrated and annoyed, Kai found himself in the foulest of moods. After spending the night in the woods hunting for Bjorn, he hadn’t gotten much sleep. There was no trace of the enemy. vet a million scents of all kinds of creatures, which shouldn’t be present in the first place, lingered all around him. It was as if the rotten bear was mocking him. Was this why he touched Savannah but left her alive? To let him know that he touched one of the contenders for the Luna of The North? That he had touched something that was his?

Before that, anyone who crossed him in the woods was later found dead. Mostly in pieces

There was, of course, the option of Savannah working with Bjorn. The more he considered that notion, the more he realised it was unlikely Gideon would ever let him close to his sister. He scratched that thought from the depth of his mind.

Savvy didn’t know. She had no idea who she had met and how dangerous he was.

Thinking of her, he remembered how her bare flesh felt against him, how intoxicating her scent was … and how angry she got with him the previous night. He didn’t like her being unhappy with him. Somehow, the more he attempted to create goodwill between them, the worse the

situation became.

Whatever the results, here he was now, unable to remove thoughts of her out of his head while he was attending to an entirely different task altogether.

“Kai, don’t just stand there!” Elene jabbed him gently with her elbow. “Go talk to the girls. The deal was that you would get better acquainted with each of them!”

He didn’t want to be rude, so he said nothing to his sister, who he blamed for his current predicament.

It could have been different. If there were no Luna Trials, he would be engaged to Savvy at this moment.

She probably wouldn’t be thrilled, but he would have pursued her, made her see him from a different angle, a different perspective.

He couldn’t believe that his mind had gone there. Again. He had to snap out of it and get back to the responsibilities at hand.

Scanning the garden, he couldn’t locate her, and wondered if she did get sick after all. She was trembling when they returned to the castle, and although he ordered his chef to make her a hot soup in the middle of the night, he did not follow up on that.

“Oh, look!” Elene said in a tone that he knew far too well. The tone that meant she was acting again. “It’s Penelope! Hi, Pen! How are you doing?”

“Elene! Kai!” The girl went up to them with a happy expression on her face. Her violet dress was a replica of what his mother had worn in one of her earlier portraits, and he recognised it at once.

“You look gorgeous! What a stunning dress!” Elene praised her best friend, although she was probably the one who suggested she wear this outfit. “Doesn’t she look gorgeous, Kai?”

“She absolutely does,” he nodded, looking for Savvy with his eyes. “Will you excuse me?”

“Of course not!” his sister stepped in his way. “You are not going anywhere, Kai Fionnlagh! You know very well that you have to talk to every contestant. You can start with Penelope, since you are both here. I expect at least fifteen minutes of quality conversation!”

“Fine,” he groaned and watched his sibling walk away, happy with herself.

“We can just stand and pretend that we talk.” Penelope winked at him the way she used to do since their childhood. “You just do nothing, and I will move my lips. She will never spot the difference!”

“Sounds good,” he agreed, looking for Savvy again “Gee, Kai!” Penelope snorted. “Way to make a woman feel special!” He shot her an apologetic glance. They had been friends since childhood, after all.

Well, she was Elene’s friend, but it meant that she was in the house a lot. And when their parents died, he thought that he would lose his sister to grief as well. Penelope was the one to step in and help them both. So, he owed it to her.

muttered. “It’s

he nodded. For a second or so, her expression was unreadable,

stopped her because she wasn’t the

playing with her dark hair.

her fingers over it,

she smirked. “I remember that Elene couldn’t make you wear this shirt. You absolutely loathed it when she gave it to you for

thing I grabbed this morning,” he

looked the same to him. Then he noticed this and remembered how Elene told him he should wear it when he wanted to impress a girl. It was a joke, and he knew it, yet somehow, he wore that one, feeling dumb on top

scent of bluebells hit his nostrils, and his head snapped in her direction. Some girl dressed like a giant cake was pulling Savannah away. He found himself begging Fenrir for her to at least look at him once, and when his wish was

at him didn’t promise him anything good. She wasn’t over what happened yesterday. So, he

Goddess!” Penelope gasped. “Don’t tell me you

about.” He gave her a warning glance and took himself under control. Was it so obvious that he paid attention to

you just stared at her…” The girl

snarled at her, and she

the options for you. People would rather go with

king, and no one decides for

and ignoring everyone else who tried to talk to him on his way. He would fulfil his duties later, and now he had more important

again,” he tried to sound polite and not rushed, but Savannah only scrunched

every word laced with sarcasm. “Excuse me,

and he wasn’t having any of this. So, he grasped her delicate arm in his huge palm,

lips over her skin, “I wanted to talk to you for

a growl escaped him as she removed her hand

catch up with her and, to her surprise, lifted her in his arms, rapidly walking away from the scene.

shoulder for balance. She didn’t even

does it look like I am doing?” Kai

She arched her brow. “Then again, it’s not

are you talking about, Savannah?” She chuckled wholeheartedly. “You tripped, and I am ensuring your safety!”

to get off him, but he held her

show it?” Kai asked, not understanding why

story! Let’s stick to that!” Savvy rolled her eyes. “They can say that I tripped on purpose and hung on you while you just had to, absolutely

about?” The king asked, confused, but he could finally put her down as he got them deep enough into the garden that no one could see them, and they could have some privacy,

very well what I am talking about she

merely a repeat of what happened

she blinked her long lashes, and her lips parted slightly. Those lips he couldn’t get out of his mind

it make to me now?” She averted his gaze. There was no point in all of this. “You already said you didn’t know about the Trials, but you are not giving me my alliance so that I could leave this humiliating show. What do you

don’t need you to thank me.” He placed one hand on a tree behind her, backing her into it. “I want you to know that I have my reasons for not letting you

is – you don’t trust my brother!” She scoffed, rolling her eyes. “I don’t,” Kai agreed with ease. “But he

as his tongue effortlessly slid between her sweet lips. The king’s strong hands wrapped around her slim waist, but one of them greedily caressed the bare skin on her back. It slid all the way to her neck, bringing her closer so

right that she simply couldn’t do it. It was as if she needed it,