The Luna Trials by Marissa Gilbert

6. Fresh Alr

I

ELETTR

Kai was sitting through a pointless and boring dinner which his sister arranged. He, Elene and his Beta Lachlan were dining on the upper floor, and he could watch his so-called Luna contenders dining downstairs through the glass window. He could already tell that his last hope for the stupid trials was already dead. None of them was his mate.

“Big deal!” Elene scoffed. “You know that mates are overrated anyway. Sometimes the Moon Goddess likes to laugh and gives Alphas like yourself an omega mate! Imagine an omega queen! That would be such a joke!”

“My mate would never be a joke to me,” Kai grunted. “Whatever rank or kind she is. A mate is a mate and this person is always given to us for a good reason.”

“Whatever,” his sister rolled her eyes, picking at her salad. “You know they are not given to everyone and you are getting too old for this, Kai The North needs a Luna and I can’t always fill in. One day I will get married and who knows… Maybe I will have to leave the North. Then someone will have to step up.”

He gulped his wine, knowing that his annoying sibling was right. He had gotten away with it for too long

“Marrying a random girl is not a great solution,” he said.

“Then how about you don’t marry a random person,” Elene snickered. “We have known Penelope for many years. You are good friends. She is loved and adored by everyone here and she is also the only daughter of one of your strongest Alphas.”

He knew that she would say that sooner or later. Penelope was her best friend and he knew all about their childhood dream. When they were children they made a pact that they would both marry lycan kings. That was a stupid agreement, but it got worse when Elene actually met Gideon

and fell for him. Since then she started to work extra hard to get him and Penelope together.

And Penelope was indeed the perfect Luna option for him. If only he hadn’t considered her a sister. Just thinking of kissing her or taking her to bed was gross.

However, for his kingdom, he was ready to do anything.

“Don’t even try this,” he cut his sister off and took another glance at the women. Each of them was beautiful in her own way and almost any one of them would make a perfect candidate, yet that did not bring any excitement to him.

“What you did was a bit cruel,” Lachlan stated plainly. “We knew that he would have to marry in the next few years but you really sped up the process, didn’t you? Not to mention that you cut his options significantly. He had a whole world of possibilities and now he has to choose between… How many women are there?”

“Nineteen,” Kai sighed as he finished counting.

“Twenty,” Elene corrected him. He just shrugged as he tried to specifically count just the ones who resembled alphas’ daughters. But maybe he took one of them for a helper instead. Never mind that.

“still expect you to find a way to stop this, he slightly growled at his sister.

“And I will if I absolutely have to,” Elene wiped her lips with a napkin and threw it on the table, standing up. “But first you will really give this a try. You will meet these girls and talk to them, get to know them better. And if after everything you still want to get rid of them. I swear to you, the final task will help us. They will not find fault with us.”

“Fine,” he grunted, scratching his beard.

“And get rid of that thing!” Elene pointed at it before she walked out. “You get away with this only before someone takes a picture of you.”

don’t take pics of me

photos of you and the contenders when the masks come off. And we need

before he

that I am the only child

marry you to

to that self-proclaimed white bear king and solve all our troubles,” his Beta pointed out. And it was a joke.

wants power, that would only make things worse,” Kai admitted. “He would have a royal lycan by his side. What would stop him

stood up as well and walked to the window to take a look at the contenders. He whistled, running his hand through his blonde hair. “At least she picked you some hotties. Maybe having a sister is not such a bad

laugh. But then his smile faded. He remembered something. “You know, the

weakling?”

at all. He loves her.” Kai’s eyes grazed the women beneath him. “This meeting would have ended

his Beta rolled his eyes. “I would still prefer

I am not feeling sorry for you having to spend your time with all these beautiful women!” Lachlan laughed and shoved his shoulder in friendly manner. “I

was ready to go to sleep, when he heard

garden. I need some fresh air and a run. Or a hunt. A hunt will

no serious reason to deny him what he wanted. So, he left the

there,” Asgard

the delicious bluebell scent to his nostrils. “On another note, we didn’t

right. She was princess

back to him. A thin silk robe was all that she had on and when her hands moved to the belt, he knew what she was doing. She untied the belt and the golden fabric slid off her delicate shoulders. The pond was illuminated from the other side and Kai

he chose to make

way, the wind ruffling her golden-brown wave locks. Kai couldn’t help his grin stretching

are doing?!” she scolded him as if he was guilty of something when he was clearly being a gentleman here. 1. “Me?” he tried his best to look offended even though he was amused by the whole situation. He also enjoyed the delicate blush that kissed her cheeks. It suited her. “I am just getting some fresh air.

likes to spend his time in a library you aren’t that bright, right?” she moved closer to him and he watched her, fascinated by the playful smile on her pretty face. He even missed the insult, feeling the warmth of her

smile tugged at the corners of

impressed. “I was about to shift and let my wolf run. And what about you? These

so close to her now that he could inhale her delicious scent all he wanted, “There is

you know?” she burst out laughing. She irked him. But also… she

his hot breath was burning her skin. It was a game to him and it was a game

elbow and he let her turn to face him, but the moment their eyes locked, he pinned her back to the tree. Forehead to forehead, ragged breathing, his hands on her waist… She wanted to kiss that gardener and to hell with everything. She

when the familiar pain returned, piercing her

to burst out and destroy everything just not to feel

gardener brushed his palm over her cheek and she leaned into it because she was so hot and his skin was the coolness that she wanted so much, that she

she hissed, and he didn’t let her have a second to regret

words.

thrusting into her mouth, demanding submission that she was never

girl. If someone saw him with this maid while his house was full of his potential Luna candidates, a scandal would