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.”

“They don’t take

tomorrow is the masquerade and at the end of it everyone will be taking photos of you and the contenders when the masks come off. And we need The

before he could flip

am really grateful that I am the only

will marry you to

to avenge yourself, you should marry her to that self-proclaimed white bear king

would have a royal lycan by his side. What would stop him

where your children come to play,” Lachlan 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

remembered something. “You know, the last time I saw Gideon when he brought that new Luna of

a weakling?”

would have ended the

is not a full package. Like all westerners,” his Beta rolled

laughed and shoved his shoulder in friendly manner. “I

him off and was ready to go to sleep, when he

need some fresh air and a run.

he wanted. So, he left the building and went to the west gate, where

there,” Asgard grunted. “The

there?” Kai asked and then the wind brought the delicious bluebell scent to his nostrils. “On another note, we didn’t check this pond

He knew that she was just a maid… No, that wasn’t even right. She was princess Savannah’s maid and absolutely off

untied the belt and the golden fabric slid off her delicate shoulders. The pond was illuminated from the other side and Kai could see the silhouette of the maid as if she was giving him a shadow theatre performance. Her enticing curves at full display for

that it wouldn’t be right. So, he chose to make himself known to her and stepped closer, knowing that she

the way, the wind ruffling her golden-brown wave locks. Kai couldn’t help his grin stretching over his lips. After tonight, he was

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. The question is what are you doing here? Are you trying to flash the guards?” he couldn’t wipe the smirk off his own face. The tint on her cheeks became even more evident and he was

closer to him and he watched her, fascinated by the playful smile on her

then,” a smile tugged at the corners of

She did not look impressed. “I was about to shift and let my wolf run. And what

and pressing her back to a nearby tree. “Little maid,” he was so close to her now that he could inhale her delicious scent all he

to be proud of, you know?” she burst out laughing. She irked

skin. It was a game to him and it was a game to her as well. A game which she enjoyed. For the first time in a while she was

iabbed him with her 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

pull him closer, when the familiar pain returned, piercing her whole body and almost

growled in fure, ready to burst out and

leaned into it because she was so hot and his skin was the coolness that she wanted so much, that she needed. It was helping her and… it suddenly occurred to her that

didn’t let her have a second to

words.

surprisingly soft lips slammed into hers, his tongue thrusting into her mouth,

strange girl. If someone saw him with this