The Luna Trials by Marissa Gilbert

One thing that selfishly bothered him even more than her being hurt thanks to him was that Savannah reeked of another male. It was impossible to tell the species, which could only mean one thing-his assumptions about who attacked them were correct.

Yet, once again, the Western Princess stood before him alive and in one piece.

“Please, don’t throw me in the lake again.” the girl knitted her brows, reading his facial expression correctly. He felt a prick of guilt deep inside. How low was her opinion of him?

Instead, he grasped her and pulled her into a hug, tucking his head into her hair. Kai inhaled her scent so deeply that his whole lungs were filled with it now. For some reason, it helped to calm him down, although he wasn’t in any rush to let her go. He almost lost her, and the feeling was horrific.

Her delicate fingers glided over his bare skin as she awkwardly wrapped her arms around him instead of pushing him away.

“I am so sorry,” he muttered, but she heard his every word. “I don’t see how any of this is your fault,” Savvy whispered, and he exhaled heavily,

distancing himself from her.

“I was supposed to keep you safe on my territory.” The Northern King averted her gaze, shame flowing through his mind and soul.

“Yeeeah” She stretched the word. “Your territory is roamed by your enemies. Are you sure you don’t want that alliance my brother is offering?”

Her smile faded when he didn’t bite the joke. Although this was understandable to some degree, considering their circumstances. Maybe this wasn’t the time for jokes.

“Who was with you here?” Kai looked her straight in the eye.

Savannah disliked that this was suddenly becoming an interrogation. Nevertheless, she could also understand where he was coming from. In his place, she would do the same thing.

“I have a feeling you know who it was.” She stepped away from him and crossed her hands on her chest. While she was understanding, she wasn’t appreciating.

“Do you?” The King lifted his brow at her.

“Darius Bjorn, the white bear shifter with one eye who claims that he will be the King of The North soon,” she said bluntly, trying not to miss his reaction as this was important. She noticed how he clenched his fists and how his eyes glowed again, meaning that his wolf was angry and trying to get out.

“Did you meet him before you came here?” Kai was unsure if he really wanted to hear her answer.

“No,” she said calmly, and he experienced temporary relief. However, temporary was the keyword.

“Did you have any contact with him prior to arriving in the North?”. “No.” “Did you know about him at all?” “No.”

She was starting to get furious. “Did you …” He started asking the next question, but she lost it.

“Kai Fion….lagh,” she almost swore because this last name always caused her to stumble, “what is it exactly you want to know?!”

“I want to know why the man who kills anyone he meets, who has never left a single witness alive, left you in one piece twice!” the Lycan growled, and she narrowed her eyes at him.

“Maybe because I am so adorable, he can’t resist me?” Her lips curled into a sly grin, making this the last straw for him. In one swift move, Kai lifted her up in his arms and started walking.

“What do you think you are doing?!” Savannah snarled at him. Athena was joining in the game as well. They were Alphas and were not going to be manhandled like that again. Enough was enough, and the Northern King had already gotten away with it once.

“There is a lake nearby!” The man smirked, and she hissed at him.

“I swear, if you do this again, I will shift and leave the North and those stupid Trials for good!” she announced, not expecting any kind of reaction.

However, this made the King stop. After a few seconds of hesitation, he even placed her

back onto her feet, startling her.

Savvy didn’t know how to react and what to say. She just watched Kai return to where she initially fell and picked up the leather jacket. He then turned back to face her and threw the garment at her.

“Put it on!” he commanded, and Savannah rolled her eyes, shoving it back at him.

“You put it on! You need it more!” The princess let her eyes slide down just once, which caused her breath to hitch. He was one gorgeous lycan specimen, after all. Too good to forget. Ever.

However, she returned to her senses when the jacket flew back to her face. “Put. It. On.” A roar, not even a growl this time.

Kai didn’t know why it was so crucial for him now, but he wanted his scent all over her. His. Not anyone else’s.

“Seriously!” she grunted but decided to accept the questionable gift anyway. “I am not joking! You need to cover yourself!”

Slowly and menacingly, he stalked toward her with a smirk on his lips. His eyes had a dangerous glint in them that resulted in Savvy’s instant silence. Towering over her, he placed his large palms onto her delicate shoulders and turned her away so she couldn’t see him anymore.

His hot breath tickled the skin next to her ear, and she heard his raspy whisper, “All you had to do was stop staring.”

She blushed, unable to control it, and was disappointed when his heat was gone, leaving her feeling alone, cold and, well … unsatisfied.

“I am sorry” Kai şuddenly hugged her from the back, and although she should have pushed him away, she didn’t. She leaned her head back, welcoming his unexpected embrace and his grip on her became tighter. His lips pressed against her neck, right where a mate’s mark should go, and Savannah felt goosebumps run all over her body.

“I am sorry,” he repeated. “Just the thought that he was next to you … That he touched you … It’s more than I can handle. He never leaves anyone alive and ….”

“Would you prefer him to kill me?” she snorted, and he sighed. “Of course not….”

“Then what are you so worked up about? You know I came here for the alliance. I am not working for the bears. They tried to destroy us just a few months ago, and you should have seen how bloody that battle was!”

It’s my fault, and I hate that you were exposed to this psycho twice because of my negligence. The fact that he didn’t do anything to you only scares me more. If you were mated to

away, wrapping the leather jacket tighter around herself as if it was going to help her hide from the truth. The

is not my mate,” Savannah said quietly but

first time that this was what he wanted to hear

Her following

how to react. She was already mated to someone. He knew that they weren’t mates, but thinking of her mated to

she clarified quickly without giving him as

from the back again, squeezing her so tight that she would

lowering himself so that his lips could trace hers, parting them. Their eyes locked. A pause which had him silently asking for permission. When she blinked, he crashed his lips back into hers for a deep and passionate kiss.

many people were knocking into his mind right now that he had to stop, painfully tearing his lips off of the woman he

and take you to the castle on my back.” A grin formed on his handsome face, and he placed his hands on both sides of him, right above the perfect V that led right to … where Savannah was desperately trying not to look. Especially after their

me?” She arched her

take you back

are going to be quite a few opportunities,” she taunted him unexpectedly, and he lost his breath for a second. He considered telling

distance, and they both knew

gone.

smirked. “Before

eyes, and she had to bite her lip to hide her excitement. She knew they only had a few seconds before his warriors would be able to locate them, but she allowed herself to admire his

head to look at her, and his eyes glearned with blue light in the darkness of the

greeted the wolf with respect. “It’s nice

chest while

again, and they both knew

the King wished to take her on his back instead, and she decided to go with it, remembering a small extract from the history book she read for the Trials. In the North, this was considered to be a special kind

knew, of course, that Kai probably didn’t even know that. That tradition was long gone now. He couldn’t possibly be thinking about it. Needless to

saw two dark figures stepping out of the

be f*cking kidding me!” they heard a

announcements take place in

something around his torso. She was extremely

and when Elene appeared right behind him,

red from the look the northern

her teeth.

back to his human form now and talk to his sister and Beta. She had started imagining how Elene would probably accuse her of everything that had gone wrong, starting with the attack and conspiring with the white bears. However, to her surprise, the giant wolf huffed at his sibling and then simply sprinted away. She barely managed to dig her fingers into his fur to stay in place. Not to mention, she had to

a few moments of their midnight run, her shock dispersed without a trace. She never rode on someone’s back before, and it was,

rustled by the wind. The scenery around them was changing rapidly, and she squealed with

of a Lycan wolf with human eyes was

his land, letting her enjoy it and taking her through the most picturesque locations

turned into the

to contain her emotions but gave herself away when a heartfelt laugh escaped against her wishes. She got bold and leaned herself forward all the way to his large furry

laughter again. He was ashamed to admit it, but he would do circus tricks if she

to the castle on his back, but

brought her to the pond, carefully lowering himself

would have to talk if she lingered any longer. That conversation could ruin

she could think of and, without further ado, tried to run

get far since she only had one shoe on, significantly slowing her down. She hadn’t reached the backdoor when two strong hands wrapped around her waist and

fluttering in her chest at the sounds of his husky voice. She could feel that by some miracle, the king already had some kind of pants on. He probably had a secret stash of clothes

was a really long day,” Savannah offered, and they both knew it was the truth. “I am aware,” he admitted. “But I

turned to face him, and a corner of her soft lips curled slightly. “Like the day the

that escaped his chest. She was teasing him knowingly when he

that he could hear her hastened heartbeat, “sometimes you are

say,” she shrugged, “I always liked

pulled her closer and took her

his gaze, but it stopped being important when he leaned forward to capture her lips, stealing her breath away. His hand glided to the back of her neck, fingers lacing with silky strands of her

and wanting more, neither moving away nor continuing what he started.

step back, startling her. “Really?”

to kiss it, his warm lips touching her

to not let him know that this little gesture was

said it was a long day yourself,” he reminded

to watch him intently, and then a sly grin spread over

not to

a long night, too,” he chuckled, admitting the truth and stretching his hand to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. “Dream of

way!” she shoved his hand away playfully and limped in the direction of the backdoor. She stopped before she got too far, turning back to glance

and the princess was finally able

up the stairs for some time when she finally decided to give up and sat down to remove the shoe, rightfully deciding that it would be faster to walk with bare feet than

contenders usually used. Savvy noticed a small suitcase in the stranger’s hands. The girl wore a wine-red dress that hugged her generous curves perfectly and played with her ebony-black curls right next to

would remember someone like that. She was new. “Hi,” the princess greeted the fellow contender. “I just had some air outside.” “And lost your

get them to let one of my friends stay with me. Everyone here

to agree to anything as long as the focus

didn’t think you were getting away with it,

and she knew it. “Well,” Savvy sighed, “I went for a run, but when I came back,

hand, helping her stand up. “It must be Celia or Inga. Those two have no