The Luna Trials by Marissa Gilbert

62. Taking What Is Owed 

She walked between the rows of tables as if the whole world was under her feet, the dark red fabric of her dress flowing befand her 

whispering in the silence of the room. No one dared to speak before the King, and Bjorn, himself, was speechless. He did not expert her 

to come here tonight, and now that she was here, he couldn’t take his eyes off of her. 

Savannah was a vision. Everything about her was perfect. Queenly. A perfect woman for a King, and Bjorn couldn’t believe that she 

had made the decision to join him tonight. 

They both knew what it meant, and the bear inside him was already fighting to release his claws to mark her the moment she 

reached them, to claim that woman in front of everyone and be done with it. 

Bjorn could give her more time before he took her and put a child inside her womb. He could give her more time to accept their 

bond and admit it out loud. He could wait for many years to hear that she loved him from her luscious lips. He wanted to do that for her. 

But the desire to make the bond unbreakable by marking her was immense. It was something that plagued his mind, something his bear 

was insisting on forcefully. 

Because it was wise. The moment his claws made the marks, Savannah would be his forever. 

Everyone would know this and no one would be able to stake their claim on her. Not anymore. Not ever. 

He wanted to secure that claim, and luckily, he would do this tonight. He couldn’t believe his own luck because, although deep 

inside he hoped for this, his rational mind told him that it wasn’t possible. He’d hurt Savannah too much, and it would take him years to 

earn her forgiveness and, eventually, her love. 

That thought sobered him up. Why was she doing it? Was she really ready? 

A treacherous idea of it being her plan to humiliate him publicly or get some kind of revenge circled in the back of his mind. He hated thinking about it, but even he had to admit the possibility of it happening. 

However, just one glance at the princess’s wrist and he saw the bracelet still shining brightly on it, the guarantee of his safety. Whatever Savannah did, she wouldn’t be able to do him much harm as long as she wore it. She wouldn’t be able to shift even to her second form, so it was unlikely she would be able to do much damage. If she decided to humiliate him, he’d have to punish her. Somehow, that thought alone brought a smile to his face. He tried to be gentle with her, but if she gave him more reason to be personally mad at her, his punishing her would be justified. 

The Princess chose a red dress. This wasn’t what people wore for marking ceremonies in the North. Bjorn himself was wearing a blue shirt tonight simply for the occasion. A lot of the dresses he sent to her were in shades of blue as well because of this. But then he remembered that she’d already worn a blue dress. She even rode on top of his back and no one ever would be able to take that away from him. 

She was already standing at the bottom of the stairs and their eyes locked as she waited for his permission to take her place by his side. 

“Join me, my Queen,” his lips curled into a smile as he gestured to the empty chair next to him. He had been prepared. 

Savannah went up, her eyes downcast and cheeks flushed slightly. Although that last part could be the product of his imagination. He wished he could get into her pretty little head and find out what she was really thinking now. Was she imagining his claws digging into her skin too? He knew then and there that as soon as the marking was done, he would make her turn to face him and lick every drop of blood on her soft skin. His manhood reacted to that thought, and it got only worse when she was finally beside him. Her intoxicating bluebell scent had made him close his eyes just for a moment and enjoy it. He envisioned how, after everything was finished here, he would take her to their chambers and rip that dress off her, learning every inch of her with his tongue. If she let him, of course. But she would, after she’d been marked. This was the whole point. The mark would unlock their bond for her and heal her soul after the previous unsuccessful experience. She’d want him just the way he wanted her. She would come around. 

“My King,” her sweet voice brought him out of his daze. It was a greeting, and he couldn’t help himself from taking her hand and 

bringing it to his lips, placing a wet kiss on her fingers. 

Her skin tasted divine, and Bjorn wanted to cut the ceremony short now. Anything to speed the process up. 

“My Queen,” pride was lacing every word, his voice loud, so that everyone heard him, but then he added quieter, “I hoped you would come.” 

“And here I am,” she replied, her red lips trembling. This was an unusual look for her, but he liked it. He loved it. He loved everything 

about her. 

“Are you sure?” He asked her the silent question of whether or not she wanted to be marked today. Her presence alone was the 

reply, but he wanted to show her how caring he could be. He wanted her to know that he wasn’t the monster she believed him to be. 

could become a family. He could make her happy. All

and she shyly placed her palm

breathed out, and finally, their eyes met again. He saw the determination in hers, and

was really happening.

regret this,” he promised her confidently and pulled the princess into

It was the

sensations kissing his mate could bring. She chose to come tonight, she agreed that

now. Now, he could kiss

cheered for them with their roars and clanking of their glasses. They enjoyed the sight before their eyes because

by his side. The Northern Lycan twins

into a microphone about the events.

Bjorn finally broke the kiss, he had the biggest grin on his face. It was a grin of a victor, the man

guests!” He distanced himself slightly from Savannah and addressed his warriors present in the room.

and help me make the Northern and the Western Lycan kingdoms whole. We were once the same

to

a bigger speech, and Savvy tried really hard not to display any emotions on her face. She took a

now standing, placing one of her arms on Bjorn’s shoulder to make

quirked his brow up at her and whispered. “I thought you

dazzling smile, and he looked at

he taunted, to which she lifted her hand with the magical bracelet, eyeing it and hinting

sneered at her, crossing his arms over his

in the middle of his long empowering speech,

her index finger of the hand with the bracelet

Queen now.” 

around her waist, bringing her closer. The Princess was

begin nine and Savannah’s marking ceremony,” he declared loudly and another wave of approving roars rippled through the room. Everyone

the hall grew quiet. No one dared

going to say any vows to the gods,” the White Bear King threw a quick glance at the Serpent as if daring him to protest.” There is no need for that! Our bond will be complete the moment my claws leave my

we already have.

and she was surprised to see Petra sitting right next to him.

the verge of

her, which made Petra’s

devouring her with his healthy eye. It was obvious that he was impatient, but her request made him suspicious. It was only natural that he didn’t fully buy her good

asked dryly in a

the tingles that she wasn’t. She realised it when he kissed her for the first time. His whole body told her about this. The way he

of the true King of the North helped her to stay focused. While Bjorn stared at her like a love sick teddy bear, all she saw were Kai’s eyes closing while she held him in

agreed. “You can mark me if you

first?” she fluttered her lashes innocently, but then looked away. “You don’t have

that even if she wanted to bite his main artery off, it wouldn’t harm him. Physically, he was indestructible. Savvy knew that too, and that meant she wouldn’t do anything stupid.

to sink into his flesh, making him hers forever.

palm over his cheek. “Anything for you.”

she touched his chest with her warm fingers. Only the fabric

as she walked around him and stood behind his back. There were doubts in his mind, but Savannah’s little fingers went for the buttons of his shirt, undoing the two upper ones and then removing the fabric aside. Smirks appeared on his men’s faces. She teased him,

mark him. She was going to mark him. She was going to mark him. Him.

to become his Queen, and they were going to live a long, happy life together. He would bring this woman the moon if she wanted it, he would put any Kingdom she liked at

going to be healed with this woman’s love. She would complete him. She would make him whole. Her perfection would fill the cracks in his soul, glueing the broken

the tingles he was experiencing from her touch. Her breath was already on his neck, and

on his scent. He closed his eye because, at that moment, he chose to trust her, he chose to love her unconditionally, he chose to give her everything

cold and metallic pressed against the skin on the other side of his neck, and for a moment, he thought it was the bracelet he put on her. He would take this bracelet off her tonight before he

3/5 

took him a few seconds to realise what he was

feet. It took time for him to process what was happening, but soon he realised that some kind of a dagger pierced him to

A divine weapon… 

what to do, but at the same time, the guests he’d welcomed into his house today because of Savannah started turning into wolves one by one and forming a protective line in front of the