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

her on an impulse, and she shyly

met again. He saw the determination in hers, and it made him smile. She

It was really

and pulled the princess into his arms to crush his lips into hers.

demanding entrance with his tongue, which was granted easily. It was the sweet submission that he needed and he explored her

all of the sensations kissing his mate could bring.

now. Now, he could kiss her whenever he wanted.

cheered for them with their roars and clanking of

his mate by his side. The Northern

into a

the kiss, he had the biggest grin on his face. It was a grin of a victor, the man who had it all.

addressed his warriors

ready to join me and help me make the Northern and the Western Lycan kingdoms whole. We were once

high time to bring the lands back together!”

and Savvy tried really hard not to display

Serpent was now standing, placing one of her arms on Bjorn’s shoulder

quirked his brow up at her and whispered.

a dazzling smile, and he looked

magical bracelet, eyeing it and hinting that he would have to help

crossing

she took a few steps in his direction, still touching Bjorn, who glanced at her in the middle of his long empowering speech, growling

her index finger of the hand with

Queen now.” 

bears distracted them, and Bjorn wrapped his arm around her waist, bringing her closer. The Princess was happy

another wave of approving

and every person in the hall grew quiet. No one dared to disrupt their King. His

the Serpent as if daring him to protest.” There is no need for that! Our

blessings other than the ones we already have.

the crowd. She wasn’t wrong about Ash, Riannon’s close friend, and she was surprised to see Petra sitting right next

the verge

which made Petra’s eyes

looked at the White Bear King, who was already devouring her with his healthy eye. It was obvious that he was impatient, but her request made him suspicious. It

it?” He asked dryly in a quieter tone.

she wasn’t. She realised it when he kissed her for the first time. His whole body told her about this. The way he shuddered, the way his breathing got ragged so fast… it shouldn’t have been that way even if

at her like

Bjorn agreed. “You can mark me if you like. I would take

first?” she fluttered her lashes innocently, but then

to bite his main artery off, it wouldn’t harm him. Physically, he was indestructible. Savvy

this dream. He wanted her canines to sink into his

his palm over his cheek. “Anything for you.”

warm fingers. Only the fabric of his traditional northern shirt was between them

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, and he lost his mind because of this.

She was going to

right. It was going to be excellent. She was going 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

everything for him. She was going to fix him. That most important, broken, damaged part of him was 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 pieces together the way people in the Lost Eastern Kingdom were joining fragments of

of all the tingles he was experiencing from her touch. Her breath was already on his neck, and when Savannah’s

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 that

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 

hate wintergreen,” Savannah hissed in his ear, and it took him a few seconds to realise what he was hearing.

what was happening,

A divine weapon… 

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