Reborn of the Luna novel Chapter 40

“Really?” I couldn’t help the skepticism in my voice. I wasn’t buying it, not for a second. But I also didn’t pull away. I felt his heartbeat quicken beneath me, and for a moment, I wanted this to last just a bit longer. Maybe I was losing my mind.

“It gives us something to work on,” he said with a teasing grin. His fingers brushed against my skin, and I felt a jolt, like electricity. I wasn’t sure what was happening, why I wasn’t pushing him away.

“How’s your mark?” he asked, gently moving my hair to the side to look at my neck. His touch was light, almost reverent, and I shivered despite myself.

“It’s fine,” I managed to say, though my voice didn’t sound as steady as I’d hoped. My heart was pounding. I was feeling something—something I didn’t quite understand.

He grew bolder, his fingers reaching for the top button of my blouse, his eyes searching mine for permission.

“May I?” His voice was deeper than usual, a hint of something darker beneath the surface. I hesitated, caught in his gaze.

“We shouldn’t.” I turned away quickly, forcing myself to pull back. He let me go, his fingers loosening their grip, and I moved back to my seat. The moment was over, but it lingered in the air between us. I could tell he wanted more, but I needed to set boundaries. We had a week together; that was plenty of time to figure things out.

His eyes stayed on me, watching me closely. I could tell he sensed something was wrong.

“What’s going on?” he asked, his tone straightforward. He never liked secrets, especially between us. I could see that he wanted me to be honest with him, to trust him.

“Nothing,” I said, turning my gaze out the window, my hands folded neatly on my lap. I could feel his eyes boring into me, knowing I wasn’t telling the whole truth.

“Katherine,” he pressed, clearing his throat, “talk to me. What’s bothering you?”

I took a deep breath, biting my lip, trying to find the right words. This was harder than I thought. “I think you might have the wrong idea about me,” I finally said, meeting his gaze with as much strength as I could muster.

“Why do you think that?” he asked gently. I could see the teasing glint in his eyes, the slight blush on my cheeks only encouraging him more. “Did I—do something wrong?”

I looked away, feeling heat rush to my face. He knew he had, but the way he was looking at me, the little smile playing on his lips, he was enjoying this. I wasn’t a naive girl anymore, but somehow, he’d managed to fluster me more than once. Why did it matter so much that he saw me this way?

I wasn’t sure how to handle this. Part of me was willing to do whatever it took to get the divorce and regain my pack. But if he was just helping me to seduce me, I wasn’t sure I could handle that. It would crush me if I was just another conquest to him.

“You licked my mark,” I blurted out, immediately regretting it. Why did I say that?

“For healing,” he said, a small cough escaping him, trying not to laugh. He seemed to enjoy seeing me flustered. “But yes, I do like you, Katherine. I want to court you. Make you mine.”

That last word hit me like a physical force. It was almost a growl, something primal, something he’d been holding back since the beginning.

I felt my mouth open, my breath catching in my throat. He wasn’t joking. The Lycan King wanted me.

“But—I’m married,” I stammered, the first thing that came to my mind.

“I’m literally helping you get a divorce,” he replied, clearly amused. “And just so you know, I’m serious about this. I’m not looking for a fling.”

“But—you’re a lycan, and I’m a werewolf!” I argued, trying to find any excuse. “Lycans only—”