The Alpha’s Borrowed Luna
Royal Preparations
Sleep refused to come. I lay rigid on my side, acutely aware of Kaius presence beside me. His breathing seemed too even, too controlled. Was he truly asleep? I doubted it.
Cautiously, I turned to look at him. In the dim light, with his eyes closed and features relaxed, he looked almost peaceful–the domineering intensity momentarily absent from his face. I studied him, noting the scar that ran along his jawline, the slight furrow between his brows that remained even in sleep.
Curious, I waved my hand slowly over his face, testing whether he was truly unconscious.
His hand shot up, catching my wrist. My heart nearly stopped as his eyes opened, fixing me with that unnerving stare.
“You should be sleeping,” he said, his voice rough with either annoyance or amusement–I couldn’t tell which.
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
I gestured vaguely at the space between us. “Isn’t it obvious? I can’t sleep with you beside me.”
“You are as safe as you could be,” he said, sounding almost offended.
A bitter laugh escaped me. “Yeah, let’s take your word for it, right?”
“I mean it,” he insisted. “I would not harm you in your sleep; that is a total dick move.”
“You don’t play fair; you said it, remember?” I countered, recalling his words from earlier.
“You have a good memory.” He sighed, then rose from the bed. “I’ll lie on the couch; if that makes you more comfortable, I need you
rested for tomorrow.”
The unexpected concession caught me off guard. “What happens tomorrow?”
He paused, looking back at me. “Well, you get to connect with the pack and meet my parents.”
I sat up straight, sheets clutched to my chest. “Meet your parents? The Alpha King and his mate?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell me about this earlier?” I demanded, panic rising in my throat.
“Would it have changed anything?” he asked.
“I would have liked some warning,” I muttered. “What do they know about… us?”
“They know you’re my mate,” he said simply.
My stomach dropped. “What if they don’t like me?”
Kaius expression hardened slightly. “It doesn’t matter what they like or dislike; you just have to meet them and be very convincing at your game. But for now, you need to sleep.”
“You’re right,” I conceded quietly.
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Royal Preparations
Kaius nodded, seemingly satisfied with my compliance.
I settled onto the bed, drawing the silk sheets over my body as Kaius made his way to the couch. My eyelids became heavy, weighed down by the day’s events.
Sunlight filtering through the curtains woke me the next morning. For a moment, I lay disoriented, the unfamiliar opulence of the room confusing my sleep–addled mind.
The couch across the room was empty, the blanket folded neatly at one end.
The sound of running water from the bathroom told me where Kaius had gone. I sat up, running my fingers through my tangled hair and wondering what fresh challenges this day would bring.
I had barely swung my legs over the side of the bed when the bathroom door opened, releasing a cloud of steam. Kaius emerged, a towel slung low around his hips, his muscled torso still glistening with water droplets. His hair, normally a deep black, looked almost midnight blue when wet, making his amber eyes seem lighter by contrast.
“I would have waited for you before taking a shower,” Kaius said, his voice startling me awake, “but I didn’t want to wake you.”
I blinked up at him, momentarily disoriented by his half–naked form looming over the bed, water droplets still clinging to his chest.
“Can I take a shower now?” I asked, pulling the sheets higher to cover myself, suddenly acutely aware of how I must look with sleep- mussed hair.
His lips quirked in that now–familiar half–smile. “Of course. Though don’t take too long–we’re expected downstairs in an hour.”
I slipped past him, careful not to brush against his still–damp skin, and locked the bathroom door behind me with a decisive click.
“The locks don’t restrict me from coming in if I want to,” his voice carried through the door, amusement evident in his tone.
The shower felt heavenly. Warm water streamed from every direction while I lathered myself with lavender and amber–scented
soaps.
For those brief minutes, I allowed the hot water to wash away my worries, pretending I was anywhere but here.
When I finally emerged, wrapped in a plush towel, I found Kaius had transformed. He stood by the window in a perfectly tailored royal blue tuxedo with matching pants, his broad shoulders accentuated by the cut of the jacket.
I hated to admit it, but he looked devastatingly handsome, like some dark prince from a fairy tale–the kind who was as dangerous as he was beautiful.
My eyes fell to the bed, where a blue dress had been laid out, the fabric catching the morning light.
“What’s this?” I asked, staring at the swath of rich blue fabric he held out to me.
Kaius ran his fingers over the material, his eyes never leaving mine. “Something I picked out for you. I’ll pick the clothes you wear each day.
I took the dress cautiously, holding it against my towel–wrapped body. The neckline plunged dramatically, the back nearly non- existent. It would leave little to the imagination.
“Try it on,” he commanded, his cold eyes watching me intently.
I glanced toward the bathroom. “I’ll just—”
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Royal Preparations
“You change here, he interrupted, his voice dropping to that dangerus silky tone that brooked no argument. ‘Right in front of me.
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