Chapter 44

Luka’s POV

A month later, I was in Caleb’s study, reading and working on my writing. I pushed the chair back and moseyed around the room to stretch my legs. The day was nice, and I was itching to be done with my studies for the day. I was supposed to meet with Mia later and work out.

I swung my arms back and forth and stretched my neck. I still have one more chapter of the Red Moon Pack’s recent history to get through before I can go. Pulling a book off one of Cable’s shelves, a stack of letters held together with a ribbon fell to the floor. I picked them up and read. Caleb’s name was written on it.

Curious, I placed the book on the shelf and sat down at the desk. I untied the ribbon and held up the first letter. It smelled of lilac and honey. I glanced at the door, and no one was outside it. I pulled out the paper inside and started to read it.

My Dearest Caleb,

I can’t wait to see you. It has been too many days without you by my side… Oh my God. It was a love letter. At the end it was signed your White Moonlight. My hands started to shake. They were love letters. Cabel had had a lover. I dropped the letter onto the desk.

Did he still love her? Was he waiting for her to come back? If not, why had he kept the letters? And why had he hidden them? Did he pull them out and read them when he missed her?

It was like a gut punch. I was going to be sick. Did he think of her when he was with me? No, no, no. Don’t think that. Caleb cared about me. I was his mate. He wanted me to be his Luna. I was overreacting.

I put the letters back where I found them and went back to my studies, though it was difficult to concentrate. As I read the last word of the chapter, I slammed the book closed and headed to the training room to meet Mia.

When I found Mia, she was on the training mat warming up.

“Are you ready to do this?” she stomped her foot and positioned herself in a defensive stance. She grinned.

I tucked a strand of brown hair behind my ear. “I’m not feeling so great. Do you think we can do this tomorrow?”

“What? My brother didn’t do anything dumb, did he?”

“No, I just need to get away from the mansion.”

Mia grabbed my hand. “Great, let’s go shopping.”

As we walked around the store, I felt lost and uninterested. I sat on a sofa as Mia tried on some dresses. I kept thinking about the letters. I decided to muster up the courage and ask Mia.

“Mia, has Cabel ever loved another?”

Her head popped out from behind the curtain. “Well, yes. Once.”

“He told me there had never been time for a relationship as Alpha King.”

“He wasn’t wrong.” Mia threw back the curtain and walked out in a cute, short, black, lacy dress. “What do you think?”

I smiled as she did a spin and a dip.

“Very sexy.”

“Perfect. That is what I was going for. I have a date.”

“How old was he when he had a lover?”

Mia looked at herself in the mirror. “He was a teenager, maybe sixteen. They had dumb pet names for each other. I think Emma was called White Moonlight.”

“Emma,” I said the name a few times. “Who was she?”

Mia peered over her shoulder at me. “Emma is Oliva’s sister.”

My jaw dropped. “No.”

“Yes, she dropped him like a hot cake when her true mate was revealed. Cabel was lost for a while. But then he came to his senses.”

“Well, that is good… I guess.” My voice trailed off, and Mia sat beside me, taking my hand.

“He cares about you. I have never seen him look at anyone the way he looks at you. You are mates.”

Caleb’s POV

I strolled past the study, hoping to steal a glance at Luka as she worked before heading off to a meeting. This was the third day I tried to see her, and she wasn’t there. I pressed my lips, irritated. We hadn’t seen each other much this past month because both of us were busy. I wanted a private moment to push her against a wall and make love to her. I growled. These intrusive thoughts kept bombarding me. My body was building tension. I would have to go for a second workout later today, or I would be beating down her door tonight.

Leaving for a few weeks to inspect the packs was going to be torture. It was bad enough trying to navigate the mate bond while in proximity of each other. I didn’t think I could leave her. Logan would drive me mad.

Bring her, Logan said. Bring her with us.

It wasn’t a bad idea. She did need to learn more about the packs and what duties I had to them as King if she was going to be my Luna. I sighed, shaft getting hard. I adjusted my pants. This was getting ridiculous. When would this need for her subside enough that I could function better? If I didn’t at least see her a few times a day, I couldn’t think straight.

That was it. I was going to find her. I followed the pull of the mate bond to her room and knocked on the door. The bond was helpful. I always had a general sense of where she was.

Luka opened the door and smiled, yet it didn’t reach her eyes. I frowned. “May I come in?”

“Yes, please.”

I marched in closed the door and gathered her into my arms kissing her until she was breathless and leaning into to me for more. This is what I needed, to have her close. I wanted with me always.

When she looked up at me again with her swollen lips, softly parted, my shaft hardened. I was not a man to take. I had always been a man who gave to others. But with Luka, I wanted to take her all the time and give her pleasure. I lifted her, and she happily wrapped her legs around me. I gently set her on the bed and stripped off her clothes.

We made love until our bodies were weak and we couldn’t move, totally satisfied.

“Luka, I have to leave for a few weeks.”

“What?” she popped up, still breathing heavy, breasts bobbing beautifully. “Why?”

I rolled over to look at her. “I want you to come with me.”

She looked surprised, and then water pooled in her eyes. Her chin quivered. I scooted closer, afraid I would upset her.

“What’s wrong?”

“You want me to come with you?”

“Yes, you need to learn about inspections of the packs and of Red Moon and what is expected of you as a future Luna.”

“Oh, I understand.” She picked at her sheets.

I pulled her under me. “I want you to come.” I brush her hair back. “I don’t think I will ever be able to leave anywhere without you.”

“Really?”