His Discarded Luna, the Rival's Obsession

s National Chip Laboratory's clean

did

es slapped against shoulders. On the main screen, a sin

CC

vering above the keyboard. The chip diagram glowed on the screen i

der defense systems, and make remote Pack territories independent from human-controlled

ould change

both shoulders. "Eira! Look at the numbers. Look at them!"

e, military contracts, obscene money. Dr. Crawford, you ju

"Eira," he said quietly, "your husband... he's the Alpha of Hale Pack, isn't he? This te

lready pictur

mething impressed him-no smile yet, just his eyes sharpenin

s, if she was honest, and tonight she had finally earned it

as expected to soothe the elders, produce heirs, support the Alpha's decisions, and never become the loudest person in the room. By that math, Eira

ive had just cracked a problem the federal government had thrown money at for ten years. The badge in her bag opened doors that men with centuries o

to do tha

her clean-room suit, and placed the certification documents in

ra Cra

ul there, official enough tha

used the private suite for late business meetings, and sometimes he slept there when he claimed H

he brought

. The hallway was quiet, thick with expensive carpet and soft yellow w

ew before h

scent could be. It was the scent she had fallen asleep beside fo

it was som

loral. N

sto

of light spilled through the gap, and with it came

a Sebasti

ve always loved you.

tly in Eira's grip. She

thin blade of amusement underneath. "If you love me, why did you let that

t laugh. He used it when he wanted someone to f

I be?" Se

t the softness made it worse. "I needed a Luna. The elders wanted the positi

mle

ide the door, u

all sound of dis

the house, handles Pack accounts, keeps my mother from turning every

ank into E

o

Not Luna.

o

spoke again, her voice had lost its tea

the room. "When the time is right

the h

me without hesitation. "My h

osed he

d years ago might still affect his body. He said he did not want to hurt her. She had believed him because she wanted to believe

o

th was

s not

ena's neck. His nose brushed her skin, and his expression changed in a way E

murmured. "Your s

into him. "The

t y

hy

gs. "Because she still serves a purpose. Give her a little attention, and she'

ned around the folder

e had imagined placing it on Alpha Sebastian 's desk and watching pride fina

she heard

ed her completely. Then

Serena's hands on his shirt, the kiss that followed, the way he whispered her name like a vow. Eira recorded until her soul felt far away

topped the

e doors closed around her, cutting off cedar and flowers a

like a stranger

he did not cry there. Maybe her body had deci

f the National Research Institute. Susan answered

Crawf

ce did not shake. "I have documented evidence of the male party's infid

r rustled. "Understood. Do you want standard

doesn't know my clearance statu

d personnel protocol." Susan's voi

above her, the man she had once called

sts," she said.

es

t before he understan