Ch. I Refuse to Be Your Luna 47 I Refuse to Be Your Luna 47

I Refuse To Be Your Luna

Chapter 47 A Fair Chance

Lady Flourish’s POV

By the time my car left Stonehedge Villa, the pressure in my chest had finally eased. I had heard enough for one evening.

Daciana’s pleading, Harold’s silence, Phina’s half hearted apology, and the suggestion that Harold should mark me before the Lunar Rite had left my wolf unsettled.

She’d reacted strongly to being bound to him, and I understood why. I had already made my decision. wasn’t going to become his Luna.

The gates disappeared behind me as I drove through the territory, the moon hanging low above the buildings.

I turned the music down and let the quiet settle over the car. That’s when I remembered the contract.

I frowned. How had I forgotten? After everything that happened at Stonehedge, the business arrangement between F-Tech and Damian’s company had completely slipped my mind.

I’d been so wrapped up in Harold and the Lunar Rite that I hadn’t followed up on it. I pulled over. phone already in hand, and opened my contacts, hovering over Damian’s name before typing.

“Alpha Damian, are you staying at Stonehedge Villa tonight?”

I sent it, not expecting an immediate reply. Damian had a company to run and enough responsibilities to keep most Alphas busy well past midnight. My phone buzzed less than ten seconds later.

“Damian: Why?”

Before I could answer, another message came through.

“Are you waiting for me to leave?”

Heat rushed to my face. “Oh, for Moon Goddess’ sake.” I covered my eyes while my wolf practically p There was no reason my heart should be racing over such a simple question.

Since Damian’s return, though, our conversations always left me thinking about them long after they ended.

He rarely said anything openly inappropriate, but something in his tone always made me wonder what he really meant.

I typed back before I could talk myself out of it. “I’ve already left. If it’s convenient for you, I’ll wait at Moonwater Square.” My wolf pressed closer to my senses, and I told her to knock it off. A minute passed. Then another. My phone buzzed once more.

“Okay.”

I stared at the message far longer than it deserved. “This is getting embarrassing,” I muttered, and started the engine toward Moonwater Square.

The square sat near the heart of the territory, beside a stretch of water, usually busy but nearly empty now I

19:55 Wed, Sep 30

Chapter 47 A Fair Chance

parked and waited.

few minutes later a familiar black vehicle pulled up, and I recognized the plate right away Before I could thank better of it, I stepped out, and the car slowed to a stop.

“Alpha Damian!”

His window lowered. Surprise crossed his face first, then amusement, followed by a quiet chuckle my wolf responded to too eagerly. His expression settled hack into its usual calm. “Get in.”

I hesitated. My plan had been to talk about the contract right there, but we were still close enough to Stonehedge that anyone passing might recognize us, and standing beside his car at this hour would only give people more to gossip about. So I climbed in. His scent wrapped around me instantly, and my woll went on alert. I ignored her.

Damian turned slightly. “Did you purposely wait for me?”

“Alpha Damian, I only wanted to discuss the contract between F-Tech and your company.”

The faint amusement drained from his face. “You waited for me.” he said slowly, “just to discuss business?”

“What else would I wait for you for?”

He held my gaze a beat too long before leaning back. “I see.”

Something about the way he said it made me uneasy, so I pushed on. I’m not asking you to pull strings for me. I simply want F-Tech to have a fair opportunity to compete. His eyebrow lifted. “From what you’re saying, should I assume someone’s trying to prevent that?”

I froze. That wasn’t quite what I’d meant, though Kael was, as always, the real problem. Explaining that meant explaining our history, and I wasn’t doing that tonight. “No, that’s not what I meant.

He kept watching me, his Alpha presence filling the small space without effort. My wolf grew restless. ‘Do misunderstand,” I said. “I only meant…” My voice caught. His eyes had dropped to my mouth, and for one embarrassing second I lost track of what I’d been saying.

Then he looked away. “Did you eat properly? At dinner. Did you eat enough?”

I opened my mouth, then closed it, thinking back. Between Harold, Phina, Daciana, and the mess surrounding the Lunar Rite, I’d barely touched my food. As if to confirm it, my wolf growled, loudly.

Amusement flickered in his eyes. “There we go.”

“That wasn’t me.”

“Mm.”

“It wasn’t.”

“Of course.”

I folded my arms while he looked entirely too pleased with himself. Then he started the engine. “If you didn’t eat enough, come eat with me.” Before I could argue, he was already pulling away from the curb. “Alpha Damian…” “You can discuss the contract while you eat.” His tone left no room for protest, so I sighed

19:55 Wed, Sep 30

Chapter 47 A Fair Chance

and sank back into my seat.

The city slid by outside the windows, neither of us saying much, though the silence never felt uncomfortable.

When the car finally stopped, Iny eyes widened. Stoneville Restaurant, of all places, the same restaurant where I’d first seriously considered ending itry betrothal to Harold. The memory made my stomach tighten.

Damian stepped out and I followed. The hostess recognized him at once and led us to a private room. Once seated, a menu was placed in front of me, and being alone with him made it hard to think clearly. I cleared my throat. “Why don’t you order first?”

Damian picked up the menu, then his phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen and his expression shifted, not dramatically, but enough that my wolf noticed. He turned the phone face down.

“Is everything okay?”

His eyes lifted to mine. “Yes.” The answer came too fast. Before I could press, he leaned back. “Now, tell me about the contract.”

I reached for my phone, but before I could open the proposal, his buzzed again. This time he didn’t look at it. He simply stared at me, and I had the uncomfortable feeling that the contract wasn’t the only reason he’d agreed to meet me tonight.

。

68

W

19:55 Wed, Sep 30

Refuse To Be Your Luna

19:55 Wed, Sep 30

I Refuse To Be Your Luna

Chapter 47 A Fair Chance

Lady Flourish’s POV

By the time my car left Stonehedge Villa, the pressure in my chest had finally eased. I had heard enough for one evening.

Daciana’s pleading, Harold’s silence, Phina’s half hearted apology, and the suggestion that Harold should mark me before the Lunar Rite had left my wolf unsettled.

She’d reacted strongly to being bound to him, and I understood why. I had already made my decision. wasn’t going to become his Luna.

The gates disappeared behind me as I drove through the territory, the moon hanging low above the buildings.

I turned the music down and let the quiet settle over the car. That’s when I remembered the contract.

I frowned. How had I forgotten? After everything that happened at Stonehedge, the business arrangement between F-Tech and Damian’s company had completely slipped my mind.

I’d been so wrapped up in Harold and the Lunar Rite that I hadn’t followed up on it. I pulled over. phone already in hand, and opened my contacts, hovering over Damian’s name before typing.

“Alpha Damian, are you staying at Stonehedge Villa tonight?”

I sent it, not expecting an immediate reply. Damian had a company to run and enough responsibilities to keep most Alphas busy well past midnight. My phone buzzed less than ten seconds later.

“Damian: Why?”

Before I could answer, another message came through.

“Are you waiting for me to leave?”

Heat rushed to my face. “Oh, for Moon Goddess’ sake.” I covered my eyes while my wolf practically p There was no reason my heart should be racing over such a simple question.

Since Damian’s return, though, our conversations always left me thinking about them long after they ended.

He rarely said anything openly inappropriate, but something in his tone always made me wonder what he really meant.

I typed back before I could talk myself out of it. “I’ve already left. If it’s convenient for you, I’ll wait at Moonwater Square.” My wolf pressed closer to my senses, and I told her to knock it off. A minute passed. Then another. My phone buzzed once more.

“Okay.”

I stared at the message far longer than it deserved. “This is getting embarrassing,” I muttered, and started the engine toward Moonwater Square.

The square sat near the heart of the territory, beside a stretch of water, usually busy but nearly empty now I

19:55 Wed, Sep 30

Chapter 47 A Fair Chance

parked and waited.

few minutes later a familiar black vehicle pulled up, and I recognized the plate right away Before I could thank better of it, I stepped out, and the car slowed to a stop.

“Alpha Damian!”

His window lowered. Surprise crossed his face first, then amusement, followed by a quiet chuckle my wolf responded to too eagerly. His expression settled hack into its usual calm. “Get in.”

I hesitated. My plan had been to talk about the contract right there, but we were still close enough to Stonehedge that anyone passing might recognize us, and standing beside his car at this hour would only give people more to gossip about. So I climbed in. His scent wrapped around me instantly, and my woll went on alert. I ignored her.

Damian turned slightly. “Did you purposely wait for me?”

“Alpha Damian, I only wanted to discuss the contract between F-Tech and your company.”

The faint amusement drained from his face. “You waited for me.” he said slowly, “just to discuss business?”

“What else would I wait for you for?”

He held my gaze a beat too long before leaning back. “I see.”

Something about the way he said it made me uneasy, so I pushed on. I’m not asking you to pull strings for me. I simply want F-Tech to have a fair opportunity to compete. His eyebrow lifted. “From what you’re saying, should I assume someone’s trying to prevent that?”

I froze. That wasn’t quite what I’d meant, though Kael was, as always, the real problem. Explaining that meant explaining our history, and I wasn’t doing that tonight. “No, that’s not what I meant.

He kept watching me, his Alpha presence filling the small space without effort. My wolf grew restless. ‘Do misunderstand,” I said. “I only meant…” My voice caught. His eyes had dropped to my mouth, and for one embarrassing second I lost track of what I’d been saying.

Then he looked away. “Did you eat properly? At dinner. Did you eat enough?”

I opened my mouth, then closed it, thinking back. Between Harold, Phina, Daciana, and the mess surrounding the Lunar Rite, I’d barely touched my food. As if to confirm it, my wolf growled, loudly.

Amusement flickered in his eyes. “There we go.”

“That wasn’t me.”

“Mm.”

“It wasn’t.”

“Of course.”

I folded my arms while he looked entirely too pleased with himself. Then he started the engine. “If you didn’t eat enough, come eat with me.” Before I could argue, he was already pulling away from the curb. “Alpha Damian…” “You can discuss the contract while you eat.” His tone left no room for protest, so I sighed

19:55 Wed, Sep 30

Chapter 47 A Fair Chance

and sank back into my seat.

The city slid by outside the windows, neither of us saying much, though the silence never felt uncomfortable.

When the car finally stopped, Iny eyes widened. Stoneville Restaurant, of all places, the same restaurant where I’d first seriously considered ending itry betrothal to Harold. The memory made my stomach tighten.

Damian stepped out and I followed. The hostess recognized him at once and led us to a private room. Once seated, a menu was placed in front of me, and being alone with him made it hard to think clearly. I cleared my throat. “Why don’t you order first?”

Damian picked up the menu, then his phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen and his expression shifted, not dramatically, but enough that my wolf noticed. He turned the phone face down.

“Is everything okay?”

His eyes lifted to mine. “Yes.” The answer came too fast. Before I could press, he leaned back. “Now, tell me about the contract.”

I reached for my phone, but before I could open the proposal, his buzzed again. This time he didn’t look at it. He simply stared at me, and I had the uncomfortable feeling that the contract wasn’t the only reason he’d agreed to meet me tonight.

。