Kaden's Luna

Kaden is nowhere to be seen when I wake up. I take a shower and get dressed, making my way downstairs. Offering to make breakfast, I get started on the food. Vulcan’s brother, Alexei, takes the tray of food Aurora and I had prepared, disappearing into the study.

As soon as we have finished breakfast, I insist on cleaning up before following Aurora’s voice to the sitting room where I meet her and the guilty looking twins who are covered in mud and grass.

“Help me?” She pleads, picking up Ayla with a glare as she scolds her children about getting their clothes dirty.

“Of course.” I chuckle, taking Ivan and following her to the nearest bathroom to bathe the twins.

After cleaning the twins and putting them down for their nap, I spent some time with Aurora who went on to show me around the territory. She introduced me to some of her pack members that we met along the way, all lovely and kind. I was amazed to see what pack life was like and wondered if Kaden ever misses it.

He always puts on a strong front, acting indifferent but I wonder why he never joined another pack. Aurora told me that every wolf belongs in one, it gives them a sense of family, people they can rely on and be part of something special.

“How did you and Vulcan meet?” I ask, taking a seat on the bench outside on the pack grounds.

Aurora smiles gently, her eyes glazing over. “At an airport. Back then I was human like you, I didn’t know what I meant to Vulcan until he finally told me. There were a lot of bumps in the road but it was all worth it. I’m the happiest with him and our children.”

“You were a human?” I ask, my mind running a mile a minute. “You aren’t now?”

She smiles sadly, but it didn’t seem like she is sad over the fact that she is not human anymore. “I was kidnapped and bitten by a vampire. It was hell and I slipped into a coma because my body couldn’t deal with it. Vulcan had to mark me again and his beasts saved me, so when I woke up we discovered that I possessed abilities of both his vampire and his wolf. I don’t shift or anything, I’m just not a human anymore.”

“So...you’re somewhat of a hybrid just like your mate?” I grin, hearing her laughter echo in the clearing.

“Somewhat yes.” She giggles, caressing her stomach.

I look up to the evening sky, the sun setting reminding me that Kaden and I have dinner plans. “Shoot! I can’t believe I forgot.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Kaden and I are meeting my brother for dinner tonight. I still have to get ready.” I explain, looking at my phone to see I had an hour.

“Great! Let’s go get you ready then!” Aurora claps excitedly, pulling me up with such strength before dragging me back to the house.

I make my way down the stairs with Aurora, Vulcan greeting me as he took his mate into his arms. Aurora wishes me good luck before waving as the couple disappears into the sitting room, probably to have quiet time since their kids are finally asleep.

I release a deep breath before making my way outside where I know Kaden is waiting. Opening the door, I step out and begin making my way down the stone walkway to the car. He looks so handsome in his black suit, a red tie around his neck that Vulcan changed at the last second when Aurora mind linked him. He had clearly shaved and styled his hair, the dark black strands looking neater than their usual messy, tousled style.

His icy blue eyes look up and meet mine and my heart races when I see his jaw drop, gold swirling in his now darkened orbs. I’m glad to have received that reaction because I chose a red dress just for him. It is his favourite colour after all.

His alluring eyes roam my body, lust and adoration clearly evident. The dress I wore revealed little cleavage which I liked and it flared out at my hips to mid-thigh. It had straps and a curved neckline and I only wore earrings with it, leaving my neck bare. Because of that, it was a task to cover up my mark because Nick didn’t know anything about supernatural beings.

My makeup is light with subtle eye shadow and a nude lip. Aurora had pinned my hair in an elegant bun, yet my small baby hairs and a few strands still made an appearance which made my hairstyle look slightly ruffled. I paired it with black stilettos and a clutch.

“You look...” Kaden trails off, swallowing harshly when he couldn’t seem to form words. “Fuck Luna, you look so beautiful in red.”

His voice is raspy and hoarse as he takes my hand, pulling me flush against his chest. I smile shakily, tingles dancing on my bare arms in elation over the contact.

“Thank you, you look very handsome yourself.” I whisper, smoothing the material of his tie.

“Maybe we should just postpone the dinner and go back inside.” He growls huskily, tracing the area where my mark is now hidden. “I don’t think I’ll be able to keep my hands off you tonight.”

“Then don’t.” I press a feather light kiss to the corner of his mouth to tease him before dodging his hands as they try to grab me. “But try and contain yourself in front of my brother until we get home.”

He whines and pouts as I walk away, rounding the front of the car and opening the passenger door. I wink at him, making him growl playfully before getting into the driver’s seat.

“Thank the Goddess Romanov soundproofed all the rooms.” He mutters as he reverses out of the driveway.

I frown in confusion, watching as he glances at me before smirking. “Why?”

“Because I’m going to make you scream my name tonight, little mate. We wouldn’t want the whole pack to hear you, now would we?” He grins devilishly, chuckling when I shout his name, smacking his arm.

I’m already overthinking this dinner and how many ways Nick is going to embarrass me, now I have naughty thoughts of my mate added to them too.

God, help me tonight. I pray as we drive off towards the city.

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We arrive at the restaurant in no time, luckily finding a place in the parking lot which is quickly filling up with cars. I hop out, meeting Kaden at the front who has his arm outstretched, waiting for me to take his hand. Clutching my coat tighter around my shoulders, I intertwine our hands and we make our way inside, the warm temperature making me sigh in relief.

We are guided to a table upstairs where it’s more private and quiet, a large window providing us with a view of the bustling city. One fact about New York is right, it truly is the city that never sleeps. The city lights illuminate the roads and buildings, people walking around that look like ants from up here.

“This place is nice.” I comment as I look around, taking off my coat and putting it around the back of my chair.

“Very, it must be new because it definitely wasn’t around when I was here.” Kaden takes a seat beside me, pulling me close.

We decline the waiter who comes over and asks if we want menus or something to drink, explaining that we’re still waiting on someone. From experience, I know Nick is going to be late. He never manages his time well in situations like these, always leaving things to the last minute and then freaking out.

“I’m just going to the bathroom, okay?” Kaden presses a kiss to my temple before standing.

I nod with a smile, fiddling with my bracelet as I watch him leave. After a few more minutes of waiting I decide to text him and see where he is. I send the message before looking around the restaurant. It’s an amazing place and certainly a fancy one when I notice women and men wearing designer clothes as they are guided to their tables.

“Okay I’ve got about two hours to tear him apart, where is he?” Nick surprises me by sliding into the seat in front, taking off his coat.

“You will not scare him away!” I seethe when I get over my initial shock, glaring at him when he rolls his eyes.

“He’s dating my baby sister, I have a right to see if he has the balls to stick around.” He huffs, picking up the menu before he freezes and looks up at me. “Speaking of balls, you better not have done it with him yet.”

“I will leave if you so much as make him uncomfortable.” I warn, completely serious as I stare him down.

“Oh my god, you had sex with him, didn’t you?” He narrows his eyes, making me hush him because of how loud his voice became.

“I am a twenty-one year old woman for goodness sake -”

He cackles deviously, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Oh, wait till our dearest parents hear about their little princess getting serious with her boyfriend. Dad hasn’t got that shotgun out in ages!”

“You wouldn’t dare.” I warn, crossing my arms in anger.

“Consider it as payback to the time you didn’t help me when mum found out about my tattoos.” He sniffs mockingly, a smirk on his lips.

“Why do you have to be so -”

“Because you’re my sister, now shut up. Is that him? Don’t look! Dark hair with blue eyes, ugh that suit doesn’t even look good.” He looks disgusted, shaking his head.

“Hey! I picked it for him!” My jaw drops and I cross my arms in annoyance.

“Oh,” He pauses before tilting his head sideways. “On second thought, it’s not so bad.”

I groan, regretting this decision. Now I could see why Kaden was not so excited to come. I sense him before I see him, turning in my seat to see him making his way to the table. He smiles softly at me before his eyes wander to my brother, taking him in.

‘He’s already planning to kill you. Maybe we should go.’ I speak in our mind link, noticing the corners of his lips quirk for a fleeting second.

‘Relax, little moon. Everything is going to be fine.’ He replies before taking a seat beside me, exchanging a rather firm handshake with my brother.

“Nicholas.” Kaden nods, taking my hand in his underneath the table. “It’s nice to meet you, I’m Kaden Reid.”

“I know who you are.” Nick waves him off carelessly, which I know is an act because normally my brother is nice and sweet to people. “Now, let’s get down to business, shall we? What are your intentions with my sister?”

I face palm myself, glaring at my brother who decides to act innocent. “Let’s just order food first?”

I’m grateful when the waitress shows up with our menus, asking us what drink would we like. But I also don’t miss the way she’s eyeing my man with lust, anger rising within me. Whilst Nick orders the drinks and his meal, I glance at Kaden who isn’t paying any attention to the woman, trying to pick a dish instead.

I can’t help the triumphant smile that graces my lips, squeezing his hand that was curled around my thigh. He looks up in surprise and grins, kissing my cheek before ordering what he wants. I am the last one to order and a relieved sigh escapes me when the waitress walks off, disappointment marring her features.

I take a sip of the red wine to calm my nerves once it’s poured into my glass before setting it down on the table. I lean against Kaden slightly, feeling his body heat envelope me in a warm embrace which brings me a sense of security.

“I have nothing but pure intentions with your sister.” Kaden speaks quietly, catching both mine and Nick’s attention. “I care for her in a way that cannot be described. I will never hurt her on purpose, I’m always trying to keep her happy because that’s what she deserves. Luna means everything to me, nothing and nobody can take her away. I would do anything for her...I love her.”

His voice is raw and thick with emotion and listening to him talk about me brings tears to my eyes. My vision is slightly blurry as he turns to me, his eyes widening in concern when he sees me nearly in tears. I laugh softly, shaking my head to reassure him that I’m alright. Kissing his cheek, I wipe away my lipstick mark with a grin.

‘I love you too, more than anything.’ I whisper in our mind link, watching him grin in response.

“I hate you guys.” Nick’s sullen voice snaps us out of our trance and we both turn to look at him in confusion, making him roll his eyes. “How am I supposed to make him piss himself after that confession?!”

I scoff at his whining, a small smile breaking out on my lips at my ridiculous brother. Kaden chuckles, shrugging half-heartedly before taking a sip of his wine. He drapes his arm around my shoulders, playing with my fingers.

“Anyways, now that my epic fail of an interrogation is out of the way, what do you do Kaden?” Nick asks, curiosity burning in his pale blue eyes.

“I own a marketing company in Berlin, my team and I are currently working on projects for both well-known and small brands.” He states proudly, grinning when Nick lets out a low whistle.

“That’s impressive man. Did you study in Berlin?”

“No, I was born and raised in the US and graduated from NYU. I had been looking to set up a company in Europe, I guess I just wanted to get away. My team and I thought Berlin would be a great location to establish our headquarters in.” Kaden explains, passing me my meal as two waitresses arrive with our food.

“So how did you and my sister meet?” Nick asks, diverting the topic as he cuts into his steak.

Kaden and I glance at each other with a knowing smile before I speak up. “At the hospital I’m on placement for, he came in for an appointment.”

“Oh, thank god! I was hoping you wouldn’t resort to those online dating sites. If I hear another person telling me that as their first meeting story, I’ll punch them in the face.” Nick pops a chip into his mouth, smirking at my surprised expression.

“W-What made you think I would do online dating?!” I ask with a frown on my lips.

“Um because you’ve never dated in your entire life before Kaden, so excuse us for being worried.” He shakes his head at me, waving his glass of wine around as he talked.

“Wait...mom and dad thought that too?!”

He freezes before smiling sheepishly. “Oops.”

“I’m not some loser like you who needs apps to find myself a date.” I scoff, smirking when he glares at me.

“Take that back!” He seethes mockingly, pointing his finger at me before leaning forward and poking my forehead.

“Quit being a child and I will.” I huff, kicking his leg under the table.

“Ow!” He whines, being overly dramatic as he leaned back and rubbed his shin. “Why are you so abusive?”

“Why are you so annoying?” I retort, both of us now glaring at each other.

A laugh brings us out of our glaring match and we turn to look at Kaden who is chuckling, amusement shining in his eyes. “Do you guys always argue like this?”

“No! I’m always so nice to him and he ruins it by acting like an idiot.” I state, freezing when Kaden’s hand curls around my bare thigh.

“Well, she’s too serious.” Nick points at me with his fork as he looks at Kaden. “Plus, she sucks at Fifa. I almost disowned her man.”

“You don’t know how to play Fifa?” Kaden shakes his head at me in mock disappointment and soon enough, Nick and my mate are agreeing with each other about everything that I can’t do.

I huff quietly and turn away, focusing on my food. Out of all the scenarios I had come up with, I didn’t think this dinner would backfire on me. Kaden and Nick were practically laughing at childhood stories my brother is completely exaggerating about, making me out to be the kid who did all the stupid things.

‘Stop sulking, baby. I’m always on your side.’ Kaden’s voice echoes in my mind, making me jump slightly.

‘Yeah, I can really feel the love right now.’ I mutter back sarcastically, narrowing my eyes at him.

‘Come on Luna, your brother approves. Isn’t that what you wanted?’ He rubs my knee, squeezing it reassuringly.

‘You two bonding by making fun of me, not what I had in mind.’ I chuckle quietly, cutting off our mind link.

Aurora had taught me how to block people from reading my mind, especially for those times when I needed privacy. This is the first time I used it and I could see it shocked Kaden because he is staring at me right now, a hint of frustration and concern in his eyes. Clearly, he didn’t like it one bit that his own mate has blocked him out.

The reason I cut off our mind link isn’t because I am mad at him, I could care less what my brother is telling him. But I didn’t want Kaden to get distracted and do something crazy if he listened in on my naughty thoughts about him.

I can’t help it. He looks so sexy tonight, the dim lighting of the restaurant making his eyes turn even stormier, casting shadows across his face making him look more dangerous than he is. I shake my head slightly, pleading my brain to stop conjuring up images of us in bed. Instead I focus on my food, taking sips of my wine to calm my frazzled nerves.

But my resolve starts to weaken when Kaden decides to caress my thigh, his fingertips trailing underneath the skirt of my dress. I stiffen, shooting him a warning look which he ignores completely. This man is going to be the death of me.

My breath hitches quietly when his fingers trail agonizingly slow on my heated skin, inching closer to my core before moving back. He keeps repeating the action, teasing me relentlessly. My hand curls around his before I attempt to push it off me but at that second, he tightens his grip making it impossible to remove his hand.

I huff in frustration, my brows furrowing as I look over at him. Kaden is completely at ease, smiling and laughing at my brother’s words. It’s like this didn’t affect him at all. Well, I’m going to make sure I’m not the only one flustered tonight.

Innocently, I rest my hand on his thigh, dangerously close to his crotch. He freezes, arching a brow at me when Nick is distracted, a dark and deadly look in his eyes. I feel him boring holes into the side of my head but I ignore it, casually sipping my wine.

I clench my thighs together when his hand tries to move up further, smirking when I feel his frustration through our bond. My fingertips trail back and forth on the inside of his thigh, his grip tight on my wrist to stop me. Now it’s me who is engaged in a conversation with my brother, not him.

Just when I feel him about to lose control, I stop. Our eyes meet, brown to blue, and I smile cheekily. He is glaring at me but his eyes hold a flicker of amusement. My cheery expression drops when the blue in his eyes fades to black, signalling his wolf’s presence and then they are back to normal. He chuckles lowly, grabbing my hand and squeezing it tight.

‘I’m going to enjoy spanking your cute little ass till it’s red tonight.’ He growls huskily in our mind link, making me choke on air.

“Woah! Are you okay, Luna?” Nick asks, passing me a glass of water.

I nod, trying to calm my breathing as I take sips of the water. As Kaden rubs my back soothingly, I glance up to see him wearing a fake expression of concern, the corners of his lips quirking in humour when our eyes meet. I tell them I’m fine, my voice quiet and shaky as I avoid my mate’s lust filled eyes.

The rest of our dinner is uneventful, thankfully. Apart from the heated glances Kaden kept sending me, I caught up with my brother. Later in the evening, we paid for our meals before leaving the restaurant. I stood outside, clutching my coat closer to my body when a cold gust of wind caresses my skin. Kaden’s arm is wrapped around my waist as we face Nick, the night sky above us.

I step forward, hugging my brother to say goodbye. “I’m going to miss you.”

“I’m going to miss you too, Lu. Stay safe, okay?” He murmurs, ruffling my hair.

“Shouldn’t I be saying that to you?” I tease, pulling back slightly.

Nick scoffs, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “No promises. Now, why don’t you go ahead while your boyfriend and I have a little chat.”

“But -”

“Luna.” He warns, nodding at me to go.

I sigh and nod, hugging him again before turning to walk back to the car. My gaze locks on to Kaden’s and I smile reassuringly, his hand squeezing mine as I walk past. Making my way to the familiar spot, I press a button on the key and unlock the car, getting in quickly to escape the cold.

I have a clear sight on them, standing outside the restaurant but I can’t make out their expressions. After a few minutes of waiting, I look up to see Kaden opening the door and get in. He starts the car and reverses out of the parking space, driving onto the main road and towards home.

“Did he give you the don’t hurt my sister or I’ll make your death look like an accident speech?” I deadpan after a few minutes of silence, curious to know what they talked about.

“Yes, along with a few other things.” He chuckles, turning a corner.

“Like what?” I frown, shifting in my seat to face him.

“Nothing you need to worry about. What you should be thinking of is how many ways I’m going to make you come tonight.” He smirks, his free hand curling around my thigh, thumb caressing my cold skin.

I swallow harshly, looking anywhere but at him. I’m in it from him tonight...but instead of feeling scared or nervous, I feel excited.