Alpha's Human Luna

Echo arrives with two empty wine glasses and a bottle of wine in his other hand. Following the pale are our wine glasses.

"Manufactured over a century ago, and extremely uncommon," Echo proudly proclaims, opening the cork and gently pouring it into mine and David's cups.

David snatches the cork from Echo and stashes it in his "Thanks." I say, cheerfully beaming. In the icy pale, Echo shakes his head. "Your meal will be ready soon." It's time to order at another table.

I peek at my wine glass before David.

David sighs, takes up the drink and swirls it twice before taking a sip. The fermented liquid has made David sigh and smile. "Try it, Susan."

Like David, I swirl the drink and put it to my lips. I take a tentative sip, unsure of what to anticipate. The coolness is the first thing I notice, followed by a bright berry flavor. The crimson wine goes down effortlessly, and I take another small drink before gracefully returning the wine glass to the table.

David raises a heavy brow, waiting for my words. "Yummy and cool." Answer.

"I'm pleased." He smiles.

I grin briefly at David. He caught me looking and gazed straight back at me. But not about David.

David reclines and crosses his arms. "If you answer my questions, I'll answer any."

I become excited at the prospect of a new task. I lean in. "OK," I say, smiling. "Favorite?"

David smirks. "Wow, Susan. He sighs.

"Oh, David!

"Do I kiss well?" David asks, amused.

I disregard his egotistical inquiry. I ask David about his first kiss.

"When I was ten, Dad let me go on a pack run after a mating ritual. After an hour of running, the entire group halted at a clearing to relax before returning home. -she was hot and two years younger than me-wanted to wander around the forest with me, so I did. She pulled me up against the tree, and we began making out when we were away from the group."

"The following day at school, I learned through her friends that she was attempting to make Hunter jealous. Mary's mother discovered it and informed my father. "Dad beat my ass after a long chat."

I'm puzzled by his father's attitude.

"I still regret it."

"You're hiding something from me." I know."

A shadow crosses David's face as he stares down. The same Rogue assault that killed my father.

I go for my wine glass and take a big swig. Instead of encouraging David to continue, I should have stopped him from telling me about his first kiss.

"Don't worry, Susan. You would have found out eventually."

I raise an eyebrow, hoping David would continue, but it's not about Mary. "When my father died, and I became an alpha, the pack changed. It's almost as though we're cursed."

'Cursed' means what?

"Exactly what Dad did to the pack. Same regulations, taxes, and property. But money is tightening, Susan, and the pack isn't a family anymore."

No, David, you're not. I mutter, "Your mother says you have his appearance and demeanor, but you are not him. The pack is becoming worse, so maybe it's time to change." I complete my sentence and wait for David's response. David sighs and shakes his head. "We'll have to discuss it with Hunter."

"Hunter?" Surprisingly, I said.

David grins and nods. "We, Susan. You'll need to be engaged, but the main focus is on your Luna Ceremony."

I entwined our hands and gently rubbed David's wrist.

"Thanks for tonight," I say, overwhelmed with joy.

David smiles and softly pecks my hand.

The date with David was fantastic.

He shocked me with his curiosity and kindness.

I lost track of the time David, and I spent chatting, eating, and laughing. At that point, the sky was dark, and no one was outside shopping.

My stomach is complete. I enter the SUV while David opens the door. He closes my door and enters from his side, but David surprises me.

David softly touches my arm, and my body instantly responds. My skin chills, and I get goosebumps. I wonder what David wants. David gives me a lazy smile, tilts his head, and kisses me.

My arms are around David's neck, and my lips are parted to urge him to keep kissing me. When my tongue brushes against David's, I sigh. "That's a bad kiss? If so, I need to know immediately because I want to kiss you all night."

"I like it, Alpha."

David's blue eyes flare, and he growls, surprising me. David nips and bites my cheeks and neck. When David reaches a ticklish region over my collarbone, I have to laugh uncomfortably.

I sigh, having never considered it before. "I like being tipsy." David stops biting my neck as I run my fingers through his hair. David raises his head, amused. "I'm sorry. The wine was superb." "I know." David kisses me. "Let's go, Susan."

Then I shut the passenger door. But I'm not intoxicated. I'm a little sluggish but really delighted right now. The SUV trembles when David closes the door, and I feel the weight of David on the car. "It's chilly," David says as he adjusts the thermostat.

My brows furrow. "Not that you need one. Why?"

"Wolf DNA. I can sense the temperature fluctuations, but my wolf never affects me. To wear a coat, the weather must be fucking freezing."