The Reluctant Luna

Chapter 27

Louise had planned to spend the rest of that weekend studying for her finals. Instead, she found herself staring blankly at pages with a low buzzing in the back of her brain that proved a constant distraction.

Further, there was a constant awareness of Luca's precise position, mood, and thoughts. If he was near her, his scent drove her mad with the desire to be in contact with him. When she was in contact with him, she found every touch gave her a satisfaction she couldn't understand.

The buzzing was the many voices in the pack. It was like being in a crowded room in which everyone was whispering to each other. If she focused her attention, she could listen to a conversation. Similarly, one person could choose to whisper in her ear, getting her attention absolutely, and she, too, could choose to whisper in another's ear.

The problem was it wasn't constant. It would ebb and flow. James would shout a command for the guards, and it would catch her attention. The children would play a game and get excited, and the excitement would bleed into the buzzing. There were a million possible distractions in the buzzing, and she couldn't ignore them.

She tucked her books away in defeat, her eyelids drooping with heaviness. That was something else new. She grew tired. Not simply bored, but craving sleep. She didn't need much, just a couple hours, based on the previous night, but she had needed it then, and she did again with dusk approaching.

On the other hand, Luca had arisen with her the previous night, speaking of being remarkably refreshed. That was when he'd added her to the link. Sleeping wolves had silent thoughts, making it a safe time to experiment. James had tested her with a few of his guards, and she'd heard only the low buzz. Now she heard them all, through Luca.

Luca was moving towards her. She could feel him as he strode up the stairs to their floor, as he walked down the hallway, as he reached for their door. She looked up as he opened the door to her. His scent assaulted her nose, forcing a smile to her lips.

"You're tired," he stated.

"As are you. Do you know how strange it is to feel you so completely?"

"I always have, ever since I smelled you. When we marked each other, it grew stronger. When we mated, it grew stronger again." He smiled as he kissed her forehead, then her lips. "What's strange is waking refreshed after almost no sleep."

It was her turn to smile. "Sleep was something I indulged in from boredom. Now I seem to require it."

"So I can count on having you next to me every night?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

She spent the rest of the week taking tests and getting used to the need for sleep, the complete awareness of Luca, her mate, and to the pack link. For the first time in her life, she knew what it was to be a werewolf in a pack. For the first time in her life, she knew what it was to have a place in the world.